EU needs 'Team Enlargement' coalition to drive next expansion push, think-tank says
The European Union needs a coalition of key member states to overcome political divisions and prepare the bloc for its next enlargement wave, including the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkan countries, a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said. The rep»»»
Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta
BARCELONA: Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta at the country’s northern tip, overwhelming border security, local authorities said Wednesday. While good weather usually brings a surge in migrant crossings by sea in the summer, Ceuta authorities said»»»
M squared announces one-year sponsorship of Egyptian HYROX athlete Aly Mazhar
Egyptian real estate developer M squared, the real estate arm of Intro Holding, has signed a one-year athlete sponsorship agreement with Egyptian entrepreneur and HYROX athlete Aly Mazhar to support his competitive journey throughout the 2026-2027 season. Running from July 2026 to July 2027, the pa»»»
Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta
BARCELONA: Hundreds of migrants are swimming from Morocco to the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta at the country’s northern tip, overwhelming border security, local authorities said Wednesday. While good weather usually brings a surge in migrant crossings by sea in the summer, Ceuta authorities said»»»
Senate passes Graham's “hellish sanctions” package during Zelenskiy's trip to Washington in coup for Bankova
The US Senate passed the “sanctions from hell” package advanced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham on July 29 with an overwhelming majority of 86 to 12 in favour, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in attendance. Zelenskiy was in Washington to visit US President Donald Trump to consolidat»»»
Żabka shares slide
Shares in Żabka came under pressure after Japan's Seven & i Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven, abandoned plans to acquire a significant stake in Poland's largest convenience store operator. The companies were unable to agree on terms that Seven & i said would be in the best interests of its »»»
Air France-KLM and Lufthansa bid for Portugal's TAP airline
Paris: Both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa said Wednesday they had submitted bids to acquire a controlling stake in TAP Air Portugal that is being re-privatised. The Portuguese government announced last September that it was seeking a major international airline to buy most of the 49.9 percent stake »»»
Report: Orbán government sent EUR 705,000 overseas in 10 months, funding New York office, cemetery restoration
The Orbán government’s Bethlen Gábor Fund (BGA) distributed HUF 255.9 million (approximately EUR 705,000) in discretionary grants to Hungarian diaspora organisations outside Europe between July 2025 and the end of April 2026, according to documents obtained through a freedom of information request.»»»
EU needs 'Team Enlargement' coalition to drive next expansion push, think-tank says
The European Union needs a coalition of key member states to overcome political divisions and prepare the bloc for its next enlargement wave, including the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkan countries, a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said. The rep»»»
Ivan Aivazovsky and the cultural front of the Russia-Ukraine War
In the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, few historical figures are as awkwardly placed as artist Ivan Aivazovsky. Born in Feodosia, Crimea, on the Black Sea coast in 1817, the city of Aivazovsky’s birth now under Russian occupation but still internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. In »»»
EU needs 'Team Enlargement' coalition to drive next expansion push, think-tank says
The European Union needs a coalition of key member states to overcome political divisions and prepare the bloc for its next enlargement wave, including the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkan countries, a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said. The rep»»»
Germany, Syria connect with direct flights for first time in 14 years
LONDON: Dusseldorf became the fourth European city — after Amsterdam, Bucharest, and Moscow — to be directly connected to the Syrian Arab Republic following a flight on Wednesday by German carrier LEAV Aviation that landed at Damascus International Airport. The flight restored a direct aviation rou»»»
Cats, dogs and horses: Rescuing the pets caught in France’s wildfires
Raging wildfires four times the size of Paris have forced thousands to evacuate their homes in the fire-ravaged region of Gironde in southwestern France. Many of the evacuees were forced to leave their pets behind amid the ensuing chaos. Our special correspondent in Gironde reports on the volunteer»»»
Paks nuclear reactor unit shut down as Danube reaches record-low water levels
Hungary has begun shutting down one of the four reactor units at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant after the Danube reached exceptionally low water levels, highlighting the growing impact of the country’s prolonged heatwave and severe drought. The operator, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd., announced o»»»
Drecun: Pristina continues to intimidate Serbs to complete ethnic cleansing
BELGRADE - Through indictments for alleged war crimes and seizures of property, the Pristina regime continues to intimidate Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija with the aim of completing an ethnic cleansing in the province, says Milovan Drecun, head of the Serbian parliamentary committee on defence and interi»»»
Heat wave adds to European wildfire struggle; Greece may be next - UPI.com
A handout photo made available by the Fire and Rescue Departmental Service 33 shows firefighters crew battling a fire near Le Porge, in southwestern France, Wednesday, as a wildfire rages through the forest in Gironde. Photo by Benoit Vega/EPA July 29 (UPI) -- Wildfires in Spain and France have beg»»»
France orders Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova to leave country over alleged Kremlin propaganda
France has ordered Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova to leave the country, the interior ministry said on Wednesday, amid accusations that she spread Kremlin propaganda through French television and radio ahead of next year's presidential election. Fedorova's lawyer said the journalist would “immedi»»»
Hungary reviews BYD deal after revealing billions in undisclosed state support
The Hungarian government led by Peter Magyar has alleged that the previous administration under Viktor Orban committed more than HUF70bn (€175mn) in state-funded infrastructure investment and an undisclosed direct subsidy worth billions of forints to Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD for its flags»»»
Ukraine's scam call centres earn $1bn a month, study finds
Ukraine's scam call-centre industry generates as much as $1bn a month, according to a new report by the Geneva-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), which estimates that around 60,000 Ukrainians — roughly two-thirds the headcount of the country's legal banking sect»»»
Saudi Arabia, Italy call for maritime security in Hormuz, Red Sea, condemn West Bank settler violence
ROME: Saudi Arabia and Italy on Wednesday called for the protection of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Bab Al-Mandab and the Red Sea following a series of attacks and threats against vessels in waterways vital to global trade and energy supplies. In a joint declaration following t»»»
More than half of England ‘officially in drought’
London: Just over half of England has been declared in drought after “record-low rain and exceptionally high temperatures”, the UK government said Wednesday. It follows what is set to be the driest July on record, with just seven percent of expected rainfall nationwide and some parts of southern En»»»
Dubai Basketball add Guinean Mamadi Diakite to 2026-27 roster
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»»»
Women leaders launch EU-GCC cooperation platform in Riyadh
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»»»
Egypt, UAE sign deal to gradually expand bilateral air transport rights
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 »»»
Drecun: US wants Serbia to be its most important partner in this region
BELGRADE - Commenting on the launch of Serbia-US strategic dialogue, the head of the Serbian parliamentary committee on defence and interior affairs Milovan Drecun said on Tuesday the US was unequivocally demonstrating that Serbia was exceptionally important for its policy and its interests in sout»»»
US-Saudi alliance invests $5bn to build oil refinery outside Strait of Hormuz
RIYADH: A Saudi-US alliance has entered the final stage of selecting a host country for a $5 billion integrated refinery and energy export corridor project. This project aims to create a strategic energy export platform that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, Asharq Bloomberg has reported. The alliance»»»
Heatwave comes into southwest of France as firefighters keep battling blaze
The huge fire raging in France's southwest has stabilised, according to French officials, with authorities letting nearly 60,000 evacuees return to their homes - but 14 blazes have also reigniting. Now, firefighters are trying to contain the fires as the fourth heatwave of the year comes in, set to»»»
Russia issues international wanted notice against Telegram founder Pavel Durov for aiding terrorism
Moscow on Wednesday said it had issued an international wanted notice for Russian-born Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for "complicity in terrorism". Russian security services accused Durov of failing to remove "channels, chats and bots" on the popular messaging platform allegedly used by Ukraine to recru»»»
Iran demands ‘restitution’ for Kiev’s deadly attack
Iran has demanded compensation from Ukraine over a deadly strike on a cargo ship after Kiev’s foreign minister initially claimed that “Iran has no standing to pretend to be a victim,” only to call Tehran a day later and assure it that the attack was unintentional and that Kiev did not seek escalati»»»
Better fares, bigger city breaks: European cities Romanians are choosing this summer
The figures suggest that Romanian travelers continue to seek the best value when planning their summer holidays, with many of the cities recording the strongest passenger growth also benefiting from lower ticket prices. “This summer, Romanian travellers are proving to be both price-conscious and in»»»
France braces for fresh evacuations as Spain eases wildfire restrictions
Residents began returning to fire-ravaged communities west of Madrid after officials lifted some evacuation orders, while authorities in southwestern France warned a looming heatwave could reignite major blazes and force thousands more from their homes. Spanish residents forced to flee some of the »»»
Live: Next 12 hours will be 'decisive' for ending wildfire near Madrid, Spanish PM Sanchez says
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that efforts to extinguish a major wildfire near Madrid were progressing "favourably" and the next 12 hours would be "decisive". Tens of thousands of people began to return to their homes as firefighters work to contain some of the worst fires the»»»
Iraq, Turkiye aim to boost bilateral trade to $30bn amid deepening economic partnership
RIYADH: Iraq and Turkiye are targetting $30 billion in bilateral trade, according to officials from both countries. The comments were made after Iraqi Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar Al-Ani met his Turkish counterpart, Omer Bolat, in Ankara on the sidelines of Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi’s offic»»»
A heat wave threatens to reignite France’s mega-fire near Bordeaux
LEGE-CAP FERRET, France: Fire crews battled a mega-fire four times the size of Paris in southwest France while facing tinderbox temperatures forecast to climb above 40°Celsius on Wednesday. The heat wave and forecast winds could hamper progress against the blaze that has forced 220,000 people from »»»
Senate Receives Assessment Confirming Ronald Johnson’s Qualifications for U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has received a report, namely a Certificate of Demonstrated Competence for Ronald Johnson, Nominee for Ambassador to BiH. “Thanks to his extensive and proven leadership experience, demonstrated diplomatic skills, international engagement and lifelong servic»»»
Drone footage reveals scorched forests after France wildfire
Dubai: Aerial footage has revealed vast stretches of charred pine forest in southwestern France's Gironde region after one of the country's most destructive wildfires in recent years. The blaze has been stabilised, meaning it is no longer advancing, according to Sophie Brocas, the French government»»»
BMW aims to cut 8,000 jobs by end 2027: company source
Frankfurt, Germany: Premium carmaker BMW is to offer almost half its German staff voluntary redundancy in a bid to cut 8,000 jobs by the end of 2027, a company source told AFP Wednesday. About 40,000 of BMW's roughly 85,000 permanent German employees would receive the offers from October, the sourc»»»
Zakharova Reiterates Russia's Warning Amid Italian Mafia's Interest in Ukrainian Drones
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has repeatedly warned Europe that it will not be able to control the outflow of weapons from the Ukrainian conflict zone, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, commenting on reports that the Italian mafia was seeking to buy drones used in »»»
Fatima Al Awadhi becomes youngest Arab to reach over 7,000 metres, first Emirati to summit Lenin Peak
Abu Dhabi: Emirati mountaineer Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi, 19, has achieved a historic milestone for the UAE, becoming the youngest Arab to reach an elevation of over 7,000 metres and the first Emirati to summit Lenin Peak (7,134 metres) in the Pamir Mountains of Kyrgyzstan on 18th July 2026. Get»»»
Wildfires in France: Volunteers put smiles back on evacuees' faces in Bordeaux
More than 1,000 evacuees from the massive wildfires in Gironde have taken shelter in Bordeaux’s exhibition centre, where a small army of volunteers has organised a wide variety of activities to keep them busy and meet their logistical needs. FRANCE 24 reports. The loudspeakers in the vast han»»»
Ivan Aivazovsky and the cultural front of the Russia-Ukraine War
In the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, few historical figures are as awkwardly placed as artist Ivan Aivazovsky. Born in Feodosia, Crimea, on the Black Sea coast in 1817, the city of Aivazovsky’s birth now under Russian occupation but still internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. In »»»
Ivan Aivazovsky and the cultural front of the Russia-Ukraine War
In the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, few historical figures are as awkwardly placed as artist Ivan Aivazovsky. Born in Feodosia, Crimea, on the Black Sea coast in 1817, the city of Aivazovsky’s birth now under Russian occupation but still internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. In »»»
Paks nuclear plant reduces output, energy supply remains secure
Hungary's energy supply is secure, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday, following a reduction in the output of the Paks nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube. István Kapitány highlighted that the Danube’s water level in Hungary had d»»»
Is El Niño making Europe's wildfires worse? What it means for the Gulf
Dubai: The flames racing across southern Europe this summer are not unusual. Their scale is. From France and Spain to Algeria and Tunisia, firefighters have battled wildfires that have forced thousands from their homes, destroyed forests and stretched emergency services across the Mediterranean. Ge»»»
Senate takes first steps on Russian sanctions as Zelenskyy watches from Senate gallery
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate took the first steps toward passage of a sweeping Russian sanctions bill on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Capitol, moving forward on the legislation to penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports after more th»»»
UN sounds alarm on politicization of refugees and asylum
GENEVA: Refugees fleeing persecution too often face restrictions on their right to seek asylum, with the debate around protection becoming increasingly politicized, the United Nations warned Tuesday. UN refugees chief Barham Salih urged the world to move from managing sky-high displacement to seeki»»»
Spain lets wildfire evacuees return but France fears flames spreading
Spanish residents forced to flee some of the worst wildfires in living memory began returning to their homes on Tuesday but thousands more were ordered to leave in France over fears that a looming heatwave would prevent containment of fires that have ripped through the country's southwest. Get upda»»»
Erdoğan: We seek to turn ‘terror-free region’ vision into reality
Ankara, July 28 (SANA) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that Türkiye is working to transform its vision of establishing a “terror-free region” into reality, aiming for the region to be associated with development, prosperity, peace and stability rather than wars and conflicts. “W»»»
Hilton Doha The Pearl receives new leadership
Tribune News Network Doha Hilton Doha The Pearl has appointed Lars Pursche as General Manager and Yildiray Satiroglu as Commercial Director. Lars has spent more than 25 years in international hospitality across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He’s led hotels through commercial growth, operational»»»
U.N. Command remains vital on Korean Peninsula, deputy commander says - UPI.com
1 of 5 | Australian Army Maj. Gen. Scott Winter, deputy commander of United Nations Command, speaks during an interview at UNC headquarters on Camp Humphreys, a U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, on July 7. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI PYEONGTAEK, South Korea, July 28 (UPI) -- Seventy-six years »»»