The twin blasts that rocked Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Syria this week underscore the fragility of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authority and the security challenges he faces. They also undermine the message of stability that Damascus is striving to convey to the int»»»

Poland’s competition watchdog, UOKiK, has searched the offices of the country’s sole credit bureau, BIK, together with ING Bank Śląski, mBank and mBank Hipoteczny, as part of an investigation into mortgage credit assessment practices. The inquiry, launched in 2025, is examining whether banks’ excha»»»

ISTANBUL: Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a leading opposition figure, is due to present his defense in court on Wednesday, at the latest hearing in his trial for corruption. Imamoglu, considered to be the main opposition challenger to Turkiye’s veteran President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s central bank has approved Indian fintech firm TotalPay to operate as an e-commerce payment technical service provider, expanding the Kingdom’s fast-growing digital payments ecosystem. The approval from the Saudi Central Bank, or SAMA, allows TotalPay to launch operations in t»»»

Europe faces an estimated €70bn annual bill to adapt to climate change, but as deadly heatwaves and wildfires intensify across the continent, questions remain over who should pay. The European Parliament approved €144.1m in aid to Spain, Romania and Cyprus this week to recover from wildfires, flood»»»

BERLIN: A Berlin court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a German doctor to life in prison on charges of murdering 15 of his patients who were under palliative care, in a case involving allegations he torched the homes of victims to try to cover up the crimes. The 41-year-old doctor, who has onl»»»

More than 2,500 undergraduate students from around the world applied this summer for a place in a research internship at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), highlighting the growing global demand for hands-on AI research opportunities. Only 54 students were selected fo»»»

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington would give Kyiv the "the right to make" Patriot air-defence missiles as he met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky at NATO's summit. "So one of the things we're going to be talking about is we're going to give a licence to you to make Patriots. That»»»

DUBAI: Deutsche Bank has secured a regional headquarters license in Saudi Arabia, giving the German lender access to major government and state-linked contracts as the Kingdom ‌pushes multinational companies to expand their presence in Riyadh. The new regional headquarters will be based in Riyadh a»»»

London, United Kingdom: Czech ninth seed Linda Noskova reached her first Wimbledon semi-final with a 6-3, 7-5 win against Belgium's Elise Mertens on Wednesday. Noskova dominated from start to finish in a last-eight clash lasting one hour and 50 minutes in searing temperatures on Court One. The 21-y»»»

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior has contacted the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, saying it is prepared to provide information and evidence related to the implementation of sanctions imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act. According to the ministry, Bul»»»

The Israeli enemy continued on Wednesday its attacks on South Lebanon. In this regard, Lebanese ministry of health updated toll of Israeli aggression, since March 2, 2026, recording 4320 martyrs and 12203 injuries. The Israeli enemy targeted with air raids and artillery shells the Ali Al-Taher Hill»»»

ZAGREB: Croatia’s most successful football coach, Zlatko Dalic, resigned on Wednesday, ending a tenure that included taking the team to the 2018 World Cup final. “As much as I still feel the ambition and desire to achieve new successes with Croatia, I feel that this is the right moment to bring thi»»»

Lebanon's judiciary postponed a hearing scheduled Wednesday for former central bank governor Riad Salameh, accused of embezzling more than $300 million, a judicial official told AFP. Salameh, who headed the central bank for three decades and was arrested in 2024, has faced numerous accusations incl»»»

Lebanon demands Israel's withdrawal from two "pilot zones" in the south before participating in the next round of direct talks in Rome next week, a diplomatic source told AFP on Wednesday. The source, requesting anonymity, said "Lebanon is stipulating Israel's withdrawal from two pilot zones in ord»»»

LONDON: Saudi fintech and private credit firm Seha Invest has signed a $500 million partnership with Boston-based Y-Innovations to support biotechnology and healthcare development in the Kingdom. The agreement was announced on the sidelines of the BMG Forum at the London Stock Exchange. Seha Invest»»»

Doha, Qatar: Amendments to Qatar's State Audit Bureau Law will enter into force on July 25 2026, introducing new enforcement powers, criminal penalties and financial disclosure requirements aimed at strengthening public-sector oversight after nearly a decade of experience under the existing legisla»»»

1 of 3 | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump at the Beştepe Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday. Photo by Turkish Presidency Office/UPI | License Photo July 8 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday at the NATO summit that he wants to cut»»»

Part VII – Why the World Still Remembers Hypatia “Civilizations are remembered not only by the empires they build, but by the ideas they refuse to abandon.” On an ordinary spring day in AD 415, the citizens of Alexandria could not have imagined that the murder of a philosopher would echo across six»»»

Dubai: Owning a Hermes Birkin is already considered the ultimate luxury flex. But carrying one that's worth an estimated $2 million? That's a whole different league. Isha Ambani turned heads at the Paris Haute Couture Week when she arrived at Rahul Mishra's runway show carrying the ultra-rare Hermè»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Trump: We might strike Iran again tonight 08-07-2026 16:25 PM Latest News Urgent News Trump: We might strike Iran again tonight 16:25 MP Am»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has approved a new federal Cultural Heritage Law introducing prison terms of up to 10 years and fines of as much as Dh10 million for offences against the country's cultural heritage, as part of a comprehensive framework aimed at protecting archaeological sites, historical assets »»»

BRUSSELS - EU ambassadors debated on Wednesday an European Commission (EC) non-paper recommending opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU accession talks, with eight member states opposing the move. The group, comprised of the three Baltic states, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria and Croatia, ci»»»

The National Bank of Uzbekistan, the country’s largest commercial bank, is betting that the next phase of the country's economic transformation will be driven not by state-backed megaprojects but by households and small businesses. After a decade of reforms since Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace is planning a pilot "humanitarian zone" in southern Gaza which would aim to accommodate tens of thousands of vetted Palestinian civilians, a board official told AFP. The official said the zone could act as a "starting point" for the Palestinian technocra»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s flagship technology conference, LEAP, opened its first international edition in Hong Kong on Wednesday, marking its expansion beyond the Kingdom as Riyadh seeks to strengthen technology partnerships across Asia. Speaking at the opening of LEAP East, Minister of Communications»»»

“It was not surprising what the German Foreign Minister stated during his meeting with the Foreign Minister of the terrorist criminal entity. The one who remained silent about the genocide and all the other crimes committed by this entity against Palestine, Lebanon, and the peoples of the region, a»»»

Lebanon’s Druze Religious Council has endorsed a memorandum submitted by Druze leader Walid Jumblatt warning that the proposed US-backed “framework agreement” with ‘Israel’ marks a “dangerous shift” in the Lebanese-Israeli struggle. In the text, published following an extraordinary council session,»»»

Dubai: Sharjah-based Gulftainer has unveiled a $2 billion strategy to expand from port operations into a wider global trade infrastructure platform, with Khorfakkan Port, inland logistics parks, maritime services and AI-powered supply chains forming the core of its next phase of growth. Sign up for»»»

BEIRUT: The Lebanese judiciary on Wednesday approved the released of crooner-turned-fugitive militant Fadl Shaker months after he surrendered himself to authorities, a judicial official told AFP. The entertainer, born to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother, turned himself over to authorities»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia welcomes a growing number of international visitors, locals are opening their homes to tourists, offering firsthand glimpses of daily life, traditions and hospitality beyond the Kingdom’s national museums and historic sites. Among them is Norah Al-Baloud who welcomes guests »»»

Share: Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei. His appointment as Judiciary Chief paves the way for more political executions, analysts say The judiciary chief has emphasised the need to avenge the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and prosecute foreign ‘aggressors’. Iran has reappointed Gholam-Hossein Moh»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia welcomes a growing number of international visitors, locals are opening their homes to tourists, offering firsthand glimpses of daily life, traditions and hospitality beyond the Kingdom’s national museums and historic sites. Among them is Norah Al-Baloud who welcomes guests »»»

Dubai: In line with Dubai’s vision to lead in security, sustainability and smart mobility, Dubai Police, in partnership with Al-Futtaim, the exclusive distributor of BYD in the UAE, has launched the second generation of its ‘Ghiath’ smart patrol vehicles. The initiative reflects Dubai Police’s cont»»»

DHAHRAN: The Egyptian capital will be bursting with art this month as the inaugural Cairo Art Summit is held from July 9-11, with further programming lasting until the end of July. Regional artists, architects, anthropologists, museum professionals, developers, policymakers, academics, financiers a»»»

Anthropic’s latest AI model Claude has evolved an internal workspace that it uses to manipulate concepts similar to how people consciously think, the corporation says. In a paper published on Monday, Anthropic researchers said they had found evidence suggesting that Claude has learned to create abs»»»

JEDDAH: Art Jameel’s “Hayy Makers” in Jeddah continues to strengthen its role as a dedicated community space for nurturing creative skills. Through a diverse program of workshops and courses, it brings together traditional crafts and modern technologies, giving participants opportunities for hands-»»»

Dubai: Dubai Taxi Company has completed its Dh1.45 billion acquisition of National Taxi, creating the UAE’s largest taxi operator with a combined fleet of more than 9,500 vehicles across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The deal gives Dubai Taxi Com»»»

DHAKA: At least 18 Rohingya, most of them children, were killed by landslides triggered by record rainfall in Cox’s Bazar, local authorities said on Wednesday, as conditions in refugee camps are deteriorating amid decreasing humanitarian support. About 1.3 million Rohingya shelter in 33 camps in th»»»

CAIRO: Drone strikes on civilian vehicles headed to social gatherings in Sudan have killed over 20 people in recent day, according to rights groups, as the use of unmanned aircraft becomes increasingly common in the north eastern African country’s war. A drone hit the outskirts of Khartoum killing »»»

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel lashed out at Hezbollah Wednesday, accusing the group of dragging Lebanon into occupation. "The very least you should do is shut up," he said. "Let the President and the Prime Minister do their jobs, to save you, save the people, and save Lebanon." "You are the ones who d»»»

The Lebanese judiciary on Wednesday approved the release of crooner-turned-fugitive militant Fadl Shaker months after he surrendered himself to authorities, a judicial official told AFP. The entertainer, born to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother, turned himself over to authorities in Octob»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Cabinet has strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Qatari, Saudi, Bahraini and Kuwaiti interests, while approving a series of legislative, judicial, educational and diplomatic measures during its regular weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE»»»

Something unusual happened in Berlin recently. Executives from some of Europe's oldest financial institutions sat in a room and listened — carefully, and with something approaching humility — to people from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan explain how business gets done. Not as a charitable ex»»»

Lebanon has agreed to participate in the Rome negotiations after its concerns were calmed and after it secured the presence and sponsorship of the United States, MTV reported on Wednesday. "This means the negotiations will not be bilateral between Lebanon and Israel, but trilateral under U.S. auspi»»»

Europe is “playing with fire” as it assists Ukraine in strikes deep into Russia, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan has said, warning Kiev’s Western backers that Moscow may have no other choice other than to respond with force. In a lengthy interview with Swiss magazine Die Weltwoche on Wednesda»»»

Dubai: As impact investment gains momentum worldwide, experts say funding alone is no longer enough to drive lasting social change. Increasingly, the focus is shifting to strengthening the organisational capacity of non-profit institutions so they can effectively manage resources, improve governanc»»»

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that ​NATO allies must lift defence-industry restrictions among them, pressing the ‌case for Ankara to break into some Europe-only initiatives. “Restrictions among allies on defence cooperation, especially in the defence industry, must be lifted,” »»»

BENGALURU: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said on Wednesday ​that airlines should not operate within the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, amid ongoing tensions and the potential for further military action, as the US and Iran exchanged fresh attacks. The EASA said its bulletin for th»»»

Zagreb: Croatia's most successful football coach, Zlatko Dalic, resigned on Wednesday, ending a tenure that included taking the team to the 2018 World Cup final. "As much as I still feel the ambition and desire to achieve new successes with Croatia, I feel that this is the right moment to bring thi»»»