Tokyo: The number of Japanese people living in the country has fallen below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, government data showed Wednesday, as the nation confronts a low birth rate and an ageing society. As of January 1, the population of Japanese residents in Japan stood at 119.74 mi»»»

BELGRADE - In the past seven and a half years, Serbia Zijin Copper has delivered 17 t of gold, or 1,356 gold ingots, to the National Bank of Serbia, the central bank said on Tuesday. In the period, the company has sold to the NBS the equivalent of Serbia's total gold reserves ten years ago, it said»»»

Peru's newly inaugurated President Keiko Fujimori – the ninth in just a decade – pledged to deploy the armed forces to crime-ridden areas and adopt a hardline security strategy as Peru grapples with its worst wave of gang violence, extortion and illegal mining in decades.  Peru's conservative »»»

ABHA: Asir witnessed the rising of the Suhail star on the southern horizon on Wednesday, an astronomical event traditionally linked to cooler weather, rainfall and the start of the agricultural season. Researcher Abdullah Al Mousa said the Suhail season began on Wednesday and would last for 13 days»»»

Prime Minister Péter Magyar has dismissed criticism from political think tank Political Capital after it argued that his greatest political risk is his own constant public presence and communication style. The debate follows the publication of Political Capital’s latest analysis, which argues that »»»

Dubai: It's raining in parts of the UAE this evening with the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) tracking continued convective cloud activity across the country. The rain follows a similar spell yesterday, when parts of the UAE also saw rainfall along with dust and low visibility. The latest advi»»»

The DNA - Movement for a National Cause Association, in collaboration with the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, has launched an independent scientific study among Bulgarians living abroad on a long-term basis, the DNA team reported to BTA»»»

The Council of Ministers has approved a bill amending and supplementing the Civil Procedure Code in connection with the abusive lawsuits, commonly known as SLAPP cases (from "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation"), Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov said at a media briefing on Wednesday. »»»

Democratic Party has filed a legal challenge with the Constitutional Court against the law ratifying a €302 million loan agreement between Albania and the United States for the purchase of military equipment. Gazment Bardhi, head of the Democratic Party's parliamentary group, said Wednesdat that th»»»

July 28 (UPI) -- A British man used his kids' favorite food to break a Guinness World Record when he ate 15 fish sticks in one minute. Nathan Davies, 32, recently won more than $130,000 on the TV game show The 1% Club, and he told host Lee Mack that the next goal on his agenda was to break a Guinne»»»

View this post on Instagram A post shared by RMBL Marmot Project (@rmblmarmotproject) July 28 (UPI) -- Researchers studying marmots in Colorado are compensating for the loss of federal funding by showing off the animals on OnlyFans. Daniel Blumstein, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evo»»»

Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal's tiger population has risen by roughly 20 percent in the past four years to an estimated 429, officials said on Wednesday, a conservation milestone despite challenges from human-wildlife conflict. The latest nationwide survey found tiger numbers had increased from 355 in 20»»»

A Ukrainian drone that was intended as a birthday gift for the late US Senator Lindsey Graham will now be deployed on the front lines “to kill Russians,” according to US conservative activist Laura Loomer. Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, died at the age of 71 on July 11, shortly a»»»

Five people have been confirmed dead in a factory damaged by a major earthquake in Japan, here part of a red-and-white smokestack collapsed in the quake. At least 13 died after a shopping mall was badly damaged, as the search for survivors is ongoing. The earthquake flattened homes, triggered fires»»»

Washington: Meta Platforms has introduced voice and video calling on WhatsApp Web, allowing users to make and receive calls directly through a web browser without downloading the desktop app. The update is part of a broader rollout of new calling features aimed at improving cross-device communicati»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s Economic Integration Committee has reviewed new measures to strengthen corporate governance, reinforce the country’s legislative framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and enhance the competitiveness of the national business environment. Sign up for o»»»

Dubai: In one year, Dubai alone added more than 330,000 residents, taking its population to 4.58 million. This growth is driving the development of new residential communities, commercial districts and leisure destinations, changing how people move between their homes, workplaces and daily activiti»»»

JAKARTA: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has launched a pediatric cardiac surgery project in Indonesia, with volunteer doctors from the Kingdom set to perform dozens of procedures this week and share their know-how with Indonesian colleagues. A 16-member team of Saudi medics arrived at M. Djamil Cent»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Health Fahad AlJalajel recently met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent during his official visit to the Central Asian country. AlJalajel conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the president, along with their wishes for his»»»

Israeli occupation forces intensified attacks across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, carrying out artillery shelling, arson operations, and land-clearing activities in multiple areas, Al-Manar correspondents reported. The Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Nabatieh Al-Fawqa and the Ali Al-Ta»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Library has announced a month-long program of workshops, family activities and community events for August, targeting aspiring entrepreneurs, librarians, artists, children and lifelong learners. Highlights include a August 15 startup workshop covering entrepreneurship, m»»»

Dubai: Air travellers flying within and out of the Philippines will pay higher ticket prices during the first half of August after the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) raised the allowable passenger fuel surcharge from Level 8 to Level 13. The increase, which takes effect from August 1 to 1»»»

Starting from August 23, 2026, Aero Nomad Airlines will launch regular international flights on the Bishkek—Tashkent—Bishkek route. According to Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC, flights will be operated twice a week — on Thursdays and Sundays. The new route will provide regular air connectivity between»»»

Damascus, July 29 (SANA) The first direct flight operated by German carrier LEAV Aviation arrived at Damascus International Airport on Wednesday after departing from Düsseldorf, Germany, carrying Syrian passengers.The flight restores direct service between Düsseldorf and Damascus after a hiatus of »»»

LONDON: Age-detection systems powered by artificial intelligence that are used to screen migrants arriving in Britain use flawed and racialized models, rights groups and charities have warned. The facial age-estimation technology risks endangering children, they said, warning that Black children, i»»»

RIYADH: A minister in Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Wednesday accused Houthi rebels of working under Iranian guidance to establish a system to impose fees for ships transiting the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.Information minister Moammar Al-Eryani described “the move as a»»»

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball have reached a multi-year deal with Mamadi Diakite, 29, who joins the club after an impressive first EuroLeague season with Baskonia. The Guinean forward-center averaged 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and a Performance Index Rating of 10.1 in 19 minutes per game. He al»»»

Tunis, July 29 (TAP) - The National Photovoltaic Chamber (CSPV), which operates under the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (French: UTICA), called on Wednesday for urgent reforms to be implemented to speed up the energy...»»»

The July 25 – 27 Economist / YouGov Poll finds that 47% of Americans think that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is guilty of war crimes in Gaza; half as many (24%) think he is not guilty. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to believe Netanyahu is guilty (71% vs. 20%). About ha»»»

For years, fintech has promised to transform the way we manage money. We've built budgeting apps, investment platforms and digital banks that have made finance more accessible than ever before. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Yet one question remains: if we have more f»»»

A tunnel that was allegedly intended for smuggling has been discovered in Batken region near the border with Uzbekistan. According to the regional police department, officers of the Service for Combating Extremism and Illegal Migration received information that a tunnel was being constructed in the»»»

Dubai: Floodwaters triggered by relentless monsoon rains have inundated villages in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, forcing residents to flee by boat as homes and farmland disappeared under vast stretches of water. In Muridke district, volunteers used small motorboats to evacuate stranded famil»»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has cautioned against reducing Lebanon's crisis solely to calls for a ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, urging politicians to couple any demand for an Israeli withdrawal with Hezbollah's disarmament. While acknowledging both as non-negotiable priorities, he ar»»»

The Israeli army is considering a military response to the damage inflicted on an engineering vehicle by a “Hezbollah drone” in the Ali al-Taher heights in southern Lebanon, Israel’s Channel 14 said on Wednesday. “Beirut's southern suburbs will not be a target in the response,” the channel added. I»»»

The United States announced an import ban on new advanced robot models on Tuesday, including humanoid, four-legged robots and bi-peds, as part of a Federal Communications Commission update to a list of products and services that pose a risk to national security. Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Ph»»»

A minister with Yemen's internationally recognized government told AFP on Wednesday that the country's Houthi rebels were working under Iranian guidance to establish a system to impose fees for ships transiting the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Information minister Moammar al-Eryani describ»»»

Doha: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a phone call with Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Wednesday. During the call, the two ministers reviewed the close cooperation relations »»»

Global customer service operations are undergoing a dramatic transformation as generative artificial intelligence takes over routine support tasks, prompting companies to reduce staffing and reshape their workforce. According to a Bloomberg report, leading companies including Commonwealth Bank of A»»»

Kyrgyzstan intends to continue cooperation with the King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation and the Islamic Development Bank in implementing socially significant projects. These issues were discussed during a meeting between First Deputy Finance Minister Talas Aidarbek uulu and a delegation from the »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received on Wednesday an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) delegation headed by the organisation's president, Dana White. Vucic thanked White and the UFC for coming to Serbia and for choosing it as the venue for the UFC Fight Night event. "We will do»»»

RIYADH: Women leaders from the Gulf and Europe gathered in Riyadh on Tuesday for the launch of the Women Impact Leaders EU-GCC platform, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cross-regional cooperation and developing joint initiatives across key sectors. The Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commer»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov arrived in Kazakhstan on July 29 on a working visit to attend the opening ceremony of the international multi-sport tournament Games of the Future 2026. At Astana Airport, the Kyrgyz leader was welcomed by Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and other »»»

Arab Finance: Sixth of October Development and Investment Company (SODIC) reported a 35.72% year-on-year (YoY) plunge in consolidated net profits attributable to the parent company during the first half (H1) of 2026 to EGP 834.247 million from EGP 1.298 billion, according to the financial statement»»»

An interdepartmental council chaired by Health Minister Katya Ivkova will be set up shortly to oversee and coordinate the National Children's Hospital project, which the government considers to be of national importance, Ivkova told a briefing on Wednesday. Ivkova said the council would include sev»»»

Tunis, July 29 (TAP) - Financing worth US$120 million covered by draft laws No.50 and 51 of 2026, examined at a plenary session held Wednesday by the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP), are aimed at ensuring the supply of raw materials to...»»»

Pelayos de la Presa, Spain: As far as the eye can see, Jose Fernandez spied only burnt furniture, half-collapsed walls and mountains of ash on what used to be his house and land. "I have no money, no documents, no home," said the 74-year-old pensioner, one victim of the wildfires that burned his to»»»

LuLu Exchange, in association with the Dubai Sports Council, has officially launched the Kabayan Basketball League, the largest basketball tournament ever dedicated to the Filipino community in the UAE, created to connect and engage Kabayans across the country. Born out of a shared belief in the po»»»

A NordWind Airlines flight from Bishkek to Kazan departed from Manas International Airport at 2:48 p.m. local time, Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC reported. The flight was indefinitely delayed due to the introduction of «Kovyor» regime at Kazan Airport, which imposes temporary restrictions on the arri»»»

The total amount of wage arrears in Kyrgyzstan as of June 1, 2026, reached 91.9 million soms. Compared with the same date last year, the figure increased by 18.2 percent, a report by the National Statistical Committee says. Employers also owe significant amounts to workers in Jalal-Abad region (27.»»»

RIYADH: Air connectivity between Egypt and the UAE is set to receive a boost after the two countries agreed to gradually expand bilateral air transport rights, giving airlines greater flexibility to increase services. The memorandum of understanding, signed during the 11th ICAO Africa-Indian Ocean »»»