LONDON: In a move that took international commentators by surprise, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense on Thursday announced the launch of a multinational naval force to counter threats to commercial maritime traffic through the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait chokepoint. The unp»»»

People watch through special solar glasses as the moon moves across the sun during the 2024 solar eclipse in Milwaukee, Wis., on April 8, 2024. The first total solar eclipse since the 2024 event will take place in August. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo August will feature three majo»»»

A limited edition passport featuring President Donald Trump is on display at the State Department exhibit at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on June 29. The passports will now be available nationwide. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. Departm»»»

The military and political confrontation between the United States and Iran is becoming less a crisis than a permanent feature of the international landscape. A new center of chronic instability is emerging in south-western Eurasia, and it will shape political and economic developments across the w»»»

USS George Washington begins five-day Da Nang visit one day after Russian naval vessels leave Cam Ranh The USS George Washington (CVN-73) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docks at a naval base in Busan, South Korea. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA July 30 (Asia Today) -- The nuclear-powered aircraft ca»»»

Macro-Advisory Limited has issued its annual mid-year compilation of the best business, political and general interest books published in 1H26, covering the twelve states in the Eurasia region plus Iran and Afghanistan. The document also includes the updated Recommended Reading list for the region »»»

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike next to the Crusader-period Beaufort Castle, as seen from the Israeli side of the border in the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, in June. File Photo by Atef Safadi/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 31 (UPI) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel on Friday for »»»

ROME: Italy said on Friday it was suspending the EU's border-free Schengen ​arrangements with Spain for one month in response to a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco. Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure - which looks certain»»»

CAMP ​DAVID, Maryland: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a US campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court was intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others from prosecution, not himself. Trump made the comment after Secretary of State Marco Rubio tol»»»

A handout photo made available by Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service shows flames engulfing a road as a wildfire spreads in Lege-Cap-Ferret, south-western France, on July 23. The French wine industry may face a tough year. Photo by Damien Renbert/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- Wildfires in France h»»»

South Korea, the United States and nine other countries on Friday issued a joint alert about North Korean IT workers. In this 2016 photo, the North Korean flag flies over its embassy in Beijing. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo South Korea, the United States, Japan and eight other c»»»

ROME: Italy said on Friday it was suspending the EU's border-free Schengen ​arrangements with Spain for one month in response to a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco. Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure - which looks certain»»»

Following reports of a drone attack on a US-owned gas storage vessel at Egypt’s Damietta port, a video purporting to show the incident began circulating online. The footage, however, is unrelated to the conflict in the Middle East. FRANCE 24 found that the footage instead shows a Ukrainian drone st»»»

Saudi Arabia joined the United States for the first time in launching air strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq on Wednesday, marking a significant shift in the kingdom's regional posture after months of restraint. While Riyadh insists it was acting in self-defence, »»»

Trust in Bosnia & Herzegovina's institutions has continued to deteriorate as concerns over corruption, the economy and political instability weigh on public sentiment, while support for European Union membership remains resilient, according to a public opinion survey released on July 30. The su»»»

Macro-Advisory Limited has issued its annual mid-year compilation of the best business, political and general interest books published in 1H26, covering the twelve states in the Eurasia region plus Iran and Afghanistan. The document also includes the updated Recommended Reading list for the region »»»

LONDON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised Vice President JD Vance’s recent criticism of Israel during a private meeting in Washington this week, according to a report by Axios. The two leaders met at Blair House on Tuesday during Netanyahu’s visit to the US, which included talks with»»»

U.S. Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd raised diplomatic tensions with the Chilean government Thursday by saying that criticism from Cabinet ministers of the additional 12.5% tariff imposed by Washington on some Chilean exports complicates diplomatic negotiations aimed at reversing it. File Photo by»»»

Bulgaria spent the past ten days absorbing a stream of Iranian warnings, opposition demands for emergency security councils, and a foreign minister fielding a hostile phone call, all before a single American aircraft had even landed. The first US KC-135 refueling tanker touched down at Bezmer air b»»»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14. The State Department said of the map that it takes "full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners." File Photo by Bonn»»»

Heightened maritime security, air travel disruptions and uncertainty over regional stability remain key concerns for Gulf countries as the military confrontation between the US and Iran continues. Although daily life in the UAE remains largely unaffected, the conflict is continuing to disrupt regio»»»

GAZA CITY: Hamas said Friday it had agreed to a deal announced by US President Donald Trump to end the war with Israel, that includes it handing over its weapons to a Palestinian governing committee and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel did not immediately comment on the an»»»

South Korean pop group BTS said Wednesday they will not enter the Grammys' contest next year in protest of the introduction of a new Asian pop category: Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The new category, introduced alongside four others, is slammed by critics for boxing regional artists into »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Washington must immediately stop threatening Cuba with the use of force, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. "The US needs to immediately stop threatening the use of force against Cuba, and stop any form of unilateral sanctions and blockade against Cuba»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The imposition of a land blockade on Iran is an option being considered by the United States and Israel, media reported on Friday. The possibility was flaunted during President Donald Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office this week,»»»

Opposition parliamentary groups voiced concern on Friday over Bulgaria’s foreign policy surrounding the decision to temporarily allow the allied US forces to use Bezmer Air Base, which was followed by a stern response by the West Asian country. On Thursday, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Velislava Pet»»»

TradeUnited States of AmericaHumanoid robots: Trump's latest China trade battle?Nik MartinThe US has banned foreign-made humanoid robots — a market dominated by Chinese tech firms. Although Washington cited national security risks, analysts think Trump is buying time for US robot makers to catch up»»»

NEW DELHI: The India & Arab Countries Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture on Friday announced a new partnership with one of India’s largest apex industry bodies as it seeks to foster stronger business connections and strengthen India-Arab economic cooperation. The IACCIA has signed a memora»»»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it stopped two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they attempted to pass through an undeclared route under US military air escort, warning that American instructions to ships in the region would not go unanswered. In a statement, the »»»

A new Chief Physician has been appointed at the National Hospital: Talantbek Arstankulov. According to the Ministry of Health press center, the head of the ministry, Damir Osmonov, introduced the new head to the National Hospital staff. Talantbek Arstankulov, born August 1, 1972, holds a PhD in Med»»»

Dubai: The European Union has accused Temu of failing to provide information requested during a surprise inspection, prompting the online retailer to reject the preliminary findings and deny receiving foreign subsidies that distorted competition. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques &»»»

Cape Canaveral: A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago. The rocket's upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists»»»

San Francisco, United States: Anthropic's artificial intelligence (AI) models "gained unauthorized access" to three outside organizations during testing that was supposed to keep them away from "real-world" systems, the company said on Thursday. The announcement comes just days after rival OpenAI f»»»

One of the Trump administration’s more measured hands in national security and foreign policy, US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz was rushed out in front of the cameras last week to extinguish a diplomatic fire. In live interviews with Face the Nation and Meet the Press, he was asked»»»

Bulgaria has not opened talks with Poland on acquiring MiG-29 fighter jets because Warsaw has not responded to its inquiry, Minister of Defence Dimitar Stoyanov told Parliament on Friday. He was answering a question from Vazrazhdane MP Ivelin Parvanov during Question Time. Parvanov asked what price»»»

The Defence Ministry will work towards removing military disability pensions from the category of unearned income, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said during parliamentary question time on Friday. "We will work towards this goal. I am making that commitment," Stoyanov said in response to a quest»»»

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev referred Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Floor Leader Delyan Peevski to the National Audit Office over suspected discrepancies between the publicly declared assets and income of a public office holder and his actual lifestyle, the Interior Ministry said on »»»

Palestinian militant group Hamas confirmed Friday that it had agreed to a deal with Israel that would lead to the group's disarmament in return for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. Here's what we know so far. Hamas said on Friday it agreed to a deal to end the war with »»»

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev referred Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Floor Leader Delyan Peevski to the National Audit Office over suspected discrepancies between the publicly declared assets and income of a public office holder and his actual lifestyle, the Interior Ministry said on »»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) called for the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov, accusing the government of operating without a clear management program and criticizing its domestic and foreign policies. The demand was presented by DB MP Nadezhda Yordanova, who read a declaration on behalf»»»

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has submitted a report to the Court of Auditors over what he described as a possible discrepancy between the declared income and assets of a public figure and their actual lifestyle. The report refers to Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) leader and»»»

Abu Dhabi: PureHealth’s net profit increased 20% year on year to Dh1.2 billion in the first half of 2026, supported by higher patient activity in the UAE, international expansion and continued growth across its insurance business. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Revenu»»»

The European Commission has transferred €896 million to Bulgaria under the fourth payment from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), following progress on a number of reforms and investments included in the country’s recovery plan. The payment is part of more than €1.86 billion in RRF funds r»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia remains committed to its relationship with Iraq and its people, and the recent strikes against Iran-backed group targets were not directed at the Iraqi government or the population, a senior Saudi official told Al Arabiya. What the operation targeted, according to the senior of»»»

The Heads of the Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan have signed the Cholpon-Ata Declaration. According to President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, the document sets out the countries’ common approaches to further development of regional cooperation. Following the signing, Japarov declared the mee»»»

Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has strongly condemned the latest US missile strikes on the residential areas in southern Iran, warning that Washington “will pay the price” for these crimes. In a post on his X account, Ghalibaf denounced the US attack on civilian homes on»»»

The loudest argument against Pax Silica is increasingly becoming a simple one: “There won’t be enough water.” That concern should not be dismissed. But neither should it be allowed to become an argument against the Philippines joining the global AI economy. The more important question is: Does Cent»»»

Egypt’s Cabinet has approved the establishment of a special investment zone, The Spine, within the Madinaty development in New Cairo, paving the way for one of the country’s largest mixed-use investment projects with planned investments of approximately EGP 1.4tn. The decision, approved during the »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US artificial intelligence lab Anthropic said an internal investigation revealed that its Claude AI model had hacked into real-world systems on three occasions during training. Anthropic reviewed over 141,000 test runs of its Claude models after its rival, OpenAI, disclosed s»»»

Iranian state media said on Friday that the bodies of five members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) killed in joint U.S.-Saudi strikes in Iraq this week had been returned. "The bodies of five IRGC members killed in the recent US-Saudi attacks on Iraq were brought into the country thr»»»