The 2026 Issyk-Kul Kyrgyzstan Grand Prix, a stage of the F1H2O World Powerboat Championship, has kicked off in Kyrgyzstan. The international competition, which is being held for the first time in Central Asia, takes place on the shores of Issyk-Kul Lake from July 31 to August 2. F1H2O is considered»»»

Washington, United States: Google rolled back Friday a new feature allowing Google Earth users to generate AI visualizations on top of the service's satellite imagery, following a furious backlash from researchers and open-source intelligence experts about the potential for disinformation. "We've s»»»

The first session of Bulgaria's 52nd National Assembly was dominated by the newly formed Progressive Bulgaria party, which secured a parliamentary majority following the April 19 snap elections, enabling the adoption of the 2026 budget, changes to electoral legislation and amendments to the Judicia»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to strengthen its retirement system and unlock billions of riyals in long-term domestic investment, according to a BlackRock report, which found that while many workers are financially confident today, fewer are adequately prepared for retirement. The “Read o»»»

President Donald Trump claimed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which cost nearly $15 million to renovate, had been damaged by vandals. But in a court filing Friday evening, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the damage was caused by a "botched installation." Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI. | Licen»»»

MANCHESTER, England: Labour Party candidate Bev Craig was elected mayor of Greater Manchester on Friday, after a vote triggered by the departure of Andy Burnham to become Britain’s prime minister. Craig won 66.3% of the votes in a runoff with Sian Astley from the anti-immigration party Reform UK. “»»»

WASHINGTON: The Justice Department moved Friday to dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying evidence prosecutors had recently received refuted the idea that vandals were to blame. Government lawyers said in a 20-page »»»

Manila is finally beginning to reshape its automotive policy for the 21st century. The government's decisions on local car-production incentives in 2026 signal a broader shift in Philippine industrial strategy — away from simply protecting conventional vehicle assembly and toward attracting the nex»»»

Elon Musk's xAI sued Minnesota seeking to block the state's law banning nudification technology. File photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Friday turned down a request by Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, to block a Minnesota law banning nud»»»

The United States’ new tariff regime gives Poland a relative advantage over some competing exporters, although its legal basis may still face court challenges. Since July 24, imports from the EU and 18 other economies have faced a 10% tariff, compared with 12.5% for countries including China, Brazi»»»

Port Łódź is launching a major redevelopment covering nearly 10,000 sqm. The food court will almost double in size and add six new restaurant tenants, while the 7,000 sqm patio will feature a summer cinema, water playground, winter garden, and additional greenery. The center will also redesign its »»»

Greenvolt Power has launched one of Poland’s largest battery energy storage facilities in Turośń Kościelna. The 200 MW, 800 MWh site consists of 196 battery modules and 49 transformer stations and uses lithium iron phosphate technology. It can respond to grid operator signals within seconds, suppor»»»

A modernized T-3 wind tunnel has opened at Warsaw’s Okęcie airport following a PLN 105 mln upgrade financed through Poland’s National Recovery Plan. Operated by the Łukasiewicz Institute of Aviation, it is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. The tunne»»»

Up to 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in roughly 24 hours, overwhelming border forces and increasing the territory’s population by as much as 70%. The unprecedented influx has triggered a political crisis, raised questions over the true nature of the»»»

US President Donald Trump and other far-right leaders on Friday seized on Spain's migration crisis to bolster their political messaging on immigration, while over half of the migrants who had crossed the border made their way back to Morocco voluntarily the same day.  US President Donald Trump»»»

Twisted metal and chunks of concrete crushing vehicles are all that is left of the Amazon Hub in Edwardsville, Ill., on December 11, 2021. Illinois has led the country in number of tornadoes both in 2026 and 2025. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Illinois continues to lead the nati»»»

HARLINGEN, Texas: Advocates warn that tens of thousands of migrant children who came to the United States alone could lose legal representation in immigration court and increase their risk of deportation as the Trump administration allows a contract with legal services providers to expire. Friday m»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his criticism of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has said the Israeli leader could be arrested on war-crimes charges if he visits the city. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over Israel’s mi»»»

Canadian convenience-store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard plans to acquire 100% of Żabka Group for PLN 32 per share, valuing the Polish retailer at PLN 32.62 bln. The offer represents a 9% premium to Żabka’s July 30 closing price, although some analysts believe investors could reasonably expect »»»

The Polish government has launched a PLN 270 mln program to create at least 30 Local Cybersecurity Centers. Local governments may apply through partnerships or consortia consisting of at least two municipalities, counties, or regional authorities. Funding will support employee training, cybersecuri»»»

WASHINGTON: Google rolled back Friday a new feature allowing Google Earth users to generate AI visualizations on top of the service’s satellite imagery, following a furious backlash from researchers and open-source intelligence experts about the potential for disinformation. “We’ve seen geospatial »»»

Residents in several Albanian municipalities staged protests on Friday against a proposed territorial reform that would significantly reduce the number of local governments, arguing the plan would weaken local representation and erase community identities. The governing Socialist Party has proposed»»»

Organisations across the UAE now have until August 14 to apply for the fourth cycle of the Parent-friendly Label, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has announced. The deadline was extended following strong interest from semi-government, private and third-sector organisations since appli»»»

Hezbollah said Lebanese authorities have taken no action in line with their national and sovereign responsibilities as the Israeli occupation entity continues to destroy villages in southern Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah affirmed that the Israeli enemy was continuing, in full view of the Leban»»»

KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of Congo’s fast-spreading Ebola outbreak is now the world’s second-largest on record, government data showed on Friday, as transmission continues to outpace efforts to contain the epidemic. The number of cases reported across Congo has risen to 3,532, the Communication»»»

Bodies of the victims are transported to a hospital after a methane gas explosion in the Sorange coalfield on the outskirts of Quetta, Pakistan, on Friday. Photo by Fayyaz Ahmad/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- A coal mine explosion in Pakistan's Balochistan province left at least 34 people dead and rescue wor»»»

CAMP ​DAVID, Maryland: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a US campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court was intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others from prosecution, not himself. Trump made the comment after Secretary of State Marco Rubio tol»»»

A handout photo made available by Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service shows flames engulfing a road as a wildfire spreads in Lege-Cap-Ferret, south-western France, on July 23. The French wine industry may face a tough year. Photo by Damien Renbert/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- Wildfires in France h»»»

The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent in 2025, South Korea's central bank said Friday. In this June 2025 photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an opening ceremony for a tourist zone in Wonsan. File Photo by KCNA/EPA The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent for the thir»»»

Abu Dhabi: Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Year Of Award has been launched as a national recognition platform establishing the enduring legacy of the annual themes of the UAE Year Of initiative. The Award celebrates individuals and organisa»»»

At least 19 people died after about 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in a single day, prompting both countries to reinforce controls along the European Union’s border with Africa. Spain and Morocco moved to halt further crossings on July 31 after the unpreceden»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's son is being investigated over allegations he sought to influence Health Ministry decisions involving the commercialization of medical cannabis. Photo by Andre Coelho/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Court authorized a federal police investigatio»»»

Max Miller arrives for a State Dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in 2019. Miller, now a congressman from Ohio, is facing a restraining order against him from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. Grisham has also accused him of domestic violence. File Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI »»»

Abu Dhabi: Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Year Of Award has been launched as a national recognition platform establishing the enduring legacy of the annual themes of the UAE Year Of initiative. The Award celebrates individuals and organisa»»»

Hungary is entering what Prime Minister Péter Magyar has described as one of the country’s most serious energy crises in decades, with the most critical period expected to begin on Monday as the Paks Nuclear Power Plant moves closer to a possible full shutdown. Speaking at two emergency press brief»»»

The draft government decree establishing an interdepartmental coordination council on the National Children's Hospital has been published on the Health Ministry's website for a two-week public consultation. Speaking at a briefing at the Council of Ministers a few days ago, Health Minister Katya Ivk»»»

AL-BAHA: Visitors to Raghadan Forest Park during Al-Baha Summer Season can get up close to purebred Arabian horses and enjoy the chance to ride, photograph and learn more about these beautiful creatures. Set against the forest's mountainous terrain, dense vegetation and cool mist, the initiative hi»»»

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: A Sri Lankan court on Friday sentenced former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara to death after finding him guilty of criminal negligence that allowed Daesh-inspired bomb attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019, killing more than 260 people. A death penalty in Sri Lanka typically means li»»»

U.S. Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd raised diplomatic tensions with the Chilean government Thursday by saying that criticism from Cabinet ministers of the additional 12.5% tariff imposed by Washington on some Chilean exports complicates diplomatic negotiations aimed at reversing it. File Photo by»»»

BEIRUT: Former Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh was placed under police guard in hospital on Friday, a day after missing a hearing in an alleged embezzlement case, a judicial official told AFP. Salameh had been due to appear in court on Thursday in connection with a complaint filed by ne»»»

Bulgaria has incurred a deficit of EUR 2,416.2 million (1.9% of projected GDP) under its Consolidated Fiscal Programme (CFP) as of June 30, 2026, the Finance Ministry reported on its website on Friday. The Ministry's data on the implementation of the state budget in the first half of 2026 match pre»»»

Education and Science Minister Georgi Valchev responded to questions related to recent protests staged by students of the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) during Question Time on Friday. Valchev responded to questions by Continue the Change MPs Velislav Velichkov and Nikolay Denkov»»»

Nicolas Cage stars in "Fortitude," an unreleased film. A master copy was stolen from the Netflix office, and the production company is suing Netflix for $105 million. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- A production company is suing Netflix for $105 million for losing »»»

Bulgaria spent the past ten days absorbing a stream of Iranian warnings, opposition demands for emergency security councils, and a foreign minister fielding a hostile phone call, all before a single American aircraft had even landed. The first US KC-135 refueling tanker touched down at Bezmer air b»»»

Spain has deployed just 60 troops to its North African exclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants overwhelmed security forces and stormed across the border from Morocco, with up to 30,000 more people reportedly swarming the frontier. The Spanish Interior Ministry said the military contingent cons»»»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14. The State Department said of the map that it takes "full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners." File Photo by Bonn»»»

Dubai: Dubai has been ranked the world's second most intelligent city in a new global study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), placing ahead of New York City, Washington and Amsterdam in the consultancy's inaugural Intelligent Cities Index. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balanc»»»

South Korean pop group BTS said Wednesday they will not enter the Grammys' contest next year in protest of the introduction of a new Asian pop category: Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The new category, introduced alongside four others, is slammed by critics for boxing regional artists into »»»

Spain's Pedro Sanchez criticised a sudden arrival of around 40,000 migrants from Morocco to the north African enclave Ceuta as "an attack, a violation" of Spain's national territory. The prime minister blamed the influx of immigrants on criminal networks manipulating a recent court ruling that imme»»»

A July 24 Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital hit a drone factory belonging to Terminal Autonomy – a Delaware-HQ’ed maker of low-cost UAV and AI navigation systems. The attack deprived Ukraine’s military of a key long-range strike drone capability in the form of AQ-400 Scythe (32kg payload, 750»»»