Dubai: Malayalam superstar Mammootty has joined the growing list of South Indian film actors voicing support for the students protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET paper leak. Taking to social media on Thursday, Mammootty wrote, "The youth are the true treasure of our nation. Li»»»

JERUSALEM: Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday, warning residents to shelter from detected fire hours after the US military said it had wrapped up its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The Gulf states have come under frequent fire over the past week as the US and Iran exchange escalating st»»»

The European Union’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia includes three companies from Kyrgyzstan. The sanctions package also prohibits transactions with one Kyrgyz commercial bank, TASS reported. According to it, the EU added 15 companies from China and 11 companies from five other countries »»»

Dubai: Dubai’s taxi and limousine market began to recover in June after a difficult second quarter, with the year-on-year decline in trips narrowing to 11.2% from 36.7% in April. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The improvement came after weaker airport and tourism-rela»»»

SINGAPORE: Two Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil exited the Red Sea via the Bab El-Mandeb strait on Thursday, shipping data showed, apparently escaping a blockade on shipments of Saudi oil by Yemen’s Houthi militias even as other Saudi vessels came unde»»»

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated further on Friday night into Friday as American forces conducted a 13th consecutive night of airstrikes on Iranian military targets, while Britain declared its armed forces ready to defend the homeland after Iranian threats linked to the use of »»»

Across a border stretching for more than 2,300km, in the muted contest for influence in the African Sahel, Algeria and Mali have brought their longest diplomatic rupture in recent memory to an end by restoring relations and fully reopening their airspace. It reflects a clear-eyed pragmatism and a r»»»

US Vice President JD Vance’s recent interview on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast revealed the unease with which Americans increasingly see Israel, alongside a deepening rift within the US administration over policies that, for decades, have been considered ‘beyond debate’. The mammoth interview, at nea»»»

MANILA, Philippines: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas. Rubio, who held talks with his Rus»»»

Kyrgyzstan leads the EAEU in foreign exchange market growth. In 2025, the volume of foreign exchange trading on the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange increased by 84 percent. The Eurasian Economic Commission reports that the volume of foreign exchange trading on Kyrgyzstan’s exchange grew from $2.5 billion to »»»

Dubai: For an industry that never misses an opportunity to promote a film, celebrate a birthday or plug a brand collaboration, Bollywood's silence over the past several weeks was impossible to ignore. Then, almost in uncanny unison, the statements began to appear. It started Wednesday night (July 2»»»

A new wave of US tariffs targeting 60 trading partners took effect Friday, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by President Donald Trump earlier this year. The levies range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent and impact major economies like China, India and the European Union. "The United Stat»»»

A top Philippine business group said Friday it was "very concerned" by a fresh round of US tariffs the Trump administration has said are tied to forced labour concerns. The imposition of a 12.5 percent tariff is the latest in a series of whiplash US levies on the archipelago nation of 116 million, »»»

Parliament is set to hold the second-reading vote on the draft 2026 State Budget, according to the National Assembly's agenda for Friday. Debate on the budget bill continued for more than 12 hours on Thursday. The 2026 State Budget bill provides for a deficit of 5.7%. The Budget and Finance Committ»»»

The International Mathematical Union awarded the prestigious Fields Medal to four mathematicians on Thursday, including only the third woman to receive the honour, as researchers weighed the growing impact of artificial intelligence on a field increasingly being reshaped by the technology. The worl»»»

Iran and the United States threatened to intensify attacks on Thursday after Yemen's Houthi rebels struck Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, driving Brent crude above $100 a barrel and fuelling fears of a widening regional conflict and renewed pressure on the global economy. Iran and the United Stat»»»

Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Anish Gawande, National Spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). According to Mr. Gawande, India's student protests represent a generational rupture in Indian politics: the emergence of a politically fearless youth challenging a decade-long "archit»»»

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England on Thursday, his third major cost-of-living measure in three days as the new Labour leader seeks to revive the economy and support struggling high streets. Britain's new prime »»»

The United States is imposing new Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies over what it calls failures to ban and enforce restrictions on imports of goods produced with forced labor, the US Trade Representative said. The new duties will generally range from 10% to 12.5%, depending on whether the targete»»»

Seizing another nation’s assets to pay for “unrelated future claims” sets an incendiary precedent, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned after Trump vowed to use frozen Iranian money for future shipping damages. “Once governments normalize confiscation, no one’s assets are safe. Ensuing ch»»»

The European Commission has fined Google €890mn for breaching the Digital Markets Act, finding that the company favoured its own services in search results and blocked developers from steering users to cheaper offers. The commission issued two separate penalties on July 23, of  €460mn and €430»»»

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš led a high-level business delegation to Serbia on July 23, seeking to deepen trade and investment ties as Czech companies pursue opportunities in infrastructure, defence, transport, healthcare and advanced technologies, Serbian news agency Tanjug reported»»»

Turkish Airlines is facing questions after one of its passenger flights from Tallinn to Istanbul reportedly entered Russian airspace, taking a non-standard route for the service, Estonia’s Eesti Ekspress and public broadcaster ERR.ee reported on July 22. According to Eesti Ekspr»»»

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel confirmed on July 22 that in the face of the Erdogan administration “political coup” that has thrown the 103-year-old Republican People’s Party (CHP) into crisis, he will resign his post and create a new party. In parliament, speaking to 80 CHP lawmakers, Ozel s»»»

In a sharply worded statement on Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denounced what he described as an American effort to seize Iranian assets to cover "unrelated future claims", warning that the move risks unraveling long-standing international norms on sovereign property and coul»»»

The stochastic war continues to escalate into a brutal tit-for-tat missile war with both sides continuously rolling out new and improved weapons that could eventually lead to a direct clash between Nato and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has given up on expecting any real material »»»

Energy Minister of Kyrgyzstan Altynbek Rysbekov met with his Kazakh counterpart, Erlan Akkenzhenov, in Astana. According to the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, the parties discussed current issues of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, focusing on interaction in the electric power industr»»»

EU ambassadors have reached an agreement on a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, BBC reports, citing four EU diplomats. Two of the sources said the package includes a 12-month extension of the price cap on Russian oil, as well as an automatic waiver for the same period allowing the transship»»»

July 23 (UPI) -- The man shot and killed by police in Madison was 38-year-old Corey Ruiz, city officials said Thursday as they call for calm amid growing public anger and calls for accountability. Ruiz was fatally shot at close range by a police officer during an altercation Wednesday afternoon in »»»

A large-scale modernization of the transport infrastructure at Manas International Airport continues, Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC reported. According to the company, as part of the reconstruction, a part of the new access road, providing access to the airport terminal building, has been commissione»»»

Any damage to ships, cargo or related assets will be paid for with “Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,” US President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social. The US is moving from stealing Iranian assets to openly spending the loot.In May, Iran had called on the»»»

The death toll from a landslide in southwestern China rose to 11, with rescuers still searching for 50 missing people in the rubble, where there are "no signs of life", according to authorities. The landslide, which occurred last Friday in Chongqing's Pengshui County, swept away several residential»»»

MANILA, Philippines: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas. Rubio, who held talks with his Rus»»»

The government will significantly reduce the number of supervisory board and board of directors members appointed at state-owned companies to the statutory minimum, and will also cut their remuneration — the Prime Minister announced at the government spokesperson's briefing on Thursday. The Prime M»»»

The government is establishing a 3 billion forint fund for the decontamination of road sections polluted with asbestos, government spokesperson Anita Köböl announced at Thursday's government spokesperson briefing in Budapest. According to Anita Köböl’s account, municipalities eligible to receive fu»»»

Dubai: If you're based in the UAE and are looking for a quick escape that's packed with mountains, monasteries, adventure and fresh air, Armenia deserves a spot on your travel list. I recently spent five days there on a press trip, and here's the practical guide based on my memorable summer getaway»»»

SINGAPORE: The number of ‌tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz fell to just one on Thursday, the lowest level since May 7, according ​to shiptracking data, amid ongoing shipping risks in the Middle East and as oil prices surged back to $100 a barrel.Only one tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on »»»

RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition and the United Nations have concluded a five-day program in Riyadh to train legal professionals from Palestine and Chad in combating the financing of terrorism, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Legal Training Program on Countering Terrori»»»

The UAE is set for another intensely hot day on Friday, with temperatures expected to reach 49°C in inland areas, while coastal and island regions will see highs ranging from 39°C to 45°C, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). Mountain areas are forecast to record temperatures betw»»»

ALFONSO, Philippines: The House of the Virgin Mary is a shrine located in Ephesus, Turkey, where the mother of Jesus is believed to have spent her final years. Thousands of miles away, nestled in a field outside Manila, a replica in the Philippines welcomes devotees in Asia’s biggest Catholic natio»»»

Dubai: A drug trafficker who turned Dubai International Airport's transit area into a command centre for international drug deals has been arrested after a thorough 45-day surveillance operation by Dubai Police, a senior anti-narcotics official revealed. The suspect believed he had found a loophole»»»

Biolite Clinic in Jumeirah, Dubai, has become the first clinic in the Middle East to offer XERF, Cynosure Lutronic’s dual-frequency monopolar radiofrequency system. XERF was launched in Korea in 2024 and received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2025. Since then, it has b»»»

NEW DELHI: Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike on Friday that helped galvanise a youth movement that's become one of India’s largest protests in recent years, but demonstrators vowed to continue until the education minister resigns. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download »»»

July 23 (UPI) -- A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the northeastern Texas Panhandle on Thursday morning, seemingly causing no damage. The temblor struck at 5:21 a.m. CDT nearly 24 miles south-southeast of Spearman, a city of about 2,800 people, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement. It str»»»

Sen. Lisa Murkowski was absent because of a family emergency. A Senate committee postponed a vote to forward the nomination of Erica Schwartz for CDC director to consideration by the full body because there were not enough Republicans present to support the move. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License »»»

MADRID: Spain late Thursday declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and in the province of Avila, near the capital, in the wake of several wildfires burning out of control. The measure, announced by the interior ministry, aims to speed up the deployment of resources to fight the fires, w»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US would begin using frozen Iranian assets to pay for ships and cargo damaged by strikes in and around the Gulf. “Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Shi»»»

VANCOUVER, British Columbia: Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that Canada is intensifying negotiations with the United States to reach a comprehensive trade deal but is prepared to respond should President Donald Trump’s threat of 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods go into effect. The new»»»

SYDNEY/BRASILIA/MEXICO CITY: Australia said Friday that new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump “make no sense,” while Brazil denounced them as “arbitrary and unjustified” and threatened retaliation and legal action. Mexico, meanwhile, said the measures would have little practical effect on i»»»

Vahid Baniamerian's family only found out he was going to be executed when Iranian state media reports flashed on their phones, saying the supreme court would review his death sentence. "They did not give any warning. Even the lawyer didn't know," a close relative of Baniamerian, based outside of I»»»