A country is strong and secure when it possesses the necessary information in advance. This reduces risks of institutional errors during times of regional and global crises, President Iliana Iotova said at the opening of the Conference of Heads of Military Attache Services Abroad, the President's p»»»

NEW JERSEY, USA: France’s fearsome foursome of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olize and Bradley Barcola leaves opponents exclaiming: Sacré bleu! “Their four up front is the best in the competition by far,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said. France became the first nation to score three or »»»

RIYADH: Nine-year-old Ghasaq Alqahtani discovered fencing by watching her older sister train at home, sparking a passion that has taken the young Saudi Arabia athlete to competitions in Europe and the Gulf. “I started when I was 5 years old ... My mom used to train my sister and I used to watch the»»»

MIAMI: Uthy spent seven years in medical school training to become a doctor in Haiti. On the cusp of graduation, she fled the country three years ago to the US with her husband, young child and a dream to return when it was safe. Uthy, who holds Temporary Protected Status, now lives in fear that sh»»»

BERLIN: Germany is hoping to expand defense industry ties with the United States and produce more US-designed weaponry at factories in the country, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday. The pitch comes just ahead of a major NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Turkiye, where European mi»»»

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways is increasing flights across five international routes, adding more capacity to Brussels, Dhaka, Kraków, Palma de Mallorca and Zanzibar as demand for travel continues to grow. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Abu Dhabi-based airline said it»»»

AI-driven cyberoffensive tools can be compared to “digital nuclear weapons,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe has said, warning that they could fuel rivalries among global powers. Ratcliffe made the comparison on Tuesday in a speech at the Amazon Web Services summit in Washington, where he discussed the»»»

Italy is stalling a NATO aid commitment to Ukraine for 2027 after the bloc signed off on a €70 billion ($80 billion) military package to Kiev this year, Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported on Tuesday. While NATO envoys agreed on the terms of this year’s assistance on Tuesday in »»»

European Union climate scientists issued warnings that weather patterns, global climate, and marine ecosystems could be impacted in unexpected ways -- none of them positive -- after the temperature of world's oceans spiked in June to levels that eclipsed all previous records. File photo by Miguel T»»»

Dubai: Why did the UAE decide to restrict social media access for children under 15 rather than setting the age at 13 or 16? According Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family and Chairperson of the Child Digital Safety Council, the age threshold was chosen after extensive research into childr»»»

Russian citizens have donated 17 off-road vehicles in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Gennadiy Vorobyov of the Bessarabian Front told journalists in Sofia on Wednesday. The vehicles, bearing Ukrainian flags on their windscreens, were parked in the morning near the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathe»»»

BELGRADE - A new operating licence issued to Serbia's Russian-majority owned oil company NIS by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will put Russia under additional pressure to bring talks with Hungary's MOL on selling its stake in the firm to a conclusion or give up on them, says Serbia»»»

BEIRUT: Heavyweight boxing is entering a new era after Oleksandr Usyk’s decided to stand down as unified champion and sent his belts to different parts of the world. That’s given a bunch of globally unheralded fighters the chance to emerge from the shadows in the sport’s glamor division. Usyk recen»»»

Sofia Municipality has been named a finalist in the Digital Innovation & Governance category of The Innovation in Politics Awards 2026, the Sofia Municipality said on Tuesday. The Municipality was selected from more than 300 entries from 35 countries with its Sofia Decides project, submitted by the»»»

JEDDAH: An initiative to rehabilitate and redevelop its fish farm facility in Obhur, north of Jeddah, has been launched by King Abdulaziz University in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The scheme, implemented through the ministry’s National Livestock and Fisherie»»»

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, United States: President Donald Trump hailed the progress on Wednesday of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, saying there had been "very good meetings" in Doha. "As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well. They've had very good »»»

LONDON: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi on Wednesday met Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassem Mohammed Albudaiwi, as both sides discussed strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between Iraq and Gulf states. Albudaiwi conveyed congratulations from Gulf leaders t»»»

The United States on Wednesday signed an agreement to build a new embassy compound in Jerusalem, in a move that Israel said reflected the "unbreakable alliance" between the countries. During his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017 and or»»»

Israel's former army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot on Tuesday announced the start of his electoral campaign as he bids to take over the seat of prime minister from veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Four months ahead of the planned polls, Eisenkot held his first electoral meeting, where he declared »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received on Wednesday the U.S. envoys HE Steve Witkoff and HE Jared Kushner at his office at Lusail Palace. During the meeting, they reviewed the latest developments in the region, particularly recent progress in the negotiation track between»»»

Iran and U.S. negotiators will meet with intermediaries Wednesday to discuss the cease-fire agreement. Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA July 1 (UPI) -- Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and their Iranian counterparts are planning to meet with Qatari negotiators Wednesday for ongoing peace talk»»»

DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam took to the runway at Jacquemus’ highly anticipated “Le Bonheur” fashion show, staged on the rocky Ile de la Pietra in Corsica. The exclusive co-ed presentation saw Hammam walk a dramatic runway built into the slopes of the islet, leading to the ico»»»

MEDORA, North Dakota: President Donald Trump is traveling to North Dakota on Wednesday to dedicate a museum honoring Theodore Roosevelt, invoking the Republican president’s legacy as he promotes a message of American greatness ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. The visit comes as Trump has embrac»»»

JERUSALEM: The United States on Wednesday signed an agreement to build a new embassy compound in Jerusalem, in a move that Israel said reflected the “unbreakable alliance” between the countries. During his first term, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 20»»»

Abu Dhabi: Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday announced new consular service rules for Indian expats in the UAE. In a press release dated June 29, Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said that due to administrative reasons, both the Embassy and the Consulate in Dubai will start providing consular ser»»»

Indirect talks in Doha between officials from the United States and Iran aimed at ending the Middle East war have started, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wednesday. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, confirmed negotiations were under»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the progress on Wednesday of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, saying there had been "very good meetings" in Doha. "As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well. They've had very good meetings, and we'll see," Trum»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia retained the top global ranking in the 2026 Information and Communication Technology Development Index with a score of 99.8 out of 100, driven by continued investment in digital infrastructure and connectivity. The Kingdom ranked first globally for the second consecutive year i»»»

A group of families who have suffered serious health problems because of exposure to pesticides urged EU lawmakers not to row back on safety standards for pesticides in the bloc’s latest move towards light-touch regulation. “Alternatives exist…we need a European policy that is coherent…and to put p»»»

Dubai: As school holidays begin and residents across the UAE gear up for summer plans, Big Ticket is adding a major dose of excitement to the season with its July promotion, featuring life-changing cash prizes, luxury cars, and multiple chances to win every week. The highlight of this month’s campa»»»

The India government is considering issuing a notice to Meta over WhatsApp's upcoming username feature, amid concerns that it could be misused for fraud and impersonation, according to media reports citing government sources. The feature, which is yet to be rolled out widely, will allow WhatsApp us»»»

The Council of Ministers approved amendments to an investment project for the acquisition of major combat equipment for the establishment of battalion-sized battlegroups within a mechanized infantry brigade, which was approved by the National Assembly in November 2023, the government's press servic»»»

At its regular meeting, the government approved the 2026–2028 Public Debt Management Strategy, under which outstanding debt due for refinancing amounts to EUR 1.41 billion in 2026, EUR 1.8 billion in 2027, and EUR 2.6 billion in 2028, the government information service said on Wednesday. The remain»»»

Dubai: Armenia has extended its temporary visa waiver programme for UAE residents and citizens of several Gulf countries until July 1, 2027, state news agency Armenpress reported. Armenia implemented a full visa-free entry regime specifically tailored to citizens and residents of the GCC region las»»»

PARIS: Marking its first participation at Vision Golfe, Saudi Arabia’s Athar festival is making its international ambitions clear. The event is looking to engage new partners, speakers and international visitors as it continues to expand and elevate the global profile of Saudi Arabia’s creative eco»»»

RIYADH: Qatar attracted $3.4 billion in foreign direct investment project capital expenditure across 373 initiatives in 2025, generating 15,051 jobs, according to the agency responsible for promoting opportunities in the country. More than half of the total FDI capital expenditure was directed towa»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has been "fine" when it comes to meeting the terms of a memorandum of understanding reached with Washington. "Well, I think they've come a long way. We hit them very hard last week. I think they're fine," Trump told report»»»

DUBAI: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday defended a US-backed framework agreement with Israel, saying it reinforced state authority and protected Lebanon’s rights after years of conflict. Speaking during a meeting with delegations from the Beirut and North Lebanon Bar Associations and eco»»»

Dubai: For Kamaludeen Anvarsha, a 45-year-old Kerala entrepreneur based in Oman, an ordinary day turned memorable when a phone call delivered unexpected news, he has won Dh25,000 in the Big Ticket e-draw. Anvarsha, who has been living in Oman for the past 24 years while his family remains in India,»»»

Lahore, Pakistan: Pakistani mourners shouldered bedframes in a procession through the narrow streets of Lahore's Kahna area on Wednesday as they carried the bodies of 14 children killed when the roof of their tutoring centre collapsed the night before. Residents and families gathered by freshly dug»»»

Dubai: DAMAC Properties said its construction pipeline has avoided any major hit from recent supply chain pressure, helped by the UAE’s port and logistics response, as the developer topped out its Dh243 million Harbour Lights tower in Dubai Maritime City on Tuesday. Sign up for our daily business n»»»

Brazil have advanced to the World Cup round of 16, despite many experts predicting that Japan would defeat the Seleção. The football-mad South American nation has lost some of its lustre since the team's dramatic 7-1 loss to Germany in 2014 on home soil – a World Cup that traumatised an entire»»»

DOHA: In recent years, cultural institutions around the world have accelerated efforts to digitize their collections. Manuscripts, maps, photographs and rare books — once accessible only to a handful of researchers — are now available to global audiences at the click of a button. Digitization has t»»»

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s government ended a state of emergency it declared after a cyclone that killed 643 people eight months ago, a minister said on Wednesday. The extraordinary powers allowed the deployment of troops to carry out relief operations and had been extended monthly since Cyclone Ditwah h»»»

DUBAI: A man charged with the attempted murder of five people after a car struck pedestrians in west London is due to appear at the Central Criminal Court later this month. Ahmed Timir, 34, of Grange Park, Ealing, appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on June 29 charged with five counts of attem»»»

JOHANNESBURG: South African police said more than 900 people were arrested on Tuesday, when there were nationwide anti-migrant protests which were mostly ‌peaceful but occasionally ‌descended into violence and ‌looting. Tebello ⁠Mosikili, a deputy ⁠national police commissioner, told a press confere»»»

ANTWERP: At least five people were killed and many others injured on Wednesday in a fire at an apartment block in the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said. The blaze broke out mid-morning on the eighth floor of the building, where more than 200 people live, in the city’s Linkeroever neighborhood, s»»»

NEW DELHI: India’s capital New Delhi will ban new petrol- and diesel-fueled scooters and rickshaws from its roads over the next two years, as an ambitious new policy aimed at bringing down dangerously high pollution levels in the city came into effect on Wednesday. Delhi’s new EV policy seeks to ac»»»

BUCHAREST: A powerful storm struck Romania ‘s capital overnight into Wednesday, killing one person and causing flooding in 20 counties following an intense heatwave. The torrential storm hit 60 localities, and emergency services pumped water from more than 350 houses and 100 streets, according to t»»»

Israeli forces will remain in so-called security zones established in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, without any timeline for withdrawal, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday. In Qatar, an Iranian team holds talks with mediators but Iranian officials denied a claim by President Donald Trum»»»