European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged up to €200mn ($228mn) in grants for connectivity projects in the South Caucasus during a visit to Baku on July 1, as Azerbaijan and Armenia move towards a peace agreement that both leaders described as having already changed conditions on t»»»

Bulgaria's National Revenue Agency (NRA) has carried out 240 inspections along the Black Sea coast since the start of its summer enforcement campaign on Monday, finding violations in 70 cases, Anna Mitova, Director of Communications at the NRA, told reporters in Burgas on Thursday. She specified th»»»

Dubai: The UAE is restoring crude oil exports to near-record levels following disruption caused by the recent regional conflict, with alternative export routes and infrastructure helping maintain supplies to rest of the world. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply»»»

An Israeli government document, obtained by Channel 12, revealed that the damage inflicted on the Bazan petrochemical complex in Haifa Bay by repeated Iranian missile strikes far exceeds what was officially announced, and that the complex will not be fully rehabilitated before 2028. According to th»»»

The prosecutor’s office secured the return of a five-story guest house and a plot of land on the Issyk-Ata resort territory, valued at 112 million soms, to state ownership. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, an investigation revealed that in 2005, the five-story guest house, with a total»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s state driving school, which began operating in March this year, has held its first graduation ceremony. Trainees who successfully completed retraining for category CE licenses and training for category A licenses were awarded certificates. The ceremony was attended by the Presidential »»»

BELGRADE - Deputy head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Milos Terzic said on Thursday the experiences of Serbs arrested at Gazimestan on St Vitus's day were horrifying and disturbing and testified of brutal police violence. "What we have heard from our people testifies of brutal»»»

Dubai: Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in partnership with Keolis MHI, has completed a major upgrade of escalators across the Dubai Metro network, with 262 escalators refurbished so far. The figure represents about 63% of all escalators at Dubai Metro stations. The programme is aimed a»»»

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he is ready to reach a settlement if the other side shows a similar willingness, while describing a proposed framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel as an "agreement of sedition." In remarks published Thursday by Ad-Diyar newspaper, Berri revealed that he »»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed Thursday that the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel "opens the door to restoring a functioning state and ending the chronic conflict that has drained Lebanon for decades." "It also establishes a clear equation based on a complete Isra»»»

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X on Thursday, while warning that any lay believers who “formally adhere” to the breakaway Catholic group would suffer the same fate.The Vatican decree comes a day after the traditionalist group cons»»»

ABUJA: Hunger across Nigeria’s conflict-hit north is at levels not seen in a decade as violence spreads and aid shrinks, the UN’s World Food Programme warned Thursday, with more than three million people “acutely food insecure.” The country has been battling a jihadist insurgency centered in the no»»»

ROME: US President Donald Trump’s attacks on Italy’s premier have had an unintended consequence. After Trump questioned Italy’s reliability as a wartime ally and claimed Giorgia Meloni had groveled for his attention, European leaders rallied to Meloni’s side, thawing what had been a frosty relation»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: We signed an agreement to form a joint Lebanese-Syrian high committee to enhance cooperation between t»»»

Commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters Major General Ali Abdollahi warned the enemies against making any miscalculations. “We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the United States, the Zionist regime, and their regional and extra-regional accomplices, to avoid any miscalculations»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received the credentials of two new ambassadors to the State at his office in the Amiri Diwan on Thursday, July 2, 2026.. The Amir received the credentials of HE Saeed bin Abdullah Al Qamzi, Ambassador of the sisterly United Arab Em»»»

Every year, he does a little countdown. Dubai-based Safia Youssef’s 10-year-old loves a football summer camp more than he loves home, she says. “He waits to register. He enjoys it so much, because he has made more friends at camp than he made in school,” she says. He comes home with such a beaming »»»

Dubai: After months of lesson planning, grading papers, and supporting students, teachers across the UAE are finally pressing pause. While students eagerly count down to the holidays, educators are looking forward to something just as important, time to rest, reconnect with family, and return to th»»»

Dubai: Omani authorities have confirmed that no oil spill occurred after a vessel ran aground near the Hallaniyat Islands Marine Buffer Zone, following inspections of the environmentally protected area. The Environment Authority said it was monitoring the incident after the vessel grounded near Al »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Syrian Foreign Minister: My visit to Beirut reflects our supportive stance towards Lebanon, both its government and people 02-07-2026 13:07»»»

Members of a parliamentary committee attempt to enter the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul on Thursday to investigate ballot shortages in the June 3 local elections. Photo by Yonhap Members of a special parliamentary committee investigating ballot shortages that marred the June 3 l»»»

The public has a right to know that billions of euros are being stolen through Bulgaria's healthcare system, MP Ivaylo Mirchev of Democratic Bulgaria told reporters in the National Assembly on Thursday, dismissing allegations that he had divulged classified information. Mirchev said: "We did not co»»»

Brussels: European stock markets opened mixed on Thursday as investors await the US employment report for June and the signals it may carry about the future trajectory of interest rates. Among major European markets, France’s CAC 40 index in Paris rose by 0.30%, Britain’s FTSE 100 index in London d»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sunny conditions will continue, with temperatures ranging from 32°C to 44°C, the country's weather authority has announced. In its weekend weather forecast, the Qatar Meteorology Department said that on Thursday, July 2, there is a slight chance of dust. On Saturday, July 4, visibility»»»

Washington: Google has announced that Gemini Spark, its AI agent, is now available to Mac users. The move will enhance its competition with other desktop AI assistants, while also introducing a range of new features that expand its capabilities in task management and interaction with various applic»»»

This photo, taken Thursday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks plunged by almost eight percent on a sharp sell-off in semiconductor shares. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks dipped nearly 8 percent Thursday, dragged down by a sharp sell-off in semiconductor shares»»»

Novarion DMX Construction, a Sibiu-based company with more than 11 years of experience in construction and general contracting and a portfolio of 150,000 sqm built, has announced the launch of a public share offering ahead of its planned admission to trading on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stoc»»»

Tokyo: Japan’s Nikkei index fell on Thursday, dragged lower by AI-related heavyweights following an overnight tech selloff on Wall Street. The Nikkei 225 index dropped 2.5% to 68,733.15 points, while the broader Topix index closed slightly higher, up 0.09%, supported by buying of cheaper stocks aft»»»

A U.S. House Judiciary Committee report released Wednesday accuses Seoul of discriminating against American companies, particularly e-commerce giant Coupang. In this photo, a Coupang sign is seen near a distribution center in Seoul in December 2025. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI SEOUL, July 2 (U»»»

Dubai: Parkin Company PJSC, the emirate's largest public parking operator, has signed a five-year agreement with Al Ghurair Centre to introduce a fully ticketless parking system at the Deira mall. The deal was signed by Parkin CEO Eng. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali and Al Ghurair Property Management CEO P»»»

DUBAI: There’s nothing so comforting as a good cozy mystery. The stakes are high enough to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, but you’re also charmed and disarmed by the warmth and endless chuckles. “The Sheep Detectives” — now on Amazon Prime — understands that balance perfectly, deli»»»

Talents For Tech, an organisation dedicated to professional development through mentoring and career guidance programmes, has announced that Romanians will be able to access a major regional training programme in artificial intelligence, supported by Google.org through the AI Works for Europe and A»»»

Tunis, July 2, 2026 (TAP) – The Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII) will hold a workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on July 7 at its Business Incubator in Zaghouan, targeting entrepreneurs, industrial and...»»»

Tunis, July 2 (TAP)- The weather on Thursday is clear to slightly cloudy in most regions, growing cloudy in the midland and in some areas in the south with scattered showers. Rain is expected overnight in the far north along with localised...»»»

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Chair Delyan Peevski said on Thursday that Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev had illegally investigated his private life in connection with flights that he said were paid for by himself and his family. Speaking to reporters in the corridors of Parliament afte»»»

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov has requested that the Prosecutors' Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council suspend Emilia Rusinova, the administrative head of the Sofia City Prosecution Office, both from her managerial position and from her office as a prosecutor, the Justice Ministry's press of»»»

Thursday's media coverage was dominated by disputes over the draft State Budget for 2026, fiscal policy, and public spending, with politicians, economists, and government representatives clashing over deficits, expenditure priorities, and the sustainability of public finances. STATE BUDGET In an in»»»

Caraballeda, Venezuela: Andrea Canonico focused on her breathing to stay calm as she lay trapped under a building that had crumbled during the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week. Just 23 years old, Canonico spent almost 48 hours in the same position before being pulled out -- »»»

A longtime aide to Bill Clinton who once claimed the former US president had visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island has now said he cannot remember why he made the allegation. Doug Band, one of Clinton’s closest advisers after he left the White House, told Vanity Fair in 2020 that the former pres»»»

The mercury tops 40C for days on end. So what do you do? Actually, that’s a trick question. I don’t really care what you do – and you shouldn’t care what I do, either. My body, my choice. It’s amazing how quickly that principle becomes negotiable when a liberticidal agenda of mass conformity and co»»»

US health authorities are struggling to identify the source of a foodborne illness that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. At least 145 people across 17 states have tested positive for the cyclospora cayetanensis parasite. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged t»»»

German prosecutors have charged the Ukrainian suspect in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines with a “war crime,” according to local media reports. The indictment was served on the suspect, identified by the media as former Ukrainian special forces member Sergey Kuznetsov, this week. »»»

A 75-year-old New Orleans man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus has been arrested after allegedly trying to meet someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual acts, police have announced. According to investigators, he contacted the supposed teenager through a dating app b»»»

BELGRADE - Secretary General at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dusan Kozarev received Greek Ambassador to Belgrade Maria Levadi on Wednesday. The parties affirmed the traditional friendship between Serbia and Greece and expressed a firm belief the 147-year-long rich diplomatic relations be»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the settlement of Piskunovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "As a result of the decisive actions of the units of Battlegroup Yug, the village of Piskunovka of the Donetsk People»»»

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: A young couple in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province were publicly caned on Thursday after an Islamic Shariah court convicted them of violating Islamic law by kissing during a TikTok livestream. Aceh’s Sharia court ordered the two people to be whipped with a rattan cane 2»»»

DUBAI: There’s nothing so comforting as a good cozy mystery. The stakes are high enough to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, but you’re also charmed and disarmed by the warmth and endless chuckles. “The Sheep Detectives” — now on Amazon Prime — understands that balance perfectly, deli»»»

Damascus, July 2 (SANA) Arab companies are expanding their presence in Syria and exploring new investment opportunities at a series of specialized trade fairs in Damascus, reflecting growing regional interest in the country’s industrial and commercial sectors. The exhibitions have brought together »»»

Beijing: For nearly a week, the question lingered: how did a light aircraft end up crashing into the tallest skyscraper in one of the world's most tightly controlled capitals? On Thursday, Chinese authorities offered an answer. They said the 66-year-old pilot had struggled with insomnia and anxiety»»»

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski has made numerous trips, many of them from Sofia to Istanbul before continuing to other destinations, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said on Thursday during a parliamentary hearing. The hearing concerned media reports about flights ta»»»