DUBAI: On Jan. 13, 2012, the huge Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a rock just off Giglio Island, which tore a 53-meter gash in the ship’s hull. The engine room was soon flooded, cutting off power from much of the ship. There were 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew aboard. Evacuation took si»»»

The River Drava has fallen to one of its lowest levels on record, exposing large sections of the riverbed and creating the extraordinary sight of people being able to walk across the river beneath the bridge at Barcs, on the Hungarian-Croatian border. One of the country’s biggest rivers can be walk»»»

The annual Summer School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Belite Brezi resort near Ardino once again brings together young astronomy enthusiasts from across Bulgaria, said the school's technical director, Agop Uzunbogosyan. "The school builds on what students learn in the classroom while giving»»»

Jind, India: India launched its first hydrogen-powered train Friday, joining a small group of nations testing the technology as part of efforts to decarbonise rail transport and cut dependence on fossil fuels. The project is part of a broader push to modernise one of the world's largest rail networ»»»

USNS Washington Chambers conducts a replenishment-at-sea with Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex on Monday during RIMPAC 2026. North Korea on Friday denounced the exercise as a "war rehearsal." Photo by Nate Wheeler/U.S. Navy North Korea denounced Friday an ongoing U.S.-led multinational »»»

K-pop exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, South Korean government data showed Friday, In this March 21 photo, a billboard advertising the Netflix livestream of a BTS concert is seen in Seoul. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo South Korea's exports of K-pop albums»»»

A man accused of spying for Iran was due to appear before magistrates in London on Friday after being arrested in the West Midlands by counter-terrorism police. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- A 39-year-old man was due in court in London on Friday accused of breachin»»»

A project titled "Enhancing national capabilities for coordination and response to cybersecurity incidents" is being implemented within the agreed timeframe and has reached an advanced physical and financial progress, Bulgarian Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister Ivan Vasilev said here o»»»

Synthetic drugs have emerged as one of the fastest-growing threats to public health and security worldwide, with the United Nations warning that criminal networks are increasingly turning to laboratory-made substances that are easier to produce, harder to detect and often more dangerous than tradit»»»

Manila: Manila lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing on Friday over a "racist" video posted by Chinese state media portraying the Philippines as a cartoon monkey. The China Daily post was the latest offshoot of a long-running dispute over the Asian neighbours' overlapping South China Sea claims.»»»

BusinessGlobal issuesHow AI and satellites help fight wildfiresInsa WredeWildfires are currently raging in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere. To successfully fight these fires, speed is essential. Early detection from space and AI-powered data analysis can help. https://p.dw.com/p/5H8eLMunich-based sta»»»

MANILA: The Philippines condemned as racist a video posted by the state-run China Daily depicting Filipinos as monkeys, saying on Friday it had lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over the “offensive, distressing and unacceptable” imagery. Manila has demanded the removal of the video, which it»»»

LONDON: Trump Media & ​Technology Group has unveiled a paid-for, licensed data feed that will give banks and trading firms “the fastest” access to posts from influential Truth Social accounts, such as President Donald Trump’s, whose posts often move global markets. The product, called “Truth API,” »»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) met with chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning (L) in Pyongyang, state-run media reported Friday. Photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, July 17 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with a Chinese party and government delegation»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Trump Declassifies Intelligence, Accuses China of ‘Largest Election Data Breach in History’ 17-07-2026 13:08 PM US President Donald Trump a»»»

Kuwait reported Friday an Iranian attack on a power and water plant on Friday, while Bahrain and Qatar also said they had intercepted missiles after the U.S. attacked power infrastructure in Iran. Kuwait said that a power and water plant had been damaged by an Iranian attack, as the war in the Midd»»»

Two former heads of government from the Elders group of international figures founded by Nelson Mandela on Friday warned of the potential disappearance of the Palestinian territories and called for an end to what they called Israeli "impunity". The call from former Ireland president Mary Robinson a»»»

China and Pakistan's foreign ministers called Friday for the United States and Iran to stop fighting and resume negotiations, according to a statement following a meeting in Shanghai. China's Wang Yi and Pakistan's Ishaq Dar jointly "expressed concern over the deterioration of the current situation»»»

Iran's health ministry said Friday that at least 38 people had been killed and more than 400 injured in the country since fighting resumed with the United States. "The number of injured from US attacks has exceeded 400, and 38 compatriots have been martyred" since June 22, ministry spokesman Hossei»»»

The Constitutional Court has opened a case to review the constitutionality of the method used to allocate quotas in the Central Election Commission (CEC), the court's press office said on Friday. The request was submitted by 49 members of the present National Assembly. The rapporteur in the case is»»»

Israel's parliament dissolved early Friday after passing a marathon of bills in the last moments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. The Knesset, which was scheduled to break for its summer recess on Friday, will not reconvene before the elections scheduled on Oct. 27. The e»»»

Kuwait reported Friday an Iranian attack on a power and water plant on Friday, while Bahrain and Qatar also said they had intercepted missiles after the U.S. attacked power infrastructure in Iran. Kuwait said that a power and water plant had been damaged by an Iranian attack, as the war in the Midd»»»

Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will attend the World Cup final to see his country take on reigning champions Argentina, his government said Friday. Sanchez, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump -- who also plans to attend Sunday's final in New Jersey -- will then travel to Alge»»»

BusinessIranIran's threat extends beyond the Strait of Hormuz Timothy RooksOil and gas producers in the Gulf are seeking alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz as traffic again comes under fire. But is Iran also turning its attention to the pipelines meant to bypass the waterway? https://p.dw.com/p/5»»»

Fulga Dinu, country manager at CPI Romania, talked to BR about the company’s EUR 100 million financing for Sun Plaza, ongoing asset transformation, and investment priorities for 2026. She mentions resilience in prime retail and office markets, evolving consumer behaviour, and the growing importance»»»

Gijs Klomp, head of business development at WDP Romania, talked to BR regarding the strong demand for logistics in its portfolio, the impact of new infrastructure nodes, and competitive regional rental dynamics through the remainder of 2026. Which sectors do you project will lead demand for WDP Rom»»»

Dubai: A two-year-old Filipino girl who was abandoned as an infant has returned safely to the Philippines after spending most of her early childhood under the care of a Dubai shelter. The child has arrived on July 9 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Manila on a commerci»»»

Abu Dhabi authorities have shared nine safety guidelines for electric bicycle and scooter riders, urging users to follow responsible riding practices and comply with safety rules to protect themselves and other road users. The guidelines highlight the importance of wearing protective equipment, usi»»»

POLITICS In an op-ed entitled "What is Bulgaria's place, Mr Radev?" and published by Capital, Alexander Detev comments on Prime Minister Rumen Radev's statement that Bulgaria will not join the Coalition of the Willing supporting Ukraine. Radev argued that lasting peace should be achieved through di»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump on Thursday revived sweeping and unsupported claims of voter fraud and Chinese meddling -- firing a clear warning shot ahead of midterm elections that many expect him to dispute. In a primetime White House address, Trump portrayed the US electora»»»

Tokyo: Japan's parliament tweaked the imperial succession law on Friday but maintained the bar on women emperors -- despite surveys suggesting wide public support for the idea. The future of the imperial household -- mythically descended from the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu -- depends currently on»»»

US President Donald Trump declassified intelligence he said showed Chinese interference in US elections, reviving claims about election security despite intelligence findings that Beijing did not alter the 2020 vote he lost. The move reinforces Trump's push to make election integrity a central issu»»»

Kuwait said on Friday that an Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant had caused widespread damage to the station. The news came after Iran launched multiple air strikes on its Gulf neighbours in response to US air strikes overnight. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. (FRANC»»»

RIYADH: While most people know Prince Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud as the first Arab and Muslim astronaut to travel into space, the years that followed were devoted to a different mission: reviving Saudi Arabia’s heritage and documenting the people whose lives helped shape the Kingdom’s history throug»»»

The Hungarian state spent more than HUF 387 million on President Tamás Sulyok’s official foreign trips between March 2024, when he took office, and the end of 2025, according to figures released following a public information request. The data, obtained by HVG from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev addressed questions from MPs during Friday’s parliamentary control session, with the issue of a ceremonial revolver he received as a gift in Turkey being the only inquiry directed at him. The session began at 9:00 a.m., with Radev, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pulev an»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev warned that the continued escalation of the war in Ukraine could lead to an even more dangerous phase of the conflict, including a possible tactical nuclear strike. Speaking to journalists after parliamentary oversight, he said that he does not see a clear winne»»»

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova and 40-year-old Asen Simeonov entered its 18th day, with police and volunteers continuing around-the-clock efforts to locate the pair after they disappeared from the Varna village of Konstantinovo. Despite dozens of reported sightings, authorities have yet»»»

Dubai: The creator economy, once shorthand for influencers and viral videos, has quietly become one of the fastest-growing digital sectors in the Gulf. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.At its core, the creator economy refers to individuals who build audiences online and»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev Friday said he was confident that Bulgaria would achieve a lower budget deficit. Speaking to reporters in Parliament, he said that most importantly, the 2026 Budget reveals the full picture of the country's finances, provides a solid foundation and introduces rules for fi»»»

The expanding U.S. military campaign against Iran has put three small islands that sit at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz in the crosshairs once again. The islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb — which were seized in 1971 by Iran from what would become the Unit»»»

Bulgaria’s aging housing stock remains one of the main factors behind the country’s high vulnerability to energy poverty. While across Europe newer and renovated buildings are helping reduce the number of households struggling to heat their homes or pay energy bills, many Bulgarian households conti»»»

"Football is the most important of the less important things in the world." Those are the words of one of the most successful coaches in the history of football, Carlo Ancelotti. My fingernails, lack of sleep and heightened blood pressure are all evidence that Brazil’s current manager has a point. »»»

tbi bank is providing REDESIGN with €7.85 million in financing over a 24-month period to complete the first buildings in the second phase of the Stejeriș project. The loan, with the principal repayable in full at maturity, will support the continuation of construction works on seven boutique reside»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has inaugurated the world’s largest truck marshalling area, spanning 1 million sq. meters, at Jeddah Islamic Port while the Saudi Ports Authority signed seven agreements with companies worth investments exceeding SR1 billion ($266.9 million) on the sidelines of the launch. The »»»

Dubai: The Philippines has formally lodged a diplomatic protest against China's state-owned newspaper China Daily over an AI-generated video and editorial cartoons that Manila says contain “demeaning, dehumanising, and racist depictions of Filipinos.” The protest has come amid a video published on »»»

Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz, but hopes for a possible diplomatic solution have shown stubborn signs of life. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected suggestions that Islamabad had abandoned efforts to bring Washington and Tehran b»»»

The United States expanded its airstrike campaign against Iran early Friday by hitting more bridges, electrical equipment and collapsing a tower at a key Iranian port, part of U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to start striking infrastructure to pressure Tehran to ease its chokehold on the Stra»»»

Dubai Police have taken action against a reckless driver who removed his vehicle’s licence plates in an attempt to evade smart traffic monitoring systems. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.In a social media post sharing video footage of the incident»»»

The brick-and-mortar travel agency caters to the needs of a diverse range of travelers. TUI consultants can assist both those seeking affordable last-minute vacations to destinations served by charter flights and those interested in vacations to exotic destinations, with additional benefits tailore»»»