Tehran: The spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday that Tehran and Muscat were close to reaching a deal on a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, separate from the existing corridors. "We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides -- neithe»»»

DUBAI: Negotiations between ​Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz are ‌in ‌their ​final ‌stages, ⁠Iran’s Foreign ​Minister Abbas ⁠Araqchi said on Sunday, according to official ⁠news agency ‌IRNA, ‌after ​the ‌US ‌said it had called off an attack ‌on Iran to give ⁠room for ⁠diplomacy. President D»»»

Over the years, the US and its allies tried extensively to sanction Iran’s petrochemicals sector into submission through corporate blacklisting, broker interdiction and secondary restrictions. These efforts appear to have failed. “Last year, more than 2k parts required by the petrochemical industry»»»

As Hungary prepares for a critical week amid an unprecedented energy crisis, many festivalgoers have been wondering whether the country’s biggest music event could be affected. Sziget Festival organisers have now addressed those concerns, insisting that the event will go ahead even if the national »»»

Ukraine is on track to record fewer births this year than Kyrgyzstan for the first time - a reversal from the end of the Soviet Union, when Ukraine's newborns outnumbered Kyrgyzstan's five to one, French demographic commentator Clement Molin in a post on social media on August 1. Ukraine’s demograp»»»

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government resigned on August 2, a step mandated by Article 158 of the constitution, under which the cabinet automatically resigns on the first day of the newly elected National Assembly's first session. President Vahagn Khachaturyan formally accepted the r»»»

Ukraine is on track to record fewer births this year than Kyrgyzstan for the first time - a reversal from the end of the Soviet Union, when Ukraine's newborns outnumbered Kyrgyzstan's five to one, French demographic commentator Clement Molin in a post on social media on August 1. Ukraine’s demograp»»»

Ukraine's long-range drone campaign against Russia's oil industry is simultaneously hitting three sensitive areas of the war economy at once: fuel production, domestic logistics of petroleum products, and fiscal stability, Vakhtang Partsvania argues in a comment for Riddle Russia. The strikes have »»»

Washington, United States: Donald Trump has made some of the most aggressive public threats about military action of any modern US president. He has walked back many of them too. The 80-year-old Republican's comments about the US war against Iran have shifted, sometimes dramatically and quickly, si»»»

Case files on suspected road construction irregularities stalled for three years, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Shishkov said in a radio interview on Sunday. Shishkov linked the files to advance payments for the Hemus Motorway, illegal construction on its fourth lot, the Sofia»»»

Porto Germeno, Greece: Two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece on Sunday as crews battled multiple wildfires that have devastated swathes of land, leaving two crew members dead and two others rescued, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead. The hire»»»

Damascus, Aug. 2 (SANA) Syrian Minister of Agriculture Basil al-Suwaidan met on Sunday with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus, Mohamed El-Feki, to discuss ways to strengthen agricultural cooperation and expand partnership opportunities between the two countries. During the m»»»

Israel carried out overnight strikes in Gaza, killing at least eight people. This is a look at the Strip this Sunday morning. In one attack, an Israeli military helicopter struck an apartment, killing a husband and wife. In another, an elderly man and a child were killed. Earlier on Saturday, at le»»»

LONDON: Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Jordan, discussed security developments in the Middle East with US Sen. Joni Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The meeting on Sunday focused on ways to strengthen military and defense cooperation betwee»»»

Greece faced a worsening fire crisis on Sunday, with wildfires burning on multiple fronts and swaths of forest and agricultural land destroyed. Strong winds were worsening fires and hampering firefighting aircraft, officials said, and a search and rescue operation was under way after two firef»»»

Ceuta was returning to normal over the weekend after an unprecedented migrant surge that saw up to 60,000 people enter the tiny Spanish exclave from Morocco in just two days. But with at least 72 migrants dead and most arrivals having already returned to Morocco, residents were still grappling with»»»

Two firefighting helicopters have collided while battling a wildfire west of Athens in Greece. The Greek fire service says each helicopter was carrying a two-person crew, and a search-and-rescue operation is now underway.Greece is battling wildfires on multiple fronts, with the Prime Minister warni»»»

Both Kozloduy NPP units are operating as scheduled despite record-low Danube levels, the Energy Ministry said on Sunday. As of 5 pm on August 2, both units are generating electricity in line with the approved schedule. The Ministry noted that the low Danube level has already forced Hungary’s Paks N»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Soldiers Injured in Suspicious Blast During Civilian Escort in South Lebanon 02-08-2026 18:54 PM Five Lebanese soldiers sustained »»»

Damascus: Israeli forces carried out an incursion into the southern countryside of Quneitra in southern Syria on Sunday, establishing a temporary checkpoint and searching civilians and passing vehicles, according to Syria's state news agency (SANA). According to SANA, the Israeli force, traveling i»»»

Dubai: The UAE accounts for around 57 per cent of Boeing's aircraft order backlog in the Middle East, underlining its position as one of the US planemaker's most important global markets as the country's airlines continue to expand their fleets. According to Boeing's latest 2026 data, the UAE has m»»»

TEHRAN: An Iranian lawmaker said on Sunday that mediators were seeking to revive a deal that briefly halted the war between Iran and the United States in June.Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for parliament’s national security commission, said in a video interview that “there is an effort underway to r»»»

Tel Aviv: Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official told The Associated Press on Sunday in some of the first public comments since US President Donald Trump announced the agreement earlier this week. Do»»»

DOHA: beIN SPORTS announced that it recorded 6.2 billion cumulative views during its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, according to audience statistics from the independent research company Ipsos.The network stated that the final match between Spain»»»

The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that a cargo vessel transporting military cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Black Sea. "Drone strikes have hit ... a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea that was carrying military supplies for the Ukrainian »»»

Manila: A fire broke out on Sunday in a shared residential house in Caloocan City in Manila, the Philippines, killing an infant, among five other persons. Media outlets reported that the victims were trapped inside the house as the fire spread, preventing them from getting out, noting that the fire»»»

Athens: Greek police on Sunday said they had arrested a suspect in their investigation into the death of a British woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Athens this month. The police in a statement said they had arrested a 26-year-old man, identified in media reports as an Afghan national, ad»»»

Three people were killed and at least two others injured when a gunman opened fire at a crowded In-N-Out restaurant in Idaho, triggering an apparent exchange of gunfire with an armed bystander. The attack unfolded at around 2:30pm on Saturday in Twin Falls, approximately 130 miles (210km) southeast»»»

ALKHOBAR: A screenshot can capture a threat, a promise, or even a confession in a single image. For many, pressing the power and volume buttons is the first instinct when a dispute begins. However, as artificial intelligence makes it easier to manipulate images and fabricate conversations, the ques»»»

Kuwaiti authorities said they had found 36 children born out of wedlock accompanying their mothers and detained 1,253 people wanted on security charges or for violating residency and labour laws during an ongoing security campaign in the Al Jleeb area. The Ministry of Interior said the campaign, la»»»

LONDON: An Israeli strike on a vehicle in central Gaza’s Deir Al-Balah killed two Palestinians on Sunday, Palestinian media and medical sources said. Two bodies and several wounded Palestinians, some in critical condition, were taken to hospitals after an Israeli drone hit a vehicle on Salah Al-Din»»»

RIYADH/WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump held a call aimed at reducing regional tensions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. “His Royal Highness emphasised the necessity of prioritising dialogue to reduce tensions and the importance of»»»

London: Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other key members of OPEC+ agreed in an online meeting Sunday to boost oil production by 188,000 barrels a day from September, against a backdrop of disruption caused by the Mideast war. "The seven participating countries decided to implement a production adjus»»»

TEL AVIV: Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official told The Associated Press on Sunday in some of the first public comments since US President Donald Trump announced the agreement earlier this week. Do»»»

Hungary is set to endure another day of the extreme summer heatwave, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 40°C on Sunday after the country experienced a record-warm night. According to the latest forecast from HungaroMet, most of the country will enjoy sunny or only slightly cloudy skies,»»»

Dubai residents will soon be able to book licensed gardeners and landscaping experts through the Careem app as part of a new government-backed initiative aimed at making home gardening services safer, more reliable and easier to access. Called 'Al Freej Gardener', the initiative has been launched b»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The People's Bank of China (PBC) said on Sunday it will develop the system of cross-border payments in yuan and expand international cooperation in this area in the second half of 2026. China "will promote the development of the cross-border yuan payment system, expand internati»»»

RIYADH: Shipments of falcons have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia ahead of the International Falcon Breeders Auction, as organizers prepare for the annual event. The auction, organized by the National Center for Falcons, will run from Aug. 5- 25 at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, the Sa»»»

Washington, Aug. 2 (SANA) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Iran has become more willing to negotiate over its nuclear program and maritime security following sustained U.S. pressure. In an interview with Fox News, Rubio said U.S. military strikes ordered by President Donald T»»»

A Curly Stars kilim kept as a family heirloom for 147 years was donated to Kotel History Museum by Rayna Knyaginya’s great-grandson Zdravcho Zdravchev on Sunday. It once belonged to Kotel’s first post-Liberation mayor Krastyo Baychev, who served from 1878 to 1879. The donation took place during the»»»

LONDON: Israeli forces advanced on Sunday along the Al-Hiran–Al-Rafid road in the southern countryside of Quneitra province in southwest Syria, establishing a temporary checkpoint and stopping civilians, state media reported. The force, made up of three military vehicles, searched civilian pedestri»»»

New York: The history of American patriotic songs offers a lesson about the different ways you can say you love your country. Composers have celebrated endurance under fire ( “The Star-Spangled Banner” ) and invoked divine approval (“God Bless America”). While Toby Keith's “Made in America” dares a»»»

Doha, Qatar: Safari Group, one of Qatar’s most trusted retail brands, has announced the opening of its eighth outlet, Safari Shopping Center – GWC Logistics Village, tomorrow, August 3, 2026. With over two decades of excellence in Qatar’s retail sector, Safari has earned the trust of customers thro»»»

President Donald Trump backed off a plan to launch powerful new strikes against Iran citing a possible deal. Iranian sources have declined the claim. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Pool via CNP | License Photo Aug. 2 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump backed off a plan to launch powerful new strikes aga»»»

A renewed Iran war would test already-diminished US interceptor inventories, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warned in a July 27 analysis by Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park, as combat operations since a ceasefire collapse have drawn further on stocks that were already st»»»

Russia has increased its use of its powerful FAB glide bombs to enable infantry advances in and around the key Donbas “fortress city” of Kostiantynivka, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its July 29 campaign assessment. Russian forces are making slow but steady progress in Ukraine's »»»

New York: The history of American patriotic songs offers a lesson about the different ways you can say you love your country. Composers have celebrated endurance under fire ( “The Star-Spangled Banner” ) and invoked divine approval (“God Bless America”). While Toby Keith's “Made in America” dares a»»»

Belgrade: A drought in Serbia which has brought the Danube river to its lowest-ever level is forcing the country to greatly reduce power generation from hydroelectric plants, the country's energy minister said Sunday. The two biggest plants, Djerdap I and Djerdap II, have been reduced to an output »»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s Mehr news agency on Sunday denied President Donald Trump’s claim that the Islamic republic asked the United States to refrain from conducting new strikes. Citing military officials, the agency said the allegation “was nothing but a new lie” and that the Iranian armed forces were “on »»»

DUBAI: Prada’s first-ever global beauty brand ambassador, supermodel Bella Hadid, has a new face joining her on the roster: Hollywood star Zendaya. Zendaya, 29, is in the middle of a stellar 2026; she’s currently wrapping up press for “Spider-Man: A Brand New Day” right off the back of a world tour»»»