DOHA: Qatar face a crucial Group B showdown against Canada as both sides seek their first victory of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Al Annabi opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Switzerland, while Canada were also held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia and Herzegovina, leaving all qualificati»»»

Top, from left, Hong Kyu-dok, Yoo Ho-yeol, moderator Son Gi-woong, Cho Gap-je, Lee Hoon and Lee Myung-kwon take part in a conference on South Korea’s unification policy at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Wednesday. Bottom, panelists and attendees pose for a group photo after the conference. Cour»»»

BUENOS AIRES: As Argentina legend Lionel Messi makes history at the ‌World Cup, his father is experiencing a “health situation” that prompted family members to release a statement Thursday. Jorge Messi is “under medical supervision” as he continues to recover from a medical condition that was not r»»»

HAVANA: Cuba’s prime minister on Thursday presented ​lawmakers with sweeping measures backed by the Communist Party and former leader Raul ‌Castro that ‌would privatize ​a ‌vast ⁠swath ​of its ⁠socialist economy in a bid to survive punishing US sanctions. The measures — ⁠which still await ‌a ‌vote »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe As part of the Ashura operations, Islamic Resistance fighters have been engaged since 5:30 PM (on Thursday, June 18, 2026), in clashes with»»»

Share: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was silent on Wednesday as President Trump released and signed a deal that Israeli officials see as a strategic and political disaster. Why it matters: Netanyahu promised the Israeli public “total victory” in Iran. He had to settle for Trump’s memora»»»

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei says Iranian officials have made extensive efforts out of compassion and goodwill to reach a memorandum of understanding with the US, while the American president has used various leverage points out of desperation. “The passionate »»»

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russia’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as he hosted a summit intended to strengthen economic and political ties with the bloc. The leaders who took part in the meeting in Kazan agreed to further expand “strategic partnership»»»

Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten has called out Spain’s lack of funding for Ukraine ahead of a summit in Brussels on Thursday (18 June), which president Volodymyr Zelensky attended in person, and which saw positive messages on Ukraine’s future EU membership, as well as speculation on peace talks wit»»»

Ships started transiting the Strait of Hormuz overnight Wednesday after the presidents of Iran and the United States each signed a peace deal that ended the months-long blockade of an essential shipping route for the region. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- The U.S.»»»

NEW YORK CITY: For the first time since the UN’s mandate on children and armed conflict was established three decades ago, government forces, rather than nonstate armed groups, are responsible for the majority of grave violations against children, the latest report from the UN secretary-general rev»»»

LONDON: Liverpool have ‌signed Spain forward Victor Munoz on a long-term deal from Osasuna, the Premier League club announced on Thursday, marking the first arrival since Andoni Iraola took over as coach earlier this month. Media reports said Liverpool paid 40 million euros ($45.85 million) ‌to tri»»»

by Hassan Baraka The first Egyptian air conditioned VIP train was launched in Alexandria a few days ago from Misr Station in Cairo in the presence of Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, Minister of Transport Hani Dahi and Head of the Arab Organisation for Industrialization Lt. Gen. Abdel-Aziz Seifeddin,»»»

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced a bill to block the president from sending troops to polling stations. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced a bill Thursday called the Protect Our Polls Act that would block the president from sen»»»

LONDON: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, emir of Qatar, for his country’s efforts in mediating a pivotal interim agreement with the US that brought an end to more than 100 days of conflict in the Middle East. Pezeshkian said that he appreciated Qatar’s rol»»»

Manila: The United Arab Emirates has continued its support for those affected by the earthquake in Sarangani Province in the Philippines as part of an urgent humanitarian response. In this context, the UAE response team, in the presence of Mohamed Obaid Salem Al Qatam Alzaabi, UAE Ambassador to the»»»

From the mid-19th century through the dust bowl years of the Great Depression, a new kind of migrant worker became a familiar sight in communities across America. “The Hobo” traces the journeys of these homeless men and women, showing how hobo work was an adaptation to energy transitions and a hars»»»

London: Police in eastern England said Thursday a man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy "ended up in the crocodile enclosure" at a zoo. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said the toddler had sustained "serious injuries" and was in a "critical but stable" condit»»»

ATLANTA: South Africa scored a penalty seven minutes from fulltime as they fought back to draw 1-1 with the Czech Republic at the World Cup on Thursday after falling behind early in the Group A clash. The result effectively left the two sides, who both lost their opening fixtures, likely requiring »»»

TENNESSEE, USA: Spain’s shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their World Cup opener was a wake-up call, defender Marc Cucurella said on Thursday, with the team preparing for a similar match against Saudi Arabia this weekend. “Maybe with this scare we’ve put ourselves on alert,” Cucurella told reporter»»»

DOHA: Mutaz Barshim has spent more than a decade redefining the limits of the high jump, collecting Olympic medals, world titles, and establishing himself among the greatest athletes in the sport’s history. His achievements include Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, silver in London 2012 and Rio 2016, and»»»

June 17 (UPI) -- Scottish soccer fans are being credited with a boom in Boston beer sales that caused some bars in the city to run dry. Sam Adams' Boston Taproom said the influx of Scottish fans in town to attend FIFA World Cup games caused it to sell four times as much Samuel Adams Boston Lager fr»»»

Manila: The United Arab Emirates has continued its support for those affected by the earthquake in Sarangani Province in the Philippines as part of an urgent humanitarian response. In this context, the UAE response team, in the presence of Mohamed Obaid Salem Al Qatam Alzaabi, UAE Ambassador to the»»»

The European Parliament approved a resolution calling for the immediate suspension of political dialogue and cooperation agreements with Cuba. File Photo by Orestis Panagiotou/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- The European Parliament approved a resolution Thursday calling for the immediate suspension of politic»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has pledged to bring an end to the European Union’s controversial EUR 1 million-per-day penalty imposed on Hungary over its asylum policies, saying the issue is one of the new government’s most urgent challenges. New Hungarian government seeks breakthrough on c»»»

Atlanta: Teboho Mokoena's penalty kept South Africa's dream of reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time alive after a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in Atlanta on Thursday. Michal Sadilek's early opener had the Czechs on course for just their second World Cup win as an independen»»»

Police officers inspect the scene of a shooting in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, Monday. A Russian artist and cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky known for mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in Biala Podlaska. Police Thursday said they arrested a man on suspicion of the murder. Photo»»»

PARIS: Strategic resilience emerged as a defining theme on the opening day of Vision Golfe 2026, as French and Gulf policymakers, business leaders, investors and innovators gathered in Paris to explore new avenues for cooperation in an increasingly complex global environment. Held under the theme “»»»

NEW YORK CITY: Sudan’s permanent representative to the UN called on the international community to put “immense pressure” on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, open legal proceedings against the militia, and formally designate it a terrorist organization. It comes as the group masses for a new »»»

RIO DE JANEIRO: Former Brazilian national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who in 1994 led his country to its fourth World Cup title, is on a ventilator in intensive care, the hospital treating him announced Thursday. The 83-year-old, who remains the only coach to have participated in six World »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) launched on Thursday the first edition of the School Fees Policy 2026 for private schools and kindergartens 2026, set to take effect from the 2027-2028 academic year. The new policy aims to establish a clear and unified regulatory »»»

RIYADH: “Esports World Cup: Level Up” returns for its second season on June 26, with all five episodes dropping that day exclusively on Prime Video. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker RJ Cutler — “Martha” (Netflix), “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” (Apple TV) — the five-part docuseries »»»

The Macedonia Foundation is calling off a 120-minute peaceful civil blockade of all three border crossings between Bulgaria and North Macedonia planned for June 21. The Foundation's President Viktor Stoyanov announced this on Thursday after earlier in the day Bulgaria's Ambassador in Skopje Zhelyaz»»»

Our weekly digest of Hungarian politics continues, as we report on the aftermath of April’s election and on the early days of the new Tisza government. This week we cover: A bill has been submitted to completely overhaul Hungary’s public media system. Layoffs have begun across the media empire link»»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he had approved a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war despite having a “different view,” without elaborating. “In principle, I had a different view (about the memorandum of understanding), but I issued»»»

LONDON: The Saudi permanent representative to the UN on Thursday asked Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for her plan for the UN to resolve the Palestinian issue and bring peace to the region at a dialogue in New York. Rodrigues-Birkett announced her intention to stand as a candidate fo»»»

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has granted a 30-day grace period for individuals affected by exceptional regional circumstances to adjust their status in the country or depart without facing penalties. The grace period runs from June 10 to July 9, 2»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has celebrated the achievements of 138 medical residents during a dedicated convocation ceremony for physicians who have successfully completed their residency training programs. Held at HMC's Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center, the ceremony»»»

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas is accused of comparing Israel to South African apartheid. File Photo by Thomas Traasdahl/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced Thursday that he is cutting all contact with Kaja Kal»»»

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has granted a 30-day grace period for individuals affected by exceptional regional circumstances to adjust their status in the country or depart without facing penalties. The grace period runs from June 10 to July 9, 2»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei confirmed on Thursday that he has given permission to sign a memorandum with the United States. "I, as a matter of principle, held a different view; however, out of the commitment that the esteemed president — as the head of the Supreme Nati»»»

Draft EU summit conclusions undergo changes by nature. Some are more significant than others. The version dated 16 June has removed a line on the Gaza and West Bank, suggesting Germany still won’t budge on trade bans against Israeli settlers, let alone on Israel more broadly. Although later tweaked»»»

Abidjan: Forward Elye Wahi will miss Ivory Coast's second World Cup match against Germany after he was denied a visa to enter Canada, the Ivorian football federation said on Thursday. "The administrative authorisations necessary for his entry into Canadian territory have not been obtained at this s»»»

1 of 2 | Vice President JD Vance conducts a briefing for the media at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Iran and the United States are complying with their peace agreement but den»»»

BEIRUT: The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, said on Thursday that Israel’s war in Lebanon had “failed” to eliminate the Iran-backed group. Raad said in a statement that “the enemy’s war aimed at crushing the resistance in Lebanon has failed and will not achieve its objectives»»»

Berlin, June 18 (SANA) The Chargé d’Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Berlin, Mohammad Baraa Shukri, participated on Thursday in a roundtable discussion entitled “The New Syria: Visions and Prospects for Trade Relations with German Companies,” held on the sidelines of the Arab-German Business Forum»»»

Washington, United States: The US on Thursday lifted a blockade of Iranian ports imposed during the Middle East war after President Donald Trump signed a deal to end the conflict, as uncertainty surrounded planned talks in Switzerland aiming to take the accord further. The signing of the deal by Tr»»»

WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal on Thursday, saying President Donald Trump is Israel’s only ally in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in US defense aid the country receives. As the Trump administration defended its deal to end the war »»»

Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential hopeful and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, unveiled a public security plan that includes chemical castration for convicted rapists and the construction of maximum-security prisons modeled after those implemented by Salvadoran President Nayib »»»

The U.S. Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh, Hezbollah political council deputy head Mahmoud Qmati and other individuals for using their influence to "obstruct Lebanon's peace process and delay the disarmament of Hezbollah." “Hezbollah must disarm for »»»