DUBAI: On Jan. 13, 2012, the huge Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a rock just off Giglio Island, which tore a 53-meter gash in the ship’s hull. The engine room was soon flooded, cutting off power from much of the ship. There were 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew aboard. Evacuation took si»»»

The River Drava has fallen to one of its lowest levels on record, exposing large sections of the riverbed and creating the extraordinary sight of people being able to walk across the river beneath the bridge at Barcs, on the Hungarian-Croatian border. One of the country’s biggest rivers can be walk»»»

The annual Summer School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Belite Brezi resort near Ardino once again brings together young astronomy enthusiasts from across Bulgaria, said the school's technical director, Agop Uzunbogosyan. "The school builds on what students learn in the classroom while giving»»»

Jind, India: India launched its first hydrogen-powered train Friday, joining a small group of nations testing the technology as part of efforts to decarbonise rail transport and cut dependence on fossil fuels. The project is part of a broader push to modernise one of the world's largest rail networ»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received a farewell visit from Kazakh Ambassador to Belgrade Madi Atamkulov on Friday and thanked him for his significant contribution to advancement of Serbia-Kazakhstan relations, as well as for his consistent and principled position of support for th»»»

USNS Washington Chambers conducts a replenishment-at-sea with Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex on Monday during RIMPAC 2026. North Korea on Friday denounced the exercise as a "war rehearsal." Photo by Nate Wheeler/U.S. Navy North Korea denounced Friday an ongoing U.S.-led multinational »»»

K-pop exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, South Korean government data showed Friday, In this March 21 photo, a billboard advertising the Netflix livestream of a BTS concert is seen in Seoul. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo South Korea's exports of K-pop albums»»»

A man accused of spying for Iran was due to appear before magistrates in London on Friday after being arrested in the West Midlands by counter-terrorism police. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- A 39-year-old man was due in court in London on Friday accused of breachin»»»

A project titled "Enhancing national capabilities for coordination and response to cybersecurity incidents" is being implemented within the agreed timeframe and has reached an advanced physical and financial progress, Bulgarian Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister Ivan Vasilev said here o»»»

There are no contradictions in Bulgaria's position on Ukraine, President Iliana Iotova told reporters on Friday, commenting on allegations of inconsistencies in the Bulgarian government's actions on the issue. Iotova stressed that documents such as the Kyiv Declaration are not subject to discussion»»»

Synthetic drugs have emerged as one of the fastest-growing threats to public health and security worldwide, with the United Nations warning that criminal networks are increasingly turning to laboratory-made substances that are easier to produce, harder to detect and often more dangerous than tradit»»»

Manila: Manila lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing on Friday over a "racist" video posted by Chinese state media portraying the Philippines as a cartoon monkey. The China Daily post was the latest offshoot of a long-running dispute over the Asian neighbours' overlapping South China Sea claims.»»»

BusinessGlobal issuesHow AI and satellites help fight wildfiresInsa WredeWildfires are currently raging in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere. To successfully fight these fires, speed is essential. Early detection from space and AI-powered data analysis can help. https://p.dw.com/p/5H8eLMunich-based sta»»»

MANILA: The Philippines condemned as racist a video posted by the state-run China Daily depicting Filipinos as monkeys, saying on Friday it had lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over the “offensive, distressing and unacceptable” imagery. Manila has demanded the removal of the video, which it»»»

LONDON: Trump Media & ​Technology Group has unveiled a paid-for, licensed data feed that will give banks and trading firms “the fastest” access to posts from influential Truth Social accounts, such as President Donald Trump’s, whose posts often move global markets. The product, called “Truth API,” »»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) met with chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning (L) in Pyongyang, state-run media reported Friday. Photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, July 17 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with a Chinese party and government delegation»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli drone activity reported over Western Bekaa: Al-Manar correspondent 17-07-2026 13:09 PM Latest News Urgent News Trump Declassifies I»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Trump Declassifies Intelligence, Accuses China of ‘Largest Election Data Breach in History’ 17-07-2026 13:08 PM US President Donald Trump a»»»

Kuwait reported Friday an Iranian attack on a power and water plant on Friday, while Bahrain and Qatar also said they had intercepted missiles after the U.S. attacked power infrastructure in Iran. Kuwait said that a power and water plant had been damaged by an Iranian attack, as the war in the Midd»»»

Two former heads of government from the Elders group of international figures founded by Nelson Mandela on Friday warned of the potential disappearance of the Palestinian territories and called for an end to what they called Israeli "impunity". The call from former Ireland president Mary Robinson a»»»

China and Pakistan's foreign ministers called Friday for the United States and Iran to stop fighting and resume negotiations, according to a statement following a meeting in Shanghai. China's Wang Yi and Pakistan's Ishaq Dar jointly "expressed concern over the deterioration of the current situation»»»

Iran's health ministry said Friday that at least 38 people had been killed and more than 400 injured in the country since fighting resumed with the United States. "The number of injured from US attacks has exceeded 400, and 38 compatriots have been martyred" since June 22, ministry spokesman Hossei»»»

WASHINGTON - Serbia has officially acceded to the Artemis space programme. Serbian FM Marko Djuric signed the Artemis Accords at the NASA headquarters in Washington on Thursday. The signing ceremony was also attended by NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, US Assistant Secretary of State for Oc»»»

The Constitutional Court has opened a case to review the constitutionality of the method used to allocate quotas in the Central Election Commission (CEC), the court's press office said on Friday. The request was submitted by 49 members of the present National Assembly. The rapporteur in the case is»»»

Iran's energy ministry called on citizens to reduce electricity use on Friday after the power grid came under strain following U.S. strikes on energy infrastructure in the south. The ministry in a statement urged people to switch off air conditioners in peak hours "to help ensure a stable electrici»»»

Israel's parliament dissolved early Friday after passing a marathon of bills in the last moments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. The Knesset, which was scheduled to break for its summer recess on Friday, will not reconvene before the elections scheduled on Oct. 27. The e»»»

Kuwait reported Friday an Iranian attack on a power and water plant on Friday, while Bahrain and Qatar also said they had intercepted missiles after the U.S. attacked power infrastructure in Iran. Kuwait said that a power and water plant had been damaged by an Iranian attack, as the war in the Midd»»»

Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will attend the World Cup final to see his country take on reigning champions Argentina, his government said Friday. Sanchez, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump -- who also plans to attend Sunday's final in New Jersey -- will then travel to Alge»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia rejects the accusations of interference in the electoral processes in the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. During his address to the nation on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are allegedly thre»»»

BusinessIranIran's threat extends beyond the Strait of Hormuz Timothy RooksOil and gas producers in the Gulf are seeking alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz as traffic again comes under fire. But is Iran also turning its attention to the pipelines meant to bypass the waterway? https://p.dw.com/p/5»»»

KYIV: A Russian strike on the Black Sea port city of Odesa hit a residential building and killed two people, the deputy mayor of the Ukrainian city said Friday. The official, Oleksandr Filatov, confirmed the fatalities and the missile strike at the scene. Other officials said eight people, includin»»»

Fulga Dinu, country manager at CPI Romania, talked to BR about the company’s EUR 100 million financing for Sun Plaza, ongoing asset transformation, and investment priorities for 2026. She mentions resilience in prime retail and office markets, evolving consumer behaviour, and the growing importance»»»

Gijs Klomp, head of business development at WDP Romania, talked to BR regarding the strong demand for logistics in its portfolio, the impact of new infrastructure nodes, and competitive regional rental dynamics through the remainder of 2026. Which sectors do you project will lead demand for WDP Rom»»»

Dubai: A two-year-old Filipino girl who was abandoned as an infant has returned safely to the Philippines after spending most of her early childhood under the care of a Dubai shelter. The child has arrived on July 9 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Manila on a commerci»»»

Abu Dhabi authorities have shared nine safety guidelines for electric bicycle and scooter riders, urging users to follow responsible riding practices and comply with safety rules to protect themselves and other road users. The guidelines highlight the importance of wearing protective equipment, usi»»»

Kuwait City, Kuwait: Kuwait said Friday that a power and water plant had been damaged by an Iranian attack, as the war in the Middle East escalated. "One of the power and water distillation plants was the target of an attack as part of the Iranian aggression... resulting in a fire, damage, and the »»»

BUDAPEST - Serbian football club Vojvodina Novi Sad have been knocked out of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers after losing 3-0 away to Hungary's Ferencvaros on Thursday evening in the second leg of the two teams' qualifying tie. Ferencvaros won the first leg 2-1. In the ninth minute of the second »»»

LONDON: Armed assailants are believed to have ​boarded the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of ‌Aden on ‌Friday ​and ‌are ⁠in ​control of ⁠the vessel, maritime security sources said. The small tanker, which had no confirmed ⁠flag, had ‌listed the ‌Somali port ​of ‌B»»»

Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said an attack on Friday damaged one of the country’s power generation and water distillation plants. The ministry said the strike caused a fire and affected several electricity generation units, prompting the activation of emergency meas»»»

POLITICS In an op-ed entitled "What is Bulgaria's place, Mr Radev?" and published by Capital, Alexander Detev comments on Prime Minister Rumen Radev's statement that Bulgaria will not join the Coalition of the Willing supporting Ukraine. Radev argued that lasting peace should be achieved through di»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump on Thursday revived sweeping and unsupported claims of voter fraud and Chinese meddling -- firing a clear warning shot ahead of midterm elections that many expect him to dispute. In a primetime White House address, Trump portrayed the US electora»»»

Tokyo: Japan's parliament tweaked the imperial succession law on Friday but maintained the bar on women emperors -- despite surveys suggesting wide public support for the idea. The future of the imperial household -- mythically descended from the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu -- depends currently on»»»

US President Donald Trump declassified intelligence he said showed Chinese interference in US elections, reviving claims about election security despite intelligence findings that Beijing did not alter the 2020 vote he lost. The move reinforces Trump's push to make election integrity a central issu»»»

US President Donald Trump on Thursday revived sweeping and unsupported claims of voter fraud and Chinese meddling, firing a clear warning shot ahead of midterm elections that many expect him to dispute. What should be remembered from this speech? FRANCE 24's Andrew Hilliar looks at what was said, b»»»

Kuwait said on Friday that an Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant had caused widespread damage to the station. The news came after Iran launched multiple air strikes on its Gulf neighbours in response to US air strikes overnight. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. (FRANC»»»

RIYADH: While most people know Prince Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud as the first Arab and Muslim astronaut to travel into space, the years that followed were devoted to a different mission: reviving Saudi Arabia’s heritage and documenting the people whose lives helped shape the Kingdom’s history throug»»»

The Hungarian state spent more than HUF 387 million on President Tamás Sulyok’s official foreign trips between March 2024, when he took office, and the end of 2025, according to figures released following a public information request. The data, obtained by HVG from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev addressed questions from MPs during Friday’s parliamentary control session, with the issue of a ceremonial revolver he received as a gift in Turkey being the only inquiry directed at him. The session began at 9:00 a.m., with Radev, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pulev an»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev warned that the continued escalation of the war in Ukraine could lead to an even more dangerous phase of the conflict, including a possible tactical nuclear strike. Speaking to journalists after parliamentary oversight, he said that he does not see a clear winne»»»

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova and 40-year-old Asen Simeonov entered its 18th day, with police and volunteers continuing around-the-clock efforts to locate the pair after they disappeared from the Varna village of Konstantinovo. Despite dozens of reported sightings, authorities have yet»»»