The ruling Progressive Bulgaria coalition has “handed over” the Khan Tervel offshore oil and gas exploration block to Turkiye and refused to discuss the matter in Parliament, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said Thursday, according to the party’s press service. Vazrazhdane said the decision »»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism said its instant blocking centre (InstaBlock) shut down more than 14,000 websites and applications illegally streaming sports content during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as part of efforts to combat digital piracy and protect broadcasting rights. The ministry »»»

Rehearsals for the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games have started at Bishkek Arena stadium. Footage shared on social media shows hundreds of horse riders taking part in the rehearsals on the field simultaneously. The participants are practicing large-scale choreographed performances. Prepar»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met on Thursday in Belgrade with Namibian Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Lucia Iipumbu to discuss deepening the cooperation with the friendly country. "Macut said that Serbia is committed to further enhancing cooperation with Namibia, no»»»

Any racist and antisemitic element of the incident involving a verbal confrontation between Bulgarian and Italian youths outside a hotel in the Bulgarian mountain resort of Bansko should be investigated separately from any possible hooligan behaviour, Chair of the Federation of Zionists in Bulgaria»»»

Trust in the cabinet of Rumen Radev stands at 42%, while distrust is 33.6%, and 24.4% of respondents do not know whether they trust the government, according to a survey by Gallup International Balkan on public attitudes during the first 100 days in office of the government. Data was collected thro»»»

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»»»

Recent attention regarding the ongoing military conflict between the United States and Iran has often focused on the issue of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons poses a threat not only to the Gulf region but also to the international community. It »»»

Guatemalan authorities said the eruption of the Fuego volcano had ended after 50 hours of activity that forced more than 1,700 people to evacuate, while warning residents to remain cautious because the volcano could erupt again. The eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano officially ended on Wednesda»»»

An oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz near Oman reported hearing two explosions, a British maritime agency said Thursday.  Earlier, Iran said an agreement with Oman over the strait is in its final stages, while US President Donald Trump suggested a deal could be announce»»»

Iran said Wednesday it is in the "final stage" of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz but denied the US was involved in the negotiations. Trump had in recent days insisted a deal to reopen the critical waterway was imminent. Laurent Berstecher explains.»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov met with heads of Russian regions in Cholpon-Ata. The parties discussed the development of interregional ties, expansion of trade and the launch of joint projects. The head of state called the establishment of joint ventures in industry, pharmaceuticals and agr»»»

Nigerian authorities announced the rescue of 308 people abducted by armed groups, including 163 villagers seized during a deadly attack earlier this year, calling it the country's largest single-day hostage rescue operation. The Nigerian government announced the release of more than 300 kidnapping »»»

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic ⁠of Congo is spreading faster than efforts to fight it, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. Families said many frontline workers in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, have gone on strike over pay issues, worsening acces»»»

In Cape Verde, almost nothing remains of the postcard-perfect image of certain beaches on the island of Santiago. For decades, the illegal extraction of sea sand for the construction industry has been eroding the coastline. This illegal trade now threatens ecosystems, contributes to the salinizatio»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to promote direct investment and facilitate cross-border capital flows, as Jakarta seeks to attract more Saudi companies to its strategic sectors. The Saudi Minister of Investment Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif and his Indonesian counterpar»»»

Two French livestreamers received suspended prison sentences on Wednesday after being convicted of repeatedly abusing and humiliating a man during online broadcasts that preceded his death. Though the pair were cleared of causing the man's death, they were found guilty of violence and incitement to»»»

Mehdi Laribi, one of the suspected founders of DZ mafia, a criminal organization based in Marseille, was arrested in Algeria in late July. The arrest was made public on Wednesday by French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, who hailed Algiers' support and cooperation in combating drug trafficking ar»»»

Fires across France have left behind mountains of cut and burned wood. More than 35,000 metric tons of trees were chopped down to urgently create firebreaks and slow the spread of the flames. But what will become of all these trees? The timber industry is now under heavy strain. It will take more t»»»

A military ceremony was held in Pleven Thursday to welcome home members of the Bulgarian contingent returning from NATO's KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Brig. Gen. Hristo Hristov, chief of staff of the Joint Forces Command, praised the troops for their professionalism and dedication, saying t»»»

Air travel between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates remains uncertain amid the tensions in the Persian Gulf, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday. The Ministry said European airlines are currently waiting for the security risk in the region to ease before resuming regular f»»»

The latest meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (EIC) has begun in Cholpon-Ata. It is being held as part of Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship of the Eurasian Economic Union. The meeting is attended by Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev, as well as th»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to promote direct investment and facilitate cross-border capital flows, as Jakarta seeks to attract more Saudi companies to its strategic sectors. The Saudi Minister of Investment Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif and his Indonesian counterpar»»»

At least six people were killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight into Thursday, including three in the city ​of ‌Balakliia in the Kharkiv region and another three in the northern region of Sumy, local authorities said. A Russian ​attack also damaged ​a foreign-flagge»»»

Russian attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people and wounded dozens, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s depleted air defenses failed to stop any of Moscow’s incoming missiles overnight. Zelensky has reiterated to allies that Ukraine needs more air defences.»»»

In Germany, a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered and defused on the tarmac at Leipzig Airport. A second flying object then struck a cargo plane, causing minor damage. Air traffic was suspended for two hours. A Russian connection is being suggested. The interior minister describes a n»»»

DPS leader Delyan Peevski traveled on a regular commercial flight, marking a departure from his previous use of private aviation that had drawn public attention and criticism. Photos shared on Facebook show Peevski traveling in business class on Turkish Airlines flight TK1030 from Sofia to Istanbul»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov said the party will create a shadow government ahead of the local elections as part of an effort to show voters that it is prepared to return to power. In a video published on GERB's political platform "New Minds," Borissov said the party plans to present a team that will»»»

BELGRADE - At Thursday's reception for participants of a Serbia Is Calling You 2026 sports and education camp for children and youth from the diaspora, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the 435 participants from the region, Europe and around the world proved that love for Serbia and mutual re»»»

An incident on the night of August 2 in the mountain resort of Bansko has grown into an international dispute involving the governments of Bulgaria and Italy, the Bulgarian Jewish community, local police and residents. The two sides describe what happened in sharply different terms, and the facts t»»»

Eight people have been charged in connection with an organized criminal group allegedly involved in producing and distributing high-risk narcotics, including around 6 kilograms of fentanyl valued at more than 157 million euros, Bulgarian prosecutors announced. The charges follow an operation by the»»»

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation has detected unauthorized access to certain administrative networks, with initial information indicating that the activity may have continued for years. The access was discovered during the implementation of the country’s new national cyb»»»

An interactive map of registered water sports facilities along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast was added to a public register, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said on Thursday. The digital tool brings together data on registered facilities and offers residents, tourists and businesses a »»»

The unprecedented arrival of around 70,000 Moroccans into the Spanish border town of Ceuta has been dismissed by some Western media as a social media-driven phenomenon rather than a case of migration being weaponized by the North African monarchy. But behind the headlines and the chaos that left mo»»»

Dubai: Qatar Airways will resume flights to three regional destinations from August 8, restoring services to Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil as it continues to rebuild its network. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline announced on Wednesday that scheduled flights to B»»»

DOHA: Qatar Airways will resume passenger flight services to Bahrain, Erbil and Kuwait from August 8, 2026, the airline announced on Thursday. The airline said flights to Bahrain International Airport (BAH), Erbil International Airport (EBL) and Kuwait International Airport (KWI) will restart after»»»

The Leninsky District Court found former Zhogorku Kenesh deputy Kuvanychbek Kongantiev guilty of abuse of office and fined him 500,000 soms. The Bishkek City Court reported. The verdict was handed down on July 15. The court found Kongantiev guilty of five counts of abuse of office. Related news Ex-»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to strengthen discipline in public procurement and contract execution, the government has approved a new Government Tenders and Procurement Law to enhance governance, transparency and the efficiency of the procurement system. Asharq Al-Awsat has learned that»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab and Muslim countries on Thursday condemned what they described as ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, including attacks on healthcare facilities, civilian infrastructure and the continued loss of civilian lives. In a joint statement, the foreign mi»»»

Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through Odesa, Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Re»»»

The Bulgarian National Audit Office has launched conflict of interest proceedings involving MP Delyan Peevski following a formal complaint alleging a mismatch between his declared assets and his actual lifestyle. The proceedings were initiated after a report submitted on July 31, 2026, by former In»»»

Failure to condemn and investigate discrimination increases the risk of hate crimes, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) said on Thursday after incidents in Plovdiv and Bansko. In recent days, a man was killed in Plovdiv and groups of young people clashed in Bansko, with media accounts suggestin»»»

In Central Asia, the spectacle of a president going on and on, and on, as if they plan to rule forever is a norm, not an exception. Thus, a Constitutional Court ruling that Kazakhstan’s 73-year-old president of seven years Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is eligible to seek another term in office under the c»»»

The US military has used up 50% of its Patriot interceptors and nearly 80% of those for the THAAD missile defence system fighting Iran, with senior commanders warning the Pentagon's munitions stockpile is “dangerously low,” CNN reported on August 4, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.»»»

Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through Odesa, Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Re»»»

Kazakhstan could face heightened sanctions risks if Russian ecommerce group Wildberries expands its warehouse operations in the country, as "Russia's Amazon" seeks to protect and strengthen its logistics network following Ukrainian drone attacks on many of its facilities in Russia. That's the conce»»»

DOHA: The General Tax Authority (GTA) announced that the taxpayer compliance rate for filing tax returns for the 2025 tax year reached 90 percent, representing an increase of 13.9 percent compared with the 2024 tax year, which reflects the continued improvement in the efficiency of the tax system. »»»

Ankara, Aug. 6 (SANA) Syria and Türkiye agreed on Thursday to establish a High-Level Coordination Council as the two neighboring countries seek to deepen political, economic and infrastructure cooperation. The agreement was reached during talks in Ankara between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan»»»

Schools in Kyrgyzstan have returned to the previous number of hours allocated for Kyrgyz and Russian language classes. Melis Muzulmanov, head of the School Education Department at the Ministry of Education, told 24.kg news agency. According to him, the changes apply to first and fifth grades. «Last»»»

Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin arrived in Kyrgyzstan to participate in the next meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. He was welcomed at Issyk-Kul International Airport by Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Minister of Water Res»»»