LONDON: A vast oil spill in the Gulf is quickly becoming one of the world’s ​worst in years after being allowed to spread almost unchecked for weeks, according to international agencies, satellite imagery and environmental groups. The slick off the coast of Oman from a grounded tanker carrying Russ»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz visited southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to destroy infrastructure and keep troops in a so-called “security zone” as well as in Syria and Gaza. The comments came almost two months after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-sponsored framework deal »»»

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia will respond in kind if European countries start to seize Russian merchant vessels and the commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet said his forces were ready to “inspect and detain” foreign vessels from what he called hostile states. The co»»»

BEIRUT: Relatives of Lebanese seized by Israel during its last two wars with Hezbollah held a rally in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Beirut on Wednesday to demand information. Israel is estimated to have seized dozens of people in Lebanon since 2024, including Hezbollah f»»»

PoliticsEritreaEritrea: Key player in the geopolitical gamble at the HornMartina SchwikowskiAmid growing tensions and security risks at the Horn of Africa, Eritrea, with its strategically important coastal points on the Red Sea and a perceived lack of conflict, is emerging as important player in th»»»

ANKARA: Longing to be reunited with her son, Ayten Elhaman was glued to the television all day as Turkiye’s parliament debated and passed a law this week enabling Kurdish militants to return home under a peace process to end their decades-old insurgency. She recalled how Bayram had left his job in »»»

MANILA: Filipino journalists are facing a backlash at home after joining Israel-sponsored press trips, with the main trade union saying that participation in such media tours may amount to complicity in the Israeli genocide in Palestine. The Israeli government has organized several media junkets fo»»»

BAKU: Azerbaijan’s ‌President Ilham Aliyev has said his country could supply electricity to neighboring Armenia, saying Yerevan will not be able to extend the life of its aging Metsamor nuclear power plant indefinitely. There was no immediate comment from the Armenian government on Aliyev’s proposa»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States is in control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and will "keep it." "The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Our Naval Blockade »»»

Poland’s eastern regions are gradually closing the economic gap with the rest of the country despite increased geopolitical risk following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Between 2019 and 2024, business investment per capita in Podlaskie, Lubelskie and Podkarpackie rose 51%, while county own-source r»»»

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski convened an emergency meeting of the Joint Cybersecurity Operations Center on August 12 following a cyberattack on healthcare technology company MyDr. Authorities are investigating whether patient data was stolen, how the»»»

Kuwait: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior on Wednesday foiled a terrorist plot targeting a vital facility in the country and arrested a Kuwaiti national affiliated with Daesh before executing his plan, following intensive security monitoring and surveillance. This came in a statement by the ministry»»»

Doha, Qatar: Skywatchers across parts of the Northern Hemisphere will witness a solar eclipse today, August 12, with the Moon completely blocking the Sun along a narrow path through Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while millions elsewhere will see a partial eclipse. According to NASA, the path of tot»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe PM Salam: Israeli Attacks in South Lebanon Comprise Violation of International Law 12-08-2026 17:59 PM Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam said,»»»

GENEVA: Half of Afghan women now leave their homes only once or twice a month as Taliban-imposed restrictions curtail their freedom of movement and participation in public life, according to data released by UN Women on Wednesday. As the Taliban prepare to mark the fifth anniversary of their return»»»

Dubai: The regional security situation continues to shape daily life, from flight schedules and fuel prices to shipping routes through the Gulf. Here's a round-up of Wednesday's key developments and what they mean for residents, whether you're flying out tonight, tracking the markets, or simply sta»»»

QUSRA, Palestinian territories: The Israeli military failed in an attempt on Wednesday to remove occupied West Bank settlers who for days have blockaded Palestinian homes, an eyewitness and an AFP photographer reported.The siege began on Sunday, when a group of settlers set up a makeshift tent near»»»

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stressed Wednesday that the Israeli army will not withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon. During a visit to Israeli forces in occupied southern Lebanon, he stated: "I have instructed the Israeli army to take all necessary steps for a long-term prese»»»

Lebanon's parliament on Wednesday passed an amnesty law, the first of its kind since 1991, that is expected to benefit thousands of prisoners and wanted people. The legislation is largely aimed at easing prison overcrowding but critics say it is the result of bargaining among sectarian groups and p»»»

A preliminary agreement has been reached for a new round of negotiations to be held between Lebanon and Israel at the beginning of September, sources told Al-Arabiya television. They noted that the United States is considering forming a committee comprised of officers from several countries to moni»»»

Kuwait: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior on Wednesday foiled a terrorist plot targeting a vital facility in the country and arrested a Kuwaiti national affiliated with Daesh before executing his plan, following intensive security monitoring and surveillance. This came in a statement by the ministry»»»

Prolonged low water levels and high summer temperatures are straining the Danube’s ecosystems, the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) – Montana told BTA on Wednesday. Low water levels and prolonged dry spells can alter habitat conditions, raise water temperatures and adversely af»»»

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) will cover the election of members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the quota of the National Assembly and the election of SJC members by judges, prosecutors and investigating magistrates, under a dedicated developing topic (section) in Bulgarian and Englis»»»

The Plovdiv District Court has released the two young men, aged 17 and 18, who were charged with causing bodily harm to two Nepalese nationals on the night of July 24 to 25 in the city. The 17-year-old was placed under the supervision of a police counselling centre inspector as a precautionary meas»»»

The EU is using Operation Irini as a tool of intimidation, which amounts to an abuse of international legal norms, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. "Today, Operation Irini is effectively being used by the EU to intimidate commercial carriers and obstruct freedom of navigation. This is a clear»»»

DOHA: Kearney has launched the Global Telecom Health Index, a 34-market global benchmark of telecoms sector health, revealing Qatar as one of the two healthiesttelecom markets in the world, second only to the UAE. The index expands Kearney's 2025 EuropeanTelecom Health Index into a global assessmen»»»

The International Energy Agency warned Wednesday of sharp drop in oil stocks amid renewed disruption to exports from Gulf producers with the Iran war seeing "lower volumes" transiting the seas to markets around the world. File photo by Olivier Matthys/EPA Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The International Energy A»»»

The Hungarian government has ordered the immediate construction of a submerged riverbed weir on the Danube near Paks and is preparing an extraordinary temporary measure: two 80-metre barges could be deliberately sunk to raise the river level if necessary. The government has taken urgent measures to»»»

Damascus, Aug. 12 (SANA) The International Energy Agency (IEA) sharply lowered its forecast for global oil supply this year, citing disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and continued hostilities in the Middle East. In its monthly report on Wednesday, the Paris-based agency said»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov asked Prime Minister Rumen Radev when he would restore the dismantled Monument to the Soviet Army, the party's press office reported. “The Prime Minister is right that the removal of anti-fascist monuments leads to the revival of fascism in Bulgaria. That is w»»»

CATANIA, Italy: Flights at ‌Sicily’s Catania airport were suspended again on Wednesday as fresh ash emissions from Mount Etna forced authorities to extend airspace restrictions, disrupting travel during the peak summer holiday season. Airport operator SAC said arrivals and departures would remain s»»»

The pact challenges Western-led security frameworks, says military analyst Sultan M. Hali. The trilateral defense agreement signed in Mecca by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye is shifting the balance of power in the Middle East. The alliance, stipulating that an attack on one is an attack on all»»»

Bogotá: Colombia on Wednesday declared three days of mourning for victims of an earthquake that demolished buildings in the west of the country, killing more than 200 people. At 7.4 magnitude, Monday's quake was the strongest to hit Colombia in a century. The government said flags would be lowered »»»

Prosecutor Blagovest Vangelov from the Burgas District Prosecution Office has been nominated for election as a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the prosecutors' quota, the SJC said on its website. Vangelov was nominated by colleagues from the Burgas Appellate Prosecution Office, th»»»

ConflictsAsiaGulf states scramble for Strait of Hormuz alternativeAmir SoltanzadehSaudi Arabia has redirected oil exports away from the Strait of Hormuz, but most Gulf producers still lack a reliable backup option to the world's most important energy choke point. https://p.dw.com/p/5IgwpBefore the »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is using a new SR500,000 ($133,300) camel racing prize to deepen investment in domestic breeding, attract new owners, and strengthen the economic foundations of a sport that sits at the intersection of the Kingdom’s cultural heritage and Vision 2030 ambitions. The Saudi Camel R»»»

ConflictsAsiaGulf states scramble for an alternative to Strait of HormuzAmir SoltanzadehSaudi Arabia has redirected oil exports away from the Strait of Hormuz, but most Gulf producers still lack a reliable backup option to the world's most important energy chokepoint. https://p.dw.com/p/5IgwpBefore»»»

The head of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls the east and parts of southern Libya, has been killed in a car bombing, the army said in a statement Tuesday. Fawzi al-Mansouri was assassinated on Monday when an explosive stuck to his car detonated as he was leav»»»

BELGRADE: Croatia launched a search in the Adriatic Sea Wednesday after four young Portuguese tourists went missing in their inflatable boat in severe weather, the national maritime rescue agency said. The four disappeared early in the morning in the Velebit Channel — a stretch of the Adriatic betw»»»

Stories from yesteryear pull me in and “Little House on the Prairie,” currently streaming on Netflix, is no exception. The eight-episode series, released this year, follows the tight-knit Ingalls, who navigate the complexities of life. Set in the late 19th century, Charles Ingalls, with his wife Ca»»»

RIYADH: The 2026/27 Saudi Pro League season is upon us. With the league set to kick off on Thursday and more than €222 million ($256 million) spent, we take a look at how each team stands before the new season. What you need to know: Defending Champions: Al-Nassr Ange Postecoglou’s side are looking»»»

LONDON: Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that its State Security Service foiled a terrorist plot targeting a vital facility in the country, state news agency KUNA reported. The ministry said a Kuwaiti citizen affiliated with the militant group Daesh was arrested before the plot could be»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged up 10.94 points, or 0.1 percent, on Wednesday to close at 10,844.12. A total of 256.3 million shares changed hands, with turnover reaching SR5 billion ($1.3 billion). The session ended with 141 gainers and 112 losers. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index ro»»»

Ukraine, using intelligence data from the European Union and NATO, is escalating attacks on transport and logistics infrastructure and vessels in the Azov-Black Sea waters, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "Throughout the summer, Ukraine, using unmanned system»»»

A billboard for the prediction market Kalshi in New York displays members of Argentina's national soccer team after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final game. Photo by Olga Fedorova/EPA Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The New York City Council announced Wednesday that it is investigating the advertisin»»»

The move is aimed at seeking bilateral and multilateral currency cooperation with BRICS members. The impending accession was announced by Iran’s Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, who added the NDB is "the most important result" of BRICS cooperationThe bloc now includes 10 members—Brazil, Ru»»»

The Lebanese Army announced Wednesday that Israeli forces are “continuing their attacks and violations of existing agreements and international law, most recently detonating the municipality building in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh ... in addition to the public school, clinic, kindergarten, and several home»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s 2025 annual report reveals an agency quietly shifting from a traditional transport-and-ambulance service into an agile, preemptive civil protection network. For citizens, incoming pilgrims, and international relief efforts, this operational pivot under Sau»»»

Russia has freed ailing former US Marine Robert Gilman on humanitarian grounds without exchanging any Russian prisoners in return, US President Donald Trump said on August 11. "After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis. W»»»

LONDON: Acclaimed Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery has spent much of her career documenting moments of dissent and the lives of women in Iran. The work has repeatedly brought her into ​conflict with the authorities, and on Iran’s National Journalist Day on Saturday she learned she had been sen»»»