Doha: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) and Qatar Tourism represented by Visit Qatar, has officially launched the second edition of the “Purple Saturday 2026” initiative. The campaign aims to further promote the »»»

MANILA: Top diplomats from Asia, Europe and North America gathered on Thursday for the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, where ministers were expected to issue calls for a peaceful settlement after renewed and intensifying hostilities in the Middle East. The war in Iran and the block»»»

More than 26 million people in Central Asia are affected by drought. Land degradation, drought, and water shortages are increasingly transforming the region’s landscapes and the lives of its population, the UN News Service reports. According to the report, at least 20 percent of land in Central Asi»»»

Dubai: Emirates NBD expanded its loan book by Dh114 billion during the first half of 2026, taking gross lending to Dh771 billion after strong growth across its core markets and the consolidation of RBL Bank. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Dubai-based lender report»»»

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced the setting up of fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks, declaring that anyone who harms the future of India's youth "will not be spared." The announcement marked his first d»»»

2026 marks the 110th anniversary of the Urkun tragedy. To mark this anniversary, a memorial hike will be held from July 25 to 31 from the village of Tosor in Issyk-Kul region to Sook pass. The organizers are Esimde research site and the local organization Tosor Koomu. This is the sixth joint memori»»»

Dubai: Emirates Islamic increased customer financing by 9.1% during the first six months of 2026 to Dh97 billion, while deposits grew 8.3% to Dh110.6 billion. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Islamic lender reported an operating profit of Dh2.2 billion for the perio»»»

The National Assembly will elect a member of the new Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday, according to the sitting's agenda available on Parliament's website. There is a single candidate for the position, Plamen Todorov, nominated for membership by the ruling Progressive Bulgaria. Todorov curren»»»

Around 150 students from Kyrgyzstan who traveled to Germany under the summer employment program Ferienjob say they may be left without work and accommodation. The company Samara Academy, which organized the trip, has partially denied the claims. The situation was reported by blogger Melisa Zhokieva»»»

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington earlier this month was an effort to move the US-Iraq relationship “from managing crises to creating opportunities”. That phrase appeared in an article he wrote for The Washington Post on the day of his arrival, before meeting US President Dona»»»

European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva will visit Bulgaria on Thursday, the press office of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria said. She is scheduled to hold meetings with Prime Minister Rumen Radev and President Iliana Iotova. Her programme »»»

Dubai: First Abu Dhabi Bank’s loan book grew 7% during the first six months of 2026 to Dh661 billion, while customer deposits reached Dh853 billion. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Profit before tax rose 16% compared with the previous quarter and 6% year on year to Dh7»»»

Tokyo recorded on Wednesday the most daily heat-related hospitalisations since 2010, emergency services said as Japan sweltered in a severe heatwave, with one person dead and four in a critical condition. The Tokyo Fire Department said 453 people were taken to hospital on Wednesday, the highest dai»»»

Hungary’s public broadcaster says its interim leadership has saved almost HUF 7 billion (around EUR 17 million) during its first two weeks in charge, while launching a comprehensive financial and organisational review and preparing a major overhaul of programming. In a statement released on Wednesd»»»

The Hydrometeorological Service under Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (Kyrgyzhydromet) plans to improve the accuracy and quality of its weather forecasts, the agency’s head, Daurbek Sakyev, said. According to him, the volume of hydrometeorological data has increased significantly. Whi»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the US has signed an agreement for cooperation on the peaceful uses of energy, the Kingdom’s energy ministry said. The agreement builds on the historic strategic partnership between the two friendly countries and follows the announcement made during the visit of Crown Princ»»»

Dubai: Travellers flying from the UAE on Thursday should expect some disruption as airlines continue to adjust operations amid the escalating conflict in the Gulf. While UAE airports remain operational and the majority of flights are operating as scheduled, some services to Bahrain and Kuwait have »»»

Washington and Riyadh have reached a nuclear cooperation deal, which provides US companies with greater access to the Saudi nuclear energy program, the US Department of Energy said. "U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Abdulaziz bin Sal»»»

Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, said on Thursday that it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea for violating the naval blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia. On Monday, a Houthi military spokesman announced that the movement had imposed a naval blockade against Saudi»»»

A video of protesters performing the Viking row celebration during a demonstration in Mumbai has gone viral on social media, with several users tagging footballer Erling Haaland and urging him to watch the clip. The video, shared by user yehabizerhaina, shows protesters performing the celebration a»»»

Chief Prosecutor Gábor Bálint Nagy submitted his resignation on Wednesday; the announcement was published on the prosecution service's website. In a statement also sent to MTI, Gábor Bálint Nagy wrote that safeguarding the independence and authority of the justice system, including the prosecution »»»

According to Tamás Sulyok, the rule of law ceased to exist when he was removed from office, and he was unconstitutionally stripped of the presidency. The former head of state — who previously served as a member and president of the Constitutional Court — said in an interview published on Wednesday »»»

Three foreign nationals have been detained in Bishkek for public order violations, including urinating and smoking in a public place. They will be deported from Kyrgyzstan after legal procedures are completed. According to the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Bishkek, officers from the Servic»»»

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is holding a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Philippine capital of Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial events, a Sputnik correspondent reported. On Wednesday, Lavrov announced that a meeting with Rubio had been agreed upon an»»»

Tropical Storm Bertha was moving a little south of west over southeastern Louisiana as of Wednesday night. Image courtesy of NOAA. July 23 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Bertha was nearing southern coast of Louisiana late Wednesday, hours after it made landfall over the state, according to forecasters. Th»»»

Dubai: Motorists are facing a slow morning commute across Dubai and Sharjah, with multiple incidents and heavy congestion affecting several major routes, according to real-time Google Maps traffic data. Traffic is moving slowly on Al Ittihad Street near Al Mamzar, while congestion has built up on S»»»

The war between the US and Iran has entered a more dangerous phase, with fighting spreading across the Gulf, Red Sea and key shipping lanes that are critical to the Gulf and regional security, and the global economy. While the UAE has not been directly targeted, residents are closely watching devel»»»

ROME: Wildfires swept across parts of Italy, France and Spain on Wednesday, killing three firefighters and forcing thousands to flee as scorching temperatures and strong winds fueled the blazes. The fires come as southern Europe endures another spell of severe heat, with temperatures topping 40°C i»»»

The intersection of Leo Tolstoy Street and Molodaya Gvardiya Boulevard in Bishkek was completely closed to traffic on Wednesday. The closure is due to the start of the second phase of construction of a new interchange and bridge, the City Hall reported. Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram Публика»»»

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced the setting up of fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks, declaring that anyone who harms the future of India's youth "will not be spared." In a post on X, the Indian PM said »»»

US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the US would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Tehran attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat came as Washington and Iran exchanged fresh strikes, regional missile alerts sounded and diplomatic efforts remained stall»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a decree dismissing Azamat Zhamangulov from the post of Minister of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies. According to the decree, Zhamangulov was relieved of his duties at his own request following the submission of his resignation letter. Ea»»»

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed a massive defense spending bill on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- House Republicans narrowly passed a massive $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill Wednesday, despite strong Democratic opposition to th»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has highlighted afforestation as a key natural solution to rising summer temperatures, saying trees help cool urban areas, improve air quality and enhance quality of life, SPA reported. The ministry’s remarks came as the Executiv»»»

SINGAPORE: Two Chinese very large crude carriers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil are heading toward the Bab El-Mandeb strait to exit the Red Sea on Thursday, shipping data showed, even as a Saudi vessel came under attack in the region. The ships’ attempt to transit the st»»»

SEOUL: South Korean investigators raided the election commission on Thursday over indications officials falsified voter turnout figures in June local elections, a spokesman told AFP. Dozens of polling stations experienced unprecedented ballot paper shortages on the June 3 nationwide vote, the first»»»

On the night of July 22, Wildberries logistics centers in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Krai) were attacked by drones in Russia. According to preliminary information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, received from company management, as well as representatives of the Kyrgy»»»

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Meder Abakirov received copies of credentials from the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kyrgyz Republic, Abylkair Skakov. The parties also discussed current issues of Kyrgyzstan — Kazak»»»

A video of protesters performing the Viking row celebration during a demonstration in Mumbai has gone viral on social media, with several users tagging footballer Erling Haaland and urging him to watch the clip. The video, shared by user yehabizerhaina, shows protesters performing the celebration a»»»

NEW DELHI: Youth protesters demanding the education minister’s resignation clashed briefly with police on the streets of New Delhi late on Wednesday, with officers firing tear gas and wielding canes to push them back, police and witnesses said. More than 10,000 people were estimated to have gathere»»»

An earthquake measuring magnitude 3 occurred near Naryn. The Institute of Seismology of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan reported. The tremors were recorded on Wednesday at 8:53 p.m. The earthquake’s epicenter was located within the Kyrgyz Republic: 7 kilometers north of the village o»»»

The Kyrgyzstan’s national football team is ranked 106th in the updated FIFA ranking. The ranking was released on July 20, after the 2026 World Cup. The Kyrgyz national team did not participate in the World Cup and remained in 106th place, the same position it held a month earlier.»»»

Europe could enter the coming winter with its lowest natural gas reserves in more than a decade, raising concerns over supply security and further price increases. Gas storage facilities across the continent are only around 54% full, well below seasonal norms, while Germany’s storage sites remain b»»»

Poland’s retail sector delivered a stronger-than-expected performance in June, reinforcing signs that domestic consumption remains a key driver of economic growth. According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), retail sales rose 6.2% year-on-year in constant prices, comfortably exceeding econom»»»

The Polish government has unveiled one of Europe’s most ambitious rail investment programmes, with plans to build 4,700 km of new railway lines, modernise a further 5,600 km and create an integrated high-speed rail network worth around PLN 610 billion. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the project ai»»»

Namchi (Sikkim): The death toll in the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel incident in Sikkim's Namchi district rose to 22 after nine more bodies were recovered during overnight rescue operations, officials said on Thursday. Search and rescue operations continued through the night as res»»»

BANGKOK: Five Thai soldiers were killed in an attack at a checkpoint in the country’s insurgency-hit south, the army said, one of the deadliest such incidents in years. Six civilians were also wounded in the Wednesday evening attack in Narathiwat province, one of three Muslim-majority provinces gri»»»

The countries of Central Asia will receive World Bank support to address one of the region’s most pressing challenges—water resources management. The funds will be used to modernize water management systems, develop digital metering systems, and prepare new transboundary projects. The project will »»»

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s army said early Thursday it was intercepting hostile drones, following several days of Iranian strikes on the country. “Kuwaiti air defenses are currently responding to hostile drone threats,” the army said in an overnight message on X. “Any explosions that may be heard are th»»»

India’s passport ranking has fluctuated over the past two decades, reflecting changing global mobility trends, visa policies and diplomatic ties. In the latest Henley Passport Index 2026, India ranks 81st globally, with passport holders having access to 55 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations.»»»