Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued a stark warning to Washington on Thursday, declaring any US military move in the Strait of Hormuz a “red line” and threatening sweeping, intensified strikes across the region if American threats are carried out. Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghar»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatari institutions are continuing to strengthen their presence across international markets through strategic investments that support innovation, economic diversification, and long-term sustainable growth. With a focus on sectors that are shaping the future of the global economy, Qat»»»

Romania's social security spending in 2024 increased by 23.2% year-on-year, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) reported on Wednesday.Social security (including the administrative costs of social security plans) amounted to RON 325.723 billion, an increase of 23.2% from the previous year. Th»»»

Narrowing the structural deficit is not a theoretical option but an immediate necessity to keep up the favourable perception of investors, the stability of the exchange rate, as well as to decrease the financing costs of the entire economy, Leonardo Badea, first deputy governor of the National Bank»»»

Romania's current account deficit stood at 11.425 billion euros in the first five months of 2026, compared with 12.075 billion euros in the January-May period of 2025, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) informed on Wednesday.Within the current account, the goods balance recorded a deficit that was »»»

Romania could not avoid increasing taxes and duties due to the high budget deficit, says the president of the Fiscal Council, Daniel Daianu, who believes, however, that next year, there will be no need for new taxes and the economy could grow by over 2%.Daianu, who participated on Wednesday in the »»»

President of the Save Romania Union (USR) Dominic Fritz announced that he met with US Ambassador to Romania Darryl Nirenberg, whom he discussed with the current political situation and the rule of law."Darryl Nirenberg, the US ambassador to Romania, is not a career diplomat. He worked for the US Co»»»

Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Wednesday that adopting the NRRP laws is "vital" for Romania, stressing that the bills entering parliamentary debate reflect negotiations with the European Commission and must be declared compliant by Brussels for the milestone to be considered met.He unde»»»

Snap elections could be a solution if they resulted in a new government, but opinion polls indicate the same "three camps," PSD Senator Radu Oprea stated on Wednesday."From my point of view?and this is a personal opinion?snap elections could have a positive aspect; when there is social tension, the»»»

President Nicusor Dan stated, on Wednesday, in Kyiv, that the current political crisis needs to end as soon as possible, and that Romania needs to have a Government with full powers."I don't want to make predictions, I think Romanians are waiting. (...) Last night, coming here, I had discussions wi»»»

President Nicusor Dan stated on Wednesday in Kyiv that, following the drone incident in Constanta, there is "direct contact" between the Romanian and Ukrainian authorities on this issue."Following that event, some things happened. First of all, there is a direct contact that was not at that time fo»»»

President Nicusor Dan declared on Wednesday, regarding the declassification of the aid granted to Ukraine, that considering that it has a military component, it is good to remain "secret".He specified that the aid that Romania or other countries gave to Ukraine sometimes consisted of money, sometim»»»

President Nicusor Dan had, on Wednesday, a bilateral meeting with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic on the margin of the Ukraine-Southeastern Europe Summit which took place in Kiev."I had a good discussion today with President Vucic. (...) We agreed to strengthen the ties between our countr»»»

President Nicusor Dan said on Wednesday in Kyiv that Romania reaffirms its support for the international recognition of Ukraine's de facto borders and territorial integrity.President Nicusor Dan is attending the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit."Today, the Ukrainian people are defending their histor»»»

President Nicusor Dan had on Wednesday in Kiev a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among the discussions topics being early warning for drone incidents. "I met today in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit, during»»»

A day after Prime Minister Rumen Radev declared that Bulgaria was not part of the "Coalition of the Willing," Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova signed the Kyiv Declaration, which recognizes the coalition's role in supporting Ukraine and expresses Bulgaria's readiness to strengthen its participatio»»»

Hungary’s opposition Fidesz parliamentary group has called on Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Minister for Economy and Energy István Kapitány to take immediate action to protect consumers from rising fuel prices, while also demanding greater transparency over the country’s strategic fuel reserves. »»»

Doha, Qatar: Whenever the wife of Spain right-back Pedro Porro asks their nearly one-year-old son how his father celebrates his goals, little ‘Pedrito’ plops down on the floor and raises his very small fist. Unfortunately, a small fever prevented Pedrito from being at Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 »»»

Doha, Qatar: Spain arrived in North America carrying the weight of expectation. As the reigning UEFA European champions and blessed with one of the most gifted generations in world football, La Roja were widely tipped to go all the way. Yet the road to Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final has featured its»»»

Washington: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran. "US forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten innocent marin»»»

DUBAI: Make your travel plans with music in mind with our roundup of the hottest festivals around the world. Lollapalooza WHERE: Chicago, US WHEN: July 30 – Aug. 2 WHAT: What began as an ‘alternative’ cultural event in 1991 has gradually become a mainstream — though still cool — behemoth and one of»»»

SHUSHA: Azerbaijan and Armenia ​are at “real peace” and rebuilding trade links after decades of conflict, a senior Azerbaijani official told Reuters, but Baku is insisting on changes to Armenia’s constitution before a final deal can be signed. The South Caucasus neighbors had been at intermittent w»»»

LONDON: As Andy Burnham prepares to become the UK’s next prime minister he faces calls to tackle Labour’s alleged “boys’ club” by ensuring women get half of the top jobs in his first cabinet. The Labour Party — despite having more equality mechanisms in place than the main opposition Conservatives »»»

CIREBON: Lured by promises of good money working aboard a foreign fishing vessel, Akhmad left Indonesia and headed out to sea, enduring months of abuse and exploitation while being cut off from the world. Indonesia is one of the top contributors of labor for the global fishing industry with several»»»

Parliament on Thursday is set to debate six bills proposing amendments to the Election Code. Two of the bills were tabled by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), while Progressive Bulgaria, Democratic Bulgaria, Continue the Change and Vazrazhdane have each submitted one. Progressive Bulgaria»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sri Lankan Prime Minister H E Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has paid tribute to the late Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, describing him as “a visionary leader” and “a good friend to Sri Lanka” whose leadership laid the foundation for the strong and enduring partnership betw»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices moved lower on Thursday morning, reversing the increase recorded a day earlier and offering shoppers a modest reduction in rates. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The 24-karat variety stood at Dh486.25 per gram at 9.25 am, down Dh3.50 from Dh489»»»

According to Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the former ruling party Fidesz is falling apart in a "scandalous manner." In a Facebook video published on Wednesday evening, responding once again to Péter Szijjártó's resignation from his mandate and his new position, he said that it raises not only moral»»»

The police guard around the Petrohan lodge and the area below Okolchitsa peak is expected to be lifted, the prosecutor’s office announced. The security measures had been introduced to preserve the scene of the incident and support the work of investigators during the ongoing pre-trial proceedings i»»»

Dubai: Dubai: A holiday celebration in Dubai ended in heartbreak when an 18-year-old tourist from Mauritius drowned in a jet ski accident on the very day she turned 18 — leaving her family devastated that her date of birth and date of death would forever be the same. Her teenage relative narrowly s»»»

KAMPALA: Uganda is ‌due to discharge its last Ebola patient on Thursday, triggering a 42-day countdown that could see the country declared free of the virus, a spokesperson for the government said. The wider outbreak, which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency in t»»»

The railway is the most sustainable mode of transport of the modern age, Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy emphasized on Wednesday at a wreath-laying ceremony held at Nyugati railway station to mark the 180th anniversary of Hungarian rail. At the jubilee ceremony, Dávid Vitézy said tha»»»

The rule of law is not a matter of political assessment but an objective question of fact — much like mathematics — and signifies the rule of laws, the president stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Citing a speech he delivered at the celebration organised by the National Judicial Council on the»»»

1 of 2 | An Iranian woman on Wednesday walks next to a huge anti-U.S. billboard featuring U.S. President Donald Trump in a coffin, accompanied by a sentence in Persian that reads, "We kill Trump." It is displayed at the Enghelab Square in Tehran, Iran. Photo by Abedin Taherkennareh/EPA July 15 (UPI»»»

Kuwait: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense reported that four cruise missiles and 21 hostile one-way attack drones had been detected and intercepted since dawn on Wednesday. In press remarks, Col. Staff Saud Al Atwan, the ministry's official spokesperson, said the Iranian aggression against critical f»»»

KYIV: In a military cemetery in Kyiv, a brother and sister walk between the crosses, carrying a bunch of carnations. Each cross in that section bears the same words: “unknown defender of Ukraine,” with an ID number below and a note that identification is ongoing. One grave stands out: beneath the i»»»

US Central Command said it ended an evening wave of strikes against Iran at 9 p.m. ET on July 15, hitting multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas. CENTCOM claimed US forces targeted Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities.Th»»»

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its Navy and Aerospace Force carried out the eighth wave of Operation Nasr 2 in response to overnight attacks on Iran’s southern coast and cities, Tasnim reported. The IRGC said the combined missile and drone operation struck and destroyed the C-RAM early-»»»

Dubai: Dubai passengers booked with British Airways have been given an additional week to cancel or change their travel plans, after the airline extended its Middle East flexibility policy until October 31, 2026. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline’s previous u»»»

Dubai: Egypt's Grand Mufti has ruled that permanently sharing a home Wi-Fi password or internet connection with neighbours in return for a monthly fee is religiously forbidden if done without the written approval of the internet service provider. The ruling, issued by Egypt's Dar Al Ifta after a pu»»»

On 3 September 2025, as China marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, President Xi Jinping stood at the centre of one of the most significant military parades of his tenure. The world’s eyes were on Beijing, as the latest weapons systems were paraded, and as observers»»»

211 hospitalized patients were evacuated after a US attack on the area surrounding Shahid Baghaei Hospital in Ahvaz, a children’s cancer hospital, Press TV reported. Fars News Agency said several projectiles struck near the hospital during the US attacks on Wednesday.Ahvaz University of Medical Sci»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Thursday night on topics he said will include elections and voting machines, suggesting he is likely to revisit some of the unproven claims he has previously made about Republican losses, particularly his own in 2020. Trump’s fixati»»»

SAN FRANCISCO: US Coast Guard crews suspended their search late Wednesday for three people missing a day after a boat capsized in the cold, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay while carrying 20 family members and friends who went out to scatter the ashes of a loved one. “Suspending a search is one o»»»

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has celebrated two decades of operations in Romania, where it has grown into one of the country’s leading airlines. The carrier now operates 83 routes from 14 Romanian airports, connecting passengers to 27 countries, company representatives announced at an event held on We»»»

The United States has carried out another wave of strikes on Iranian military targets, hitting command centres, air defence systems and missile infrastructure in an operation it said was intended to reduce threats to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the»»»

Screens display the results of the vote, 291 in favor and 241 against, on a bill on the right to assisted dying at the National Assembly in Paris, France, on Wednesday. Photo by Teresa Suarez/EPA July 16 (UPI) -- French lawmakers on Wednesday gave final approval to legislation permitting adults suf»»»

Dubai: Motorists in Dubai and Sharjah are facing pockets of heavy traffic on Thursday morning, July 16, with several major routes experiencing slowdowns during the peak commute, according to live traffic data. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.In Du»»»

A send-off ceremony for a Bulgarian Armed Forces unit deploying to the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) will take place in Stara Zagora (Southern Bulgaria) on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said. The contingent comprises 97 military personnel, mainly from the Land Forces' 2nd Tundzha Mechanized Brigade»»»

GENEVA: The United Nations warned Thursday that more than 500 people were feared dead following reports of two large shipwrecks off Myanmar since late June. The UN’s International Organization for Migration and its refugee agency UNHCR voiced alarm in a joint statement at reports “that two boats ca»»»