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, »»»

Hungary crypto regulation has reached a turning point after the National Bank of Hungary granted its first domestic licence under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. CoinCash, once one of the country’s largest cryptocurrency brokers, can now prepare to restart services after mo»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The United States benefits from oil supply disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Craig Murray, a Scottish political activist and former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, told Sputnik. "The Americans are not unhappy with the disruption of oil supplies. They actual»»»

Ludwik Kotecki, a member of Poland’s Monetary Policy Council, has warned that it is too early to assume interest rates will be reduced in September. He argued that the inflation environment is beginning to diverge from the National Bank of Poland’s latest projection, particularly because rising oil»»»

Orlen’s market capitalization exceeded PLN 180 billion for the first time during Thursday trading, underlining the energy group’s growing weight on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The milestone followed another rise in the company’s share price and reflected investor confidence in its cash generation, s»»»

An armed student rallies in support of the Houthi-imposed naval embargo against Saudi Arabia in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday. Hundreds of students gathered at Sanaa University to support the move. Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- The Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for two attacks on Sa»»»

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank on Thursday kept its key deposit rate unchanged at 2.25 percent but opened the door to a rise in September as fresh fighting in the Middle East threatens to send prices higher. “Yes, it was a unanimous decision,” ECB President Christine Lagarde said of Thursday’»»»

WASHINGTON: The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation on Thursday directing President Donald Trump to halt U.S. ​military action against Iran, the latest symbolic rebuke of the Republican president from Congress. The vote was 214-208 in favor of the war powers resolution a»»»

RIYADH: Economic experts and specialists told Asharq Al-Awsat that the peaceful nuclear agreement between Saudi Arabia and the US marks a new and unprecedented phase of strategic, high-value cooperation between the two countries. They said the agreement extends beyond its technical and developmenta»»»

DOHA, (Sputnik) - Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, will consider intensifying operations against Saudi vessels if the Gulf Arab kingdom continues its blockade of Yemeni airports and ports, Houthi political member Hezam al-Asad told Sputnik. "The scale of these operations may»»»

The European Union is still trying to find ways to slow Russia’s war machine in Ukraine. But its member states are becoming increasingly less able to agree on how to do so. Nevertheless, after lengthy and chaotic talks on Wednesday (22 July), they managed to agree on the 21st sanctions package agai»»»

Dubai: Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably preserved funerary complex dating to the Late and Greco-Roman periods at the Tell Athar Quesna necropolis in Menoufia Governorate, revealing hundreds of burial artefacts, imported pottery and evidence of ancient trade links across the Medit»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is well poised to be an attractive filming location for Hollywood and independent filmmakers, Valentina Castellani-Quinn, president and chair of Quinn Studios Entertainment in Los Angeles, has told Arab News’ “The Mayman Show.” Speaking as the first guest of the show’s latest s»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Ukraine has been selective about whom to bring back from Russia during prisoner of war exchanges, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said on Thursday. "I think many people understand this, because often you hand over a list, and not everyone on it gets selected. I»»»

The United States announced that it had reached a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia. Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed the pact and a separate bilateral safeguards deal alongside Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. There have been years of discussions even under»»»

After a twelfth night of US strikes, Iran has hit US bases in Jordan and Kuwait, claiming several military assets were destroyed. This also comes after rebel Houthis in Yemen struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, further expanding the conflict. FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani tells us more.»»»

Yemen's Houthi rebels say they have attacked two Saudi oil tankers. The Houthis are supported by Iran, and the attacks in the Red Sea could be a new front for the war between the US and Iran. But how will this affect the conflict?»»»

Dubai: The conflict between the US and Iran has entered a more dangerous phase, with hostilities spreading across the Middle East and raising concerns over regional security, global energy supplies and international trade. Although the UAE has not been directly targeted, residents and businesses ar»»»

HANGZHOU: Qatari shooter Rashid Saleh Al Athba captured the gold medal in the men's individual skeet event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun), currently taking place in Hangzhou, China, featuring an elite field of world-class athletes. This vict»»»

Frankfurt: The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday amid uncertainty about how volatile energy prices will affect inflation. The central bank for the 21 countries that use the euro currency left its benchmark rate unchanged at 2.25% following a quarter-point hike at its prev»»»

DUBAI: US President ​Donald Trump promised on Thursday “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies, after the Yemeni fighters struck at least one oil tanker in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint.The prospect that disruption could widen to»»»

NEW DELHI: The food arrives almost as steadily as the protesters. Every few minutes, delivery riders on motorbikes pull up outside the protest site with bags of burgers, snacks and bottled water. Volunteers collect the food, stack it along other donated supplies and distribute it to demonstrators. »»»

TAIZ: Thousands of Yemenis gathered in the streets of Taiz on Thursday in a massive rally to affirm their support for the Presidential Leadership Council and to demand an end to the nearly decade-long siege imposed on the city by the Houthi militia. The demonstration, taken through the streets of t»»»

Ex-president Tamás Sulyok self-terminates by signing Fundamental Law. Péter Magyar has made his first serious mistake. Fidesz’s server infrastructure has been seized. The prosecutor general has resigned. Fidesz may have lost 900,000 voters since the elections. The Tisza government is moving full st»»»

RIYADH: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his country’s condemnation of the Houthi attack on a Saudi vessel and their threat to navigation in the Red Sea during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Sharif reaffirmed»»»

BusinessCanadaCanada-EU: Closer trade ties to counter Trump?Matt PearsonGiven they share the world's longest land border, Canada and the US have historically enjoyed fruitful trade relations. But with Donald Trump escalating his tariff war, Canada is looking to the EU and further afield. https://p.»»»

Dubai: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank reported a record second-quarter profit before tax of Dh3.83 billion, up 26% from a year earlier, as lending grew and higher fee and trading income broadened its revenue base. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The re»»»

BRUSSELS: The European Union’s top diplomat demanded on Thursday that the Houthis “cease” attacks on ships in the Red Sea, after a Saudi vessel was hit by the Iran-backed militants. “The attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal and further inflames an already volatile situati»»»

TIRANA: Albanian police used water cannons ‌and tear gas on Thursday to disperse protesters who threw eggs and bottles at officers, in the latest flare-up of demonstrations triggered by Jared Kushner’s plans to build a multi-billion-dollar resort. The unrest outside parliament was a rare clash in t»»»

GUWAHATI, India: Authorities recovered the bodies of the remaining 13 workers trapped inside a collapsed hydropower tunnel in India, taking the death toll to 25 as authorities ended the rescue operations on Thursday. Multiple agencies had made sustained and coordinated rescue efforts in the four da»»»

Dubai: RAKBANK reported a 25% increase in profit after tax to a record Dh1.7 billion during the first half of 2026, supported by balance-sheet growth, higher deposits and a Dh473 million gain from the sale of its merchant acquiring business. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Bala»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Global oil prices are rising, with the price of a barrel of Brent crude reaching above $99 for the first time since May22, trading data showed on Thursday. As of 11:59 GMT, the price of September Brent crude futures was up 5.26% to $99.02 per barrel. Minutes earlier, the figure »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Yemen's Houthi rebels with "major military punishment" after they launched missile and drone strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea. "The U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military p»»»

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday amid uncertainty about how volatile energy prices will affect inflation. The central bank for the 21 countries that use the euro currency left its benchmark rate unchanged at 2.25% following a quarter-point hike at its previous meetin»»»

July 22 (UPI) -- A Florida city is reminding residents to keep a safe distance after multiple sightings of wild monkeys in the area. A wild rhesus macaque was photographed last month outside the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, and another monkey was caught on camera July 15 at Gilbert Park. Resident Pr»»»

This massive goldfish was recovered from an Alberta lake. The province is reminding residents not to release the invasive species into local waterways. Photo courtesy of the Province of Alberta July 22 (UPI) -- The government of Alberta is issuing an important reminder to owners of pet goldfish in »»»

Washington, July 23 (SANA) Oil prices climbed more than 1.5% on Thursday to their highest levels in more than six weeks, following an escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions and attacks on two oil tankers in the Red Sea. According to Reuters, Brent crude futures rose $1.93, or 2%, to $96.00 a barrel, thei»»»

Superbrands Romania announces the main results of the research conducted as part of its 12th edition, 2026–2027, “The Innovation Legacy,” which are relevant to the local branding landscape and the key developments across the Consumer and Business sectors. The concept of this edition brings to the f»»»

Iran-backed Houthi Yemeni rebels claimed attacks on Wednesday evening in the Red Sea against two Saudi oil tankers, while the United States continued its strikes against Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced on Thursday that they had stopped three oil tankers trying to cross the Strait o»»»

TOKYO: The draw for the 20th Asian Games football tournament, scheduled to take place in Japan from September 19 to October 4, has placed the Qatar Under-23 national football team in Group D alongside South Korea and Saudi Arabia. The football competition features 15 national teams divided into fou»»»

Daniel Siad, ⁠a modelling scout with ​ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been ​found dead at his home outside Paris, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Siad's body was discovered on Monday evening. An autopsy will be carried out ​to ‌determine the cause of death, the Nanterre »»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The European Union is going to freeze the oil price cap adjustment mechanism, applied to Russian oil under the new package of sanctions, for one year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, EU ambassadors agreed on the 21st packa»»»

The Houthi rebels' threat to blockade Saudi Arabia has the potential to widen the Iran war and further disrupt global oil supplies and international trade. The Iran-backed rebels say they have closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom's blockade on Yeme»»»

New Delhi: Student protests in India demanding education reforms grew on Thursday despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing a crackdown following a string of exam paper leaks. Five Gen Z protesters at the main protest site in the capital New Delhi spoke to AFP about what was driving them to join »»»

Iran’s latest round of missile and drone strikes disabled multiple US radar, communications, and air-defense systems in Kuwait, according to Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC which claimed American bases across the region had suffered a “dark night.” In a series of statements carried»»»

RIYADH: Turkiye aims to increase its trade volume with Syria to $10 billion as bilateral commerce surged more than 40 percent year on year to a record $3.75 billion in 2025, an official revealed. Speaking at a meeting titled Free Trade and Industrial Zones in Syria and the Investment Environment in»»»

Manila: The Philippines accused China's coast guard of firing water cannon and using a "dangerous manoeuvre" on Thursday to block vessels bringing aid to Filipino fishermen near a disputed South China Sea reef. The incident took place near Scarborough Shoal, hours before Manila hosted a regional se»»»

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday "stringent punishment" for those involved in exam leaks that has fuelled student anger, in his first direct comments tied to major protests challenging his government. The comments came after thousands of protesters, led by the social»»»

The South Korean economy grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter on robust exports, central bank data showed Thursday. In this photo, containers are stacked at a port in Busan on July 15. Photo by Yonhap The South Korean economy grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter from a quarter earlier on robust»»»

Cabinet Chairman Adylbek Kasymaliev held a meeting on fuel and lubricant supply issues in Kyrgyzstan. According to the Cabinet press service, participants discussed the situation in the domestic market, petroleum product imports, stockpiling, tariff regulation, and the provision of state subsidies.»»»