The EU’s new restrictive migration policy on return hubs last month (17 June) drew in votes from unexpected corners of the European Parliament, splitting liberals and socialists into uncharacteristic camps. Most European lawmakers voted in favour of the new regulation that drew widespread support f»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee held its annual strategic meeting in Doha, bringing together partners to guide the next phase of Web Summit Qatar’s growth as preparations continue for its fourth edition, which will take place from January 31 to February 3, 2027. The meeti»»»

Enthusiasm for AI adoption is at an all-time high, and rightly so. AI is transforming how software is created, delivered, and operated, unlocking significant productivity gains. While some organizations use generative AI to enhance existing workflows, others are taking an AI-first approach with age»»»

In a 147-14 vote with one abstention on Wednesday, Parliament re-elected for a second term Antoan Gechev as head of the State Intelligence Agency. He will have a term of five years from June 17, 2026. He was backed by Progressive Bulgaria, GERB-UDF and Vazrazhdane. Democratic Bulgaria voted against»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Career Development Centre (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation, and the Qatar Foundation for Social Work (QFSW), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the fields of career guidance, career development, and capacity building. The MoU was signed by E»»»

Dubai: Dubai's flagship airline, Emirates, announced Wednesday plans to launch a second Airbus A350 aircraft service to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The service on popular route will launch on August 8, giving Dubai - Colombo travellers more opportunities to sample the airline's Premium Economy service. Sig»»»

Funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began Wednesday in the Iraqi city of Najaf with thousands of mourners present. The Islamic Republic's dayslong funeral for Khamenei began Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as »»»

TOKYO: Stem Racing Japan held its first national finals last month, with the top teams earning places at the global event later in the year. Stem Racing, formerly known as F1 in Schools, is a worldwide program supported by Formula One that promotes education in science, technology, engineering and »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The topic of terrorism threat emanating from the Ukrainian government on global scale will certainly be raised behind closed doors at the NATO summit in Ankara, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "Behind closed doors, during bilateral meetings»»»

Globalworth, one of the leading office real estate investors in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), announces the signing of a new lease agreement with Tema Energy. Starting in July 2026, the company will relocate its team to Globalworth Tower, where it will occupy approximately 1,000 sqm of office s»»»

The U.S. military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, part of an American effort that also revoked the Islamic Republic's ability to openly sell crude oil in the world market. Iran retaliated with strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait. The r»»»

Mourners hold an anti-Trump poster as hundreds of thousands gather for the funeral procession of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during a mass funeral march near Azadi Square in Tehran on Monday. Photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI | License Photo July 8 (UPI) -- Iran's military said Wednesday it »»»

SINGAPORE: Oil prices gained more than 2 percent on ​Wednesday after the US military launched airstrikes against Iran and reimposed crude sales sanctions, raising fears their fragile truce ‌was unravelling and Middle East supplies could be disrupted again. Brent crude futures gained $1.92, or 2.6 p»»»

Romania has at its disposal less than a month to fulfil conditions needed to access the last funds of the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience (PNRR), otherwise 8.7 billion euros risk to be lost forever, economic consultant Adrian Negrescu warns on his Facebook page. “PNRR was initially promote»»»

The president of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Adrian Tutuianu, says that the entire electoral calendar should be shortened in case early elections are called, but that the Government could not adopt the emergency ordinance necessary in this regard.During a press conference held on Tuesd»»»

Romania's interim government does not pose any problem for the implementation of the country's projects under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, interim Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Tuesday."The SAFE regulation says only one thing: member states may sign contracts once their g»»»

Interim Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Tuesday that he had asked his Ukrainian counterpart to ensure that any Ukrainian drone is programmed to self-destruct if it accidentally enters Romania's territorial waters.The minister attended the NATO Security and Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF), held »»»

On July 8, 2022, Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister who retired from office in 2020 after a bout of health problems, was shot dead. 1 of 6 | People offer flowers at the memorial outside Nippon Budokan during state funeral of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, J»»»

Doha, Qatar: Portugal arrived at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with high expectations and some of the biggest talents in world football, led by the veteran Cristiano Ronaldo, who remained as dangerous as ever. Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha, all multiple trophy winners with Paris Saint-Germain, join»»»

ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION: Russian forces are trying to counter Ukrainian “mid-strike” drone attacks by camouflaging cargoes and installing powerful jamming systems to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite Internet system, Ukrainian drone commanders and pilots told Reuters. Kyiv’s ​development of “mid-s»»»

Doha, Qatar: There have been 280 goals at World Cup 2026 so far, but one league has been responsible for almost one in every four of them. It is neither Spain’s La Liga nor Germany’s Bundesliga, but England’s Premier League that has become football’s biggest supplier of goals on the biggest stage. »»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria will continue strengthening its defense capabilities and expanding its defense industry, describing the country's role in the Black Sea region as increasingly important during the NATO summit in Ankara. Radev welcomed the growing commitment of European NATO »»»

Bulgaria ranked among the European Union's most seasonal tourism markets in 2025, with nearly half of its annual tourist activity concentrated in the height of summer. According to Eurostat data, 43% of all overnight stays in Bulgarian accommodation facilities were recorded in July and August, plac»»»

Fitness influencer and YouTuber Connor Murphy is at the centre of online speculation after reports claimed that he died in Thailand, but there has been no official confirmation from his family, representatives, verified social media accounts, or any government authority as of July 2026. Reports of »»»

GlobeMed Gulf, a leading healthcare benefits management company in the UAE and Mubadala Health Dubai, a key pillar within M42’s world-class portfolio of healthcare providers, have announced a strategic cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility and improving the patient exper»»»

ANKARA: President Donald Trump surprised NATO leaders he is meeting with in Turkiye by launching a series of strikes on Iran late Tuesday and revoking a license that allowed Tehran to sell its oil on the world market, a major twist for a summit that had been aimed at showcasing how alliance members»»»

Atlanta: Egypt coach Hossam Hassan claimed his side had been “cheated” out of a place in the World Cup quarter-finals after Argentina staged a stunning late comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 yesterday. “I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today, we»»»

A coalition of 12 countries, led by the UK, is launching a more than £37 billion ($50 billion/€43 billion) programme to develop a new long-range precision missile system aimed at strengthening Nato's defenses against emerging threats across Europe. The Deep Precision Strike initiative is expected t»»»

Tesla delivered one of its strongest quarterly performances in years, reporting vehicle deliveries that easily surpassed Wall Street expectations and offering fresh evidence that demand for its electric vehicles has rebounded after a sluggish start to 2026. The company said it delivered 480,126 veh»»»

Ankara: Qatar participated in the ministerial meeting of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) and member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held on the sidelines of the Alliance’s Summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Qatar’s delegation was headed by Minister of State at »»»

BANC D’ARGUIN NATURAL RESERVE: Since he was old enough to climb into a boat, Samata Mahmoud has been fishing the vast, dune-lined waters of Mauritania’s Banc d’Arguin bay, living a centuries-old lifestyle threatened by climate change and overfishing. Mahmoud is a member of the Imraguen fishing-base»»»

Dubai: The UAE has officially joined the Locarno Agreement on the International Classification for Industrial Designs, marking a significant step in strengthening the country's intellectual property framework in line with international standards. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques &»»»

It is crucial for Western nations to engage with Afghanistan to prevent the country from sliding back into instability that could have repercussions far beyond its borders, two top United Nations officials said. “The lesson of (the) recent past is that ignoring Afghanistan is not a good thing to do»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged higher on Wednesday morning, as the market remains sensitive to interest-rate signals, the dollar and renewed tension around the Strait of Hormuz. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India.) Sign u»»»

The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu on Wednesday expressed "grave and serious concern" over a Chinese test of a long-range missile that landed in the Pacific Ocean near its waters. A Chinese submarine test-fired a "strategic" missile carrying a dummy warhead on Monday, with monitors saying the rock»»»

The President of the Republic published his submission to the Venice Commission on Monday. In the 22-page English-language document available on the website of the Sándor Palace, Tamás Sulyok asks the body to determine whether the proposed constitutional amendment that would prematurely terminate t»»»

TAIPEI: China’s “authoritarian expansionism” in regional waters will persist if the world fails to act, a senior Taiwanese security official warned on Wednesday, describing Beijing’s strategy as “incremental salami slicing.” Chinese ships regularly ply the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and the Sout»»»

Moldova's President Maia Sandu has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Eugeniu Osmochescu as interim prime minister following the unexpected resignation of Alexandru Munteanu, as the country continues preparations for closer integration with the European Union. Sandu signed a decree naming Osmochescu, »»»

Dubai: Every summer, particularly in the early morning hours, thick fog blankets some roads across parts of the UAE, reducing visibility and disrupting travel. While fog is often associated with cold weather, experts say the phenomenon is common during the UAE's hottest months because of a unique c»»»

PROVO: Lawyers for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk are expected to keep questioning the reliability of DNA testing that prosecutors said links the defendant to the suspected murder weapon when a weeklong hearing continues Wednesday. A member of Tyler Robinson’s defense»»»

People enjoy the beach in May as a vessel is seen waiting to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea off Muscat, Oman. The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Tuesday after alleged Iranian strikes against vessels in the strait. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo July 7»»»

The International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee on Tuesday, paving the way for Russian athletes and teams to move closer to competing under their flag and anthem at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, despite strong objections from Ukraine. Russia»»»

The US has launched strikes on Iran, triggering heightened tensions across the Gulf region as countries monitor developments closely. The operation, announced by US Central Command, comes after Washington accused Tehran of attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Warning sirens were»»»

Maryland lawmakers announced Tuesday that the General Assembly will hold a special session early next month to consider legislation that could lead to the redrawing of its congressional map. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo July 7 (UPI) -- Democratic lawmakers in Maryland announced Tu»»»

Dubai: From arriving in Dubai with an entrepreneurial dream to building one of the UAE’s fastest-growing real estate and education groups, Ajay Rajendran’s journey reflects the power of resilience, innovation and a city that rewards ambition. When Ajay Rajendran landed in Dubai in 2002, he came not»»»

The US military has launched a new wave of strikes against Iran, with US Central Command (CentCom) declaring that it is carrying out "swift and decisive action" after warning Tehran against further attacks on American forces and regional interests. The US said the operation was in response to attac»»»

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have completed the latest round of strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets with precision munitions. CENTCOM also released video footage showing the attacks, which it said targeted Iranian military capabilities linked to recent attacks on comm»»»

MAIQUETIA, Venezuela: Eliana Garcia, 38 weeks pregnant, ran with her family to a baseball field on the afternoon of June 24 when the earth shook violently in La Guaira, on the Venezuelan coast where twin earthquakes hit hard. As they sought refuge, along with dozens of others avoiding streets lined»»»

Beaches. Boulders, and blue waters. Seychelles is the destination people save to their vision boards, but for UAE travellers, it's also surprisingly accessible. Just a little over four hours from Dubai, the Indian Ocean archipelago makes for an easy long weekend. So, if you're looking to splurge on»»»

LONDON: Along a stretch of desert where smugglers’ convoys often move as freely as state patrols, the borders separating Libya, Tunisia and Algeria have become the front line of a rapidly changing regional security crisis. Arms traffickers, extremist groups and migrant smuggling networks now operat»»»