A Russian daredevil couple have been arrested after scaling the Empire State Building and staging a marriage proposal atop the New York landmark, more than 1,400ft above Manhattan. The stunt unfolded at around noon on Wednesday, drawing the attention of stunned New Yorkers below as police drones an»»»

Dubai: What was once simply a spectacular summer bloom has evolved into one of Dubai’s most distinctive cultural movements. Inspired by the vision of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Co»»»

A backpack bomber targeted Ukrainian real estate mogul and online scammer Vadym Yermolaiev in Monaco yesterday in the principality’s first ever terrorist attack. No one was killed, but seven people were injured and Yermolaiev’s wife had both her legs amputated as a result of the blast. CCTV footage»»»

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, will attend the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran as a special envoy of President Vladimir Putin, Iran's ambassador to Moscow said, ISNA reported on July 1. Iran is expected to shutdown for four days»»»

Dubai: The UAE Lottery has kicked off July with its second-ever Dh30 million Grand Prize winner, and an early clue on the operator's website is already fuelling speculation about who has just become a multi-millionaire. The second winner of the Dh30m Grand Prize emerged in a Wednesday draw on July »»»

KYIV: Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight killing at least two people and injuring more than a dozen, as drones and missiles struck residential buildings and started a fire in a hotel on a central boulevard. President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned of a possible over»»»

Two British police officers are under investigation over their treatment of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student who was handcuffed instead of being given first aid after they arrived to find him lying on the ground, dying from stab wounds. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on We»»»

The CIA is declassifying a new trove of documents relating to its ‘MKUltra’ program, Representative Anna Paulina Luna said on Tuesday. Nazi scientists were involved in the agency’s mind-control experiments. Last month, Luna ordered CIA Director John Ratcliffe to preserve 40 boxes of “JFK files and »»»

Dubai: Gold buyers may get some breathing room in the second half of 2026 after prices cooled from January’s record highs, but the metal could still break higher if geopolitics flare up, rate expectations change or bargain hunters return in force, according to the World Gold Council. Sign up for ou»»»

A large wildfire raged in southern France on Wednesday, forcing scores of people to be evacuated, emergency services said. Hundreds of firefighters mobilised to battle the blaze in the Herault and Aude departments, fuelled by drought and strong winds. It came a year after major blazes in the Corbie»»»

A federal judge has barred the Department of Defense, under Secretary Pete Hegseth, from enforcing a policy that required reporters to have escorts within the Pentagon building. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 1 (UPI) -- A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Defense Departm»»»

Dubai: Temperatures are forecast to climb to 47 degrees Celsius inland across the UAE over the coming days, while fresh winds are expected to raise blowing dust from the weekend, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said. The NCM said today's weather would be fair in general, with low clouds de»»»

NEW YORK: A daredevil couple scaled the Empire State Building’s antenna Wednesday and unfurled a banner about “the power of love” and peace, apparently as part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal — soon followed by their arrest. The Russian climbers, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan B»»»

SANTA CLARA: Folarin Balogun scored and was sent off as the United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to reach the last 16 of the World Cup on Wednesday. The co-hosts’ first World Cup knockout victory in nearly a quarter-century — and only their second ever — sets up a clash with Belgium in Sea»»»

Manila: The Philippines has officially achieved Upper Middle Income Country (UMIC) status, marking a major economic milestone after years of sustained growth and bringing the country into a new league of developing economies recognised by the World Bank. In its latest annual income classification r»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s sweeping water-sector reforms have transformed the Kingdom’s water scarcity challenges into development opportunities, with experts and officials at Saudi Water Week highlighting advances in sustainability, digital transformation and international cooperation to strengthen gl»»»

France’s lower chamber of parliament has approved a controversial assisted dying bill that would allow some seriously ill adults to request a lethal injection. The legislation has been backed by French President Emmanuel Macron but has met strong opposition from conservative parties and the Catholi»»»

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that indirect talks with Iran in Qatar were making progress, offering a tentative sign that diplomacy was holding after recent exchanges of fire threatened efforts to end the Middle East war. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who led Tehran's»»»

Authorities say they rescued 16 children from "deplorable conditions" this week in a small town in rural Ohio. The parents and two grandparents now face charges. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 1 (UPI) -- Officials in Ohio said Wednesday that they found 16 children from 1 to 18 y»»»

Dubai: UAE motorists are seeing fuel prices move lower again after July's reduction, reflecting the easing in global oil prices following months of exceptional volatility triggered by the Middle East conflict. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The U»»»

Modern life came with a promise: measure more, improve more, feel better. We took it seriously. We track our sleep, count our steps, log our calories, and score our productivity before 9am. Our leisure time has a purpose. Our rest has a metric. Even our holidays have content strategies. The evidenc»»»

A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas, and the search for her has become a tall order. Gracie, who is about 3 years old, has been missing for nearly two weeks after escaping her enclosure at Cedar Hollow Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, said Vick Jones, who owns the remote property about 100 m»»»

Russians are concerned above all with a swift end to "military action," German Gref, chief executive of Russia's largest state-controlled lender Sberbank, said, state media RBC reported on July 1. The remarks are notable given how rarely senior Russian executives comment publicly on the war in»»»

WASHINGTON: Tourists from Chattanooga check into beach resorts in Cancun. Canadian auto parts feed factories in the American Midwest – and vice versa. Happy hour revelers raise glasses of Mexican tequila and mezcal at bars in Seattle. It adds up. The United States trades $1.9 trillion a year — $5 b»»»

Abu Dhabi: The latest announcement requiring Indian expats in the UAE to walk into the premises of their embassy and consulate without appointments for passport and attestation services from today, July 2, was not a routine administrative reshuffle, Gulf News has learnt. It was late on Wednesday ev»»»

A fire broke out in central Kyiv on Wednesday after an explosion during an air raid alert, an AFP reporter saw. The journalist heard a detonation and saw a cloud of smoke and flames. Fire crews and ambulances arrived promptly at the scene. About 50 minutes after the first blast, AFP journalists wit»»»

Pop star Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce are set to marry this week in New York, with celebrations expected at Madison Square Garden, according to US media reports. The closely guarded festivities are due to begin on Thursday with an exclusive dinner attended by about 100 invited guests. &nb»»»

The US Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to Donald Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, ruling children born in the US are citizens under the Constitution regardless of their parents' immigration status. The decision also casts fresh scrutiny on Trump's repeated claims about the policy, in»»»

Some days they talk. Some days they fight. Iran and the United States have settled into a pattern since the truce signed last month. This Wednesday in Doha... they’re sort of talking. Both sides present in indirect negotiations. Whatever comes of that, the attention's now shifting to Tehran,&n»»»

The anti-migrant protesters in South Africa blame foreigners for the nation's unemployment and high crime. It's a familiar story for South Africans -- this is the biggest such demonstrations since 2008, when a wave of anti-migrant violence spread across the country. Nearly two decades earlier, in M»»»

EU prosecutors said Tuesday they were conducting searches in France and other countries into alleged misappropriation of EU funds by a defunct far-right group in the European parliament, Identity and Democracy. The ID group contained MEPs from a range of Eurosceptic parties including France's Natio»»»

Dubai: Dubai tenants looking to move may have a better chance of negotiating rent in the second half of 2026, especially in apartment-heavy communities where new supply is increasing competition for landlords. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Property experts say Dubai’»»»

SEATTLE: Youri Tielemans struck a 125th-minute penalty ​as Belgium rallied from two goals down and defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time in their World Cup last 32 clash in Seattle on Wednesday to keep alive their title hopes that had looked dead and buried. Senegal’s Lamine Camara slid in on Tiele»»»

CARACAS: Authorities in Venezuela late on Wednesday said the death toll has risen to over 2,000 people as Venezuela marked a week since the deadly earthquakes hit the country. Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Wednesday that deaths had risen to 2,300, and more than 11,»»»

President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on mail-in voting March 31 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked the U.S. Postal Service from its plan to follow that order. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo July 1 (UPI) -- A »»»

Global oil prices extended their decline on Thursday morning (July 2, 2026, 8:12 am Tokyo time) as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the gradual reopening of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continued to ease concerns over supply disruptions. According to OilPrice.com, West T»»»

Commercial shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is gradually recovering, but traffic remains significantly below normal levels following the recent US-Iran conflict. According to MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data, 34 ships transited the strait on Tuesday, marking a modest impr»»»

Seattle: Youri Tielemans scored the latest winner in World Cup history as Belgium mounted an incredible comeback from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2 and qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup on Wednesday. Senegal appeared on course for a first win in a World Cup knockout match since their 20»»»

ABHA: Al-Habala Park in Saudi Arabia’s Asir Region is attracting large numbers of domestic and international tourists this summer, offering panoramic mountain views, cultural heritage attractions and a wide range of recreational activities. Located more than 50 km southeast of Abha, the park is amo»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after more than 100 days of shipping disruption will bring relief to global energy and trade flows, but the world’s most vulnerable economies face a longer, costlier and more uneven path to recovery, the UN Conference on Trade and Development sai»»»

NEW YORK CITY: A UN scientific panel warned on Wednesday that safeguards on artificial intelligence were failing to keep pace with the rapidly growing capabilities of the technology. It came as the panel released the first independent global assessment of the risks and benefits of AI, which found t»»»

Student debt relief activists march in June 2023 near the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. This week, a pair of federal judges blocked Trump administration changes to a student loan forgiveness program that detractors say would have made it into an ideological "loyalty test." File Photo by Ken Ceden»»»

Doha: The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) is executing a program meant to impart expertise during the FIFA World Cup 2026 held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This is part of its role in supporting the organization of this tournament and in keeping pace with the state-of-th»»»

DOHA: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said “positive progress” was made on issues related to the MoU following a separate meeting of Qatari and Pakistani mediators with the US and Iranian delegations in Doha»»»

BusinessNorth AmericaUS declines to renew USMCA trade pact with Mexico, CanadaWesley Rahn with AFP, AP, dpa, ReutersLengthy negotiations are expected as the Trump administration seeks changes to a trade deal with Mexico and Canada that has streamlined supply chains across North America. https://p.d»»»

TEL AVIV: The ‌International Monetary Fund lowered its estimate for Israel’s economic growth in 2026 to 3.5 percent from a prior 4.8 percent, it said on Wednesday citing ​regional tensions. In a report, the IMF also expects inflation to rise temporarily due to higher energy prices and supply constr»»»

WASHINGTON, United States: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused more than two million military casualties, with Moscow’s forces bearing the brunt of the losses, according to a study published Wednesday by a US think tank. “Combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties have exceeded 2 million,” the C»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his acting spy chief has wide permission to declassify records, including any tied to the 2020 election, even though his close ally is only at the intelligence helm for a short time. Trump appointed Bill Pulte as acting director of nation»»»

QNA Doha Qatari Diar has announced the registration of two world records in the Guinness World Records related to the district cooling system in Lusail City. This is a new global milestone added to Qatar’s record of achievements in the fields of infrastructure and sustainable development, the compa»»»

Damascus, July 2 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a phone call on Wednesday with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which the two leaders discussed the fraternal ties between their countries and ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields. The two sides reviewed »»»