The American Express Times
Friday, July 3, 2026
Putin bombs cities he covets
Russian forces have escalated bombardments on key cities in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, driving thousands of civilians to flee Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and surrounding areas amid continued missile and drone attacks. Despite heavy damage and ongoing evacuations, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold these strategic locations, underscoring Kyiv’s determination to resist Russian advances in the protracted conflict.
★ Featured Stories
What to do with the dead?
Venezuela is struggling to identify and manage thousands of victims from recent devastating earthquakes amid overwhelmed forensic facilities and rising death tolls possibly nearing 4,000.…
Dollars flow again to Iraq as U.S. eases punitive measures
The United States has resumed partial shipments of U.S. dollars to Iraq after suspending them for several months to pressure Baghdad to limit Iranian influence…
We need to retrofit the planet
Europe endured a record-breaking heat wave last week that caused over a thousand deaths and significant infrastructure damage across several countries. Scientists warn that due…
Saudi leader clashed with Trump amid Iran conflict
Saudi Arabia refused U.S. military access to its airspace for a key operation against Iran, signaling a more independent approach amid rising tensions between the…
★ All Stories
The best movies of 2026 (so far)
Steven Spielberg’s thriller “Disclosure Day,” along with notable films like Steven Soderbergh’s drama “The Christophers” and Netflix’s post-pandemic sequel “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,”…
India, UAE groups sign pact for $11.5bn Indian aluminium project
India’s Adani Group and Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company have agreed to invest $11.5 billion in a major aluminium project in Odisha, marking the largest…
Google loses fight against record €4.1bn EU fine
The Court of Justice of the European Union upheld a €4.1 billion antitrust fine against Google for abusing its dominance by mandating Android device manufacturers…
Deputy Prime Minister Visits Amiri Guard Camp
Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani visited the Amiri Guard Camp and was briefed on its advanced facilities and equipment.…
Qatar Airways Launches Inaugural Flights to Port Sudan
Qatar Airways has launched three weekly flights to Port Sudan Airport, expanding its African network with connections through its Doha hub. This new route enhances…
Monuments fenced off for festivities
Several key landmarks in Washington, including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and Lafayette Park, remain fenced off and under renovation ahead of the U.S. 250th…
You’re going to get hacked. Abandon your shame.
Cybersecurity experts report that advances in artificial intelligence are enabling hackers to carry out more convincing attacks on personal accounts, increasing risks for individuals beyond…
'Sinatra: The Musical' offers the hits but lacks pizzazz
“Sinatra: The Musical” opened last week at London’s Aldwych Theatre, featuring Frank Sinatra’s iconic songs in a biographical production directed by Kathleen Marshall. Despite strong…
‘Kuwait’s KPC asks some oil pipeline bidders to form consortiums’
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has asked global investment funds bidding for a $7 billion stake in its oil pipeline network to form consortiums by including smaller…
Seoul’s Kospi tanks as Asia tech firms suffer another blow
Asian stock markets fell sharply on Thursday, led by an intense sell-off in semiconductor stocks, with South Korea’s Kospi index dropping nearly 8% amid concerns…
Minister of Education Approves Secondary School Exam Results
HE Lolwah Al Khater, Qatar's Minister of Education and Higher Education, approved the first-round results of the General Secondary Certificate exams for the 2025–2026 academic…
Indian Embassy and IBPC Celebrate Success of Indian Mango Festival 2026
The Embassy of India in Qatar and IBPC Qatar held a ceremony to celebrate the successful third edition of the Indian Mango Festival 2026, which…
21 Killed, Scores Injured After Russia Batters Kiev Overnight
Russian forces launched a massive overnight assault on Kiev involving nearly 570 aerial weapons, killing at least 21 people and damaging residential buildings and critical…
Sony to Stop Releasing PlayStation Games on Discs
Sony will stop releasing new PlayStation games on physical discs beginning January 2028, making all new titles available solely through digital distribution. This shift signals…
Late drama across last-32 games adds to wild World Cup ride
Belgium rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Senegal in extra time during the World Cup round of 32, with Youri Tielemans scoring the winning…
Tolerance to fentanyl has soared among users
A study in Los Angeles found that long-term fentanyl users have developed extremely high tolerance levels, making existing opioid withdrawal treatments like buprenorphine and methadone…
U.S.A.I.D. cuts killed people. That's the truth.
Recent cuts to USAID funding have been linked by experts and aid workers to thousands of preventable deaths, especially among children in developing countries. This…
It wasn’t Bill Maher who stole the show
Bill Maher received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in an event notably marked by the absence and ongoing shadow…
Wall Street’s aging bull meets an ‘everlasting’ US economic expansion
The U.S. economy has avoided a significant cyclical recession for nearly 17 years since mid-2009, marking the longest expansion period in history when excluding the…
Ministry of Justice Launches Upgraded Official Website
Qatar’s Ministry of Justice launched an upgraded official website that centralizes legal resources and electronic services, featuring a user-friendly design and interactive tools. This development…
US Diplomat Advocates Taiwan Drone Deterrence Strategy
The U.S. top diplomat to Taiwan urged the island to bolster its defense by developing a dense network of air, surface, and underwater drones to…
More than 800 Heat-Related Deaths in Germany So Far in 2026
Germany has recorded over 800 heat-related deaths so far in 2026, with the majority occurring among those aged 65 and older, according to the Robert…
Right focuses its wrath on a justice who broke ranks
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with the liberal justices and Chief Justice Roberts to uphold mail-in voting extensions and protect birthright citizenship, decisions…
Software giant believes workers can reinvent jobs
SAP is integrating artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks and reshape employee roles toward more creative and strategic work rather than cutting jobs. This approach…
We’re only starting to grasp the pitfalls of A.I. at work
Some companies are formally integrating AI agents as employees within their organizational structures, but research shows managers are less likely to scrutinize AI-generated work for…
What Zionism has always meant
Zionism is the belief in the Jewish people's right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland, which led to the establishment of Israel in 1948 as…
We need to retrofit the planet
Northern European countries are struggling to cope with increasingly frequent and severe heat waves due to limited air-conditioning infrastructure and urban designs ill-suited for high…
More older couples calling it quits
Divorce rates among Americans aged 50 and older have increased significantly in recent decades, with nearly 40 percent of divorces now occurring in this age…
Endless worlds
Amitav Ghosh’s new novel "Ghost-Eye" centers on a young girl in 1969 Calcutta who claims to be a reincarnated fisherwoman, intertwining themes of spirituality, environmental…
Visa turns smartphones into ‘new cash register’ for small merchants
Visa has launched a mobile payment solution that allows small businesses in emerging markets, including Qatar, to turn smartphones into payment terminals without additional hardware.…
Qatar bourse awaits H1 results as index targets 10,710 level
The Qatar Stock Exchange index dropped 0.69% last week, weighed down by declines in five sectors, with transportation falling the most and real estate posting…
US job growth slows in June; unemployment rate falls to 4.2% amid decline in labour force
U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by only 57,000 in June, well below expectations, with revisions to previous months showing slower job growth and a drop in…
German drone maker raises $1.2bn as investors pile into defence
Quantum Systems, a German drone maker, secured $1.2 billion in funding, boosting its valuation to $8 billion and attracting major investors like Blackstone and Airbus.…
In sweltering city, they sweat to keep others cool
Air-conditioning technicians in Chicago are working extended hours to handle a surge in repairs and maintenance amid a heat wave with temperatures reaching the mid-90s…
Here’s what doctors say you should know about keeping your eyes safe
Ophthalmologists stress the importance of protecting eyes from UVA and UVB radiation to prevent conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration, and eyelid skin cancer. Consumers are…
EGA ramps up recovery at aluminium complex damaged in Iranian strikes
Emirates Global Aluminium is progressing with the recovery of its Al Taweelah aluminium complex after Iranian missile strikes, restarting production ahead of schedule though full…
OpenAI proposes handing Trump administration 5% stake, says report
OpenAI has proposed giving the U.S. government a 5% ownership stake in the company as part of discussions encouraging other American AI firms to consider…