QUSRA, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s defense minister called Friday for the police to take over law enforcement in the occupied West Bank from the military, which has come under fire from the right-wing for trying to remove settlers harassing Palestinians. The measure, if implemented, would be »»»

Russian forces are preparing to “completely choke off Ukraine’s last remaining waterway,” and the latest overnight strikes on Izmail port and its railway hub confirm that intent, military expert Yevgeny Mikhailov tells Sputnik. Severing these arteries could slash NATO deliveries by up to two-thirds»»»

Paris: Firefighters across Europe struggled against multiple fires Friday as a new wave of record-breaking heat baked a swath of the continent, their task further complicated by exceptionally parched landscapes. The historic temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change, and are hitting co»»»

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed the UAE's full solidarity with Kuwait and its support for measures taken by the security authorities to foil a terrorist plot targeting a vital facility, and the arrest of a Kuwaiti citizen who joi»»»

Batwara 1947: Sunny Deol's partition drama is loud, lumbering and painfully on the noseDirector: Rajkumar SantoshiCast: Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta, Sunny Deol, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol ★★Dubai: There is a potentially moving film buried somewhere inside Batwara 1947, an India-Pakistan partition drama b»»»

DUBAI: Since Sunday, Israeli settlers have laid siege to the West Bank village of Qusra to drive out its Palestinian inhabitants and claim their homes as their own. The harrowing event, which has seen three Palestinian families cut off from water, electricity and the outside world by a settler enca»»»

TOKYO: Record-breaking rainfall flooded cities east of Tokyo overnight, killing at least five people, injuring over two dozen others and stranding thousands, authorities said Friday. As the deluge subsided, the Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its most severe heavy-rain warning in more than a»»»

BANGKOK: Myanmar’s largest city has registered a concerning rise in acute diarrhea cases, state media said Friday, adding to the hardships of a country grappling with severe flooding and civil war. The state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper said 182 patients from Yangon were admitted to the city’s genera»»»

JEDDAH: Baek Seungyeon’s debut novel, “The Seoul Letter Shop,” is a story about letters, the companionship born of ink, and the connections that can grow in unexpected places. Translated from Korean by Clare Richards and forthcoming from Harper Perennial in October, I picked the novel as my first r»»»

At a briefing in Pleven on Friday, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the government is taking concrete measures to fulfill its programme. "Consistently, by taking clear and concrete steps, we are fulfilling our election promises. Firstly, we have eliminated the oligarchy from political power. Th»»»

Hungary’s Constitutional Court has rejected a petition submitted by Fidesz challenging the constitutional amendment concerning public interest asset management foundations, known as KEKVAs. The court dismissed the petition without examining its substance, ruling that it did not have the jurisdictio»»»

The Government will propose legislative changes on youth violence by the end of September, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Friday. Speaking at a media briefing in Pleven, he was responding to a question about the killing of Georgi Kuzev at Youth Hill in Plovdiv. “What is happening with some youn»»»

PARIS: France said on Friday it welcomed with “great satisfaction” Mali’s decision to pardon a French intelligence agent serving a 20-year jail term, a rare gesture after years of tensions between the two countries. “France expresses its great satisfaction following the release of Yann Vezilier,” t»»»

RIGA: NATO said Friday its fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace, the latest incursion along the military alliance’s eastern flank bordering Russia. The military alliance has launched an investigation, a NATO spokesperson said, as concerns grow in Europe over unauthorized dro»»»

The U.S. Court of International Trade threw out a legal challenge to President Trump's executive order scrapping the so-called de minimum exemption loophole under which goods worth less than $800 could enter the United States duty free. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) »»»

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oak Hammock Marsh (@oakhammockmarsh) Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A 15-year-old African spurred tortoise who escaped from her owner's Manitoba home was found two weeks later at a nature preserve more than 12 miles from home. The Oak Hammock Marsh nature preserve in »»»

Vladimir Zelensky has made an unusually specific claim about what Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian ballistic missiles. In an interview with CNN, Zelensky said Ukraine currently has enough Patriot interceptors to amount to roughly 1% of America’s existing stockpile – itself reportedly »»»

Rome: The Colosseum has extended opening hours at night this summer to allow more visitors to see the famous Roman amphitheatre in cooler temperatures after sunset. The night tours, which run until 11:00 pm, are sold out and tourists on one visit this week spoke of a "magical" and "romantic" atmosp»»»

Geneva: Swiss police said Friday they were still appealing for witnesses to come forward in connection with a fire they believe was deliberately started outside the Romanian embassy in Bern. The blaze broke out on Monday and according to initial findings, "the fire was started deliberately", the Be»»»

JAKARTA: Saudi utility developer Acwa has announced that it will set up a $400 million integrated facility for seawater desalination and salt production in Indonesia’s East Java, with Jakarta eyeing tech upgrades and knowledge transfer through its latest collaboration with the Kingdom. Acwa and Ind»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belgium ramped up imports of Russian gas by 27% in June from May, becoming the main buyer of Russian gas in Europe for the first time since July 2025, Eurostat data examined by Sputnik showed. Belgium's year-on-year imports of Russian liquefied natural gas almost doubled to $309.»»»

RIYADH: MBC Studios hosted an exclusive premiere on Thursday of the first episode of the Saudi Arabia series “Ahmar Wala Abyad,” with the cast and creative team behind the show. The event offered an early look at the eight-episode drama, which explores family tensions, ambition and betrayal through»»»

Dubai: Egyptian food-control authorities have shut down an unlicensed biscuit factory in Qalyubia governorate after inspectors found expired ingredients and a black vegetable-carbon colouring, known as E153, that was reportedly being used in place of cocoa to give biscuits their dark colour, local »»»

EducationGerman teens worry as schools reopen in pandemicNicolas MartinIn Germany, schools are already preparing for students to return. But some parents and children think that the authorities are being too hasty in easing coronavirus lockdowns. https://p.dw.com/p/3bKihImage: picture-alliance/dpa/»»»

Visiting Pleven on Friday, Prime Minister Rumen Radev told reporters: "We have taken the risk this year of running a higher deficit so there would be a solution to people’s problems." He gave a briefing after a meeting with Pleven Mayor Valentin Hristov, Pleven Regional Governor Ivan Petkov, and th»»»

Kochi: The Kerala government led by Chief Minister Satheesan is mounting an ambitious drive to attract more tourists from the Arab world, targeting nearly three lakh additional visitors and hoping to generate more than Rs 25,000 crore in economic activity from the segment over the next five years. »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - All the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine will be achieved, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday. "We regularly hear strong statements. And Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly warns that all the goals of the special military operation will b»»»

All 20 new Skoda trains are expected to be in operation by August 20, after which Alstom trains will be delivered, bringing the number of new trains in service to about 60 by the beginning of September, Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev said on Friday while travelling on the first S»»»

The United Arab Emirates on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two vessels linked to its state-owned oil company as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait, frequently attacking commercial ships, and wants to charge users for passa»»»

MANILA: On a Manila court made of crushed seashells, an earnest four-year-old sends a forehand sailing wide — one of dozens of kids aiming to follow in the footsteps of the Philippines’ first homegrown tennis sensation, Alexandra Eala. The 21-year-old’s rise has sparked a rush of interest in a spor»»»

DUBAI: An oil spill spreading along Oman’s coast is threatening fragile marine ecosystems that support endangered Arabian Sea humpback whales, critically endangered hawksbill turtles and vulnerable seabirds, raising concerns over the long-term impact on some of the region’s most threatened wildlife»»»

CATANIA: Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Saturday because of ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing volcanic activity, which has forced hundreds of flights to be canceled or rerouted over the past week. All arrivals at the island hub, Italy’s fifth-busiest airport by p»»»

German camera maker Leica has excluded a Russian photographer from its prestigious Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) following Ukrainian criticism over his links to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency. Valery Melnikov, a three-time World Press Photo winner, said in a social media post this week that his l»»»

The US intelligence community doubted reports of an Iranian plot to kill President Donald Trump by shooting down Air Force One as it departed a NATO summit in Türkiye, the Washington Post has reported. Their assessment was reportedly conveyed to the administration, yet the Secret Service still opte»»»

AL-MUKALLA: The chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, has urged the Iran-backed Houthis to lay down their arms and become a political party, saying the internationally recognized government seeks permanent peace rather than another temporary truce as the militia cont»»»

1/14Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Shafqat Ali Khan, hoists the national flag during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi.Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi2/14In Dubai Fawad Ahmed Khan Acting Consul General along with Consul officials, led the celebrations in the city»»»

Speaking to journalists after the opening of three new stations on Line 3 of Sofia's Metro underground railway on Friday, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said that Prime Minister Rumen Radev's governance programme contains measures that are relevant and important for Sofia Municipality. On August 12, th»»»

Beyond market dynamics and the completion of a transaction, a significant portion of its value is created during the post-transaction integration phase. Employee transfers represent one of the areas where the buyer may inherit exposures that are not always visible at the time of acquisition. Along »»»

Count BinFace (C) is joined on stage by other candidates in Clacton in the early hours of Friday as he celebrates his second place finish in Thursday's byelection. Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, who won, did not attend after his party claimed there had been a "credible" threat made against him. P»»»

Israeli occupation forces stepped up attacks in southern Lebanon, with Al-Manar correspondents reporting strikes and demolitions in several towns and villages overnight Thursday into Friday. Most prominent attacks took place in the town of Al-Mansouri and the area surrounding it, in Tyre district. »»»

Narita, Japan: At least five people died in eastern Japan after "unprecedented" heavy rain that left thousands stranded at Narita airport overnight and snarled up roads and rail services, authorities said Friday. The torrential downpours late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and power outages,»»»

Hungary’s newly elected President András Baka has already achieved a level of public support that his predecessor, Tamás Sulyok, never managed to reach, according to a new poll commissioned by Telex. The survey, commissioned by Telex and conducted by the 21 Research Centre on 11 and 12 August – the»»»

Kuwait: Kuwaiti authorities have arrested a citizen accused of turning his home into an indoor marijuana-growing operation, seizing six kilograms of marijuana, hashish and thousands of dinars in suspected drug proceeds. The arrest followed an investigation by the International Drug Control Departme»»»

FASAYIL, West Bank: On a searing summer day, Israeli settlers splashed in a West Bank pool created by siphoning off water that had irrigated Palestinian crops, one of many seizures of water resources across the occupied territory. The spring served as a lifeline for the nearby village of Fasayil in»»»

DUBAI: Arab nations have condemned the latest Iranian attacks against UAE commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in what was described as a threat to maritime safety and security. Two tankers linked to UAE-based ADNOC were targeted on Thursday, the second such incident involving ADNOC »»»

President Donald Trump on Thursday imposed tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and their components, including from key US allies, citing national security concerns and a need to reduce US reliance on foreign suppliers. The measures are set to take effect in 21 days. President Donald Trump sai»»»

Israeli settlers are conducting a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. The IDF has nominally interv»»»

Reports of declining mental health and supply issues have been flagged by US sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln deployed to the Middle East, with some attempting to throw themselves into the sea. The ship has so far spent a record 260 uninterrupted days at sea as it supports the war in»»»

DUBAI: “Sustainably sourced.” “Ethically produced.” “Farmer friendly.” These are among the claims increasingly appearing on coffee bags around the world, reassuring consumers that the drink in their cup is helping protect the environment while supporting the people who grow it. But behind those lab»»»

Dubai: After two years of trying his luck, After two years of trying his luck, Arifuzzaman Shuvo has become one of Big Ticket's newest winners, taking home Dh100,000 in the Series 289 consolation prize draw. The 38-year-old manager from Bangladesh has called Ajman home for the past 17 years, living»»»