ISTANBUL: Turkiye and Iraq are set to sign, within days, a ​one-year agreement to keep open the crude oil pipeline between the two countries, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday.Their decades-old pipeline agreement, which governs exports through the pipeline, is due to expi»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday welcomed the announcement by the US that it had begun the process of rescinding Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. “The Kingdom reaffirms its support for all positive steps taken by the Syrian government that enhance the country’s security and stab»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has urged motorists to pay their traffic fines on time, stressing that timely payment reflects a commitment to the law, enables motorists to benefit from available incentives, and helps prevent the accumulation of violations and the legal procedures that may fol»»»

Washington, United States: ChatGPT-maker OpenAI was set to release its most powerful artificial intelligence model to the public on Thursday, with its chief executive saying the company made "many changes" to the system during a security review with the US government. CEO Sam Altman told CNBC that »»»

JEDDAH: Some 71 worldwide media outlets, including 128 journalists and 256 photographers, covered Rally Saudi Arabia’s inaugural appearance on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, generating extensive international media coverage that reached more than 129 countries. The wide media coverage a»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The West, feigning a willingness to negotiate on Ukraine, has moved on to open ultimatums to Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "We outlined our assessments of the current state of affairs around Ukraine, including the actions of the West, which, fei»»»

Los Angeles, United States: FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina has hit out at "unfounded allegations" against World Cup match officials in the wake of Argentina's controversial last 16 victory over Egypt. In comments posted on FIFA's official website, Collina defended officials who oversaw Argen»»»

Mexico's Attorney General's Office formally accused former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar of misleading Mexican authorities about the 2024 capture of alleged Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. File Photo by Andrew Harrer/UPI/Pool | License Photo July 9 (UPI) -- Mexico's Attorney Gener»»»

JEDDAH: The Saudi-Canadian Investment Forum opened in Jeddah on July 9, bringing together a high-level Canadian delegation representing the public and private sectors alongside Saudi officials, business leaders and investors to strengthen investment ties and explore opportunities across a range of »»»

BELGRADE: ‌Serbian authorities have begun culling 11,000 pigs at a farm in the west of the country following an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), the Tanjug news agency reported on ‌Wednesday, citing ‌Agriculture Minister Dragan Glamocic. The ‌cull ⁠at the farm ⁠in the village of Hrtkovci is e»»»

Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said on Thursday he will travel to the United States next week for talks with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the Department of the Treasury. The sides will discuss measures which can be taken against individuals and legal entities that ha»»»

LONDON: Rights groups said that a photograph showing a blindfolded Palestinian detainee bound and posed for the camera by Israeli soldiers on social media corroborates extensive reporting on abuse in Israeli detention and may itself be a war crime. “Both abusive treatment of detainees and the publi»»»

Taco Bell has taken many ingredients off its menu due to the spread of a parasite that's mostly found in produce. File Photo courtesy of Taco Bell July 9 (UPI) -- Some Taco Bell locations have removed ingredients from their menus amid the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak. Some locations have added s»»»

"Russian strikes are building a cumulative effect on Ukraine's energy infrastructure — with winter likely to see the most severe impact," says Stanislav Mitrakhovich, lead expert at the National Energy Security Foundation. Generators are brought in with Western help, running on petrol or diesel tha»»»

Beijing:China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Thursday activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in Beijing and Tianjin, the Ministry of Emergency Management said. According to meteorological forecasts, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected to hit Beijing a»»»

AMMAN — Jordan's Ram Pharmaceutical Industries and Saudi Arabia's Cigalah Healthcare on Thursday launched an investment partnership aimed at boosting value-added investment in Jordan and expanding Jordanian-Saudi economic cooperation.Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh s»»»

AMMAN — Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh on Thursday said recent amendments to the Investment Environment Regulation Bylaw have streamlined licensing procedures in development and free zonesThe new licensing procedures allow complete applications for construction licences and occupancy per»»»

The Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, following its periodic meeting, issued a statement in which it considered the million-strong funeral procession of the Imam and Martyr Sayyed Ali al-Husseini al-Khamenei (may his secret be sanctified) to be an unprecedented historic event. It affirmed the renewal»»»

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects growth in sub-Saharan Africa to remain broadly stable at 4.3% in 2026 before edging up to 4.5% in 2027, but warned that the regional headline masks widening divergence between countries exposed to higher food and energy prices and those benefiting from »»»

The National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV) has announced that it has found no evidence so far of criminal wrongdoing in the highly controversial investigation into the so-called Ukrainian “gold convoy” case, one of the most politically sensitive incidents of this year’s election c»»»

Brussels: What does a world leader do with a gun and six bullets? That was the conundrum NATO leaders faced after the Turkish president offered them each a revolver after the Ankara summit. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the first Wednesday to mention the highly unusual gift presented by P»»»

CAIRO: Gazans turned out in large numbers to ‌pay their respects to a senior Palestinian member of Egypt’s main aid organization who set up World Cup screenings in the shattered enclave and was killed by an Israeli air strike on a taxi he was in this ​week. The strike killed Mohammad Al-Waheidi on »»»

President Donald J. Trump boards Air Force One in Beijing on May 15, 2025. Photo by Daniel Torok/The White House | License Photo July 9 (UPI) -- Palm Beach International Airportin West Palm Beach, Fla., is now renamed the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The change occurred Thursday»»»

Beijing: A fire that tore through a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday killed at least 28 people, state media said, after scores of fire and rescue personnel raced to extinguish the blaze. Hours after the fire broke out at the Huiteng Shoes factory around noon (0400 GMT), authorities feared »»»

JEDDAH: Saudi artificial intelligence company Humain and Canada’s Cohere have announced a strategic partnership to build one of the region’s largest dedicated AI infrastructure deployments and develop enterprise and sovereign AI models. The strategic collaboration, announced on July 9 during Canadi»»»

China has accused Anthropic’s AI coding tool Claude Code of containing “security backdoor vulnerabilities” capable of transmitting sensitive user information without consent, warning the mechanism poses a “serious security risk.” Claude Code, developed by the US startup with close ties to the Penta»»»

LONDON: People gathered on Wednesday night in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mourn Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February. In a speech broadcast by the group’s Al-Manar TV, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffir»»»

PRAIA: Thousands of flag-waving fans gathered in Cape Verde’s capital to welcome the returning national soccer team after their stunning debut World Cup performance, mobbing the players as they left the airport. In downtown Praia, at one of the country’s most prestigious training academies, student»»»

1 of 5 | Hydrogen Peroxide is pumped into the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to clean algae on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 20. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo July 9 (UPI) -- Three more people have been charged on Thursday for allegedly damaging the Linco»»»

MBABANE, Eswatini: The Eswatini government said Thursday a new group of US deportees it had received from the United States was made up of 11 people mostly from other African countries. The new arrivals were flown into the tiny nation on Wednesday, the fourth batch to arrive since July last year as»»»

Serbia has chosen a simplified procedure for the extradition of former Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) executive director Stoyan Mavrodiev to Bulgaria, and necessary arrangements have been put in place, Bulgaria's Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told journalists on Thursday at the Kalotina bord»»»

Doha, Qatar: In charge of managing the QCAA, Mohamed bin Faleh Al-Hajri honoured a number of long-serving employees who have dedicated more than 20 years of service to the Authority during a ceremony held today at the Qatar Air Traffic Control Center. The recognition reflects the QCAA’s appreciatio»»»

France is experiencing its third heatwave in two months. In Bordeaux the thermometre hit 40 degrees Celsius this week, including in its new eco-neighbourhood. The apartment blocs are new, built to the latest standards - but inside it’s like an oven, and residents have had enough. FRANCE 24's Emeral»»»

Here in France prolonged heatwaves are having devastating repercussions for the country's rivers.16% of France's waterways had dried up last June, compared to 6% in June 2025. With these recurring heatwaves, the drought is taking hold with exceptional severity and arriving far too early. In some re»»»

France and Morocco are facing each other on July 9 as the World Cup's blockbuster quarter-finals kick off. On the other side of the draw, holders Argentina face Switzerland in Kansas City on July 11 after staggering into the quarter-finals following their last-minute win against Egypt, while Englan»»»

On 14 July 2016, Nice was hit by the deadliest attack in its history, claimed by the Islamic State group. A truck ploughed into the Promenade des Anglais, striking crowds of spectators who had gathered to watch the Bastille Day fireworks. The attacker killed 86 people and injured hundreds more. Ten»»»

This week, we take a deep dive into a love affair that rivals France’s passion for wine, cheese and fashion: the French and their pets. Whether furry, feathered or scaly, the affection runs deep. More than half of French households own at least one pet, adding up to an astonishing 75 million animal»»»

Nairobi: The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is the "fastest growing" ever, African health authorities said Thursday, as the World Health Organization said it had killed 600 people. Updated numbers issued by the UN health agency showed there have been 1,759 confirmed cases in DR Cong»»»

Ras Al Khaimah: His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, on Thursday received Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of the Republic of India to the UAE, accompanied by a delegation of business leaders, at the Ruler's palace in Saqr bin Mohammed City. »»»

Moscow-based Companies are strengthening cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia, says Moscow Deputy Mayor for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin lauded the presence of Moscow-based companies at the INNOPROM international industrial exhibition in Yekaterinburg.»»»

Brussels: Restrictions on children’s use of social media in the European Union could come as early as this summer, as a long-awaited expert report next week is expected to recommend limiting minors’ access to online platforms. After Australia became the first country in the world to ban under-16s f»»»

A fire broke out in a Chinese shoe factory Thursday. It's not yet known how many have died or been injured. Image courtesy of UPI July 9 (UPI) -- A shoe factory caught fire Thursday morning in China, and it's unknown how many people are dead or injured. Chinese President Xi Jinping said there were »»»

Bulgaria's Parliament approved an increase in the cost of the country's contract for Stryker armored combat vehicles, backing amendments to the investment project for equipping battalion battle groups within a mechanized brigade. The decision passed with 156 votes in favor, while the 11 MPs from th»»»

GERB and Democratic Bulgaria (DB) accused Prime Minister Rumen Radev's government of putting Bulgaria's planned partnership with German defense company Rheinmetall at risk after Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Alexander Pulev said the state currently lacks the funding needed to move the »»»

The British Council has signed a new agreement with the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), awarding funding for nine new joint research projects in the areas of healthcare, clean energy and environmental protection, delivered through the UK–KSA Research Collaboration Programme o»»»

A Serbian court has approved the extradition of former Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) governor Stoyan Mavrodiev to Bulgaria, his lawyer Emanuil Yordanov confirmed. The decision was taken in a closed session after Mavrodiev himself submitted a request expressing consent to be returned to Bulgaria.»»»

Dubai: "From 6am to 6pm I was an occupational therapist in Dubai. From 6pm till midnight, I was a theatre artist at The Junction in Alserkal." Not exactly the making of a movie star. But that leap of faith has transformed Dubai-raised Farzana Palathingal into Malayalam cinema's breakout talent, tha»»»

AMMAN: The Jordanian military said it intercepted eight missiles fired from Iran on Thursday, while the Islamic republic said it targeted a US base there amid a new exchange of strikes between Tehran and Washington. “Jordanian air defense systems intercepted and shot down, today, Thursday, eight mi»»»

LONDON: Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, declared Nov. 28, which falls on a Saturday, as the date for the long-expected Palestinian legislative elections. The vote will take place across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East»»»

JEDDAH: Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have developed technology that enhances the reliability of digital devices by relying on their unique physical characteristics, potentially offering a faster and more secure alternative to conventional passwords and security »»»