Doha, Qatar: The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) yesterday announced significant milestones achieved through its training arm, the Institute of Public Administration, reinforcing the country’s commitment to building national competencies and elevating government performance. A»»»

Dubai: Gold buyers in the UAE saw some relief on Thursday morning after local prices retreated from their highest levels of August, although rates remain well above where they started the month. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and »»»

Vietnam, a country of more than 100 million people, is facing a sharp decline in its birthrate. Once known for large families, the nation's fertility rate has fallen to just 1.9 children per woman. This figure worries the government, which for decades was obsessed with controlling population growth»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov congratulated Andras Baka on his election as the leader of Hungary. In his congratulatory message, the head of state noted the friendly nature of relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and Hungary, based on mutual respect, trust, and the historical and cultural »»»

The US-Iran standoff is deepening as Washington tightens pressure on Tehran and the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted, keeping shipping, oil markets and regional aviation on alert. US forces have now redirected 59 commercial vessels as part of efforts to enforce the Iran blockade, while t»»»

Doha, Qatar: Commercial violations that directly threaten consumers’ health and safety are treated as high-risk cases in Qatar, with authorities taking immediate action that can be completed within hours, a senior Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) official has said. Mohammed Ali Al-Ozba, Ass»»»

Doha, Qatar: As summer temperatures soar in Qatar, children can move from playing outdoors to becoming seriously unwell in a matter of minutes, with dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke among the risks parents need to recognise early, according to Chair of Pediatric Medicine at Sidra Medici»»»

Electric vehicles imported into Kyrgyzstan under the quota are not intended for resale, Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Sultan Akhmatov said at a press conference. According to him, the additional quota for 10,000 electric vehicles should not be distributed among importers. The increased qu»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s construction and urban development sector recorded stronger activity during the second quarter of 2026, with the Ministry of Municipality reporting a significant rise in building permits, licences, certificates and approved plans compared with the first quarter. According to ne»»»

UAE residents travelling to India around Independence Day on August 15 should plan ahead, with airports across the country stepping up security and warning passengers to expect longer processing times. India will celebrate its 80th Independence Day on Saturday, with enhanced security measures in pl»»»

DUBAI: US intelligence officials were skeptical of an alleged Iranian assassination threat against President Donald Trump during his trip to Turkiye for the NATO summit, which prompted a secretive plan to fly him out of the country in an alternative military aircraft. The assassination threat was r»»»

Rescuers in Bishkek pulled a man out of a sewer manhole, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. The incident occurred on August 12 near a residential building on Chui Avenue. Five rescuers from the Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for Bishkek were dispatched to the scene. »»»

Amsterdam: Former Spain international midfielder Xavi Hernandez has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands national football team, succeeding Ronald Koeman, who resigned following the 2026 World Cup, the Dutch Football Association announced today, Wednesday. The 46-year-old coach, who led Bar»»»

Dubai, UAE: An oil spill from a tanker that ran aground off Oman has reached the coastline, state media reported, while monsoon winds were obstructing containment efforts, the United Nations' maritime agency said on Wednesday. The Oman News Agency (ONA) quoted the country's environment authority as»»»

UAE travellers flying today are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as airlines continue to adjust some regional services while overall operations remain largely stable. Etihad Airways, Emirates, Air Arabia and flydubai continue to operate services across the region,»»»

DUBAI: The Trump administration has criticized Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s comments to keeps troops in southern Lebanon, as his declarations contravened commitments made by the Israeli government under the agreement signed with the US and Lebanon. “The United States expects all parties t»»»

Bioengineers at NUST MISIS have created a new gel for rapid wound healing based on a food thickener derived from algae. The agent helps cells cope with the inflammation that arises immediately after an injury and, under unfavorable conditions, can hinder skin recovery, the university’s press servic»»»

Many see András Baka becoming Hungary’s next president as a form of historical justice after his controversial removal. But does that make the removal of Sulyok any more democratic? The similarities between the removal of András Baka in 2011 and that of Tamás Sulyok in 2026 are difficult to ignore.»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin had lunch with the crew of the Guards missile cruiser Varyag and thanked Pacific Fleet sailors for conducting the fleet’s exercises. “I want to thank the commander, the captain and all of you for the exercises, for organizing the exercises,” Putin said.He stressed t»»»

A US Army-funded artillery plant near Dallas, built to produce 155mm shells for Ukraine, never produced a single usable shell, ProPublica reported. Workers described robots catching fire, machines smashing into equipment, steel cracking beyond repair and giant presses needing to be beaten with a sl»»»

TradeGermanyRhine River's low water levelsDW reportersDrought conditions in Germany have caused water levels in the Rhine River, a vital waterway for shipping, to drop critically low. https://p.dw.com/p/5Igj4Image: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture allianceAdvertisementSend us your feedbackYour feed»»»

Dr Vladimir Vasev Daskalov and Stanimir Mihaylov have been nominated for the post of Governor of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) by the Progressive Bulgaria and the Continue the Change parliamentary groups, respectively. Zdravko Shushkov has been nominated for the post of Deputy Governor »»»

DUBAI: Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source, who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a time frame to implement it.The comments wer»»»

JAKARTA/TAIPEI: Indonesia’s navy said on Wednesday that joint exercises which China said took place east of Taiwan were routine and not related to “war fighting,” after Taipei expressed alarm and called them dangerous. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and in June beg»»»

President Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on ensuring the security of Russia’s eastern borders after observing the final stage of Pacific Fleet drills aboard the missile cruiser Varyag. Here are the key points:Putin said the main task remains ensuring the security of the Russian »»»

Manila: For motorists heading from Metro Manila to Quezon and Bicol, the journey south has long been defined by one frustrating bottleneck: the stretch of the Maharlika Highway between Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Tiaong, Quezon. That may finally begin to change this year. The Philippine Department of »»»

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON after landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Long Beach, Calif., on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Fincke announced his retirement on Wednesday. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA/UP»»»

Rescuers in Colombia faced a race against time Wednesday as they searched collapsed buildings for survivors after the country's strongest earthquake this century. The magnitude 7.4 quake has killed 265 people and injured more than 3,500, with nearly 500 still missing. Colombia's earthquake rescue e»»»

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday that it had redirected 59 commercial vessels as part of its “blockade against Iran.” The CENTCOM announced the updated figures in a post on X, saying that “An F/A-18 fighter jet launches from the flight deck of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) while t»»»

PANAMA CITY: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth floated on Wednesday the possibility of joint strikes on Colombian armed groups, as he welcomed the nation into a military-led counter-narcotics coalition after its conservative president took over last week. Colombia had authorized “joint military ope»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, an island ​in the disputed Kuril Islands chain claimed by both Russia and Japan, state news agency TASS said on Thursday. The neighbors never signed ‌a formal ‌World War ​Two ‌peace treaty ⁠as ​the main ⁠hurdle was the unresolved territorial dispute »»»

NEW YORK: Donald Trump was sued on Wednesday by two media entities seeking to shut down a new service that sells paid access to the US president’s posts, including some that can move markets, on his Truth Social platform. The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court by the Intercept and the Freed»»»

Further water level decline is expected on the Danube, and as a result, Fővárosi Vízművek called on consumers on Wednesday to reduce their use of mains drinking water. “The current forecast for the Danube’s water level demands serious attention and responsible water use from all of us. The temporar»»»

The Pentagon was accused of whitewashing US Army crimes after publishing its annual estimate of civilian casualties in 2025.The report, submitted to Congress late Monday and obtained by US news outlets, contains numbers that are far lower than estimates by independent outlets.The Pentagon concluded»»»

The DIB, the world’s leading Islamic financial group and the largest Islamic bank in the UAE, has announced the launch of its first Youth Council, creating a structured platform for young employees to bring forward fresh perspectives and ideas, contribute to relevant initiatives and take an active »»»

The government has ordered the immediate construction of a riverbed weir on the Danube between the Paks nuclear power plant and the settlement of Dunaszentbenedek. In parallel, as a temporary measure, two barges, each eighty metres long, are being placed on standby at Paks so that, if necessary, th»»»

The government is preparing a three-day series of events for the national holiday on 20 August, during which the fireworks display will be shorter than usual, government spokesperson Éva Magyar said at a Wednesday event in Budapest where the programme was presented. The series of events will cost 4»»»

The Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary group leader called András Baka, elected head of state on Tuesday, unworthy of the office of President of the Republic, in a post on Facebook. Fidesz and KDNP members of parliament did not attend the election and inauguration of the new head of state in the Nationa»»»

Dubai: Jordanian authorities have arrested a woman found begging in central Amman with about $46,600 in cash, the Ministry of Social Development said. Anti-begging teams from the ministry, working with the Public Security Directorate, apprehended the woman in Amman’s downtown area as part of effort»»»

An intergovernmental agreement has been signed between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Swiss Federal Council on international road transport of passengers and goods. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, on August 12, Minister Talantbek Soltobaev met wit»»»

Lebanon has become the first Arab country in the world to abolish the death penalty. Parliament approved the decision, replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment with hard labor, Asharq Al-Awsat reports . A majority of the 128 lawmakers voted in favor of abolishing the death penalty. The H»»»

Dubai-Sharjah traffic is building across several key commuter routes this morning, with the latest Google Maps view showing a mix of heavy congestion and slower-moving traffic at major interchanges. On the Sharjah side, E88 Al Dhaid Road is mostly moving, but the map shows pockets of orange and red»»»

Dubai: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has opened up about his long fitness journey, revealing how he brought his weight down from 135kg to 89kg and made regular exercise a non-negotiable part of his daily routine. Gadkari discussed his transformation during a recent ap»»»

Chinese Cinema Days kicked off in Bishkek on August 12. The first audience was shown Shenzhou 13, a film largely shot in orbit by members of the Chinese space mission. Cosmonauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu spent six months on the Chinese space station and filmed the action themselves»»»

MAKKAH: The Muslim World League has launched an initiative to promote social peace in West Africa, bringing together religious, political and civil society leaders around a joint framework for strengthening coexistence and preventing conflict. MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization »»»

Kyrgyzstan will soon begin assembling passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and specialized vehicles with electric engines. According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, production is planned to begin with large-knockdown assembly, followed by a transition to small-knockdown assembly and a full»»»

New York: A Chicago jury awarded $29 million in damages to the family of an Irish-born United Nations employee who died in a 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash, a US court spokesman said Wednesday. The civil suit was brought against Boeing by Naoise Connolly Ryan, widow of Michael "Mick" Ryan, an engineer w»»»

Dubai: As Pakistan marks its 79th Independence Day anniversary, Pakistanis living and working in the UAE have renewed their call for greater unity, stronger institutions, quality education and wider opportunities for the country’s young population, while expressing pride in their homeland and confi»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia is moving to prohibit the use of children in fundraising advertisements under new draft rules aimed at tightening oversight of donation campaigns and protecting donors and beneficiaries. The National Center for the Non-Profit Sector has published its draft Fundraising Governance»»»