The European Parliament has taken a major step towards introducing the digital euro, approving its negotiating position on the legislation that could pave the way for the EU’s first central bank digital currency. If the remaining negotiations proceed as planned, Europeans could begin using the new »»»

Gustavo Dudamel (L), Venezuelan conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will perform a benefit concert Aug. 23 at the Hollywood Bowl to raise funds for communities affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. File Photo by Biel Alino/EPA July 9 (UP»»»

LONDON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to soften his June suggestion that Syria could take on Hezbollah in Lebanon instead of Israel, but the idea continues to stir alarm because of Syria’s long history of interference in Lebanese affairs. During a meeting with Syria’s interim pres»»»

BAGHDAD: The United States has resumed cash shipments to Iraq after a delay, signalling its support for Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s administration, with the premier expected in Washington later this month, a government spokesperson said Thursday. Iraq’s revenues from oil exports are largely held »»»

LONDON: Jordanian authorities confirmed on Thursday that its airspace was fully open after Iran fired 10 ballistic missiles at the Azraq military base in the eastern region of the country. The Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission said that air traffic was operating normally, while the country’s fla»»»

The government Thursday adopted a national plan for the development of Bulgaria's quantum communication infrastructure for the 2023-2026 demonstration phase. The plan aims to enhance the country's cybersecurity and ensure communication sovereignty at both the national and European levels. The Bulga»»»

Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez said Wednesday she had begun direct international efforts to recover frozen Venezuelan assets and use them to respond to the disaster. Photo by Ivan Cardenas/EPA July 9 (UPI) -- Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez said she will send a formal let»»»

BEIRUT: French midfielder Angelo Fulgini has joined Saudi Professional League powerhouse Al-Khaleej FC on a two-year contract from Lens, the Saudi club announced on their X handle on Thursday. The Frenchman was on loan with Al-Taawoun before the agreement was reached for him to represent Al-Khaleej»»»

SpaceX and xAI CEO Elon Musk speaks during a panel discussion during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January. The trillionaire just settled with the SEC for $1.5 million for his purchase of Twitter. File Photo by Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA July 9 (UPI) -- A federal judge approved a $1.»»»

Damascus, July.9 (SANA) The agreements signed during French President Emmanuel Macron‘s visit to Damascus could pave the way for broader French investment and stronger economic cooperation between Syria and France, the head of the Syrian-French Business Council said on Thursday. Jamal al-Qasimi sai»»»

The Hague, July 9 (SANA) The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday adopted by consensus a decision restoring the rights and privileges of the Syrian Arab Republic under the Chemical Weapons Convention, in a move reflecting broad internation»»»

BEIRUT: A deal between Lebanon and Israel was billed as paving the way for peace. But in Lebanon, it is deepening longtime divisions and raising fears of political paralysis or even a return to civil war. The US-brokered deal envisions an Israeli troop withdrawal from Lebanon and an eventual peace »»»

LONDON: There’s also an American angle to the French-born British player who grew up five minutes from the All England Club and has reached the semifinals as a wild card at Wimbledon. Arthur Fery honed his game by playing three years of college tennis for Stanford University, where he was a two-tim»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed, vowing to do so “with even greater force.” The latest remarks came as new fighting erupted between the United States and Iran, raising fears of a return»»»

The government has recognized the National Association of People with Acquired Disabilities (NAPAD) as a national representative organization of people with disabilities for a period of four years. The decision was made during the Council of Ministers' weekly meeting on Thursday, as reported by the»»»

Abu Dhabi: The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) expressed their strongest condemnation and denunciation of the Iranian attacks targeting the Saudi tanker “Wadiyan” and the Qatari tanker “Al Rekayyat” while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which endangered the lives of their »»»

ISTANBUL: Turkiye and Iraq are set to sign, within days, a ​one-year agreement to keep open the crude oil pipeline between the two countries, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday.Their decades-old pipeline agreement, which governs exports through the pipeline, is due to expi»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has urged motorists to pay their traffic fines on time, stressing that timely payment reflects a commitment to the law, enables motorists to benefit from available incentives, and helps prevent the accumulation of violations and the legal procedures that may fol»»»

Washington, United States: ChatGPT-maker OpenAI was set to release its most powerful artificial intelligence model to the public on Thursday, with its chief executive saying the company made "many changes" to the system during a security review with the US government. CEO Sam Altman told CNBC that »»»

Damascus, July 9 (SANA) Syria welcomed a decision by the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to regain its rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention, describing the step as important that reflects progress in implementing its obliga»»»

JEDDAH: Some 71 worldwide media outlets, including 128 journalists and 256 photographers, covered Rally Saudi Arabia’s inaugural appearance on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, generating extensive international media coverage that reached more than 129 countries. The wide media coverage a»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met with the management of Polish state-owned aircraft maintenance company WZL-2 in Sofia. He thanked them for their long-standing partnership and professionalism in overhauling and maintaining Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter jets. Radev said the company's contributio»»»

Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani met with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cisco Chuck Robbins and his accompanying delegation during their visit to the State of Qatar. During the meeting, bo»»»

Tunis, July 9 (TAP) - The Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) on Thursday considered at a plenary session the bill on the 2026–2030 Development Plan. The strategic roadmap sparked divided opinions among MPs, with some praising it as an...»»»

Dubai: Qatar has inaugurated its first smart mosque as part of the country's efforts to modernise mosque infrastructure through advanced technology and sustainable design. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Kuwari, Assistant Undersecretary for Da'wah and Mosque Affairs at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The West, feigning a willingness to negotiate on Ukraine, has moved on to open ultimatums to Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "We outlined our assessments of the current state of affairs around Ukraine, including the actions of the West, which, fei»»»

Los Angeles, United States: FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina has hit out at "unfounded allegations" against World Cup match officials in the wake of Argentina's controversial last 16 victory over Egypt. In comments posted on FIFA's official website, Collina defended officials who oversaw Argen»»»

JEDDAH: The Saudi-Canadian Investment Forum opened in Jeddah on July 9, bringing together a high-level Canadian delegation representing the public and private sectors alongside Saudi officials, business leaders and investors to strengthen investment ties and explore opportunities across a range of »»»

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian operating team for EU accession Danijel Apostolovic, who is also Serbia's chief negotiator in the accession talks and head of its Mission to the EU, said on Thursday the country had also met additional conditions for opening Cluster 3 in the talks and that the EU »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met on Thursday with Mexican Ambassador to Belgrade Carlos Felix to discuss further advancement of bilateral relations and strengthening of cooperation in areas of common interest. "Macut emphasised that Serbia highly appreciates Mexico’s principled stance and cons»»»

Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said on Thursday he will travel to the United States next week for talks with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the Department of the Treasury. The sides will discuss measures which can be taken against individuals and legal entities that ha»»»

LONDON: Rights groups said that a photograph showing a blindfolded Palestinian detainee bound and posed for the camera by Israeli soldiers on social media corroborates extensive reporting on abuse in Israeli detention and may itself be a war crime. “Both abusive treatment of detainees and the publi»»»

"Russian strikes are building a cumulative effect on Ukraine's energy infrastructure — with winter likely to see the most severe impact," says Stanislav Mitrakhovich, lead expert at the National Energy Security Foundation. Generators are brought in with Western help, running on petrol or diesel tha»»»

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian operating team for EU accession Danijel Apostolovic, who is also Serbia's chief negotiator in the accession talks and head of its Mission to the EU, said on Thursday the country had also met additional conditions for opening Cluster 3 in the talks and that the EU »»»

Beijing:China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Thursday activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in Beijing and Tianjin, the Ministry of Emergency Management said. According to meteorological forecasts, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected to hit Beijing a»»»

AMMAN — Jordan's Ram Pharmaceutical Industries and Saudi Arabia's Cigalah Healthcare on Thursday launched an investment partnership aimed at boosting value-added investment in Jordan and expanding Jordanian-Saudi economic cooperation.Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh s»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) has held a specialised workshop to showcase the Jordan Eco-Label (JO-Ecolabel) Programme, a national initiative led by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation (JSMO) with support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).The progra»»»

AMMAN — Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh on Thursday said recent amendments to the Investment Environment Regulation Bylaw have streamlined licensing procedures in development and free zonesThe new licensing procedures allow complete applications for construction licences and occupancy per»»»

Khamenei's marathon funeral is coming to an end as the coffin arrives in Mashhad, following a week of mass processions across Iran resonating with revenge slogans against Trump. It comes as strikes between of US and Iran have started up again. The funeral is also being used as a way to project to t»»»

1 of 3 | An exhaust plume hangs in the dawn skies creating a "jellyfish" effect after SpaceX launched their Falcon 9 rocket on mission 10-42 at 5:25 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., on Thursday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo July 9 (UPI) -- »»»

In Chad, intercommunal violence has dramatically risen, with authorities flagging five different incidents just last month, with over 300 killed in just two years. The UN has warned that violence is escalating across the entire Lake Chad basin, with 5,700 people killed since last November. Violence»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut on Thursday continued consultations with the ministers of the interior, culture, education, information and telecommunications, public administration, justice and local self-government on the departments' plans for the coming period. "At a meeting with Deputy Prime»»»

The Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, following its periodic meeting, issued a statement in which it considered the million-strong funeral procession of the Imam and Martyr Sayyed Ali al-Husseini al-Khamenei (may his secret be sanctified) to be an unprecedented historic event. It affirmed the renewal»»»

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects growth in sub-Saharan Africa to remain broadly stable at 4.3% in 2026 before edging up to 4.5% in 2027, but warned that the regional headline masks widening divergence between countries exposed to higher food and energy prices and those benefiting from »»»

The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has announced a strategic agreement with UAEV – Emarat EV Charging Stations Company, the UAE’s first fully government-owned electric vehicle charging network. This partnership aims to enhance EV charging infrastructure across Dubai by deploying sta»»»

LONDON: King Abdullah of Jordan discussed global political developments and economic challenges with business, media and technology leaders during the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, US, this week. On Wednesday, he held meetings with senior executives and representatives from major companies operat»»»

The National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV) has announced that it has found no evidence so far of criminal wrongdoing in the highly controversial investigation into the so-called Ukrainian “gold convoy” case, one of the most politically sensitive incidents of this year’s election c»»»

The US struck the Aq Tekeh-Khan railway bridge in Iran's northern Golestan province with cruise missiles, hitting a link on the rail corridor connecting Iran to China and Russia, state media reported on July 9. The strike marks one of the deepest US attacks inside Iranian territory since the confli»»»

Brussels: What does a world leader do with a gun and six bullets? That was the conundrum NATO leaders faced after the Turkish president offered them each a revolver after the Ankara summit. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the first Wednesday to mention the highly unusual gift presented by P»»»

CAIRO: Gazans turned out in large numbers to ‌pay their respects to a senior Palestinian member of Egypt’s main aid organization who set up World Cup screenings in the shattered enclave and was killed by an Israeli air strike on a taxi he was in this ​week. The strike killed Mohammad Al-Waheidi on »»»