Israel has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of anti-Semitism after he compared its actions in Gaza to the horrors of the Holocaust. In a recent interview with Al Arabiya, Lukashenko condemned Israel’s destruction of Gaza and said West Jerusalem should be more careful, given the lev»»»

CASABLANCA: Their red jerseys stood out against the green pitch. Most were teenage girls. Some had fled war. Others had never played in an organized soccer league or set foot in a major stadium before. Yet when they took the field at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, they marked Sudan’s »»»

The World Bank's board approved a $2 billion financial guarantee package for Argentina. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- The World Bank's board approved a $2 billion financial guarantee package for Argentina, a move aimed at helping the country meet upcoming foreign cu»»»

In Brazil, Eduardo Bolsonaro has been sentenced to four years in prison. The third son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty of pressuring US officials to impose economic sanctions on his own country. It was a bid to influence his father’s Supreme Court trial — with the elde»»»

LONDON: Six multinational construction firms may be aiding and abetting war crimes by providing excavators and bulldozers to the Israeli military, human rights experts have said. It comes after widespread documentation of Israeli forces using the vehicles to systematically demolish villages across »»»

Passengers wait to drop their luggage while traveling during the holiday season at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on December 22. The airport is scheduled to close for most of July 4 to accommodate events celebrating Independence Day in the capital. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UP»»»

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that the fatal shooting of exiled Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky was likely a political assassination. The Kremlin critic, known for provocative caricatures of President Vladimir Putin and other political figures, was shot dead by an unidentified g»»»

G7 leaders were joined by some of the world's top tech executives on June 17 to discuss opportunities and dangers of artificial intelligence. The future of the industry is highly contentious - with US businesses dominating the industries and many fearful that the powerful new technology poses subst»»»

Authorities of Osh city have decided to reject 25 trolleybuses previously transferred from Bishkek. Deputy Mayor Ernis Toltoev announced during a session of the City Council. According to Toltoev, the decision was prompted by the unsatisfactory technical condition of part of the fleet. A total of 7»»»

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova has warned that plans to blockade border crossings between Bulgaria and North Macedonia would be counterproductive and risk undermining Sofia’s diplomatic position, particularly amid ongoing tensions between the two countries. Further reading: Protests Ann»»»

BRUSSELS: Belgium’s Wout van ‌Aert will miss this year’s Tour de France because of an elbow injury sustained at the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, his Visma-Lease a Bike team said on Wednesday. The 31-year-old, who won Paris-Roubaix in April, would have been a key member of the Dutch team’s Tour squad »»»

After a 20-month qualifying campaign that included four draws with the continental heavyweight Iran, Uzbekistan will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the first Central Asian country to participate in the world’s most watched sports tournament.  Uzbekistan’s World Cup debut crowns three-an»»»

After a 20-month qualifying campaign that included four draws with the continental heavyweight Iran, Uzbekistan will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the first Central Asian country to participate in the world’s most watched sports tournament.  Uzbekistan’s World Cup debut crowns three-an»»»

Doha, Qatar: Lusail International Circuit (LIC) is set to script a defining chapter in global motorsport history by hosting a trio of global championships comprising of the Qatar 1812 KM - FIA World Endurance Championship 2026, MotoGP QATAR AIRWAYS GRAND PRIX OF QATAR 2026, and the FORMULA 1 QATAR »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Snezana Paunovic met with Spanish Ambassador to Belgrade Juan Jose Sanz Aparicio on Wednesday to discuss advancement of bilateral cooperation in areas under the authority of the Ministry of Public Administration and Loca»»»

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a roundtable on education at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Daniel Heuer/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has joined a lawsuit Wednesday to stop a housing reparations program for Bl»»»

The recent turmoil in the Philippine Senate has become more than a contest for leadership. It has become a test of whether one of the country's most important democratic institutions can still fulfill its constitutional purpose. The leadership reshuffle, the standoff between majority and minority b»»»

Dubai: From bank accounts in China and Iraq to restricted funds in Qatar and South Korea, tens of billions of dollars belonging to Iran remain frozen abroad — and gaining access to that money has emerged as one of Tehran's top demands in negotiations with the Trump administration. According to a re»»»

PARIS: World Defense Show, founded by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries, is strengthening its international presence through participation in Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, as preparations continue for its fourth edition in Riyadh in January 2028. During Eurosatory, held from June»»»

Rex Heuermann, of Massapequa Park, Long Island, N.Y., will be sentenced Wednesday for the murders of seven women. Photo courtesy of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office June 17 (UPI) -- Rex Heuermann, who pleaded guilty in April to the murders of seven women in Long Island, N.Y., and admitted to one»»»

DUBAI: Eight months into a ceasefire that has failed to stop Israeli attacks or fully open Gaza’s borders, the 2.1 million Palestinians inside the besieged enclave are entering a summer that aid agencies warn could accelerate an already unfolding public health catastrophe. As summer temperatures so»»»

The Department of Justice is trying to block a lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI. File Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA June 17 (UPI) -- The Department of Justice is trying to quash a lawsuit against a power plant that supports an xAI data center and is arguing that the turbines are essential to national se»»»

KABUL: Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed Wednesday that they told AFP came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulati»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Wednesday, losing 30.65 points, or 0.28 percent, to close at 11,114.90. The total trading turnover of the benchmark index reached SR4.23 billion ($1.12 billion), with 72 stocks advancing and 182 retreating. Similarly, the Kingdom’s parallel »»»

Hungarian police have appealed to the public for assistance in tracing 45-year-old British businessman John Robert Joseph Tovell, whose whereabouts remain unknown after he left a nightclub in the early hours of the morning in the Erzsébetváros district. Businessman disappears after night out Accord»»»

LONDON: Police in France are exploiting broad powers to issue spot fines against Arab youth as a new form of racial profiling, a new report has warned. Published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch, (RE)CLAIM and Maison Communautaire pour un Developpement Solidaire, the 60-page report documents a co»»»

A joint operation in Sofia, Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Aytos on Tuesday led to the dismantling of a criminal group involved in migrant smuggling, which had been operating in the country since August 2025, Deputy Prosecutor General Desislava Petrova told a news briefing here on Wednesday. Eight peopl»»»

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s ​bribery commission has arrested Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, police said on Wednesday. Rajapaksa ‌was arrested ‌by ​the ‌Commission ⁠to ​Investigate Allegations of ⁠Bribery and Corruption and he was granted bail after being presented to ⁠t»»»

Tommy Schmidt assembled the world's largest Lego brick sausage, measuring 6 feet and 6.7 inches long. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records June 16 (UPI) -- A German man assembled 65,000 Lego bricks into the shape of a bratwurst and bun to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Lego bri»»»

The Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) has cleared Sofia Municipality to provisionally implement new sanitation contracts in Zones 3 and 4, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said at a City Hall briefing on Wednesday. The CPC decisions, issued on Tuesday, cover Slatina, Poduyane and Izgrev, as w»»»

Bulgaria recorded an annual inflation rate of 6.3% in May 2026, according to revised data from Eurostat using the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). The figure marks the highest level since September 2023 and places the country among the top inflation performers in the European Union, seco»»»

Sub-Saharan Africa's economic expansion is expected to slow modestly in 2026 as higher energy costs, weaker external demand and constrained fiscal space offset gains from structural reforms and improved trade access, according to the World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects report. The World B»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said his country had been cooperating “under the radar” with Somaliland for years, as he met with the breakaway African state’s president. In December, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland since it »»»

Nivea Sun, a leading sun care brand from Nivea, has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Six Flags and Aquarabia Qiddiya City, two world-class entertainment destinations redefining thrills and water adventures in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030. As per the collaboration, Nivea Sun has be»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched “Dubai-It”, a new initiative aimed at embedding Dubai’s distinctive work culture of rapid execution, excellence and results-driven delivery across government inst»»»

Dubai: Global banks could see profit pools fall by $170 billion by 2030 unless they move faster on AI, data and digital-first operating models, according to a new DIFC report that describes the industry’s biggest structural shift since the 2008 financial crisis. Sign up for our daily business newsl»»»

Dubai: Telegram founder Pavel Durov has criticised India's temporary ban on the messaging platform, arguing that the move has "punished" more than 150 million users in the country without preventing the spread of leaked examination materials. In a post on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, Durov said»»»

Copenhagen: Danish company Clever is trying something it believes is clever indeed: it has done away with bosses to foster creativity and boost group performance. At its Copenhagen headquarters in a former industrial district, Denmark's leading operator of electric car charging stations has no hier»»»

Poland, which is regularly targeted by Russian hybrid attacks, takes the threat of war with Moscow very seriously. The country now spends nearly 5 percent of its GDP on defence, and aims to train its civilians too, so they will know how to react if war breaks out. To this end, it has introduced a p»»»

STRASBOURG/VENICE - In a follow-up opinion, the Venice Commission has welcomed the implementation of seven out of nine key recommendations contained in its Urgent Opinion on amendments to Serbian laws governing the judiciary and the prosecution, and noted that the Serbian authorities had moved swif»»»

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan secured a decisive parliamentary election victory that strengthens his pro-European agenda, but an analysis published by Carnegie Politika says a resilient pro-Russian opposition could still slow his efforts to advance peace with Azerbaijan and deepen ties wi»»»

TIRANA: A coastal development project in Albania linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is facing growing opposition from environmental advocates which has led to daily protests in the capital, Tirana. The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational fo»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that under-16s will be banned from social media, and adults will have to verify their identity to use major platforms. Critics say it’s an opportunity for Starmer to fulfil his long-term goal of introducing digital ID by the back door. Starmer annou»»»

Jeffrey Epstein attempted suicide at least three times before his death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, according to the New York Times. Investigators reportedly found multiple nooses in his cell after his death, a report detailing the convicted sex offender’s final days in federal custody has re»»»

Doha, Qatar: Plan your weekend getaway activities with an exciting lineup of live shows, family-friendly activities, and thrilling sporting events. Treat yourself to a weekend of refreshing fun and make the most of your time in Qatar. Find out more about the various activities! Tamer Ashour Live in»»»

Elon Musk’s Grok AI has become an integral part of America’s war machine, and its data centers must be treated like munitions production plants in future conflicts, according to a sworn declaration by the Pentagon’s artificial intelligence chief. The statement about Grok was submitted as part of an»»»

The world's largest museum is having a hard time securing investments to upgrade its decaying infrastructure, the Louvre's new director Christophe Leribault told a Senate committee Wednesday. The museum has been hit by a series of public scandals including a water leak, a large-scale ticket fr»»»

The G7 summit is wrapping up in the French city of Evian, with the agenda dominated by questions of tech sovereignty and protection of minors on social media. All G7 members are in favour of a social media ban for teenagers, with the UK already introducing one and France thinking of introducing one»»»

Bulgarian parliamentary groups strongly condemned the arson attack on the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje, describing it as a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and an act driven by hatred. The statements were delivered in parliament, with lawmakers framing the incident »»»

BOSTON: Generations of Boston families played and picnicked on the grassy, sloping lawns of the Bunker Hill Monument. Musket balls and other artifacts from one of the American Revolution’s most consequential battles were buried just below their feet the whole time. Inspired by a centuries-old map, »»»