WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran are not currently in talks to end the war as Washington focuses on pressuring Tehran economically, but all options remain “on the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. “What President Trump’s numbe»»»

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama died at the age of 97 on August 14 in Tokyo, her company said Thursday. The avant-garde artist known as the “polka dot queen” had channelled her hallucinations and traumas into her work over the course of a career spanning several decades. Japan's Yayoi Kusama, one of t»»»

The Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) is supporting people affected by flooding in Strumyani Municipality following heavy rainfall on August 24 and 25, the organization said on Thursday. Teams from the BRC Regional Council in Blagoevgrad are working on the ground, providing bottled water, disinfectants and»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar welcomes the conduct of the first field verification mission of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (+EJVM) in the Minembwe area, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on August 24, 2026, as part of the Doha Process. The mission marks a first practical step towards»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Airways has launched its latest partnership with Uber for Business to enhance the corporate travel experience by delivering greater flexibility and convenience for businesses and corporate travellers worldwide. Through this partnership, members of Qatar Airways’ corporate travel »»»

Mark Owen is pleased to welcome Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative. He argues that Ukraine’s expanding long-range strike campaign has helped Ukraine “stay in this game” by raising the economic, military and social costs of Russia’s invasion and, crucially, by bringing the »»»

As drought in Europe brings river levels to record lows, a group of volunteers scans the dried-up Danube riverbank in northern Bulgaria, not far from where the receding waters revealed mammoth bones in July. About 20 volunteers join an effort in the hope of discovering new fossils or artifacts»»»

Police in Plovdiv seized more than 1.8 kilograms of jelly candies containing a psychoactive substance, along with more than a kilogram of marijuana, during a specialized drug operation, authorities said. The operation was conducted Tuesday evening by officers from the Criminal Police Department wit»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Lottery marked one of its biggest nights for the Pick4 game yet, with 13 Dh5 tickets winning Dh25,000 each in last Wednesday's draw. The game paid out Dh341,000 in total, with a further 16 tickets, which matched the same digits but, in any order, each winning Dh1,000. According t»»»

Flights from Vienna to Burgas will start earlier than usual in 2027, with Austrian Airlines launching the seasonal route on May 8, ahead of Eurovision 2027, Burgas Airport said on Thursday. The direct connection is expected to make travel to the Bulgarian seaside city easier for visitors attending »»»

New York, Aug. 27 (SANA) Oil prices rose Thursday, reversing earlier losses as traders weighed signs of diplomatic progress involving Iran against lingering risks to Middle East energy supplies. Brent crude futures gained 71 cents, or 0.81%, to $88.55 a barrel at 1128 GMT, while US West Texas Inter»»»

Flights between Vienna and Burgas will begin earlier than originally planned next year, with the change intended to give Eurovision visitors more travel options ahead of the song contest in the Bulgarian Black Sea city. Burgas Airport said the flights operated by Austrian Airlines will start on May»»»

Sharjah: School bus drivers and supervisors have received safety and emergency response training as Sharjah Civil Defence steps up preparations for the new academic year. The Sharjah Civil Defence Authority has trained 1,200 school bus drivers and supervisors as part of its preparations for student»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will open a 5-kilometre expansion of Emirates Road on August 30, adding two lanes for traffic travelling from Sharjah towards the Wadi Al Amardi area. The expansion is aimed at easing congestion on one of the main routes connecting Dubai with Sharj»»»

A Jerusalem Magistrate's Court judge acquitted a man accused of attacking a Catholic nun based on his insanity defense, but ordered him committed to psychiatric hospitalization for up to six years. The violent assault in April on a nun walking in her habit in Jerusalem's Old City sent shock waves a»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump says his country does not need Canada. But every day, roughly 4 million barrels of Canadian crude oil flow south, helping fuel American cars, trucks and airplanes and supply U.S. industry. And oil is only the beginning. Canada also supplies aluminum, potash to U.S. farms»»»

A Virginia woman picked up her phone during her lunch break and won a $1,727,474 prize from an online lottery game. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A Virginia woman picked up her phone during her lunch break and won a $1,727,474 prize from an online lottery game. T»»»

Wednesday marks National Dog Day, an annual celebration of canine companions like this very good boy, Spirit. Photo by Ben Hooper/UPI Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Wednesday marks the 22nd annual National Dog Day, a holiday founded in 2004 to celebrate cute canine companions of all shapes and sizes. The holiday»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia and Syria have signed two memorandums of understanding on transport aimed at supporting studies for the rehabilitation of Syria’s road and railway networks, easing cross-border trade and strengthening regional connectivity as economic ties deepen. Syrian Minister of Transport Y»»»

Sharjah: Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi has highlighted the generations of Emirati women whose contributions have helped shape the UAE, saying progress becomes more meaningful when it creates opportunities for others. In a statement marking Emirati Women’s Day 2026, Sheikha Bodour said the ad»»»

ConflictsChinaCould new US sanctions tear China and Iran apart?Wesley Rahn | Erning ZhuWashington's strategy of putting maximum economic pressure on Iran is tempered by its desire to smooth political tensions with China. https://p.dw.com/p/5JUFhChinese oil purchases are a cricital lifeline for Iran»»»

Damascus, Aug. 27 (SANA) The price of 21-karat gold in the Syrian market fell by 100 Syrian pounds Thursday from Wednesday, with the selling price declining to 16,800 SYP ($137.70) per gram, according to a bulletin issued by the General Authority for Precious Metals Management. The Authority set th»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met, virtually, on Thursday, with President of the African Development Bank Group, HE Dr. Sidi Ould Tah. During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation relations between the State of Qa»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met, virtually, on Thursday, with Minister of National Cohesion, Solidarity and the Fight Against Poverty of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, HE Belmonde Dogo. During the meeting, they discussed c»»»

Bayer Construct Ltd. has filed a request with the court to initiate insolvency proceedings, Attila Balázs, the owner of the Bayer Group, told employees yesterday. According to the company chief, developments over recent months have left the business facing serious financial exposure. He cited regul»»»

TEHRAN: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met in Tehran with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran HE Abbas Araghchi. Discussion during the meeting dealt with the latest developments in the region and the effo»»»

The Media Literacy Coalition and the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria are organizing "Media Literacy Month 2026" in September, a national campaign dedicated to critical thinking, recognizing disinformation and developing skills for navigating today’s information environment, the Media»»»

Paris, France: World record holder Sabastian Sawe, the first man to break the mythical two-hour barrier, has pulled out of this month's Berlin Marathon because of injury, the Kenyan announced on Thursday. Berlin, which will take place on September 27, was due to be Sawe's first outing since April w»»»

Doha, Qatar: Gold prices rose 0.50% on Thursday during the current week to reach $4627.57000 per ounce, according to data issued by Qatar National Bank (QNB). Spot gold rose to $4604.51710 an ounce recorded on Sunday. Among other precious metals, spot silver rose 0.32% to $69.17880 an ounce, compar»»»

Dubai: Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), on Thursday opened the second edition of the Emirati Women’s Forum 2026, held as the UAE marks Emirati Women’s Day. The forum, organised by the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE)»»»

Has the doomscrolling finally met its doom? It might just seem that the prayer of many parents has finally been answered: Meta’s landmark settlement might just signal a significant shift. Should tech companies finally shoulder more of the responsibility for protecting children? For years, the respo»»»

Abu Dhabi will waive fees for Darb road tolls and public parking under the Mawaqif system system on Friday, August 28, to mark the Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday holiday, Q Mobility announced. Darb toll gates at Sas Al Nakhl, Al Maqta, Rabdan and Saadiyat will be free on Friday, with charges resuming »»»

Dubai: If your child is starting kindergarten, grade 1 or grade 2 in public schools and private schools managed by the Ministry of Education this year, there will be no homework in their school bag when the new academic year begins on August 31. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has scrapped homework»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to President of Nepal HE Ramchandra Paudel, on the victims of the floods and landslides that struck the country, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.»»»

Charges have been brought in connection with the investigation into Lot 4 of the Hemus Motorway, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPO) reported on Thursday. For a considerable time, the materials relating to the pre-trial proceedings were not actually available to the supervising prosecutors an»»»

Madrid: Thieves on Thursday raided the Treasure of Villena -- one of the greatest Bronze Age gold collections -- in the latest high-profile heist on a European museum, officials said. The raid on the 50-plus mainly gold objects in the Spanish town of Villena lasted just minutes. "The alarm at the V»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hormuz Shipping Traffic Rises Slightly, Data Shows 27-08-2026 15:02 PM Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, off the coast o»»»

Specialists from the municipal enterprise Digital Technologies Center and the developers of My City app, have created a separate Volunteer app for volunteers at the 6th World Nomad Games. The app will help volunteers navigate the Games venues and access the necessary information, the Bishkek City H»»»

RIYADH: Bahrain’s non-oil economy grew 2.2 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, despite a contraction in overall gross domestic product amid regional disruptions, official data showed. According to a quarterly report by the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, real GDP fell 3.8 p»»»

The Middle East is entering a new security era. For decades, the regional order was largely shaped by the United States providing a broad security umbrella; Israel preserving its qualitative edge; Iran projecting influence through long-range weapons and proxies; and Arab states relying on Washingto»»»

Dubai: The head of Baghdad Municipality Police in the Karkh district was killed and four others wounded on Thursday when gunfire erupted during an operation to remove illegal structures and encroachments in southern Baghdad, local sources reported. Brigadier Hisham was killed at the scene after mun»»»

Sharjah: Emirati women invested Dh2.7 billion in Sharjah’s real estate market in the first eight months of 2026, with both the number of investors and properties traded rising from a year earlier, official figures showed. The investments covered 3,385 properties and involved 3,737 Emirati women inv»»»

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly on Thursday, Vazrazhdane MP Kosta Stoyanov said the party will nominate its own candidates for president and vice president, "unlike the main candidates announced so far who were nominated by initiative committees". The deadline for nominating candid»»»

Tehran: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Thursday in Tehran with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran HE Abbas Aragchi. During the meeting, they reviewed the latest developments in the region and the »»»

As Canada moves to reduce its dependence on American military suppliers, the push is on display inside a Toronto garment factory. Hunched over sewing machines, two workers rapidly stitch together pieces of camouflage-patterned fabric and Velcro strips. In the next room, workers snip stray threads a»»»

According to preliminary information from the Chinese side, there are no citizens of Kyrgyzstan among those killed or missing in Tibet and Nepal, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. A mudslide occurred on August 26 in Gyirong County of Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The disa»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s contracting sector continued to see strong project activity in July, with the Saudi Contractors Authority reporting 11 projects worth more than SR9.75 billion ($2.60 billion) awarded during the month. The projects span building and construction, infrastructure, and water and »»»

Dubai: Flights from the UAE to Kathmandu are continuing to operate despite deadly flash floods and landslides across parts of Nepal and Tibet, with flydubai confirming to Gulf News that its "Nepal services are operating as scheduled." Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe»»»

A retired lieutenant colonel was dismissed from the Defence Ministry two days ago amid suspicions of misconduct in a public procurement procedure, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters at the Council of Ministers on Thursday. He did not identify the former employee or mention the value o»»»

Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service Abdikarim Alimbaev assessed the readiness of border guards serving at Manas International Airport and several border crossing points ahead of major international events. He inspected the organization of border patrols, the operation of checkpoints and t»»»