Narita: At least four 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, with f»»»

Iran’s central bank has put forward a potentially consequential proposal at the BRICS financial meetings in India: the creation of a dedicated financial corridor linking and integrating the payment networks of BRICS members, alongside an independent infrastructure for cross-border financial settlem»»»

The top U.S. priority now in the Iran war is no longer its nuclear program but to bring gasoline prices down for American consumers, the vice president said Thursday, with the treasury secretary adding that new economic punishment to wear down Tehran is imminent. The comments by Vice President JD V»»»

Dubai: Dubai has been ranked the most attractive tourist city in the Middle East and 10th worldwide in a 2026 global index that uses online conversations to measure how travellers perceive destinations. The Yanolja Attractiveness Index assessed 261 cities using online data and sentiment analysis, e»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has shared another of his reflections on life and leadership, saying those who think differently and pursue ideas ahead of their time should expect criticism and not allow it »»»

DUBAI: Dubai residents have just a few days left to sign up for ‘A Dubai Invite’, after exceptional demand led organisers to increase the programme’s capacity three times since its launch. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET»»»

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has ordered the temporary administrative closure of The Original Lessi Cafe – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. – Branch in Abu Dhabi over repeated food safety violations. The café, which operates under Commercial Licence No. CN-2625289-2, was f»»»

Washington: President Donald Trump is ordering the US Navy to remove the advanced system used to launch fighter jets from its newest type of aircraft carrier and return to using older steam catapults that he has long said he prefers, according to a directive issued Thursday. The new mandate would l»»»

A British company said Thursday it has been hired to salvage a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman's coast and stop an oil spill that is threatening wildlife as it reaches the country's shoreline following its dramatic spread in recent weeks. Satellite images have shown that oil from the »»»

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (SANA) Japan summoned Russia’s ambassador to protest President Vladimir Putin’s visit to a disputed island in the Kuril chain, Japanese authorities said Thursday. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tokyo strongly protested Putin’s visit to Etorofu, known as Iturup in Ru»»»

Sao Paulo: Police in Brazil recovered on Thursday eight Matisse engravings stolen from a Sao Paulo library last year, officials said. The works were found at a home in the town of Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo, and the man who had them was arrested, police said in a statement. The works, es»»»

LONDON: In a war that has seen tankers in the Gulf and the Red Sea repeatedly targeted, it was clear that a massive oil spill was an environmental disaster just waiting to happen — and that disaster is now unfolding. On June 30, the Caroline Bezengi, a tanker carrying more than 800,000 barrels of o»»»

DUBAI: Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz is set to hold a strong hand in the feature $40,000 JCSA Almaseef Cup at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif on Saturday with three runners, including last month’s trial winner Hafedhk Allah (KSA). The Fahad Saad-trained 8-year-old had performed with credit »»»

Cali, Colombia: Colombia's disaster relief chief vowed to find the hundreds of people still missing after a massive earthquake, as rescuers dug through rubble early Friday following the end of a critical lifesaving period. The strongest quake to hit Colombia this century devastated the western citi»»»

The water level of the Danube at the gauging station in Ruse fell by a further 3 cm over the past 24 hours, reaching 121 cm below the reference zero level, according to information from the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River (EAEMDR), published on Friday morning. H»»»

Crew members of a Yemeni commercial ship who survived a deadly attack by Houthi rebels earlier this week said a second missile struck the vessel just as rescue efforts from the initial strike were underway, causing even more chaos and casualties. In all, three ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-b»»»

SHARJAH: UAE budget carrier Air Arabia’s net profit fell 51 per cent to Dh374 million in the first half of 2026 as the regional conflict disrupted flights, reduced capacity and pushed fuel prices to record highs. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Sharjah-based low-co»»»

Singapore: Oil prices rose slightly in Asian trading on Friday, driven by renewed concerns over crude supplies amid ongoing Middle East tensions. Brent crude futures gained nine cents, or 0.1 percent, to reach $87.16 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose four cents to »»»

The heads of six Arab football federations expressed their "full support" and "confidence" in Gianni Infantino on Thursday as the embattled FIFA president fights to keep his job after his failed World Cup private investment plan. The backing came from 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, M»»»

Arab Finance: Roche Diagnostics has appointed Carlos Justiniani Ugarte as General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Egypt and North Africa Network Lead, strengthening the company’s leadership in the region, according to an emailed press release. Ugarte joins Roche’s Egypt affiliate after four years as C»»»

Abu Dhabi: The International Astronomical Centre has shared images of the crescent moon marking the beginning of Rabi Al Awwal 1448 AH, the Islamic month in which Muslims commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). The crescent was photographed from the centre’s Al Khatim Astronomical Obs»»»

Abu Dhabi, UAE: The UAE Ministry of Defence has announced a recruitment drive for Emirati citizens to join the country’s Land Forces, setting out eligibility requirements and registration centres across the Emirates. Applicants must be UAE nationals aged between 18 and 35 and have completed at leas»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Council for Fatwa has organised a national awareness campaign entitled Zakāt on Dates: Growth and Giving 2026, in coordination with national entities and strategic partners and in conjunction with the date harvest season. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the rulings govern»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has returned Dh1.19 billion to victims between 2021 and 2025 as part of its efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, according to the General Secretariat of the Higher Committee Overseeing the National Strategy on Anti-Money Laundering »»»

In a remarkable series of admissions, Israeli media outlets have declared that the war with Iran will be remembered as a “resounding strategic defeat” for both the United States and Israel, with some commentators likening Washington’s humiliation to a blow worse than Vietnam. The stark assessments,»»»

Sister Mayela wears her black veil and habit as she walks to work near where another Catholic nun was violently attacked in Jerusalem's Old City — but she's now accompanied by a Jewish volunteer for protection. Many Christians in Israel, who make up less than 2% of the country's population, are wor»»»

Based on preliminary estimates for January — July 2026, the gross domestic product reached 1,172,748 trillion soms. Compared to January — July 2025, it increased by 11.1 percent, the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan reported. GDP growth slowed slightly over the month, reaching 11.9 perc»»»

Lebanon has formally abolished the death penalty, going against the grain in a region where Iran and Saudi Arabia are reportedly the second- and third-biggest executors globally, after China. Here's a look at which countries in the Middle East and North Africa top the list of executioners, which ha»»»

Iran can stay in the fight in a prolonged armed conflict with the US, even if it lasts the rest of Donald Trump’s term in office, a senior Iranian general has said. Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) voiced confidence in Tehran’s ability to sustain a long»»»

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace over the northeastern Balvi region early Friday, prompting a temporary air alert across parts of eastern Latvia, the country’s armed forces said. An orange airspace alert was issued shortly before 4am local time in the municipalities»»»

DUBAI: Surath Perera discovered his talent for cooking while working in restaurants during his time studying for a business degree in Singapore. He eventually left the corporate path behind to pursue a career in food. “My earliest memory of food is cooking with my family. I remember being around th»»»

DAMMAM: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is currently exhibiting the works of the five artists shortlisted for the seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize — Aseel Al-Yaqoub (Kuwait); Bady Dalloul (Syria/France); Heba Y. Amin El-Mahamly (Egypt); Ala Younis (Kuwait); and Jawad Al-Ma»»»

Former caretaker agriculture and food minister Ivan Hristanov said Friday on Nova TV that he will run for president in the October 25 elections. He said the vice-presidential candidate has already been chosen but will be announced when the candidacy documents are submitted. Hristanov said his candi»»»

The Greek Konstantinos Passaris, sentenced to life in Romania, remains in prison after Dolj court finally rejected his demand for parole. The court decision came when Passaris received an unfavorable solution from Craiova Court in June 2026. Passaris has been in prison for over 24 years for serious»»»

Romania's Industrial production decreased in the first six months of 2026, year-over-year, by 3.3% unadjusted and by 3.5% seasonally adjusted , according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).Between January 1 and June 30, 2026, industrial production unadjusted»»»

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»»»

On Aug. 14, 2015, after 54 years, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, was re-opened amid a thawing in relations. 1 of 7 | On August 14, 2015, after 54 years, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, was re-opened amid a thawing in relations. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State | License Phot»»»

Doha: Qatar’s U-18 national basketball team will begin their campaign at the FIBA Asia Championship when they face Iran at 11:00 am Doha time today, at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Hall in Ahmedabad, India. The match marks the opening fixture of Group C in the continental tournament, which runs from Au»»»

MOUNT TABOR, Israel: Sister Mayela wears her black veil and habit as she walks to work near where another Catholic nun was violently attacked in Jerusalem’s Old City — but she’s now accompanied by a Jewish volunteer for protection. Many Christians in Israel, who make up less than two percent of the»»»

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Friday that he would endorse a candidate for the 2028 presidential election, but said he had yet to decide who he would back. With Philippine presidents limited by the constitution to a single, six-year term in office, Marcos had been e»»»

MOUNT TABOR, Israel: Sister Mayela wears her black veil and habit as she walks to work near where another Catholic nun was violently attacked in Jerusalem’s Old City — but she’s now accompanied by a Jewish volunteer for protection. Many Christians in Israel, who make up less than 2% of the country’»»»

Senate Democrats are calling for an audit of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project, construction of which an appeals court ordered to be stopped last week. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Senate Democrats are calling for an audit of President Donald Trump's»»»

Doha: Rawabi Group of Companies inaugurated ‘The Flavours of India’ at Rawabi Hypermarket Izghawa yesterday, in celebration of the 80th Independence Day of India. The Flavors of lndia aims to celebrate and showcase the rich cultural heritage of India. Rawabi Hypermarket has been transformed into an»»»

Doha: The Hala Summer Shopping Festival is bringing together leading malls and restaurants from the Taste of Qatar network for a month of shopping, dining, entertainment and exclusive promotions. The festival is being held from August 1 to 31 as part of Visit Qatar’s Hala Summer campaign. The festi»»»

Due to an acute shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, Ukraine is forced to prioritize and "forgo intercepting targets deemed not critically important," Chinese military expert Qiu Shiqing tells Sputnik. He points to damning numbers, such as when Ukraine's US-supplied Patriot air defenses failed»»»

Doha: Qatar Duty Free (QDF) has marked the conclusion of the Doha edition of Toblerone’s The Ultimate Gift campaign by presenting a donation to Education Above All (EAA) Foundation. The winning bid was the highest recorded across the nine participating airport auctions, with the campaign contributi»»»

Doha: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), represented by Studio 5 and in collaboration with Qatar Youth Hostels, concluded the ‘Enhanced Tourism in Artificial Intelligence Camps’ camp, held under the theme ‘Enhanced Tourism’ and targeting young participants aged 15 to »»»

Dubai: For centuries, Arab navigators, fishermen and farmers have watched the summer sky for Suhail, or Canopus, a key seasonal marker whose appearance signals the gradual retreat of the Arabian Peninsula’s intense summer heat and the arrival of cooler nights. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emi»»»

London: Britain's economy remained in positive territory in the second quarter of 2026, though it slowed in the second quarter, the national statistics office reported Thursday. The agency said that output remained "robust" despite domestic political unrest and fallout from the US-Iran war. Gross d»»»

British hard-right leader Nigel Farage has won a snap UK election he triggered in Clacton on Friday, comfortably beating satirical opponent Count Binface as was expected, according to results. Farage, who did not attend the result announcement, received 22,239 votes, electoral officials said, while»»»