A handout photo made available by Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service shows flames engulfing a road as a wildfire spreads in Lege-Cap-Ferret, south-western France, on July 23. The French wine industry may face a tough year. Photo by Damien Renbert/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- Wildfires in France h»»»

The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent in 2025, South Korea's central bank said Friday. In this June 2025 photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an opening ceremony for a tourist zone in Wonsan. File Photo by KCNA/EPA The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent for the thir»»»

ROME: Italy said on Friday it was suspending the EU's border-free Schengen ​arrangements with Spain for one month in response to a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco. Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure - which looks certain»»»

Abu Dhabi: Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Year Of Award has been launched as a national recognition platform establishing the enduring legacy of the annual themes of the UAE Year Of initiative. The Award celebrates individuals and organisa»»»

Following reports of a drone attack on a US-owned gas storage vessel at Egypt’s Damietta port, a video purporting to show the incident began circulating online. The footage, however, is unrelated to the conflict in the Middle East. FRANCE 24 found that the footage instead shows a Ukrainian drone st»»»

Israel will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas's "genuine disarmament", a political source told AFP on July 31, after the group said it had agreed to a deal involving its disarmament and Israel's exit. But officially, the country has stayed silent regarding the agreement. It was announced»»»

Saudi Arabia joined the United States for the first time in launching air strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq on Wednesday, marking a significant shift in the kingdom's regional posture after months of restraint. While Riyadh insists it was acting in self-defence, »»»

The Hungarian government has announced one of the country’s largest renewable energy investment programmes in decades, unveiling plans to dramatically expand wind power, electricity storage and grid infrastructure as it responds to the ongoing energy crisis triggered by the Danube’s record-low wate»»»

This photo, taken Friday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks skyrocketed by a record eighteen percent on semiconductor gains. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks skyrocketed by a record 18 percent to reclaim the 6,500-point level Friday, driven by robust semiconduct»»»

Greek authorities on Friday ordered the partial evacuation of a suburb west of Athens after a forest fire broke out on a nearby mountain, prompting an emergency alert as firefighters battled to contain the blaze. Greek Civil Protection on Friday ordered the partial evacuation of part of Haidari, a »»»

Following a trial run on Friday evening, the Dunamenti Power Plant is expected to operate at full capacity from Saturday, while the Paks nuclear power plant is currently running at close to half of its nominal output. Due to falling water levels caused by continuing heat and drought, further produc»»»

Abu Dhabi: ADNOC today announced an update to the Official Selling Price (OSP) methodology for its Abu Dhabi crude grades, following a regular commercial review. Effective 1 November 2026, ADNOC will transition from the current ICE Futures Abu Dhabi-based pricing methodology, which uses the Murban »»»

Trust in Bosnia & Herzegovina's institutions has continued to deteriorate as concerns over corruption, the economy and political instability weigh on public sentiment, while support for European Union membership remains resilient, according to a public opinion survey released on July 30. The su»»»

The supply of natural gas to households in North Macedonia is moving closer to reality as the country’s long-awaited gas interconnector with Greece advances towards completion, opening the way for a more diversified energy system and the gradual expansion of the domestic gas distribution network. T»»»

At least 19 people died after about 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in a single day, prompting both countries to reinforce controls along the European Union’s border with Africa. Spain and Morocco moved to halt further crossings on July 31 after the unpreceden»»»

Macro-Advisory Limited has issued its annual mid-year compilation of the best business, political and general interest books published in 1H26, covering the twelve states in the Eurasia region plus Iran and Afghanistan. The document also includes the updated Recommended Reading list for the region »»»

BEIRUT: Massive Israeli explosions targeting a Hezbollah tunnel network beneath Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon triggered tremors that were felt across large parts of the country overnight, with residents describing the blasts as resembling an earthquake. The explosions, which occurred shortly »»»

OHRID - Speaking to reporters in Ohrid after Friday's meeting with North Macedonian counterpart Hristijan Mickoski, Serbian PM Djuro Macut said he was confident the cooperation between the two countries would see an even greater upsurge in the future, and noted that transport, infrastructure, energ»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia welcomed on Friday an agreement announced by President Donald Trump for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from Gaza. The deal would see Hamas hand over its weapons to the Palestinian technocratic body set up to run the territory. Under the 15-point roadmap, Israel will car»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's son is being investigated over allegations he sought to influence Health Ministry decisions involving the commercialization of medical cannabis. Photo by Andre Coelho/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Court authorized a federal police investigatio»»»

Max Miller arrives for a State Dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in 2019. Miller, now a congressman from Ohio, is facing a restraining order against him from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. Grisham has also accused him of domestic violence. File Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI »»»

Abu Dhabi: Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Year Of Award has been launched as a national recognition platform establishing the enduring legacy of the annual themes of the UAE Year Of initiative. The Award celebrates individuals and organisa»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia welcomed on Friday an agreement announced by President Donald Trump for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from Gaza. The deal would see Hamas hand over its weapons to the Palestinian technocratic body set up to run the territory. Under the 15-point roadmap, Israel will car»»»

LONDON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised Vice President JD Vance’s recent criticism of Israel during a private meeting in Washington this week, according to a report by Axios. The two leaders met at Blair House on Tuesday during Netanyahu’s visit to the US, which included talks with»»»

he Norwegian Bliss ship arrives at the port of Acapulco, Mexico, in 2024. Some 6.5 million cruise passengers visited Mexico during the first half of 2026, File Photo by David Guzman/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- Some 6.5 million cruise passengers visited Mexico during the first half of 2026, a 17.1% increas»»»

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»»»

Singapore: Singapore's total employment grew by 10,700 in the second quarter, marking the 19th consecutive quarter of growth, according to advance data released by the Ministry of Manpower. The increase was driven mainly by non-resident employment, particularly in sectors such as construction and m»»»

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»»»

OHRID - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Friday there were indications the Serbian oil company NIS would receive a new operating licence from the US authorities and that this was expected to be formalised by an official letter from the US administration. Si»»»

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»»»

OHRID - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met with North Macedonian counterpart Hristijan Mickoski in Ohrid on Friday afternoon to discuss advancement of cooperation and bilateral relations between the two countries. The two PMs exchanged views on bilateral cooperation in numerous areas, including infrastruct»»»

Bulgaria has incurred a deficit of EUR 2,416.2 million (1.9% of projected GDP) under its Consolidated Fiscal Programme (CFP) as of June 30, 2026, the Finance Ministry reported on its website on Friday. The Ministry's data on the implementation of the state budget in the first half of 2026 match pre»»»

Education and Science Minister Georgi Valchev responded to questions related to recent protests staged by students of the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) during Question Time on Friday. Valchev responded to questions by Continue the Change MPs Velislav Velichkov and Nikolay Denkov»»»

At the initiative of Yes, Bulgaria co-chair Bozhidar Bozhanov, a working meeting has been held in Parliament to discuss possible solutions for the operations and future of Information Services AD, with representatives of Bulgaria's IT sector taking part. Although Innovation and Digital Transformati»»»

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»»»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14. The State Department said of the map that it takes "full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners." File Photo by Bonn»»»