On 20 July, Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared an immediate maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, formalising the collapse of the UN-sponsored 2022 truce, reactivating the Red Sea pressure front and threatening once again international trade passing through the Strait of Bab al-Mandab. Four days l»»»

Iran said Wednesday it is in the "final stage" of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. That could potentially reopen the critical waterway, ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an end to»»»

BusinessRussian FederationWhy is Russia selling its gold?Arthur SullivanRussia has become one of the world's biggest sellers of gold over the past 12 months. It's an attempt to raise cash in the face of budget issues, but not necessarily a sign of a looming financial crisis. https://p.dw.com/p/5Ht6»»»

There is a peculiar contradiction in the Philippine debate over Pax Silica. A country that has spent decades complaining about poverty, underemployment, brain drain, weak industrialisation, unreliable infrastructure and the export of raw resources suddenly finds itself being offered a place in one »»»

The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan commented to 24.kg news agency on the situation with the acceptance and exchange of cash Russian rubles at the country’s commercial banks. The regulator noted that the change in transaction conditions are linked to stricter controls imposed by Russian commercial bank»»»

Andrei Gemeneanu, ROPEA president, talked to BR about Romania’s private equity market, which saw investment values quadruple to EUR 433.6 million in 2025. Gemeneanu discusses the drivers behind this surge, the record-breaking exit activity, and the need to unlock domestic pension funds to reduce re»»»

A brutal fatal assault in Plovdiv has prompted a major police investigation, with authorities examining whether the attack was motivated by hatred based on sexual orientation or involved a victim being lured through a dating app. Several teenagers, including minors, have been detained as investigat»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces struck two dry cargo ships south and east of Odessa in the Black Sea that were delivering military supplies, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "Yesterday evening, unmanned aerial vehicles struck two dry cargo ships delivering military supplie»»»

Miami: Lionel Messi scored twice on Wednesday to become the Leagues Cup's record goalscorer as Inter Miami beat Atletico San Luis 4-2 at home in the 2026 edition's opening group matches. Messi, who helped Miami win the 2023 crown in his first weeks with the Florida club, took his tally in the compe»»»

RIYADH: S&P Global Ratings has cut its 2026 forecast for Middle East sustainable bond issuance to $15 billion-$20 billion, citing geopolitical volatility and weaker market conditions. The ratings agency had previously projected issuance of $20 billion-$25 billion for the year. First-half 2026 issua»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes and shelling overnight into Thursday morning, after Israel announced its first military fatalities in more than a month as renewed hostilities flared. The strikes — which began Wednesday afternoon and were accompanied by the first evacuation »»»

AFP journalist Christina Assi, who lost a leg in an Israeli strike while reporting from the Lebanese border, will be honored at the International Press Freedom Awards, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. In October 2023, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six others w»»»

Bulgaria recorded the sharpest decline in road freight transport in the European Union in 2024, with the sector shrinking by 18.6% compared with the previous year, according to the latest Eurostat data. The drop placed Bulgaria at the bottom of the EU ranking, while overall road freight transport a»»»

The former military airport at Dobroslavtsi, where flight operations ended 25 years ago, is set to become what the Bulgarian government describes as Europe's largest advanced space and defense center. The project, based on a public-private partnership, was officially launched with the signing of a »»»

Dubai: What a week it has been. A SpaceX rocket hit the Moon on Wednesday at 10.34am our time, throwing up an estimated 1,100 tonnes of lunar dust. An Abu Dhabi observatory pointed a telescope at exactly the right spot and saw nothing at all. And then it rained. In August. In a country running near»»»

Business activity in Kazakhstan's services sector accelerated for a fourth straight month in July, according to the latest Freedom Holding Corp Kazakhstan Services PMI survey published by S&P Global. July recorded the strongest pace of expansion in more than 12 months, the survey noted. The hea»»»

Tokyo: A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Thursday. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in a statement that the earthquake's epicenter was at a depth of 10 km. There have been no reports of casualties or damage so far. This earthquak»»»

The volume of industrial production increased by 10.1%, while based on working-day adjusted data, production rose by 4.1%, year-on-year in June 2026. Compared to crude data, the significant difference is due to the fact that there were two more working-days in this month than in June 2025. Accordin»»»

The Israeli army launched strikes overnight into Thursday on Burj al-Shemali, Mansouri and Majdalzoun, wounding four people. Artillery shelling also targeted the areas of Mansouri, Majdalzoun and Haddatha, the National News Agency said, while troops detonated houses and buildings in Zawtar al-Sharq»»»

A national centre using space data to monitor key processes will be built at Dobroslavtsi Airport, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Thursday. “We will finally begin building what I have been talking about since 2020, a national centre for observation, coordination and management using data from s»»»

The atmosphere on the second day of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome was more positive than on the first, Baabda Palace sources told Al-Jadeed TV. "The second day of negotiations saw three parallel and separate meetings at the political, military, and border levels. The Lebanese delegation pre»»»

The Israeli military said it began striking targets in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by Iran-backed Hezbollah, just as Israel and Lebanon held talks in Rome. "In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organiz»»»

Israel reported on Thursday its first military fatalities in southern Lebanon in more than a month, after carrying out fresh strikes despite ongoing U.S.-backed talks in Rome aimed at ending hostilities. The military identified the two reservists, who were killed in combat on Wednesday, as Major Ha»»»

The UAE on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of its Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, a milestone President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said heralded the country's journey of progress and laid the foundations »»»

US President Donald Trump demanded answers from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Camp David after learning that severe munitions shortages could limit US military options against Iran, American media reported, citing people familiar with the exchange. The shortages reportedly involve long-range gui»»»

Political pressure is mounting on Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as an end-of-September deadline for US forces to leave Iraq approaches, while disputes over weapons, corruption, and a deepening financial crisis pile fresh strain on his government. Informed sources said al-Zaidi’s recent meetings»»»

Manila: Landslides in the Philippines killed four people, authorities said Thursday, as heavy rains driven by a tropical depression raked the country's north and forced school closures. The archipelago nation's main island Luzon has been battered by heavy rains over the past four days. Government o»»»

Tokyo: Nintendo said Thursday net profit jumped more than 50 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, helped by increased video game sales and a windfall connected to US tariff refunds. The Japanese gaming giant posted a net profit of 147.4 billion yen ($930 million) in April-June, up 53.5 percen»»»

New Delhi: The Bombay High Court on Thursday set aside the acquittal of former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague and convicted him of rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A Division Bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit»»»

Gold prices demonstrated the fastest single-day growth in the past six months, driven by easing tensions in the Middle East, a weakening US dollar, and a number of other factors, former Central Bank of Turkiye analyst Onur Dashdemir told Sputnik. "The combination of positive signals from the Middle»»»

TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Oil prices trended lower on Thursday on the progress in Iran-Oman talks, with investors cautiously waiting for signs of a US-Iran peace deal and progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell 33 cents, or 0.42 percent, to $79.12 a barrel by 07:18 a.m. Saudi ti»»»

MANILA: Landslides in the Philippines killed four people, authorities said Thursday, as heavy rains driven by a tropical depression raked the country’s north and forced school closures. The archipelago nation’s main island Luzon has been battered by heavy rains over the past four days. Government o»»»

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (C) signs the Protect Act into law on Wednesday at La Colaborativa, a Latina-led nonprofit economic development agency in Chelsea, Mass. Photo courtesy Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey/X Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has signed landmark legislation t»»»

On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 1 of 6 | An unidentified newsman stands amid the rubble of Hiroshima in September 1945. On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city. UPI File Photo | License Photo Aug. 6 (UPI) -- On this date»»»

OMV Petrom Group’s CCA operating result excluding special items was 3 billion lei in the first half of the year, up 21%, in a market environment with high commodity prices. The result was supported by higher contributions from the Gas and Energy (G&E) and Refining and Marketing (R&M) divisions, the»»»

E.ON Energie Romania installed over 1,200 photovoltaic systems for residential customers in the first six months of 2026, through the E.ON Solar Home program, up 30% compared to the same period in 2025. Thus, the threshold of 10,500 photovoltaic systems installed for residential customers was excee»»»

Crude oil supplies will return to normal, and in this regard, the volume processed for the Romanian market at refineries supplying Romania will be satisfactory, Ilie Bolojan, the interim Prime Minister and interim Minister of Energy, stated on Monday during a press conference at Victoria Palace."Re»»»

Electricity imports made in the evening hours, at higher prices, will indirectly influence prices in the autumn, but not to an extent that will determine significant increases, interim Prime Minister and interim Minister of Energy Ilie Bolojan said on Monday at a news conference at the Government H»»»

Breast pain, nursing strikes and weaning are among mothers’ most common breastfeeding concerns, La Leche League counsellor Elena Gvozdeykova told BTA on Thursday. Gvozdeykova is taking part in events organized by the Sliven Regional Health Inspectorate for World Breastfeeding Week, observed from Au»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Only one commodity vessel crossed Bab Al-Mandeb on Wednesday, Kpler data showed, down ‌from ⁠20 the previous day: Reuters 06-08-2026 09:53 »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces prevent ambulances from entering Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, and hinder the transport of »»»

Doha, Qatar: American JuVaughn Harrison produced a world-leading jump of 2.34m to win the inaugural Monaco Athletics Festival yesterday, while Qatar’s three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic gold winner Mutaz Barshim finished ninth in the elite high jump competition yesterday. The event was par»»»

Kyrgyzstan views Russia as a strategic partner, President Sadyr Japarov said in his address to participants of the Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum. The president emphasized that the country is following the right course. «During the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin held last year, long-ter»»»

SEOUL: South Korean police raided the headquarters of Starbucks’ local operation as part of an investigation into a controversial marketing campaign that was perceived as defaming 1980s’ pro-democracy movements. Investigators searched the Starbucks headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday, police »»»

DUBAI: Fourteen runners will compete for the $40,000 (SR150,000) Alhada Cup at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif on Saturday, with Aez Alkhatir (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) seeking to improve on his runner-up performance in the Sarawat Cup on Saudi Cup weekend. Not seen since that run on Feb. 13, the Hom»»»

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad Football Club have announced the signing of Senegalese midfielder Dion Lopy from Almeria in the Spanish second division. The Senegalese international’s transfer was made official on Wednesday night. He signed a three-season contract with Al-Ittihad just 10 days before the start o»»»

‘Brothers’ Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Holland Taylor Where: Apple TV+ from Sept. 23 Comedy series in which two of Hollywood’s best-loved bros — Harrelson and McConaughey — play fictionalized versions of themselves. When Harrelson’s daughter is jilted at the altar, he takes her »»»

Hungary was named the 5th best country for expat career opportunities in 2026, based on a new survey by insurance specialists William Russell. The research comes from the international health insurance specialists William Russell, who analysed factors such as foreign-born employment rates, to revea»»»

MOSCOW: Russia shot down 605 Ukrainian drones during the night over its territory and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the defense ministry said Thursday. “During the night … air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 605 Ukrainian aerial drones,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry fla»»»

DUBAI: Nearly two decades after bonding over hip-hop in a Jeddah neighborhood where almost no one else listened to it, Saudi rappers Alyoung and Randar have released “R2,” a four-track EP — pairing it with three music videos. The duo — Ahmed, who performs as Alyoung, and Bandar, who performs as Ran»»»