Dubai: Etihad Airways has signed a new interline agreement with Nigeria's largest airline, Air Peace, allowing passengers to book onward travel to 20 destinations across Nigeria, West and Central Africa on a single ticket. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The partnershi»»»

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Czech PM Andrej Babis in Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday the friendship between Serbia and Czechia was on a high level and that it was reflected not only in bilateral political relations, but also in steadily improv»»»

London: Norway's football chief told The Times they are set to make a formal complaint to FIFA over the suspension of Folarin Balogun's World Cup ban because it has put "the whole game at risk". Lise Klaveness, the president of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), says she will seek the backing»»»

Pleven Medical University currently has 1,563 foreign students, with most of the studying in English and 38 of them studying in Bulgarian, the university press office told BTA. The university emphasized that it was the first medical school in Bulgaria to introduce English-language medical education»»»

Daniel Siad, ⁠a modelling scout with ​ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been ​found dead at his home outside Paris, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Siad's body was discovered on Monday evening. An autopsy will be carried out ​to ‌determine the cause of death, the Nanterre »»»

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally broken his silence on the student protest movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party. He said that his government will move to swiftly punish those responsible for the leak of answers that forced the cancellation of the country's undergrad medical ex»»»

Dubai: The United States has officially launched the new pilot programme allowing some tourist and business visa applicants to pay an additional $750 for an earlier visa interview, on top of the initial fee of $185. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Announced by the US D»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The European Union is going to freeze the oil price cap adjustment mechanism, applied to Russian oil under the new package of sanctions, for one year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, EU ambassadors agreed on the 21st packa»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Russia continues dialogue with the United States on the Ukrainian settlement through working channels, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "We are continuing our dialogue with the Americans through existing working channels," Peskov told reporters. Moscow expects t»»»

Stockholm: Sweden said Thursday it plans to ban so-called "forever chemicals" in consumer products such as clothing and kitchenware as early as 2028, before expected European Union regulation comes into force. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS "have no place in clothing, cosmetics, cookwa»»»

Opella, the consumer healthcare company with the third-largest portfolio in the Over the Counter (OTC) and Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally, announces the appointment of Radu Stănescu as Country Head for Romania & Moldova. In this role, he will drive operational excellence and»»»

Befit, the fitness brand operating in the accessible segment of Romania’s fitness market, launched by Vectr Holdings, is expanding its Bucharest network with four new clubs: Befit Mpark Titan, Befit Pipera Plaza, Befit Șoseaua Giurgiului, and Befit Bd. Timișoara, following an investment of over €2.»»»

Abu Dhabi has launched a new Waterway Monitoring and Control Centre, an AI-powered platform that will oversee more than 45,000 square kilometres of waterways to improve maritime safety, strengthen emergency response and manage public maritime services across the emirate. The centre was inaugurated »»»

Investigative journalist Christo Grozev has criticized British authorities for failing to inform him in advance about the release and deportation to Bulgaria of two Bulgarians convicted of espionage for Russia, who were part of a network that also monitored him. Grozev said the lack of warning from»»»

The Jordanian and Kuwaiti militaries reported intercepting fresh salvos of Iranian missiles and drones on Thursday. Jordan said it had intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, as Tehran responded to U.S. airstrikes by hitting Washington's allies in the region. The Jordanian army said in a statement»»»

The Houthi rebels' threat to blockade Saudi Arabia has the potential to widen the Iran war and further disrupt global oil supplies and international trade. The Iran-backed rebels say they have closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom's blockade on Yeme»»»

New Delhi: Student protests in India demanding education reforms grew on Thursday despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing a crackdown following a string of exam paper leaks. Five Gen Z protesters at the main protest site in the capital New Delhi spoke to AFP about what was driving them to join »»»

RIYADH: Turkiye aims to increase its trade volume with Syria to $10 billion as bilateral commerce surged more than 40 percent year on year to a record $3.75 billion in 2025, an official revealed. Speaking at a meeting titled Free Trade and Industrial Zones in Syria and the Investment Environment in»»»

Dubai: Thalapathy Vijay's swansong, Jana Nayagan, has hit cinemas with the kind of fanfare reserved for the biggest stars. Directed by H. Vinoth, the political action drama opened to packed theatres across Tamil Nadu and key overseas markets on Thursday, with fans celebrating the release with firew»»»

Brussels: The European Union on Thursday hit Google with a fine of 890 million euros ($1 billion) after it said the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by using Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers towards its own services and apps, to the detriment o»»»

Dubai: Business leaders, diplomats and entrepreneurs gathered in Dubai to celebrate the UAE’s remarkable transformation into a global hub for investment, innovation and opportunity at a special “Proud of UAE” forum organised by the Diplomat Business Club. The event brought together investors, CEOs,»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) departing from Clark International Airport in Pampanga, Philippines will soon have a dedicated space where they can rest, grab a meal, and seek assistance before boarding their flights. The new OFW Lounge at Clark International Airport's Terminal 2 has been s»»»

Bulgaria's research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) is expected to celebrate Bulgaria's National Day, March 3, in Buenos Aires in 2027, together with the Bulgarian diaspora there, Rear Admiral Prof. Kalin Kalinov, Commandant of the Naval Academy in Varna, said here on Thursday. Kalinov als»»»

TUNIS, July 23 (TAP) – The success of Tunisia’s future 2026–2030 Development Plan will depend not only on the quality of technical planning, but also on the country’s ability to establish a governance model based on performance, accountability and...»»»

Improvement of the city in preparation for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit continues in Bishkek. According to the municipal enterprise Bishkekzelenstroy, 83 large acacia trees with closed root systems were planted on Zhaiyl Baatyr Street—from Chortekov Street to Alykulov Street. »»»

For most businesses, a reliable copier or multifunction printer is not a luxury but a daily necessity. Contracts, invoices, marketing materials, and everyday paperwork all depend on it. Yet when the time comes to acquire one, companies face a deceptively tricky decision: should they buy the machine»»»

Global law firm Dentons has advised Biofarm S.A., a leading Romanian pharmaceutical company listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, and its majority shareholders, Longshield Investment Group S.A. and Lion Capital S.A., on the acquisition of Biofarm by Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A. through a»»»

In one of the most defining photographs of the protests taking across India: A police van packed with detained student protesters. A 27-year-old woman standing directly in its path. Rhiya Ahir, a model, actor and entrepreneur, has become one of the most recognisable faces of the demonstrations afte»»»

Forest fires have set new records across four continents over the past two years, with the fire season starting earlier, affected areas expanding and economic and human losses increasing, the Branch Chamber of Woodworking and Furniture Industry said. Official data from the European Commission's EFF»»»

Manila: The Philippines accused China's coast guard of firing water cannon and using a "dangerous manoeuvre" on Thursday to block vessels bringing aid to Filipino fishermen near a disputed South China Sea reef. The incident took place near Scarborough Shoal, hours before Manila hosted a regional se»»»

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday "stringent punishment" for those involved in exam leaks that has fuelled student anger, in his first direct comments tied to major protests challenging his government. The comments came after thousands of protesters, led by the social»»»

MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hezbollah noted Thursday that Israel “has not withdrawn from any meter it has occupied in south Lebanon,” despite the declared start of the pilot zones process. "What happened was the Lebanese Army strengthening its deployment in liberated villages and towns that the enemy fa»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Ambassador to Germany, Omurbek Tekebayev, has traveled to the German city of Bremen following reports of problems with the working and living conditions of Kyrgyz students participating in the Ferienjob summer employment program. In a social media post, the ambassador said he had alrea»»»

New York, July 23 (SANA) UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria Karla Quintana said cooperation with Syrian authorities and partners is helping lay the groundwork for a national system to exchange information on missing persons, in line wi»»»

SEOUL: South Korea has abandoned its campaign prioritizing pressure on the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a minister said Thursday, marking a fresh overture by Seoul’s dovish government. President Lee Jae Myung has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul »»»

ABU DHABI: The buildup to UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov continued on Wednesday as fans packed Yas Mall for the UFC Open Workouts, catching a first glimpse of some of the event’s biggest stars before they step into the Octagon at Etihad Arena this Saturday. Main event athletes Magomed Ankalae»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s digital payments sector is set to expand after the Saudi Central Bank licensed Malaa Co. for Information Technology to offer payment account information services, raising the number of permitted payment service providers to 33. The move enables Malaa to allow customers to sec»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of European Integration Nemanja Starovic said on Wednesday evening there was no consensus among EU member states on opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU accession talks by end-July and that the issue could be back on the agenda of EU institutions in late August. "The informa»»»

New Delhi: Floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 41 people in India's northeast Assam state, officials said Thursday, as authorities pursued rescue and relief operations. Flood-related disasters are an annual occurrence across India during the monsoon months after the re»»»

July 23 (UPI) -- A group of non-governmental organizations shared with world leaders a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza with an estimated cost of $71.4 billion, according to a report released Thursday. Oxfam, an international coalition of non-governmental organizations, said in its report that t»»»

Biofarm, one of the leaders of Romania’s pharmaceutical market with uninterrupted operations since 1921, has joined Polpharma Group in a transaction valued at approximately PLN 1.1 billion (EUR 257 million), which Polpharma says reflects its long-term commitment to Romania and its strategy of build»»»

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to punish those involved in a leaked exam papers scandal that has sparked mass student protests. His promise came a day after thousands of protesters, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party, demonstrated in New Delhi, spa»»»

Paris, France: The French Football Federation (FFF) will hold a news conference on July 28 to unveil the next coach of the national team, the governing body said on Thursday. Zinedine Zidane, although not named in the FFF statement, is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Didier Deschamps as Franc»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who visited Wednesday the southern village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, said the visit aimed to reassure the people of the south that the state is with them. Salam, alongside Lebanon’s defense minister and senior military officials, pitched a Lebanese flag near a destroyed bu»»»

Hungary will abolish VAT on prescription medicines from 1 September, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on Thursday. The Hungary prescription drug VAT decision is the latest element of a broader tax overhaul launched since the new government and parliament took office in May 2026. Prescription m»»»

Last Friday, July 17, news filtered through at the Oval that Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers had died, aged 89. A few days earlier, I had wondered about the state of his declining health. It was a sad moment. Along with many others, I am certain beyond doubt that he was the finest all-round cricketer»»»

A regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held in Cholpon-Ata on July 24. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The meeting will be held in the year of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SCO and wil»»»

GapMinder, venture capital investing in technology startups from Romania and Eastern Europe, is leading a seed funding round in Croatian healthtech startup Lasken AI, alongside Fil Rouge Capital. Lasken AI is building a healthcare data intelligence platform that transforms publicly available health»»»

BusinessChinaUS-China AI rivalry heats up as Chinese models gain groundNik MartinChina's AI platforms are rapidly closing the gap with their US counterparts, prompting fresh threats from the Trump administration. With accusations of intellectual property theft, could tensions boil over? https://p.d»»»

EU ​ambassadors on Thursday ​reached a political agreement on a new round of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war, ‌according to EU diplomats. The ​21st ‌sanctions package includes ⁠a 12-month freeze on the Russian oil price cap.   EU ​ambassadors have ​reached a political a»»»