Russia has intensified covert efforts to undermine Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the June general election, according to Western intelligence and government officials quoted by Reuters, amid growing concern in Moscow that his re-election could cement the South Caucasus state’s sh»»»

South Africa made to look like fools after World Cup visa issues, says minister Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google AFP via Getty ImagesSouth Africa's final home friendly on Friday ended in a 0-0 draw against Nicaragua South Africa's sports minister has demanded an explanation following rep»»»

Russia has intensified covert efforts to undermine Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the June general election, according to Western intelligence and government officials quoted by Reuters, amid growing concern in Moscow that his re-election could cement the South Caucasus state’s sh»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran. Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and open the»»»

Budapest police say the Champions League final Budapest security operation was completed “successfully”, with only a limited number of interventions despite the massive crowds drawn to the city for Saturday night’s PSG–Arsenal final at the Puskás Aréna. In a Sunday morning statement, the Budapest P»»»

The Euphrates River flood has forced Syria’s government into a swift push toward the eastern provinces, not only to contain rising water levels, but also to narrow the gap between residents there and the central administration in Damascus. Some citizens accuse the government of looking only at the »»»

ISTANBUL: US rapper ‌Kanye West, who has been barred from performing in several countries due to past antisemitic comments, drew ​more than 100,000 fans to a concert in Istanbul on Saturday night.West, also known as Ye, has faced a wave of cancelations across Europe this summer following years of a»»»

Activists in southern Lebanon have opened the first political confrontation with Hezbollah, issuing two appeals in the names of Tyre and Nabatieh that call for the cities to be declared “free of weapons” and placed “under the authority and protection of the Lebanese state.” Their aim is to protect »»»

Los Angeles, United States: Son Heung-min ended his goal drought with a double as South Korea warmed up for the World Cup by hammering Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in a friendly on Saturday. The 33-year-old has faced growing questions about his faltering form after scoring only twice for his club Los An»»»

RIYADH: The Middle East’s economic resilience is being tested by the Iran war, with Fitch Ratings warning that “significant risks” from the conflict could trigger broader rating downgrades across the region. The ratings agency said no Middle East issuer has been downgraded since the conflict escala»»»

A wave of Israeli assassinations targeting commanders of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, has thrown the movement and its military command into greater difficulty. Filling the vacuum at the top of Qassam’s general staff has become harder at what Hamas sees as the most perilous stage in its hi»»»

Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter century, bragging about planting the flag on the medieval fortress of Beaufort. The capture of Beaufort near the city of Nabat»»»

Beirut: Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter century, the military said Sunday. The capture of Beaufort castle near the city of Nabatiyeh came after days of intens»»»

DAKAR, Senegal: When Senegalese farmer Abou Sow first watched US missiles strike Iran on social media, he had a sinking feeling it would soon affect agriculture in the West African nation. Since the war began on Feb. 28, fertilizer prices have risen by 40 percent. Sow was better prepared than most.»»»

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the flamingo’s status as a newcomer to the Venetian Lagoon than the fact that the local dialect has no word for them. But the pale pink birds — called “fenicotteri” in Italian — are now flocking to Venice in record numbers, as ecological efforts to restore damaged»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality announced that a total of 14,584 sacrificial animals had undergone veterinary inspection at slaughterhouses across Qatar by 6pm on Friday, the third day of Eid Al-Adha. The inspections were conducted through 12 slaughterhouses operating in various regions o»»»

Makkah, Saudi Arabia: The Hajj season for the year 1447 AH is thoroughly devoid of any epidemic outbreaks or threats that affect public health, the Saudi Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement yesterday. The statement added that the general health conditions of pilgrims have been stable and as»»»

Doha, Qatar: In recent decades, Southeast Asia has been the most dynamic region in the world, showcasing the brightest economic growth performance. Within this region, the six largest countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN-6), which includes Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, M»»»

BEIJING: China’s military and coast guard said they carried out patrols near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Sunday, a day after the Philippine defense minister said Manila remained under threat from Beijing despite a recent easing in US-China tensions. Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia’»»»

Budapest: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique described his team’s second UEFA Champions League triumph as “even bigger” than their maiden European title a year ago, after the French club edged Arsenal on penalties in a tense final yesterday. “It is even bigger because we knew of the difficultie»»»

A British man disappeared from a Budapest hospital yesterday to watch the Champions League final at the Puskás Arena. British football fan chooses Puskás Aréna over Budapest hospital Police have successfully made contact with a British man left in a life-threatening condition following an electric »»»

Egypt’s airports play a part in the nation’s economic modernization. Facilities such as Cairo International, Hurghada, and Sharm El-Sheikh serve as gateways for millions of travelers each year. Yet, their operational frameworks remain inefficient, limiting Egypt’s ability to fully leverage its geog»»»

US President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran. Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and open the S»»»

The planned withdrawal of US military aircraft from Sofia Airport is linked to a broader NATO rotational strategy and not to pressure from Prime Minister Rumen Radev over the issue of visas for Bulgarian citizens, according to information surrounding the deployment and previously agreed timelines. »»»

US President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons. Trump has said his priorities for any deal include stopping Iran from any nuclear weapon development and re-opening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. "The one guarantee that I have to have is»»»

Famine pockets are emerging in Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen, amid an unprecedented deterioration of living and economic conditions and severe funding shortfalls, threatening to slide millions of Yemenis into catastrophic levels of food insecurity, recent UN data showed. In its Yemen Ma»»»

In the little-known constituency of Makerfield in northern England, the leadership of the United Kingdom for the next three years could soon be decided, because a win for the Labour candidate could decide the leadership of the Labour Party, which currently governs the country with a large parliamen»»»

Australian researchers have trained lab-grown brain cells on a silicon computer chip to play the nineties shooter game "Doom" and say they are just scratching the surface of what the neurons could be capable of doing. It's the science-fiction work of biotech boffins at Cortical Labs, who researched»»»

MELBOURNE: Australian researchers have trained lab-grown brain cells on a silicon computer chip to play the nineties shooter “Doom” and say they are just scratching the surface of what the neurons could be capable of doing. It’s the science-fiction work of biotech boffins at Cortical Labs, who rese»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has sought tougher terms in a proposed agreement to extend the ceasefire with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, US media reported on Saturday, as negotiations remained unresolved despite high-level talks at the White House. According to The New York Times, Tru»»»

Russia is considering a substantial investment in its precious metals reserves, amounting to 51 billion rubles (approximately $535.5 million) over the next three years. This initiative, highlighted in the Russian government’s Draft Federal Budget released on September 30, signals an ambitious plan »»»

Share: Reports suggest Washington and Tehran may have reached a memorandum of understanding vis-a-vis Hormuz, despite contradicting public statements. The United States and Iran are still inching towards a deal to extend the ceasefire in the Middle East war and provide a framework for longer-term p»»»

WASHINGTON: The US military stopped a merchant vessel trying to break through its blockade of Iranian ports by firing a missile into its engine room, the US Central Command said on Saturday.The Gambia-flagged cargo ship Lian Star ignored more than 20 warnings from US forces overnight as it tried to»»»

CARACAS: Venezuela’s Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate who was recognized by the United States and others as the actual winner of the 2024 election against Nicolas Maduro, called Saturday for a new vote. The 76-year-old former diplomat, who is living in exile in Spain, also express»»»

Ethiopia is heading to the polls, but not everyone can vote 12 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKaleb MogesBBC Africa AFP via Getty Images Ethiopia's general election takes place on Monday as conflict rages in parts of the country, meaning many people will not be able to vote. In fact,»»»

Darlene Regis Stitching heritage into haute couture, Filipino international fashion designer Celso Collado Dahil has built a legacy that extends far beyond the runway. For more than two decades, Dahil has been a prominent figure in Qatar’s fashion scene, earning recognition for both his striking co»»»

Paris Saint-Germain retained their title in the Champions League final in Budapest, defeating Arsenal 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw and extra time in front of a capacity crowd at the Puskás Arena. It marked PSG’s second triumph in the competition, while Arsenal suffered defeat in only their sec»»»

LONDON: As the elevator doors opened right into the top floor of a luxurious flat on the famous Strand in London, I was humbly greeted by Othman Al-Omeir — a titan of Arab media and the founder and current editor of Elaph. There is a mythology that tends to gather around veteran editors like Al-Ome»»»

Dubai: Israeli authorities suspended in-person classes and imposed new restrictions across parts of northern Israel on Saturday following a sharp escalation in hostilities with Hezbollah, as cross-border exchanges of fire intensified despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this year. Kiryat S»»»

In Lebanon, Israeli forces have advanced further north. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says they have crossed the Litani river - a key reference point in Southern Lebanon marking the limit of a UN-monitored zone. Despite a ceasefire, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have contin»»»

While much of the international spotlight remains fixed on conflict in eastern DR Congo and renewed fears around Ebola outbreaks, some members of the Congolese diaspora are choosing to return home and invest. Jean Luc Luboya Tshishimbi, the CEO of Bio Happy Farms, shares his perspective – that of a»»»

Budapest: Paris Saint-Germain claimed back-to-back Champions League triumphs with a 4-3 shoot-out win over Arsenal following a 1-1 draw after extra time on Saturday, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missing from the spot. Mikel Arteta's Premier League champions showed great resilience to take the game»»»

AL QUAA DESERT, UAE: The gleaming skyscrapers and bright lights of the UAE draw the eyes of all who travel there, a sign of the nation’s rapid, oil-fueled development over the last few decades, turning it into a major hub for commerce and tourism. But something has been lost over that period: a cle»»»

BUDAPEST: Paris Saint-Germain claimed back-to-back Champions League triumphs with a 4-3 shoot-out win over Arsenal following a 1-1 draw after extra time on Saturday in Budapest, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missing from the spot. Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions showed great resilience to t»»»

PARIS: Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff lost in three sets to Austrian Anastasia Potapova to end to her Roland Garros title defense on Saturday. The fourth seed was defeated in the third round 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 by the 28th seed after being a break up in the deciding set. “I think I’ve had»»»

The main problem with large infrastructure projects lies in the way they are commissioned and executed, with state-owned entities lacking sufficient capacity often award contracts that are subsequently passed on to subcontractors, leading to higher costs, delays and weaker oversight, Regional Devel»»»

RIYADH: RIYADH: Global energy investment is projected to rise 5 percent to a record $3.4 trillion in 2026 despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with governments and companies accelerating efforts to diversify supply routes and strengthen energy security, according to an analysis. The Int»»»

RIYADH: For many Saudi volunteers, Hajj is not simply about organization, crowd management or guiding pilgrims through the holy sites. It is about witnessing fear turn into relief, confusion into reassurance, and strangers into people they may remain in touch with long after the pilgrimage ends. Ac»»»

The Hague: A cruise ship which sparked a global health alert over a deadly outbreak of hantavirus was on Saturday cleared to put to sea again after cleaning and disinfection. "From a public health perspective, there are no longer any obstacles to putting the Hondius back to sea," the public health »»»

Share: Illustration: At every crossroads in history, America has faced the same choice: stand with power, or stand with the principles that made America The controversy surrounding Tom Barrack raises a larger question: Does Washington still seek to promote democracy and human rights in the Middle E»»»