Japan views its alliance with the US and the American security umbrella as indispensable in countering a perceived threat from China, Andrey Fesyun, associate professor at Moscow State University, tells Sputnik. That explains why Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui criticizes Russia’s actions in Ukraine »»»

France next week will ban unsolicited telemarketing calls under a new law aimed at protecting consumers from intrusive sales pitches and shielding vulnerable people from fraudulent commercial practices. The law backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government enters into force on Aug. 11. While sev»»»

Iran has made a concerted diplomatic push with Gulf states, warning them explicitly that Tehran will hit their oil, power and water plants unless they convince Donald Trump to end US strikes on Iran and instead seek a negotiated end to the war. The warning envisaged attacks on the energy facilities»»»

MADRID: The Spanish government remained confident the final of the 2030 World Cup will be in Spain. Speaking after a report that FIFA allegedly awarded the final to co-host Morocco, sports minister Milagros Tolón said Spain “deserved” to host the title game. “We are the reigning men’s and women’s W»»»

Authorities in Kuwait ordered the closure of a local Iranian school, a source at the education ministry told AFP on Thursday, after the country came under repeated Iranian attack during the Middle East war. The ministry source did not specify the reason for shutting the country's only Iranian schoo»»»

ARMAF, the global fragrance powerhouse behind one of the world’s most celebrated fragrance collections, proudly announces acclaimed actor, producer and entrepreneur John Abraham as the Global Brand Ambassador for Club De Nuit Intense Overdose. The partnership will make its worldwide debut through a»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The logic of the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine due to the strengthening of the armed forces of Ukraine is flawed and can bring unpredictable consequences, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Department Alexey Fadeev said on Thursday. "We are a»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Half of US citizens believe that a conflict between the United States and Iran would lead to serious destabilization in the Middle East over the next year, a poll conducted jointly by Reuters and Ipsos revealed on Thursday. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he stil»»»

1 of 2 | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration headquarters is shown in Silver Spring, Md. The FDA has approved a new flu vaccine for adults over 50 that uses mRNA technology. File photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new mRNA-based sea»»»

A total of 10 teenagers aged between 14 and 17 have been detained in connection with the killing of a 37-year-old man on Youth Hill in Plovdiv, representatives of the Plovdiv Regional Prosecutor's Office and the Plovdiv Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry said at a joint briefing on Thurs»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US-led Board of Peace has awarded the first tender to construct a 150-person military base for Moroccan troops in the Gaza Strip, The Guardian reported on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the matter. Arkel International, a US firm based in Louisiana, has been award»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Ukraine have restored intelligence sharing to previous levels in recent months, Politico reported, citing US lawmakers. "I don't want to get into any specifics, but it has improved," Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committe»»»

U.N. peacekeepers continue to observe “daily violations of Lebanese airspace and military activities on the ground” and “yesterday’s 113 projectiles launched by IDF (Israeli army) are the highest recorded by UNIFIL since 21 June,” the U.N. force said on Thursday. “While violence remains significant»»»

“Our ambition is to genuinely protect Bulgarian fruit and vegetable producers from unfair competition,” said Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski during a meeting with representatives of the greenhouse production sector. The discussion focused on opportunities to improve the competitiveness of Bulg»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday early elections in Serbia would be called "in a few days or in a few weeks" and that the opposition would become increasingly nervous as the elections drew closer. Asked by reporters to comment on predictions of electoral results by opp»»»

Mary Robinson has long blazed a trail for women in power. The first female president of Ireland later became UN high commissioner and climate envoy, pursing human rights advocacy until this day as chair of The Elders, a global leaders collective formed by Nelson Mandela. Robinson visited the West B»»»

VILNIUS: Lithuanian intelligence officials believe Russia is considering using captured Ukrainian-made drones to stage provocations against the Baltic region, Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Thursday. Leaders of Poland and the three Baltic states have warned that Russia is consi»»»

BRUSSELS: Some ​100 people died during the massive ‌border ‌rush ​last ‌week ⁠in ​Spain’s Ceuta, the ⁠enclave city’s leader Juan ⁠Jesus ‌Vivas said ‌on ​Thursday ‌during ‌an EU parliamentary meeting. Vivas added ‌that between 3,000 ⁠and 5,000 ⁠migrants were still in Ceuta. The European Union is vul»»»

At least ​30 Yemeni government troops were killed ‌in ‌Houthi ​attacks ‌on ⁠military ​camps in ⁠the provinces of Marib ⁠and ‌Hadramout, government ‌sources ​said ‌on ‌Thursday. The sources added ‌that the death toll ⁠could ⁠rise.»»»

London: A 47-year-old woman was charged on Thursday after four men were stabbed in central London with what is believed to be a pair of scissors. Stella Gollovena was charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index closed Thursday's trading session lower by 69.57 points, or 0.68 percent, reaching 10,112.25 points. A total of 112,319,917 shares were traded during the session, with a total value of QAR 321,294,727.095 through 21,559 transactions across all secto»»»

Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Finance has introduced a minimum excise price for liquids used in electronic smoking devices and tools, with the new measure set to take effect from September 1, 2026. The ministry announced on Thursday that it had issued a decision establishing a minimum excise price of »»»

FRANKFURT: A Ukrainian cargo aircraft parked near an explosive-laden drone found at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle airport on Tuesday night was carrying a payload of military ammunition, a group of news outlets including Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Thursday. Forensic experts found that the explosives»»»

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched extensive raids across multiple areas of the occupied West Bank early Thursday, while Israeli settlers simultaneously attacked Palestinian communities in the southern Hebron hills, torching homes in the Masafer Yatta area. The coordinated operations form par»»»

Damascus, Aug. 6 (SANA) The Central Organisation for Financial Control (COFC) has uncovered a corruption case involving a 2021 contract at the state-owned Real Estate Bank to develop and modernize its banking system, with financial damages totaling $8.454 million. COFC’s media office told SANA that»»»

KUWAIT: Authorities in Kuwait ordered the closure of a local Iranian school, a source at the education ministry told AFP on Thursday, after the country came under repeated Iranian attack during the Middle East war. The ministry source did not specify the reason for shutting the country’s only Irani»»»

LONDON: A 47-year-old woman was charged on Thursday after four men were stabbed in central London with what is believed to be a pair of scissors. Stella Gollovena was charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in»»»

The majority of English rivers, lakes and waters off the country's coast remain in a challenging state with none free of chemical pollution and only 14% receiving a good ecological bill of health, the Environment Agency said Thursday. File Photo by Abbasi1111/Wikimedia Commons Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The m»»»

The Pentagon is developing a nuclear strategy that would give the US president a wider range of nuclear options in a potential conflict with Russia or China, NBC reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the plans. The proposed approach would reportedly place greater emphasis on shorter-r»»»

Dubai: Gold prices moved higher again on Thursday afternoon, taking the local 24-karat rate to Dh516.25 per gram and extending a rapid increase that has added Dh29 since the beginning of August. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and »»»

New York: It’s often said that you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette. The saying rings true under a deal where three major US egg producers will have to crack into their supplies to settle price fixing claims. Under the settlement announced Wednesday, the companies will donate 53 million»»»

Kuwait City: Authorities in Kuwait ordered the closure of a local Iranian school, a source at the education ministry told AFP on Thursday, after the country came under repeated Iranian attack during the Middle East war. The ministry source did not specify the reason for shutting the country's only »»»

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- An Australian snake catcher responded to a call from a driver who opened their glove compartment and found a large python looking back at them. Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 posted a video to social media showing a reptile wrangler named Summer removing the coastal carpet pytho»»»

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A British woman broke her own Guinness World Record when she went wing-walking at the age of 97, just one year after suffering a stroke. Cheltenham resident Betty Bromage, who has been wing walking six times since she was 87, completed her latest stunt on Tuesday, when she was 97 ye»»»

The Ministry of Interior will do everything within its powers to establish the facts surrounding the verbal confrontation between a group of foreign nationals and a group of Bulgarians in Bansko, acting Secretary General of the Interior Ministry Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov said, as quoted b»»»

Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are meeting Thursday in Rome for a third and final day to discuss the implementation of a deal under which Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from areas they are occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament. On Wednesday, Israel request»»»

No progress has been made in the Rome talks regarding the expansion of the so-called pilot zones, especially since the discussion is focused on the political aspect, Baabda Palace sources told Al-Jadeed television on Thursday. “The Lebanese delegation has several plans on this subject, including th»»»

The ruling Progressive Bulgaria coalition has “handed over” the Khan Tervel offshore oil and gas exploration block to Turkiye and refused to discuss the matter in Parliament, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said Thursday, according to the party’s press service. Vazrazhdane said the decision »»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism said its instant blocking centre (InstaBlock) shut down more than 14,000 websites and applications illegally streaming sports content during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as part of efforts to combat digital piracy and protect broadcasting rights. The ministry »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met on Thursday in Belgrade with Namibian Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Lucia Iipumbu to discuss deepening the cooperation with the friendly country. "Macut said that Serbia is committed to further enhancing cooperation with Namibia, no»»»

Any racist and antisemitic element of the incident involving a verbal confrontation between Bulgarian and Italian youths outside a hotel in the Bulgarian mountain resort of Bansko should be investigated separately from any possible hooligan behaviour, Chair of the Federation of Zionists in Bulgaria»»»

Trust in the cabinet of Rumen Radev stands at 42%, while distrust is 33.6%, and 24.4% of respondents do not know whether they trust the government, according to a survey by Gallup International Balkan on public attitudes during the first 100 days in office of the government. Data was collected thro»»»

Manila: Landslides in the Philippines killed four people, authorities said Thursday, as heavy rains driven by a tropical depression raked the country's north and forced school closures. The archipelago nation's main island Luzon has been battered by heavy rains over the past four days. Government o»»»

Recent attention regarding the ongoing military conflict between the United States and Iran has often focused on the issue of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons poses a threat not only to the Gulf region but also to the international community. It »»»

Guatemalan authorities said the eruption of the Fuego volcano had ended after 50 hours of activity that forced more than 1,700 people to evacuate, while warning residents to remain cautious because the volcano could erupt again. The eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano officially ended on Wednesda»»»

An oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz near Oman reported hearing two explosions, a British maritime agency said Thursday.  Earlier, Iran said an agreement with Oman over the strait is in its final stages, while US President Donald Trump suggested a deal could be announce»»»

Iran said Wednesday it is in the "final stage" of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz but denied the US was involved in the negotiations. Trump had in recent days insisted a deal to reopen the critical waterway was imminent. Laurent Berstecher explains.»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov met with heads of Russian regions in Cholpon-Ata. The parties discussed the development of interregional ties, expansion of trade and the launch of joint projects. The head of state called the establishment of joint ventures in industry, pharmaceuticals and agr»»»

Nigerian authorities announced the rescue of 308 people abducted by armed groups, including 163 villagers seized during a deadly attack earlier this year, calling it the country's largest single-day hostage rescue operation. The Nigerian government announced the release of more than 300 kidnapping »»»

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic ⁠of Congo is spreading faster than efforts to fight it, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. Families said many frontline workers in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, have gone on strike over pay issues, worsening acces»»»