From June 27 until July 12, foreign military personnel and equipment will transit through Bulgaria as part of NATO's Alliance Wall Exercise, the Defence Ministry's press service said. Convoys carrying troops and military equipment from the armed forces of France and Poland will use Bulgaria's natio»»»

Vancouver: Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 to book their place in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Friday, securing their first win of the tournament to finish on top of Group G in Vancouver. A double strike from Arsenal's Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and A»»»

Support for Hungary joining the eurozone is exceptionally high, at around 70–75%, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said at a press conference in Budapest on Friday following talks with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, president of the Eurogroup, the finance ministers' body of the eurozone. He stressed that meeting»»»

The Budapest Police Headquarters is fully prepared for Saturday's Budapest Pride march and has taken every possible measure to ensure the event proceeds without disruption, Budapest's newly appointed police chief, Norbert Tamás Baricska, said at Friday's meeting of the Budapest General Assembly. Th»»»

From the moment the referee blew the opening whistle of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the players were not the only ones competing. During the 39-day competition, billions of dollars will be wagered across smartphone apps, betting platforms, and data centres scattered across the globe. In London, a fan »»»

The G7 summit held in the French town of Évian-les-Bains was far more than another routine gathering of the leaders of the West’s major economies. It offered a glimpse of how artificial intelligence is reshaping power itself, bringing the executives of the companies building the world’s most advanc»»»

Guadalajara, Mexico: Uruguay bowed out of the World Cup as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera's howler gifted Spain a 1-0 win in Guadalajara to secure top spot in Group H. Alex Baena's weak shot slipped through Muslera's grasp for the only goal as Spain avoided a last-32 showdown against Argentina. The Eu»»»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its naval forces targeted and hit US military positions in the region in response to the American aggression. The US had used “various pretexts,” including a vessel allegedly passing through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC said.T»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a "framework agreement between the sovereign government of Lebanon and the government of Israel," mediated by the US. Rubio framed the deal as the "first step" toward "lasting peace and security," praising the diplomatic efforts of his team.Crucially,»»»

US Central Command said American forces conducted strikes against Iran on June 26 in response to what the US called an Iranian attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely. "US aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever »»»

Hungary’s temporary fuel price cap comes to an end on Saturday, with motorists once again paying market prices for petrol and diesel. The government says the measure is no longer necessary as global energy markets have stabilised, although new legislation leaves the door open for price controls to »»»

With the highest number of total winners, Egyptian startups and influential figures secured 11 wins at this year’s North African portion of the Global Startup Awards (GSA). These startups will compete at the regional level with African finalists to be crowned in October at the GSA Africa Summit in »»»

When Hezbollah began attacking Israel on 2 March shortly after Israeli and American bombers killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israel hit back. Their sparring, which has continued ever since, is nothing new—the pair are sworn enemies who have fought several wars in recent decades. What was »»»

RIYADH: Startups across the Middle East and North Africa region secured multiple funding rounds and attracted several notable acquisitions across diverse sectors last week, highlighting the region’s continued appeal to global investors. This momentum builds on a record-breaking 2025, when MENA star»»»

Two months ago, during a meeting between President Sadyr Japarov and residents of Osh, a medical worker reported that the city’s ambulance station building had become outdated and no longer met modern standards, and requested the construction of a new facility. The Osh City Hall reported. Following»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE is expected to see fair to partly cloudy weather on Saturday, with low clouds appearing over eastern areas and humidity rising overnight and into Sunday morning, the National Centre of Meteorology said. There is a chance of fog or mist forming over some coastal and internal areas»»»

Abu Dhabi has introduced a new regulatory framework to govern the testing of autonomous and remotely operated small marine vessels, marking another step in the emirate’s efforts to support innovation in smart mobility while maintaining high safety standards. The framework was issued by the Departme»»»

It is proposed to approve a new regulation on radioecological monitoring of former uranium production sites, radioactive tailing dumps, and radioactive waste disposal sites after reclamation in Kyrgyzstan. A draft Cabinet of Ministers resolution has been submitted for public comment. The document e»»»

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela: Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands Friday in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes, citing the scarcity of government rescuers, as the human toll of the disaster climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing. Citizens diggin»»»

LOS ANGELES: Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France powered past Norway 4-1 to clinch top spot in World Cup Group I on Friday as Senegal kept their hopes of a last-32 spot alive with a thumping victory over Iraq. Paris Saint-Germain’s reigning Ballon D’Or winner Dembele scored in t»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia exited the World Cup at the group stage for the third tournament in a row, after a goalless draw with Cabo Verde at Houston Stadium on Friday. For their African opponents, it was a historic evening as they progressed to the knockout stages at the first finals they have ever qual»»»

Warm milk. Warm food. The bottle of water that you placed at 7 am is still lukewarm by the end of the day, ruining your hopes of an ice-cold drink after battling traffic for an hour. Warm, warm, and warmer. Well, the universe isn’t against you, but your refrigerator is waving a white flag. In 45 de»»»

Dubai: Indian expatriates travelling home for the holidays are getting some relief after a short drop in airfares on UAE-India routes, as airlines restore capacity and more flights return to the market. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Travel agents said fares, which ha»»»

Dubai: For many expatriates, arriving in the UAE marks the beginning of an uncertain chapter. There are dreams to pursue, sacrifices to make, and countless challenges to overcome. When Filipino expat Francis Diesto Danganan landed in the UAE in 2003, he was carrying the same hopes shared by million»»»

DUBAI: Iraq bowed out of the 2026 World Cup on Friday with a 5-0 loss to Senegal at Toronto Stadium that left them bottom of Group I with no points from their campaign. The result rounded off three heavy defeats in which Iraq conceded 12 goals and scored only one. Senegal now sit on three points in»»»

The rise of AI chatbots has triggered a technological gold rush unlike anything the internet has seen in decades. Companies are racing to build smarter models, faster assistants, and more human-like conversational systems. Behind that race sits one uncomfortable truth: these systems were built on a»»»

The US and Iran exchanged strikes for the first time since signing an interim peace framework on June 17. On Friday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had struck missile, drone and radar sites in Iran in response to a drone attack on the Singaporean-flagged cargo ship Ever»»»

Arab Finance: Egypt is aiming to increase outsourcing service exports from around $5.2 billion to $6 billion by 2026 as part of broader efforts to strengthen its position as a regional and global hub for digital and business services, according to a new analysis issued by the Cabinet's Information »»»

LONDON: European allies need to ‌overhaul their war-fighting capabilities for a new era of combat, senior military officials from the region said, while warning of the potential threat Russia poses. Speaking at a defense conference ​in London this week, NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander in Eur»»»

ABIDJAN: Burkina Faso’s ruling junta on Friday severed diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France, accusing Paris of persistently acting against its interests. The military regime led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, in power since a coup in September 2022, is pursuing a policy repressive toward c»»»

Below is the full text of the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement brokered by the Trump administration as published by Axios journalist Barak Ravid: TRILATERAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE STATE OF ISRAEL, AND THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON The Government of Israel and the Government»»»

Morocco has officially converted the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) into a joint-stock company, completing a year-long reform designed to give the state-owned energy agency greater financial and operational flexibility as it prepares to support major strategic projects, including»»»

The death toll from the twin earthquakes in Venezuela continued to rise on Friday, with at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing, as distress grew among Venezuelans. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that struck late Wednesday left a landscape of devastation, with countless collapsed buildings»»»

BOSTON, Massachusetts: Germany may not ‌be too worried by their 2-1 loss to Ecuador on Thursday as they had secured top spot in Group E beforehand, but it was a timely wake-up call ​ahead of the World Cup knockout stage for the four-time world champions. Germany made it out of their group for the f»»»

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100% tariff against any country that levies digital services taxes, which he considers to be an attack on U.S. companies. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on»»»

June 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday increased its response level to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. In an update to reporters, Satish Pillai, the Ebola response incidence manager at the CDC, said public health officia»»»

Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries. The agreement -- which officials said includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of two areas»»»

Foxborough, United States: Ousmane Dembele scored one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history on Friday as the Ballon d'Or winner starred in France's 4-1 win over a second-string Norway, while Erling Haaland watched on from the bench. Paris Saint-Germain forward Dembele opened the scoring i»»»

NEW YORK CITY: Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, told the Security Council on Friday that there can be no military solution to the civil war in Sudan. He warned that the continued fighting in the country and arms support provided to the warring factions by other countries were wors»»»

The District of Columbia and ACLU on Friday settled a lawsuit brought by a man who was arrested in September 2025 for protesting the presence of National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., by playing Darth Vader's theme near them. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) »»»

Geneva, June 26 (SANA) Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, in partnership with R-SEAT and the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in Geneva, hosted a high-level roundtable on Syria’s recovery on Friday on the sidelines of the first Syria Mine Action Partners Confere»»»

While France confirmed its first case of Ebola, reports of people successfully treated for the condition are also emerging from Mongbwalu, the epicentre of the epidemic in the eastern part of the DRC. Although successful treatments are sparking hope among teams on the ground, health professionals r»»»

NEW YORK CITY: When Anandita Philipose, the UN Population Fund’s representative in Lebanon, visited a Beirut shelter in the first days of the crisis, she met a woman who was heavily pregnant, days from her due date, displaced, and entirely alone in a system she no longer recognized. “She didn’t kno»»»

The US military has conducted strikes against Iran in response to an attack on a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command has said. CENTCOM said US forces carried out the strikes on June 26, describing them as a “powerful response” to what it called Iran’s attack the previous»»»

The unprecedented heatwave that has been hitting Europe since the beginning of the week is spreading east and south across the continent, leading to the cancellation of events as temperatures exceed 35C and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed with demand. Health authorities across Europe were on hig»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The escalating conflict in Sudan’s North Kordofan state risks triggering a humanitarian catastrophe on the scale of last year’s siege of El-Fasher. The warning from UN officials to the Security Council on Friday came as drone strikes intensified around the city of El-Obeid, putting a»»»

June 26 (UPI) -- A Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claims he was once teleported to a Waffle House has been ousted from the agency, unnamed sources familiar with the situation told media outlets Friday. Gregg Phillips, who was appointed to lead the Office of Response and Recovery i»»»

Abu Dhabi: Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said the country's position on regional developments was reflected "clearly and transparently" during Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan's telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reaffirming the UAE's suppo»»»

The TSA said on Friday that it expects roughly 18.7 million people to be screened at U.S. airports during the July 4 holiday week, with more than 3 million people expected to travel on July 2 alone. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- The Transportation Security Administr»»»

Dubai: More than 25 million illicit and controlled pills and 1.1 tonnes of narcotic substances were intercepted by Saudi customs authorities over the past year, Okaz newspaper reported. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) said customs officers seized 25,112,378 narcotic and prohibited pill»»»