RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia, where digital transformation is reshaping industries from banking to transportation, one entrepreneur believes the next frontier is not what people buy, but what they already own. From wedding dresses and power tools to parking spaces and professional services, Saudi startu»»»

Even as hopes increased that a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could be imminent, attacks on shipping in the region continued. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed Wednesday they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker called the Wafa in the Red Sea. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a milita»»»

U.S. stock futures edged higher Wednesday morning, helped by strong corporate earnings reports and hopes for a deal setting the stage for talks that might eventually end the fighting in Iran. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 0.3%, while S&P 500 futures added 0.4%. Nasdaq futures gained 0.2»»»

The Constitutional Court has opened proceedings following a request by the Ombudsman to review the constitutionality of provisions in the Transitional and Final Provisions of the State Budget Act of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2026, on the grounds that they are inconsistent with the principles of »»»

The Constitutional Court has opened proceedings following a request by the Ombudsman to review the constitutionality of provisions in the Transitional and Final Provisions of the State Budget Act of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2026, on the grounds that they are inconsistent with the principles of »»»

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday that he held phone talks on the Iranian and Lebanese files with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. “I hope that the ongoing negotiations (between Lebanon and Israel) in Rome will yield concrete results to consolidate the ceasefire and reac»»»

New York: A four-tonne piece of a SpaceX rocket was believed to have unintentionally crashed into the Moon on Wednesday, a collision that posed no danger to Earth but is expected to leave behind a lunar crater. While there is not yet official confirmation that the Falcon 9 upper stage struck the lu»»»

British mathematician Norbert Wiener, who founded the field of cybernetics in the 1940s, may deserve a place alongside artificial intelligence founders Alan Turing and John von Neumann. FRANCE 24 revisits this overlooked visionary who was also one of the first to warn against the automation of soci»»»

Greece's fast-track visa scheme for Turkish citizens visiting Aegean islands has become a successful tool for boosting tourism and supporting local economies, the Burgas Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Wednesday. Known in Turkiye as "kapi vizesi" (visa at the border), the programme has bee»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police has warned residents to be wary of fake part-time job offers circulating on social media and messaging apps after uncovering a case in which a young man unknowingly allowed fraudsters to use his bank account to move stolen funds. The warning follows an investigation by the Crime»»»

Tunis, Aug. 5 (TAP) - The state of affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank took centre stage as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti held a talk with Palestinian...»»»

Gabrovo and Veliko Tarnovo municipalities signed a strategic partnership agreement here on Wednesday to jointly prepare Gabrovo's bid for the European Capital of Culture 2032 title, with Veliko Tarnovo serving as a regional strategic partner. The memorandum was signed on Master Kolyu Ficheto's brid»»»

The incident in Bansko is deeply concerning not only because of its shocking and repulsive antisemitic nature, and not only because it targeted children, but also because it raises yet another question about Bulgaria's international reputation as a reliable and safe country, GERB-UDF MP and former »»»

Qatar's LNG Crisis Deepens: Why Europe's Gas Market Faces Another Shock - Institute of Energy for South-East Europe About UsMission and VisionBackgroundAnnual ReportArticles of AssociationBoard of GovernorsOrganizationExecutive CommitteeScientific CommitteesResearchInternational Advisory GroupCo-op»»»

Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation is reshaping regional and global trade flows. Its position between Asia, Europe, and Africa gives the Kingdom a strategic advantage, while Vision 2030 has turned that geography into a long-term logistics and industrial strategy. Supported by the National Indus»»»

The race between US Representative Haley Stevens and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Democratic Senate race is one of the clearest tests yet of the party’s future. El-Sayed held a narrow lead over US Representative Haley Stevens as of Tuesday evening. The w»»»

The incident in Bansko is deeply concerning not only because of its shocking and repulsive antisemitic nature, and not only because it targeted children, but also because it raises yet another question about Bulgaria's international reputation as a reliable and safe country, GERB-UDF MP and former »»»

Taiwan on Wednesday launched its annual "Han Kuang" military exercises. The event, which is the island's largest military drill, is meant to prepare the country for a potential Chinese invasion. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and has ramped up military pressure on the island in recen»»»

Former Uzbek energy minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov was reportedly last week detained two days after he was dismissed from his post on suspicion of abuse of office and embezzlement, according to an Ozodlik report citing law enforcement sources.  President Shavkat Mirziyoyev dismissed Mirz»»»

The British Embassy Beirut has announced that applications for the UK Government’s flagship Chevening Scholarships program to study in the UK are now open. Prospective candidates should submit their applications via chevening.org/apply by 6 October 2026. Lebanese citizens (and Palestinians residing»»»

This photo, taken Wednesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks rose by more than 3.5 percent on easing AI concerns and hope for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Yonhap Seoul shares soared by more than 3.5 percent Wednesday as easing concerns over the»»»

Gabrovo and Veliko Tarnovo municipalities signed a strategic partnership agreement here on Wednesday to jointly prepare Gabrovo's bid for the European Capital of Culture 2032 title, with Veliko Tarnovo serving as a regional strategic partner. The memorandum was signed on Master Kolyu Ficheto's brid»»»

Dubai: Employees of the Arab Monetary Fund and their families will receive access to discounts at luxury hotels, gyms, sports academies and other leisure and service providers through a new agreement with Nirvana Travel & Tourism. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Nirvan»»»

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks during a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- South Korea's Unification Ministry unveiled a blueprint for improving inter-Korean relation»»»

Shares advanced in Europe and Asia on Wednesday after the U.S. stock market rallied to records, helped by strong corporate earnings reports and hopes for a deal setting the stage for talks that might eventually lead to an end to the war in Iran. Oil prices resumed their ascent, with Brent crude gai»»»

The American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham) released a statement on Wednesday arguing that Fitch’s decision to maintain the country’s investment-grade rating at BBB-, the lowest level in the category, provides an important signal of confidence to investors and financial markets, but also u»»»

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Wednesday warned Japan over its expanding military capabilities. in this March 2019 photo, Kim is seen in Hanoi, Vietnam. File Pool Photo by Jorge Silva/EPA-EFE SEOUL, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader »»»

RIYADH: The UAE’s non-oil private sector strengthened in July, with the Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 52.7 from 50.8 in June, while Qatar’s PMI improved to 48.5 from 47.6 as it remained below the neutral 50-point threshold. The latest S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index survey showed the U»»»

1 of 3 | The Democratic primary for Michigan’s Senate seat between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens is just one of Tuesday’s key races to watch. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The Democratic primary race between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens for a Michiga»»»

A delegation from Afghanistan’s Taliban-controlled Ministry of Agriculture has arrived in Moldova after obtaining visas under circumstances that the Moldovan government says it is investigating, prompting questions over how the visit was authorised, according to Free Europe. Moldova does not recogn»»»

Russia’s services sector remained under pressure in July as weak consumer demand and falling purchasing power continued to weigh on business activity, while fuel shortages pushed up transport costs and renewed inflationary pressures across the economy. (chart) The latest S&P Global Russia »»»

Two numbers define how much longer Ukraine can keep fighting: how many interceptor missiles it has left to defend its skies, and how many of its soldiers are actually dying to hold the line. Both are contested, both are politically massaged, and both look worse than the headline versions suggest on»»»

Some 70 years before the current frenzy of record-breaking fundraising by modern AI giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic, the Rockefeller Foundation made what may have been the first investment in the history of AI. With a $7,500 grant from the foundation in 1956, four eminent mathematicians organis»»»

X said Tuesday that it was ordered to restrict access to the presidential account of Ekrem Imamoglu, seen here running for mayor of Istanbul in 2019. The social media platform said it would challenge the order in court. File photo by Sedat Suna/EPA-EFE Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Social media platform X said i»»»

The upper stage of a SpaceX rocket will crash into the Moon on Wednesday, an unintentional collision that poses no danger to Earth but will leave behind a lunar crater. A mixture of solar activity and gravitational forces put the rocket's second stage on its path towards the Moon, scientists said.&»»»

Authorities arrested a man carrying ammunition and later found a loaded gun in his car outside US President Donald Trump's Los Angeles-area golf course, where he was allegedly photographing security preparations ahead of the president's fundraising event. A man carrying ammunition and with a gun in»»»

Fitch Ratings' reaffirmation of Romania's sovereign credit rating is fully justified by the reduction in the budget deficit, prospects for lower inflation, expectations of stronger economic growth, the level of international reserves and the resilience of the banking sector, National Bank of Romani»»»

Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said that the Ministry is preparing for Moody's upcoming assessment, Romania's next rating test after last week's favourable dialogue with Fitch, with the goal of regaining a stable outlook."Moody's, the next rating test for Romania. After the favourable result obt»»»

Interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu and her Serbian counterpart Marko Duric discussed on Tuesday the current situation caused by the exceptionally low water levels and the impact of the reduced flow of the Danube on nuclear power generation."In the past year, we have frequently discussed thi»»»

U.S. Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby said on Tuesday that he appreciates Romania's proactive approach to burden shifting inside NATO, after a meeting at the Pentagon with Romanian national security presidential adviser Marius Lazurca." On July 29, I hosted Romanian National Security Advisor M»»»

Dubai: The UAE’s non-oil private sector recorded its strongest improvement in four months during July, with new orders growing at their fastest pace since February and companies resuming hiring after cutting jobs in June. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The seasonally »»»

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) - technology that catches CO2 from a factory or power plant and injects it underground - is central to most official net-zero roadmaps, but remains marginal in practice, mired in cost overruns and under preformance, according to a detailed explainer published by Car»»»

A discussion marking the 160th anniversary of Pencho Slaveykov’s birth will bring together literary scholars, lecturers and librarians at the BTA National Press Club in Varna on Wednesday. The event, titled Pencho Slaveykov Today, is organized by BTA. The discussion will be moderated by poet, liter»»»

Dubai: ADNOC Distribution reported a record net profit of $568 million for the first half of 2026, up 59% from a year earlier, supported by higher fuel sales, network expansion, inventory gains and growth across its non-fuel retail business. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Bala»»»

South Korean police raided the Starbucks national headquarters Wednesday, the chain's local operator told AFP, following allegations an advertising campaign defamed activists slain in 1980 pro-democracy protests. Starbucks Korea caused an uproar this year when it launched a "Tank Day" promotion on »»»

The three people killed when a gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger in Idaho included a worker at the restaurant chain and a man from the area known for helping others get sober. Authorities released the names Tuesday of the people who died when the 24-year-old gunman opened fire at the Twin Fa»»»

Washington stripped Brazil's ambassador of her US visa in an escalating diplomatic standoff, saying the move would be reversed if Brasília approves President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador ahead of Brazil's closely watched presidential election. The United States has revoked the visa of Braz»»»

Lebanon and Israel are holding a fresh round of direct talks in Rome under US sponsorship. It is the seventh such meeting since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel, which responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion. The talks were criticised»»»

Emergency services in Guatemala issued a red alert, the most severe warning, after the Fuego volcano – located less than 100 kilometres from its capital – erupted Monday morning. Hundreds of people living nearby evacuated their homes Tuesday as rivers of lava streamed down its slopes»»»

Camille Knight is pleased to welcome Dirk Segaar, IFRC Special Envoy for Sudan. Sudan's humanitarian crisis has become one of the defining yet least visible crises of the twenty first century. Segaar argues that the conflict can no longer be understood merely through the lens of shifting front»»»