RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation for Houbara Conservation to support national efforts to protect the endangered bird and reintroduce the houbara bustard into its natural habitats, c»»»

Following his meeting with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani confirmed that “the discussion focused on ways to develop relations between Lebanon and Syria,” denying that “the issue of Hezbollah was raised during the meeting.” In response to»»»

Oviedo, Spain: Former Arsenal and Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla retired from football at the age of 41 on Thursday after more than two decades in the game. The diminutive Asturian helped his local team Oviedo reach La Liga in 2025 and played his final season with them in the Spanish top flight. "No»»»

Two people climbed the antenna of New York's Empire State Building on Wednesday, unfurled a banner promoting “the power of love” and appeared to stage a marriage proposal before being arrested. News footage showed the masked pair kissing atop the skyscraper before one knelt and the other appeared t»»»

Artificial intelligence is changing how we shop, how we discover products, compare options, and make decisions. Increasingly, it is also beginning to act on our behalf. But as AI reshapes commerce, it is also reshaping risk. And that is putting one issue at the center of the conversation: trust. To»»»

He’s one of Francophone Africa’s most followed influencers. With his humourous content about everyday life, Macdi has drawn a huge number of followers into his enigmatic universe of wild scenarios. Over the last three months he’s gained over two million followers on Tik Tok. He now has some 9 milli»»»

Dubai: Bank of Baroda has agreed to pay $600 million (approximately Dh2.2 billion) to settle litigation linked to the collapse of UAE healthcare giant NMC Health, bringing an end to years of legal proceedings against the Indian lender in Abu Dhabi and London. Sign up for our daily business newslett»»»

LONDON: British Prime ‌Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday apologized to women forced to give up their babies and to those separated from their mothers at birth by a system of forced adoptions that targeted unmarried women in the decades after World War Two. An estimated 185,000 children were separat»»»

Beirut, July 2 (SANA) Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut on Thursday to discuss issues of mutual interest and the latest regional developments. The meeting was held as part of al-Shaibani’s official visit to Lebanon»»»

The Financial Supervisory Authority has authorised CCP.RO to operate as Romania’s first central counterparty under Regulation (EU) No. 648/2012 on OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories (EMIR). This marks the establishment of a key component of financial market infrastructur»»»

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has reported that Bulgarian oligarch, media mogul and DPS leader Delyan Peevski has taken 227 flights from Sofia Airport since 2018, with 181 of them operated on private or charter aircraft, according to data presented during a parliamentary hearing based on infor»»»

Bulgaria plays a crucial role on NATO's eastern flank and has demonstrated how defense spending can be translated into real military capabilities, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich said during a joint briefing with Bulgaria's Chief of Defense, Admiral Emil Eftimov, at t»»»

Greek authorities have arrested a 30-year-old Bulgarian citizen, identified as Sylvester Mindev, on suspicion of involvement in an organized telephone fraud network that allegedly generated more than 690,000 euros in illegal gains. Following the arrest, police released the suspect’s photo and perso»»»

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova from the Varna village of Konstantinovo continued for a third day as her mother described the terrifying events that, she says, led to the girl's abduction by her former partner, 40-year-old Asen Simeonov. Speaking through tears, Natalia's mother, Dora Pet»»»

Druze leader Walid Jumblat declared in an interview with L'Orient-Le Jour that he "will not be part of a coalition to bring down the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel." "We will not support it (the agreement), and I do not want a repeat of the 1983 scenario," Jumblat added. He consider»»»

A military convoy will travel between Szolnok and Eger on Thursday, 2 July, and drivers in the area are being asked to use extra caution near the vehicles, according to the official Facebook page of the MH Kiss József 86th Helicopter Brigade. The brigade said it would relocate technical equipment b»»»

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged up to €200mn ($228mn) in grants for connectivity projects in the South Caucasus during a visit to Baku on July 1, as Azerbaijan and Armenia move towards a peace agreement that both leaders described as having already changed conditions on t»»»

Dubai: The UAE is restoring crude oil exports to near-record levels following disruption caused by the recent regional conflict, with alternative export routes and infrastructure helping maintain supplies to rest of the world. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply»»»

The prosecutor’s office secured the return of a five-story guest house and a plot of land on the Issyk-Ata resort territory, valued at 112 million soms, to state ownership. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, an investigation revealed that in 2005, the five-story guest house, with a total»»»

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he is ready to reach a settlement if the other side shows a similar willingness, while describing a proposed framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel as an "agreement of sedition." In remarks published Thursday by Ad-Diyar newspaper, Berri revealed that he »»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed Thursday that the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel "opens the door to restoring a functioning state and ending the chronic conflict that has drained Lebanon for decades." "It also establishes a clear equation based on a complete Isra»»»

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X on Thursday, while warning that any lay believers who “formally adhere” to the breakaway Catholic group would suffer the same fate.The Vatican decree comes a day after the traditionalist group cons»»»

ABUJA: Hunger across Nigeria’s conflict-hit north is at levels not seen in a decade as violence spreads and aid shrinks, the UN’s World Food Programme warned Thursday, with more than three million people “acutely food insecure.” The country has been battling a jihadist insurgency centered in the no»»»

ROME: US President Donald Trump’s attacks on Italy’s premier have had an unintended consequence. After Trump questioned Italy’s reliability as a wartime ally and claimed Giorgia Meloni had groveled for his attention, European leaders rallied to Meloni’s side, thawing what had been a frosty relation»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: We signed an agreement to form a joint Lebanese-Syrian high committee to enhance cooperation between t»»»

Every year, he does a little countdown. Dubai-based Safia Youssef’s 10-year-old loves a football summer camp more than he loves home, she says. “He waits to register. He enjoys it so much, because he has made more friends at camp than he made in school,” she says. He comes home with such a beaming »»»

Dubai: After months of lesson planning, grading papers, and supporting students, teachers across the UAE are finally pressing pause. While students eagerly count down to the holidays, educators are looking forward to something just as important, time to rest, reconnect with family, and return to th»»»

Dubai: Omani authorities have confirmed that no oil spill occurred after a vessel ran aground near the Hallaniyat Islands Marine Buffer Zone, following inspections of the environmentally protected area. The Environment Authority said it was monitoring the incident after the vessel grounded near Al »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Syrian Foreign Minister: My visit to Beirut reflects our supportive stance towards Lebanon, both its government and people 02-07-2026 13:07»»»

Washington: Google has announced that Gemini Spark, its AI agent, is now available to Mac users. The move will enhance its competition with other desktop AI assistants, while also introducing a range of new features that expand its capabilities in task management and interaction with various applic»»»

A U.S. House Judiciary Committee report released Wednesday accuses Seoul of discriminating against American companies, particularly e-commerce giant Coupang. In this photo, a Coupang sign is seen near a distribution center in Seoul in December 2025. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI SEOUL, July 2 (U»»»

DUBAI: There’s nothing so comforting as a good cozy mystery. The stakes are high enough to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, but you’re also charmed and disarmed by the warmth and endless chuckles. “The Sheep Detectives” — now on Amazon Prime — understands that balance perfectly, deli»»»

Talents For Tech, an organisation dedicated to professional development through mentoring and career guidance programmes, has announced that Romanians will be able to access a major regional training programme in artificial intelligence, supported by Google.org through the AI Works for Europe and A»»»

Thursday's media coverage was dominated by disputes over the draft State Budget for 2026, fiscal policy, and public spending, with politicians, economists, and government representatives clashing over deficits, expenditure priorities, and the sustainability of public finances. STATE BUDGET In an in»»»

A longtime aide to Bill Clinton who once claimed the former US president had visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island has now said he cannot remember why he made the allegation. Doug Band, one of Clinton’s closest advisers after he left the White House, told Vanity Fair in 2020 that the former pres»»»

The mercury tops 40C for days on end. So what do you do? Actually, that’s a trick question. I don’t really care what you do – and you shouldn’t care what I do, either. My body, my choice. It’s amazing how quickly that principle becomes negotiable when a liberticidal agenda of mass conformity and co»»»

A 75-year-old New Orleans man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus has been arrested after allegedly trying to meet someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual acts, police have announced. According to investigators, he contacted the supposed teenager through a dating app b»»»

DUBAI: There’s nothing so comforting as a good cozy mystery. The stakes are high enough to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, but you’re also charmed and disarmed by the warmth and endless chuckles. “The Sheep Detectives” — now on Amazon Prime — understands that balance perfectly, deli»»»

Damascus, July 2 (SANA) Arab companies are expanding their presence in Syria and exploring new investment opportunities at a series of specialized trade fairs in Damascus, reflecting growing regional interest in the country’s industrial and commercial sectors. The exhibitions have brought together »»»

Beijing: For nearly a week, the question lingered: how did a light aircraft end up crashing into the tallest skyscraper in one of the world's most tightly controlled capitals? On Thursday, Chinese authorities offered an answer. They said the 66-year-old pilot had struggled with insomnia and anxiety»»»

From 2021 to 2025, Kyrgyzstan repatriated 551 citizens from Iraq and Syria. Security Council Secretary Adilet Orozbekov said during the Fourth UN Counter-Terrorism Week in New York City. In his report, he spoke about the national repatriation program being implemented on the instructions of Preside»»»

Dubai: The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) has urged customers to exercise caution when booking holidays and making travel-related payments, warning that fraudsters are increasingly targeting travellers with fake offers and fraudulent websites during the busy summer travel season. The UBF said scammers »»»

BEIJING: The pilot who flew a small plane into Beijing’s tallest building last week wrote in his diary about “ending his life,” Chinese authorities said Thursday. Their investigation concluded that the cause of last Friday’s crash was “personal reasons,” according to a statement posted on social me»»»

Officers from the Drug Control Service detained two suspects and seized over 1.6 kilograms of hashish in Osh region. The Department of Internal Affairs of Osh region reported. According to police, officers received information that a resident identified as M. was involved in drug trafficking. Durin»»»

Beirut, July 2 (SANA) Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that Lebanon is committed to Syria’s stability and welcomed what he described as a new chapter in relations between the two neighboring countries following talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani at Baabda Pal»»»

Gimpo, South Korea: The contrast cannot be starker: selfie-taking tourists sipping coffee at Starbucks -- an icon of globalisation and capitalism -- while looking out over reclusive, communist North Korea. Welcome to Aegibong Starbucks in Gimpo -- less than an hour's drive from South Korea's capita»»»

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani met Thursday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Beirut. Shaibani said his discussions with Berri focused on ways to develop bilateral relations between Lebanon and Syria, adding that the Hezbollah file was not raised durin»»»

BANGKOK: An 11-year-old drove his parents’ truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand on Thursday, killing eight monks and injuring more than 20 others, police and health officials said. The group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in the northeastern Mukdahan provin»»»

LONDON: YouTube has rolled out supervised children’s accounts across the Middle East and Turkiye as regulators and governments increase scrutiny of social media platforms’ impact on young people’s wellbeing. The Alphabet‑owned platform on Wednesday unveiled a package of parental controls designed t»»»

It was the deadliest reported strike in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Most of the victims were children. In almost any other conflict, these haunting truths would be seared into national memory. Yet more than 120 days since at least one U.S. missile struck an Iranian primary school, there rema»»»