WASHINGTON: Taiwan needs to purchase American weapons to ensure its self-defense in the face of a growing threat from Beijing, the island’s top diplomat in the US said, adding that he has seen no change in Washington’s policy toward the self-governing island that China claims as its own.A $14-billi»»»

DUBAI: It took them two matches on home soil to get the result, but for the thousands of home fans packed into the BC Place stadium in Vancouver, Canada’s first-ever win at the World Cup was well worth the wait. A comprehensive 6-0 win over 9-man Qatar catapulted the host nation to the top of Group»»»

Dubai: The Court of Cassation has ruled that a husband who proves serious marital harm may be exempt from paying certain divorce-related financial entitlements, such as waiting-period maintenance and compensation, but remains legally obligated to pay the deferred dowry unless it has already been se»»»

BOSTON, Massachusetts: Scotland have hit ‌the ground running in the World Cup with an opening 1-0 victory over Haiti in Group C and with their Tartan Army of fans winning hearts in Boston, but their return to the city on Saturday to face Morocco could dampen their spirits. The North Africans, surpr»»»

ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD, United Kingdom: Counting was under way late Thursday in a historic UK by-election which could determine embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s future, as a Labour rival eyeing a leadership bid vies for a parliamentary seat. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, a veteran of »»»

Former US President Barack Obama opened his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday, calling for the defense of democracy in a star-studded event attended by three former presidents. “I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of how precious our democracy truly is,” Obama said, a»»»

JACKSON, Mississippi: The fatal shooting of a 1-year-old boy by police who were responding to a shoplifting call this week has ignited simmering tensions between police and Black residents in the small town of Senatobia, Mississippi. The death of Kohen Wiley is the latest in a series of troubling e»»»

NEW YORK: Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper has become a star at this World Cup, and a Senegal teenager scored in his tournament debut. Here’s a look at some of the oldest and youngest players as the 48-team tournament enters its second week. Elder statesmen No better place to begin than the 41-y»»»

Lebanese authorities have arrested a citizen suspected of having imported parts used to manufacture Hezbollah drones, a judicial source told AFP on Thursday. Hezbollah has been using fiber optic drones, which are resistant to jamming, in their fight against Israel since early March. The judicial so»»»

DHAHRAN: In a quiet corner of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a group of Ph.D. candidates is working to solve some of the most pressing technological challenges of the modern era. Among them are Asma Yamani and Linah Ali Abuhajar, two researchers operating at the intersection of art»»»

DPA Inglewood (California) Substitutes Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas were on fire as Switzerland stunned 10-man Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 at the World Cup on Thursday to boost their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages. The pair came on in the 72nd minute with the score 0-0 and were an instant hit»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Radek Cais has once again been awarded General Manager of the Year – Qatarat the Hotelier Middle East GM Awards 2026. Cais, multi-property general manager of Le Royal Méridien Place Vendôme Lusail, Agora, Autograph Collection Hotel Doha, and the soon-to-open Palais Vendôme»»»

Los Angeles,: Super subs Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas fired Switzerland to a 4-1 win over 10-man Bosnia-Herzegovina in a late rush of goals in Los Angeles on Thursday. The result gave the Swiss a strong chance of reaching the knockout round as one of the top two teams in Group B. They had been c»»»

The death rate in US immigration detention centres have more than doubled during President Donald Trump's second term, a Reuters analysis found, as authorities expanded arrests. Advocates linked the rise to overcrowding and strained medical services. A Vietnamese man with cardiovascular problems co»»»

The US-Iran war appears to have ended after 108 days, costing American taxpayers over $100 billion, according to estimates gathered by the independent Iran War Cost Tracker. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran, with Tehran also confirming the electro»»»

Radek Cais, Multi-Property General Manager of Le Royal Méridien Place Vendôme Lusail, Agora, Autograph Collection Hotel Doha, and the soon-to-open Palais Vendôme, a Luxury Collection Hotel Lusail, has once again been awarded General Manager of the Year- Qatar at the Hotelier Middle East GM Awards 2»»»

Russian artist and dissident Semyon Skrepetsky was famous for his audacious, even malicious, caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Skrepetsky was shot and killed on Tuesday in the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska at the age of 44.   Severa»»»

The combined wealth of Hungary’s 100 richest individuals rose by HUF1.56 trillion (€3.9bn) over the past year to a record HUF12.6 trillion (€36bn), according to the latest edition of The 100 Richest Hungarians annual ranking, Index.hu writes. The increase represents annual growth of 14%, »»»

DOHA: Qatar face a crucial Group B showdown against Canada as both sides seek their first victory of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Al Annabi opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Switzerland, while Canada were also held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia and Herzegovina, leaving all qualificati»»»

Top, from left, Hong Kyu-dok, Yoo Ho-yeol, moderator Son Gi-woong, Cho Gap-je, Lee Hoon and Lee Myung-kwon take part in a conference on South Korea’s unification policy at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Wednesday. Bottom, panelists and attendees pose for a group photo after the conference. Cour»»»

Tunis, June 18 (TAP) - The Criminal Chamber specialised in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld, on Thursday, the initial ruling issued against the former president of the Association of Friendship of Court Clerks and other...»»»

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russia’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as he hosted a summit intended to strengthen economic and political ties with the bloc. The leaders who took part in the meeting in Kazan agreed to further expand “strategic partnership»»»

NEW YORK CITY: For the first time since the UN’s mandate on children and armed conflict was established three decades ago, government forces, rather than nonstate armed groups, are responsible for the majority of grave violations against children, the latest report from the UN secretary-general rev»»»

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced a bill to block the president from sending troops to polling stations. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced a bill Thursday called the Protect Our Polls Act that would block the president from sen»»»

TENNESSEE, USA: Spain’s shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their World Cup opener was a wake-up call, defender Marc Cucurella said on Thursday, with the team preparing for a similar match against Saudi Arabia this weekend. “Maybe with this scare we’ve put ourselves on alert,” Cucurella told reporter»»»

DOHA: Mutaz Barshim has spent more than a decade redefining the limits of the high jump, collecting Olympic medals, world titles, and establishing himself among the greatest athletes in the sport’s history. His achievements include Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, silver in London 2012 and Rio 2016, and»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has pledged to bring an end to the European Union’s controversial EUR 1 million-per-day penalty imposed on Hungary over its asylum policies, saying the issue is one of the new government’s most urgent challenges. New Hungarian government seeks breakthrough on c»»»

Police officers inspect the scene of a shooting in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, Monday. A Russian artist and cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky known for mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in Biala Podlaska. Police Thursday said they arrested a man on suspicion of the murder. Photo»»»

PARIS: Strategic resilience emerged as a defining theme on the opening day of Vision Golfe 2026, as French and Gulf policymakers, business leaders, investors and innovators gathered in Paris to explore new avenues for cooperation in an increasingly complex global environment. Held under the theme “»»»

NEW YORK CITY: Sudan’s permanent representative to the UN called on the international community to put “immense pressure” on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, open legal proceedings against the militia, and formally designate it a terrorist organization. It comes as the group masses for a new »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) launched on Thursday the first edition of the School Fees Policy 2026 for private schools and kindergartens 2026, set to take effect from the 2027-2028 academic year. The new policy aims to establish a clear and unified regulatory »»»

RIYADH: “Esports World Cup: Level Up” returns for its second season on June 26, with all five episodes dropping that day exclusively on Prime Video. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker RJ Cutler — “Martha” (Netflix), “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” (Apple TV) — the five-part docuseries »»»

The Macedonia Foundation is calling off a 120-minute peaceful civil blockade of all three border crossings between Bulgaria and North Macedonia planned for June 21. The Foundation's President Viktor Stoyanov announced this on Thursday after earlier in the day Bulgaria's Ambassador in Skopje Zhelyaz»»»

Our weekly digest of Hungarian politics continues, as we report on the aftermath of April’s election and on the early days of the new Tisza government. This week we cover: A bill has been submitted to completely overhaul Hungary’s public media system. Layoffs have begun across the media empire link»»»

LONDON: The Saudi permanent representative to the UN on Thursday asked Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for her plan for the UN to resolve the Palestinian issue and bring peace to the region at a dialogue in New York. Rodrigues-Birkett announced her intention to stand as a candidate fo»»»

Abidjan: Forward Elye Wahi will miss Ivory Coast's second World Cup match against Germany after he was denied a visa to enter Canada, the Ivorian football federation said on Thursday. "The administrative authorisations necessary for his entry into Canadian territory have not been obtained at this s»»»

1 of 2 | Vice President JD Vance conducts a briefing for the media at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Iran and the United States are complying with their peace agreement but den»»»

Washington, United States: The US on Thursday lifted a blockade of Iranian ports imposed during the Middle East war after President Donald Trump signed a deal to end the conflict, as uncertainty surrounded planned talks in Switzerland aiming to take the accord further. The signing of the deal by Tr»»»

Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential hopeful and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, unveiled a public security plan that includes chemical castration for convicted rapists and the construction of maximum-security prisons modeled after those implemented by Salvadoran President Nayib »»»

Tunis, June 18 (TAP) - An investigating judge at Tunisia’s Judicial Counter-Terrorism Division on Thursday issued 20 detention warrants against members of two international criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion...»»»

Argentina is preparing to launch South America's first citizenship-by-investment program. File Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Argentina is preparing to launch South America's first citizenship-by-investment program, an initiative that would allow foreign nationals to app»»»

The Hungarian forint came under pressure on Thursday as a powerful rally of the US dollar swept through global currency markets following the US Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting. Hungarian currency weakens against both the US dollar and the euro While investors continue to monitor geopolitic»»»

JOHANNESBURG: A South African court has convicted and fined a rhino horn trafficking “mastermind,” ending a trial spanning 15 years, police said Thursday, describing it as the world’s largest such case. The country is home to most of the world’s rhinos and is a hotspot for poaching driven by demand»»»

BEIRUT: The Palestine Football Association denied on Thursday issuing any statements or commentaries regarding the Football Association of Ireland’s decision to move its UEFA Nations League match against Israel to a neutral venue. A PFA statement on X said: “First and foremost, the PFA have not iss»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a Texas man can't be prosecuted for being a regular user of marijuana and owning a gun. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court said Thursday that a Texas man can't be prosecuted under a law that bans regular use»»»

The UAE has extradited three wanted suspects by Belgian authorities on allegations of money laundering, drug trafficking and involvement in transnational organised crime, in a move both countries said underscored their commitment to international judicial cooperation. Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nu»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received on Thursday a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in which the Chinese leader noted that he attached great significance to development of Sino-Serbian relations and that, during Vucic's recent visit to China, he had been impressed by the S»»»

British counter-terrorism police announced Thursday that a Border Force officer and another have been sentenced for allegedly spying for the Chinese government. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- British counter-terrorism said Thursday a Border Force officer and forme»»»

Tunis, June 18 (TAP) - The Specialised Criminal Division for financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance on Thursday postponed the hearing of two cases against former President of the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD) Sihem Ben...»»»

The EU’s latest Russia sanctions package proposal includes counter-productive measures that could backfire on its own member states, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova has said. The government of Ukraine-skeptic Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who assumed office in May, are reportedly “diggin»»»