MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A large-scale demonstration against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his policies took place in the eastern German city of Plauen on Saturday, the DPA news agency reported. Demonstrators reportedly demanded the resignation of the German government, a snap election, lower elec»»»

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»»»

NEW DELHI: India’s tourism players are expecting a boost in premium and business travel from Saudi Arabia, following the launch of Riyadh Air’s daily flights to Mumbai. Riyadh Air started operating flights between the Saudi capital and Mumbai on Tuesday, marking the airline’s first Indian route and»»»

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»»»

Nearly 30% of Polish SMEs failed to adopt artificial intelligence in 2025 because employees lacked the necessary skills, according to the Polish Economic Institute. Only 7% of Polish SMEs use AI, compared with an EU average of 35%, placing Poland near the bottom of the bloc. The institute says weak»»»

MANILA: The Philippines and the Gulf Cooperation Council are in talks to open more accredited medical centers and clinics in the Southeast Asian country, as they seek to improve health screening for Filipino workers headed for the Gulf. More than a million Filipino nationals are living and working »»»

Hungary’s ruling Tisza Party has nominated András Baka, the former president of the country’s Supreme Court, as its candidate for President of the Republic. The party’s parliamentary group made the decision in a secret vote on Saturday, selecting the 73-year-old legal scholar from three potential c»»»

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»»»

More headaches for US President Donald Trump over his planned White House ballroom: a federal appeals court has ruled that the administration must halt the $400 million construction project, saying it has not been approved by Congress. The ruling follows a challenge by the National Trust for Histor»»»

Syria's Health Ministry said Friday that 14 people were wounded, three of them critically, but that there were no fatalities in the explosion of a minivan taxi a day earlier in a Damascus suburb. The Health Ministry had said Thursday night that two people were killed in the blast. In a statement Fr»»»

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»»»

Senior US military leaders are actively seeking a face-saving way out of the six-month-long war with Iran, according to a CNN report citing informed sources. The network stated that in recent weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Keane has made it clear in private conversations with othe»»»

ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team continued its strong performances at the 2026 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship by winning three gold and two silver medals in the Adult men’s competition on Friday at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi. The latest results take the national team’s overall tally at the»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche was confirmed as US attorney general on Saturday. Blanche, who has already been serving as the top US law enforcement officer in an acting capacity, represented Trump as his private attorney in several criminal »»»

RIYADH: Startups operating in the Middle East and North Africa region raised $172.6 million across 45 deals in July, a monthly increase of 16 percent. According to Wamda data, Saudi Arabia regained the top spot in July after ranking outside the lead for the entire first half of the year, with start»»»

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 »»»

Dubai: The Dubai Consumer Protection Department has intensified inspection campaigns across retail outlets, markets and shopping centres as back-to-school promotions get under way, aiming to ensure compliance with promotional regulations, price transparency and consumer rights. Ahmad Ahli, Acting D»»»

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»»»

DOHA: The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau concluded its participation as a strategic partner in the eighth edition of the 'My Career, My Future' programme, organised by the Qatar Career Development Center from August 2 to 6. The programme was held in the presence of HE Dr Abdulaziz »»»

Duke University School of Law has largely disregarded the US Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action and continued to discriminate against white and Asian applicants, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has alleged. In 2023, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in cases brought by Stude»»»

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»»»

Darwin, Australia: Bangladesh folded for just 54 Saturday to lose their only warm-up game ahead of a two-Test series against top-ranked Australia by an innings and 38 runs. The tourists were skittled by young quick Campbell Thompson, who claimed a stunning 8-25 off 11 overs as a Cricket Australia X»»»

It has been a busy week for headlines across the region and beyond. UAE residents can look forward to an upcoming three-day weekend, while Oman opens its doors wider with a free 14-day visa. In local news, a tragic gas cylinder blast in Dubai drew emergency responses, while travel rules take centre»»»

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»»»

The Trump administration is once again trying to limit who can become an American, with a pair of executive orders issued this week that attempt to place restrictions on birthright citizenship and on foreigners who give birth in the US. A Supreme Court decision in June struck down a previous attemp»»»

Washington, DC: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine has spent recent weeks privately advising top US President Donald Trump administration officials that the United States must seek an "off-ramp" from the conflict with Iran. Citing sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported that Cain»»»

Toronto, Canada: Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina advanced to the fourth round of the WTA Toronto Masters on Friday while French Open winner Mirra Andreeva was eliminated by Canada's Leylah Fernandez. World number two Rybakina from Kazakhstan defeated American 28th seed Ann Li 6-2, »»»

Péter Magyar’s intervention in two public media appointments has caused debate over the independence of Hungary’s state broadcaster. The independence of Hungary’s public media has been one of the country’s most sensitive political issues ever since the democratic transition of 1989–90. Following th»»»

Pavilion owners in Bishkek’s 12th microdistrict have filed lawsuits in the district court and with the prosecutor’s office, challenging the City Hall’s decision to dismantle their retail outlets. The entrepreneurs are currently awaiting the court’s decision. They also met with members of the Bishke»»»

Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, commander of the US Army's V Corps, has been relieved of his command just two months before his scheduled departure, ABC News reports. Costanza, who took command in April 2024, was responsible for overseeing US Army forces and coordinating operations across Euro»»»

Dubai: "The only reason why I have not given up and still have hope is because of my children," said Raziya Razick, a Sri Lankan expatriate who has called the UAE home for the past decade. Razick and her family are grappling with legal dues, the result of a series of setbacks that began when she lo»»»

Justice Samuel Alito said he is committed to returning for another term at the Supreme Court. His retirement had been widely rumored after a mistaken NPR report. File Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Justice Samuel Alito said Friday in a rare interview that he is commit»»»

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has been in hot water with President Donald Trump since admitting last week that damage to the pool was due to a "botched installation and not vandalism." Trump on Friday urged the prosecutor to "re-visit" her decision. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. »»»

Brian Curtis, deputy managing director for investigations, speaks at a hearing at the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating a helicopter that crashed while responding to a wildfire in Utah. File Photo by Alex Wong/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A firefighting helicopter »»»

DAMASCUS: Syria’s Internal Security Forces have arrested eight members of an organized kidnapping gang operating in the Damascus countryside, accused of abducting businesspeople, traders, and owners of commercial and industrial enterprises before extorting their families for ransom. The arrests fol»»»

Washington, Aug. 7 (SANA) The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, primarily targeting its energy revenues, with broad bipartisan support, according to the Associated Press. The bill, approved by a vote of 86 to 11, aims to penalize countries that continue to purcha»»»

House and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner has criticized programs for prioritizing permanent housing solutions that apply the Housing First model, in which individuals are housed without preconditions. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Friday »»»

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Senate easily passed sweeping Russia sanctions legislation on Friday, advancing a long-delayed measure backed by late ​Senator Lindsey Graham and setting the stage for consideration by the House of Representatives within weeks. Graham, a South Carolina Republican who died last »»»

The Hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) expressed its concern today over the withdrawal of Chad and Venezuela from its membership, stating that the two countries "risk undermining the collective pursuit of justice." In a statement, the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties to the R»»»

The debt of the Sofia heating utility, Toplofikatsiya, to public gas supplier Bulgargaz and the Bulgarian Energy Holding, which exceeds EUR 1.2 billion, is pushing the state-owned gas supplier toward insolvency, Energy Minister Iva Petrova said in an interview with Nova TV on Friday. She called on »»»

Poland has restored the Maritime Office in Słupsk six years after it was abolished, giving it responsibility for about 170 km of Baltic coastline from Dźwirzyno to Łeba, including the Port of Kołobrzeg. The Ministry of Infrastructure says the move is intended to strengthen Central Pomerania and sup»»»

Proposals for structural reforms will be presented for broad public discussion, Health Minister Katya Ivkova said, as quoted by the Ministry's press centre on Friday. These are not final decisions, but proposals for structural reforms aimed at creating an administration that is more accountable to »»»

BEIT EL, West Bank: Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces a fight for political survival in elections in October after angering his fellow West Bank settlers by voting not to ​punish ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in the military. The political travails of Smotrich are»»»

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and her attorney, Abbe Lowell, leave the U.S. Supreme Court, which blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to remove her from the independent central bank. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump is once again trying t»»»

LONDON: The World Bank on Friday approved a $100 million grant to help the Syrian Arab Republic build a modern, secure and digitally enabled financial sector. The grant from the International Development Association will finance the Syria Financial Sector Modernization Project, which aims to make t»»»

A federal appeals court on Friday ordered US President Donald Trump’s administration to stop construction of its $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing. The court added that a president cannot fundamentally reshape the White House without congressional»»»

Przemysław Wieczorek has been appointed president of PURO Hotels and CEO of Puro Hotell Holding, effective from the beginning of August. The management change comes as the Polish hotel chain prepares for its first international openings. Wieczorek, who has been involved with PURO since its launch, »»»

Labor costs, economic uncertainty and rising energy prices remain the biggest obstacles facing Polish businesses, according to the Polish Economic Institute’s Monthly Business Climate Index. Labor costs have ranked as the leading barrier since late 2023, cited by about two-thirds of companies, whil»»»

LONDON: The morning after Israeli settlers descended on Khirbet Al-Tuba, a small shepherding community in the Masafer Yatta area of the occupied West Bank, the silence was broken only by the crunch of ash underfoot. Three homes had been reduced to blackened shells and several defaced with Hebrew gr»»»

The Plovdiv District Court has left in custody five teenagers arrested in connection with the killing of a 37-year-old man in the city on August 4. The judges explained their decision by the particularly cruel nature of the crime. The hearing was held behind closed doors. A total of 10 teenagers ag»»»