DOHA: Qatar is accelerating workforce self-sufficiency by reinforcing national digital readiness with the recent launch of the seventh cohort of the Cybersecurity Capacity Development Program – Level 2. Hosted by the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) through the National Cyber Security Academy,»»»

Kyrgyzstan is expanding inclusive education rules for children with disabilities and special educational needs. The Cabinet of Ministers has amended the state educational standard for general education. The amendments aim to ensure equal access to quality education and create appropriate conditions»»»

El Alamein, Egypt: A grant agreement between the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population for the establishment of H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani Hospital in Sohag Governorate in the Arab Republic of Egypt was signed yesterday during the seventh sess»»»

Islamabad: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was transferred back to jail early Friday, hours after being taken to a private hospital for court-ordered medical checks, the government said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Khan, Pakistan’s most popular politician, be taken to Shifa »»»

US-Iran tensions are intensifying as diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with Tehran condemning President Donald Trump’s threat of “crushing economic warfare” and Washington vowing its toughest-ever sanctions to pressure Iran. China has rejected the US push for further economic measures, while the U»»»

Dubai: Etihad Airways flights to Tel Aviv have been disrupted after unplanned industrial action at Ben Gurion International Airport, with one Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi service cancelled and other flights delayed or operating with limited passengers. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Bal»»»

PARIS: France, Italy, Britain and Germany on Thursday piled on mounting international condemnation of a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli authorities opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area. The E1 plan was green-lit by Israel last year and would further»»»

The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) has detained a 46-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan. Investigators suspect him of distributing materials on Threads social media platform containing public calls for the violent seizure of power, the SCNS reported. A criminal case was open»»»

A view of houses in the Ma'ale Adumum in the E1 area, where the Israeli government plans to build Jewish housing units in the E1 settlement project, in the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, West Bank, on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Foreign g»»»

Dubai: Gold prices climbed again in Dubai on Friday, extending a strong run that has pushed local rates back to levels last seen towards the end of May. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.At 8.45am, 24-karat gold stood at Dh547.50, up Dh3.50 from Dh544 on Thursday, while »»»

Dubai: Flying from the UAE today? Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and flydubai are reporting a mix of cancellations, delays and operating changes on several regional and international routes, while airlines continue to monitor the wider security situation in the Middle East. Etihad has cancelled a Tel»»»

The famous Miskolctapolca Barlangfürdő (or Miskolctapolca Cave Bath) has reopened after a two-year closure, following a major reconstruction costing around HUF 1.5 billion. The reopening is an important step in restoring tourism to one of Miskolc’s best-known attractions. One of the most popular ba»»»

RIYADH: French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day official visit, a statement from Elysee Palace said. The visit follows the Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024. “It reflects the vitality of the dialog»»»

The functions of exercising the powers of the Cabinet of Ministers as a shareholder of Kylym Bank OJSC will be transferred from the Ministry of Finance to the Presidential Affairs Department of Kyrgyzstan. The decree was signed by President Sadyr Japarov. According to the document, the decision was»»»

Alaska: A charter plane carrying eight people crashed Thursday near a remote radar site in western Alaska, a federal official said. Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska region chief, said two pilots and six passengers were on board. He did not immediately have details on»»»

Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Shishkov will visit the Black Sea city of Varna on Friday as part of the Regions Speak initiative, his Ministry said. Shishkov will meet Varna Regional Governor Mario Smarkov, MPs from Progressive Bulgaria, Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding Exe»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan decided to transfer 3.36 hectares of pastureland in Ak-Tala district of Naryn region from the category of agricultural land to the category of settlement land. The land is located within contour No. 3470 in the territory of Ala-Buga aiyl aimak. According to th»»»

A MAJOR shift appears to be taking place in one of the world’s most strategic waterways, industry data shows. Marine Insight, citing shipping data from Brussels-based Kpler, reported on Thursday (Aug. 19) that over 80% of vessels are increasingly choosing routes closer to Omani waters, reducing the»»»

US allies are increasingly questioning Washington's capacity to sustain major military conflicts in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia simultaneously, as the war with Iran depletes critical weapons stockpiles and undermines the credibility of American security guarantees, according to a report by Th»»»

Hollywood actress Bai Ling addressed the people of Kyrgyzstan, announcing that she will visit the country during the VI World Nomad Games. In her message, the actress expressed interest in the upcoming international event and said she was looking forward to visiting Kyrgyzstan, learning more about »»»

For two decades, China’s growing presence in Latin America was largely understood through commodities, trade, and sovereign lending. Today, that interpretation looks incomplete. It is involved in ports, digital networks, energy, advanced manufacturing, political coordination, and security cooperati»»»

The Treasury Secretary warns any remaining economic relationship with Tehran will "hasten a nation's economic oblivion." "Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten a nation's economic oblivion, whether that tie be purposefully constructed or willfully ignored," he wrote on X.He earlier said that Chin»»»

The European Union refused to provide an additional 220 million euros ($257 million) to Ukrainian farmers due to the port blockade, Ukrainian newspaper European Pravda reported on Thursday, citing European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert. On July 23, Ukrainian Agrarian Policy Minister Taras »»»

Traffic is building across several major Dubai-Sharjah routes this Friday morning, with Google Maps live traffic showing heavy congestion on key corridors around the border, Al Nahda and Al Qusais. Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time, particularly during the morning rush. Get updated f»»»

Eight repaired streets have been reopened to traffic in Bishkek. The press service of the City Hall reported. The following streets and road sections have been reopened to traffic in stages following the completion of the repairs: Sidewalks have been installed on all streets and road sections, and »»»

A child crossing the road in Bishkek was hit by a bus. The accident occurred on August 20 at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Kolbaev Street, the press service of Department of the Patrol Police Service reported. The child, 8, was injured in the collision. He was taken to a hospital, where he received th»»»

Scientists have completed the facial reconstruction of skeletons found last year at the bottom of Issyk-Kul Lake. According to Moskovsky Komsomolets, citing Maxim Menshinkov, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the remains belonged to a young man of abou»»»

Dubai: Palestinian children who lost limbs during the Israel-Hamas war are learning to swim in Khan Younis, Gaza, finding moments of confidence and joy through the water. The swimming lessons are organised by the nonprofit Heal Palestine for children who have suffered life-changing injuries since t»»»

Nasipbek Kerimov has been appointed Acting Deputy Mayor of Bishkek for the fuel and energy sector, the City Hall reported. Kerimov previously served as Deputy Minister of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic. Photo Nasipbek Kerimov Nurgazy Kurmanbekov has also been appointed director of the municipal ente»»»

India is tightening enforcement of its existing limits on mobile connections, with telecom operators required to prevent customers from obtaining new SIM cards after reaching the permitted ceiling from August 24, 2026. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is using its Digital Intelligence Pla»»»

In this world, Hungary needs a strong military — not because we want war, but quite the opposite: because we want peace, because we want to live in peace, said Prime Minister Péter Magyar at the opening event of the 20 August state celebration on Thursday in Budapest. Speaking to soldiers at the fl»»»

More than 1,586,000 children will attend schools in Kyrgyzstan in the new academic year. Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Ulan Mamatkanov said at a meeting on the readiness of educational institutions. The meeting participants discussed the readiness of schools and kindergartens, the ava»»»

Paris, Berlin, London and Rome on Thursday condemned Israel's decision to open bidding for a planned settlement project in the occupied West Bank. The sprawling "E1" development, which like all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal under international law, would furth»»»

The United States on Thursday urged allies and China to join its campaign to isolate Iran's economy, as President Donald Trump seeks to intensify pressure on Tehran amid a stalemate in the war and growing domestic criticism. The United States on Thursday warned allies and China to join President Do»»»

CINCINNATI, Ohio: Iga Swiatek moved into the semifinals of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters as Elena Rybakina was forced to retire with a heel injury less than half an hour into their clash Thursday. Rybakina’s withdrawal raised concerns over the fitness of the world number two Kazakh just 10 days be»»»

CINCINNATI, Ohio: Seventh seed Flavio Cobolli recovered from a sluggish start to beat home favorite Tommy Paul 2-6 6-3 6-4 and reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal on Thursday. Cobolli, who ⁠became only the second Italian to reach the men’s last four in Cincinnati after Jannik Sinner, asked f»»»

SINGAPORE: Seven commodity ships sailed along the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, ​just half the previous day’s tally, showed data from shiptracker Kpler, amid concern over risk to Middle East shipping as US-Iran peace talks remain in limbo. Of the total, four ships entered and three exited the water»»»

Russia’s Pacific Fleet has conducted a missile test off a group of Russian-held islands claimed by Japan, as a territorial dispute between the two countries deepens. The test was announced on August 20 amid an intensifying row following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed area »»»

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Authorities in Delaware repeatedly called on Dover residents Thursday to "STAY HOME" after a likely tornado caused "significant" damage throughout the city. The Dover Police Department declared "a state emergency" at 6:20 p.m. EDT, saying the city "likely experienced a tornado, wit»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald ‌Trump had a warm public reunion on Thursday with Michael Cohen, his former fixer turned foe whose court testimony contributed to Trump’s 2024 conviction in ​the Stormy Daniels hush-money trial. Cohen, who is seeking a pardon, interviewed Trump on his New York radio »»»

SACRAMENTO, California: California state Sen. Aisha Wahab will serve out the rest of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term after securing victory Thursday in a special election. Swalwell, a Democrat who was running for California governor, ended his campaign and resigned from Congress in April after he »»»

ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s most popular politician, was moved to a hospital for medical tests on the orders of the Supreme Court, his political party said early Friday. Hundreds of police, some wielding sticks, were deployed near Shifa International Hospital in t»»»

TORONTO: The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on US President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew sa»»»

WASHINGTON: A US Army unit based in Europe that was specializing in drone warfare has been directed to end its efforts to learn and use the battlefield technology and return to being a traditional infantry battalion, officials said Thursday. For more nearly a year, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Br»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set for a mix of intense heat, humidity and possible rainfall on Friday, with unsettled conditions expected to continue into the early part of next week. The National Centre of Meteorology said conditions on Friday would be fair to partly cloudy, with convective clouds likely to d»»»

A Palestinian man inspct carcass of a car used by US-based aid group World Central Kitchen, that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Canada and Australi»»»

What do you mean the school life I've basically grown up with is coming to an end so soon? It's the final year of school for Johana Alexzander, who is in Grade 12, GIIS in Dubai. "It's a little scary every time I realise that," she says frankly. Alexzander, who moved to Dubai in Grade 6, during COV»»»

US authorities charged a woman who allegedly supported the Daesh (Islamic State) group with a terrorism offence Thursday after she told an FBI informant she "wanted to destroy" the New York State Capitol buildings, court filings showed. Located in Albany near the Canadian border, the New York State»»»

Five women and three men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Observers say it is difficult to pick a favorite, given that the world's major powers are divided on the ou»»»

TOKYO (AP) — An express train entering a station in Japan hit and killed four people who were doing weed control work on a railway track Thursday, officials said. The accident occurred at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, on the Tobu Nikko Line, and involved the Tokyo-bound Spacia express train,»»»