United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged international support for Syria on Saturday as he visited the country, which is in transition following years of war and the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Guterres is the first U.N. chief to visit Syria since his predecessor Ban»»»

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres touched down in Damascus Saturday for a three-day visit where he is expected to reaffirm support for the multi-confessional country's efforts to rebuild after more than a decade of bloody civil war.  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrive»»»

A United Nations committee on Friday inscribed a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a group of castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List, despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids. The decision at a U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cul»»»

US President Donald Trump publicly thanked Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev after Bulgaria approved the deployment of US tanker aircraft at Bezmer Air Base. In a brief post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Thank you Prime Minister Radev!" The message accompanied a shared»»»

Punch, the orphaned monkey at a Japanese zoo that stole many people's hearts by clinging to an orangutan plushie, is marking his first birthday with a flood of well-wishing messages from his fans around the world — even though he now has friends and is no longer holding on to the toy. Punch was aba»»»

Human rights organization Bir Duino—Kyrgyzstan issued a statement marking the anniversary of the death of human rights defender and journalist Azimzhan Askarov, who died on July 25, 2020, at correctional facility No. 47. The organization stated that Kyrgyz authorities have still not conducted an in»»»

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the city of Jizan in Saudi Arabia on Saturday as the fallout of the US-Israeli war against Iran spreads further across the Middle East. The Iran-backed group last week announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and has tar»»»

On Monday, July 20, Hungary officially entered a new political reality. For the first time in 16 years, the Fidesz party lost control of the country’s most important institution – its presidency. Viktor Orban’s last remaining pillar of power collapsed. The situation, initially perceived by Fidesz s»»»

Saudi Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Jaber said on Saturday that the Houthi militia has turned Yemen into a bargaining chip in the hands of foreign parties aiming to achieve their interests at the expense of its security and stability despite the suffering of its people. In a series of twee»»»

NEW DELHI: ‌The Indian government was set to begin a fresh round of talks on Saturday with leaders of a Gen-Z protest that led to disruptions in the ​capital this week, as demonstrators press a demand for the education minister to resign. The protests represent the biggest youth challenge to Prime »»»

ICHIKAWA: Punch, the orphaned monkey at a Japanese zoo that stole many people’s hearts by clinging to an orangutan plushie, is marking his first birthday with a flood of well-wishing messages from his fans around the world — even though he now has friends and is no longer holding on to the toy. Pun»»»

US President Donald Trump publicly thanked Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev after Bulgaria approved the deployment of US tanker aircraft at Bezmer Air Base. In a brief post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Thank you Prime Minister Radev!" The message accompanied a shared»»»

Canada: The UAE and Canada have announced the successful conclusion of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), reflecting the strength and depth of their growing bilateral economic relationship. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, and Manin»»»

Dubai: A fresh confrontation between the Philippines and China unfolded in the disputed South China Sea on July 24, with both countries accusing each other of provoking the latest maritime incident near Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has shared that Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ve»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Bank (QNB) said in its latest weekly economic commentary that while mounting structural headwinds continue to weigh on the US dollar's long-term outlook, cyclical factors remain the dominant drivers underpinning the currency's resilience against most major peers. The rep»»»

Fresh revelations have surfaced about one of the Hungarian state’s most opaque ventures in Africa’s Sahel region. Citing multiple independent sources, Magyar Hang reports that Gáspár Orbán was not merely a participant in the Chadian deployment but, from the outset, served as its commander in the ra»»»

Washington, USA: The US military said it had disabled an oil tanker after it attempted to breach the US-imposed blockade on Iranian ports. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said the tanker was disabled after its crew attempted to breach the blockade at least four»»»

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Syria on Saturday on the first visit by a chief of the global body since before the country's civil war erupted, state media reported. During the three-day visit, Guterres is set to reaffirm support for Syria's transition, more than a yea»»»

The WHO statement about the need to strengthen Central Asian countries’ preparations for strong earthquakes does not mean that Kyrgyzstan will definitely experience a powerful earthquake in the near future. Seismologist Kanatbek Abdrakhmatov told Erkin Too newspaper. According to him, the Institute»»»

Growing up with a chronically ill mother in a remote village in India, Rema Begum aspired to become a doctor until her dream was cut short by her own tragic death. After years of studying and costly coaching classes, the 20-year-old believed she had finally done enough to win a coveted seat at a go»»»

A United Nations committee voted Friday to inscribe a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a set of castles in southern Lebanon as World Heritage sites, despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids. The decision at a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultu»»»

Washington, United States: The US Department of Agriculture said Friday it will begin reopening cattle ports along the Mexican border next month, more than a year after a dispute over combating a parasite. President Donald Trump's administration announced in May 2025 a halt on imports of live cattl»»»

In a White House event on Friday, US President Donald J. Trump celebrated what he described as a "pivotal victory" for American energy dominance: multiple cutting-edge civilian nuclear reactors reaching operational “criticality” well ahead of an ambitious target set by his administration. The annou»»»

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday said it wants a clear “yes or no” response from the Centre on whether it will seek the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the group’s representatives are s»»»

US President Donald Trump addressed a packed room of journalists on Friday night at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner, saying “the show must go on” after a shooting forced the original event to be cancelled in April. “Let’s try this again,” WHCA President Weijia »»»

Dubai: Companies across the Middle East returned $29.2 billion to shareholders through dividends during the first quarter of 2026, with Saudi Arabia accounting for almost 84% of the regional total. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Underlying dividend payments in the reg»»»

Share: The U.S. government has begun the process of allowing American airlines to resume direct flights to Lebanon for the first time in more than four decades. However, flights will not begin immediately, as security assessments, regulatory approvals and airline decisions are still required before»»»

Officials in Uzbekistan have denied that a traffic police officer died in a motorcycle collision with a passenger car that took place after a Tashkent road was closed to make way for the presidential motorcade. Not long after the fatal crash (captured by this dashcam footage at about eight&nbs»»»

Share: A destroyed building, as Lebanese army troops deploy in the area following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, under a U.S.-brokered plan, in southern Lebanon, in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Lebanon July 22, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher Beirut- Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold their next round of»»»

RIYADH/SANAA: The Saudi-led coalition in ​Yemen said it carried out airstrikes targeting Houthi military sites in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Friday that were linked to attacks on Saudi shipping. “We carried out a proportionate military response operation against legitimate military targets»»»

Since the conflict between Iran and the United States began on February 28, more than 1,000 people have been arrested for attempting to document Iranian strikes in Jordan and Gulf countries allied with Washington. The governments of these countries have sought to deter the circulation of such image»»»

An agent watches the crowd from his car outside an ICE facility in Newark, N.J., where detainees started a hunger strike in May to protest what they call inhumane conditions inside the detention center. File Photo by Angelina Katsanis/UPI | License Photo July 24 (UPI) -- Congressional leaders on Fr»»»

LONDON: Across Syria’s war-scarred landscape, reconstruction efforts have largely centered on shattered cities and critical infrastructure, even as other initiatives aim to extend recovery beyond urban areas. One such effort, led by Saudi aid agency KSrelief and the UN Development Programme, is shi»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not decided on whether to launch major strikes on Iran yet, as Tehran was now getting “serious” in talks with Washington.His comments came after reports that an increasingly frustrated Trump was meeting senior advisers to discuss launchi»»»

Poland’s National Debt Register lists 1.9 mln consumers with a combined PLN 40.4 bln in overdue debt. The average debtor owes PLN 21,500, while people aged 36–55 account for 60% of all arrears. Debt collectors hear explanations ranging from genuine financial hardship and illness to forgotten deadli»»»

The Trump administration has announced new tariffs on imports from 60 trading partners, continuing its aggressive trade policy despite recent legal setbacks. Countries accused of failing to enforce forced-labor bans will face a 10% tariff, while most others will be subject to a 12.5% rate. European»»»

Soldiers stand watch at a Lebanese army checkpoint in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, southern Lebanon, on Friday. Zawtar al-Gharbiya is among the designated pilot zones under the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, from which Israeli forces are scheduled to withdraw. Photo by EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, »»»

President Donald Trump is pressuring Senate Republicans to plow ahead with a $95 billion budget framework before they leave for recess in August. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 24 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday pressured Senate Republicans to plow ahead with a $95 billion »»»

A person walks along a street flooded after the Bellavista Canal overflowed in the Mirador de la Hacienda neighborhood of La Serena, Chile, on Monday. President Jose Antonio Kast declared a state of constitutional exception of catastrophe for the Coquimbo Region and Huasco province in response to t»»»

The worst wildfire in the Madrid region's history raged west of the Spanish capital on Friday, with around 40,000 people evacuated or ordered to remain indoors. Strong winds and scorching temperatures hampered efforts to contain the flames, which had destroyed dozens of homes and forced the closure»»»

Washington: Since 2026 began, the United States has already recorded its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, according to official figures released Friday, a serious uptick in cases as vaccine hesitancy grows. In just seven months, 2,318 confirmed cases of the highly contagious illness have been re»»»

A nurse administers a measles vaccine to a child at a public health center in Nejapa, El Salvador, in April. The United States just reached a record high of measles cases this year. File Photo by Javier Aparicio/EPA July 24 (UPI) -- Measles cases have hit a record high in the United States since th»»»

The Ministry of Social Relations and Culture has terminated the employment of the directors of the Natural History Museum, the National Széchényi Library and the Museum of Applied Arts, following a comprehensive institutional review of cultural background institutions, aimed at ensuring workplace s»»»

The construction of a national children's hospital in Sofia remains a government priority despite the current legal deadlock, Health Minister Katya Ivkova told reporters on Friday. She said that the funding for the design of the future hospital, amounting to more than EUR 46 million, is included in»»»

The Ansar Allah movement of Yemen (the Houthis) has announced what it calls a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, framed the move as retaliation for what he described as 12 years of Saudi-led blockade by sea and air against Yemen. The wording itself»»»

TUNIS: At least 900 fires broke out in Tunisia over a 72-hour period, a senior official told AFP on Friday, as the country grapples with an intense heatwave. Civil protection official Khalil Mechri said most of the blazes recorded between July 20 and 22 had been extinguished, though two major ones »»»

GENEVA: IOC member and FIFA leader Gianni Infantino will not have to explain to the Olympic body how US President Donald Trump helped to stop a player’s ban at the World Cup. The IOC said on Friday it has no jurisdiction to investigate Infantino’s alleged lack of political neutrality. A London-base»»»

JEDDAH: When the FIFA World Cup kicked off in USA, Mexico and Canada, billions of fans were glued to their screens. There were goals, controversies and last-minute dramas but the real magic was not just happening on the grass. Behind the scenes, engineers and tech companies had turned the tournamen»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned China and Russia on Friday against selling weapons to Iran — while saying he believed assurances from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin that they were not yet doing so. “Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my op»»»

LONDON: The United States has urged its citizens in the Middle East to exercise heightened caution, warning that the regional security environment remains volatile and could deteriorate further amid ongoing tensions. In a security alert issued on Friday, the US Embassy in Jerusalem said Americans i»»»