Etihad Airways has launched its inaugural flight to Dhaka, operating a sold-out Boeing 777 service from Abu Dhabi on 26 June, marking a key expansion in its South Asia network. The new route is designed to strengthen trade and cargo connectivity between the UAE and Bangladesh while meeting sustaine»»»

On Friday, the images raised more questions than answers: a light aircraft crashed into the glass façade of Beijing's tallest building, emergency crews below and police sealing off much of the surrounding business district. Now some of those questions have been answered. Chinese authorities said Sa»»»

A German court has sentenced Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi immigrant, to life in prison for driving a car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg in December 2024, killing six people, including a nine-year-old boy, and injuring more than 200. The Magdeburg Regional Court handed down the senten»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia is stepping up efforts to promote Muslim-friendly destinations across the country, as tourism officials seek to position the country as the world’s best after recently securing second place in the latest Global Muslim Travel Index. Indonesia ranked second in this year’s Mastercar»»»

ABU DHABI: The fifth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship (Gi division) got underway on Friday at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi with athletes representing top clubs and academies from across the UAE. The opening day featured competitions in the U-18, Adults and Masters div»»»

ISTANBUL: The number of people jailed pending trial on terrorism-related charges in Turkiye rose to 178 ahead of a NATO summit in the capital Ankara, state media reported on Saturday, citing the prosecutor’s office. The detentions followed a series of anti-terror raids this week in the run-up to th»»»

LONDON: The UK interior ministry has announced it will create new legal routes for asylum seekers, including allowing community organizations to sponsor refugees based on a similar system in Canada. The system will come into place later this year, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said late Friday, wi»»»

Support for women’s entrepreneurship is one of the key priorities of state economic policy in Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Benazir Nurlanova said at the Women’s Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Bishkek. According to the press service of the Ministry of E»»»

Share: Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the Lebanese ambassador to the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the U.S. Friday to announce a framework agreement that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Le»»»

Los Angeles, United States: England and Portugal will aim to finish on a high as the World Cup group stages draw to a close on Saturday with the final places in the knockout rounds up for grabs. Both nations have been inconsistent in the opening rounds of the tournament, alternating between laboure»»»

MANILA: The Philippines is preparing to showcase its gaming talent at the Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh later this year, after Filipino players qualified to compete for at least two titles in the inaugural competition. Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural ENC in November. The cup is set to become a»»»

A total of 554 infants under 12 months old died in Kyrgyzstan between January and April 2026, a report by the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan says. According to the committee, 570 infant deaths were recorded during the same period in 2025. The main causes of infant mortality during the»»»

Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France sealed top spot in their World Cup group with a commanding 4-1 victory over a much-changed Norway side on Friday. With both teams already assured of a place in the next round, France produced a ruthless display to finish the group stage in fir»»»

East Rutherford, United States: Waving flags and dancing to booming Latin music, the Ecuador football fans were living the World Cup fever. "Let's get this party started!" an announcer declared. But instead of in the streets or a stadium, the crowd was rocking in one of America's biggest malls -- t»»»

Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid said that reducing customs clearance times is a top priority in efforts to improve Egypt’s business environment and strengthen the competitiveness of the economy. The minister made his remarks during an inspection visit to Dekheila Port in Alex»»»

US President Donald Trump threatened Friday to impose 100 percent tariffs on European countries that implement a digital services tax, even if it means canceling existing trade agreements. US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100 percent tax on imports from any country that imposes a ta»»»

From 1 July, new EU customs rules will take effect in Hungary, making low-value imports from outside the bloc more expensive. Goods ordered from platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress with a value below €150 will incur a €3 customs charge, according to Szilvia Linczmayer, spokesperson for the»»»

RIYADH: Saudi women are driving one of the most striking transformations in the Kingdom’s modern history, with female labor force participation surging from around 23 percent in 2016 to over 34 percent today, and women now owning nearly 45 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises, experts told»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE ranked third globally for road quality in 2026, according to the latest World Population Review ranking, reinforcing the country's standing among the world's leading nations for transport infrastructure. The ranking, based on international infrastructure assessments and reports, »»»

Washington: John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security advisor before becoming an outspoken critic of the US president, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of retaining classified documents. Asked by federal Judge Theodore Chuang if he was guilty, the 77-year-old veteran diplomat re»»»

A new nationally representative survey by Market Links indicates a noticeable drop in public confidence in the government led by Rumen Radev. According to the study, trust in the cabinet has fallen by around 5 percentage points within a single month, reaching approximately 45%. The research was con»»»

Pontelagoscuro, Italy: Seawater is seeping into Italy's longest river as the waterway starts to run dry in the heatwave, hitting a farming heartland that produces the milk for Parmesan cheese. The Po River has never fallen this low so early in the year, raising fears of a devastating drought in Jul»»»

DUBAI: Egypt has become the second Arab team to progress to the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup following their 1-1 draw with Iran at Seattle Stadium. The result, coupled with Belgium’s 5-1 win over New Zealand, left Egypt second in Group G with five points while Iran finished third with three po»»»

GUADALAJARA: Uruguay bowed out of the World Cup as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s howler gifted Spain a 1-0 win in Guadalajara to secure top spot in Group H. Alex Baena’s weak shot slipped through Muslera’s grasp for the only goal as Spain avoided a last-32 showdown against Argentina. The European c»»»

LOS ANGELES: England and Portugal will aim to finish on a high as the World Cup group stages draw to a close on Saturday with the final places in the knockout rounds up for grabs. Both nations have been inconsistent in the opening rounds of the tournament, alternating between labored performances a»»»

For generations, birdsong has been admired, recorded and studied. Understanding what it actually means has proved far more elusive. That may be starting to change. A scientist who spent more than 15 years studying zebra finches has won one of the world's largest prizes for animal communication rese»»»

On June 27, 2005, Dennis Rader, the so-called "BTK" (bind, torture, kill) killer, pleaded guilty to 10 slayings in the Wichita, Kan., area. He was sentenced to life in prison. 1 of 6 | On June 27, 2005, Dennis Rader, the so-called "BTK" (bind, torture, kill) killer, pleaded guilty to 10 slayings in»»»

First published in Respekt. A portrait of the Danish prime minister who has found an unusual recipe for keeping her country on a liberal course. When, around the turn of the year, Politico drew up a ranking of politicians who would have the greatest impact on events in Europe this year, the podium »»»

Washington: President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a rendering of a new limited-edition US passport to mark the country's 250th anniversary of independence - featuring his stern-faced likeness. "The U.S.A.'s New Passport, which says, 'Welcome, but be good!'" Trump said in a post on his Truth Soc»»»

Vancouver: Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 to book their place in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Friday, securing their first win of the tournament to finish on top of Group G in Vancouver. A double strike from Arsenal's Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and A»»»

Support for Hungary joining the eurozone is exceptionally high, at around 70–75%, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said at a press conference in Budapest on Friday following talks with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, president of the Eurogroup, the finance ministers' body of the eurozone. He stressed that meeting»»»

From the moment the referee blew the opening whistle of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the players were not the only ones competing. During the 39-day competition, billions of dollars will be wagered across smartphone apps, betting platforms, and data centres scattered across the globe. In London, a fan »»»

Guadalajara, Mexico: Uruguay bowed out of the World Cup as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera's howler gifted Spain a 1-0 win in Guadalajara to secure top spot in Group H. Alex Baena's weak shot slipped through Muslera's grasp for the only goal as Spain avoided a last-32 showdown against Argentina. The Eu»»»

When Hezbollah began attacking Israel on 2 March shortly after Israeli and American bombers killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israel hit back. Their sparring, which has continued ever since, is nothing new—the pair are sworn enemies who have fought several wars in recent decades. What was »»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia exited the World Cup at the group stage for the third tournament in a row, after a goalless draw with Cabo Verde at Houston Stadium on Friday. Cape Verde (0-0-3, 3 points) are now the smallest nation ever to reach the second phase, finishing second in the group above Saudi Arabi»»»

Kyrgyzstan ranked 82nd out of 194 countries in the international KidsRights Index 2026, improving by five positions compared to last year, when it placed 87th. The ranking covers countries that have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The assessment is based on five k»»»

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela: Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands Friday in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes, citing the scarcity of government rescuers, as the human toll of the disaster climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing. Citizens diggin»»»

LOS ANGELES: Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France powered past Norway 4-1 to clinch top spot in World Cup Group I on Friday as Senegal kept their hopes of a last-32 spot alive with a thumping victory over Iraq. Paris Saint-Germain’s reigning Ballon D’Or winner Dembele scored in t»»»

DUBAI: Iraq bowed out of the 2026 World Cup on Friday with a 5-0 loss to Senegal at Toronto Stadium that left them bottom of Group I with no points from their campaign. The result rounded off three heavy defeats in which Iraq conceded 12 goals and scored only one. Senegal now sit on three points in»»»

Morocco has officially converted the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) into a joint-stock company, completing a year-long reform designed to give the state-owned energy agency greater financial and operational flexibility as it prepares to support major strategic projects, including»»»

BOSTON, Massachusetts: Germany may not ‌be too worried by their 2-1 loss to Ecuador on Thursday as they had secured top spot in Group E beforehand, but it was a timely wake-up call ​ahead of the World Cup knockout stage for the four-time world champions. Germany made it out of their group for the f»»»

KANSAS CITY, Missouri: Netherlands coach Ronald ‌Koeman was taking nothing for granted after his side sealed top spot in Group F with a 3-1 win over Tunisia on Thursday, warning that next opponents Morocco would provide a formidable ​test in the World Cup round of 32. The Dutch finished the group s»»»

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100% tariff against any country that levies digital services taxes, which he considers to be an attack on U.S. companies. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on»»»

Tunis, June 26 (TAP) - The Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of Appeal on Friday has upheld the one-year effective prison sentence imposed on Journalist Zied El Heni, a judicial source told TAP.The Court dismissed the appeal lodged by the...»»»

June 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday increased its response level to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. In an update to reporters, Satish Pillai, the Ebola response incidence manager at the CDC, said public health officia»»»

⁠US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday a framework agreement between ‌Israel ⁠and Lebanon ‌following talks held ⁠in Washington. Nada Hamadeh, ambassador of Lebanon to the United States described the framework as "a first step on the road of restoring Lebanese sovereignty and terri»»»

In tonight's programme, Togo’s switch to a parliamentary system is under scrutiny, after a regional court ruled the reforms: unconstitutional. Also once a jewel of Ethiopia’s tourism scene, Lake Tana is now caught in the shadow of conflict. And archaeologists are racing to preserve the ancient»»»

Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries. The agreement -- which officials said includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of two areas»»»

Tunis, June 26 (TAP) - The Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of Appeal has upheld on Friday the first-instance judgment handed down against all the defendants in the case of the death of Jilani Dabboussi, a former MP prior to 2011, a judicial...»»»

PHILADELPHIA, USA: Ghana star Antoine Semenyo says his team needs ‌to “gang around the referee” more often after his side’s potential penalty shot against England on Tuesday went unreviewed. The Black Stars earned a historic 0-0 draw against the Three Lions in Group L. With a win or draw against Cr»»»