German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is confronting mounting internal party pressure and speculation of an early replacement ahead of critical September regional elections, reflecting an unprecedented state of political turmoil in a country long considered a pillar of European stability, according to P»»»

Georgian Dream officials have offered supporters the same message for the better part of a year: a reset with Washington is close at hand. George Melashvili, chairman of the Europe-Georgia Institute, a Tbilisi based think-tank that follows Georgia's foreign policy and its relations with the West, a»»»

GAZA: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency has opened a school in southern Gaza to help children return to education and restore learning opportunities after the war devastated much of the enclave’s education system, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Makkah School, launched by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and »»»

Riyadh: A defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan heralded a new security alliance seeking to deter a bellicose Iran, offset an unreliable US and send a message to Israel, analysts say. As the Middle East war drags on, this alliance binds three powerful Sunni countries that are strat»»»

The US Senate on Saturday voted 50-49 to confirm President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as the country's attorney general. Blanche was serving as the top US law enforcement officer in an acting capacity after Trump fired another loyalist, Pam Bondi. His confirmation caps one o»»»

CAIRO/WASHINGTON/RIYADH: Iran said on Saturday that a deal with Oman on control of the Strait of Hormuz was close but would not be enough to free up ​the waterway. A US official, who declined to be identified, said on Friday that Washington anticipated an agreement soon between Iran and Oman, which»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Saturday the targeting of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, expressing full solidarity with the UAE. The Kingdom stressed that the “unacceptable attacks” on shipping threatened maritime security and glo»»»

SOFIA: A drone that entered Bulgaria on Saturday exploded near the Romanian border and the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline there, which links Turkiye to Ukraine, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced. Radev did not specify where the drone, which caused no casualties, came from and said authoriti»»»

TOKYO/BEIJING: Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings, while China shut ports and halted ferries ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on its east coast. Five elderly people, three of whom fell due »»»

BEIRUT: Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show that a sanctioned tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of oil appears to be increasingly submerged in water off the coast of Oman, where it has been grounded for weeks, while leaking ever more oil into the surrounding sea. Crude oil»»»

BERLIN: Two ‌drones were spotted above a military base in western Germany late on Thursday, two days after an explosive-laden drone was found near a runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport in the east of the country, authorities said on Saturday. A spokesperson for Germany’s armed forces said the drones we»»»

BEIRUT: Israeli troops infiltrated a Lebanese village placed under the control of Lebanon’s army as part of a June agreement and built an earthen barrier overnight Friday, Lebanese state media and the local mayor said. “An Israeli occupation army force advanced into the village of Zawtar Al-Gharbiy»»»

JEDDAH: As the third International Nuclear Science Olympiad draws to a close in Jeddah, Saudi team members say the competition marks the beginning of a longer journey toward contributing to Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in nuclear science, energy and medicine. For the young Saudis who earned the right t»»»

Several three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru are facing action after a special food safety inspection drive uncovered expired food, fungal growth on vegetables and unhygienic storage and handling practices. The Food Safety Wing of Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department d»»»

KINSHASA: Militants affiliated with the Daesh group attacked a village in Congo near the border with Uganda early Saturday, killing at least 13 people and burning and looting homes, a local civil society group said. The attacks occurred in the village of Banana École, a suburb of the territorial ca»»»

Washington: The US Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general early Saturday after Republican lawmakers shrugged off Democratic concerns over politicization of the Department of Justice. Blanche, who has already been serving as the top US law e»»»

Share: In his address to the cabinet, Lebanon President Joseph Aoun briefed it on his visit to the United States and his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, affirming the visit’s success despite some having bet on its failure. He explained that the private discussions held during the meeting »»»

Pope Leo XIV will meet with victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church during his planned trip to France from September 25 to 28, the Vatican said Friday. The Holy See did not immediately provide details about the meeting, which comes after the pontiff vowed to further efforts within t»»»

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that its forces conducted overnight group strikes using ground-based precision weapons against military-related infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, while also reporting separate drone strikes on two dry cargo ships transporting weapons and mil»»»

A drone entered Bulgarian airspace from the direction of Romania early Saturday and exploded about 100 meters inside the border near the former Kardam border checkpoint, prompting authorities to strengthen surveillance and security measures along the country's northern frontier. The incident occurr»»»

Sharjah: Rain fell across the Al Madam area in Sharjah's Central Region on Saturday as unstable weather continued to affect parts of the UAE, with forecasters predicting further showers over the coming days. The rainfall followed moderate to heavy showers on Friday in several parts of the country, »»»

Tokyo: A Fijian rugby player with a Japanese professional team has died after being taken to hospital with "symptoms consistent with severe heatstroke", Saimoni Vunilagi's club said on Saturday. Second-division side Kyushu KV said that 26-year-old Vunilagi was taken to hospital in the southern city»»»

Abu Dhabi National Oil ​Company (ADNOC) said one of its vessels was targeted by ‌a ‌missile ​while transiting ‌the ⁠Strait ​of Hormuz ⁠early on Saturday, adding that no injuries were ⁠reported and ‌the ‌situation ​had ‌been ‌brought under control, the state news agency ‌WAM reported. WAM gave no de»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche was confirmed as US attorney general on Saturday after Senate Republicans shrugged off Democratic concerns over politicization of the Justice Department. Blanche, who has already been serving as the top US law enforcement offi»»»

Feliks, a rare eastern imperial eagle, is again soaring through the skies of his Serbian homeland after being rescued from the clutches of bird smugglers during his inaugural migration, the national bird society said. Serbia's Bird Protection and Study Society, which helped return the bird from its»»»

At least eight members of Yemeni government forces and two civilians were killed Friday in new attacks by Houthi rebels in an oil-rich province. Houthi attacks on Yemen's Marib province killed at least 10 people Friday, according to a minister and military source, as the rebels escalated strikes on»»»

Tehran at War (Part 2/2). In Iran, the war with the United States is also fought through enormous, state-sponsored posters. Murals transform walls into billboards advertising the official narrative, designed to carry the government's voice far beyond its borders. FRANCE 24 examines this visual stra»»»

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, Turkish and Pakistani officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns. The agreement was signed in the»»»

Houthi attacks on a strategic Yemeni province killed at least 10 people, according to a minister and military source, as the rebels escalated strikes on the oil-rich region. A 2022 truce between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-supported Yemen government unravelled last month and at least 5»»»

Kuwait: The price of Kuwaiti crude oil rose by USD 2.83 to USD 75.27 per barrel (pb) in Saturday's trading as compared to USD 72.44 pb in Friday's session, according to figures released by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. In global markets, Brent crude futures rose by USD 1.06 to USD 83.55 pb, whi»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE and the wider Arabian Peninsula will enter the final phase of the peak summer season on August 11, with the rising of the Al Kulaybin stars marking the beginning of Marakhiyat Al Qalaid, the last period of the traditional qayz (peak summer), according to Emirati astronomer Ibrahi»»»

First published in Respekt. Europe is opening new trade routes and strengthening its system for controlling imported food. We went directly to Antwerp to see how it is done. “Once we found a frozen dog in a container from China. That was strange, because importing frozen dogs into the EU is not all»»»

The US Senate has overwhelmingly approved a major new Russia sanctions package that could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries buying Russian oil and natural gas, potentially putting Hungary in the firing line. The bill, named in honour of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, pa»»»

JEDDAH: Visitors gathered at Hayy Jameel over the weekend to celebrate International Cat Day through a blend of independent cinema, live entertainment and community activities, while raising awareness and funds for rescued animals. The celebration transformed Hayy Cinema into a pet-friendly space, »»»

LONDON: For much of the past decade Yemen’s Houthi militia built its reputation as an insurgent force fighting a domestic war against the internationally recognized government and Saudi-led coalition. Today, however, its military campaign extends far beyond Yemen’s borders. From missiles and drones»»»

DUBAI: Al-Nassr completed the necessary procedures to address the financial restrictions imposed on it for accumulated debts exceeding SR800 million ($212 million), opening the door for the reigning Saudi Pro League champions to carry out signings ahead of the new season, Arriyadiyah has reported. »»»

The Hague: A fire broke out Friday night at a recycling plant near the port of Rotterdam, spewing thick smoke across the area before being brought under control in an all-night operation, authorities said. The blaze prompted a large-scale emergency response involving fire units, a fireboat from the»»»

Rome: Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, belched smoke and ashes in a new eruption on Saturday, forcing the suspension of arrivals at a nearby airport on Sicily. "Due to Etna's eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the airspace correspo»»»

New Delhi: Two weeks after youth-led protests forced India's education minister to resign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is grappling with the fallout from one of its toughest political challenges in years. Led by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the demonstrations spread from Ne»»»

PoliticsIndiaIndia wary of potential 100% US tariffs over Russian oilMidhat Fatimah with AP, AFP, Reuters, dpaThe US Senate passed a Russian sanctions bill that could result in tariffs on India, as a major Russian oil consumer. Follow DW for more. https://p.dw.com/p/5IU6fIndian exporters are faced »»»

Sydney: A remote Australian town will become a "cornerstone" of the Western supply of scandium, a rare earth needed for defence, planes and data centres, miner Sunrise Energy Metals said on Saturday after a $400 million US pledge. The Pentagon announced a $400 million conditional loan commitment to»»»

Sharjah: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council has announced the launch of Irthi Museum, the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft, aimed at preserving authentic Emirati craft traditions, reinterpreting them through contemporary perspectives and carrying them forward for future generati»»»

Houston, Aug 8, (SANA) Oil prices rose at the close of trading on Friday, with Brent crude gaining $1.06, or 1.3%, to settle at $83.55 a barrel. Reuters reported that U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 89 cents, or 1.15%, to settle at $78.18 a barrel. Oil prices have gained more »»»

Washington: The Strait of Hormuz is, by some accounts, named for a Zoroastrian deity destined to emerge victorious after a 9,000-year standoff with an adversary. Iran's leaders feel their own victory is at hand and won't require the same epic patience. They are betting that military pressure will u»»»

Elon Musk has refused to allow Ukraine to use his Starlink satellite internet service to guide drone strikes deep inside Russian territory, The Atlantic reported on Friday, citing two close allies of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov. According to the publication, Fedorov, a tech-sa»»»

TRIPOLI: Libya’s Zawia Oil Refinery ​Company said a drone crashed into an untreated naphtha ‌tank ‌at ​the ‌Zawia refinery ⁠early ​on Saturday ⁠causing a leak that staff had managed to ⁠control.There were ‌no ‌fires ​or ‌casualties, ‌the company said, but warned against the ‌danger caused by the pr»»»

Russian missile strikes killed three people, including a child, ​in ‌the Kyiv region on Saturday, said local authorities, as an air raid alert was declared in and around the Ukrainian capital. The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on a landmark visit»»»

If you are American, then you might be getting damn tired of losing wars. I know I am. And you may be asking yourself, “Why does this keep happening?” It’s an intriguing and disheartening puzzle: Although the United States has been far-and-away the world’s most powerful country for many decades, wi»»»

What is underway at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs may prove to be more than a simple change of leadership: it could amount to a restructuring that reaches to the institution’s foundations. The institute has been transferred from the Prime Minister’s Office back to the Ministry of»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Bank (QNB) said the US economy continues to demonstrate resilience in the face of current domestic and external pressures, despite a moderation in the labour market and increased economic uncertainty. In its weekly commentary, the bank said the moderation in the pace of »»»