RIYADH: Detained members of the ISIS/Daesh terrorist group have confessed to their involvement in the June 2025 bombing of Mar Elias Church in Damascus and described plans for further attacks aimed at inflaming sectarian tensions and undermining Syria’s new government, Syria's Interior Ministry has»»»

OTTAWA: President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Canada for wildfire smoke spreading across the United States and said he would add the “incalculable cost” of dealing with the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods. Heavy smoke from hundreds of Canadian fires enveloped a swath of the US fro»»»

NEW YORK: Boeing projected Friday a global commercial fleet of 50,000 planes in 2045, more than 90 percent of which will be more fuel-efficient “new-generation” aircraft. That compares with today’s global fleet of 28,000 airplanes, reflecting higher long-term demand due to economic growth and addit»»»

WASHINGTON: A 28-year prison sentence is too lenient for a Libyan militant who was convicted of terrorism-related charges in the 2012 attacks on US compounds in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. A three-judge panel»»»

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hands President Donald Trump the FIFA World Cup trophy after announcing the 2026 World Cup draw in the White House. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday told FIFA officials they should pick the United St»»»

Dubai: A proposal by Iran and Oman to introduce transit charges for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could create one of the world's largest maritime revenue streams while adding a fresh cost to global energy trade. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The propose»»»

Members of the Mexican National Guard in the city of Tapachula remove debris caused by the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast, on the border with Guatemala. Photo by Juan Manuel Blanco/EPA July 17 (UPI) -- A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Mexico-Guatema»»»

RIYADH: Riyadh Air launched its inaugural nonstop flight to Madrid on Friday, expanding its European footprint to boost economic and tourism ties between Saudi Arabia and Spain, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Flight RX0531 touched down at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, marked by a re»»»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it destroyed a depot housing American unmanned surface vessels and the “main artificial intelligence center” in Bahrain in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian bridges and other civilian infrastructure. In a statement issued on Frida»»»

Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, R-S.C., assumed her temporary seat on Tuesday after being nominated by Gov. Henry McMaster to serve out the rest of the year in her brother’s stead. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday asked Sen. Darline Graham Nord»»»

Tunis, July 17, 2026 (TAP) - An appeal hearing is scheduled for July 21, before the Tunis Court of Appeal to examine the objection filed by the defence of journalist Hamza Belloumi and Insaf Boughdiri, editor-in-chief of the programme "Al Youm...»»»

RIYADH: Saudi authorities welcomed the announcement on Friday by Jordan of regular commercial flights between Amman and the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said Royal Jordanian Airlines would operate the route and work is underway to complete the necessary technical and logistical p»»»

Smoke from wildfires in Canada creates a haze on the city of Pittsburgh's skyline. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian imports over wildfire smoke pouring into the United States, accusing the countr»»»

Kuwait City: Kuwait's air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles and drones that entered its airspace from Iran, the country's Defense Ministry said on Friday. A Kuwaiti military spokesperson said the armed forces detected hostile ballistic missiles and drones from early morning and successfully i»»»

Washington, July 18 (SANA) Syria has signed two memoranda of understanding with Iraq and an international consortium of companies to rehabilitate and revive the Kirkuk–Baniyas crude oil pipeline during meetings held in the United States. The agreements mark a strategic step toward restoring one of »»»

WASHINGTON, United States: The US State Department on Friday reported a major oil pipeline between Iraq and Syria, which has been closed for decades, will be restored by the two countries. “The United States welcomes the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Government of the Syrian Arab Repub»»»

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: Drone and rocket strikes killed nine members of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Friday, the exiled party said, blaming the attack on Iran. In Irbil, the capital of Kurdistan, the US-led anti-jihadist coalition shot down several drones and »»»

DAKAR: Senegal’s ex-president Macky Sall, who is campaigning to become the next UN secretary-general, held a meeting in Dakar Friday with his successor, a visit criticized by the former leader’s detractors. The trip marked the first time that Sall, who led the nation between 2012 and 2024, has retu»»»

RABAT: France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu hailing “exceptionally positive” ties in Rabat. But the high-level visit came as a media consortium published fresh reports that »»»

RABAT: France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu hailing “exceptionally positive” ties in Rabat. But the high-level visit came as a media consortium published fresh reports that »»»

US strikes hit transport infrastructure in Iran, including bridges, overnight between Jujly 17 and 18, Iranian media reported, marking a further escalation more than a week after fighting resumed around the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Even as the campaign intensifies, the White House insists the do»»»

In a week that’s seen rare wartime demonstrations in Ukraine protesting the ousting of Defence Minister Mykhailo (Misha) Fedorov after six months in a job in which he’s been credited with making a difference on the battlefield and in an anti-corruption drive. But he had reportedly clashed with Ukra»»»

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez on Friday dropped out of the race for governor due to issues with her campaign's finances. Photo courtesy of Governor of Wisconsin's office July 17 (UPI) -- One of the leading democratic contenders for Wisconsin governor on Friday quit the race due to troubling fin»»»

Tunis, July 17, 2026 (TAP) - The Tunisian-Algerian Joint Customs Committee reaffirmed, at the conclusion of its meeting held on July 16-17 at the headquarters of the General Directorate of Customs in Tunis, the two countries' commitment to further...»»»

Astronomers have detected an atmosphere on a rocky planet within a potentially habitable zone outside the Solar System for the first time, according to a new report by a Harvard-led team of scientists. The findings stemmed from analyzing data on the super-Earth LHS 1140b, which circles a red dwarf »»»

1 of 2 | Canada geese graze on the north shore of Pittsburgh as smoke from wildfires in Canada creates a haze on the city's skyline Thursday. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo Cool and warm air will battle across the Northeast this weekend as more Canadian wildfire smoke degrades air qu»»»

Bardo, July 17, 2026 (TAP) - The National Council of Regions and Districts on Friday evening approved the entire 2026-2030 Development Plan, with 56 votes for, 6 against, and 5 abstentions.The 2026-2030 Development Plan aims to define development...»»»

MIAMI: Didier Deschamps brings the curtain down on a remarkable 14-year reign as France coach on Saturday when Les Bleus face England in the World Cup third-place play-off. Waiting in the wings is Zinedine Zidane, Deschamps’ former teammate and one of the all-time great French players. Deschamps, 5»»»

Bardo, July 17, 2026 (TAP) - Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Abdelhafidh affirmed that the fundamental challenge of the 2026-2030 Development Plan lies in transforming scheduled projects into actual achievements with tangible economic,...»»»

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., right, won his court case to stay on the primary ballot in Florida. File Pool photo by Justin Lane/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- Republican Congressman Cory Mills won the first round of his bid to stay on the primary ballot in Florida. Mills was sued June 19 by prima»»»

Capitals: Qatari embassies abroad have received further rounds of condolences from officials and senior figures following the death of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. In Sarajevo, HE Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr Denis Becirovic paid tribute at the Qa»»»

TAIF: Round two of the 2026 Saudi Toyota Championship Hill Climb got underway on Friday at Aqabat Al-Muhammadiyah in Al-Shafa, Taif, with 54 competitors taking part in the opening day of action. Organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, and managed by Bakhashab Motorsport in part»»»

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters in Washington he would apply "maximum pressure" against states that refuse to work with his department on election security. File Photo by Daniel Heuer/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- The Department of Homeland Security on Friday ramped up the Trum»»»

Education and Science Minister Georgi Valchev said here Friday that Bulgaria is ready to join the new European ocean observation initiative and become an equal partner in building a common system for scientific research and data exchange. He made the statement during a meeting with Charlina Vitchev»»»

Boeing will be allowed to take responsibility for certifying all of its 737 Max and 787 planes starting next week, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday. The FAA said that after months of review the agency decided that Boeing's final safety checks on its planes are good enough to ensure t»»»

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Alpine’s Franco Colapinto wound up seventh fastest for Alpine in Friday practice at the Belgian Grand Prix and then said he will be more nervous watching Argentina in the World Cup final than driving in Sunday’s race. The only Argentine driver on the grid, Colapinto wore»»»

WASHINGTON: After months of a regional war that has left Iraq once again caught between Iran, the Gulf and the US, Baghdad is attempting an ambitious diplomatic pivot — hosting talks it hopes will transform the country from a battleground into a broker. The proposal, announced by Iraq’s Foreign Min»»»

Andy Burnham speaks after being confirmed as the Labour Party's new leader and the country's next prime minister, during Labour's Special Conference in central London Friday. Burnham is expected to offcially become Britain's prime minister on Monday. Pool Photo by Henry Nicholls/EPA July 17 (UPI) -»»»

Doha: The State of Qatar strongly condemned the Iranian attack on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, considering it a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sisterly Republic of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and a blatant breach of the rules of international law. The Ministry of Foreign A»»»

TABUK: The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has launched mobile honey sorting and packaging units in Tabuk to serve beekeepers in natural pastures and popular sites across the region’s villages and governorates. These mobile units provide on-site honey analysis, sorting, and pac»»»

TABUK: The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has launched mobile honey sorting and packaging units in Tabuk to serve beekeepers in natural pastures and popular sites across the region’s villages and governorates. These mobile units provide on-site honey analysis, sorting, and pac»»»

Tunis, July 17, 2026 (TAP) - Air conditioners now rank second among the most energy-consuming household appliances, according to the latest 2024 study, having moved up from third place in the previous 2019 study, stated Director of Energy Efficiency...»»»

KYIV: Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed at least 10 people in total across both sides of the border on Friday, local officials in the respective territories said. More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, strikes from both sides have been intensifying for several months»»»

BETHLEHEM: When Mohammed Adnan Sbeih, also known as Abu Amous, began building a home for his family, he believed years of sacrifice would finally provide the stability he had worked so hard to achieve. Instead, 4 years of continuous labor, decades of savings, and mounting debt were erased within ho»»»

BRUSSELS: The EU welcomed the first session of Syria’s People’s Assembly as “another positive step” in the country’s political process. EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anouar El-Anouni said the bloc supports the assembly, which held its inaugural session on July 12, as part of a Syrian-led and Syri»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Venezuelan counterpart, Felix Plasencia, in Riyadh on Thursday. During the meeting, Prince Faisal congratulated Plasencia on his recent appointment to the position, wished him success and expressed his aspiration to continue worki»»»

Kuwait City: Kuwaiti firefighters have brought two blazes under control in the country's south following attacks the authorities attributed to Iran, with no injuries reported, officials said on Friday. A Kuwait Fire Force spokesperson said the fires erupted at two separate sites that had been targe»»»

SpaceX's next-generation Starship is stacked on the pad atop the new Super Heavy V3 booster at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX rescheduled its 13th flight test for Monday. Photo courtesy SpaceX | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- SpaceX announced Friday that it has rescheduled its 13th launch of»»»

New York: The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the continuing military escalation between the United States and Iran, calling for intensified diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful and lasting resolution to the crisis. Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, UN Deputy Spokesperson Far»»»