BARCELONA: Firefighters in central Spain on Wednesday battled a wildfire that has burned over 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) in one of the country’s largest blazes on record. The fire in rural Guadalajara comes less than two weeks after a deadly blaze devastated a small expat community in southern »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that two more dry cargo ships delivering goods for the armed forces of Ukraine to the ports of Odessa and Chernomorsk have been hit. The Russian armed forces continued attacks on Ukrainian ports and naval vessels working in the inter»»»

Guyana Prime Minister Mark Anthony Phillips said an independent inquiry will be established "as early as possible" to determine what happened before the MV Barima departed and whether operating procedures were followed. File Photo by Nathalia Aguilar/EPA July 22 (UPI) -- Guyana will establish an in»»»

Dubai Police urges residents and visitors to follow safety guidelines to protect their personal belongings while visiting the emirate’s beaches. This is part of ongoing efforts to enhance public awareness and ensure a safe summer season. Dubai Police advises beachgoers not to leave personal belongi»»»

PARIS: France recorded at least 5,700 more deaths than usual during a historic heatwave last month, the public health agency said Wednesday, sharply increasing its estimates of the feared toll from record-shattering temperatures. Public Health France said regions hit by the heat from June 17 to Jul»»»

CAIRO: ‌Egypt’s parliament approved four oil and gas exploration and development agreements on Wednesday, including a North Sinai project involving Franco-British independent producer Perenco. Egypt is looking to bolster domestic energy production that has struggled to keep pace with growing demand»»»

The Trump administration is showing signs that it could move to ban cutting-edge Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) models, as the emergence of China's open-source Kimi K3 model has revived earlier efforts, US media outlet Axios reported on Monday local time. Chinese experts said that the reporte»»»

RIYADH: Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh has successfully performed its first kidney transplant, marking the launch of its organ transplant program, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. The operation was carried out on a 32-year-old patient with kidney failure, who received a kidney dona»»»

President Donald Trump appears at the West Wing Portico of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he was expected to travel to Georgia where he will give a speech on Trump Accounts. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Wednes»»»

Sky and Amanda Roberts, brother and sister-in-law of Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre, speak during a press conference with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in Washington, D.C., on June 15. Epstein's model scout was found dead Wednesday in France. He had also recruited f»»»

Tunis, July 22 (TAP) - The weather will be locally very cloudy on Wednesday night on western-northern and midland heights, getting clear to a bit cloudy on most regions. The wind will blow east light to moderate, and the sea will be calm to a bit...»»»

RIYADH: Qiddiya has earned the mark of excellence under the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program from Destinations International, the world’s most prominent body dedicated to supporting destination organizations. The achievement places it among a select group of destinations worldwide to rec»»»

Kyrgyzstan is not helping to circumvent international sanctions, but it has no intention to restrict traditional trade with Russia. At the same time, the authorities have tightened controls over banking operations, the export of dual-use goods, and corporate activities. First Deputy Chairman of the»»»

Dubai: Dubai's General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs has urged residents wishing to host relatives or friends to take advantage of its family and friends visit visa service, offering flexible single and multiple-entry options to make travelling to the emirate easier. The appeal is »»»

The government has proposed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure that would limit the practice of returning cases for procedural corrections, allow obvious factual errors to be corrected directly during court hearings, and expand opportunities for speeding up proceedings. The changes aim to»»»

The Government approved here on Wednesday a bill amending and supplementing the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act. The amendments are necessitated by the need to fully incorporate into relevant Bulgarian legislation the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/1233 of the European Parliament of»»»

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Phil ‌Foden has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2030, the English Premier League club announced on Wednesday. The new deal reinforces City’s commitment to the academy graduate, who has made 411 appearances and scored 131 goals since breaking »»»

MADRID: Spain goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez, who captained Real Madrid last season, has joined Arsenal on a free transfer after six years at the Spanish club, the Women’s Super ‌League side ‌said on Wednesday. ‌Media ⁠reports said Rodriguez ⁠joined Arsenal on a three-year contract, with the option to e»»»

Madrid: Spain midfielder Gavi said on Wednesday that he did not believe Argentina's Leandro Paredes should be banned for his role in the incidents that followed Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday's World Cup final. As Spain's players began celebrating after the final whistle, Argentina de»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The situation in the Russian economy is stable, despite the external attempts to destabilize the situation in fuel and energy sector of the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. "Immediately, at the beginning of our meeting, I would like to note that the st»»»

The New York Times is reporting that the Trump administration plans to announce that it has reached a broad nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia which could lead to the country enriching its own fuel for nuclear reactors.What do we know about the deal and what will this mean for the region? Details »»»

The US on Wednesday is set to announce a deal with Saudi Arabia that would allow the oil-rich Gulf nation to enrich uranium, according to US media reports. Riyadh has long asserted its right to a civilian nuclear programme, but Israel and several policy experts warn that it could spark a nuclear pr»»»

The Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved a proposal to Parliament to ratify a sales contract between Bulgaria's Defence Ministry and the Netherlands for the acquisition of Tripartite-class minehunters, as well as a memorandum of understanding between the defence ministries of Bulgaria, Belgiu»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday that following the Washington summit between US President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the focus must now be on “results on the ground, not just the appearance of the meeting.” In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, B»»»

New Delhi: The political confrontation over the NEET-UG paper leak intensified on Wednesday, with India’s Parliament remaining deadlocked as the Opposition renewed its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The government insisted it was prepared for a full debate but rejec»»»

Germany's environment ministry on Wednesday approved a French-Russian project to produce fuel rods used in Russian-designed reactors in the northwestern German town of Lingen. The joint venture project by a subsidiary of French company Framatome and Russia's state-owned Rosatom sparked fears o»»»

Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov said Bulgaria is facing the danger of war after Parliament approved the temporary deployment of up to eight US tanker aircraft and as many as 250 American military personnel at the Bezmer Air Base in support of US operations in the Middle East. Speaking after the »»»

An Indian court has sentenced 44 Somali pirates to life imprisonment for hijacking two vessels off the coast of Somalia, including the Bulgarian-operated cargo ship Ruen, whose crew included seven Bulgarian sailors. The sentences were handed down by a special court in Mumbai in two separate piracy »»»

The Bulgarian government has decided to transfer the building at 23 Vrabcha Street in Sofia, currently used as the headquarters of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), to the National Revenue Agency (NRA). The Council of Ministers also announced that the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will »»»

The Council of Ministers has adopted a decision proposing that the National Assembly ratify the Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2021–2028, signed on November 18, 2025, in Sofia. Bulgaria will receive EUR 106,098,357 in funding to help reduce ec»»»

The government approved a draft agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the Regulation of Labour Migration. The Agreement is intended to apply to citizens of Bulgaria and Uzbekistan who have an employment contract and a reside»»»

Kyrgyzstan will be able to significantly reduce its electricity deficit in 2027-2028 after commissioning new generating capacity. However, the problem won’t be completely solved by adding a few new facilities—power plant construction must be ongoing. First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Minister»»»

BELGRADE - During an official visit to Serbia, Slovakia's EXPO 2027 Commissioner General Lukas Parizak and Slovakia Travel Director General Matej Fekete have presented the latest information on preparations for setting up a Slovakia booth at the specialised EXPO, the EXPO 2027 Belgrade company anno»»»

France passed Europe’s first social media restrictions for minors on Tuesday (21 July), with a blanket ban for users aged under 15 – going against the EU’s advised features-based restriction. After passing in the French senate, the vote passed with 279 in favour to 81 against on Tuesday evening in »»»

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas has withdrawn the nomination of Slovenia's former foreign minister Tanja Fajon as the European Union's special representative for the Sahel region in Africa, RTV SLO reported on July 20. Fajon confirmed the withdrawal to the STA agency, saying she regretted that d»»»

A conference in Ankara has called for a Turkey, Russia, China and Iran alliance to deter the US, yet the sharper argument is that the bloc already functions. The gathering, held under the banner "Alliance to Prevent Great Wars" and organised with the participation of Turkey's Vatan Party, drew some»»»

“Cargo corridor” journalism might have seemed a dull proposition to most reporters just a few years ago, but when it comes to geographies including the Middle East, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central and South Asia, it is by now a big thing among many news outlets. First-came the full-scale invasion »»»

The Council of Ministers (CoM) on Wednesday approved a draft agreement between the governments of Bulgaria and Greece on the establishment and operation of a Police and Customs Cooperation Centre. The approved draft will serve as the basis for negotiations, the Bulgarian government said on Wednesda»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Volodymyr Zelensky used the replacement of Ukrainian armed forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi as a "lightning rod" amid public anger over battlefield setbacks, political scientist and member of the Other Ukraine movement's council, Vasily Vakarov, »»»

JEDDAH: Al-Hanateen dunes in northern Saudi Arabia once overlooked a historic trade route used by small caravans of merchants who preferred a safer, if more physically demanding, passage across the desert. Located along the new Rafha-Hail road, about 160 km southwest of Rafha governorate, the tower»»»

President Donald Trump has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that will involve the United States supporting the creation of a Saudi nuclear power program. File Photo by Nathan Howard/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has reached an agreement with Saudi Ar»»»

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova, Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and members of the European Commission (EC) President's cabinet Wednesday discussed initiatives to strengthen connectivity between the European Union (E»»»

The Gulf’s importance in US calculations is no longer measured only in barrels of oil, shipping lanes, and military bases. With the rise of artificial intelligence, the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are emerging as partners in the physical infrastructure underpinning one of the most »»»

Dubai: Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known as du, reported a 12.6% increase in first-half net profit to Dh1.63 billion as service revenue growth and cost controls helped offset softer customer activity during the second quarter. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf N»»»

KISVARDA/GDANSK: Facing a choice between upsetting businesses and a public opinion backlash, the Polish and Hungarian ruling centrists are opting for curbs on foreign labor — something economists warn may hurt the two countries’ growth prospects. Both Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who won »»»

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware: US President Donald Trump attended a ceremony for four US service members who returned to American soil in flag-draped caskets on Wednesday after being killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East. The ceremony, known as a “dignified transfer” of the bodies, comes am»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold their ​next round of US-brokered talks on August 4 in Italy, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Wednesday, as the two countries begin implementing a plan for Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese army deployments in southern Lebanon. The two longtime foe»»»

BERLIN: Germany’s Deutsche Bank said Wednesday that prosecutors had searched its headquarters in Frankfurt, with media reports saying the probe is linked to alleged “cum-cum” tax avoidance. Cum-cum cases involve investors temporarily transferring ownership of shares to lower tax jurisdictions aroun»»»

VILNIUS: Latvian soldiers used tear gas and fired a warning shot to stop migrants trying to enter from Belarus, the army said on Wednesday, as the prime minister said Latvians were worried about a rising number of migrants trying to cross the border. Latvia, along with Poland and Lithuania, has acc»»»

PARIS: A French modelling scout with close ties to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home outside Paris, prosecutors and his lawyer said on Wednesday. Under investigation in France, Daniel Siad, 69, was one of several French men accused of aiding the convicted sex»»»