Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have discussed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments during talks in Doha. Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met on Sunday with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sa»»»

Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu has joined the contest to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, the seventh contender to succeed Antonio Guterres when he steps down at the end of this year. Otunnu, a former UN under-secretary-general who served as a special representative for child»»»

BORDEAUX: The mayor of Bordeaux in southwest France said on Sunday authorities had no current plans to evacuate the population of the UNESCO-listed city due to raging forest fires but were “ready for anything.” Firefighters have been battling to hold the blazes back from Bordeaux, which lies at the»»»

Gaza: Five UAE humanitarian aid convoys entered the Gaza Strip, consisting of 76 trucks carrying 938 tonnes of humanitarian assistance as part of ''Operation Chivalrous Knight 3''. The convoys, which entered Gaza during this week, are part of the ongoing efforts of the United Arab Emirates to suppo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met on Sunday, July 26, 2026, with Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Qatar HE Andrii Kuzmenko. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation relations and ways to support and strengthen them, »»»

RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has provided 11,249 free consultations through its Language Consultant platform over two months. It is part of the academy’s efforts to promote Arabic and provide reliable answers to linguistic questions from individuals and insti»»»

Dubai: Filipinos planning overseas holidays this summer have more destinations they can visit with fewer visa requirements. The Philippine passport climbed three places to 72nd in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, up from 75th last year and its best showing since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Filipin»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, received on Sunday, July 26, HE Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, the Pr»»»

RIYADH: Cargo movement between Saudi Arabia and Australia is set to accelerate after Saudia Cargo launched a direct freighter service between Riyadh and Melbourne, enhancing bilateral trade and supply chain connectivity. The scheduled service, which began on July 25, is operated by a Boeing 747-400»»»

JEDDAH: Three young Saudi boxers gave the home crowd plenty to celebrate before the international stars stepped into the ring at Jeddah Dome on Saturday night at “The Comeback.” Sultan Mohammed, Mohammed Alakel and Ziad Al-Maayouf all emerged victorious in the opening bouts, a clean sweep that high»»»

ABU DHABI: Thousands of fans packed Etihad Arena for an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts action featuring thrilling finishes, memorable performances and exciting bouts. Abu Dhabi Showdown Week came to a spectacular close with UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Guskov, where the main event saw fo»»»

RIYADH: Integrated national efforts to prevent drowning have contributed to a 31 percent decline in drowning deaths across the Kingdom since the National Drowning Prevention Policy was adopted in 2021, according to the Public Health Authority. The decline, through the end of 2025, also helped avert»»»

The Syrian interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa dismissed any military intervention in Lebanon, highlighting contacts with the Lebanese government to discuss solutions that will help bring Lebanon to safety. In a televised interview, Al-Sharaa said, “The Lebanese solution may not be military; anarchy »»»

The Tourism Ministry said additional medical teams and ambulances will be deployed along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast from August 1 under its joint initiative with the Health Ministry. This will provide faster access to medical care during the peak of the summer season, when the number of tourists»»»

Damascus, July 26 (SANA) Syrian Finance Minister Mohamed Yisr Barnieh met with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) consultation mission led by Ron van Rooden, Deputy Director of the IMF‘s Middle East and Central Asia Department, at the conclusion of the mission’s visit to Syria to review economic »»»

Beirut, July 26 (SANA) Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji said on Sunday that the government remains committed to extending state authority across the country and disarming groups operating outside state institutions, describing the effort as an irreversible national priority. In an interview w»»»

Dubai: Major Chinese banks ended some precious-metals trading services for individual customers by July 24, fuelling claims that China was banning “paper gold”, forcing investors into physical bullion and preparing to send prices sharply higher. None of that happened on Friday. Here's why.. Get upd»»»

ABU DHABI: The Octagon will return to the UAE capital in October, with UFC 33 taking place at Etihad Arena on Oct. 24, UFC and the Department of Culture and Tourism have announced. Abu Dhabi Showdown Week also returns to Yas Island this October with more mixed martial arts and fan experiences. With»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army on Sunday condemned ongoing Israeli military activities in the country’s south that it said were preventing its full deployment under a framework deal reached with Israel last month. “Israeli occupation forces continue their attacks and violations of current understandings an»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia raised $49.34 billion through 58 bond and sukuk issuances in the first half of 2026, up 1.6 percent from a year earlier, accounting for nearly half of Gulf debt issuance, a new analysis showed. The Kingdom represented 48 percent of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s primary debt ma»»»

DUBAI: Saudi dark comedy “A Matter of Life and Death” screened in New York on Saturday, after showing in two Scandinavian locations earlier this year. Starring Saudi actor Sarah Taibah and directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf, the film screened at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York. It was»»»

A Romanian fighter jet on Sunday shot down the third drone flying into the country's airspace in as many days, the defence minister said. A government investigation reportedly identified the first of the three drones as a Shahed model used by Russia in its war with Ukraine.  Romania on Sunday »»»

Armenian attitudes toward the LGBTQ community have transformed in recent years, in part due to the war in Ukraine. While a queer club in Yerevan was firebombed in 2012, the capital is now home to a thriving underground drag scene. But despite these events attracting hundreds, police raids and famil»»»

At least 11 people were killed, including five children, in an overnight drone attack on a holiday camp in a Russian-held part of Ukraine's ‌Zaporizhzhia region, Russian installed local authorities said on Saturday, ⁠accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilians.»»»

TUNIS, July 26 (TAP) – The weather will be partly cloudy across the country on Sunday, with localized thundery cells developing in the afternoon over the western highlands of the north and central regions. These storms will be accompanied by...»»»

New York, July 26 (SANA) U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that Syria’s Sednayah military prison stands as a symbol of the brutality of the repression carried out by the country’s deposed regime, adding that Syria now has an opportunity to recover from years of conflict and bui»»»

The Bulgarian passport ranks 11th worldwide in terms of travel freedom, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, placing it just one position behind the United States passport. The ranking shows that Bulgarian citizens can travel visa-free to 178 countries, only two fewer than holders of US p»»»

Vessel traffic into Ukrainian Black Sea ports has been fully suspended because of the threat of Russian attacks, Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotskyi said on July 23, as occupied Crimea entered its third month of a deepening, Ukrainian-engineered power collapse. Ports close As recently as the p»»»

DOHA: The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has administratively closed two travel and air cargo agencies and deregistered 10 others as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen oversight and enforce compliance within the country's air transport sector. In a statement, the QCAA said the enforce»»»

The 2026 state budget is unconstitutional and GERB will challenge it before the Constitutional Court, GERB Chair Boyko Borissov said at a party event in Varna on Sunday. He argued that the budget adopted by Parliament violates fiscal rules concerning the permissible budget deficit, which is set at »»»

The majority of Germans do not believe their armed forces are capable of protecting the country, a recent YouGov survey has found. According to the International Flagship Survey published on Friday, 70% of respondents in Germany said they are not confident their armed forces are strong enough to fe»»»

What is it with British ‘knights of the realm’ that they seem to be forever mired in corruption, scandal, and disgrace? Former Olympian Sebastian Coe can never avoid all three of those ‘specialities’, yet like his fellow Lords, Ladies, Sirs, and Dames, he appears to think that sitting high upon tha»»»

DUBAI: Award-winning Palestinian poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha has paid tribute to Chris Affleck, the mother of actors Ben and Casey Affleck, following news of her death, remembering her as “like a mother” to his family during their time living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was 83 and had been »»»

RIYADH: Egypt exported more than 2.3 million tonnes of petroleum products worth about $2.3 billion in the first half of 2026, matching its total export volume for all of last year, official data showed. The Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry said exports of products including jet fuel, naphth»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at his office in Lusail Palace HE Dr. Faiq Zaidan, President of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Iraq, who offered his condolences to the Amir on the demise of the Father Amir His Hi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), represented by the Air Transport Department, ordered administrative closure of two travel and air cargo agencies and de-registration of 10 others for non-compliance. This comes as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen oversight and regulat»»»

Damascus, July 27 (SANA) Syria’s Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh met with a delegation from the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the SIGMA Programme to discuss technical assistance for the country’s public financial management reform agend»»»

Another night has passed without further US air strikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of nightly bombardments. US media reports that Washington's concerns over dwindling stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other air defence munitions could be behind the pause in fighting.  Iran passed anot»»»

DOHA: Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim received a written message from Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan HE Sahiba Gafarova, about bilateral relations and ways to enhance joint coordination between the two sides. The message was delivered by»»»

Stefan Doerr, the director of the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University, speaks to FRANCE 24 about some of the reasons why fire seasons across the world seem to be getting more and more severe.»»»

The D-Day landing beaches in Normandy were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List Sunday. The 80-kilometre stretch of coastline in northwest France served as the site for Allied forces' landing in Europe in June 1944, marking a decisive moment in the war against Nazi Germany and its fascist allies i»»»

German authorities on Sunday issued a wanted notice for a fugitive suspect in the van rammingnear Berlin’s Pride festival that left one person dead and injured at l»»»

Bordeaux: Fire crews in France and Spain battling unchecked wildfires that have forced more than 300,000 people to flee were overwhelmed on Sunday as the unpredictable blazes advanced. France's southwestern city of Bordeaux, at the heart of a region of vineyards, was under threat, with a major high»»»

Doha, Qatar: Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim received a written message from Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan HE Sahiba Gafarova, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways to enhance joint coordination between the two sides. The message w»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a phone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud. During the call, the two sides reviewed bilateral coope»»»

Peach growers in Bulgaria’s Sliven region are considering abandoning their orchards as low purchase prices and rising production costs push many farmers to the edge of survival. In the country’s so-called “Valley of Peaches,” processing companies are currently buying peaches for compote production »»»

Bulgaria recorded the biggest annual increase in fuel prices among all European Union countries in June, according to data from Eurostat. Prices of fuels and lubricants for personal vehicles across the EU rose by 13.7% in June compared with the same month in 2025. The increase was registered in eve»»»

Dubai: Oman's Tax Authority has introduced amendments to the Executive Regulation of the Income Tax Law, setting new conditions for the deduction of certain corporate expenses and announcing mandatory use of the THEQA digital identity application to access its electronic portal from August 1, 2026.»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has opened the Animal Welfare Shelter, a new integrated pet shelter at the Birds and Pets Market in the Warsan area, expanding the emirate's veterinary services while promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership and adoption. The project is designed to provide a saf»»»

The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmaeil Qaani, has demanded that Saudi Arabia immediately lift its nearly 12-year-long blockade on Yemen, advising Riyadh to draw critical lessons from what he characterized as Washington’s “unwise and c»»»