PARIS: World football’s governing body FIFA vowed on Friday to press ahead with an “open and democratic” consultation on a proposed private investment plan despite widespread opposition to the proposal. That opposition included a pledge by Europe’s governing body UEFA to boycott the World Cup if FI»»»

RIYADH: The Esports Foundation and adidas have announced a landmark partnership that will outfit every national team at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, the sport’s first country-based event, taking place from Nov. 2 in Riyadh. As Official Kit Partner and a Global Partner of the ENC, adidas will »»»

The National Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that it has taken over the first COBRA II armoured vehicles produced in Romania, at Medias.The RON 4.263 billion (or approximately EUR852 million VAT excluded) multi-year contract with Otokar for the delivery of 1,059 COBRA II light tactical armou»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces carried out demolition operation in the area between Majdal Zoun and Al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon: Al-Manar re»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai fell on Friday, bringing a volatile month to a close after rates moved through a range of more than Dh21 for 24-karat gold. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The 24K variety dropped to Dh491.75 per gram from Dh495.50 on T»»»

Dubai: Gold jewellery demand fell 17% year on year during the second quarter of 2026 as high prices prompted consumers to buy less and move towards lighter products, according to the World Gold Council. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The decline »»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov awarded Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev the Order of Manas, 1st Class. In return, the Azerbaijani President presented Sadyr Japarov with his country’s highest state award, the Order of Heydar Aliyev. The ceremony took place as part of Ilham Aliyev’s state visit»»»

Paris, France: World football's governing body FIFA vowed on Friday to press ahead with an "open and democratic" consultation on a proposed private investment plan despite widespread opposition to the proposal. That opposition included a pledge by Europe's governing body UEFA to boycott the World C»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iranian Army: We targeted aircraft storage facilities and satellite communications systems at Kuwait’s Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base using drones»»»

July 31 (UPI) -- Fourteen nations have backed the formation of a Saudi-led coalition to protect shipping routes from Houthi attacks in and around the Red Sea, drawing more countries into the Iran-U.S. war. The kingdom's defense ministry announced their support for the multinational defensive mariti»»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s military said on Friday it launched drone strikes targeting US military facilities in Kuwait, as fighting resumed between Washington and Tehran in the Middle East war after a nearly week-long lull. The army said in a statement it targeted “fighter aircraft shelters, satellite communi»»»

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the joint use of Chechme spring, located on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border. The document was included in a package of agreements signed on July 30 in Issyk-Kul region by Presidents Sadyr Japarov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The details of the agreement have not »»»

Dubai: EMSTEEL’s net profit rose 157% year on year to Dh262 million in the second quarter of 2026, supported by higher steel and cement prices, cost controls and continued demand from the UAE construction market. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Re»»»

Heightened maritime security and air travel snags amid diplomatic uncertainty remain the biggest concerns for the region on Friday as the US and Iran continue their military confrontation. There have been no reports of direct attacks on the UAE. The conflict, however, is affecting regional aviation»»»

Dubai: Spinneys will increase its ownership of its Saudi Arabian subsidiary to 70% through a SAR18 million cash transaction, giving the retailer a larger economic interest in one of its main international growth markets. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click»»»

Kyrgyzstan has reached an agreement with Russia on monthly supplies of 100,000 tons of fuel and lubricants until the end of 2026. First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev announced. According to him, the agreement has already been reached and will remain in effect until»»»

Washington: US President Donald Trump announced that a historic agreement was reached for the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, expressing his gratitude to Qatar and the mediators for their efforts in reaching this agreement. In a post on his official Tr»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed the Law «On Venture Capital Financing,» adopted by the Zhogorku Kenesh in June of this year. The document introduces such concepts as venture funds, venture managers, business angels, venture investors, and so on. The law defines the rights and obligatio»»»

The total volume of remittances from individuals to Kyrgyzstan continues to set new records. According to the results of January-May 2026, the cumulative inflow of funds into the country reached $1,247.4 billion. According to the National Bank, the total capital outflow from the country over the fi»»»

Maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandab Strait, and the Strait of Hormuz is often treated as a regional problem whose principal stakeholders are the Gulf states and other countries bordering these waterways. Yet these routes are global economic arteries, so protecting them is a matter of na»»»

On 22 July 2026, the US Department of Energy announced that Washington and Riyadh had signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. It took the Middle East largely by surprise because it appeared to allow uranium enrichment, whilst dispensing with the international atomic watchdog’s snap inspection»»»

Since the 1970s, Robert Einhorn has played a prominent role on arms control and nuclear non-proliferation in the United States, either as a federal employee or as a think tank expert. Now a senior fellow at Brookings, he was previously a State Department Assistant Secretary for Non-Proliferation an»»»

Dubai: Before we get into misogyny, morality or the increasingly complicated job description of a comedian in 2026, Indian comedian Vir Das is distracted by my gloriously over-branded Zoom backdrop. It's impossible to miss. Every inch of my virtual background is dressed in Gulf News blue and white »»»

Abu Dhabi: Borouge’s net profit rose 23% quarter on quarter to $191 million in the second quarter of 2026, while the company maintained its annual dividend intention of 16.2 fils per share. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Revenue increased to $1.4»»»

US Central Command said Friday that its forces have redirected 24 commercial vessels, disabled two that failed to comply and boarded two others as of July 30 while enforcing a naval blockade on traffic to and from Iranian ports. The figures mark a steady increase since the blockade resumed July 14.»»»

Beginning in the 1950s, the Soviet Union launched an ambitious programme aimed at developing artificial intelligence. While the history of AI today seems to be shaped by the giants of Silicon Valley, ideas originating from behind the Iron Curtain had a significant influence, although they remain la»»»

US President Donald Trump said that an agreement on the full disarmament of Hamas and other groups in the Gaza Strip had been reached. "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward l»»»

The Iranian Armysaid it struck Al‑Jaber base in Kuwait with attack drones, targeting fighter jet hangars, satellite communication systems, and equipment depots. Al‑Jaber is a key hub for US air and surveillance operations in the region."The decisive, extensive, and large‑scale attacks by the Army a»»»

Dubai: Travellers flying to and from the UAE on Friday, July 31, are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, with Etihad Airways and Air Arabia cancelling several services to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia due to operational reasons. Emirates and flydubai have not anno»»»

Dubai: MultiBank Group's digital asset platform, mb.io, has integrated Botim as a payment method, allowing users in the UAE to fund their trading accounts directly through the app. The move is designed to simplify one of the most time-consuming parts of the digital asset trading journey by enabling»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov made a statement to the media following his talks with Uzbek leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Cholpon-Ata. According to the presidential press service, the head of state expressed gratitude to Shavkat Mirziyoyev for accepting his invitation to visit the Kyrgyz Repu»»»

The surplus of the external trade in goods was EUR 1,305 million in June, the volume of export increased by 8.7%, that of import by 6.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. The surplus was EUR 1,305 million, the balance increased by EUR 519 million, year-on-year. The volume of export »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced his "Board of Peace" and Hamas had reached consensus on a Gaza disarmament framework. File Photo by World Economic Forum/UPI | License Photo July 30 (UPI) -- Negotiators implementing the Gaza cease-fire plan and Iran-backed Hamas have reached a fram»»»

On the afternoon of August 2, 2027, something remarkable will happen over Saudi Arabia. For a few minutes, day will turn into night. The Moon will completely cover the Sun, the air will cool, stars will appear in the daytime sky, and the Sun's glowing outer ring, called the corona, will become visi»»»

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned a US strike on a residential building on Qeshm Island in southern Iran that killed three civilians. In a post on social media, Baghaei said that the overnight attack damaged several homes and killed taxi driver Qaisar Jafari, his »»»

Five children from Russia and Ukraine are about to be reunited with their loved ones under an international humanitarian initiative, Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova reported. According to Moscow, the process is being coordinated by US First Lady Melania Trump and the Inter»»»

Google has been fined by European regulators so many times that another billion-dollar penalty no longer feels extraordinary. The European Commission’s latest action imposed a combined €890 million (about $1.02 billion) in penalties after finding that Google breached parts of the Digital Markets Ac»»»

Washington: President Donald Trump said Thursday that a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remained to wind down the war in the Palestinian territory. Neither Hamas nor Israel gave immediate indicati»»»

Dubai: Indian expatriates in the UAE could face fewer repetitive identity checks when opening or updating financial accounts in India under an upgraded central Know Your Customer system expected to begin rolling out in August 2026. Known as Central KYC 2.0, the framework will allow participating fi»»»

Boeing is reluctant to share the technology used in the warheads it manufactures for the Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles which Ukraine and its Western supporters want to manufacture in Europe, German media outlet Die Welt has reported, citing sources. US President Donald Trump announced earlier »»»

Dubai: A clinic visit that stretched from 11 am until 3.30 pm gave two Dubai entrepreneurs the idea for a healthcare technology business designed to reduce the time doctors, pharmacists and patients lose to outdated systems. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply c»»»

The renewed fighting has widened fears of a broader regional conflict, with Egypt hit for the first time and Gulf states scrambling to secure key shipping routes. Mediator Pakistan insisted Thursday that negotiations between Iran and the United States were ongoing, even as Washington carried out a »»»

Baghdad neither approved nor had prior knowledge of the joint US-Saudi strikes on Iraqi territory, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said on Thursday, according to the state news agency. The Wednesday strikes killed at least 20 members of the Iran-backed Hashed al-Shaabi militia. Read o»»»

A massive wildfire that has devastated southwestern France was no longer advancing on Thursday, local authorities said, raising hopes the crisis was easing. In Spain, most of the tens of thousands of people evacuated from areas west of Madrid were cleared to return home after the state of emergency»»»

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his so-called “Board of Peace” ​reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Palestinian Hamas militants and other armed groups in Gaza. In a post on Truth Social, Trump cast it as a “major milestone in the implementation of the ‌Trump 20-Point ‌Pl»»»

US President Donald Trump has claimed that his Board of Peace reached a “historic agreement” on the complete disarmament of Hamas and every other armed group in Gaza, although neither the Palestinian movement nor Israel immediately confirmed that a final deal had been concluded. Trump announced the»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s election to a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council came after a diligent campaign to gain support for its candidacy. It means a Central Asian state will have a seat on the UN’s most powerful body for the second time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Attention now »»»

Iranian state media reported that the commercial oil tanker M/T Nora had successfully broken through the US naval blockade. On Friday, however, US Central Command (CentCom) rejected the claim, saying the tanker had not breached the blockade. CentCom said US warships, hundreds of aircraft and thousa»»»

The US Treasury Department late on Thursday announced the imposition of sanctions on six entities and individuals across China, India, Russia and Iran for providing sales, logistics and commercial support to Mahan Air, the Iranian airline long accused of ferrying personnel, weapons and equipment fo»»»

Khaled Al Hameidi Doha As part of Qatar’s ongoing commitment to empowering the next generation, the Youth Committee at Al Arabi Sports Club, under the banner of its summer campaign, “Our Summer for Our Youth” recently hosted an impactful awareness lecture titled “Awareness Builds, Knowledge Nurture»»»