Russia’s reserves edge up to $722.4bn after June decline
Russia’s international reserves edged up to $722.4bn in the week ending 10 July, according to the Central Bank of Russia, extending a recovery after a sharp fall in late June. (chart) The stockpile increased by $700mn, or about 0.1%, from $721.7bn a week earlier. It remains well below this yea»»»
Top energy manager Koretskyi takes over as Ukraine's Prime Minister
Ukraine’s lawmakers approved chairman of the national gas company Naftogaz’s board, Serhii Koretskyi as the new Ukrainian Prime Minister on July 16 in anticipation of intense winter attacks by Russia. Zelenskiy announced a surprise government reshuffle at the weekend, after asking Ukraine’s Prime M»»»
Nvidia loses world's most valuable company title as Apple retakes top spot
Nvidia slipped below Apple early Friday as the world's most valuable publicly traded company due to the latest selloff in semiconductor shares. Shares of Nvidia were down more than four percent as worries about the valuation of artificial intelligence equities dogged the market, giving the company »»»
Iran’s New Onslaught on US Gulf Bases Exposes Devastating Success of Spring Counterstrikes
Iran’s March drone and missile attacks disabled numerous critical US radars and forced it to “expend a significant portion of their air and missile defense stockpiles,” military expert and CAST security think tank senior research fellow Yuri Lyamin told Sputnik. Lyamin pointed out, for example, tha»»»
Brent oil heads for biggest weekly gain since April amid US-Iran tensions
Dubai: Brent crude may need a prolonged disruption through the Strait of Hormuz or clear evidence of tightening global inventories to break above $90 a barrel, despite heading for its biggest weekly gain since April. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The global benchmark»»»
UK’s Andy Burnham named Labour leader ahead of taking over as PM
Andy Burnham was on Friday elected leader of the Labour party clearing the way for him to become the UK Prime Minister next week following the departure of Keir Starmer. Burnham has risen to leadership on a pledge to thwart the rise of the populist Reform UK and said he would "give hope back"»»»
Over 40 free beaches at Lake Balaton: here's the list to save tons of money
A day at Lake Balaton is becoming increasingly expensive for many families, with beach admission fees often overtaking accommodation costs as the biggest holiday expense. For a family of four, a full day at a paid beach can easily cost HUF 10,000–15,000, prompting many visitors to seek out the lake»»»
GERB-UDF: Bulgaria Co-authored, and Therefore Endorsed, Kyiv Declaration Even Without Physically Signing It
MP Georg Georgiev of GERB-UDF told reporters in the National Assembly on Friday that the Kyiv Declaration of July 15 is a concluding document and does not bear physical, handwritten signatures. Georgiev, who is also former foreign minister, was commenting on a controversy over whether Bulgaria's cu»»»
How this Egyptian expat found his place in the UAE by helping others find theirs
Dubai: Moving to a new country often begins with excitement to new opportunities, new surroundings, and the promise of a different future. But behind many expatriate stories is a challenge of building a life from the beginning. For Egyptian expat Ahmed Youssef, that challenge came at a time when th»»»
Look: Dog rescued from mountain after consuming marijuana - UPI.com
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (@lochabermrt) July 16 (UPI) -- A rescue team was summoned to the tallest mountain in Scotland to rescue a Labrador that became ill after consuming marijuana. Christina Bluhme said her 5-year-old black lab, named Tokyo, star»»»
France is building an Orwellian state in plain sight
First, a bit of recent history. In 2015, after the Maidan coup in Kiev and the beginning of the confrontation between Russia and the West, the EU created the East StratCom Task Force to fight foreign disinformation campaigns supposedly orchestrated by Russia. This agency is a part of the European E»»»
How Saudi Arabia is saluting security guard after social media bullying
RIYADH: A Saudi security guard who became the target of online mockery has sparked a wider conversation about the dignity of work, with many Saudis rejecting attempts to belittle the profession and describing it as an honorable role that serves both people and the country. Mousa Al-Saad, who has wo»»»
Press Review - 'We will have to share the water': a quarter of small waterways in France have run dry
PRESS REVIEW – Friday, July 17: China reacts after the UK nationalises its last remaining virgin steel factory, expropriating Chinese Jingye Group. In other news, low rainfall in May followed by three intense heatwaves have 100 French departments under water restrictions. Also, »»»
“No One Signed Anything”: Bulgaria Rejects Claims of Commitment to Ukraine Coalition
Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova rejected claims that Bulgaria had undertaken any commitment to join the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” or any other international format related to support for Ukraine. Speaking to journalists in parliament, she said that no Bulgarian representative had sign»»»
Pakistan denies reports of Islamabad blocking Afghanistan’s membership in SCO
ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected allegations of Islamabad opposing Afghanistan’s bid for full membership on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, following reports that Kabul’s participation was stalled by a member of the region’s most powerful bloc. Founded in »»»
Radev on BOTAS Deal: “We Offered Turkiye a Mutually Beneficial Partnership”Opinions
Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria has proposed a mutually beneficial arrangement with Turkiye as part of the efforts to suspend certain obligations under the gas supply agreement between Bulgargaz and the Turkish company BOTAS. Speaking to journalists, Radev said the specific details of the »»»
BALKAN BLOG: A Le Pen presidency could slam the brakes on EU enlargement
The European Union's renewed drive to expand eastwards could face its biggest political obstacle yet if French far-right leader Marine Le Pen wins the 2027 presidential election, potentially derailing accession hopes for Ukraine and the Western Balkans at one of the most critical moments in the blo»»»
Fayyad says Lebanese leadership has 'abandoned its people'
MP Ali Fayyad of Hezbollah on Friday charged that the Lebanese leadership "has abandoned its people, indifferent to their suffering and the extent of the crimes committed against them by the Israelis." "This ruling authority seems to have become corrupt and is persisting in its choices despite all »»»
CPI Romania bets on ESG and asset quality to sustain performance in competitive market
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»»»
Iran’s Araghchi: ‘Israel’ Using US Taxpayers to Silence American Critics - Al-Manar TV Lebanon
Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran’s Araghchi: ‘Israel’ Using US Taxpayers to Silence American Critics 17-07-2026 13:49 PM Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (image fro»»»
Opposition to data centres grows in cramped urban Japan
Tokyo: The more Yoriko Kitagawa learns of a massive data centre to be built near her home in Hino on the outskirts of Tokyo, the more she worries. "This is a terrible plan," the 94-year-old told AFP. The explosion in resource-hungry data centres -- housing the hardware "brains" of artificial intell»»»
REVIEW: ‘Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea’ — harrowing, moving Netflix documentary
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»»»
Summer Astronomy School Brings Together Students from across Bulgaria
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»»»
UN reports 316 million people use drugs worldwide as synthetic substances fuel new global threat
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»»»
Protest filed over China video of 'monkey' Philippines
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.»»»
How AI and satellites help fight wildfires
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»»»
Truth Social to sell trading firms ‘fastest’ access to Trump’s posts
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,” »»»
China, Pakistan call on US, Iran to resume talks
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»»»
Israel parliament dissolves as it gears up for elections
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»»»
CPI Romania bets on ESG and asset quality to sustain performance in competitive market
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»»»
Media Review: July 17
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»»»
Trump revives election fraud claims ahead of US midterms
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»»»
In speech to nation, Trump declassifies intelligence claiming Chinese interference in 2020 elections
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»»»
The mission after space: Prince Sultan’s journey into Saudi heritage
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»»»
Radev Explains Turkish Revolver Gift: “I Did Not Want to Violate Its Authenticity”
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»»»
Bulgaria's PM Warns of Nuclear Danger in Ukraine: “We May Witness a Tactical Nuclear Strike”
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»»»
China slams Trump claims of US election meddling as ‘pure fabrications’
BEIJING: Beijing accused US President Donald Trump of making “fabrications” on Friday, after he said China had meddled in US election data, reviving his long-standing baseless claims of voter fraud ahead of midterm polls many expect him to dispute. Trump said in a White House address on Thursday th»»»
Three strategic islands in the crosshairs of US-Iran war
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»»»
Old Homes Keep Bulgaria Trapped in Energy PovertyOpinions
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»»»
Hopes for US-Iran diplomacy still alive as fighting intensifies over Hormuz
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»»»
Flexi tickets are booming, Saudi travel is slowing: How UAE holiday plans are changing
Dubai: Many UAE travellers are still going ahead with their summer holidays, but many are changing how they book. A vast majority of travellers, at least 70 per cent according to one travel agent, who have pre-booked their tickets and hotel bookings for the holidays are going ahead with their trave»»»
Canadian wildfire smoke brings dangerously high pollution to US cities
Air quality levels in Chicago, Detroitt and New York reached dangerously high levels on Tuesday as the US cities were shrouded in smoke produced by wildfires raging through swathes of Canadian forestland. More than 130 fires are still active in northwestern Ontario province, with at least 60 o»»»
PM Radev on BOTAS Gas Supply Deal Suspension: We Have Offered Turkiye Mutually Beneficial Partnership
Turkiye has been offered a most mutually beneficial partnership, said Prime Minister Rumen Radev to journalists on Friday in connection with the freezing of the contract with BOTAS. "I cannot reveal specific parameters because it is a matter of confidentiality between two commercial companies. I ca»»»
How Britain’s Andy Burnham went from ‘King of the North’ to inheriting the 10 Downing Street throne
Andy Burnham’s unlikely, but then inevitable rise to become UK prime minister is a classic tale of having the politician’s greatest talent: being in the right place at the right time. A month ago, Burnham wasn’t even an MP. But he pounced on Keir Starmer’s deeply unpopular leadership style, making »»»
Former PM Barak fears a repeat of Israel's Lebanon quagmire
It was just before sunrise when the last columns of Israeli tanks crossed from Lebanon back into Israel and then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who ordered the withdrawal, said the homecoming of Israeli troops sent "shivers down his spine." That was May 24, 2000, the day Israel ended its 18-year occupa»»»
Bulgaria Shares Magnitsky Sanctions Evasion Schemes With U.S.Opinions
Bulgaria has shared with the United States information related to alleged schemes used to bypass sanctions imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev announced, saying cooperation between Bulgarian and U.S. authorities will continue. Demerdzhiev said Sofia had provid»»»
Saudi Arabia’s POS spending holds above $3.8bn
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s total point-of-sale transaction value remained above SR14.2 billion ($3.8 billion) in the week ending July 11, despite a weekly drop of 15.9 percent, according to the Kingdom’s central bank. The total number of transactions also eased, dropping 6.8 percent to 250.5 million du»»»
How Saudi Arabia is reclaiming the night sky
JEDDAH: As light pollution increasingly obscures the night sky across much of the world, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea destination is taking an unusual approach to luxury tourism: preserving darkness. Red Sea Global has introduced a destination-wide dark-sky strategy aimed at protecting pristine night ski»»»
Singer Aya Samra explores identity and belonging in ‘Madina’
JEDDAH: Berlin-based Palestinian singer-songwriter Aya Samra’s latest single, “Madina” is a reflection on identity, belonging, and the realization that home is something carried within. “I was moving in Germany a lot; so many apartments and so many cities,” Samra tells Arab News. “I was searching f»»»
Father Amir’s vision laid foundation for scientific innovation
Doha, Qatar: The late Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani played a pioneering role in nurturing Qatar’s culture of scientific research and innovation by encouraging young Qataris to pursue creativity and technological excellence, according to Undersecretary of the Ministry of Educatio»»»