MEXICO CITY: The World Cup kicks off on Thursday with FIFA betting that the enduring appeal of the greatest footballing show on earth can rise above anger at soaring ticket prices, an uneasy political climate in Donald Trump’s America and the shadow of conflict in the Middle East. A record 48 teams»»»

CAIRO: Members of Palestinian factions including Hamas agreed in principle for Gaza’s armed groups to hand over parts of their arsenals to a yet-to-be-created, ad hoc Palestinian entity during talks in Cairo, Palestinian sources told AFP on Tuesday. Such a proposal has almost no chance of being acc»»»

Draft resolutions calling for the early termination of the terms of office of Petko Stefanovski, Director of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and Deputy Director Momchil Mavrov have been submitted to the National Assembly by the Progressive Bulgaria (PB) parliamentary group, according to »»»

Many of Argentina's country's leading shopping mall operators to expand capacity to meet growing demand for retail space. File Photo by Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EPA BUENOS AIRES, June 9 (UPI) -- International fashion, luxury and sports brands are accelerating expansion into Argentina after years of a»»»

Stocks and Shares ISAs are among the most beginner-friendly options if you’re planning on taking your first steps into the world of investing, but what measures can you take to ensure that you don’t feel out of your depth when opening an account? Individual savings accounts, or ISAs, can be a highl»»»

Members of Palestinian factions including Hamas agreed in principle for Gaza's armed groups to hand over parts of their arsenals to a yet-to-be-created, ad hoc Palestinian entity during talks in Cairo, Palestinian sources told AFP on Tuesday. Such a proposal has almost no chance of being accepted b»»»

The new production capacity includes five completely new lines dedicated to the METIGLA EDGE rectangular rainwater drainage system, covering the entire process—from gutters and downspouts to accessories and fasteners. The lines were developed entirely by the in-house R&D team and are designed to pr»»»

NAIROBI: Victims of alleged atrocities linked to the war in Sudan on Tuesday asked prosecutors in Kenya to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence by members of a notorious paramilitary group. It is the first attempt to prosecute members of the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, the param»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said negotiations over a peace deal to end the Middle East war were in their final stages, after Iran and Israel halted attacks that threatened to reignite the months-long conflict. Iran fired missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to strikes against Lebanon»»»

Dubai: Anthropic has released the most powerful artificial intelligence model in its history to the public, a significant step further intensifying race among AI developers to deliver increasingly capable systems while addressing mounting concerns over safety and misuse. The San Francisco-based com»»»

Optimism has grown following the latest round of US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel and the announcement of a new ceasefire agreement. The accord stipulates that no state or non-state actor should be allowed to hold Lebanon hostage; an implicit reference to Tehran and Hezbollah, though ne»»»

Sharjah: In a renewed effort to safeguard young people from the dangers of narcotics, Sharjah Police has launched a month-long awareness campaign aimed at combating drug abuse and strengthening public understanding of the risks associated with narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The initiat»»»

A US Army Apache helicopter was reported to have gone down near the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, amid heightened regional tensions. US President Donald Trump said the aircraft was shot down by Iran and that Washington “must respond”, although there has been no independent confirma»»»

The Russian border municipality hopes for a boost in military investments and has joined a federal association of closed military towns. However, Pechenga is unlikely to see a major military buildup in the near future. "Joining the association is an important step toward the long-term, sustainable »»»

CAIRO — Egypt’s forthcoming update to its State Ownership Policy Document is expected to reignite debate over how the country values strategic state assets, a question that could influence billions of dollars of future privatizations, public offerings and foreign investment transactions. According »»»

India has effectively put on hold the final approvals needed for Elon Musk’s Starlink to begin commercial satellite internet services in the country, amid security concerns linked to its reported use during the Iran conflict, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, security agencies under the »»»

AMMAN — As Jordan accelerates its digital transformation and strengthens its position as a regional fintech hub, building consumer trust in online payments remains one of the most important challenges facing the sector, according to Mario Makary, Vice President and Levant Country Manager at Visa.In»»»

Victims of alleged atrocities linked to the war in Sudan on Tuesday asked prosecutors in Kenya to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence by members of a notorious paramilitary group. It is the first attempt to prosecute members of the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, the paramilitary g»»»

Award-winning football referee Omar Artan, the first Somali national to officiate at a FIFA World Cup finals tournament, has been denied entry to the US. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, has faced scrutiny well before kickoff over a range of organizati»»»

Who is the Somali referee barred from entering the US for the World Cup? 12 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRob Stevens,BBC Sport AfricaandAbdinasir Ali,BBC Somali Getty ImagesOmar Artan became a Fifa referee in 2018 after working his way through the ranks of the Somali and African ga»»»

Ukraine has signed a drone deal with Latvia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday as he met with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs on the sidelines of a summit between Ukraine and Nordic and Baltic states in the Estonian capital Tallinn. "These are concrete things to strengthen our jo»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s economy reached a new milestone in 2025 as real gross domestic product expanded to $1.31 trillion, driven increasingly by non-oil sectors that now account for 55 per cent of economic output, according to the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2025 Annual Report. The report »»»

Members of Palestinian factions including Hamas agreed in principle for Gaza's armed groups to hand over parts of their arsenals to a yet-to-be-created, ad hoc Palestinian entity during talks in Cairo, Palestinian sources told AFP on Tuesday. Such a proposal has almost no chance of being accepted b»»»

Tunis, June 9 (TAP) - The number of deaths caused by road accidents in Tunisia has risen from the start of the year to the end of May 2026, despite a decrease in the total number of accidents, information officer for the National Road Safety...»»»

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama vowed to press ahead with a billion-dollar luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner despite nine days of protests. Rama described the development as a major investment opportunity, rejecting claims that the government was selling public land. In an interview wi»»»

MOGADISHU: Somalia has defended its referee Omar Artan after he was denied entry to the United States, preventing him from becoming the first Somali official to officiate at a World Cup finals. In a statement on Tuesday, Somalia’s Ministry of Sports expressed “deep regret” over Artan’s denial of en»»»

1 of 3 | Four-term Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., faces five challengers in Tuesday's Republican primary. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election on June 23. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 9 (UPI) -- Five-Term Republican S»»»

There’s an old treaty that, if you have signed up to it, says that you can’t spread nuclear weapons. So, if you don’t have any nukes and you sign the treaty, you can’t get any. Simple as that. You’d think. But leave it to the West, with all its ‘values’ and ‘rules-based order’ to, you know, not rea»»»

Bulgaria does not intend to provide additional weapons to Ukraine, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced while outlining the priorities of the Ministry of Defense during the current government’s mandate. Speaking at a press conference, Stoyanov argued that the conflict has reached a stage whe»»»

BusinessNorth AmericaWhy Anthropic has the edge over OpenAI in IPO raceNicolas MartinThe rivalry between Sam Altman and Dario Amodei is entering a new phase. Both AI bosses are planning public listings and hope to use the money to outpace each other in the race to build superintelligent AI. https:/»»»

Last week, I ordered groceries from my phone, paid a utility bill online, renewed a subscription in minutes, and asked an AI tool to summarise a report that would once have taken hours to read. The entire sequence took less than 15 minutes. Twenty years ago, the same tasks would have required phone»»»

MANILA: When reports of an assault by Israeli tourists at a restaurant in Siargao made headlines nationwide, it was not the first such incident to take place on the southern Philippine island in recent months. This time, however, it went viral, with an increasing number of Filipino influencers call»»»

Cairo — Egyptian stocks retreated as investors locked in profits following recent gains, but market attention increasingly shifted toward a growing pipeline of listings, corporate restructuring plans and renewed Gulf financial support that could reshape Egypt’s capital markets over the coming year.»»»

Capitals, June 9 (SANA) Global financial markets moved cautiously on Tuesday as oil prices declined, the US dollar strengthened and gold traded near stable levels amid continued monitoring of developments in the Middle East. According to Reuters, crude oil prices fell after reports that Iran and Is»»»

BusinessNorth AmericaWhy Anthropic has edge over OpenAI in IPO raceNicolas MartinThe rivalry between Sam Altman and Dario Amodei is entering a new phase. Both AI bosses are planning public listings and hope to use the money to outpace each other in the race to build superintelligent AI. https://p.d»»»

While Iran and Israel have stopped trading fire against each other, Israeli forces continue to attack Lebanon, a move viewed as a redline by Tehran. Diplomacy is ongoing,&nbs»»»

Bakyt Torobaev, the Special Representative of the President of Kyrgyzstan for Special Assignments, paid a working visit to Batken region, the office of Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the region reported. As part of the visit, he took part in a meeting on the development of a regiona»»»

QUETTA: An acid attack against a woman doctor has sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s medical sector, sparking strikes and a protest Tuesday demanding safety and justice for the victim. A man threw acid at Mahnoor Nasir at her hospital in the southern city of Quetta on Saturday, causing burns to sev»»»

During the election campaign, Péter Magyar pledged to prioritise the creation of high value-added jobs, while gradually sending home guest workers from third countries and favouring Hungary’s domestic labour reserves. Yet employers insist that foreign workers remain indispensable. According to labo»»»

Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov has accused previous administrations of allowing major delays in the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, saying the Ministry of Defense inherited stalled projects, missed opportunities for domestic industry, and serious problems related to military infrast»»»

Greek coastal authorities are increasingly removing umbrellas, sunbeds, and other items left overnight on public beaches in an effort to stop illegal space “reservation” by tourists. In popular coastal regions such as Halkidiki, municipal teams are clearing beaches early in the morning, often using»»»

A Ukrainian Sea Baby unmanned surface vessel exploded near Berth 78 in Romania’s Constanța Port on June 5, triggering fresh tensions over the management of security incidents spilling over from the war in Ukraine and exposing apparent shortcomings in communications between Kyiv and Bucharest. Accor»»»

DUBAI: Israeli ministers have authorized the military forces to strike Beirut in response to any rocket fire emanating from Lebanon and crosses into the country’s territory, media reports say. Israel’s security cabinet decided Monday morning that any rocket fire from Lebanon that crosses into Israe»»»

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Nithya Raman, a left-wing candidate who ran on a democratic socialist platform will face incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral election in November. Her surprise primary success knocks the Trump-backed Republican candidate Spencer Pr»»»

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been ruled out of officiating at the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, FIFA said Monday, in a decision that prevents him from becoming the first Somali official to referee at the tournament. Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan»»»

Israel struck the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Tuesday, according to Lebanese state media, after warning residents of the city and its surrounding areas to evacuate ahead of possible strikes. The attack came a day after Iran warned it would resume attacks on Israel if it kept striking Lebanon.»»»

The Peace Corps Mission in the Kyrgyz Republic today welcomed 27 new American teachers who are beginning their training to serve as volunteers. The U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic announced. Upon completion of their training, the volunteer interns will contribute to the development of English l»»»

In tonight's programme: The number of Ebola cases hits 550 in DR Congo as the WHO chief praises neighbouring Uganda for its response to the outbreak. Also, in Nigeria, the military says it has rescued over 400 women and children from Boko Haram extremists after they were abducted in May. And the co»»»

Prices of fuel and lubricants have increased again in Kyrgyzstan. As of June 9, the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel has gone up by an average of 1 som per liter. This is not the first increase in fuel prices in recent months. Earlier, authorities stated their intention to curb fuel price growth th»»»

The EU has invited Taliban representatives to Brussels for technical talks on deportations, which could take place before the summer. This despite worries that such talks could normalise the Taliban, on top of legal and human rights concerns about sending people back to the country. Critics say tha»»»