Tokyo: Japan announced a draft cabinet order Friday to raise the fees for foreign nationals' residence status changes and renewals to up to 75,000 yen (about 466 U.S. dollars) from the current 6,000 yen. The new fees charged to foreign nationals when they change temporary residence status and exten»»»

Bulgaria recorded the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union in May 2026, with just 2.9% of the labor force out of work, according to the latest figures released by the European Statistical Office. The result placed Bulgaria ahead of every other EU member state, while unemployment across th»»»

Abu Dhabi: Louvre Abu Dhabi is introducing its “New Highlights and Discoveries Tour” for the summer season, a 45-minute journey through the museum’s four wings, featuring a curated selection of new acquisitions and major loans introduced to the museum this year. Get updated faster and for FREE: Dow»»»

Baghdad: In the heart of old Baghdad, legendary movie theatres stand abandoned and shrouded in dust, bearing witness to Iraq's once-vibrant cultural scene. A few kilometres away, director Ali al-Bayati oversees his camera operators as they adjust their lenses for a scene in his upcoming horror film»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump said Thursday it is "ridiculous" for the United States to continue its "one sided" relationship with NATO, less than a week before a NATO summit in Ankara. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "They were not there for us!!!" and Washington's re»»»

For years, Uzbekistan's financial system remained largely defined by cash, long queues at bank branches and limited access to modern financial services. Today, the country is pursuing one of the region's most ambitious fintech agendas, combining regulatory reforms, digital infrastructure and state-»»»

Singapore: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour HE Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al-Thani met today with Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Singapore HE Stanley Loh. The meeting explored ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of labour market poli»»»

Emirates NBD is giving new-to-bank customers a compelling reason to begin their banking relationship with one of the UAE’s leading financial institutions, through an exclusive cashback offer designed to reward customers who open and personally fund their account. Under the limited-time Mega Cashbac»»»

Air Arabia Group has announced new opportunities for aspiring aviation professionals through an upcoming cabin crew recruitment drive across Jeddah and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, opening doors for candidates seeking to build a career in the aviation industry. The initiative is aimed at candidates seek»»»

Frankfurt, Germany: Jurgen Klopp has told the German FA (DFB) he is "fundamentally willing" to take over as Germany coach after Julian Nagelsmann handed in his resignation, the DFB confirmed on Friday. Nagelsmann, who had a contract until 2028, stepped down from the job on Friday, just four days af»»»

The United States has unveiled a special commemorative passport to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, combining a redesigned travel document with plans to modernise and digitise much of the passport application process. The limited-edition passport, which will be available fr»»»

A new National Housing Strategy is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, it was announced Friday during a meeting between Deputy Regional Development and Public Works Ministers Pavleta Pelovska and Desislava Georgieva and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty»»»

Two years after clinching the silver medal, Egypt achieved a flawless performance to secure the gold at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship. With a decisive 2:0 (6:1; 12:6) victory over the United States of America, Egypt finally claimed the title on home soil. During the inaugural champ»»»

Paris, France: Madonna released her fifteenth album on Friday, "Confessions II", with many critics calling the 16 tracks of feel-good club vibes and classic dance music sounds her best release in decades. The Queen of Pop, 67, has reunited with British producer Stuart Price, whom she worked with fo»»»

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela: Speaking in a hushed voice, Rosa López recalled how she had to sidestep the rows of bodies lying under a harsh sun as she helped her daughter search for her missing husband. Even her years working as a nurse did not prepare her for the sight of the dozens of dead wrapped in sh»»»

In these transactions, AI agents browsed products, selected items and initiated purchases, acting within consumer-defined parameters. Visa connects banks, merchants and AI systems via its network to enable secure, authenticated agentic transactions in line with European regulatory requirements. The»»»

New Delhi: Indian officials said Friday they had taken down two smartphone apps following reports that some e-rickshaws could be remotely shut down, exploiting a security gap in the budget vehicles. Many e-rickshaws, the battery-powered version of the popular mode of transportation in India, often »»»

Was I wrong? I supported the suspension of Russian clubs and teams from international football and rugby competition, even though I saw the cost meted out to players, clubs, fans, and people who work tirelessly to promote both sports at the grassroots level. My reasoning was solid. It was about pro»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic met on Friday with German Ambassador to Belgrade Anke Konrad and a delegation of the German development bank KfW to discuss implementation of ongoing projects whereby the KfW is supporting Serbia in the energy transition »»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have urged motorists to keep their full attention on the road, warning that even brief distractions, particularly in slow-moving traffic, can lead to serious collisions and carry financial penalties. The Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Central Operations Sector is»»»

Senior defense officials of Iran and Turkey discussed regional security developments and ways to expand bilateral defense cooperation, with Iran’s caretaker defense minister emphasizing Tehran’s lack of trust in the US regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.In a telephone conversat»»»

Tunis, July 3 (TAP) – The Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) has urged the government to adopt at least three priority economic reform laws by the end of 2026, warning that continued legislative delays are undermining growth and investment....»»»

Drillcube has officially opened its EMEA regional hub in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), establishing an in-region base to support underground mining operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Drillcube is Australia's underground mining one-stop-shop. The company replaces a mine's f»»»

However, one of the recurring characteristics of the Romanian M&A market remains the low level of transparency regarding transaction values. In the first half of 2026, the transaction value was not disclosed for 69% of announced deals, slightly above the historical average of 67%. In terms of trans»»»

Post Bank, being established on the basis of the state-owned enterprise Kyrgyz Pochtasy OJSC, is expected to begin operations in the first quarter of 2027. The company’s CEO Marat Cherikchiev said in an interview with the media. According to him, the new bank is expected to obtain its banking licen»»»

DHAHRAN: You know a film is special when it simultaneously elicits sobs and laughter from an audience. Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi’s debut feature “The President’s Cake,” which screened at last week’s Saudi Film Festival, is special. It’s set in the Iraq in which Hadi grew up under the tyranny of fo»»»

Cape Canaveral: A three-armed spacecraft rocketed into orbit Friday to rescue a NASA telescope that's in danger of crashing back to Earth. Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies' Link spacecraft from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly o»»»

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has warned that Tehran will not hesitate to take “appropriate and proportional measures” should the United States and the Israeli regime fail to honor their international commitments, delivering the firm ultimatum during a high-level meeting with a »»»

Alpha' review: Two fearless women. One frustratingly timid filmDirector: Shiv RavailCast: Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol★★★Dubai: There's something strangely difficult about reviewing Alpha. Not because it's a complicated film, but because you genuinely want it to succeed. Here is»»»

Turkey’s government is planning to launch a major climate initiative at the COP31 summit later this year, aiming to close the gap between global capital and underdeveloped green projects, finance minister Mehmet Simsek said on June 25 during a speech at the Climate Resilience Finance Summit during »»»

Share: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, welcomes Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, to the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, 2 July 2026. © Lebanese Presidency press office via AP Syria has ruled out military intervention in Lebanon despite US pressure to act agai»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended on Thursday evening a reception hosted by the US embassy in Belgrade to mark US Independence Day. Extending his congratulations to the American people and US President Donald Trump, Vucic wished them peace, success and prosperity. "I believe th»»»

Dubai: A simple bottle of cold water or an ice cream can make all the difference on a hot summer day. With that spirit of kindness at its heart, Ferjan Dubai has officially launched the third edition of the Al Freej Fridge humanitarian community campaign on July 3 at Al Khawaneej Majlis. Supported »»»

Bangkok: A nurse in Thailand challenged Buddhist customs when she stepped in to treat the victims of a car accident that killed 10 monks. An 11-year-old boy, who took his parents' pickup truck without permission, ploughed at speed into a procession of 35 monks and five lay followers in northeastern»»»

New York: The main act of pop sensation Taylor Swift's wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce was due to get underway Friday, as celebrities flooded New York for the A-lister extravaganza at the storied Madison Square Garden. The billionaire singer and three-time Super Bowl champion, both 36, opened the »»»

Bangkok: A nurse in Thailand challenged Buddhist customs when she stepped in to treat the victims of a car accident that killed 10 monks. An 11-year-old boy, who took his parents' pickup truck without permission, ploughed at speed into a procession of 35 monks and five lay followers in northeastern»»»

HEADLINES Fiscal policy and Budget 2026 dominate Friday's Bulgarian media agenda, with newspapers and the weekly Capital focusing on the growing challenges facing public finances, the need for structural reforms and the implications of the government's planned fiscal measures. Political analysis is»»»

American creator Ray of Magyar Minute has been living in and out of Hungary since 2001. In this short video, he explains how residency actually works for non-EU nationals, from the old visa run era to today’s Enter Hungary process, and the one missed appointment that cost him an entire application.»»»

Companies resident in the Technopolis Moscow special economic zone (SEZ) that manufacture innovative pharmaceutical products poured over 2.7 billion rubles into the city's economy during the first quarter of 2026 — 1.7 times more than a year earlier — according to Maxim Liksutov, Moscow's deputy ma»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan amended veterinary and sanitary requirements aimed at preventing animal diseases. The document introduces the concept of sanitary protection zones and sets minimum distances between livestock-related enterprises and residential areas. According to the resoluti»»»

Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at South Korea's Unification Ministry, speaks at a regular briefing in Seoul in this June 26 file photo. File Photo by Yonhap The unification ministry said Friday it views growing calls to refer to North Korea by its official name as part of a broader effort to»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated during parliamentary control that Bulgaria will place reservations on the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, saying the move is driven by what he described as the country’s national interest. “I will do this because I defend and uphold the Bulgarian nation»»»

Iran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with banners across Tehran urging the public to rise up in support of the Islamic Republic after the devastating war that killed the 86-year-old cleric. The country's theocracy plans to see millions flo»»»

Over the past 35 years, Electro-Alfa International has continuously evolved through sustained investments in expanding its industrial capabilities, developing proprietary products, advancing research and development, digitalization, integrated services, and strategic partnerships with international»»»

North Korean hackers stole $643 million in cryptocurrency in the first half of 2026, a report by TRM Labs said, accounting for roughly two-thirds of all crypto funds stolen worldwide. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo SEOUL, July 3 (UPI) -- North Korean-linked hackers stole roughly $»»»

The European Union is transforming into a military-political-economic bloc, and a military identity is taking shape within it, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. "The fact is that a military identity is generally taking shape in the European Union, and the EU itself is transforming into a mil»»»

Russia remains one of the leading gas exporters to the EU—primarily through seaborne LNG shipments—even as its pipeline gas volumes have plummeted since 2022, according to a new analysis by the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. However, overall LNG imports to the EU have recently declined due to lowe»»»

African startups raised $1.44bn during the first half of this year, marginally surpassing the $1.42bn secured in H1 2025, as investors concentrated capital in fewer but significantly larger funding rounds despite a subdued global venture capital market. H1 2026 funding data show startups completed »»»

The IRGC warned that any miscalculation by Iran’s adversaries would be met with a “decisive and crushing response,” as it called for massive public participation in the farewell and funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei. In a statement released»»»

Countries are lining up to reach agreements with Central Asian states for access to the region’s abundant critical minerals. The minerals are there, and continued surveying turns up new deposits all the time.  One of the problems for the Central Asian countries most often cited is that they do»»»