Abu Dhabi: The latest announcement requiring Indian expats in the UAE to walk into the premises of their embassy and consulate without appointments for passport and attestation services from today, July 2, was not a routine administrative reshuffle, Gulf News has learnt. It was late on Wednesday ev»»»

A fire broke out in central Kyiv on Wednesday after an explosion during an air raid alert, an AFP reporter saw. The journalist heard a detonation and saw a cloud of smoke and flames. Fire crews and ambulances arrived promptly at the scene. About 50 minutes after the first blast, AFP journalists wit»»»

Pop star Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce are set to marry this week in New York, with celebrations expected at Madison Square Garden, according to US media reports. The closely guarded festivities are due to begin on Thursday with an exclusive dinner attended by about 100 invited guests. &nb»»»

The US Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to Donald Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, ruling children born in the US are citizens under the Constitution regardless of their parents' immigration status. The decision also casts fresh scrutiny on Trump's repeated claims about the policy, in»»»

Some days they talk. Some days they fight. Iran and the United States have settled into a pattern since the truce signed last month. This Wednesday in Doha... they’re sort of talking. Both sides present in indirect negotiations. Whatever comes of that, the attention's now shifting to Tehran,&n»»»

The anti-migrant protesters in South Africa blame foreigners for the nation's unemployment and high crime. It's a familiar story for South Africans -- this is the biggest such demonstrations since 2008, when a wave of anti-migrant violence spread across the country. Nearly two decades earlier, in M»»»

Dubai: Dubai tenants looking to move may have a better chance of negotiating rent in the second half of 2026, especially in apartment-heavy communities where new supply is increasing competition for landlords. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Property experts say Dubai’»»»

SEATTLE: Youri Tielemans struck a 125th-minute penalty ​as Belgium rallied from two goals down and defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time in their World Cup last 32 clash in Seattle on Wednesday to keep alive their title hopes that had looked dead and buried. Senegal’s Lamine Camara slid in on Tiele»»»

CARACAS: Authorities in Venezuela late on Wednesday said the death toll has risen to over 2,000 people as Venezuela marked a week since the deadly earthquakes hit the country. Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Wednesday that deaths had risen to 2,300, and more than 11,»»»

President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on mail-in voting March 31 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked the U.S. Postal Service from its plan to follow that order. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo July 1 (UPI) -- A »»»

Global oil prices extended their decline on Thursday morning (July 2, 2026, 8:12 am Tokyo time) as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the gradual reopening of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continued to ease concerns over supply disruptions. According to OilPrice.com, West T»»»

Commercial shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is gradually recovering, but traffic remains significantly below normal levels following the recent US-Iran conflict. According to MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data, 34 ships transited the strait on Tuesday, marking a modest impr»»»

Seattle: Youri Tielemans scored the latest winner in World Cup history as Belgium mounted an incredible comeback from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2 and qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup on Wednesday. Senegal appeared on course for a first win in a World Cup knockout match since their 20»»»

ABHA: Al-Habala Park in Saudi Arabia’s Asir Region is attracting large numbers of domestic and international tourists this summer, offering panoramic mountain views, cultural heritage attractions and a wide range of recreational activities. Located more than 50 km southeast of Abha, the park is amo»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP) – A second earth tremor, measuring 2.6 on the Richter scale, was recorded by seismic monitoring stations of the National Institute of Meteorology on Wednesday evening at 10:38 p.m. local time in Zarzis, Medenine...»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after more than 100 days of shipping disruption will bring relief to global energy and trade flows, but the world’s most vulnerable economies face a longer, costlier and more uneven path to recovery, the UN Conference on Trade and Development sai»»»

NEW YORK CITY: A UN scientific panel warned on Wednesday that safeguards on artificial intelligence were failing to keep pace with the rapidly growing capabilities of the technology. It came as the panel released the first independent global assessment of the risks and benefits of AI, which found t»»»

Student debt relief activists march in June 2023 near the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. This week, a pair of federal judges blocked Trump administration changes to a student loan forgiveness program that detractors say would have made it into an ideological "loyalty test." File Photo by Ken Ceden»»»

Doha: The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) is executing a program meant to impart expertise during the FIFA World Cup 2026 held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This is part of its role in supporting the organization of this tournament and in keeping pace with the state-of-th»»»

DOHA: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said “positive progress” was made on issues related to the MoU following a separate meeting of Qatari and Pakistani mediators with the US and Iranian delegations in Doha»»»

BusinessNorth AmericaUS declines to renew USMCA trade pact with Mexico, CanadaWesley Rahn with AFP, AP, dpa, ReutersLengthy negotiations are expected as the Trump administration seeks changes to a trade deal with Mexico and Canada that has streamlined supply chains across North America. https://p.d»»»

TEL AVIV: The ‌International Monetary Fund lowered its estimate for Israel’s economic growth in 2026 to 3.5 percent from a prior 4.8 percent, it said on Wednesday citing ​regional tensions. In a report, the IMF also expects inflation to rise temporarily due to higher energy prices and supply constr»»»

WASHINGTON, United States: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused more than two million military casualties, with Moscow’s forces bearing the brunt of the losses, according to a study published Wednesday by a US think tank. “Combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties have exceeded 2 million,” the C»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his acting spy chief has wide permission to declassify records, including any tied to the 2020 election, even though his close ally is only at the intelligence helm for a short time. Trump appointed Bill Pulte as acting director of nation»»»

QNA Doha Qatari Diar has announced the registration of two world records in the Guinness World Records related to the district cooling system in Lusail City. This is a new global milestone added to Qatar’s record of achievements in the fields of infrastructure and sustainable development, the compa»»»

Damascus, July 2 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a phone call on Wednesday with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which the two leaders discussed the fraternal ties between their countries and ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields. The two sides reviewed »»»

It aims to regulate the preparation and review of government draft legislative instruments proposed by the competent entities while strengthening government legislative work and enhancing planning, follow-up and governance throughout the government legislative process. The decision also seeks to en»»»

QNA Doha With its final meeting next week, the Shura Council will be concluding the first ordinary session of its second legislative term, corresponding to its 54th annual session, marking numerous significant achievements in both its legislative and oversight capacities. These milestones align clo»»»

Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim met with Ambassador of Kuwait to Qatar HE Ahmad Abdulrahman Al Shuraim on Wednesday. The meeting discussed both countries’ close ties and ways to boost them. (QNA)»»»

QNA Cairo The Shura Council participated in the plenary session of the Arab Parliamentheld at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo. The Shura Council was represented by HE Amina bint Youssef Al Jaidah, HE Nasser bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, HE Mubarak bin Moh»»»

Tribune News Network Doha As Qatar continues building a knowledge-based economy, investment in digital infrastructure, advanced connectivity and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and smart infrastructure is creating new opportunities for innovation, growth and digital t»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui Doha China’s pursuit of high-quality development is creating new opportunities not only for its own growth but also for partners around the world, including Qatar, according to Ambassador of China to Qatar HE Cao Xiaolin. The envoy said that, in recent years, the China-Qatar Strateg»»»

Minister of State for Interior Affairs HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Mohammed Al Thani met with Deputy National Security Adviser of the United Kingdom Barbara Woodward in Doha on Wednesday. The two sides discussed bilateral relations and explored ways to enhance cooperation in security, along »»»

QNA Doha Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met with the United Kingdom’s Deputy National Security Adviser Barbara Woodward in Doha on Wednesday. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen ties between the»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has announced the launch of its Annual Health Check SMS Awareness Campaign, effective from Tuesday, June 30. The initiative forms part of PHCC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare services, improve accessibility, and »»»

QNA Doha The Social and Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM) has signed a funding agreement with QatarDebate Center- founded by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development - to support local debating leagues and championships and expand the centre’s educational publications. Under t»»»

Tribune News Network Doha As part of its ongoing efforts to support livelihoods and promote economic development in vulnerable communities, Qatar Charity (QC), through its Mali branch, has implemented a qualitative project aimed at empowering 68 beneficiaries, including women, youth, and low-income»»»

Tribune News Network Doha A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Smart Grid Living Lab and advance collaboration in energy innovation, applied research, and workforce development was signed by the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) with Siemens in Qatar in the presence»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 during a graduation ceremony on June 30 to mark its fourth Medical Education Day. The Class of 2026 comprises 75 graduates who completed residency, fellowship, undergraduate and »»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar National Library (QNL) has launched its annual Membership Campaign, inviting community members across Qatar to make the Library their summer home. For families and individuals heading away during the break, the Library travels with them: its mobile app and digital of»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), has opened registration for the eighth edition of “My Career – My Future” 2026, its flagship job-shadowing programme for high school students in Qatar.Registration will remain open until July 30, 202»»»

QNA Doha The Legal and Judicial Studies Center at the Ministry of Justice is hosting a training programme on combating money laundering and terrorism financing. This comes as part of the ministry’s efforts to strengthen the legal capabilities of employees working in ministries and government entiti»»»

London: Chelsea football club announced Wednesday the signing of defender Marco Palestra from Italian club Atalanta on a seven-year contract. Chelsea have signed Marco Palestra from Serie A club Atalanta on a contract until 2033, the club said in a statement on its website. The 21-year-old Marco Pa»»»

Ramallah: Chairman of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) Rawhi Fattouh, warned on Wednesday that the Israeli Knesset’s approval in its first reading of a bill aimed at banning the call to prayer within the 1948 territories constitutes a legislative and racist crime. In a statement, he stressed »»»

Baghdad: The Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology (IMOS) announced the recording of 22 earthquakes during June 2026. The tremors were distributed across the governorates of Diyala, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Nineveh, Salah Al-Din, Erbil, Wasit, and Basra, said Iraq's Seismological Monitoring»»»

The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a Catholic priestly fraternity, has consecrated four new bishops without the papal approval, defying a last-ditch appeal by Pope Leo XIV to call the ceremony off. The move reignites an old row between the controversial ultra-traditionalist faction and the Vatican»»»

Doha: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received a phone call on Wednesday from HE President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed Al Sharaa. During the call, they discussed the fraternal relations between the two countries and prospects for strengthening joint cooperation as well as ways to »»»

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, whose agency was responsible for enforcing controversial security measures targeting the Iranian soccer team at the World Cup, has said the job made him dance with joy and he was happy Iran was eliminated. Iran exited the tournament, which the US is »»»

MUNICH: Bayern Munich have signed Morocco’s World Cup standout Ismael Saibari from Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of $63 million. The 25-year-old Saibari signed a contract through June 2031 and will wear the No. 34 jersey at Bayern, the Bavarian powerhouse announced Wednesday. Saib»»»

Doha, Qatar: Advisor to Prime Minister and Official Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dr. Majid bin Mohammed Al Ansari said on his official X account that Qatar and Pakistan mediators concluded separate meetings with the US and Iranian negotiators in Doha today, with positive progress made o»»»