President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday said Lebanon has “made the decision to negotiate to avoid the devastation and tragedies caused by war.” “While negotiations are not easy or quick, and there are obstacles and difficulties, they remain far better than war,” Aoun stressed. “We share the same goals: »»»

We have previously read reports about battery plants and several companies in the battery industry allegedly seeking to evade Hungarian regulations, doing so with political backing and, when all else failed, simply paying derisory fines. The action taken over the latest incident at CATL’s Debrecen »»»

A Framework Closer to the German Model One of the most important changes introduced by CATUC is the limitation of the possibility to increase urban planning indicators through Zonal Urban Plans (PUZs) and the transfer of key density decisions to higher-ranking urban planning documentation. “We have»»»

Dubai: Air France has resumed flights to Dubai after months of disruption and repeated cancellations amid regional tensions, with services to the UAE and Riyadh returning. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe French national carrier had suspended its Dubai and Riyadh ope»»»

President and Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces Iliana Iotova promoted Captain First Rank Bozhidar Ivanov to Flotilla Admiral at a ceremony on Wednesday. Ivanov has been reassigned as Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Navy. According to Iotova, the admiral is taking up the post at an e»»»

The National Assembly, on Wednesday, adopted, at both first and second reading during a single sitting, a bill ratifying Amendment and Supplement No. 1 (BU-B-UCP A1) to International Agreement (Letter of Offer and Acceptance – LOA) BU-B-UCP, "Acquisition of Stryker Combat Vehicles", Amendment and S»»»

DUBAI: For Emirati artists Aysha Saif Hemrani Al-Shamsi and Moza Al-Falasi, creativity is as much about discovery and connection as it is about the finished work. As the UAE prepares to mark Emirati Women’s Day on Aug. 28, the artists reflect on what drives their practices and why it is increasingl»»»

Law 169/2026, or the “New Urban Planning Code,” entered into force on 25 August 2026 and represents one of the biggest reforms in urban planning and construction in recent years. The new provisions bring significant simplifications to the process of obtaining construction permits, a welcome develop»»»

MP Nadejda Iordanova said that Democratic Bulgaria will make their own nominations, and endorse some of the proposals put forward by civil society. She was commenting to journalists in Parliament the 26 civic nominations for members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the parliamentary quota»»»

JEDDAH: France has become the first country to sign a Participation Contract for Expo 2030 Riyadh, marking a step forward in preparations for the six-month event and the formalization of international participation. The agreement, signed in Paris by Talal Al-Marri, CEO of Expo 2030 Riyadh, and Jacq»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration is starting to send personnel back to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East that were evacuated or downsized amid tensions with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.The posts in Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Baghdad, Ir»»»

At least three Indian oil refiners and a global energy major plan to stop using vessels on Iran’s new ​blacklist, including for ship-to-ship transfers, due to security concerns, Reuters reported, citing four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Tehran announced ‌on Sunday a blacklist of 45 »»»

Dubai: At least 16 people have been killed and more than 100 Indians are among hundreds of tourists reported missing after massive flash floods tore through Nepal’s Himalayan region bordering China on Wednesday, sweeping away houses, trucks and infrastructure and triggering a major search and rescu»»»

Dubai: Dubai International (DXB) is now expected to reach the milestone of 100 million annual passengers in about 18 months, according to Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths — a target that has slipped slightly from the airport's original end-of-2026 goal. Sign up for our daily business n»»»

The heads of Bulgaria's Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), Council for Electronic Media (CEM) and Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) signed on Wednesday an instruction setting out the terms and procedures for coordinating their activities in implementing the Digital Services Ac»»»

CPI Romania marks a new stage in the development of Sun Plaza, the most important commercial center in its local portfolio, by attracting famous international brands such as Primark, Peek&Cloppenburg, and Reserved. These new openings are part of an extensive process to modernize and reposition the »»»

BRUSSELS: A senior US defense official will brief NATO countries Thursday on Washington’s review of its forces in Europe, officials said, in the face of fears over an American pullback from the continent. US Defense Under Secretary Elbridge Colby will meet ambassadors from NATO countries at the hea»»»

Dubai: Dubai International (DXB) is now expected to reach the milestone of 100 million annual passengers by the end of 2026 or early 2027, according to Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths — a target that has slipped slightly from the airport's original end-of-2026 goal. Sign up for our da»»»

Hirosaki, Japan: Chanting in unison, hundreds of volunteers in northern Japan heaved on ropes on Wednesday to pull a 400-tonne castle back towards its original position. The imposing fortified tower of Hirosaki Castle was shifted 80 metres (262 feet) in 2015 to allow for essential repairs to the st»»»

Icelanders will vote in a referendum on Saturday whether to resume entry talks with the European Union amid growing global insecurity. Voters are not being asked to decide just yet if they want to join the 27-member bloc – only whether they want their government to neg»»»

Massive flooding killed eight people in Nepal on Wednesday as Chinese state media reported "major casualties" from a mudslide at a Tibet trade hub on China's side of the nations' shared border. Images shared by Nepali police showed floodwater surging through a river, sweeping away houses in its pat»»»

Seven civic organizations have nominated Andrey Yankulov and Tanya Radulovska to the Judges Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the quota elected by the National Assembly, the Anti-Corruption Fund said on Wednesday. The seven organizations are the Anti-Corruption Fund, the Bulgarian »»»

For Shamsa Al Mheiri, empowering Emirati women is not simply about helping individuals advance in their careers. It is about creating an environment where women can grow, take on responsibility and eventually create opportunities for others. With more than 20 years of experience, Al Mheiri is Direc»»»

Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) have developed a way to make 3D-printed cookies using genetically engineered yeast to produce protein and nutrients from plastic and agricultural waste. The project aims to tackle two of the planet’s crises: plastic waste accumulation and »»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are committed to keep the Straits of Malacca and Singapore open for international shipping, the neighboring countries have said, as a cooperation forum for navigation of the strategic waterways concluded on Wednesday. More than 125 countries and organizati»»»

As extreme heat fuels wildfires worldwide this summer, Lebanese officials and residents have accused Israel's military of systematically sparking blazes that have burnt swathes of forest and farmland in the country's south. In the village of Shaqra, Haidar Qoteish, 36, says he has watched fires dev»»»

POLITICS Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria have agreed that former caretaker prime minister and former central bank deputy governor Andrey Gurov should be their candidate for president of Bulgaria in the election on October 25. MP Ivaylo Mirchev of Democratic Bulgaria broke the news durin»»»

The battle against Hezbollah has not ended yet and the group suffered major damage but is still present as an organization, an Israeli military source said. “We hope not to be forced to work militarily in the heart of Lebanon and the Lebanese state is the side responsible for addressing the file of»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Europeans' unwillingness to notice systemic problems in the Ukrainian leadership is a big mistake, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "There is a quasi-political fuss in the depths of the Kiev regime, it is becoming more active. The Kiev regime is collapsing f»»»

Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi have developed a new biodegradable, 3D-printed gastric stent. Named BRIDGE (Biodegradable aRchitected Internal DrainaGE), the device could improve treatment for gastric leaks, a serious complication that can occur following weight-loss surgery. Get updat»»»

BEIRUT: As extreme heat fuels wildfires worldwide this summer, Lebanese officials and residents have accused Israel’s military of systematically sparking blazes that have burnt swathes of forest and farmland in the country’s south. In the village of Shaqra, Haidar Qoteish, 36, says he has watched f»»»

Women's presence today in all areas of public life is the result of a long struggle for rights and equality, National Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva said in her address to participants at an international conference, "Women's Voices – Rights, Strength, Change", which opened in Kazanlak. Delcheva urge»»»

RIYADH: Saudi-listed utility developer Acwa, formerly ACWA Power, and South Korea’s Korea Western Power Co. have signed an agreement to explore renewable energy, energy storage and related infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan. The memorandum of understanding establishes a framework for the compani»»»

The US-led board overseeing the Gaza peace plan warned Hamas on Tuesday to halt militant activity, including flying kites, after Israel threatened retaliatory strikes. A Board of Peace official said Israel must also respect the ceasefire, limiting military action to responses to “genuine and immine»»»

Dubai: “For two hours I kept crying and wailing.” Jaweria had lost her newborn in the fire that swept through a maternity ward at Islamabad’s biggest public hospital. As families gathered outside on Wednesday, her grief turned to anger over why help had not come sooner. “Rescue teams arrived too la»»»

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and representatives of the German company Diehl Defence discussed the establishment of a maintenance centre for defence capabilities in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence said. Bulgaria expects that the acquisition of new defence capabilities under the SAF»»»

One million children subject to severe acute malnutrition in Afghanistan are at risk of dying if they do not receive immediate treatment, the UNICEF warned on Tuesday. Nearly 40 percent of those admitted to hospitals comprise babies under six months old. One million children in Afghanistan are»»»

Opposition parties "We Continue the Change" (PP) and "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB) are set to support Andrey Gyurov's bid for president and Georgi Kandev's candidacy for vice president, according to PP lawmaker Radoslav Ribarski. Speaking on NOVA NEWS, Ribarski said the two parties are expected to for»»»

Bulgaria's ruling majority, represented by Progressive Bulgaria (PB), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) and Revival, rejected a request by Democratic Bulgaria (DB) to summon Economy, Investments and Industry Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pulev to parliament over the Lukoil N»»»

Russia returned 10 prisoners of war to Kiev during a humanitarian action on August 24, and Ukraine responded by handing 10 soldiers to Russia on Wednesday, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said. "At the moment, the process of prisoner of war exchange is taking place on the territor»»»

A team of AI researchers led by two Slovenians has left Nvidia to launch Veeda AI, a Toronto-based startup developing virtual environments where robots can learn and practise tasks before operating in the real world, startup news media outlet The Recursive reported on August 24. Veeda AI has r»»»

Global fertility may have fallen below replacement level for the first time in human history, putting the world population on course for decline within roughly one generation, a new study has warned. The paper, Terra Incognita: The Economics of a Shrinking World, published earlier this month by eco»»»

DUBAI: Israeli forces were recently seen preventing Knesset lawmaker Ofer Cassif from reaching a Palestinian family whose home has been surrounded by settlers in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra. Louai Ridi, a Palestinian American, has been effectively trapped on his property since settlers »»»

Ukraine turned 35 on August 24 and its president spent the occasion asking for two things: money and missiles. Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv on August 23 that ballistic missile defence and war funding were Ukraine's "two major challenges". The defence ministry is carrying a budget shor»»»

In this Parliament, the only consistent opposition is Vazrazhdane, party leader Kostadin Kostadinov said from the rostrum of the National Assembly in a declaration on Wednesday. “We heard declarations in which some of the parties distanced themselves from the ruling party,” Kostadinov said. He comp»»»

LONDON: It is almost 38 years since Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 259 people on board and 11 residents of the Scottish town of Lockerbie, on Dec. 21, 1988. Now, with the news that the trial of the last remaining suspect in the bombing has been postponed, just days before it»»»

Sydney, Australia: The "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing group of Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand held talks Wednesday in Sydney on using artificial intelligence to combat terrorism and organised crime. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the "massive acce»»»

Doha, Qatar: Northwestern University in Qatar is expanding its faculty with four new appointments whose work engages some of the defining questions shaping media, technology, culture, and society today—from artificial intelligence and mobile communication to environmental media and the evolving rol»»»

Mumbai: When Gulf News tracked down Miss Universe India 2026 Kaziah Liz Mejo, the Abu Dhabi-bred law student was in Jaipur, caught in a whirlwind of pageant rehearsals, photo shoots and media requests. The 19-year-old's life had changed almost overnight and, by her own admission, it was yet to full»»»

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday. The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbor where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in »»»