The search for a missing 17-year-old girl in Pattaya ended in one of the darkest ways imaginable. Her body was found inside a black suitcase left beside railway tracks behind Pattaya Floating Market. Hours later, Thai police arrested a 46-year-old Australian man at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, w»»»

A string of powerful earthquakes struck different parts of the world on Wednesday, prompting speculation over whether the events could be connected. While seismologists say they were not, the unusual cluster has raised questions about how earthquakes are linked, why some occur in pairs, and what te»»»

DHAHRAN: The 12th Saudi Film Festival opened at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran with the charming documentary “King of the Shoulders,” which had audiences laughing out loud. The documentary explores the Hasawi bisht, a formal garment usually made of dark-colored wool »»»

Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France sealed top spot in their World Cup group with a commanding 4-1 victory over a much-changed Norway side on Friday. With both teams already assured of a place in the next round, France produced a ruthless display to finish the group stage in fir»»»

A growing number of African countries are viewing the SMR technology as a way to expand electricity access and support long-term economic development, says analyst. What: SMRs are increasingly being seen as the future of nuclear power in Africa. Why: The rise of SMRs could help African countries cl»»»

Globally recognized Qatar Foundation researcher Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel discusses the Parkinson’s challenge facing the world, the unanswered questions behind the research he is spearheading, and Qatar’s role in advancing biomedical discovery Doha, Qatar: Backed by a USD 9 million, three-year global re»»»

East Rutherford, United States: Waving flags and dancing to booming Latin music, the Ecuador football fans were living the World Cup fever. "Let's get this party started!" an announcer declared. But instead of in the streets or a stadium, the crowd was rocking in one of America's biggest malls -- t»»»

Dubai: Bahrain said it was targeted by several Iranian drones early on Saturday, with the kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning the attack “in the strongest terms” and describing it as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty. In a statement carried by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the m»»»

BEIJING: Chinese authorities on Saturday said a small plane that crashed into a building in Beijing the day before had killed the pilot and injured 13 others. The authorities of the Chaoyang district, a vibrant business area, said a two-seat light sport aircraft collided with a high-rise building a»»»

Seattle: Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said he was optimistic about the health of Mohamed Salah despite the star striker's second-half exit during his country's 1-1 World Cup draw with Iran. The result meant Egypt qualified for the knock-out last-32 round at the World Cup by finishing second in Group G»»»

Secretary of State ‌Marco Rubio said the US is seeking to arrange a visit to India by President ​Donald Trump early next year as the countries work on a bilateral trade deal, Indian media outlet IANS reported on Saturday. Rubio is likely to travel to India this year to prepare for the president’s v»»»

La Guaira, Venezuela: The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela rose Friday to 920, with tens of thousands reported missing as international rescue teams boosted a desperate and slow-moving search for survivors. Caracas residents jeered interim leader Delcy Rodriguez during her visit to a d»»»

Dubai: A lightning strike killed an entire family of five in Yemen's central province of Ibb, after it struck their home in a tragedy that has shocked residents. Local sources said the father, his wife and their three children were gathered inside a room in their house in the town of Zara, in the F»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has introduced tighter anti-money laundering regulations requiring travellers entering or leaving the Kingdom to declare gold bullion, precious metals, gemstones and jewellery valued at SAR40,000 ($10,700) or more, lowering the previous declaration threshold from SAR60,000. Unde»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE ranked third globally for road quality in 2026, according to the latest World Population Review ranking, reinforcing the country's standing among the world's leading nations for transport infrastructure. The ranking, based on international infrastructure assessments and reports, »»»

Washington: John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security advisor before becoming an outspoken critic of the US president, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of retaining classified documents. Asked by federal Judge Theodore Chuang if he was guilty, the 77-year-old veteran diplomat re»»»

Washington: Washington on Friday released text of a trilateral framework between Israel, Lebanon and the United States aimed at ending hostilities that have been a violent second front of the Middle East war. The following are highlights of the 14-point agreement signed in the US capital: 'Lasting »»»

DUBAI: Egypt has become the second Arab team to progress to the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup following their 1-1 draw with Iran at Seattle Stadium. The result, coupled with Belgium’s 5-1 win over New Zealand, left Egypt second in Group G with five points while Iran finished third with three po»»»

DALLAS: With their debut World Cup all but over, Jordan have nothing to lose when they face Argentina in their final group match in Texas today. Defeats by Austria and Algeria mean Jamal Sellami’s team cannot progress to the Round of 32, but midfielder Amer Jamous insists Al-Nashama have no intenti»»»

GUADALAJARA: 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 European c»»»

SEATTLE: Egypt coach Hossam ‌Hassan said Mohamed Salah would be assessed after the captain asked to be substituted during Friday’s 1-1 World ​Cup draw with Iran, leaving his fitness uncertain ahead of the knockout phaseSalah appeared visibly frustrated as he was replaced 12 minutes into the second »»»

VANCOUVER: With a flurry of of goals, Belgium finally found its footing at the World Cup. Leandro Trossard scored a pair of goals and Belgium overcame a slow start in the tournament to advance to the knockout round atop Group G with a 5-1 victory over New Zealand on Friday night. Belgium will face »»»

LOS ANGELES: England and Portugal will aim to finish on a high as the World Cup group stages draw to a close on Saturday with the final places in the knockout rounds up for grabs. Both nations have been inconsistent in the opening rounds of the tournament, alternating between labored performances a»»»

For generations, birdsong has been admired, recorded and studied. Understanding what it actually means has proved far more elusive. That may be starting to change. A scientist who spent more than 15 years studying zebra finches has won one of the world's largest prizes for animal communication rese»»»

La Guaira: The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela rose Friday to 920, with tens of thousands reported missing as international rescue teams boosted a desperate and slow-moving search for survivors. Caracas residents jeered interim leader Delcy Rodriguez during her visit to a devastated n»»»

First published in Respekt. A portrait of the Danish prime minister who has found an unusual recipe for keeping her country on a liberal course. When, around the turn of the year, Politico drew up a ranking of politicians who would have the greatest impact on events in Europe this year, the podium »»»

Washington: President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a rendering of a new limited-edition US passport to mark the country's 250th anniversary of independence - featuring his stern-faced likeness. "The U.S.A.'s New Passport, which says, 'Welcome, but be good!'" Trump said in a post on his Truth Soc»»»

Venezuela's twin earthquakes killed nearly 1000 people, with tens of thousands reported missing on Friday as international rescue teams boosted a desperate and slow-moving search for survivors.  The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela rose Friday to nearly 1,000, with tens »»»

Seattle: Iran were deprived of a certain place in the World Cup knockout phase when a goal in stoppage time that would have given them a 2-1 win against Egypt was disallowed. Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had scored the crucial winning goal as he slammed into the net after Egyptian defenders failed »»»

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»»»

Houston: World Cup debutants Cape Verde will face reigning champions Argentina in the knockout rounds after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday to extend their fairytale journey. The stalemate in Houston and Spain's 1-0 win over Uruguay meant the team ranked 67 finished runners-up behind Spain »»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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. Cape Verde (0-0-3, 3 points) are now the smallest nation ever to reach the second phase, finishing second in the group above Saudi Arabi»»»

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»»»

DHAHRAN: Film stars from around the Kingdom dazzled on the red carpet at the opening ceremony for the 12th Saudi Film Festival on Friday night. ‎The longest-running celebration of film in the Kingdom, the festival has since its launch in 2008 become a key showcase and driver of Saudi and Gulf cinem»»»

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: 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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

KANSAS CITY, Missouri: Netherlands coach Ronald ‌Koeman was taking nothing for granted after his side sealed top spot in Group F with a 3-1 win over Tunisia on Thursday, warning that next opponents Morocco would provide a formidable ​test in the World Cup round of 32. The Dutch finished the group s»»»

Toronto: Senegal kept their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 32 alive with a 5-0 victory over Iraq in their final Group Nine match. Habib Diallo, Ismaila Sarr, Pape Gueye, who scored twice, and Iliman Ndiaye were all on target as Senegal finished third in the group with three points and remaine»»»

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»»»

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»»»