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 »»»

Dubai: For Jayakrishnan Kannan, a 31-year-old rigger from Kerala working in Saudi Arabia, buying a Big Ticket has become a shared tradition with friends. This week, that tradition has paid off when their group won Dh25,000 in Big Ticket's third weekly e-draw for June. Kannan has been one of four wi»»»

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»»»

Support for Hungary joining the eurozone is exceptionally high, at around 70–75%, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said at a press conference in Budapest on Friday following talks with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, president of the Eurogroup, the finance ministers' body of the eurozone. He stressed that meeting»»»

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»»»

RIYADH: Startups across the Middle East and North Africa region secured multiple funding rounds and attracted several notable acquisitions across diverse sectors last week, highlighting the region’s continued appeal to global investors. This momentum builds on a record-breaking 2025, when MENA star»»»

It is proposed to approve a new regulation on radioecological monitoring of former uranium production sites, radioactive tailing dumps, and radioactive waste disposal sites after reclamation in Kyrgyzstan. A draft Cabinet of Ministers resolution has been submitted for public comment. The document e»»»

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»»»

Warm milk. Warm food. The bottle of water that you placed at 7 am is still lukewarm by the end of the day, ruining your hopes of an ice-cold drink after battling traffic for an hour. Warm, warm, and warmer. Well, the universe isn’t against you, but your refrigerator is waving a white flag. In 45 de»»»

Dubai: For many expatriates, arriving in the UAE marks the beginning of an uncertain chapter. There are dreams to pursue, sacrifices to make, and countless challenges to overcome. When Filipino expat Francis Diesto Danganan landed in the UAE in 2003, he was carrying the same hopes shared by million»»»

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»»»

Below is the full text of the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement brokered by the Trump administration as published by Axios journalist Barak Ravid: TRILATERAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE STATE OF ISRAEL, AND THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON The Government of Israel and the Government»»»

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»»»

⁠US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday a framework agreement between ‌Israel ⁠and Lebanon ‌following talks held ⁠in Washington. Nada Hamadeh, ambassador of Lebanon to the United States described the framework as "a first step on the road of restoring Lebanese sovereignty and terri»»»

Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries. The agreement -- which officials said includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of two areas»»»

While France confirmed its first case of Ebola, reports of people successfully treated for the condition are also emerging from Mongbwalu, the epicentre of the epidemic in the eastern part of the DRC. Although successful treatments are sparking hope among teams on the ground, health professionals r»»»

NEW YORK CITY: When Anandita Philipose, the UN Population Fund’s representative in Lebanon, visited a Beirut shelter in the first days of the crisis, she met a woman who was heavily pregnant, days from her due date, displaced, and entirely alone in a system she no longer recognized. “She didn’t kno»»»

PHILADELPHIA, USA: Ghana star Antoine Semenyo says his team needs ‌to “gang around the referee” more often after his side’s potential penalty shot against England on Tuesday went unreviewed. The Black Stars earned a historic 0-0 draw against the Three Lions in Group L. With a win or draw against Cr»»»

Dust in the Caribbean on visible satellite Friday morning. (NOAA/CIRA) It's Saharan dust season in the Atlantic, the time of year when massive clouds of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert are carried westward by winds, sometimes traveling thousands of miles to the United States. Where is the dust now»»»

CALEFORNIA, USA: Co-hosts Canada and South Africa clash on Sunday in the first of the last-32 ties at the World Cup, both entering unfamiliar territory without any prior experience of the tournament’s knockout stages. For Canada, it is the first time they have advanced past the group stage in three»»»

KINSHASA: The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 300 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a little over one month after it was declared, health authorities said on Friday. The deadly viral disease, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe bleeding and organ »»»

The World Gymnastics organization should impose an appropriate penalty on the “renegades” who ignore their policy of “sport must be separate from politics”, journalist Rick Sterling tells Sputnik. If this violation is not penalized, “it will mean the further breakdown of international standards and»»»

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem seen in June 19, 2024. He spoke in a televised speech Friday, marking Ashura, the culmination of a 10-day mourning period observed by Shiite Muslims. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/UPI BEIRUT, June 26 (UPI) -- Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said »»»

The disruption to global energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East has triggered an unexpected resurgence in coal demand, as energy security fears outweigh Climate Crisis commitments. Coal prices and consumption both rose following disruptions to natural gas supplies from the Gulf, r»»»

The EU has effectively separated the accession trajectories of Ukraine and Moldova, with each country now expected to advance towards membership at its own pace after the opening of the first negotiating cluster, reported European Pravda. The shift reflects a more explicitly “merit-based” approach »»»

Quito: Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declared Friday a holiday after the national team reached the World Cup knock-out stages by beating four-time champions Germany 2-1 in their final group match. "Thank you to the players and to the coach (Sebastian Beccacece) who, in spite of the critics, insult»»»

DURBAN: Thousands of Malawian migrants queued for processing at a makeshift camp in the South African city of Durban this week while hundreds of Zimbabweans slept on the pavement outside their consulate in Cape Town. All had the same goal: to leave South Africa before nationwide anti-immigrant prot»»»

In Brief Mongolia’s dependence on Russian fuel gives it short-term supply stability but leaves it structurally exposed. Russia’s temporary petrol export ban spared Mongolia through bilateral arrangements, underscoring the strength of the relationship while revealing the risks of relying on Moscow. »»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE announced the success of a new mediation effort between Russia and Ukraine that resulted in the exchange of 320 prisoners, with 160 Russian and 160 Ukrainian captives released. The latest exchange brings the total number of prisoners swapped through UAE-mediated efforts between t»»»

CALIFORNIA, USA: The United States only wanted to get through their final World Cup group stage match Thursday night without an injury or a red card, while Turkiye were playing for a face-saving victory to end a dismal tournament. Both teams got what they wanted most out of their meaningless meetin»»»

Tensions in the Kremlin are rising as the economy tanks and trust in the president is starting to wane. There is a growing consensus it’s high time to end the war in Ukraine. Two factions have appeared and are vying for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attention: the doves that want to freeze the»»»

The Central European University (CEU) could once again offer degree programmes in Budapest, nearly eight years after relocating its US-accredited courses to Vienna. University representatives say CEU is preparing to become a dual-campus institution, with accredited programmes operating in both Aust»»»

LONDON: As governments move to tighten rules around children’s access to social media, Saudi users appear to be sending a different message: not rejection, but growing caution, selectiveness and a demand for stronger guardrails. In the Arab world, the discussion has become more visible following re»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov said that Bulgaria has an interest in restoring its full membership in the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, where most Bulgarian experts in nuclear sciences received their education. During Friday's Question Time in Parliament, Hristo said that th»»»

In Brief Mongolia’s dependence on Russian fuel gives it short-term supply stability but leaves it structurally exposed. Russia’s temporary petrol export ban spared Mongolia through bilateral arrangements, underscoring the strength of the relationship while revealing the risks of relying on Moscow. »»»

The Russian government has been hit by a double whammy, forced to boost crude exports just as prices tumble following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, due to sustained Ukrainian drone strikes on key facilities reducing its refining throughput. Russia is exporting crude oil at its fastest pace»»»

Germany’s new military registration program has fallen disastrously short of the numbers expected by the Bundeswehr, Die Zeit has reported, citing data from the Defense Ministry. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in April that the size of the German military should increase from the current 184»»»

LOS ANGELES, USA: A mouthwatering duel between in-form goalscorers Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will take center stage at the World Cup on Friday as France face Norway in a crucial Group I decider. Real Madrid star Mbappe and Manchester City striker Haaland have started the tournament in bliste»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions that Syria’s new leader, Ahmad Sharaa, can better curb Iran-backed Hezbollah than Israel have alarmed Lebanon and Syria. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated suggestion»»»

As Keir Starmer prepares to leave the UK’s highest office after less than two years, the media has lined up to explain why he failed to deliver on the enormous hype he received as opposition leader, and during his initial months in office. A repeated trope has been that Starmer was a “decent man,” »»»

Ukraine will seek to secure more than €1.5bn in reconstruction agreements at this week's Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2026) in the Polish city of Gdańsk, with railways, ports, energy infrastructure and private investment expected to dominate the agenda as Kyiv looks to strengthen the economy aga»»»

Doha, Qatar: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the highest-scoring edition in the tournament's history, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals set during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The milestone was reached during the tournament's 59th match, the Group D clash between the United States»»»