RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s robotics industry is entering a new phase — one defined less by futuristic concepts than by practical deployment. While robots are often associated with science-fiction humanoids, the Kingdom’s focus is firmly on technologies that deliver measurable value. Drones, autonomous »»»

Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc criticized the Lebanese authorities of pursuing “political theater” and making successive concessions that undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty, arguing that recent government actions are a failed attempt to create the illusion of progress while the country rem»»»

Former CEO of Barklay's Jes Staley testified Thursday for the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. File Photo by Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- Former JP Morgan Chase investment banking boss Jes Staley pushed the bank to keep Jeffrey Epstein as a client »»»

Aleppo, July 23 (SANA) Syria’s Ministry of Tourism inaugurated on Thursday the first edition of HOTUREX Syria 2026, an exhibition dedicated to hotel equipment, hospitality and tourism, in Aleppo. Held at the Sheraton Aleppo Hotel, the exhibition is intended to showcase the latest hospitality techno»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, warned the Security Council on Thursday that the security crises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea risk pulling the Middle East into “an ever-widening circle of confrontation,” as he called for the full restoration of international na»»»

Four women and two men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Observers say it is difficult to pick a favorite, given that the world's major powers are divided on the outc»»»

July 23 (UPI) -- A Japanese company is responding to the country's increasingly hot summer temperatures by unveiling a new "human refrigerator." The Do Hiemon Box, marketed as a "human refrigerator," is roughly the size of a standard Japanese vending machine and can fit one person inside at a time.»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar presented a wide-ranging package of government reforms on Thursday, including salary caps at state-owned companies, possible VAT reductions, retrospective wealth investigations and a review of public-spending oversight. The Péter Magyar press conference also ad»»»

NEW YORK: Four years after being stabbed on an amphitheater stage, Salman Rushdie sat across a courtroom from his convicted attacker Thursday and told jurors for a second time about the ambush that nearly killed him. The prize-winning writer recalled feeling what he thought was a punch under his ch»»»

Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is ​seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping. Four so»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has been officially recognised by Official World Record (OWR) for implementing best practices and governance standards, reinforcing its position as a global benchmark for institutional excellence and innovation. The recognition follows a comprehensive assessment by an inte»»»

A gravity platform for the production of liquefied gas at the center for the construction of large-tonnage offshore structures of Novatek-Murmansk company stands in the village of Belokamenka in the Murmansk region, Russia, in 2023. The European Union passed new sanctions against Russia Thursday bu»»»

Climate change is the dominant force behind the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and outweighs human intervention such as upstream damming, water policy researcher Anoush Nouri Esfandiari said on July 22. The world's largest enclosed body of water, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan»»»

The first International Forum of Islamic Civilization earlier this month brought over 450 religious leaders, scholars, diplomats, government officials and other participants from more than 50 countries to Uzbekistan. Across events in Tashkent, Samarkand and Termez on July 7-11, participants discuss»»»

Climate change is the dominant force behind the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and outweighs human intervention such as upstream damming, water policy researcher Anoush Nouri Esfandiari said on July 22. The world's largest enclosed body of water, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan»»»

Trust in Mykhailo Fedorov has surged since President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed him as defence minister on July 15 as part of a surprise government reshuffle, with a new Rating Group poll putting him second only to former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny among Ukraine's most trusted public fig»»»

China’s continuously growing leverage over Russia is not in question and reports in recent days have continued to stress the point. For instance, Beijing has apparently flexed a muscle by declining to provide marine propulsion systems needed for Russia's planned expansion of the Northern Sea Route,»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi in the most significant shake-up of Ukraine's military leadership since 2024, Reuters reported on July 21. Zelenskiy announced the decision on the eve»»»

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed “stringent punishment” for those involved in exam fraud that has fueled student anger, in his first direct comments tied to major protests challenging his government. “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth»»»

“The position taken by World Athletics is totally cynical, openly cynical,” political scientist Yevgeny Semyonov told Sputnik, commenting on World Athletics president Sebastian Coe’s announcement that Russian and Belarusian athletes would remain banned from track & field events despite the IOC’s re»»»

LONDON: Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Gateway to the Red Sea Known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arab»»»

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that the Abdali border crossing came under repeated attacks by hostile drones, causing material damage but no casualties. The official spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said the border crossing "was subjected, this evening, to repeated »»»

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that the Abdali border crossing came under repeated attacks by hostile drones, causing material damage but no casualties. The official spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said the border crossing "was subjected, this evening, to repeated »»»

LONDON: Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Gateway to the Red Sea Known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arab»»»

July 23 (UPI) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said his government will continue negotiating with the United States despite an additional 25% U.S. tariff on Brazilian products. Lula also said his country will seek to expand exports to other markets if the talks fail. Speaking during»»»

Work is proceeding according to schedule for the Strumyani–Berovo border checkpoint between Bulgaria and North Macedonia to be completed by 2029, Deputy Regional Development and Public Works Minister Desislava Georgieva said on Thursday. She was speaking at a press conference in Blagoevgrad on the »»»

RABAT: Morocco ‌will maintain a customs duty on soft wheat until August 31, effectively extending a halt to imports aimed at protecting the local harvest, the heads of the country’s grain traders association (FNCL) and millers federation (FNM) said on Thursday. Authorities had introduced a 170 perc»»»

Budapest: Fernando Alonso on Thursday warned that Aston Martin's long-awaited upgraded chassis, being introduced at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, was unlikely to change their position as tail-enders. But, he said, he believed the team would close the gap and may do better once they understan»»»

The Hungarian government has filed criminal complaints over four transactions linked to the state-owned Eximbank, requesting investigations into financing worth more than HUF 1,000 billion – approximately EUR 2.74 billion. The Eximbank investigations will examine whether the high-value transactions»»»

Albania's Parliament descended into chaos on Thursday as opposition Democratic Party (PD) lawmakers disrupted the plenary session by blocking the speaker's podium and creating loud disturbances in protest. Opposition lawmakers stood in front of the podium, preventing normal proceedings while bangin»»»

DUBAI: A new 10-week summer season of horse racing begins on Friday at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif. Races will take place every Friday and Saturday, with the season culminating in the National Day Cup on Sept. 26. A purse of SR450,000 ($120,000) will be up for grabs in both the National Day Cup »»»

STOCKHOLM: After championing huge policy shifts in Sweden by propping up a minority center-right government for four years, the far-right Sweden Democrats say they have won the political arguments and now deserve a share of power for themselves. But it is a demand that could prove a step too far fo»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia has Czechia's support for membership in EU and the Schengen area, Czech PM Andrej Babis said in Belgrade on Thursday, noting that Serbia had an important role in European stability, especially in a time when there is "talk of war, not peace." Speaking to reporters after a meeting »»»

Timișoara recorded the largest increase in visitor numbers among Romania’s urban destinations for the second consecutive year, according to local newspaper Tion.ro, citing an analysis conducted by the city’s tourism promotion organisation, Visit Timișoara. The analysis draws on Mastercard Tourism I»»»

Damascus, July 23 (SANA) President of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), Hamid al-Zaabi, said Syria’s launch of a national strategy to combat money laundering and terrorism financing reflects a clear political commitment to developing the country’s national fra»»»

"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," the US president told Axios on Thursday. Israel "would join in two minutes if I ask them to," but the US doesn't "need anybody" for the potential new round of aggression, Trump adde»»»

LONDON — Oil prices surged to $100 a barrel on Thursday as Tehran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Red Sea shipping and US President Donald Trump threatened to strike them in return.International benchmark oil contract Brent North Sea soared more than six per cent to hit the symbolic $100 level, as th»»»

PARIS, France — Coal-fired power generation is set to increase in 2026, driven by supply difficulties and soaring natural gas prices linked to the war in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday.The conflict in the Middle East, pitting the United States against Iran, has»»»

AMMAN — Chairman of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce Issam Ghreiwati has expressed his appreciation to Jordan and the Ministry of Interior following the decision to grant new facilities to Syrian investors and businesspeople.Ghreiwati noted the decision is "pivotal," noting that it reflects the Ki»»»

Meeting with the newly elected Grand Mufti of Muslims in Bulgaria, Ahmed Hasanov, on Thursday, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that Bulgaria is an example of tolerance, mutual respect and understanding among religious communities, and the Grand Mufti's Office has made an active contribution to this»»»

KYIV: Shipowners have temporarily suspended vessel arrivals at Ukraine’s Black Sea ports for agricultural exports after a recent surge in Russian attacks on ports and merchant shipping, the country’s agriculture minister said. Ukraine has lost about a third of its capacity to export grain via the B»»»

Rosalia celebrates after winning International Artist of the Year during the 2026 BRIT Awards live show at the Co-op Live Arena in Britain in February. She is facing growing backlash in Argentina for sharing a video related to that country's defeat in the 2026 World Cup final. Photo by Adam Vaughan»»»

Tunis, July 23 (TAP) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti received on Thursday Mohammad Habibullah, who presented him with a copy of his Credentials as Ambassador of Bangladesh to Tunisia, with residence...»»»

Bulgaria is seeking to strengthen its role in Europe's reindustrialization while building a more innovative, high value-added economy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said during a meeting with European Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva. During the talks, Radev reaf»»»

Bulgaria’s government will continue talks with German defense giant Rheinmetall to resolve problems surrounding a planned joint project with state-owned arms manufacturer VMZ Sopot, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Alexander Pulev said after a meeting with representatives of the company. »»»

The price of Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday, a sign of global concern over the renewed fighting between Iran and the United States. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- The price of Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday, a sign of global concern over th»»»

The European Commission has fined Google €890mn for breaching the Digital Markets Act, finding that the company favoured its own services in search results and blocked developers from steering users to cheaper offers. The commission issued two separate penalties on July 23, of  €460mn and €430»»»

The European Commission’s latest belated attempt of regulating Big Tech came in the form of a €890m fine for breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on Thursday (23 July), which commentators immediately deemed “the bare minimum.” “It’s taken the commission over two years to get to this stage of t»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has named youthful Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces, replacing the old guard Oleksandr Syrskyi in the most significant change at the top of Ukraine’s military since 2024. Zelenskiy announced the decision»»»

Since the early post-Soviet days that followed the independence achieved in 1991, Central Asia’s five states have been working toward becoming self-sufficient in meeting their energy needs. However, after 35 years, it is only Turkmenistan, with its massive natural gas and significant oil reserves, »»»