Up to 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in roughly 24 hours, overwhelming border forces and increasing the territory’s population by as much as 70%. The unprecedented influx has triggered a political crisis, raised questions over the true nature of the»»»

New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called today for an end to the fighting across the Middle East and urged the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. "The fighting must stop everyw»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his criticism of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has said the Israeli leader could be arrested on war-crimes charges if he visits the city. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over Israel’s mi»»»

The Polish government has launched a PLN 270 mln program to create at least 30 Local Cybersecurity Centers. Local governments may apply through partnerships or consortia consisting of at least two municipalities, counties, or regional authorities. Funding will support employee training, cybersecuri»»»

Dubai: Emirates ranked among the world’s most operationally reliable airlines in June, recording one of the lowest flight cancellation rates globally despite continued disruption to air travel in parts of the region. According to operational performance data from aviation analytics firm OAG, just 0»»»

The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a procedural resolution allowing the chamber to consider and vote on a package of 74 nominations, including Eric Wendt's nomination to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Albania. The measure passed by a vote of 50-47, with three senators abstaining. While Wend»»»

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»»»

London: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, in London. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a number of issues of mutual i»»»

DAMASCUS: In a workshop filled with the scent of walnut wood and the sound of hand tools, Syrian craftsman Firas Salka carefully shapes what will eventually become a Damascus oud, one of the Arab world’s most iconic musical instruments. Over several months, each piece of wood is carved, assembled a»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah condemns the storming of several villages in the occupied West Bank’s Nablus area by Israeli settler gangs, the establishment of »»»

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 »»»

NEW YORK CITY: The only good news to emerge from the Middle East in recent days was US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an agreement under which Hamas would relinquish its weapons and Israel withdraw its forces from Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Friday as he warned th»»»

The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent in 2025, South Korea's central bank said Friday. In this June 2025 photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an opening ceremony for a tourist zone in Wonsan. File Photo by KCNA/EPA The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent for the thir»»»

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, »»»

The supply of natural gas to households in North Macedonia is moving closer to reality as the country’s long-awaited gas interconnector with Greece advances towards completion, opening the way for a more diversified energy system and the gradual expansion of the domestic gas distribution network. T»»»

At least 19 people died after about 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in a single day, prompting both countries to reinforce controls along the European Union’s border with Africa. Spain and Morocco moved to halt further crossings on July 31 after the unpreceden»»»

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 »»»

OHRID - Speaking to reporters in Ohrid after Friday's meeting with North Macedonian counterpart Hristijan Mickoski, Serbian PM Djuro Macut said he was confident the cooperation between the two countries would see an even greater upsurge in the future, and noted that transport, infrastructure, energ»»»

Two US military aircraft have landed at Bezmer Air Base in Southeastern Bulgaria, the Defence Ministry told BTA on Friday. On July 22, the National Assembly approved the deployment in Bulgaria of up to eight Boeing KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers, together with their crews, up to 250 US service pe»»»

The first of up to eight U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft expected to be temporarily deployed in Bulgaria has landed at Bezmer Air Base, the Ministry of Defense confirmed. The ministry said the arrival is part of the previously approved deployment and stressed that Bulgaria's security services contin»»»

Spain has deployed just 60 troops to its North African exclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants overwhelmed security forces and stormed across the border from Morocco, with up to 30,000 more people reportedly swarming the frontier. The Spanish Interior Ministry said the military contingent cons»»»

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly 37,000 amphetamine pills into the Kingdom after discovering them hidden inside a specially designed compartment beneath a passenger bus, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. Inspectors at the Al-Haditha border crossing uncov»»»

A US military aircraft has landed at Bezmer Air Base in Southeastern Bulgaria, the Defence Ministry told BTA on Friday. On July 22, the National Assembly approved the deployment in Bulgaria of up to eight Boeing KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers, together with their crews, up to 250 US service perso»»»

Dubai: Dubai has been ranked the world's second most intelligent city in a new global study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), placing ahead of New York City, Washington and Amsterdam in the consultancy's inaugural Intelligent Cities Index. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balanc»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) submitted a draft declaration seeking urgent measures to improve road safety and infrastructure, the party's press service said on Friday. DB wants the National Assembly to vote on the document when MPs return at the end of August. The declaration would commit the National »»»

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,»»»

Hungary’s population continued to decline during the first half of 2026, with births once again significantly outnumbered by deaths, according to the latest preliminary figures published by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). While both the number of births and deaths fell compared with»»»

Hamas said Frsay that it reached an agreement to disarm, a significant move that could help end the war in Gaza — but one that will face many hurdles and could take a long time to achieve, if at all. The group agreed to a road map as long as Israel also makes concessions, including ending hostiliti»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli artillery shells, fires flare bombs towards Ali Al-Taher Hill, Al-Manar reporter in southern Lebanon 31-07-2026 15:35 PM Latest New»»»

Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with assisting terrorist activity and begun procedures to place him on an international wanted list, sharply escalating the Kremlin's confrontation with one of the country's most prominent technology entrepreneurs. Russia's Federal Security Service ac»»»

A second bridge over Varna Lake will form part of the Black Sea Motorway, while preparations are under way for a Sofia-Montana expressway with a tunnel beneath Petrohan Pass, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov told Parliament on Friday. Shishkov was responding to questi»»»

Israeli forces carried out a series of powerful detonations overnight near the UNESCO-listed Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon, Lebanese state media reported Friday, with Israel saying it destroyed tunnels used by Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. "Israeli forces triggered very powerful explo»»»

Ceuta: Some 60,000 migrants have entered Spain's Ceuta from Morocco in the past 24 hours, Ceuta's president says. That is equivalent to 70% of the city's regular population. At least 34 migrants have died in the process. "The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable," said »»»

Arab Finance: Beko Egypt recorded robust growth across manufacturing, retail expansion, and brand recognition during the first half (H1) of 2026, further strengthening its position as one of Egypt's leading home appliance manufacturers, according to a press release. The company's Industrial Park in»»»

London, July 31 (SANA) Oil prices fell by more than $1 a barrel on Friday as increased supply flows through key maritime routes eased concerns over potential disruptions, despite continued geopolitical tensions in the region. Brent crude futures fell $1.03, or 1.2%, to $88 a barrel, while U.S. West»»»

Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has been overwhelmed by an unprecedented wave of migration from Morocco, turning a long-running border problem into a major security, humanitarian and political crisis. Around 49,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea in a single day, according to the l»»»

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»»»

CEUTA, Spain: At least 18 migrants died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta after thousands of people breached the frontier with Morocco and poured into the tiny Spanish territory. The border crisis boiled over Thursday and overnight. Spain’s state broadcaster RTVE broadcast images of bu»»»

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»»»

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan supported Kyrgyzstan’s initiative to introduce a single tourist visa for foreign citizens wishing to travel to Central Asian countries. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov announced at an informal consultative meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan »»»

Hungary is preparing for a critical period in its energy system after Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is expected to be shut down from Monday due to the Danube’s exceptionally low water level. Speaking alongside MOL Chairman and CEO Zsolt Hernádi on Friday, t»»»

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 »»»

Abu Dhabi: An Etihad Airways flight travelling from Karachi to Abu Dhabi returned to its departure airport shortly after take-off on Friday, July 31, after the airline identified a technical issue. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline confirmed that flight EY299»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is poised to outperform other Middle Eastern gold markets in the coming months as resilient domestic demand and rising investor interest offset weaker jewelry consumption, according to the World Gold Council. The Kingdom’s gold market is benefiting from a growing shift toward i»»»