WASHINGTON: The US government on Thursday announced sanctions against several Lebanese officials it said were aligned ‌with Hezbollah and ‌members of ‌the sanctioned ⁠Alaa Hassan Hamieh ⁠business network for obstructing Lebanon’s peace process and delaying the disarmament of Hezbollah. The ⁠US Trea»»»

Argentina is preparing to launch South America's first citizenship-by-investment program. File Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Argentina is preparing to launch South America's first citizenship-by-investment program, an initiative that would allow foreign nationals to app»»»

The Hungarian forint came under pressure on Thursday as a powerful rally of the US dollar swept through global currency markets following the US Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting. Hungarian currency weakens against both the US dollar and the euro While investors continue to monitor geopolitic»»»

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: It’s number-crunching time when it comes to formations at the World Cup. Every team start with a goalkeeper in front of the net, but then it’s up to the 48 coaches to try to arrange their lineups to optimize their players and match up effectively with opponents. On paper, the l»»»

JOHANNESBURG: A South African court has convicted and fined a rhino horn trafficking “mastermind,” ending a trial spanning 15 years, police said Thursday, describing it as the world’s largest such case. The country is home to most of the world’s rhinos and is a hotspot for poaching driven by demand»»»

BEIRUT: The Palestine Football Association denied on Thursday issuing any statements or commentaries regarding the Football Association of Ireland’s decision to move its UEFA Nations League match against Israel to a neutral venue. A PFA statement on X said: “First and foremost, the PFA have not iss»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a Texas man can't be prosecuted for being a regular user of marijuana and owning a gun. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court said Thursday that a Texas man can't be prosecuted under a law that bans regular use»»»

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced legislation Thursday that would give the public $1,000 annually for a 50% stake in the largest AI firms in the country. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced legislation Thursday that would give the»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Thursday on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. Radev arrived in Brussels to take part in the meeting of EU heads of state or government and spoke to Bulgarian journalists. Radev sai»»»

The UAE has extradited three wanted suspects by Belgian authorities on allegations of money laundering, drug trafficking and involvement in transnational organised crime, in a move both countries said underscored their commitment to international judicial cooperation. Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nu»»»

ROME: Saudi Transport Minister Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said the contingency measures activated during the Iran crisis were the result of years of planning, and not reactive. “What we have been doing is not a reaction to what has happened,” Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said during a panel discussio»»»

Doha The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye have strongly condemned the continued and escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the»»»

British counter-terrorism police announced Thursday that a Border Force officer and another have been sentenced for allegedly spying for the Chinese government. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- British counter-terrorism said Thursday a Border Force officer and forme»»»

On Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, denounced international calls for denuclearization, describing the country's nuclear weapons as its "core interests." File Photo Jorge Silva/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday »»»

Peruvian President José María Balcázar confirmed Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru during the first half of November. File Photo by Jose Sena Goulao/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- Peruvian President José María Balcázar confirmed Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru during the first half of N»»»

The ruling Socialist Party is set to convene an expanded meeting of its parliamentary group and government officials on Saturday at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana, according to information obtained by local media. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m., with party members informed throug»»»

Head of Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc, Hajj Mohammad Raad called on the Lebanese authorities to carefully read the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding and draw out the facts and prospects that will weigh heavily on the reality of the region and the world, including Lebanon. MP Raad also »»»

The EU’s latest Russia sanctions package proposal includes counter-productive measures that could backfire on its own member states, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova has said. The government of Ukraine-skeptic Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who assumed office in May, are reportedly “diggin»»»

TORONTO: Egypt midfielder Emam Ashour scored the fastest goal in the first round of group-stage games at 2026 FIFA World Cup. Data captured by the “Connected Ball” technology inside the official Adidas tournament ball revealed that his strike against Belgium reached a speed of 123.4 kph, surpassing»»»

GDANSK: Veteran coach Ismail Kartal has returned to Fenerbahce ​for a fourth managerial spell, the Turkish Super Lig side said on Thursday. Fenerbahce said in a statement to Turkiye’s ‌Public Disclosure ‌Platform (KAP) that ​they ‌had ⁠appointed ​65-year-old Kartal ⁠on a one-year contract. Kartal, »»»

LOS ANGELES: Mexico and South Korea will aim to punch their ticket to the World Cup knockout rounds on Thursday when they meet in Guadalajara knowing a win would guarantee a last 32 berth. The Group A rivals head into the fixture at the Estadio Akron fresh from respective victories over South Afric»»»

WASHINGTON: Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the US Navy has allowed more than a dozen ships through to Iranian ports, lifting a blockade as part of an agreement to end the war. Vance made the announcement at a White House press briefing, where he said more oil is now flowing through the »»»

WASHINGTON: The US State Department announced visa ​restrictions targeting people it said were undermining peace in Ethiopia on Thursday, focused on hard-liners in ‌the Tigray ‌People’s ​Liberation ‌Front ⁠and ​their immediate family ⁠members. “Rising tensions between Tigray People’s Liberation Fro»»»

LONDON: Britain on Thursday said it was no longer advising against non-essential travel to some Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, after the United States and Iran reached an interim agreement this week to end their ‌war. In late ‌February and early March ​Britain ‌ha»»»

TYRE, Lebanon: Adnan Kaour returned on Thursday to check on his home in southern Lebanon ‘s coastal city of Tyre — once known as an idyllic summer getaway spot — just a week after Israel issued warnings for all of its residents to evacuate. The warnings were followed by sweeping airstrikes on the c»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) formalised a landmark five-year Cooperation Agreement, marking a significant step forward in the shared ambition of both organisations to elevate motorsport on the international stage»»»

Morristown, United States: Neymar will not travel with the Brazil squad for Friday's second World Cup group game against Haiti as he continues his recovery from a calf injury. The 34-year-old has only returned to training with the national team this week and missed the five-time World Cup winners' »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Foreign Ministers of the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkiye condemned in the strongest term the »»»

There is no better testament to the work of the Interior Ministry, said Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev in a Facebook post, referring to a complaint filed by Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski against him. Earlier in the day, the MRF announced that a lawyer for leader D»»»

TBILISI - Deputy Chief of Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Lt Gen Tiosav Jankovic attended a South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) deputy chiefs of defence meeting in Tbilisi on Thursday. "At the regular annual meeting of this regional initiative, the implementation of agreed activities»»»

US Vice President JD Vance spoke at a White House press briefing on the interim agreement with Iran on Thursday, saying that some ​12.5 ‌million ⁠barrels ‌of oil have flowed ⁠through the Strait of ​Hormuz following ‌the overnight signing of ‌a memorandum ​of understanding between the United States »»»

The US has announced it is going to cut down on NATO crisis forces and will be reviewing its presence in Europe as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lashed out against European NATO allies. The United States is piling on the pressure ahead of a NATO summit in July as it seeks to make sure that alli»»»

The US-Iran deal was initially meant to be signed in Switzerland on Friday before US President Donald Trump decided to sign it in the palace of Versailles at a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron Wednesday night. But Switzerland has confirmed that talks on the implementation of the d»»»

1 of 4 | Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama appear on stage as they surprised administration and campaign alumni in Chicago ahead of the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center, Wednesday. The center opens Thursday and will be open to the public beginnin»»»

RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and other Muslim and Arab countries condemned continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The foreign ministers of the Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia,»»»

A wide range of premium mango varieties grown in Sharjah's Eastern Region will take centre stage later this month at the fifth edition of Khorfakkan Mango Festival, an event aimed at promoting local agriculture, tourism and food security. The three-day festival, which will begin on June 26 at Expo »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron courted his US counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 on Wednesday by opening the gilded gates of Versailles, a move that underscored his trademark blend of symbolism and diplomacy. While allies hailed the summit's success, analysts said Macron still faces the challenge»»»

France has entered a heatwave, as the mercury climbs into the high thirties across parts of the country - up to ten degrees higher than normal for the time of year - with an orange level heat alert declared in twenty-six departments in central and eastern France, leaving people and businesses takin»»»

BELGRADE – A total 2,416 construction permits were issued in Serbia in April, which was a 4.3 pct increase relative to the same month of last year. According to figures released by the national statistical office RZS, 82.4 pct of the total permits were issued for buildings, while other structures m»»»

Air Arabia will launch daily non-stop flights between Sharjah and the Syrian city of Aleppo from July 4, the low-cost carrier said on Thursday, expanding its operations in Syria and strengthening air links between the two countries. The new daily service will provide passengers with greater travel »»»

Polish police on Thursday detained a suspect in the daylight killing of a Russian artist known as ‌Semyon Skrepetsky, who was known for his unsparing caricatures of prominent political figures in the Kremlin. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the man was using a Georgian passport. A ⁠suspect in »»»

Explosions were seen across Moscow on June 18 as Ukraine targeted the capital with a large-scale drone attack. Nearly 200 drones were fired at the city forcing the airport to halt flights and evacuate passengers. It's part of Kyiv's plan to choke Russia's war machine by hitting deeper into its terr»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has confirmed that the country will block new sanctions against Russia, linking the decision to objections over proposals that would include Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in the restrictive measures. He argued that the war in Ukraine has expanded far beyond »»»

Rail services across several important routes in Hungary were severely disrupted on Thursday afternoon after a passenger train derailed near the town of Újszász. Although no one was injured in the incident, the accident has caused significant transport restrictions and prompted an immediate investi»»»

After the sharp surge in rural and suburban real estate prices in 2025, Bulgaria’s market is now entering a cooling phase, with data indicating a gradual slowdown and even slight declines in some segments, according to industry reports cited by BGNES. The earlier price surge, fueled in part by expe»»»

Russia’s income inequality reached its highest level since 2007 in 2025, with the official Gini coefficient rising to 0.422 from 0.410 in 2024, according to Kommersant daily citing Rosstat. As followed by IntelliNews, demographics and equality were main national goals in the economic platform prese»»»

Protesters on June 17 blocked copper concentrate exports from Rio Tinto’s (ASX: RIO) giant Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. The Anglo-Australian miner confirmed shipments were disrupted in a statement posted on Facebook. The demonstration was organised by the Radical Reform Movement. Mini»»»

From boosting productivity to transforming recruitment and consulting, artificial intelligence is changing the way companies operate. Speaking to FRANCE 24 at VivaTech in Paris, EY executive Jad Shimaly explains where AI is delivering results and what it could mean for the future of »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has maintained its leading position in the global ranking of the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook’s cybersecurity index for 2026. The country’s National Cybersecurity Authority, or NCA, said in a statement that this top ranking was a reflection of the support provided by King»»»

Fiscal decentralization, regional development, investment, infrastructure, social services and the absorption of European Union funds were among the key topics discussed at a National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Authorities in Sofia on Thursday. The forum highlighted both the challenges »»»