The Nafis programme has announced a new set of updates, effective from September, under which private-sector employers will assume their full share of pension fund contributions for Emirati employees enrolled in the Ishtirak programme, subject to the programme’s eligibility conditions. In an explan»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic welcomed on Thursday a Serbian fire and rescue team comprised of Emergencies Sector personnel and an Interior Ministry helicopter unit recently dispatched to Spain to help the country's firefighting efforts. At a welcom»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Despite record purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first half of 2026, EU gas storage levels remain at their lowest for this time of year in a decade and a half, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) and EU regulators analyzed by Sputnik on Th»»»

GENEVA: UN rights experts on Thursday urged Iran to end what they called the escalating arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and arbitrary executions of ethnic minorities. The Kurdish and Baluch minorities are particularly affected, they said in a statement. “Iran’s ethnic minoritie»»»

Young people in Abu Dhabi will have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and retirees through a new programme launched by the Department of Community Development (DCD). Called “Qudwati”, the initiative brings together young people aged 18 to 24 and mentors from different professi»»»

Dubai: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was reportedly taken to a secret location in Tehran for a highly unusual meeting with supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, where the two allegedly spoke from inside a dark, tinted-window vehicle without seeing each other, according to a report by Iran Internat»»»

DOHA: The fourth edition of the Qatar Toy Festival concluded after welcoming more than 148,000 visitors, marking its highest attendance to date. The month-long festival, held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC), was organised by Qatar Calendar in collaboration with Spacetoon Group, »»»

TRABZON, Turkiye: ‌Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor, under which the Egypt forward will receive 17 million euros ($19.6 million) a season, the Turkish club said on Thursday. The announcement came as Trabzon’s fans prepared to head for the club’s stadium in the eastern Black»»»

TOKYO — Japanese tech investor SoftBank reported Thursday a 1.3 trillion yen ($8.4 billion) return on its investment in Intel thanks to the US chip giant's increased share price.SoftBank posted a nearly 18 per cent year-on-year fall in first-quarter net profit, but the figure still beat expectation»»»

LONDON — Britain's no-frills airline EasyJet confirmed Thursday a £5.7-billion ($7.7-billion) takeover by US private equity firm Apollo after a rival American firm pulled out of the bidding."The boards.. are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms and conditions of a recom»»»

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazil's central bank on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate for the fourth time straight, two months before presidential elections when incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeks another term.The so-called Selic rate, one of the highest in the world, was lowered from »»»

AMMAN — Exports from the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) surpassed the JD4 billion mark during the first seven months of 2026, registering a 7 per cent growth compared with the same period in 2025, according to statistical data released by the chamber.The ACI reported that exports rose to JD4.506 b»»»

The “Loyalty to Resistance” Parliamentary bloc convened on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, issuing a statement that calls on the Lebanese authorities to stop the direct talks with the Israeli enemy. The statement also rejected the government’s policy to surren»»»

Israel on Thursday charged a settler, Yinon Levi, with the killing of prominent Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank in July 2025. This marks the first time since the October 7, 2023 attacks that an Israeli has been indicted for the death of a Palestinian in the occupied »»»

Three rights groups have released findings of a probe into the Israeli attack which killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in April. The investigation by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and The Legal Agenda shows Israel deliberately targeted the 42-year-old and her camerawoman, who was wo»»»

The value of Polish exports reached EUR 30.51 billion in June 2026, according to an analysis by economists at the Polish Chamber of Commerce. The result represented a 7% increase from the corresponding period of 2025, indicating that foreign demand for Polish goods remained relatively resilient des»»»

Poland’s planned Osobiste Konto Inwestycyjne, or Personal Investment Account, could attract more than 2 million customers and over PLN 100 billion within its first three years, according to projections from brokerage house BM PKO BP. Around 800,000 people could open an account during the first year»»»

France has banned unsolicited telemarketing calls under a new law to protect consumers and shield vulnerable people from fraudulent commercial practices. Individuals who make illegal calls can be fined up to €75,000 per call once the new law comes into effect on August 11. France next week will ban»»»

French winemakers affected by this summer’s wildfires are in limbo as the grape harvest approaches, fearing their 2026 vintage could have burnt flavours that would compromise sales. Brushing his hand over crackling vine leaves, French winemaker Gregory Guibergia was relieved a wildfire only sc»»»

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is reviewing a newly adopted regulation by Albania's Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) following concerns that the rules could significantly restrict media coverage of court proceedings. Responding to inquiri»»»

KYIV: Ukraine hit more oil facilities deep inside Russia in overnight attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, as Kyiv kept up its campaign to undermine Moscow’s wartime economy and embarrass the Kremlin. The repeated strikes have caused fuel shortages and rattled Russians. Ukrainians, »»»

BEJRAWIYA, Sudan: Sudan’s ongoing war is threatening the integrity of its ancient Meroe pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique and angular architecture, as preservation efforts have completely halted. “The site may face a disaster and collapses are possible,” warned archaeologi»»»

At first glance, “The Insipid Prince’s Furtive Grab for the Throne” looks like another fantasy series centered on royal succession, but it quickly distinguishes itself through clever political maneuvering, sharp dialogue and a protagonist who wins battles with intelligence rather than brute force. »»»

BUCHAREST: Romania delayed plans to sink four rock-filled barges into the Danube until Friday citing unsafe conditions, as the race tightens to divert water from the drought-hit river to its only working nuclear reactor and buy a few more days of operation amid low electricity supplies. Record low »»»

Riyadh: The King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an opens its 46th edition in Makkah on Thursday, drawing 334 contestants from 133 countries — the biggest turnout since the event was founded some four decades ago. Held under th»»»

At least 10 people died in Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight according to local authorities. Strikes occurred in the regions of Sumy, Odessa and Kyiv. More details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kharkiv, Emmanuelle Chaze.»»»

German ​police on Thursday said that they had ​detained a Ukrainian national suspected of working as ​a low-level ​agent on ​behalf of a ​foreign spy agency. The 33-year-old was arrested on August 2 on suspicion of preparing "acts of sabotage" on a Bavarian arms manufacturer, according to a st»»»

Bulgaria has appointed a new ambassador to Ukraine after a nearly four-and-a-half-year gap, with Zlatin Krastev presenting copies of his credentials to Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olexandr Mischenko. The ceremony was held shortly after Krastev arrived in Kyiv on July 31. The Bulgarian embassy»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian government approved on Thursday a series of bills amending financial legislation, as well as a new support package for businesses, comprised of ten programmes worth nearly 3 bln dinars in total, to be provided through loans and grants. "The government adopted bills to amend a»»»

A Gallup International Balkans survey shows that public support for Bulgaria’s government remains relatively strong after its first 100 days in office, while the cabinet’s foreign policy is facing significant criticism. According to the nationally representative poll, conducted by telephone between»»»

LONDON: Authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic said they have uncovered a corruption case from the era of the Assad regime worth more than $8 million, as legal and security agencies in the country pursue individuals and organizations involved in violations and crimes against Syrians. Anticorruptio»»»

A brutal fatal assault in Plovdiv has prompted a major police investigation, with authorities examining whether the attack was motivated by hatred based on sexual orientation or involved a victim being lured through a dating app. Several teenagers, including minors, have been detained as investigat»»»

Security expert Tihomir Bezlov from the Center for the Study of Democracy described the discovery of a fentanyl laboratory in Sofia as a major development in the investigation of one of the world’s most dangerous synthetic drugs. According to him, the most important aspect of the case is not only t»»»

A farmer picks avocados in the municipality of Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, in 2004. File Photo by Ivan Villanueva/EPA Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily suspended inspections and certification of new avocado shipments from the Mexican state of Michoacán, the country'»»»

Dry grass and vineyards are burning in a wildfire that broke out on Thursday near the 69th kilometre of the Trakia Motorway, in the direction from Sofia to Burgas, close to the turnoff for Velingrad, the Pazardzhik Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry reported. Firefighting crews and volun»»»

BUCHAREST: Romania raced on Thursday to sink four barges laden with rock into the Danube River in an attempt to redirect water downstream toward a nuclear power plant, to buy more time before its second reactor is likely forced offline due to record-low water levels. Extreme heatwaves and low rainf»»»

STOCKHOLM: Sweden will hand over to Kyiv a seized Russian “shadow fleet” cargo ship which Ukraine suspects of transporting grain stolen from its occupied territory, Swedish court documents obtained by AFP on Thursday showed. The Supreme Court on August 4 dismissed an appeal by Caffa Shipping Ltd, w»»»

BEIRUT: A seventh round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome shifted attention to the fate of Lebanese detainees and missing persons, as Beirut sought progress on one of the conflict’s most sensitive humanitarian files while broader security negotiations remained deadlocked. The talks, held for»»»

KAMPALA, Uganda: Ugandan authorities sought and won parliamentary approval Thursday to deploy troops to Gaza as part of the international force proposed by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to secure the territory following the devastating Israel-Hamas war. The successful motion, brought b»»»

GAZA: The US-backed Board of Peace is preparing its first contract to build a military outpost for an international stabilization force in Gaza, proposed under Washington’s postwar road map for the enclave, The Guardian reported on Wednesday. The project involves building a temporary base for an in»»»

PARIS: A case of hantavirus, which recently sparked international alarm, has been detected in a Franco-Argentine national who holidayed in France in July before being put in isolation in Spain, the French health ministry said Thursday. The patient had few symptoms and now has none, the ministry sai»»»

LONDON: British TV presenter Nadia Sawalha has threatened legal action against ITV, accusing the broadcaster of removing her from its daytime talk show “Loose Women” because of her public support for Palestinian rights. In a video posted on Instagram, Sawalha said her lawyers had sent ITV a pre-act»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority has announced the rescheduling of the fourth edition of the Global AI Summit, which will now be held in Riyadh from Sept. 7-9, 2027. The decision was made following a shared request from the summit’s international partners to allow for furt»»»

Istanbul-listed refiner Tupras (IST: TUPRS) has commissioned the building in South Korea of four Suezmax-class crude oil tankers for more than $370mn, the company said on July 31. The four vessels, each featuring a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of approximately 157,000 tonnes, are scheduled for delivery»»»

Bulgaria’s mandatory period for displaying prices in both leva and euro will end on August 8, 2026, marking another step in the country’s transition to the single European currency. The dual price display requirement was introduced as a temporary measure to help consumers adjust to the euro and to »»»

Damascus, Aug. 6 (SANA) The International Monetary Fund’s assessment of the sustained momentum of Syria’s economic recovery reflects the country’s transition toward a largely balanced trajectory, as banking legislation and financial reforms adopted after liberation have helped establish a more stab»»»

Paris, France: A case of hantavirus, which recently sparked international alarm, has been detected in a Franco-Argentine national who holidayed in France in July before being put in isolation in Spain, the French health ministry said Thursday. The patient had few symptoms and now has none, the mini»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received a farewell visit from Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgrade Kamil Khasiyev on Thursday and noted that Belgrade exceptionally appreciated Azerbaijan's consistent and principled support for Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "It is a po»»»

A new study suggests that Hungarians are right to feel that shopping abroad can be cheaper – but much depends on what they are buying. Food prices paint a very different picture from, say, the cost of services. Meanwhile, a fresh survey has shown that Romania and Bulgaria still outperform Hungary o»»»

LONDON: Yemen’s Houthi movement is increasingly stepping up attacks in the Red Sea, disrupting the vital international trade waterway, as well as threatening to target regional energy facilities. As the Houthi threat carries serious implications, regional and global players have begun to realise th»»»