We strongly condemn the attack perpetrated today (2 July) in the Hijaz area of Damascus, the capital of Syria, which claimed lives. We wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives in this heinous attack and a speedy recovery to the injured. We extend our condolences to the bereaved families a»»»

Two unidentified drones attacked the Russian Embassy in Sweden overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, with one dropping a container of red paint and another falling near the building with a fake explosive device attached, diplomats have said. In a statement on Thursday, the embassy said that the inc»»»

WASHINGTON: Belgium ‌lived to fight another day after a dramatic turnaround against Senegal set up a last-16 clash with the United States, but defender Timothy Castagne warned they cannot depend on more miracles if they are to go any further in the World Cup. Belgium fans partied long into the nigh»»»

INNUMBERS: *240 bcm Syria’s estimated natural gas reserves in 2015. *8.7 bcm Annual gas output at the start of the civil war in 2011. *3 bcm Annual production by late 2024. Source: BP ANAN TELLO LONDON: Syria’s battered energy sector faces a daunting challenge after nearly 14 years of war, sanction»»»

Cairo: Brazilian icon Zico lit up three World Cups as a player -- and 40 years after his final appearance at football's extravaganza his Egyptian namesake is keeping the name in the spotlight. Zico, 29, rewarded coach Hossam Hassan for selecting him by becoming the first Egyptian at a World Cup to »»»

The couple that climbed the Empire State Building on Wednesday was arraigned and released on supervised bail after being charged with a series of crimes for the stunt. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 2 (UPI) -- The couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building's s»»»

GENEVA: The World Health Organization on Thursday declared an end to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship which sparked international alarm, after the last person left quarantine. There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths. But whil»»»

LONDON: Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met in London on Thursday to discuss developments in the Middle East and to affirm their countries’ historical ties. The meeting focused on ways to support negotiations and diplomatic efforts to ensure safe and sec»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar discussed the latest round of negotiations between the US and Iran in Doha on Thursday. Mediator Qatar said on Thursday that Iran and the US have made progress in talks over ending the four-month US-Isra»»»

A ULA Atlas V rocket launches the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on its maiden crewed flight in June 2024 from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Issues with the spaceflight meant the astronauts on board this flight were stuck at the International Space Station for nine month»»»

Eric Moskowitz’s “The Hardest, Longest Race” tells the riveting story of the first true coast-to-coast automobile race in US history, a fast-paced tale of the gritty and determined drivers who braved hostile terrain, mechanical failure, and, shockingly, sabotage, to take home the gold. As a seeming»»»

ATLANTA: From the altitude of Mexico City to the memories of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal, England will have to contend with brutal conditions and the weight of history when they play co-host Mexico at the World Cup on Sunday. The Azteca Stadium — the site of the round of 16 game an»»»

Damascus, July.3 (SANA) United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern on Thursday over the explosion near the Palace of Justice in Damascus. The Secretary-General extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and expressed his sympathy with those injured, w»»»

London: The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said Thursday eight people had been arrested as part of a probe into an international network of men drugging and sexually abusing women they know. The alleged offences were reminiscent of the high-profile case of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, who was drug»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP) - A meeting between Finance Minister Michket Slama Khaldi and heads of banks has brought back into focus a long-standing challenge facing Tunisia’s public finances: the growing reliance on domestic borrowing to cover the state...»»»

National Park Service workers use vacuum pumps to clean algae off the bottom of the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., on June 20. A former Olympic kayaker was indicted for allegeldy damaging the reflecting pool. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo July 2 »»»

MIAMI: Few imagined that three years after making the move to Miami, Lionel Messi would be leading Argentina’s charge to defend the title and smashing records at his sixth World Cup. The 39-year-old returns to the Florida city he now calls home for a last 32 clash against the surprise package of th»»»

NEW YORK: Bahrain’s foreign minister flew to New York on Thursday to demand action from the UN Security Council after what he described as a “renewed and treacherous” Iranian attack on his country this week, as the US and Russia clashed sharply over responsibility for the escalation. Foreign Minist»»»

1,000 days since the massacres of October 7th means 1,000 since total war was unleashed on the more than 2 million residents of the Gaza strip. Israeli retaliation to the Hamas massacre is said to have killed more than 73,000 people and wounded many more, including since the ceasefire of October 20»»»

Israelis called on Thursday for a state commission of inquiry into Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, as the country marked 1,000 days since the deadliest event in its history, which triggered the war in Gaza. Reporting from Jerusalem, FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky explains that "there's a clear sense »»»

Beirut, July 2 (SANA) Lebanese officials have welcomed Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani‘s visit to Beirut, stressing the importance of opening a new chapter in Syrian-Lebanese relations based on mutual respect, sovereignty and cooperation in the interests of both peoples. Lebanese F»»»

Hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires raging in southern France on Thursday after weeks of dry weather and record temperatures, with a further heatwave forecast to hit the country in the coming days. Firefighters were battling several wildfires fanned by strong winds in southern»»»

Police detained seven people over suspected laughing gas distribution along the Southern Black Sea Coast, Sozopol Police Department Chief Inspector Ivaylo Dragiev said on Thursday. About 440 kg of laughing gas was seized. The detainees are from various parts of Bulgaria and had been doing seasonal »»»

People walk past the Alibaba logo on its building in Xuhuibinjiiang Park, also known as 'AI Park,' home to many Chinese companies involved in AI research, in Shanghai, China, in March. This week the company agreed to pay the United States $600 million in fines. File Photo by Alex Plavevski/EPA July»»»

NEW YORK: A UN refugee agency-contracted truck carrying humanitarian relief supplies was struck by a drone near Tendelti in White Nile state on Tuesday, destroying 50 metric tons of aid intended for vulnerable populations in South Kordofan, the UN spokesman’s office said Thursday . The driver escap»»»

NEW YORK: After weeks of complaints from frustrated fans, StubHub is being sued by customers who say the ticket reseller’s inability to fulfill orders crushed their dreams of going to World Cup. Julia Reeker Moghal and Reuben Renteria, both of California, sued the ticketing giant this week in feder»»»

Damascus, July.3 (SANA) Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani extended his sincere appreciation to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed Thursday to retaliate for Russia's strikes on Kyiv that killed at least 21 people and wounded dozens, as he visited an apartment block partially destroyed in the attack. Asked by reporters whether Ukraine would retaliate, Zelensky replied: "Definitely". »»»

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government will accelerate school digitalization by installing 800,000 interactive flat panels in schools across the country this year, the country's Primary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti said Thursday. Mu'ti said the program is part of the government's accele»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Justice on Thursday launched an upgraded version of its official website as part of efforts to advance digital transformation and support the objectives of Qatar's Digital Agenda 2030. The Ministry said the redesigned website serves as a unified digital platform providi»»»

Tunis, July 2, 2026 (TAP) - The Arab Parliament approved the reports of its permanent committees and the Committee on Palestine during its plenary session held on Tuesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League in Cairo,...»»»

BARCELONA: Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar said on Thursday that his rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard is pushing both riders “to new heights.” The pair have won the last six editions of the Tour de France between them, and have finished first and second in each of the last five — something which»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector expands in pursuit of its ambitious Vision 2030 goals, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded across the travel experience — from planning itineraries and streamlining accommodation bookings to delivering more personalized customer experie»»»

LONDON: The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said Thursday eight people had been arrested as part of a probe into an international network of men drugging and sexually abusing women they know. The alleged offenses were reminiscent of the high-profile case of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, who was drug»»»

CHICAGO: The founder of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation has accused Israel of violating the Visa Waiver Program that it signed with the US in 2023. Rateb Rabie told Arab News that he was leading a delegation of nine US citizens under a non-political, non-profit program called “Know Th»»»

LONDON: Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, met the UK’s Deputy National Security Adviser Barbara Woodward on Thursday at his headquarters in Ain Al-Tineh to discuss the latest political and security developments. The talks also covered bilateral relations between Lebanon and the U»»»

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Hezbollah carried out hundreds of attacks between 17 April 2026 and 20 June 2026. The data showed that Hezbollah conducted hundreds of military operations during that period, led by attacks involving drones and explosive gliders, totaling 637 operations. These were »»»

Minister of Culture Evtim Miloshev removed the National Palace of Culture’s Board of Directors, the Ministry of Culture said on Thursday. Iya Petkova-Angelova, Tsvetelina Nikolova, Lachezar Vesov, Boris Pankin and Ivanka Veselinova were elected to replace them. The new members’ term will run until »»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar condemned the bombing that targeted a cafe in the vicinity of the Palace of Justice in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic, which lead to deaths and injuries. In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar's firm stance again»»»

Google appealed a massive fine from the EU and lost. It now must pay the fine. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 2 (UPI) -- Europe's highest court on Thursday upheld the $4.67 billion judgment against Google for alleged anti-competitive practices on the Android platform. Google »»»

NYON: UEFA on Thursday banned Czech club MFK Karviná from European competitions next season because of their involvement in a domestic match-fixing scandal. Czech Cup winner Karviná were already expelled from the top division as punishment by the Czech Football Association on June 16. The associati»»»

Doha: Saeed Abdullah Al Qamzi, Ambassador of the UAE to the State of Qatar, presented his credentials to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, during an official ceremony held at the Amiri Diwan in Doha. Al Qamzi conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed»»»

The European Union on July 2 unveiled a new package of financial and trade support for Armenia, seeking to bolster the South Caucasus country as it faces what Brussels described as mounting economic pressure from Russia and accelerates its shift towards Europe. European Commission President Ursula »»»

July 2 (UPI) -- An approximately 2,200-pound elephant seal is in the midst of his annual visit to Tasmania, leaving property damage and public disturbances in his wake. The 5-year-old animal, dubbed Neil the seal by locals, has been visiting southern Tasmania towns every year since he was born, res»»»

1 of 2 | The research vessel Atlantis will leave the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and travel first to the wreck of Quest, Photo by Ken Kostel, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution July 2 (UPI) -- Researchers will launch an expedition Thursday to survey two shipwrecks linke»»»

LONDON: A military delegation from the Syrian Arab Republic on Thursday took part in a conference in Bahrain led by US Central Command alongside 10 countries from the Middle East. Col. Ahmad Saeed Issa, director of the Department of International Cooperation within the Ministry of Defense, led the »»»

France is preparing with Italy to deploy international coalition forces in southern Lebanon after the end of UNIFIL's mission, a French Foreign Ministry official told Al-Arabiya television. The official said the move will take place with American support. He explained that the deployment of interna»»»

With more than 25% of its citizens aging and a steady loss of young workers, Cuba faces a critical scenario of structural depopulation that is pushing the country toward an economic and labor crisis. File Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA July 2 (UPI) -- Cuba is heading toward an irreversible demogr»»»

SILVERSTONE, UK: Lewis Hamilton on Thursday said he planned to boycott a Formula One sponsorship stunt involving Lego cars in a parade ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix, his home race. “I’m not going to do it,” the British Ferrari diver said, with a laugh. “It’s the most dangerous part of the we»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP) - In view of the forecast weather disturbances, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries on Thursday urged all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to remain vigilant and take the necessary...»»»