Eye on Africa - Kenya denies Rastafarians the right to smoke marijuana
In tonight's edition, after years of waiting, Kenya's Rastafarians lose a landmark court battle over the religious use of cannabis. Also, the continent's top cocoa producers join forces to process more cocoa at home instead of exporting it raw. And on the beaches of Dakar, an environmental activist»»»
Argentina roar back to beat England
DPA Atlanta (Georgia) Holders Argentina were inspired by the great Lionel Messi to storm back in the closing stages and beat England 2-1 on Wednesday to set up a meeting with Spain in the World Cup final. Anthony Gordon struck on 55 minutes for England, who then dropped deep and went ultra defensiv»»»
Father Amir transformed Qatar into a global success story, say prominent int’l journalists
Khaled Al Hameidi Doha The passing of the Father Amir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has inspired an extraordinary wave of reflection across the Arab world and beyond, as political observers, diplomats, journalists, and academics revisit the remarkable transformation that unfolded under his l»»»
Difaf programme on Alaraby 2 dedicates special episode to HH Father Amir
Tribune News Network Doha A special episode of the Difaf programme on Alaraby 2, was dedicated to reflecting on the legacy and vision of the late Father Amir, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani while also covering the heartfelt public response to this profound loss due to his passing away. “In ho»»»
Few Polish ships fly red and white flags
Poland is investing heavily in ports and terminals, but almost none of the ships operated by Polish companies sail under the national flag. Of 83 vessels in the Polish-controlled fleet, only 13 are Polish-registered, accounting for just 0.7% of total carrying capacity. Owners favor foreign registri»»»
Court postpones hearing on LTDH appeal against suspension to July 29
Tunis, July 15 (TAP) - A court has postponed until July 29 the hearing on an appeal filed by the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH) against the decision to suspend its activities, the organisation's president, Bassem Trifi, told...»»»
Human rights groups sue over Trump administration’s sanctions on ICC for investigations into Israel
WASHINGTON: Two human rights groups say Trump administration sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court over its investigations of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza have illegally impeded their ability to advocate for Palestinians. The organizations say in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that»»»
Avison Young: Poland’s property investment market accelerates in first half 2026
Poland’s property investment market accelerated sharply in the first half of 2026, with transaction volume reaching €3 bln across 66 deals, up 77% y/y and among the strongest first-half results of the past decade. Larger transactions lifted average deal size, although overall liquidity declined. Re»»»
More and more companies from abroad investing in Polish companies
Polish companies are accelerating their international expansion, with new investments planned in Western Europe, the United States, Central Asia, Africa, and eventually Ukraine. PFR TFI’s Foreign Expansion Fund is seeing particularly strong demand for acquisitions and brownfield projects, while gre»»»
Gallup: only 7% of Poles feel committed at work
Nais, an employee benefits and engagement platform used by about 200,000 people at more than 200 companies, argues that motivation depends on more than financial perks. Gallup data show that only 7% of Polish employees feel engaged at work, compared with a 21% global average. Nais offers access to »»»
Iran’s Ghalibaf Stresses Constant Readiness to Defend Homeland
Top Iranian negotiator and the speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says that the country has to be always prepared to battle the US, stressing the need to preserve the Iranian arrangements in Hormuz. In a message addressed to the Iranian nation released on Wedensday evening, the head of »»»
Russia prepares legal offensive against Baltic states over treatment of Russian minorities
Russia is stepping up efforts to pursue legal action against Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, accusing the three countries of discriminating against ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in a case it plans to bring before the International Court of Justice. An investigation by LRT, Re a»»»
Fleetwood riding a wave of support as the hometown hero at the Open Championship
SOUTHPORT, England: As a kid growing up in Southport, Tommy Fleetwood regarded Royal Birkdale as virtually off limits — except for those rare occasions he sneaked on to hit some shots while accompanying his father on evening dog walks. “Hallowed turf,” is how a young, wide-eyed Fleetwood viewed the»»»
Egypt pledges to resolve operational hurdles for French firms to spur $1.56bn investment portfolio
Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid has pledged to streamline regulations and resolve operational hurdles for French businesses during a meeting with the heads of 22 major French companies to discuss expansion plans and boost exports. The meeting, attended by French Amba»»»
UAE pushes stronger women's partnerships at BRICS meetings in India
The UAE, represented by the UAE Gender Balance Council, participated in the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting and BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting held from July 6 to 9 in Kochi, Kerala, India, as part of India's 2026 BRICS presidency. The meetings brought together ministers and officials responsibl»»»
Rep. Ilhan Omar introduces resolution urging U.S. to join International Criminal Court - UPI.com
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn,, speaks during a press conference with other Minnesota representatives ahead of President Donald Trump's 2026 State of the Union address in February at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Omar introduced a resolution Wednesday urging the United States to join the Internati»»»
Dubai grants 66,000 Golden Visas as 5-year tourist visa surges
Dubai: Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) granted 66,000 Golden Visas, issued more than 1.052 million new residency permits, and completed over 5 million entry permit transactions during the first six months of the year, underscoring the emirate’s continue»»»
Press Review - After the 'near oppressive' clean girl era, cigarettes are trendy again
PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, July 15: French papers weep, while the Spanish press celebrates the World Cup semi-final. Also in France, papers discuss the assisted dying bill that will be voted on today. Finally: are cigarettes back in vogue? PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, July 15: French pa»»»
Two rights watchdogs say US-imposed ICC sanctions stymied their bid to defend Palestinians
Washington: The Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide, stated Wednesday that the sanctions imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court (ICC) had stymied their ability to defend Palestinian rights. In a l»»»
OpenAI fails to trademark name in EU
Brussels: OpenAI, the owner the ChatGPT chatbot, lost Wednesday its appeal against the EU's refusal to register its name as a trademark. The US firm had sought to overturn a decision by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) that accepted protecting OpenAI's logo but not the name. »»»
‘Put your vote in the bin’, UK PM says in Farage parting shot
LONDON: Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Wednesday told voters to put their “vote in the bin” in snap elections that will see hard-right leader Nigel Farage run against joke candidate Count Binface. Farage, who heads the anti-immigrant Reform UK party, stood down as an MP earlier this m»»»
Djuric visits Washington for launch of Serbia-US strategic dialogue
WASHINGTON - Serbian FM Marko Djuric will be visiting Washington from July 15 through 17 for the opening of US-Serbia strategic dialogue, which, for the first time in history, will raise the relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership. While visiting the US at the invi»»»
Gibraltar opens border crossing with Spain after signing treaty - UPI.com
1 of 2 | Thousands of Spaniards and Gibraltarians celebrate shortly after midnight as the border fence between Gibraltar and Spain is dismantled in La Linea de la Concepcion, Spain, Wednesday. The dismantling follows five years of talks between the United Kingdom and the European Union and the sign»»»
Christians in Iran continue to face arrest, detention and ill-treatment, UN experts warn
NEW YORK CITY: UN human rights experts on Wednesday condemned Iranian authorities for confiscating the St. Peter Evangelical Church compound in Tehran and evicting 27 members of the country’s recognized Armenian and Assyrian Christian minorities who lived there. The experts said 20 families, most o»»»
Hungary risks missing quick return to Erasmus+ despite EU commitments
Hungary could miss the opportunity to rejoin the European Union’s Erasmus+ student exchange programme in time for the start of the 2026/27 academic year unless the government submits its outstanding rule-of-law reforms to Brussels soon, despite earlier optimism from both Prime Minister Péter Magyar»»»
President Iotova Discusses EU 2028-2034 Budget Framework with European Court of Auditors Members
Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova discussed the European Union's 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework with members of the European Court of Auditors, the President's press service said on Wednesday. During the meeting at the Presidency, members of the EU's external audit institution briefed th»»»
‘There is no one quite like him’: How a Lebanese coach helped shape Erling Haaland into a global football star
BEIRUT: Erling Braut Haaland, the 25-year-old Norwegian football star, returned home from the US with seven World Cup goals, a stuffed raccoon, two stuffed squirrels, a cowboy hat and even more global fame, earned through his phenomenal scoring ability, immense physical strength and exceptional spe»»»
House Republicans target defense, farming in budget reconciliation package - UPI.com
Chairman of the House Budget Committee Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on September 19, 2023. On Wednesday, he scheduled markup for a new budget reconciliation package for Thursday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jul»»»
Venezuela government, opposition launch democratic rebuilding process - UPI.com
The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, will be one of those leading negotiations aimed at rebuilding the country's democratic institutions. Photo by Ronald Pena/EPA July 15 (UPI) -- Venezuela's government and a portion of the opposition have reached agreement to begin a»»»
UK charities urge new PM to take action over Gaza, West Bank
LONDON: A coalition of 17 UK charities and advocacy groups has called on Andy Burnham, Britain’s incoming prime minister, to take what it described as urgent action over the war in Gaza and the situation in the occupied West Bank, saying the government must do more to uphold international law and p»»»
Bangladesh seizes $6.2b in assets linked to ex-PM Sheikh Hasina
Dhaka: Bangladesh has confiscated assets worth 760 billion taka (about $6.2 billion) linked to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her family and 10 business groups, authorities said Wednesday. Since Hasina was toppled in a student-led mass uprising in 2024 and fled to India, authorities have inve»»»
Italian prosecutors request to drop sports fraud case against referee chief
MILANO: Milan prosecutors have requested that a sports fraud case against Gianluca Rocchi, the former referee designator for Italy’s Serie A and Serie B, be dismissed, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Wednesday. Rocchi, who was responsible for appointing referees in Italy’s top two divisions»»»
Russia prepares legal offensive against Baltic states over treatment of Russian minorities
Russia is stepping up efforts to pursue legal action against Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, accusing the three countries of discriminating against ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in a case it plans to bring before the International Court of Justice. An investigation by LRT, Re a»»»
Bangladesh seizes $6.2 bn in assets tied to ousted PM Hasina
Dhaka: Bangladesh has confiscated assets worth 760 billion taka (about $6.2 billion) linked to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her family and 10 business groups, authorities said Wednesday. Since Hasina was toppled in a student-led mass uprising in 2024 and fled to India, authorities have inve»»»
US Trade Fraud Task Force recovers $1bn in first year
CHICAGO: In a rare US Department of Justice press conference in Illinois on Tuesday, officials showcased the recovery in less than a year of more than $1 billion by the Trade Fraud Task Force, the creation of which in August 2025 was spearheaded by prosecutions in 2008 by Andrew Boutros, shortly af»»»
Djuric visits Washington for launch of Serbia-US dialogue
WASHINGTON - Serbian FM Marko Djuric will be visiting Washington from July 15 through 17 for the opening of US-Serbia strategic dialogue, which, for the first time in history, will raise the relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership. While visiting the US at the invi»»»
Senior Daesh security leader in Syria lived ‘semi-permanently’ in Lebanon
BEIRUT: A senior Daesh security official arrested in Lebanon had been living in the country on a “semi-permanent” basis, Lebanese judicial sources said Tuesday. Investigators suspect he served as the group’s general security emir for its self-proclaimed Southern and Central provinces in Syria. Leba»»»
Nonprofits sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions - UPI.com
Two U.S. based nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday over its sanctions against the International Criminal Court. File Pool Photo by Ronen Zvulun/UPI | License Photo July 15 (UPI) -- Two U.S. based nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit against the T»»»
HH the Amir meets UAE President
Doha: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met on Wednesday at Lusail Palace with President of the United Arab Emirates HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his accompanying delegation, who offered condolences on the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The r»»»
Local ‘hero’: Bellingham’s hometown buzzing ahead of semifinal clash
STOURBRIDGE, UK: As England gears up for the World Cup semifinal Wednesday, there will be one name on everyone’s lips: Jude Bellingham, the star midfielder who powered the Three Lions through to the marquee clash against Argentina. In packed stadiums in North America and pubs back home, people belt»»»
Mozambique to establish state-owned fuel procurement company to strengthen energy security
MAPUTO: Mozambique's government has approved the creation of a state-owned company to centralize the procurement and management of petroleum products, aiming to strengthen the country's energy security following months of fuel supply disruptions. The National Petroleum Products Procurement Company »»»
Deterrence needs a balance sheet: The rise of Europe’s defence finance ecosystem
Europe spent three decades behaving as if major war on the continent was increasingly unlikely. The peace dividend allowed governments to redeploy money from tanks to welfare systems, while defence industries learned to live with lower volumes and slower procurement cycles. Russia’s actions in Crim»»»
UAE President offers condolences to Emir of Qatar on passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Doha: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday offered his condolences to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, on the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. During a visit to Lusail Palace in Doha, Sheikh Mohamed also ext»»»
Turkiye’s ousted opposition leader says preparing for possible new party
ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s ousted main opposition CHP leader said on Wednesday that preparations are under way for the possible establishment of a new political party, but any formal step would wait until after ongoing legal proceedings. In May, a Turkish court annulled the Republican People’s Party’s (C»»»
Justice Minister Will Appeal SJC's Refusal to Pronounce in Disciplinary Proceedings Against Top Sofia City Prosecutor
Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov believes that the Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council has effectively refused to comply with the law by failing to rule on his request to suspend Emilia Rusinova, the acting Administrative Head of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, from office. The»»»
Indian Muslim stabbed 15 times in suspected US hate crime
Dubai: A routine workday at a shopping mall in the US state of Utah turned into a nightmare after an Indian Muslim employee was allegedly stabbed in a targeted hate attack by a man who later told police he “intends to kill Muslims.” Peter Michael Larsen, 48, has been charged with attempted murder a»»»
France's lower house to pass final vote on assisted dying after years of debate
France’s National Assembly is set to give final approval Wednesday to a bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication, the culmination of years of debate over end-of-life care. France was on Wednesday set to move closer to joining the ranks of countries that guarantee t»»»
Closing Bell: Saudi main market stable in Wednesday’s trading
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s benchmark Tadawul All Share Index closed 0.1 percent lower at 10,704.51 on Wednesday. The MT30 index declined 0.05 percent to 1,424.07, while the NomuC index rose 0.19 percent to 22,581.79. A total of 205.8 million shares changed hands on the main market, with trading valued »»»
Bulgarian Parliament Passes 2026 Budget on First Reading with Record 5.7% DeficitOpinions
Bulgaria's National Assembly adopted the draft 2026 state budget on first reading on Wednesday, approving a deficit of 5.7% of GDP, or 7.191 billion euros, the highest in the eurozone and nearly double the figure that brought down the previous government seven months ago. The bill passed with 143 v»»»
Presidential power, immigration rulings highlight Supreme Court's term - UPI.com
1 of 3 | People attend a rally for birthright citizenship held by the American Civil Liberties Union outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear oral arguments in President Donald Trump's attempt to limit birthright citizenship in Washington, D.C., on April 1. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI »»»