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»»»

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»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is preparing to launch a new generation of AI-powered cultural initiatives aimed at reshaping innovation, boosting the efficiency of creative institutions, and helping Saudi artists expand their presence at home and abroad. On Monday, the Ministry of Culture and the Cultural De»»»

Hungary’s Chief Medical Officer has warned that some people are using veterinary deworming medicines containing ivermectin or fenbendazole to treat cancer, stressing that these products are not approved for human use, have no scientifically proven anti-cancer effect, and may seriously endanger pati»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IRGC Fires Warning Shots at Two Ships Trying to Illegally Pass Strait of Hormuz 15-07-2026 18:40 PM The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IR»»»

The Bulgarian Customs Agency and the UK Home Office will strengthen their cooperation in the field of risk analysis, the Agency's press office said after a meeting with British officials on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Customs Agency Director Nikolay Shushkov and a delegation from the UK »»»

President Donald Trump speaks with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in the White House on Tuesday. Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should resume traffic stops after agents shot and killed two people. Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo J»»»

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»»»

LONDON: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned Iranian attacks against Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council countries during a meeting in Washington. Jordan announced on Wednesday that it intercepted and shot down three Iranian ballistic missiles that»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon and Israel completed a new round of Washington-mediated negotiations in Rome on Wednesday, agreeing to implement the “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon agreed under a recent framework deal, a US official said.“Talks concluded after two days of productive and positive discussions,” th»»»

MOSCOW: Russia’s ‌government discussed prioritising fuel supplies to vehicles that service large food retail chains, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday, as the country grapples with nationwide fuel shortages. The discussions underscore the government’s unease about the fuel cru»»»

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»»»

RIYADH: Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani said on Wednesday that the state will not tolerate any new violations, and will take all political, diplomatic, legal, and military measures guaranteed by the constitution and international law to prevent any attempt to undermine Yemen’s sove»»»

Washington: Shares in PayPal surged as much as 13 percent on Wall Street Wednesday after reports that payments firm Stripe and private equity group Advent International had made a joint offer to buy the digital payments pioneer. US media said the deal would value PayPal at about $53 billion, with t»»»

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»»»

Toronto: Canada's central bank held its key lending rate at 2.25 percent on Wednesday, its sixth consecutive hold, citing signs of economic "improvement" while warning of risks from the Middle East and uncertain US ties. Canada's economy had sputtered over the past year, as US President Donald Trum»»»

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball has reached an agreement to sign American forward Jaron Blossomgame on a two-year deal. Blossomgame joins from AS Monaco, where he spent the last four seasons (2022–2026), adding further experience and versatility to Dubai Basketball’s roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. The»»»

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»»»

The talks between Lebanon and Israel have concluded in Rome and there is a possibility of another round of virtual military talks between the two countries on Friday to discuss the implementation of pilot zones, media reports said on Wednesday. "Talks concluded after two days of productive and posi»»»

Some guys die falling down the stairs while putting their pants on. Lindsey Graham went out much more boringly. Sorry to disappoint. His demise is a tale as old as time. A guy with a medically-documented bad ticker has a jammer at home around the same age as his own father did. Pretty straightforwa»»»

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 »»»

Tunis, July 15 (TAP) - Tunindex closes Wednesday's session up 2.09% to 20,764.08 points with a traded volume of TND 24.5 million, said broker Tunisie Valeurs. ASSURANCES MAGHREBIA shares were the best performers after rising by 6% to TND 79.500,...»»»

Sofia's Municipal Expert Council on Spatial Planning reached a consensus to revise the Detailed Development Plan for Borisova Gradina Park, Sofia Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning and Development Lyubomir Georgiev said on Wednesday. The revised plan will be returned to the designer, updated, and resu»»»

KYIV: Ukraine will do ​everything possible to protect its seaports and guarantee grain exports at no ‌less ‌than ​last ‌season’s ⁠level, ​when the ⁠country shipped more than 37 million tons, deputy ⁠economy minister Taras ‌Vysotskiy told ‌Reuters ​on ‌Wednesday. Russia has ‌sharply stepped up attac»»»

JEßNITZ, Germany: Mobbed by fans for selfies and autographs, the man who hopes to become the far-right Alternative for Germany’s first state premier cuts more of a rock star figure on the campaign trail. Ulrich Siegmund, 35, regularly climbs onto a vintage East German motor scooter for rallies with»»»

Wholesale prices declined in June by 0.3% and two-thirds of the drop was tied to a 12% fall in gas prices, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 15 (UPI) -- Wholesale prices declined in June by 0.3% and two-thirds of the drop was ti»»»

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»»»

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is sworn in at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be attorney general Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 15 (UPI) -- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday»»»

KYIV: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday announced a “drone deal” with Ukraine to boost joint production of the key battlefield technology. “This deal will bring together Ukrainian ingenuity and Europe’s industrial scale,” von der Leyen said in Kyiv, after receiving an award from President »»»

LUSAKA: Ten Ethiopians are believed to have drowned after a canoe carrying migrants capsized attempting to illegally cross the Zambezi River from Zambia into Botswana, Zambian officials said Wednesday. Migrants often use rivers to bypass official border posts across southern Africa. An AFP report d»»»

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 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»»»

Former Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) chief executive Stoyan Mavrodiev was released on bail of 50,000 euro after spending only several hours in custody following his extradition from Serbia. Mavrodiev was transported to Bulgaria yesterday at noon in a convoy and handed over to Bulgarian authoriti»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman expressed his condolences on Wednesday to Qatar’s prime minister after the passing of the country’s former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. In a phone call with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Prince Khalid praye»»»

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»»»

At least a dozen people were killed and 90 injured overnight in Russian missile, drone and guided-bomb strikes across Ukraine. File photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA July 15 (UPI) -- At least 12 people were killed and 90 injured overnight in a major Russian airborne assault on targets across Ukraine, a»»»

Damascus, July 15 (SANA) Kuwait Airways resumed scheduled flights to Damascus on Wednesday, restoring its direct service to Syria after years of suspension as international air links with the country continue to recover. Damascus International Airport welcomed the carrier’s first inbound flight fro»»»

HAVANA: Cuba has restored its power grid, authorities said Wednesday, after the third total blackout in less than ten days as the island faces an energy crisis amid a US oil blockade. The island’s electrical system was fully functioning at 7:00 am local time (11:00 GMT), the state-owned electric co»»»

KAMPALA: Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye refused to accept the lawyers being forced upon him for his treason trial on Wednesday after his chosen advocates were arrested or barred from the country. Besigye, 70, a long-time rival of President Yoweri Museveni, has been in jail since late 2024 »»»

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suspended the use of traffic stops to detain immigrants across the country, US media reported Tuesday, a day after an ICE agent shot and killed a Colombian driver in Maine. The fatal shooting came a week after an ICE officer killed a motorist in Texas, r»»»

After closing the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran on Wednesday threatened to shut additional energy export routes including the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, a major global shipping route through which Saudi Arabia exports its oil. The warning comes after the US launched a fresh round of strikes o»»»

JEDDAH: Nestled among green valleys and terraced hillsides in the mountains of southern Saudi Arabia, Haswa Mango Farm is using artificial intelligence and smart agricultural tools to improve crop quality, conserve water and increase production. Located in the village of Hiswah, about an 80-minute »»»

The United States launched a wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, after it reimposed a naval blockade in a return to war between the two foes. Nearly a month after they signed a memorandum of understanding towards ending the Middle East war, the two sides resumed fighting with strikes on targ»»»

The Gulf monarchies of Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday confirmed they had intercepted fresh aerial salvos from Iran as Tehran and Washington exchanged fire over control of the vital Strait of Hormuz. Kuwait's military said it was intercepting attack drones, and blamed "nefarious Iranian aggression"»»»

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had sentenced an active-duty soldier to five years in prison for sending videos of missile interceptions to an Iranian agent. The soldier sent two such videos during the 12-day war with Iran in June last year and "received payment for them," the military sa»»»

Ukraine and the European Union have signed a "drone deal" to combine Kyiv's expertise with Europe's industrial capacity in order to boost production, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday. Her visit comes as Russian strikes killed six people and wounded at l»»»

The parliamentary group of “Revival” launched sharp criticism against the government’s foreign policy, with MP Angel Georgiev presenting a declaration in parliament. The statement was made following Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova’s visit to Kyiv. According to Georgiev, Bulgaria’s foreign policy»»»

Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has announced that he will resign his parliamentary seat and take up an international position at Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD. Szijjártó revealed the decision in a Facebook post, saying he had submitted his resignation because he had r»»»

MADRID: Burglars tried to break in to the Barcelona home of Spain star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday, shortly after he helped La Roja reach their second World Cup final, police and media said. “There was an attempted” burglary “at a home in Esplugues de Llobregat” in Barcelona’s outskirts, a spokespers»»»