A 24-hour monitoring system for online activity and a register of websites advertising, offering or selling products containing narcotic substances are among the Interior Ministry's measures to combat their distribution, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said in Parliament on Friday. He was respon»»»

Kuwaiti forces destroyed Iranian drones targeting "vital and military facilities", the defense ministry said on Friday. "The hostile targets were engaged and destroyed. This resulted in material damage due to falling shrapnel, without any human casualties being recorded," it said in a statement.»»»

An underground drug laboratory has been dismantled in Tyup district, Issyk-Kul region. The suspects were allegedly involved in the illegal production and transportation of drugs on an especially large scale, the Interior Ministry’s press service reported. Law enforcement officers detained the suspe»»»

Kumamoto, Japan: Sniffer dogs in Japan helped rescuers Friday make a final sweep of a shopping mall wrecked by an explosion after a big earthquake, as the death toll from the tremor three days earlier hit 35. "At the Aeon mall, 11 people were pulled out as of last night (Thursday), among them seven»»»

Tokyo: Japan's National Intelligence Bureau held its first meeting Friday, a body aimed at centralising information-gathering and addressing accusations that the country is a "spy paradise". Under a bill enacted in May, Japan has upgraded an existing intelligence body to serve as the central comman»»»

Around 49,000 migrants have crossed ​into ‌the enclave of ‌Ceuta ​in North Africa over the past 24 ​hours, ​according to Spain's ​Interior ​Ministry on Friday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to arrive in the city later in the day.  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez »»»

Bulgaria's National Assembly voted to shorten its traditional summer recess and officially scheduled the country's presidential election for October 25, 2026. Lawmakers approved a proposal submitted by the ruling Progressive Bulgaria to reduce Parliament's summer vacation from the standard August 1»»»

Progressive Bulgaria parliamentary group leader Petar Vitanov said the first three months of the new parliament marked only the beginning of the governing majority's work, warning that there was no room for complacency despite what he described as significant legislative achievements. Speaking from»»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) called for the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov, accusing the government of operating without a clear management program and criticizing its domestic and foreign policies. The demand was presented by DB MP Nadezhda Yordanova, who read a declaration on behalf»»»

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has submitted a report to the Court of Auditors over what he described as a possible discrepancy between the declared income and assets of a public figure and their actual lifestyle. The report refers to Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) leader and»»»

WASHINGTON: President ‌Donald Trump convenes a Cabinet meeting on Friday at his Camp David retreat as he grapples with how to resolve his war against Iran and bring down gasoline prices that are threatening Republicans in November midterm elections. Unlike some past presidents, Trump has largely st»»»

Abu Dhabi: PureHealth’s net profit increased 20% year on year to Dh1.2 billion in the first half of 2026, supported by higher patient activity in the UAE, international expansion and continued growth across its insurance business. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Revenu»»»

Bulgaria’s Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) approved a 4.5% increase in the price of natural gas for August, setting the rate at 39.43 euros per megawatt-hour, excluding access, transmission, excise and VAT costs. The new price will apply to sales by Bulgargaz to end suppliers and to c»»»

The European Commission has transferred €896 million to Bulgaria under the fourth payment from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), following progress on a number of reforms and investments included in the country’s recovery plan. The payment is part of more than €1.86 billion in RRF funds r»»»

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»»»

US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on whether Washington will allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, despite previously promising to grant Kiev a production license. Trump told the Financial Times in a telephone interview on Thursday that he was “not sure” whether Ukraine »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic spoke with the special envoy for energy integration at the US Department of Energy, Joshua Volz, on Thursday to discuss the issue of the Serbian oil company NIS, which is under US sanctions due to its Russian majority own»»»

RIYADH: Clay has shaped Saudi Arabia’s architecture for centuries. Now, as the Kingdom’s construction boom accelerates, the ancient material is making a comeback in luxury hotels, cultural landmarks and modern homes as developers seek healthier, lower-carbon building finishes. The renewed interest »»»

Varna's municipal transport operator has launched TTickets Varna, a new mobile app that combines ticket purchasing and real-time public transport information into a single platform, Varna Municipality said on Friday. Available on the App Store and Google Play, the app replaces the separate Ticket V»»»

Russia donated over 1,700 tons of enriched flour and over 200 tons of vegetable oil to Kyrgyzstan to provide food aid to citizens in need. A ceremony to hand over the humanitarian aid, as part of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), took place in Bishkek. Russian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sergei Vakun»»»

Dubai: The remarkable journey of Kerala schoolboy Levin Paulose continues to inspire thousands after his cardboard humanoid robot and other homemade inventions captured widespread attention online. Beyond the ingenious creations themselves, it is the story behind the young innovator that has touche»»»

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat once again criticized the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which he argued does not mandate a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Speaking to a Turkish newspaper, Jumblat called the framework deal "a huge trap" as it »»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday held a central meeting dedicated to discussing the launch of recovery projects in the so-called pilot zones in south Lebanon, as part of the first phase of a return and recovery plan. Salam stressed the importance of intensifying coordination among all relevant »»»

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»»»

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat once again criticized the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which he argued does not mandate a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Speaking to a Turkish newspaper, Jumblat called the framework deal "a huge trap" as it »»»

Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has strongly condemned the latest US missile strikes on the residential areas in southern Iran, warning that Washington “will pay the price” for these crimes. In a post on his X account, Ghalibaf denounced the US attack on civilian homes on»»»

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 »»»

Spain announced Friday that it was deploying troops to Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory on the coast of North Africa, to deal with an influx of tens of thousands of migrants who entered from Morocco illegally, overwhelming border security by their sheer numbers. File photo by Jalal Morchidi/EPA July»»»

Rescuers searching for 10 climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak located four bodies Friday and were continuing to search for the other six despite adverse weather that hampered helicopter flights, officials said. Efforts were underway to retrieve the bodies of the four climbe»»»

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that they had struck two tankers attempting to pass though the strategic Strait of Hormuz under the "air escort" of the U.S. military. The IRGC said the "non-compliant oil tankers... were struck and brought to a halt, while four other oil tankers quickly chan»»»

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»»»

Yes, it’s that time of year. I’m about to fly back to the UK for a couple of weeks and with that comes the usual pre-travel chaos. I’m sure you all know the feeling. I’ve started creating lists about the lists I have yet to complete. I haven’t been back to ‘Blighty’ for a year as I’ve been so busy »»»

LONDON: It’s not just Newcastle United fans who will be scrutinizing Matthias Jaissle in the coming days and weeks. Fans around the world, and especially Saudi Arabia, will be curious to see if he can translate his success in Asia to the unforgiving English Premier League. At just 38, the German le»»»

LONDON: It’s not just Newcastle United fans who will be scrutinizing Matthias Jaissle in the coming days and weeks. Fans around the world, and especially Saudi Arabia, will be curious to see if he can translate his success in Asia to the unforgiving English Premier League. At just 38, the German le»»»

Rescuers searching for 10 climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak located four bodies Friday and were continuing to search for the other six despite adverse weather that hampered helicopter flights, officials said. Efforts were underway to retrieve the bodies of the four climbe»»»

Ten Palestinians, including four children, were injured during a raid by Israeli settlers and occupation army forces targeting the Junaid neighborhood west of Nablus, the Palestinian Red Crescent said on Friday, as renewed clashes erupted in the area. Dozens of settlers, escorted by Israeli militar»»»

LABOUR MARKET SHIFT According to a signed commentary in Capital.bg (“The Labour Market Is Beginning to Turn”), after several years of exceptionally strong demand for workers, Bulgaria's labour market is beginning to show signs of cooling. So far, these changes have translated into fewer job adverti»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control over the settlement of Verovka in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Yesterday control was established over the village of Verovka in the Kharkov region," the ministry said in a statement. Additionally, th»»»

Dubai: UAE nationals interested in aviation careers will be able to explore pilot, engineering, flight dispatch and graduate programmes at flydubai’s Careers Open Day on August 16. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The event will be held at the flyd»»»

Dubai: UAE-born fintech KamelPay has secured two key licences from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), allowing the company to expand its regulated digital payment services as it grows its presence in the country's fast-evolving fintech sector. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & »»»

Hungary is facing mounting pressure from an unprecedented heatwave, with thousands of residents temporarily left without drinking water, water restrictions introduced in several municipalities, and the Paks Nuclear Power Plant forced to reduce electricity production as the Danube reaches record-low»»»

Dubai: Whether you're paying for parking, scanning a restaurant menu, or making a digital payment, chances are you've used a QR code without giving it much thought. That convenience is exactly what scammers are counting on. The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group has warned that cybe»»»

ISLAMABAD: At least 34 miners were killed in a methane gas explosion at a coal mine in Balochistan province, southern Pakistan. According to information from rescue teams deployed at the site, 34 bodies have been recovered, the provincial disaster management authority said in a statement. It added »»»

On Friday, Bulgarian lawmakers approved by 180 votes in favour, with no votes against and eight abstentions, the procedural rules governing the conditions and procedure for electing members of the Judges Chamber and Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the quota of the Nat»»»

Karakol International Airport is completing preparations to handle its first international flights. According to Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC, the runway extension project is 95 percent complete. The main construction work has already been completed, and modern lighting equipment has been installed »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - More than 20,000 migrants have crossed the land border into the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta in North Africa without encountering resistance from Moroccan security forces, a Spanish newspaper reported, citing law enforcement sources. After the bulk of the migrants had already»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - As Europe grows weary of the US conflict with Iran, the European leaders are trying to stay off US President Donald Trump's radar to avoid new demands to intervene, media reported. "At this point, European leaders are doing their best to fly under Trump’s radar to avoid new deman»»»

As the school holidays will draw to a close this month, thousands of children across the UAE are packing away football boots, paintbrushes and science kits after another summer spent at camp. For many families, these programmes have become less of a childcare solution and more of an annual traditio»»»