DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) showcased the operational mechanism of the 'Smart Observer' boat, which is designed to monitor the marine environment and is equipped with advanced systems to track environmental changes and collect samples and data from marine sites. The»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

Roads blocked and checkpoints closed: After every outbreak of violence, Israel seals off the West Bank. Like after events in Nablus, where two Israeli settlers and four Palestinians died on July 24. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel travelled with a paramedic who regularly transports pregnant women »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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'»»»

Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through Odesa, Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Re»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc on Thursday condemned what it called Lebanese authorities’ “continued policy of submission, surrender, and humiliating negotiations” with Israel, which is pressing on with its “killing, bombing, bulldozing, and destruction.” Lebanese authorities “are continuing their »»»

HAMBURG/PARIS/DUBAI: Algeria’s state grains agency OAIC has bought around 540,000 to 720,000 metric tons of milling wheat in an international tender which closed on Wednesday, European traders said. The size of the initial purchase in tonnage terms was not immediately certain, as is usual in Algeri»»»

Kinshasa: A suspected Ebola death has been reported on a boat heading for Kinshasa, which has so far avoided the outbreak raging in DR Congo's east and northeast, authorities said Thursday. Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes haemorrhagic fever, has killed at least 1,»»»

LONDON: It has been a whirlwind week for Al-Ahli, with the announcement of Matthias Jaissle’s departure followed today by the confirmation of Marino Pusic as new head coach. The Dutch-Bosnian manager has some big shoes to fill in Jeddah. Just three months after lifting a second successive AFC Champ»»»

DOHA: The Local Dates Festival, in its 11th edition at Souq Waqif in Doha, combines celebrating local production and recalling the status of the palm tree in the social and economic history of the State of Qatar, where the festival welcomes visitors of different nationalities and ages to learn abou»»»

RIYADH: The Council of Economic and Development Affairs held a meeting via video conference to review the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s monthly report. The report outlined the key developments and challenges facing the global economy, its growth prospects in light of geopolitical developments,»»»

Istanbul: Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah on Thursday signed a two-year contract with Turkish club Trabzonspor after leaving the Premier League giants at the end of his contract. The 34-year-old Egyptian international reached "a two-year agreement" with the club on the Black Sea coast who will »»»

HONG KONG: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday it would be “really tough” to improve on last season’s performances but was hopeful new signings could help power the German giants to a first Champions League title since 2020. The Bavarian side won a league and cup double last season»»»

Dubai: Not too long ago, politicians fought for votes with rousing speeches, newspaper interviews and carefully choreographed campaign rallies. Today, they're just as likely to drop a Reel with a trending soundtrack, collaborate with content creators or walk off stage to a Bollywood banger. Safe to»»»

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched extensive raids across multiple areas of the occupied West Bank early Thursday, while Israeli settlers simultaneously attacked Palestinian communities in the southern Hebron hills, torching homes in the Masafer Yatta area. The coordinated operations form par»»»

The Pentagon is developing a nuclear strategy that would give the US president a wider range of nuclear options in a potential conflict with Russia or China, NBC reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the plans. The proposed approach would reportedly place greater emphasis on shorter-r»»»

Dubai: Gold prices moved higher again on Thursday afternoon, taking the local 24-karat rate to Dh516.25 per gram and extending a rapid increase that has added Dh29 since the beginning of August. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and »»»

Manila: Landslides in the Philippines killed four people, authorities said Thursday, as heavy rains driven by a tropical depression raked the country's north and forced school closures. The archipelago nation's main island Luzon has been battered by heavy rains over the past four days. Government o»»»

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic ⁠of Congo is spreading faster than efforts to fight it, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. Families said many frontline workers in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, have gone on strike over pay issues, worsening acces»»»

Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through Odesa, Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Re»»»

In Central Asia, the spectacle of a president going on and on, and on, as if they plan to rule forever is a norm, not an exception. Thus, a Constitutional Court ruling that Kazakhstan’s 73-year-old president of seven years Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is eligible to seek another term in office under the c»»»

Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through Odesa, Agrarian Policy Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Re»»»

LONDON: Three human rights groups have labeled an Israeli attack that killed a Lebanese journalist and injured another a war crime. Amal Khalil, 42, died while traveling in southern Lebanon to verify Israeli troop movements on April 22. Her colleague Zeinab Faraj, 21, was wounded in the attack. Isr»»»

When Hungary abandoned plans to build the Bős–Nagymaros dam system following mass opposition born of environmental protests, Czechoslovakia completed the project and diverted 85 per cent of the Danube’s flow. An international agreement governs how much water must be released into the Old Danube – b»»»

The Ministry of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan recommends that citizens and tourists temporarily refrain from visiting the Tash-Rabat historical and architectural complex. The restrictions are related to repair and restoration work currently underway on the complex’s grounds. »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s consumer spending rose 6.8 percent year on year to SR425 billion ($113.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, supported by resilient demand, stable inflation and continued non-oil economic growth, Knight Frank said. The consultancy firm’s Saudi Arabia Retail Market Overview»»»

The Romanian government is preparing a legal framework that would allow the authorities to impose phased electricity consumption limits on large industrial users during severe imbalances in the national power system. A draft government decision approving Romania’s Electricity Risk Preparedness Plan»»»

North Korea fired at least one short-range ballistic missile on Thursday, South Korea's military said. In this January photo, people watch a news report of a North Korean missile launch at Seoul Station. File Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA North Korea fired at least one short-range ballistic missile t»»»

The August 2 confrontation between Bulgarian and Italian teenagers in Bansko, the race ahead of the October 25 presidential election, concerns over fentanyl and key economic issues feature prominently in Bulgaria's news media on Thursday. COMMENTS ON BANSKO INCIDENT On Thursday, Prime Minister Rume»»»

The United States has formally requested the extradition of a Filipino pastor wanted on sex-trafficking charges, the Philippines' ambassador to Washington said on Thursday. Apollo Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed "Appointed Son of God" and ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in the Ph»»»

RIYADH: Saudi food and retail group Savola reported a 36 percent increase in 2026 first-half net profit, driven by stronger operational performance in its food processing business and resilient retail performance despite a competitive market environment. Net profit rose to SR401 million ($106.9 mil»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes and artillery strikes on villages in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon last night and this morning, wounding four people, a Lebanese military field source told Sputnik on Thursday. "The Israeli army has significantly intensifie»»»

Vivien Keszthelyi, the 25-year-old wife of David Schumacher, is expecting a baby. The Hungarian racing driver married the son of Ralf Schumacher — and nephew of Michael Schumacher — in February this year. A new milestone in the youngest Schumacher family: Vivien Keszthelyi to become a mother The im»»»

Dubai: Every time Alex Eala steps onto the court, millions of Filipinos are watching. Among them are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE, many of whom see more than a promising tennis player chasing titles. They see someone who embodies the same perseverance, discipline, and sacrifices that»»»

Dubai: Burjeel Holdings treated more than 3.7 million patients during the first half of 2026 as higher demand for outpatient services, surgeries and complex medical care supported a 97.4% increase in net profit excluding one-off items. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.N»»»

BusinessRussian FederationWhy is Russia selling its gold?Arthur SullivanRussia has become one of the world's biggest sellers of gold over the past 12 months. It's an attempt to raise cash in the face of budget issues, but not necessarily a sign of a looming financial crisis. https://p.dw.com/p/5Ht6»»»

There is a peculiar contradiction in the Philippine debate over Pax Silica. A country that has spent decades complaining about poverty, underemployment, brain drain, weak industrialisation, unreliable infrastructure and the export of raw resources suddenly finds itself being offered a place in one »»»

Andrei Gemeneanu, ROPEA president, talked to BR about Romania’s private equity market, which saw investment values quadruple to EUR 433.6 million in 2025. Gemeneanu discusses the drivers behind this surge, the record-breaking exit activity, and the need to unlock domestic pension funds to reduce re»»»

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»»»

Dubai: Space42 reported record first-half revenue after growth across its satellite services and geospatial intelligence businesses, while preparations continued for the commercial rollout of direct-to-device services on standard mobile phones. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & B»»»