ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has urged Pakistan to overhaul the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award by revising both the vertical and horizontal revenue-sharing formula and adopting a fiscal equalisation model based on provinces’ spending needs and revenue capacity. According to The News, the»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Bloomberg: Brent crude futures fall below $71 a barrel 02-07-2026 14:39 PM Latest News Urgent News Bloomberg: Brent crude futures fall belo»»»

TUNIS, July 2 (TAP) – The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which hosts the World Bank Group's Guarantee Platform, has approved a new €13.05 million guarantee for AEOLUS SAS of France to help finance the construction of a large...»»»

Russia and Rwanda have agreed a roadmap to advance cooperation on small modular reactors (SMRs) and civilian nuclear energy, marking the latest step in Kigali's ambition to introduce nuclear power into its energy mix in the early 2030s. The roadmap was signed during the inaugural meeting of the Joi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality, represented by Doha Municipality, organized an educational and recreational event for children to coincide with the start of the summer holiday at the Old Souq in Tawar Mall. The event aimed to encourage children to make productive use of their free time t»»»

Israel will keep its troops in occupied areas of Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely, Defense Minister Israel Katz has said, describing the policy as necessary for “defending the borders.” Speaking on Wednesday at a memorial ceremony for soldiers killed in the 2006 Lebanon War, Katz said there wo»»»

The office of Polish President Karol Nawrocki has accused Vladimir Zelensky of further aggravating the rift over the honoring of Nazi collaborators in Ukraine. Relations between Warsaw and Kiev have grown increasingly strained since the Ukrainian leader named a military unit after the ‘Heroes of th»»»

JEDDAH: The Haraj Bird Market in the south of Jeddah hosts a lively, weekly public auction every Friday afternoon for amateurs, hobbyists and bird enthusiasts who make their way to buy, sell and admire a variety of bird species. The auction features a wide variety of birds, from colorful ornamental»»»

Abu Dhabi: As part of the activities marking World Drug Day 2026 and the National Anti-Drug Campaign under the slogan “United Against Drugs: Eradicating the Threat,” the Anti-Narcotics Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters organised an innovative interactive awareness exhibition at B»»»

Bulgaria's Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov has met with Namibia's Ambassador to Bulgaria Vasco Mushe Samupofu, who is based in Vienna. The meeting took place at the Foreign Ministry in Sofia on Thursday, the ministry's press centre reported. The two discussed opportunities to deepen the p»»»

Algiers, Algeria: Algerians headed to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament in an election shadowed by expectations of low turnout among the 25-million-person electorate. The vote is taking place amid controversy over the government's disqualification of roughly a third of would-be candid»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Education and Higher Education HE Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, has approved the first-round General Secondary School Certificate examination results for the 2025–2026 academic year during an official session held at the Ministry's headquarters in the presence »»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah civil defense authority, under the directives of the Sharjah Executive Council, has announced a wide-ranging financial relief initiative aimed at supporting the emirate’s business sector, reducing operational burdens, and stimulating economic activity. The package introduces su»»»

JAKARTA: Rebels in Indonesia’s restive easternmost region ‌of Papua on Thursday shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian plane on fire in what a spokesperson for a local separatist group described as a “message” to the US and Indonesian governments. A low-level battle for independence from In»»»

President Joseph Aoun defended on Thursday negotiations with Israel, saying they were not a betrayal and he would not surrender "a single inch of Lebanon's territory", according to the presidency. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the Israeli army would remain "until furth»»»

Arab Finance: El Shams Pyramids for Hotels and Touristic Projects returned to profitability in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, reporting a net profit of $1.26 million, versus a net loss of $9.41 million in the corresponding period of 2025, according to the company's financial indicators released on»»»

Bengaluru, India: Indian startup Skyroot Aerospace said Thursday it would hold the maiden test flight of the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket in the coming weeks. The Vikram-1 rocket, designed to carry small satellites into low-Earth orbit, will lift off from the Satish Dhaw»»»

Kyrgyz Pochtasy OJSC has introduced new postage stamps dedicated to the 6th World Nomad Games, as well as the anniversaries of Kasym Tynystanov, Zhusup Abdrakhmanov, and Bubusara Beyshenalieva. A ceremonial first-day cancellation of the stamps was held on July 2 at the National History Museum of Ky»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov on July 2 gave start to technical launch of the first two cable ways at the under-construction all-season mountain Ala-Too Resort in Ak-Suu district of Issyk-Kul region. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open in December 2026. According to the pres»»»

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation for Houbara Conservation to support national efforts to protect the endangered bird and reintroduce the houbara bustard into its natural habitats, c»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP)- The correctional chamber at the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld in absentia the first-instance judgement against Anas Hmaidi (president of the Tunisian Judges’ Association).Hmaidi had been sentenced to one year in prison for...»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia and Republika Srpska will this month set up a coordination team for cooperation in science and technology to jointly coordinate all activities in the fields of scientific and technological development. An agreement on this was made at a meeting between Serbian Minister of Science,»»»

Abu Dhabi: With the arrival of holiday seasons and increased travel both within and outside the country, families and individuals are placing greater emphasis on taking the necessary precautions to safeguard their homes and possessions during periods of absence. While travel offers relaxation and e»»»

Dubai: Air India Express has restored flights across its entire West Asia network, with services to Kuwait and Salalah resuming after recent disruptions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline said flights between Kozhikode and Salalah restarted on July 2, while s»»»

Paris, France: French luxury giant Chanel announced Thursday that it had acquired historic Parisian shirtmaker Charvet, having previously collaborated with the brand which caters mostly to men. Charvet has been making bespoke shirts and suits from its home on Place Vendome in Paris since 1838, with»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced on Thursday, July 2, 2026, the results of the secondary school examinations for the 2025–2026 academic year. In a press conference, the Assistant Undersecretary for Evaluation Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Educa»»»

VILNIUS: Lithuania’s parliamentary parties have agreed on a plan to lift a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons and foreign military ​bases in the Baltic nation, the president said, in a sign of how Russia is resetting security calculations in the region. The move — a major legal overhaul which wi»»»

Democratic Bulgaria and Vazrazhdane on Thursday called on Constitutional Court Judge Desislava Atanasova to resign. "When will Desislava Atanasova resign as a Constitutional Court judge?" Democratic Bulgaria MP Ivaylo Mirchev said, calling on the former GERB parliamentary group chair to step down. »»»

Following his meeting with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani confirmed that “the discussion focused on ways to develop relations between Lebanon and Syria,” denying that “the issue of Hezbollah was raised during the meeting.” In response to»»»

Oviedo, Spain: Former Arsenal and Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla retired from football at the age of 41 on Thursday after more than two decades in the game. The diminutive Asturian helped his local team Oviedo reach La Liga in 2025 and played his final season with them in the Spanish top flight. "No»»»

China and the European Union will hold ministerial-level trade talks once or twice a year, China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday, as the two sides work to increase and rebalance trade. The EU faces growing pressure to reduce its trade deficit with China, which widened to about 360 billion euros (»»»

An unrelenting heatwave across the US is forcing everyone, from local outreach teams to World Cup organisers to completely pivot, with the struggle to stay safe on the street and on the fields as temperatures rise. The heat isn't just a crisis on the streets - it is also hitting the sports world. P»»»

Two people climbed the antenna of New York's Empire State Building on Wednesday, unfurled a banner promoting “the power of love” and appeared to stage a marriage proposal before being arrested. News footage showed the masked pair kissing atop the skyscraper before one knelt and the other appeared t»»»

Artificial intelligence is changing how we shop, how we discover products, compare options, and make decisions. Increasingly, it is also beginning to act on our behalf. But as AI reshapes commerce, it is also reshaping risk. And that is putting one issue at the center of the conversation: trust. To»»»

BANGKOK: Thailand’s foreign ministry denied Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron knelt before the country’s king during his state visit to Paris this week, after an AI-generated picture circulated online. King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida’s trip was the first official visit by a »»»

Thousands of people marched across South Africa on June 30 to demand the departure of undocumented foreign nationals. It's part of a weeks-long campaign that has sent thousands fleeing and claimed four lives. In Malawi, 15,000 people have returned home, fleeing xenophobic violence. Protesters are b»»»

Algerians are heading to the polls on July 2 as voters are set to elect their new parliament. To increase voter turnout, the day has been made a public holiday and public transport is free. Authorities want a better turnout than during the last elections, where only a quarter of voters went to cast»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Thibault Muzergues, political director for Shared Ground and author of "The Woke Right". France enters the final 300 days before its presidential election amid a politically combustible convergence of judicial investigations, institutional distrust and an incre»»»

Iran's joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a "forceful response," again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies. The strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf»»»

Dubai: Bank of Baroda has agreed to pay $600 million (approximately Dh2.2 billion) to settle litigation linked to the collapse of UAE healthcare giant NMC Health, bringing an end to years of legal proceedings against the Indian lender in Abu Dhabi and London. Sign up for our daily business newslett»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union has entered the path of militarization and is devoting itself to the topic of confrontation with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "It is clear that as the European Union is developing its defense identity, it has entered the path of mil»»»

LONDON: British Prime ‌Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday apologized to women forced to give up their babies and to those separated from their mothers at birth by a system of forced adoptions that targeted unmarried women in the decades after World War Two. An estimated 185,000 children were separat»»»

Beirut, July 2 (SANA) Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut on Thursday to discuss issues of mutual interest and the latest regional developments. The meeting was held as part of al-Shaibani’s official visit to Lebanon»»»

Russian missile and drone strikes tore open apartment buildings in Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens, hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a "massive attack". Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. »»»

After a rare admission by President Putin that the army was suffering from a fuel shortage, Gallup pollsters have released new findings that Russia's "economic pessimism" has hit a 20-year high. For months, Ukrainian drones have been attacking Russian oil infrastructure and the consequences are now»»»

The Financial Supervisory Authority has authorised CCP.RO to operate as Romania’s first central counterparty under Regulation (EU) No. 648/2012 on OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories (EMIR). This marks the establishment of a key component of financial market infrastructur»»»

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has reported that Bulgarian oligarch, media mogul and DPS leader Delyan Peevski has taken 227 flights from Sofia Airport since 2018, with 181 of them operated on private or charter aircraft, according to data presented during a parliamentary hearing based on infor»»»

Bulgaria plays a crucial role on NATO's eastern flank and has demonstrated how defense spending can be translated into real military capabilities, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich said during a joint briefing with Bulgaria's Chief of Defense, Admiral Emil Eftimov, at t»»»

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova from the Varna village of Konstantinovo continued for a third day as her mother described the terrifying events that, she says, led to the girl's abduction by her former partner, 40-year-old Asen Simeonov. Speaking through tears, Natalia's mother, Dora Pet»»»