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MADRID — A diplomatic spat between Spain and Italy over the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta escalated Saturday after Madrid imposed border controls on Italian travelers in response to restrictions introduced by Rome. Italians arriving at Barcelona airport were subjected to random police checks after the measures took effect overnight, according to Spain’s state news agency EFE. The Spanish government said the controls would remain in place for at least a month after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected Madrid’s demand that Rome lift its restrictions by an Aug. 9 deadline. Spain…
NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia highlighted the importance of international cooperation and emerging technologies in advancing global geospatial information management at the 16th meeting of the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management. The Kingdom, represented by the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA), took part in the meeting in New York, with its delegation headed by GEOSA President Mohammed Al-Sayel. During the meeting, Al-Sayel emphasized the need to strengthen international cooperation, leverage modern technologies and artificial intelligence to support sustainable development, and develop an integrated global system for managing geospatial information. Saudi Arabia also reviewed…
BEIJING — Typhoon Dolphin struck China’s eastern coast Sunday evening after forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and prompting Shanghai’s two major airports to cancel more than 1,300 flights. The storm made landfall in Taizhou in Zhejiang province and affected northern parts of neighboring Fujian province, bringing winds estimated at 151 kilometers per hour (93 mph) and massive waves along the coast. Heavy rainfall raised the risk of severe flooding across Zhejiang, while authorities also warned of a heightened danger of landslides. Forecasters said some areas could receive between 200 and 400 millimeters (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall over…
RIYADH — The Saudi business environment witnessed increased momentum during the first half of this year, with establishing of 46,900 new companies. This reflects the continued growth of commercial activity and the expansion of the Kingdom’s business base, coinciding with government efforts to facilitate procedures for starting and operating businesses. The Saudi Competitiveness and Business Center provided more than 2.9 million services to business establishments during the first six months of 2026. These services included the establishment of 46,900 companies, the registration of 86,800 establishments, and the verification of 3,500 online stores. This growth in the number of establishments coincided…
WASHINGTON — The United States expects Iran to restore oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-conflict levels and ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels, US Vice President JD Vance said Saturday. “Our expectation is you’re going to see the same amount of oil and gas come out of the Gulf that you saw before the conflict started,” Vance told Fox News, saying Tehran had communicated that intention to Washington. Vance, however, stressed that the United States would assess Iran based on its actions rather than its assurances. “But you know, we don’t trust. We verify,”…
BANGKOK — Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to introduce tougher gun control laws after a 14-year-old carried out a shooting that left eight people dead and 22 injured at a school on the outskirts of Bangkok. Fourteen people remained hospitalized following Friday’s attack, seven of them in critical condition. Authorities said the teenager first shot and killed his 73-year-old grandfather and 74-year-old grandmother at their home before taking a school bus to Debsirin School in Nonthaburi, where he was a student. He later opened fire inside the school, killing five teachers before shooting himself. Thai media subsequently reported…
BELGRADE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Russia’s latest deadly attacks on Kyiv on Saturday during his first official visit to Serbia, one of the few European countries that has maintained friendly relations with Moscow throughout the war. Four people, including a 3-year-old child, were killed in overnight strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, struck oil facilities inside Russia. Zelenskyy arrived in Belgrade on Friday for the first visit by a Ukrainian president to Serbia in eight years. Speaking alongside Zelenskyy at a news conference, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic described Ukraine as a…
RIYADH —The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Saudi Arabia’s welcome of the UN Security Council members’ condemnation of Houthi missile attacks against the Kingdom since July 13, while calling on the international community to take a firm stance against practices that threaten efforts to achieve peace in Yemen. In a statement issued by the ministry on Saturday, Saudi Arabia welcomed the UN Security Council statement, issued on August 7, 2026, which condemned the missile attacks launched by the terrorist Houthi militia against the Kingdom since July 13, as well as attacks against commercial vessels since July 22. The Kingdom expressed…
JAZAN/ASIR — Saudi authorities arrested eight border security violators and one citizen in separate anti-drug operations, seizing a combined 293 kilograms of khat, 16 kilograms of hashish, and 37,290 tablets. In Asir, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Rabwah Sector arrested eight Ethiopian border security violators for attempting to smuggle 160 kilograms of khat. In a separate operation in Asir, security patrols arrested a Saudi citizen for possessing 133 kilograms of khat concealed inside his vehicle. Jazan Border Guard land patrols foiled an attempt to smuggle 16 kilograms of hashish and 37,290 tablets subject to medical circulation regulations. Meanwhile, in…
JEDDAH — The Milky Way will paint a striking band across skies in the Arab world during August, visible to the naked eye, particularly from dark locations away from light pollution. The absence of moonlight over the coming evenings will provide ideal conditions for observing the Milky Way with the naked eye. Majed Abu Zahra, head of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, explained that the hazy band stretching across the sky is an edge-on view of our galaxy, with summer nights offering prime viewing toward its dense core of stars, gas and cosmic dust. Source: Saudi Gazette