MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Palestinian movement Hamas on Friday said that Israel must completely stop its strikes on the Gaza Strip in order to begin implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. "The [Israeli] occupation forces must stop the killings and attacks. This is the»»»

Hungary is entering what Prime Minister Péter Magyar has described as one of the country’s most serious energy crises in decades, with the most critical period expected to begin on Monday as the Paks Nuclear Power Plant moves closer to a possible full shutdown. Speaking at two emergency press brief»»»

The draft government decree establishing an interdepartmental coordination council on the National Children's Hospital has been published on the Health Ministry's website for a two-week public consultation. Speaking at a briefing at the Council of Ministers a few days ago, Health Minister Katya Ivk»»»

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: A Sri Lankan court on Friday sentenced former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara to death after finding him guilty of criminal negligence that allowed Daesh-inspired bomb attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019, killing more than 260 people. A death penalty in Sri Lanka typically means li»»»

U.S. Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd raised diplomatic tensions with the Chilean government Thursday by saying that criticism from Cabinet ministers of the additional 12.5% tariff imposed by Washington on some Chilean exports complicates diplomatic negotiations aimed at reversing it. File Photo by»»»

BEIRUT: Former Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh was placed under police guard in hospital on Friday, a day after missing a hearing in an alleged embezzlement case, a judicial official told AFP. Salameh had been due to appear in court on Thursday in connection with a complaint filed by ne»»»

Brussels: The eurozone's annual inflation rate rose to 2.9% in July 2026, up from 2.8% in June, according to data released today by Eurostat. Eurostat said energy prices recorded the largest increase among the inflation components in July, rising 10.0% year-on-year compared with 8.5% in June. Servi»»»

Kuwait: The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation announced that the price of a barrel of Kuwaiti oil rose by $1.69 in Thursday's trading, reaching $86.69 per barrel, down from $85 in previous trading. Globally, oil prices declined, with Brent crude falling by $1.71 to settle at $89.03 a barrel, and US West»»»

Nicolas Cage stars in "Fortitude," an unreleased film. A master copy was stolen from the Netflix office, and the production company is suing Netflix for $105 million. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- A production company is suing Netflix for $105 million for losing »»»

The war in Iran has been a boon for oil companies with ExxonMobil and Chevron reporting a combined $26.5 billion in second-quarter profits. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- The war in Iran has been a boon for oil companies with ExxonMobil and Chevron reporting a combin»»»

Spain said on Friday it had largely reversed a surge of migrants into its North African enclave of Ceuta, with 25,000 of the people who crossed from Morocco by land and sea already returning voluntarily. Spain said on Friday that it had reversed a huge rush of migrants into a Spanish enclave in Nor»»»

Bulgaria spent the past ten days absorbing a stream of Iranian warnings, opposition demands for emergency security councils, and a foreign minister fielding a hostile phone call, all before a single American aircraft had even landed. The first US KC-135 refueling tanker touched down at Bezmer air b»»»

The first of up to eight U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft expected to be temporarily deployed in Bulgaria has landed at Bezmer Air Base, the Ministry of Defense confirmed. The ministry said the arrival is part of the previously approved deployment and stressed that Bulgaria's security services contin»»»

TUNIS, July 31 (TAP) – The Tunis Stock Exchange ended the week of July 27–31, 2026, in negative territory after a sharp wave of profit-taking during Tuesday's trading session significantly weighed on listed stocks.The Tunindex fell 3.9% to 20,036.09...»»»

Doha, Qatar: Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest in 2019, was among two climbers who have been confirmed dead following an avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan on July 30, according to an Instagram post by the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Al Harthy's death was confi»»»

The Hungarian government has convened an emergency meeting of its defence task force to address growing concerns over the country’s water and energy systems as an intense heatwave continues to grip Hungary. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said key decisions would be taken on Friday evening following co»»»

US President Donald Trump announced a deal for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. Hamas has agreed to the deal. Here is the full text of the deal: A Roadmap for Completing the Implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan in Gaza Principles: 1. All parties r»»»

Spain has deployed just 60 troops to its North African exclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants overwhelmed security forces and stormed across the border from Morocco, with up to 30,000 more people reportedly swarming the frontier. The Spanish Interior Ministry said the military contingent cons»»»

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly 37,000 amphetamine pills into the Kingdom after discovering them hidden inside a specially designed compartment beneath a passenger bus, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. Inspectors at the Al-Haditha border crossing uncov»»»

Zurich: FIFA reiterated today its commitment to holding open and democratic consultations with all member associations on its proposal to establish an independent commercial entity to manage its commercial activities and organize its flagship tournaments, saying all member associations would have t»»»

Heightened maritime security, air travel disruptions and uncertainty over regional stability remain key concerns for Gulf countries as the military confrontation between the US and Iran continues. Although daily life in the UAE remains largely unaffected, the conflict is continuing to disrupt regio»»»

A funeral director was sentenced to 20 years in Hull, England, for not burying or cremating bodies. July 31 (UPI) -- A funeral director in Hull, England, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for failing to bury or cremate the bodies of his clients and stealing money raised for charities. Robert Bush»»»

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh has unveiled a rare 1829 copy of the first printed English translation of Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta’s travels. The 294-page work by British Orientalist Samuel Lee from an abridged manuscript at Cambridge University features extensive historica»»»

South Korean pop group BTS said Wednesday they will not enter the Grammys' contest next year in protest of the introduction of a new Asian pop category: Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The new category, introduced alongside four others, is slammed by critics for boxing regional artists into »»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) submitted a draft declaration seeking urgent measures to improve road safety and infrastructure, the party's press service said on Friday. DB wants the National Assembly to vote on the document when MPs return at the end of August. The declaration would commit the National »»»

BEIRUT/LONDON: A sanctions-hit tanker ​is leaking oil off the coast of Oman and the spill has spread in recent days, increasing concern about possible environmental damage to coastal areas, according to an analysis of satellite imagery and shipping specialists. The Caroline Bezengi took Russian oil»»»

A July 24 Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital hit a drone factory belonging to Terminal Autonomy – a Delaware-HQ’ed maker of low-cost UAV and AI navigation systems. The attack deprived Ukraine’s military of a key long-range strike drone capability in the form of AQ-400 Scythe (32kg payload, 750»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A direct conflict is emerging between Ukrainian new Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and assault regiments, Ukrainian online media outlet reported on Friday. Now, after the change of command, there are fears that assault units may soon be disbanded, the media outlet reported.»»»

RIYADH: An increasing number of young Saudis are turning their passion for engines into successful careers and promising investment opportunities. Mohammed Abdullah’s passion for cars began during his childhood, which led him to pursue automotive mechanical engineering. With more than a decade of e»»»

London: British singer Boy George pulled out of a West End production of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" after facing a backlash for releasing a pro-Israel song, "We Will Dance Again". The 65-year-old musician "will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium", his»»»

British oil giant BP announced plans Friday to sell off its North Sea business ending six decades of exploration and extraction on the U.K. Continental Shelf since the company first struck gas there in 1964. File photo by Neil Hall/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- British oil giant BP announced plans Friday to»»»

CAIRO: A dispute over access regulations at a luxury residential and resort development on Egypt’s North Coast has ignited a wider debate on the balance between private investment and public rights. The controversy, at Emaar Misr’s Marassi project, began when homeowners there objected to the introd»»»

Bulgaria's Health Minister Katya Ivkova has ordered an inspection of the state hospital in Lovech after finding serious financial problems and property mismanagement during a visit on Friday. The visit was prompted by reports about the hospital's deteriorating condition, with Ivkova stressing that »»»

TradeUnited States of AmericaHumanoid robots: Trump's latest China trade battle?Nik MartinThe US has banned foreign-made humanoid robots — a market dominated by Chinese tech firms. Although Washington cited national security risks, analysts think Trump is buying time for US robot makers to catch up»»»

Dubai: Malayalam actor Kunchacko Boban has made a career out of playing men wrestling with their demons. In Unmadham, his latest Malayalam-language psychological thriller, he once again slips into the uniform of a flawed police officer whose biggest battles aren't just with crime, but with his own »»»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it stopped two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they attempted to pass through an undeclared route under US military air escort, warning that American instructions to ships in the region would not go unanswered. In a statement, the »»»

Cairo: For days, a woman in southern Egypt believed she was being targeted by strangers who had found her missing mobile phone. Police say the investigation instead uncovered an alleged betrayal much closer to home, with her brother accused of stealing the device and helping to blackmail her. The c»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut will pay a working visit to North Macedonia on Friday to meet with the country's PM Hristijan Mickoski. A Serbian delegation headed by Macut will also include Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infras»»»

Miami: Brazil star Casemiro sang the praises of new Inter Miami teammate Lionel Messi on Thursday, calling his former La Liga rival a "god of football." "Of course, if I'm here it's because of him and to help him and Inter Miami," the former Real Madrid midfielder said of the Argentine star who now»»»

Hamas said Frsay that it reached an agreement to disarm, a significant move that could help end the war in Gaza — but one that will face many hurdles and could take a long time to achieve, if at all. The group agreed to a road map as long as Israel also makes concessions, including ending hostiliti»»»

Dubai: The European Union has accused Temu of failing to provide information requested during a surprise inspection, prompting the online retailer to reject the preliminary findings and deny receiving foreign subsidies that distorted competition. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques &»»»

Cape Canaveral: A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago. The rocket's upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists»»»

San Francisco, United States: Anthropic's artificial intelligence (AI) models "gained unauthorized access" to three outside organizations during testing that was supposed to keep them away from "real-world" systems, the company said on Thursday. The announcement comes just days after rival OpenAI f»»»

The Constitutional Court has instituted two cases following referrals by MPs from GERB–UDF and Continue the Change (CC) challenging the State Budget Act, which was adopted conclusively by Parliament on July 24, 2026. The Court has also opened a case following a petition challenging the constitution»»»

ALGIERS: An Algerian passenger bus crashed into a ravine on Friday killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens, the country’s civil defense agency said. The bus left the road near the coastal town of Boumerdes, east of the capital Algiers, for unknown reasons, according to the civil defense. At »»»

Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with assisting terrorist activity and begun procedures to place him on an international wanted list, sharply escalating the Kremlin's confrontation with one of the country's most prominent technology entrepreneurs. Russia's Federal Security Service ac»»»

One of the Trump administration’s more measured hands in national security and foreign policy, US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz was rushed out in front of the cameras last week to extinguish a diplomatic fire. In live interviews with Face the Nation and Meet the Press, he was asked»»»

Algiers: An Algerian passenger bus crashed into a ravine on Friday killing at least 25 and wounding dozens, the country's civil defence agency said. The bus left the road near the coastal town of Boumerdes, east of capital Algiers, for unknown reasons, the agency said, adding that the death toll wa»»»

Algiers: An Algerian passenger bus crashed into a ravine on Friday killing at least 20 and wounding dozens, the country's civil defence agency said. The bus left the road near the coastal town of Boumerdes, east of capital Algiers, for unknown reasons, the agency said, adding that the death toll wa»»»