Dubai: A luxury off-plan apartment in Dubai has sold for Dh166.07 million, reflecting the sustained demand for ultra-prime homes in the emirate. According to data from the Dubai Land Department's Dubai REST application, the apartment is located in Jumeirah Second within the Aman Residences Dubai de»»»

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky were both sacked after none of the initiatives they backed helped turn the tide of the conflict in Ukraine’s favor, military expert Alexey Anpilogov tells Sputnik. Syrsky’s insistence in press ganging more Ukrainian»»»

Doha, Qatar: Philippine passport holders can now travel to 65 destinations without obtaining a visa, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released as part of its 20th anniversary edition. The Philippines ranked 72nd globally in the latest passport ranking, sharing the position with Benin R»»»

Humanes, Spain: You can smell the fire dozens of kilometres away, and its smoke has partly blocked out the sun: the huge wildfire north of Madrid has unnerved officials and evacuees alike. For seven days now, hundreds of firefighters backed by dozens of aircraft have been battling the blaze in Guad»»»

RIYADH: The Centre for Cyber Economics, a joint initiative between the Global Cybersecurity Forum and the World Economic Forum, has outlined its strategic research priorities as it seeks to deepen global understanding of the economic impact of cyber threats. The priorities were agreed during the CC»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has strongly condemned renewed Iranian attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region with missiles and drones, calling them a serious violation of the sovereignty of neighbouring states. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attacks pose»»»

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Airports recorded 51 million passenger movements across its network of airports in Malaysia during the first half (H1) of 2026, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to the corresponding period last year, the airport operator said on Wednesday. In June alone, Malaysia Airports »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic met with Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko on Wednesday, noting that the two countries maintained active political dialogue based on years-long friendship and successful bilateral and multilateral cooperation. D»»»

Jakarta: Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture has set a target to develop 151,554 hectares of coconut downstream production areas in 2026 to boost industrial raw material supply and increase the commodity's added value, an official said Wednesday. The target for 2026 is supported by a budget of arou»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday condemned the continued Iranian attacks on Kuwait and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s full support for its Gulf neighbor, the Saudi Press Agency reported. During a telephone call with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the cr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi met on Wednesday with the Non-Resident Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the State of Qatar HE Natalia Al Mansour, on the occasion of the end of her tenure. HE the Secretary-General of the Minis»»»

New York, USA: Wall Street stocks were mixed early Wednesday as markets weighed the latest rise in oil prices amid increased US-Iran tension in the Middle East. Crude prices were up more than two percent early Wednesday. About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.2 per»»»

Havana: Cuba's population fell in 2025, official statistics show, extending a downward streak as the country faces an unprecedented wave of migration. The communist island is reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades -- one made worse by a fuel blockade and sanctions imposed by US President»»»

Doha: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index closed Wednesday's trading session down 40.85 points, or 0.40%, to settle at 10,066.51 points. A total of 113,958,317 shares were traded during the session, with a total value of QAR 321,696,120.641 across 22,745 transactions in all sectors. Shares of 16 c»»»

Microsoft has announced that it is investing $60 million to advance AI for the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission on Wednesday. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- Microsoft has announced that it is investing $60 million to advance AI for the Department of Energy's Gen»»»

Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán insisted that “we’re fine” as Fidesz sought to regroup after its heavy election defeat, unveiling a new strategy that frames the party as the leader of a nationwide “resistance” against what it calls Hungary’s new “authoritarian” political system. Speaking outside»»»

ATHENS: ‌Greece has advised Greek-flagged commercial ships to upgrade security measures when sailing in the Black Sea following a string of attacks on tankers over the past days, according to a shipping ministry advisory seen by Reuters. Greek-operated ships are among the world’s largest fleets of »»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia writer and director Bassmah Abdullah is combining animation and artificial intelligence in “Shama,” a short film that uses AI-generated cultural imagery as the Kingdom expands its investment in creative industries under Vision 2030. The animator has been producing fiction and c»»»

LONDON: Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has been charged by the Football Association over the spying scandal that led to his side being kicked out of the Championship play-offs. In a stunning controversy that rocked English football last season, Southampton admitted spying on a training session he»»»

HAVANA: Cuba’s population fell in 2025, official statistics show, extending a downward streak as the country faces an unprecedented wave of migration. The communist island is reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades — one made worse by a fuel blockade and sanctions imposed by US President »»»

Manama: Bahrain announced the interception of several treacherous Iranian aerial attacks on Wednesday. In a statement, the General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force stated that Iran continues its systematic hostile approach through its unlawful attacks targeting civilians in Bahrain, adding that»»»

RIYADH: Most Arab stock exchanges closed the second quarter of 2026 on the up, even as the Arab Monetary Fund’s composite index slipped 0.16 percent, its latest quarterly bulletin shows. Arab equity markets broadly advanced during the quarter, with 13 of the 16 exchanges tracked by the AMF recordin»»»

Located at 12 Târgoviștei Street, around 10 minutes from the centre of Ploiești, on one of the main access routes towards Bucharest, Târgoviște and the Crângul lui Bot industrial area, the development benefits from a strategic position. The West Railway Station is nearby, an advantage for people co»»»

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands during a press conference about withholding Medicaid funds from Minnesota and California Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it is withhol»»»

Wizz Air has launched a new direct connection between Burgas and Radom, Poland, expanding air links between Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast and one of the country’s key tourist markets. The first flight on the new route operated on July 21, with services scheduled twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays»»»

As another UAE summer brings soaring temperatures and more demanding driving conditions, Gulf News is launching the second edition of its Summer Road Safety Campaign, renewing its commitment to keeping motorists informed, prepared and safe throughout one of the year's most challenging driving seaso»»»

Forest dieback in Northeastern Bulgaria has spread to native tree species previously considered relatively resilient, Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Paligorov told journalists on Wednesday. Paligorov said such cases had previously been limited and managed through routine silvicultural op»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) recently organised three awareness lectures on the key provisions of Law No. (6) of 2025 on the Regulation of Health Research, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote compliance with Qatar’s national regulatory framework for health research. ​The lecture»»»

Dubai: Saudi travellers could gain access to more domestic, regional and long-haul services as flynas adds 25 Airbus aircraft to support the expansion of its six operating bases across the Kingdom. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The low-cost airline has agreed to acqu»»»

Washington, United States: US chipmaker AMD said Wednesday that it is set to invest up to $5 billion in artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, as both companies announced a partnership that also includes a major order for processors. The deal signals the ambition of the California-based AMD as»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah's Public Works Department has announced a 74-day partial closure of Sheikh Saqr bin Khalid Al Qasimi Road as work begins on the emirate's Central Stormwater and Groundwater Drainage Line project. The closure, which took effect at 9pm on Monday, July 20, will remain in place until T»»»

Algiers, Algeria: More than 100 people were hospitalised after wildfires reached nearly 150 homes in a small town in north-eastern Algeria, the country's interior minister said on Wednesday. The fires broke out on Tuesday in Seraidi, a town west of the city of Annaba surrounded by forests. Civil pr»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Mykhailo Drapaty, responded to his appointment on Wednesday with a Nazi slogan. Drapaty posted a message on social media thanking Zelensky for his trust and promising to deliver on the goals set by the Ukrainian leadership»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia writer and director Bassmah Abdullah is combining animation and artificial intelligence in “Shama,” a short film that uses AI-generated cultural imagery as the Kingdom expands its investment in creative industries under Vision 2030. The animator has been producing fiction and c»»»

AI agents being tested in an OpenAI lab went rogue, launching an "unprecedented" hacking attack targeting a database of AI models run by a startup in New York. File photo by Adam Vaughan/EPA July 22 (UPI) -- OpenAI said two of its AI bots launched an "unprecedented" attack, hacking into a startup's»»»

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed through a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through December. Most Democrats opposed it. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- House Republicans pushed through a spending bill that would fund the government throu»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Wednesday, gaining 76.65 points, or 0.72 percent, to close at 10,775.46. The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR3.77 billion ($1 billion), as 160 of the listed stocks advanced, while 93 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul Index also in»»»

RIYADH: The first investment fund for logistics services has been launched to develop a logistics city in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, with investments totaling SR650 million ($173 million). The project aims to enhance the supply of land and logistics services and bolster Jeddah’s position as a re»»»

Dubai: Fujairah is set to expand its cargo and container handling capacity through two new multipurpose ports developed under a 50-year concession agreement between DP World and the Fujairah Ports Authority. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The agreement covers the deve»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to destroy one bridge or power plant in Iran, including in Tehran, every time the Islamic Republic strikes a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. "From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in t»»»

New Delhi, India: The death toll from a tunnel collapse at an under-construction hydroelectric project in India's remote northeast has risen to at least 20, officials said Wednesday. The incident occurred on Monday in Namchi district in the Himalayan state of Sikkim, where workers were constructing»»»

The leaders of the Democratic Bulgaria (DB) coalition asked on Wednesday what Progressive Bulgaria (PB) Floor Leader Petar Vitanov meant by saying that the suspension of the BOTAS contract was part of a "major diplomatic furore" involving Turkiye. They raised the question during a joint briefing in»»»

ALGIERS: Wildfires in Algeria have killed six people, the interior ministry announced, with several fires still raging across the North African country gripped by a heatwave. “In the wake of the fires that affected certain provinces of the country in recent days, six deaths have been registered,” t»»»

RABAT: ‌Morocco’s foreign ministry said it was concerned by the death of a national during a police arrest in Bologna in Italy and urged a “thorough investigation.” Moroccan-born Abderrahim Fakir ‌died on ‌Sunday after ‌police were ⁠called to the ⁠Pilastro neighborhood on the outskirts of the north»»»

Nazareth: The last time Mais Al Gharam saw her seven siblings was in the Gaza Strip two months before the war. That was before she left the Palestinian territory to go live in Israel and before an Israeli airstrike on the family’s home killed her parents and younger brother. But on this day, she wa»»»

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky dismissed Mikhail Fedorov over fears that the former defense minister might become a political rival, Ukrainskaya Pravda has reported, citing sources in Kiev. Zelensky justified his decision to sack his sixth defense minister in as many years by pointing to a conflict be»»»

Dubai: Commercial Bank of Dubai’s net loan book crossed Dh100 billion during the first half of 2026 as lending growth and higher non-funded income helped lift profit despite weaker net interest income. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Net loans and advances reached Dh10»»»

Dubai: United Arab Bank reported a net profit of Dh201 million for the first half of 2026, supported by higher income and double-digit growth across lending, investments and customer deposits. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Second-quarter profit reached Dh126 million,»»»

Dubai: The Louvre Museum's Apollo Gallery reopened to visitors on Wednesday, months after it was closed following a spectacular jewellery heist in October 2025. The gallery has welcomed the public back, but its display cases remain empty after the removal of its priceless collection. One of the Lou»»»

“As of today, we have established and will operate a joint contact center at the Promachonas–Kulata border crossing,” said Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis, speaking to journalists following a meeting with Bulgaria’s Minister of the Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev. The meeting »»»