Bulgaria's Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov has met with Namibia's Ambassador to Bulgaria Vasco Mushe Samupofu, who is based in Vienna. The meeting took place at the Foreign Ministry in Sofia on Thursday, the ministry's press centre reported. The two discussed opportunities to deepen the p»»»

Algiers, Algeria: Algerians headed to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament in an election shadowed by expectations of low turnout among the 25-million-person electorate. The vote is taking place amid controversy over the government's disqualification of roughly a third of would-be candid»»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah civil defense authority, under the directives of the Sharjah Executive Council, has announced a wide-ranging financial relief initiative aimed at supporting the emirate’s business sector, reducing operational burdens, and stimulating economic activity. The package introduces su»»»

JAKARTA: Rebels in Indonesia’s restive easternmost region ‌of Papua on Thursday shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian plane on fire in what a spokesperson for a local separatist group described as a “message” to the US and Indonesian governments. A low-level battle for independence from In»»»

President Joseph Aoun defended on Thursday negotiations with Israel, saying they were not a betrayal and he would not surrender "a single inch of Lebanon's territory", according to the presidency. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the Israeli army would remain "until furth»»»

Bengaluru, India: Indian startup Skyroot Aerospace said Thursday it would hold the maiden test flight of the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket in the coming weeks. The Vikram-1 rocket, designed to carry small satellites into low-Earth orbit, will lift off from the Satish Dhaw»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov on July 2 gave start to technical launch of the first two cable ways at the under-construction all-season mountain Ala-Too Resort in Ak-Suu district of Issyk-Kul region. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open in December 2026. According to the pres»»»

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»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP)- The correctional chamber at the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld in absentia the first-instance judgement against Anas Hmaidi (president of the Tunisian Judges’ Association).Hmaidi had been sentenced to one year in prison for...»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia and Republika Srpska will this month set up a coordination team for cooperation in science and technology to jointly coordinate all activities in the fields of scientific and technological development. An agreement on this was made at a meeting between Serbian Minister of Science,»»»

Abu Dhabi: With the arrival of holiday seasons and increased travel both within and outside the country, families and individuals are placing greater emphasis on taking the necessary precautions to safeguard their homes and possessions during periods of absence. While travel offers relaxation and e»»»

The Bulgarian Government strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Thessaloniki that claimed one life and left several others injured, the Government's press service said in a Facebook post here on Thursday. "Political assassinations are incompatible with democracy," the statement said, adding that»»»

Dubai: Air India Express has restored flights across its entire West Asia network, with services to Kuwait and Salalah resuming after recent disruptions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline said flights between Kozhikode and Salalah restarted on July 2, while s»»»

Paris, France: French luxury giant Chanel announced Thursday that it had acquired historic Parisian shirtmaker Charvet, having previously collaborated with the brand which caters mostly to men. Charvet has been making bespoke shirts and suits from its home on Place Vendome in Paris since 1838, with»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced on Thursday, July 2, 2026, the results of the secondary school examinations for the 2025–2026 academic year. In a press conference, the Assistant Undersecretary for Evaluation Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Educa»»»

VILNIUS: Lithuania’s parliamentary parties have agreed on a plan to lift a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons and foreign military ​bases in the Baltic nation, the president said, in a sign of how Russia is resetting security calculations in the region. The move — a major legal overhaul which wi»»»

Democratic Bulgaria and Vazrazhdane on Thursday called on Constitutional Court Judge Desislava Atanasova to resign. "When will Desislava Atanasova resign as a Constitutional Court judge?" Democratic Bulgaria MP Ivaylo Mirchev said, calling on the former GERB parliamentary group chair to step down. »»»

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»»»

China and the European Union will hold ministerial-level trade talks once or twice a year, China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday, as the two sides work to increase and rebalance trade. The EU faces growing pressure to reduce its trade deficit with China, which widened to about 360 billion euros (»»»

An unrelenting heatwave across the US is forcing everyone, from local outreach teams to World Cup organisers to completely pivot, with the struggle to stay safe on the street and on the fields as temperatures rise. The heat isn't just a crisis on the streets - it is also hitting the sports world. P»»»

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»»»

BANGKOK: Thailand’s foreign ministry denied Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron knelt before the country’s king during his state visit to Paris this week, after an AI-generated picture circulated online. King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida’s trip was the first official visit by a »»»

Algeria is holding parliamentary elections on July 2, seven years after the pro-democracy Hirak protests. But turnout is expected to be low. After the protests, only 23% of voters showed up to the polls, with many refusing to vote to show discontent with the political offer and several opposition p»»»

One month after Congolese authorities officially declared a new Ebola outbreak, the virus is still spreading in the east of the country and the death toll continues to rise. There are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 250 confirmed deaths. FRANCE 24's Aurélie Bazzara-Kibangula repor»»»

At least 36 students and one school staff member are missing after gunmen stormed a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria during national examinations. Classrooms in Lassa, Borno state, were left abandoned, with desks, schoolbags and exam papers scattered across the floor. Desperate parents have»»»

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»»»

Iran's joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a "forceful response," again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies. The strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf»»»

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»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union has entered the path of militarization and is devoting itself to the topic of confrontation with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "It is clear that as the European Union is developing its defense identity, it has entered the path of mil»»»

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»»»

After a rare admission by President Putin that the army was suffering from a fuel shortage, Gallup pollsters have released new findings that Russia's "economic pessimism" has hit a 20-year high. For months, Ukrainian drones have been attacking Russian oil infrastructure and the consequences are now»»»

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»»»

On Wednesday (July 1, 2026) the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported that a foreign-flagged “cargo ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz using a US-suggested route” had run aground. The Tehran-based broadcaster, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IR»»»

The Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) in Dubai honored Schools of Research Science (SRS) in recognition of its contribution to supporting sustainable endowment (waqf) initiatives. Represented by Al Shamsi, Schools of Research Science received a certificate of appreciation presented on beha»»»

Riyadh: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah discussed the latest developments in the region in a phone call on Thursday with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi. During the call, they reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the latest regional developments, as we»»»

German prosecutors formally charged a Ukrainian national Wednesday with blowing up the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines linking northwestern Russia with Lubmin in northeastern Germany. File Photo by Danish Defense/UPI | License Photo July 2 (UPI) -- A Ukrainian national has been charged in German»»»

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»»»

Passengers arriving at Terminal 2 of Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport will now have to follow a new, structured procedure when ordering taxi services, introduced by the airport’s official taxi operator. Under the new system, travelers must first go to a designated Yellow desk located after the arrivals»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP)- The weather on Thursday is clear to slightly cloudy in most regions, growing cloudy in the midland and in some areas in the south with scattered showers. Rain is expected overnight in the far north along with localised...»»»

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»»»

Bulgaria's National Revenue Agency (NRA) has carried out 240 inspections along the Black Sea coast since the start of its summer enforcement campaign on Monday, finding violations in 70 cases, Anna Mitova, Director of Communications at the NRA, told reporters in Burgas on Thursday. She specified th»»»

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»»»