The rise of AI chatbots has triggered a technological gold rush unlike anything the internet has seen in decades. Companies are racing to build smarter models, faster assistants, and more human-like conversational systems. Behind that race sits one uncomfortable truth: these systems were built on a»»»

Below is the full text of the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement brokered by the Trump administration as published by Axios journalist Barak Ravid: TRILATERAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE STATE OF ISRAEL, AND THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON The Government of Israel and the Government»»»

The death toll from the twin earthquakes in Venezuela continued to rise on Friday, with at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing, as distress grew among Venezuelans. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that struck late Wednesday left a landscape of devastation, with countless collapsed buildings»»»

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»»»

While France confirmed its first case of Ebola, reports of people successfully treated for the condition are also emerging from Mongbwalu, the epicentre of the epidemic in the eastern part of the DRC. Although successful treatments are sparking hope among teams on the ground, health professionals r»»»

NEW YORK CITY: When Anandita Philipose, the UN Population Fund’s representative in Lebanon, visited a Beirut shelter in the first days of the crisis, she met a woman who was heavily pregnant, days from her due date, displaced, and entirely alone in a system she no longer recognized. “She didn’t kno»»»

The unprecedented heatwave that has been hitting Europe since the beginning of the week is spreading east and south across the continent, leading to the cancellation of events as temperatures exceed 35C and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed with demand. Health authorities across Europe were on hig»»»

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»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said a deal signed with Israel on Friday was a first step toward fully restoring his country’s sovereignty after the latest war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. “The framework agreement signed today is a first step” that will enable Lebanese “to r»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The escalating conflict in Sudan’s North Kordofan state risks triggering a humanitarian catastrophe on the scale of last year’s siege of El-Fasher. The warning from UN officials to the Security Council on Friday came as drone strikes intensified around the city of El-Obeid, putting a»»»

Dust in the Caribbean on visible satellite Friday morning. (NOAA/CIRA) It's Saharan dust season in the Atlantic, the time of year when massive clouds of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert are carried westward by winds, sometimes traveling thousands of miles to the United States. Where is the dust now»»»

June 26 (UPI) -- A Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claims he was once teleported to a Waffle House has been ousted from the agency, unnamed sources familiar with the situation told media outlets Friday. Gregg Phillips, who was appointed to lead the Office of Response and Recovery i»»»

The TSA said on Friday that it expects roughly 18.7 million people to be screened at U.S. airports during the July 4 holiday week, with more than 3 million people expected to travel on July 2 alone. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- The Transportation Security Administr»»»

Dubai: More than 25 million illicit and controlled pills and 1.1 tonnes of narcotic substances were intercepted by Saudi customs authorities over the past year, Okaz newspaper reported. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) said customs officers seized 25,112,378 narcotic and prohibited pill»»»

MAKKAH: As Saudi Arabia expands saffron cultivation across regions including AlUla, Tabuk and Al-Baha, scientists are exploring ways to improve the productivity and quality of one of the world’s most valuable crops. Prof. Salim Al-Babili, associate vice president for research for plant science at K»»»

KINSHASA: The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 300 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a little over one month after it was declared, health authorities said on Friday. The deadly viral disease, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe bleeding and organ »»»

Shawarma is a simple, wholesome food that gives you comfort in every situation, whether you are lonely at home or in your car or cheering on your favorite team with friends during a World Cup match. Who makes the best shawarma, however, is highly debatable. Now, this is not me throwing my hat in to»»»

As the on-again, off-again fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia has revealed its deadly FPV drone fleet: small quadcopters equipped with light explosives. Analysis of videos of the attacks suggests the Israeli army has turned to a Second World War-era trick to»»»

France and Italy have pushed back against an EU proposal to ban Russian servicemen and veterans from entering the bloc, warning that the measure is legally unclear and difficult to enforce, Bloomberg has reported, citing diplomatic sources. Moscow has denounced the proposal as “paranoid,” while cri»»»

People enjoy the beach at the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea off Muscat, Oman, in May. President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the cease-fire Friday. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has attacked ships in th»»»

The World Gymnastics organization should impose an appropriate penalty on the “renegades” who ignore their policy of “sport must be separate from politics”, journalist Rick Sterling tells Sputnik. If this violation is not penalized, “it will mean the further breakdown of international standards and»»»

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem seen in June 19, 2024. He spoke in a televised speech Friday, marking Ashura, the culmination of a 10-day mourning period observed by Shiite Muslims. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/UPI BEIRUT, June 26 (UPI) -- Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said »»»

Sharjah: In Khorfakkan, a mango is never just a mango. It is the result of months of care, irrigation, patience, and planning. It is also a competition entry, a source of income, a family project, and, for many growers, a livelihood rooted in the land. From today, June 26, that story has unfolded p»»»

A Strawberry moon sets just before sunrise behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City on June 4, 2023. The next full moon is Monday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo The first full moon of the summer will rise on Monday evening, and it will also be one of the smallest full moons »»»

The disruption to global energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East has triggered an unexpected resurgence in coal demand, as energy security fears outweigh Climate Crisis commitments. Coal prices and consumption both rose following disruptions to natural gas supplies from the Gulf, r»»»

Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, is shown in his mugshot on Sept. 12, 2025. The prosecutor in his case was found to be in contempt of court Friday for speaking to the press. UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- The Utah prosecutor in the case against Tyler Robinson for the alleged murder of conservativ»»»

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela: More than 50,000 people were missing Friday after twin earthquakes in Venezuela, the United Nations' aid chief told AFP as international rescue teams and sniffer dogs arrived to join a desperate search for survivors. Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said the death toll was no»»»

Citizens gathered in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities on Friday to express their dissatisfaction with what they described as the long-term inaction of institutions and to honour the memory of all children who have died in road traffic accidents. Demonstrations were called in front of palaces of jus»»»

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rattled the Dominican Republic on Friday. Hours after, another 5.2 earthquake struck western Nicaragua, capping a week marked by intense seismic activity across several countries. File Photo by Stringer/EPA June 26 (UPI) -- A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rattled the Dominican»»»

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to slap a 100 percent tariff on European countries that impose a digital services tax, adding that existing trade deals would be scrapped. "Any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the »»»

MOSCOW: ‌The Kremlin said on Friday it would look into a viral video appeal to President Vladimir Putin by a military veteran accusing Russian commanders in Ukraine of torturing and murdering soldiers for not fulfilling “suicidal orders.” Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had not yet seen th»»»

China's Citic tower stands in Beijing in May. A small plane crashed into the tower on Friday. File Pool Photo by Maxim Shemetov/EPA June 26 (UPI) -- A small plane crashed into the tallest building in Beijing Friday, social media video and eyewitness reports have shown. The Chinese government hasn't»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said that the Civil Defence reponded to a fire of discarded materials at a farm in the Bu Fass area on Friday, with no injuries reported.»»»

DURBAN: Thousands of Malawian migrants queued for processing at a makeshift camp in the South African city of Durban this week while hundreds of Zimbabweans slept on the pavement outside their consulate in Cape Town. All had the same goal: to leave South Africa before nationwide anti-immigrant prot»»»

In Brief Mongolia’s dependence on Russian fuel gives it short-term supply stability but leaves it structurally exposed. Russia’s temporary petrol export ban spared Mongolia through bilateral arrangements, underscoring the strength of the relationship while revealing the risks of relying on Moscow. »»»

Fire Safety and Seucrity Client : Misr Aluminium Company Address : 48/50 Abd Elkhalek Tharwat Street, Cairo Tender : 1) Tender No. 22/2016/2017 for supply of cars spare pars (Afiko & Skania) Opening envelopes : 10-4-2017 2) Tender No. 23/2016/2017 for supply of internal and external rubber tyres 12»»»

Beltone Financial expects SODIC, 6 October Development & Investment, to hit its sales target of 2016, worth EGP 5bn. SODIC’s recent implementation of Caesar project worth EGP 300m is believed to be the reason behind its sales boom, according to Beltone Finacial report. The company will also propose»»»

Oman has told European officials there’s no way of going back to the pre-war status quo with the Strait of Hormuz and transiting ships may have to be charged some fees, according to people familiar with the matter. While Omani officials said they will always abide by international maritime law, the»»»

Nearly four months after the U.S. airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, which killed more than 150 people, including 120 children, Amnesty International USA’s National Director for Government Relations & Advocacy, Amanda Klasing, said: “It’s been four months since the»»»

CASABLANCA: A Moroccan court handed prison sentences to 29 people, including prominent politicians and sports and business figures, in an international drug trafficking and corruption scandal that has rocked the country. The court also ordered the defendants to pay hundreds of millions of dollars i»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday slammed Iran for carrying out a drone attack in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “foolish” violation of the ceasefire in the Middle East war. “One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship” while thre»»»

Chair of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, R-Ky., speaks to the press before a closed-door interview with Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates on June 10. The committee interviewed billionaire investor Leon Black Friday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- Former Apollo Gl»»»

Tunis, June 26 (TAP) - Tunindex closed Friday's session up 1.3% to 19,807.27 points, with a high traded volume of TND 19.3 million, taking its yearly performance to 47.3%, said broker Tunisie Valeurs. ASSURANCES MAGHREBIA VIE shares were the best...»»»

GREENBELT, United States: Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term. Bolton, who became an outspoken critic of Presiden»»»

John Bolton, a former national security adviser to US President Donald Trump who has since become one of his most vocal critics, pleaded guilty Friday to withholding classified documents related to national defence. Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on»»»