NEW JERSEY: Smoke from the Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say. Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained»»»

EAST RUTHERFORD: Spain and Argentina prepared to do battle in Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey as organizers said they were keeping a close eye on smoke from wildfires in Canada. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups,»»»

Poland’s food-processing industry increased real sold production by 5.4% y/y in 2025, more than twice the growth rate of manufacturing overall. The sector accounts for about 21% of Poland’s manufacturing output and remains strongly export-oriented. Agri-food exports reached €58.4 bn in 2025, genera»»»

Poland’s labor inspectorate is auditing food delivery platform Pyszne.pl as the company prepares to end contracts with 5,000 couriers. The OPZZ labor union claims the move is intended to avoid new rules allowing inspectors to convert civil-law contracts into employment agreements. Pyszne.pl denies »»»

Tokyo: Researchers from Kyoto University in Japan and the Icahn School of Medicine in the United States have identified a potential new biological treatment for lung inflammation and asthma by stimulating a nerve in the outer ear. The study, published in the journal Immunity, found that stimulating»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE expresses its deep concern over the developments that the region has witnessed over the past few days, and has called for an immediate halt to the escalation and to avoid exacerbating tensions and instability in the region. The UAE called for exercising the utmost restraint in or»»»

RIYADH: Startups in the Middle East and North Africa raised $1.7 billion across 242 funding rounds in the first half of 2026, as investors continued to deploy capital despite heightened geopolitical uncertainty, according to Wamda’s H1 2026 report. The figure represents an 18 percent decline from t»»»

RIYADH: Venture capital across the Middle East and North Africa has been trapped in a paradox: more money, more international attention and more government-backed ambition, yet still a market that looks small beside the economies it is meant to help transform. Startups in the region raised $3.8 bil»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has outlined the qualities his Tisza Party wants in Hungary’s next president, saying the ideal candidate would have no party-political background or affiliations. In a Facebook post published after President Tamás Sulyok signed the constitutional amendment endi»»»

Creotech Instruments has been selected by OrbitFab to participate in the ASTRAL project, developed with the European Space Agency. Creotech will supply two of its HyperSat satellite platforms for an orbital refueling demonstration scheduled for 2028–2029. The platforms will support a servicing spac»»»

NEW YORK: France ‌captain Kylian Mbappe paid an emotional tribute to Didier Deschamps ahead of the coach’s final match in charge, saying the players had failed to give him the ending he deserved at the World Cup after 14 years at the helm. “Today is your last dance. You, who have given us so much. »»»

CAIRO: In the labyrinthine alleyways of Cairo’s Garbage City, recycling specialist Peter Romany finds himself fielding calls from factories scrambling for plastic to plug supply shortfalls caused by the Iran war. The 25-year-old is among the hundreds of recyclers and manufacturers across Egypt bene»»»

NEW YORK: FIFA President Gianni Infantino deemed the World Cup a success on Friday, saying the tournament achieved its mission of uniting people from all corners of the globe. Infantino spoke at the United Nations as part of a daylong session there about how the game can be a catalyst for youth men»»»

Startup Skyroot Aerospace has successfully launched India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1. A key feature is its all-carbon composite structure, which makes it significantly lighter and more efficient than traditional rockets. Its upper stage is powered by a 3D-printed eng»»»

A cold front will sweep across Hungary on Sunday, bringing thunderous weather, strong winds and a marked drop in temperatures, according to Hungary’s national meteorological service, HungaroMet. Nationwide weather warnings remain in force A first-level weather warning has been issued for the entire»»»

Spain is set to enter its third heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to climb above 40°C across large parts of the country, the national weather office said. The heatwave will be fuelled by a persistent area of high pressure that will trap hot, dry air from North Africa ove»»»

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is in talks over whether to try to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an upcoming UN summit, he said in an interview published Saturday -- prompting a sharp rebuke from Netanyahu's camp. "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Annahar Media Group this week launched Nahar, its first artificial intelligence-powered “news correspondent.” In its announcement, the media outlet said the step opens a new chapter in the relationship between journalists and technology. Nayla Tueni, Annahar’s editor-in-chief, sai»»»

LONDON — Britain's economy rebounded slightly in May with growth of 0.1 per cent thanks to expansion in the services sector, official data showed last week as Britain awaits a new prime minister.Gross domestic product (GDP) had contracted by 0.1 per cent in April as the US-Iran war pushed up inflat»»»

NEW YORK — Wall Street stocks fell decisively last week, joining most global markets in retreating on continued weakness in artificial intelligence shares and rebounding oil prices.Tech shares have been under pressure in recent days on questions about their lofty valuations following Nasdaq's surge»»»

AMMAN — Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh said that recent amendments to the country's citizenship- and residency-by-investment programme mark a “significant” shift towards attracting higher-quality investments that generate tangible economic benefits, create jobs, and support balanced deve»»»

AMMAN — The Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) held the Ninth Conference of Jordanian Businessmen and Investors Abroad on Saturday under the theme of "Investment Opportunities with a Global Vision."Major structural revisions to the national investment framework designed to fast-track the entry»»»

Egypt’s microfinance sector maintained strong growth during the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, with the total outstanding microfinance portfolio approaching EGP 108bn, according to Hala Abu Elsaad, Chairperson of the Egyptian Federation for Financing Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEF). The to»»»

Karim Malash, chairperson and chief executive officer of M squared, has been named one of CNBC Arabia’s Top 100 Business Leaders for 2026. The ranking identifies executives, founders, and innovators based on their measurable performance and tangible impact on Middle Eastern economies and markets, r»»»

Jens Spahn, the parliamentary head of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU faction, resigned on Saturday amid mounting pressure over his use of a surrogate mother in the US despite a surrogacy ban in Germany. Spahn and his husband welcomed the child earlier this week, sparking criticism»»»

DHAKA: There are rooftops draped in blue and white and murals of Lionel Messi everywhere — but this is not Argentina, it is Bangladesh where football-crazy fans are again celebrating their unique bond with the South American giants. The craze for Argentina has endured for decades in a country of 17»»»

DOHA: Qatar's international referee Khamis Al Marri has been appointed as the support video assistant referee (support VAR) for the FIFA Club World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday, adding yet another laurel to the country's rich sports legacy. Germany's Bastian Dankert will serve as»»»

Poland’s food-processing industry increased real sold production by 5.4% y/y in 2025, more than twice the growth rate of manufacturing overall. The sector accounts for about 21% of Poland’s manufacturing output and remains strongly export-oriented. Agri-food exports reached €58.4 bn in 2025, genera»»»

Poland’s Air Navigation Services Agency has challenged Pfizer in a Brussels court over the seizure of funds linked to Eurocontrol air traffic fees. The agency was not a party to the vaccine contract at the center of Pfizer’s approximately €1.3 bn claim against Poland. Polish authorities argue that »»»

The four-star Bellevue Hotel is under construction just 300 meters from Jelenia Góra’s main square and is scheduled to open in October 2026. The project, developed by the Kocham Góry Group, is about 80% complete and will operate under a condo-hotel model. It will offer 92 rooms ranging from 27 to 6»»»

US President Donald Trump’s social network Truth Social will start selling investors early access to posts from prominent accounts, most likely including his own, the holding company has announced. Critics argue that the move could create an unprecedented new way for the president to profit from hi»»»

The EU is set to use a multibillion-euro antitrust fine imposed on Google to help ease pressure on the bloc’s budget after years of increased military spending and aid for Ukraine. The US tech giant has paid €4.6 billion ($5.4 billion), including interest, after losing a years-long legal battle ove»»»

Seven people have been arrested following a coordinated international operation targeting an organized criminal network accused of smuggling migrants through Bulgaria to other European Union countries. The action involved law enforcement authorities from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the Netherland»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said former foreign minister Peter Szijjarto's appointment at Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD would not affect the government's relationship with the company, but raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest, Index.hu wrote after Magyar's July 16 pre»»»

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has signed the 17th amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, confirming that his own presidential mandate will end the day after the legislation is officially published in the Hungarian Gazette. Sulyok announced the decision on his Facebook page on Saturday. The amen»»»

Bulgaria and Ukraine are close to signing an agreement on natural gas transit, according to Petar Vitanov, chairman of the Progressive Bulgaria parliamentary group. Speaking on BNT's Panorama program, Vitanov said the deal is being prepared between the two countries' state gas companies, Bulgargaz »»»

The Ukrainian public is exhausted by the conflict, and defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov promised them a “less bloody…cleaner, more organized, less corrupt” and “technological approach” toward fighting, prolific military and geopolitical analyst Scott Ritter told Sputnik. Instead, his flashy, style»»»

Construction has begun on the Big Boy high-rise in Gdańsk’s Przymorze Wielkie district. Developed by the Hossa Group, the building was originally announced in 2007 as a 202-meter tower but was later reduced to 99 meters. It will have 29 above-ground floors, one underground level, and nearly 25,000 »»»

AMMAN — The Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) increased its assets to approximately JD19.7 billion by the end of June 2026, up from JD18.7 billion at the end of 2025, marking growth of JD1 billion, or 5.4 per cent, during the first six months of the year.The fund said in a statement that the i»»»

AMMAN — Truck movement to and from the Aqaba Special Economic Zone increased by 23 per cent during the first four months of a new truck entry and exit management system, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) said on Sunday.The system, operated by Maqta Ayla, recorded approximately 445,0»»»

AMMAN — Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) has reported “strong” operational and commercial performance during the first half of 2026, driven by growth in cargo volumes, continued infrastructure investments, high safety standards, and progress toward its sustainability and community development goals.I»»»

US House Democrats were divided into a near-even split by a vote this week over whether to cut military aid to Israel, which was defeated through almost total opposition from the Republican party. Ahead of November's midterm elections, the vote reflects a sharp erosion in support for Israel among l»»»

The UN refugee agency and the Ethiopian government have opened a new support centre in Addis Ababa to provide refugees with free legal advice and access to essential services. The initiative aims to help refugees navigate bureaucracy, obtain vital documents and improve their chances of finding work»»»

Japan's parliament on Friday enacted changes to imperial succession rules, allowing male distant relatives to rejoin the imperial family and women to retain royal status after marrying commoners. The legislation, however, keeps the ban on female emperors despite opinion polls showing broad public s»»»

NEW DELHI: Authorities in India’s capital Delhi moved social activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital against his wish on Saturday, after his condition worsened on the 21st day of a hunger strike launched to demand the resignation of the federal education minister. Wangchuk, 59, had been fasting since J»»»

NEW YORK: For some fans following this World Cup, the calculation has been ‌simple: support whoever is playing against Argentina. Across the tournament, that has meant wearing the green of Algeria, the blue of Cape Verde, or the red of Switzerland. Even the often maligned England got a boost in glo»»»

WASHINGTON: Iraq has announced its readiness to play a mediating role between the United States and Iran as part of a diplomatic effort aimed at ending the war and paving the way for renewed dialogue, with Baghdad expressing its willingness to help bridge differences, particularly on economic issue»»»

RIYADH: Iraq increased oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Ceyhan pipeline in July, Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair said, as Baghdad sought to recover revenue lost during the disruption of its main export route. Average shipments through the two outlets reached about 1.5 million b»»»

DOHA: Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has paid a glowing tribute to HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in an article under the title ‘Yuba’ – My dear father. The full article reads as follows. “المقياس قطر (The measure is Qatar)” There is no liter»»»

Overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on two sprawling warehouses in Russia killed eight people and wounded more than 60 others, local officials said Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes hit “significant logistical facilities” in Russia that were used to produce drones and »»»