Political pressure is mounting on Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as an end-of-September deadline for US forces to leave Iraq approaches, while disputes over weapons, corruption, and a deepening financial crisis pile fresh strain on his government. Informed sources said al-Zaidi’s recent meetings»»»

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»»»

Tokyo: Nintendo said Thursday net profit jumped more than 50 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, helped by increased video game sales and a windfall connected to US tariff refunds. The Japanese gaming giant posted a net profit of 147.4 billion yen ($930 million) in April-June, up 53.5 percen»»»

New Delhi: The Bombay High Court on Thursday set aside the acquittal of former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague and convicted him of rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A Division Bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit»»»

Gold prices demonstrated the fastest single-day growth in the past six months, driven by easing tensions in the Middle East, a weakening US dollar, and a number of other factors, former Central Bank of Turkiye analyst Onur Dashdemir told Sputnik. "The combination of positive signals from the Middle»»»

TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Oil prices trended lower on Thursday on the progress in Iran-Oman talks, with investors cautiously waiting for signs of a US-Iran peace deal and progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell 33 cents, or 0.42 percent, to $79.12 a barrel by 07:18 a.m. Saudi ti»»»

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»»»

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (C) signs the Protect Act into law on Wednesday at La Colaborativa, a Latina-led nonprofit economic development agency in Chelsea, Mass. Photo courtesy Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey/X Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has signed landmark legislation t»»»

On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 1 of 6 | An unidentified newsman stands amid the rubble of Hiroshima in September 1945. On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city. UPI File Photo | License Photo Aug. 6 (UPI) -- On this date»»»

OMV Petrom Group’s CCA operating result excluding special items was 3 billion lei in the first half of the year, up 21%, in a market environment with high commodity prices. The result was supported by higher contributions from the Gas and Energy (G&E) and Refining and Marketing (R&M) divisions, the»»»

E.ON Energie Romania installed over 1,200 photovoltaic systems for residential customers in the first six months of 2026, through the E.ON Solar Home program, up 30% compared to the same period in 2025. Thus, the threshold of 10,500 photovoltaic systems installed for residential customers was excee»»»

The share of households owning photovoltaic systems in Romania increased from 8% to 11% in a single year, and 17% of Romanians intend to install such a system in the next 12 months, according to the findings of a study published on Monday.According to the research conducted by E.ON Energie Romania,»»»

Comparing the costs of energy generated from coal and gas with those of energy from renewable sources is incomplete unless the costs associated with storage, balancing, and security of energy supply are taken into account, argues Dumitru Chisalita, President of the Smart Energy Association (AEI), i»»»

Breast pain, nursing strikes and weaning are among mothers’ most common breastfeeding concerns, La Leche League counsellor Elena Gvozdeykova told BTA on Thursday. Gvozdeykova is taking part in events organized by the Sliven Regional Health Inspectorate for World Breastfeeding Week, observed from Au»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar national junior chess team delivered an impressive performance at the Arab Junior and Youth Chess Championship in Egypt, winning one gold, one silver and one bronze medal as the tournament concluded yesterday The championship, organised by the Egyptian Chess Federation under »»»

Doha, Qatar: American JuVaughn Harrison produced a world-leading jump of 2.34m to win the inaugural Monaco Athletics Festival yesterday, while Qatar’s three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic gold winner Mutaz Barshim finished ninth in the elite high jump competition yesterday. The event was par»»»

Russia accounted for 27.1 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign trade turnover, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said at the Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum in Issyk-Kul region. According to him, mutual trade between the two countries increased by 25.5 percent in the first five months of 2026,»»»

SEOUL: South Korean police raided the headquarters of Starbucks’ local operation as part of an investigation into a controversial marketing campaign that was perceived as defaming 1980s’ pro-democracy movements. Investigators searched the Starbucks headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday, police »»»

DUBAI: Fourteen runners will compete for the $40,000 (SR150,000) Alhada Cup at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif on Saturday, with Aez Alkhatir (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) seeking to improve on his runner-up performance in the Sarawat Cup on Saudi Cup weekend. Not seen since that run on Feb. 13, the Hom»»»

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad Football Club have announced the signing of Senegalese midfielder Dion Lopy from Almeria in the Spanish second division. The Senegalese international’s transfer was made official on Wednesday night. He signed a three-season contract with Al-Ittihad just 10 days before the start o»»»

‘Brothers’ Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Holland Taylor Where: Apple TV+ from Sept. 23 Comedy series in which two of Hollywood’s best-loved bros — Harrelson and McConaughey — play fictionalized versions of themselves. When Harrelson’s daughter is jilted at the altar, he takes her »»»

Hungary was named the 5th best country for expat career opportunities in 2026, based on a new survey by insurance specialists William Russell. The research comes from the international health insurance specialists William Russell, who analysed factors such as foreign-born employment rates, to revea»»»

NEW YORK: Lebanese journalist Christina Assi, who lost a leg in an Israeli strike while reporting from the Lebanese border, will be honored at the International Press Freedom Awards, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday. In October 2023, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was kille»»»

Doha, Qatar: American sprint legend Allyson Felix has chosen Aspire Academy in Doha as a key training base as she prepares for a return to competition with the goal of racing at the 2028 Olympic Games in her hometown of Los Angeles. Felix, 42, announced her return to competitive athletics in April »»»

The number of recipients of service pensions stood at 11,970 in June 2026, the same as in previous month, of whom 7,921 were receiving pensions from the State Social Insurance Budget (BASS - contributory), according to data centralised by the National Public Pensions House (CNPP).The largest number»»»

The Chamber of Deputies passed on Wednesday the decarbonization bill for the energy sector, including an amendment by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) that conditions the phase-out of lignite and hard-coal power units on the prior construction and commissioning of equivalent replacement capacity. »»»

The Government had no plans to shut down additional coal-based energy production capacities, and the amendments adopted by the Senate on decarbonisation do not address a real need, interim Minister of Investments and European Projects Dragos Pislaru said."We are reading the text of the amendments: »»»

Senate President Mircea Abrudean stated that if Romania is penalized or fails to receive the allocated European funds as a result of the bills amended and adopted by Parliament during the extraordinary session, the PSD must assume full responsibility."In recent days, it has become very clear who is»»»

Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan had a meeting on Wednesday at the Government House with representatives of the Concordia Employers' Confederation, to discuss issues regarding competitiveness of the Romania's economy, fiscal-budgetary measures and reform priorities.According to the government, t»»»

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu and her Serbian counterpart Marko Djuric discussed on Tuesday the possibility of restoring the cross-border rail link between Romania and Serbia, during a phone call focused on the exceptionally low water levels of the Danube.According to a statement from the Ser»»»

The coordinated efforts of the governments and businesses of Russia and Kyrgyzstan have made it possible to build a strong economic foundation for cooperation between the two countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, RIA Novosti reports. The head of state sent greetings to the participant»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pakistan, Russia, and Belarus are planning to launch a test freight rail route, but the main obstacle remains the unfinished transit section in Iran, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said. "We are actively working on a test freight rail route connecting Minsk, M»»»

Doha, Qatar: As children spend increasing amounts of time on screens, Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Pre-University Education is offering a healthier alternative through its Mukhayamna summer camp, which encourages physical activity, social interaction, and personal development. The camp provides programm»»»

Doha, Qatar: United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, is participating in Visit Qatar’s Hala Summer campaign through Astroverse, a dedicated family entertainment activation taking place at Crystal Walk, Gewan Island. Astroverse offers an immersive famil»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s banking sector remained resilient in June 2026, with total assets holding steady at QR2.197 trillion, according to QNB’s latest monthly banking sector report. Total assets were unchanged from May but 2.1 percent higher than year-end 2025. The report showed that the sector’s tot»»»

Kyrgyzstan has introduced a permit system for climbers attempting to summit Pobeda Peak, the highest point of the Tien Shan mountain range at an altitude of more than 7,400 meters. The State Agency for Tourism Development of Kyrgyzstan reported. «We are introducing a permit system for ascents of Po»»»

Investigators have documented evidence that Ukrainian militants committed particularly serious crimes in 25 villages of Russia's Kursk Region, Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told Sputnik. "Crimes committed by Ukrainian militants against civilians in Kursk and Sudzha, »»»

Doha: The Social and Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM) and the Qatar Foundation for Social Work have signed a funding agreement to support the Vocational Rehabilitation Programme at Al Shafallah Centre. Through this partnership, DAAM will provide financial support to help deliver a structured programm»»»

The regional department of the Land and Water Supervision Service for Naryn region has conducted an inspection into the misuse and degradation of pasture lands in Uchkun aiyl aimak of Naryn district. The Ministry of Agriculture reported. The inspection found that livestock owners in Uchkun aiyl aim»»»

Dubai: Eleven hundred tonnes of moon went up on Wednesday morning, and nobody on Earth watched it happen. The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9, designated 2025-010D, struck the Moon at 06.34 GMT on Wednesday 5 August, which was 10.34am UAE time. It was travelling at around seven times the speed of »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Academic Bridge Programme (ABP), part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education, will host Harvard Model Congress Middle East 2027 from January 14 to 16, 2027 at Education City, following the success of the inaugural Qatar edition held in 2026. Early registration is open until»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) has successfully concluded its “Your Bridge to the Future” programme, which provided university students with practical, hands-on experience in the electricity and water sectors. The initiative featured field visits to key Kahr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Old Doha Port today announced that Qatar Airways, the Official Travel Partner of Qatar Boat Show 2026, is offering exclusive discounted fares for visitors travelling to Doha to attend the third edition of the event, taking place from November 4-7, 2026. Available across Qatar Airways’ »»»

On 29 July, a drone struck a floating American storage and regasification unit at Damietta Port on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, setting it ablaze. The fire spread to a Greek-owned LNG tanker anchored nearby. The port is central to Cairo’s plan to turn Egypt into an energy hub for the Eastern Medite»»»

Doha, Qatar: The sixth Summer Forum at the Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center, affiliated with Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, officially began on Sunday, August 2, 2026, with the participation of 120 male and female students who are non-native A»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has invited the public to participate in a beach cleanup campaign at Beach 974 on Friday, August 7, aimed at protecting Qatar’s marine environment and fostering a culture of volunteerism and shared community responsibility. The initiative, announced via the»»»

Dubai: RAK Ceramics’ board has proposed an interim dividend of 10 fils per share for the first half of 2026 after the company reported a 2.9% increase in second-quarter net profit. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The proposed distribution amounts to Dh99.3 million and »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Medical Affairs Division of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has received Accreditation Canada Diamond Level, following a successful final audit of the four Workers’ Health Centers operated by QRCS in strategic partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). QRCS receiv»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Doha held a press briefing yesterday regarding the current developments in Sudan, delivered by the Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the State of Qatar H E Badreddine Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed. At the beginning of the press conference, His Exc»»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of its ongoing efforts to advance digital accessibility and empower older persons to independently access and benefit from digital services, Mada Assistive Technology Center delivered two specialised training workshops in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and the Mini»»»