After a recent French court ruling allowed far-right leader Marine Le Pen to run in the presidential election next year, the country’s political landscape has changed. When the polls open on 18 April 2027, the current French President Emmanuel Macron will not be a candidate, having served the two t»»»

Hormuz squeeze on ammonia draws foreign bidders to Odesa Port Plant Four companies from the US, Asia and the Middle East are studying data on Ukraine's war-damaged fertiliser plant as the Strait of Hormuz blockade tightens global ammonia supply. Corporate/Energy — Ukraine Four foreign companies fro»»»

Singapore: A French teenager was fined in Singapore Thursday after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for a straw-licking stunt that landed him in hot water in the city state. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, was handed a Sg$600 ($465) fine after admitting to posting to social media a v»»»

Dubai: Annamaria Amarante Damiani's first day in the UAE did not go to plan. She landed on 29 June, straight into the heat, and her suitcases were nowhere to be found, lost somewhere in Beirut. She would eventually get them back three months later. And yet. "I fell in love with this place as soon a»»»

A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.” After just a couple of hours of deliberations, a jury found Hadi Matar guilty of all the charges against him, i»»»

Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Anish Gawande, National Spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). As India's younger generation challenges Modi's hardline government, Gawande frames recent government concessions, including the resignation of the Education Minister, the passage of »»»

There is no indication that Russia is planning to attack Poland militarily, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has stated. Speaking to RMF FM on Wednesday, Kosiniak-Kamysz commented on the allegations that Moscow could launch a “kinetic attack.” “There are no predictions of an attack like t»»»

Actor and musician Jared Leto arrives in September 2023 for the iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A number of women have accused Leto of criminal sexual misconduct, a new documentary alleges. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo July 29 (UPI) -- In a new BBC documen»»»

This photo, taken Wednesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks fell by nearly six percent as investors dumped semiconductor stocks on AI concerns. Photo by Yonhap Seoul shares plunged by nearly 6 percent Wednesday following a nearly 11 percent crash the previous se»»»

QNA Doha Qatar has achieved a new global milestone by ranking Second in the labour market index according to the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook. The rank reflects the strength of the national economy, the efficiency of the labour market and its ability to attract and retain talent in line »»»

New U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel (C) will arrive in Seoul on Thursday, sources said Wednesday. In this photo, she speaks to South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan (L) and Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha at an event in Washington on July 23. Photo by Yonhap New U.S. Ambassa»»»

Some 49% of Americans think that the US should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes, according to a recent poll. After three years of war in the Middle East, Israel’s once-solid support in the US has cratered. Asked whether the US should enforce an International Criminal »»»

AMMAN: The top US commander for the Middle East has warned troops that cellphone videos shared online can help Iran ​target American bases, and sources told Reuters some deployed personnel could soon be ordered to surrender their phones. Any crackdown on mobile communications would add a new dimens»»»

Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid launched the “Egypt Exports” initiative at Tanta University in Gharbeya during a major event held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and attended by representatives of government entities, affiliated agencies, the business c»»»

Tunis, July 29 (TAP) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti, reaffirmed during a meeting on Wednesday in Addis Ababa with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Tunisia's...»»»

Washington, United States: Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala dumped out defending champion Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarter-finals of the Washington Open on Wednesday. Eala, 21, defeated the seventh seed from Canada 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) for a place in the WTA Tour tournament's last eight, battling»»»

The European Union needs a coalition of key member states to overcome political divisions and prepare the bloc for its next enlargement wave, including the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkan countries, a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said. The rep»»»

BARCELONA: Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta at the country’s northern tip, overwhelming border security, local authorities said Wednesday. While good weather usually brings a surge in migrant crossings by sea in the summer, Ceuta authorities said»»»

ZAWTAR AL-GHARBIYEH, Lebanon: A US-brokered plan for Israel to withdraw gradually from occupied areas of southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia is off to a painfully slow start. To the US, the “pilot zone program” ​is the centerpiece of a June 26 fr»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar continued with world-class racing action as the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) and Qatar International Stakes brought together elite milers and Arabian horses. The Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes saw a stellar line-up of elite milers »»»

BARCELONA: Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta at the country’s northern tip, overwhelming border security, local authorities said Wednesday. While good weather usually brings a surge in migrant crossings by sea in the summer, Ceuta authorities said»»»

The US Senate passed the “sanctions from hell” package advanced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham on July 29 with an overwhelming majority of 86 to 12 in favour, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in attendance. Zelenskiy was in Washington to visit US President Donald Trump to consolidat»»»

President Iliana Iotova announced on Wednesday that she will promulgate the 2026 State Budget Act, arguing that returning it to Parliament would deepen Bulgaria’s financial and institutional uncertainty, while Continue the Change, Democratic Bulgaria, Vazrazhdane and GERB-UDF criticized the decisio»»»

A 73-year-old Hungarian man known in the media as the “Zala county fake Jesus” has been arrested in Italy after fleeing Hungary to avoid serving a prison sentence for defrauding his followers of HUF millions. The man was detained by Italian police in Macerata on 7 July, a spokesperson for the Zala »»»

Some packages of bacon imported from Canada have been recalled by the USDA. Photo courtesy of the USDA FSIS July 29 (UPI) -- Some packages of bacon imported from Canada were recalled after they missed an import inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced. Maple Leaf Foods, of Lisle, Il»»»

Bulgaria is seeking spare parts for its MiG-29 fighter aircraft and exploring options to acquire used F-16 or JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, Minister of Defence Dimitar Stoyanov said on Wednesday, drawing criticism from parliamentary groups. The Defence Ministry said that it had sent inquiries to Poland, »»»

Doha, Qatar: The weekend in Qatar offers a variety of fantastic ways to stay entertained while keeping cool. Here are the top events you shouldn't miss happening around Doha this weekend. Qatar Toy Festival Until August 4, 2026 From 2 PM to 10 PM (weekdays) | 2 PM to 11 PM (Thursday to Saturday) Do»»»

Palestinians inspect a destroyed mosque following an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Tuesday. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said at least four people were killed in Israeli attacks across the territory on Tuesday. Photo by Mohammed Saber/EPA July 29 (UPI) -- The Israeli military on Wednesday accus»»»

Hungary’s parliamentary Immunity Committee has recommended lifting the parliamentary immunity of Tisza Party MP Lőrinc Varga in connection with a drink-driving offence committed in 2024, before he became a member of parliament. Committee chair Edit Sasi-Nagy, also a Tisza Party MP, told the Hungari»»»

The European Union needs a coalition of key member states to overcome political divisions and prepare the bloc for its next enlargement wave, including the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkan countries, a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said. The rep»»»

In the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, few historical figures are as awkwardly placed as artist Ivan Aivazovsky. Born in Feodosia, Crimea, on the Black Sea coast in 1817, the city of Aivazovsky’s birth now under Russian occupation but still internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. In »»»

President Iliana Iotova met with medallists and representatives of Bulgaria's national teams in the international science Olympiads in biology, physics and chemistry, as well as in mathematics, the President's press office said on Wednesday. Teachers and mentors of the students, along with represen»»»

The European Union needs a coalition of key member states to overcome political divisions and prepare the bloc for its next enlargement wave, including the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkan countries, a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said. The rep»»»

PRISTINA - A basic court in Pristina placed two Serb men arrested in Zubin Potok, Kosovo-Metohija, on suspicion of allegedly committing a war crime against civilians in 1999 in 30-day custody on Wednesday. Their defence announced it would appeal the decision, made by a preliminary proceedings judge»»»

Geneva: Two years after the International Court of Justice said Israel’s occupation of the West Bank was unlawful, settler violence and territorial annexation is “only getting worse”, the UN said Wednesday. The United Nations’ human rights office said that with attacks by Israeli settlers and the c»»»

Hungary has begun shutting down one of the four reactor units at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant after the Danube reached exceptionally low water levels, highlighting the growing impact of the country’s prolonged heatwave and severe drought. The operator, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd., announced o»»»

Chair of the Federal Reserve Kevin Warsh looks on during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the Federal Reserve's semi-annual monetary policy report at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 15. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 29 (UPI) -- The stock»»»

GERB-UDF has prepared a constitutional challenge against the 2026 State Budget Act and is seeking backing from other parliamentary groups, GERB-UDF MP and former finance minister Temenuzhka Petkova told a briefing in Parliament on Wednesday, after President Iliana Iotova announced that she will pro»»»

PARIS: The Esports Foundation and Lenovo have announced an expanded partnership, with the technology company becoming a global partner of the Esports World Cup 2026 and powering the world’s largest esports event with its high-performance Legion gaming devices. The EWC 2026 brings the world’s larges»»»

JAKARTA: Nine Indonesians among global activists detained while trying to take aid to Gaza in May filed a complaint against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday alleging crimes against humanity, their lawyer told AFP. The men were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted by I»»»

Positions deemed to carry a high risk of corruption will be filled only after candidates successfully pass an integrity test, according to amendments to the Civil Servants Act adopted by Parliament at first reading on Wednesday. The bill was submitted by the Council of Ministers. The amendments wer»»»

Chad announced that it is withdrawing from the Rome Statute and, therefore, from the International Criminal Court, as several other countries in the Sahel region have done. In an official statement, Chad’s government criticised the ICC’s alleged partiality, arguing that most of its investigations h»»»

Vazrazhdane MP Dimo Drenchev told a press briefing in Parliament on Wednesday that the implications of the constitutional complaint that GERB-UDF and Continue the Change have promised to lodge are interesting, considering that the Public Finance Act stipulates that the State Budget, which must be t»»»

Private bank Lombard Odier has been fined 3mn Swiss francs ($3.7mn) for failing to prevent money laundering in relation to criminal activities of Gulnara Karimova, the 54-year-old disgraced daughter of former Uzbek president Islam Karimov. In a July 27 ruling, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court said »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will on Thursday observe World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which aims to raise awareness of human exploitation and protect victims’ rights. This year’s theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” seeks to highlight the plight of those deceived into working, often under the threat»»»

Bratislava: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has arrived in the Slovak Republic on a working visit. Accompanying His Highness the President are Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed »»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) gave a briefing in Parliament on Wednesday after President Iliana Iotova announced that she will promulgate the 2026 State Budget Act. MP Yordan Ivanov said that the parliamentary group's vision for resolving the issues surrounding the 2026 and 2027 state budgets and "putti»»»

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov said on Wednesday that a priority should be to elect a new Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which should assess the conduct of those responsible for what he described as serious abuses and failures within the judicial system, before any personnel decisions are made.»»»

BELGRADE - The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has appealed a ruling handed down by the Higher Court in Belgrade to the parents of a teenage boy who killed nine pupils and a security staff member and wounded six other people in a shooting spree in his primary school in central Belgrad»»»

Asked whether Bulgaria was negotiating the acquisition of MiG-29 aircraft, the Defence Ministry told BTA it had sent inquiries to several countries, including Poland and Hungary, about available aircraft and spare parts. It added that, in parallel, it was exploring options for acquiring used F-16 a»»»