RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s robotics industry is entering a new phase — one defined less by futuristic concepts than by practical deployment. While robots are often associated with science-fiction humanoids, the Kingdom’s focus is firmly on technologies that deliver measurable value. Drones, autonomous »»»

Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc criticized the Lebanese authorities of pursuing “political theater” and making successive concessions that undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty, arguing that recent government actions are a failed attempt to create the illusion of progress while the country rem»»»

Former CEO of Barklay's Jes Staley testified Thursday for the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. File Photo by Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- Former JP Morgan Chase investment banking boss Jes Staley pushed the bank to keep Jeffrey Epstein as a client »»»

Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and Jordan jointly condemned the Iranian aggression against their territories, reaffirming a unified position based on resolutions adopted by the GCC Ministerial Council, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States, internat»»»

Four women and two men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Observers say it is difficult to pick a favorite, given that the world's major powers are divided on the outc»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar presented a wide-ranging package of government reforms on Thursday, including salary caps at state-owned companies, possible VAT reductions, retrospective wealth investigations and a review of public-spending oversight. The Péter Magyar press conference also ad»»»

MOSCOW/ASTANA: Kazakhstan said on Thursday it had reduced oil production after suspected Ukrainian drone attacks forced its main export terminal on the Black Sea to close, with one source saying its biggest field had slashed output by more than half. Disruption to the route, which handles around 2 »»»

NEW YORK: Four years after being stabbed on an amphitheater stage, Salman Rushdie sat across a courtroom from his convicted attacker Thursday and told jurors for a second time about the ambush that nearly killed him. The prize-winning writer recalled feeling what he thought was a punch under his ch»»»

Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is ​seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping. Four so»»»

Literary readings marking the 84th anniversary of Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov’s death were held on Thursday at his monument behind the National Art Gallery in Sofia. The event was organized by the Union of Bulgarian Writers (UBW), the Union of Bulgarian Journalists (UBJ) and the Bulgarian Anti-»»»

Climate change is the dominant force behind the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and outweighs human intervention such as upstream damming, water policy researcher Anoush Nouri Esfandiari said on July 22. The world's largest enclosed body of water, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan»»»

The first International Forum of Islamic Civilization earlier this month brought over 450 religious leaders, scholars, diplomats, government officials and other participants from more than 50 countries to Uzbekistan. Across events in Tashkent, Samarkand and Termez on July 7-11, participants discuss»»»

Climate change is the dominant force behind the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and outweighs human intervention such as upstream damming, water policy researcher Anoush Nouri Esfandiari said on July 22. The world's largest enclosed body of water, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan»»»

Trust in Mykhailo Fedorov has surged since President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed him as defence minister on July 15 as part of a surprise government reshuffle, with a new Rating Group poll putting him second only to former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny among Ukraine's most trusted public fig»»»

China’s continuously growing leverage over Russia is not in question and reports in recent days have continued to stress the point. For instance, Beijing has apparently flexed a muscle by declining to provide marine propulsion systems needed for Russia's planned expansion of the Northern Sea Route,»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi in the most significant shake-up of Ukraine's military leadership since 2024, Reuters reported on July 21. Zelenskiy announced the decision on the eve»»»

Ukrainian drones struck Wildberries logistics hubs in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk overnight, with the Nevinnomyssk facility left fully ablaze, Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim said on Telegram on July 22, adding that staff had been evacuated and some workers injured. The strikes are the latest in an »»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) and Qatar Tourism, launched the second edition of its annual Purple Saturday initiative, which offers exclusive discounts, promotions, and services for people with disabiliti»»»

SAO PAULO: Brazil ‌could more than triple its planted area for producing palm oil over the next decade by expanding cultivation on already deforested land in the Amazon, said Victor Almeida, president of industry association Abrapalma. Demand for biofuels is expected to boost growth in the sector, »»»

BORDEAUX: French prosecutors have charged a 70-year-old woman with the murder of a British expat who was fatally stabbed in southwestern France in 2025. Karen Carter, who played for the local “Queens of Football” team, was killed in the Dordogne village of Tremolat. The elderly woman was indicted i»»»

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed “stringent punishment” for those involved in exam fraud that has fueled student anger, in his first direct comments tied to major protests challenging his government. “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth»»»

LONDON: Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Gateway to the Red Sea Known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arab»»»

LONDON: Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Gateway to the Red Sea Known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arab»»»

Work is proceeding according to schedule for the Strumyani–Berovo border checkpoint between Bulgaria and North Macedonia to be completed by 2029, Deputy Regional Development and Public Works Minister Desislava Georgieva said on Thursday. She was speaking at a press conference in Blagoevgrad on the »»»

The Hungarian government has filed criminal complaints over four transactions linked to the state-owned Eximbank, requesting investigations into financing worth more than HUF 1,000 billion – approximately EUR 2.74 billion. The Eximbank investigations will examine whether the high-value transactions»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) preserved more than QR7.9 million in consumers' financial rights during the first half of 2026, reflecting its continued efforts to strengthen consumer protection, improve complaint resolution, and enhance market oversight across Qatar. According t»»»

DUBAI: A new 10-week summer season of horse racing begins on Friday at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif. Races will take place every Friday and Saturday, with the season culminating in the National Day Cup on Sept. 26. A purse of SR450,000 ($120,000) will be up for grabs in both the National Day Cup »»»

STOCKHOLM: After championing huge policy shifts in Sweden by propping up a minority center-right government for four years, the far-right Sweden Democrats say they have won the political arguments and now deserve a share of power for themselves. But it is a demand that could prove a step too far fo»»»

RIYADH: The Gulf states and Jordan called on the UN Security Council to issue an urgent resolution to halt Iranian attacks on their territories, reaffirming their right to self-defense. In a joint statement issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretariat on Thursday, Jordan and Gulf states hig»»»

OMV Petrom and the Romanian Rowing Federation have launched a project to build Romania’s first Olympic rowing arena on Lake Pantelimon, near Bucharest. The energy company will provide EUR 1.7 million for the development, according to News.ro. The PETROM Rowing Arena will be Romania’s first rowing f»»»

Damascus, July 23 (SANA) President of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), Hamid al-Zaabi, said Syria’s launch of a national strategy to combat money laundering and terrorism financing reflects a clear political commitment to developing the country’s national fra»»»

Residents of the villages of Skobelevo, Bozadzhii and Chokoba in Sliven Region are collecting signatures against the deployment of US Boeing KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft at Bezmer Air Base in the neighbouring Yambol Region, Skobelevo Mayor Stelli Stefanova told BTA on Thursday. She said the in»»»

"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," the US president told Axios on Thursday. Israel "would join in two minutes if I ask them to," but the US doesn't "need anybody" for the potential new round of aggression, Trump adde»»»

LONDON — Oil prices surged to $100 a barrel on Thursday as Tehran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Red Sea shipping and US President Donald Trump threatened to strike them in return.International benchmark oil contract Brent North Sea soared more than six per cent to hit the symbolic $100 level, as th»»»

PARIS, France — Coal-fired power generation is set to increase in 2026, driven by supply difficulties and soaring natural gas prices linked to the war in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday.The conflict in the Middle East, pitting the United States against Iran, has»»»

Haitian Red Cross volunteer Antoine Macul, left, speaks with Napoleon Delfe, 6, at a First Aid Post in Pesionville in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2010. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake had hit Haiti. On Wednesday, an appeals court paused the deportation of Haitians with Temporary Protected Status at least u»»»

"Russia’s appeal against World Athletics is not just about competition access. It's about preventing political decisions from erasing years of training, sacrifice, and careers," Olympic runner Lyudmila Petrova told Sputnik. "Of course, we must go to court and try to restore justice. It's wrong to p»»»

KYIV: Shipowners have temporarily suspended vessel arrivals at Ukraine’s Black Sea ports for agricultural exports after a recent surge in Russian attacks on ports and merchant shipping, the country’s agriculture minister said. Ukraine has lost about a third of its capacity to export grain via the B»»»

Ajman: The Government of Ajman, represented by the Department of Digital Ajman, has completed the UAE's first government transaction to renew a trade licence using Agentic AI through a proactive, headless government service model. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairma»»»

Wildfires in Spain have forced authorities to evacuate several districts around the city of Toledo, 75 miles from the Spanish capital Madrid. It's one of many wildfires ravaging across western Europe as parts of southern France and Italy are also ablaze. In 2025, more than 393,000 hectares had been»»»

American requests to deploy military aircraft in Bulgaria have fundamentally changed over time and should not be treated as part of the same operation, former Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski said in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio, commenting on the government's decision to allow the d»»»

Bulgaria’s government will continue talks with German defense giant Rheinmetall to resolve problems surrounding a planned joint project with state-owned arms manufacturer VMZ Sopot, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Alexander Pulev said after a meeting with representatives of the company. »»»

RIYADH: A project to connect the water reservoir in Ghran city to Al-Ashyab water filling station in Khulais Governorate has been completed, the National Water Co. has said. The scheme is part of the company’s plans to enhance efficiency in the water distribution system and improve quality of servi»»»

The price of Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday, a sign of global concern over the renewed fighting between Iran and the United States. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- The price of Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday, a sign of global concern over th»»»

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»»»

The European Commission’s latest belated attempt of regulating Big Tech came in the form of a €890m fine for breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on Thursday (23 July), which commentators immediately deemed “the bare minimum.” “It’s taken the commission over two years to get to this stage of t»»»

Attackers drained $35.55mn from three cryptocurrency protocols within 24 hours on July 22 and 23, with decentralised perpetuals exchange AFX Trade losing $24.15mn after its bridge validator keys were compromised, blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain said. Two of the three breaches targeted cross-c»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has named youthful Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces, replacing the old guard Oleksandr Syrskyi in the most significant change at the top of Ukraine’s military since 2024. Zelenskiy announced the decision»»»

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»»»

Since the early post-Soviet days that followed the independence achieved in 1991, Central Asia’s five states have been working toward becoming self-sufficient in meeting their energy needs. However, after 35 years, it is only Turkmenistan, with its massive natural gas and significant oil reserves, »»»