The Ak-Keme Hotel in Bishkek has been leased to a private investor for 15 years. The state will receive $60,000 per month, or $720,000 annually. Total revenue over the lease term will amount to $10.8 million. President Sadyr Japarov said this at the reopening of the hotel following its reconstructi»»»

A weather alert has been issued for Bishkek and Chui region, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to the ministry, thunderstorms are expected in the capital and the Chui Valley in the next hour and afternoon. Westerly winds may reach 15-20 meters per second. Reside»»»

Giles Sims, 34, was sick of getting passed over for jobs because he didn’t have a college degree. But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programmes. “I can’t afford to be »»»

BusinessIranSpiraling health costs force Iranians to delay careDanyal Babayani A single chemotherapy session in Iran can cost six times the monthly minimum wage. As drug prices soar and medicine is in short supply, doctors say more patients are delaying or abandoning treatment. https://p.dw.com/p/5»»»

A tanker caught fire after being struck by an "unknown projectile" off the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia on Monday, a British maritime agency said. "The Company Security Officer reported a tanker has been struck by unknown projectile causing a fire to the vessel on the main deck. All crew are safe »»»

A Syrian court on Monday handed a life sentence to Ahmad Hassoun, the country's former grand mufti under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, convicting him of crimes including inciting sectarian strife and exploiting his position. Hassoun, the 10th Assad-era figure to be sentenced under the new authorit»»»

An Iraqi security source told “Asharq” on Monday that a joint force from the Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence agencies arrested four members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), including Abu Jaafar, a member of the PMF commission’s staff, from his home in the Al-Baladiyat area in eastern Ba»»»

JEDDAH: Jeddah Corniche Circuit is set to host the opening round of the 2026 Saudi Toyota Championship Time Attack from Aug. 27–29. The championship is held under the supervision of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, the owner of the competition, managed by Bakhashab Motorsport and in »»»

Emirati women continue to play an important role in preserving the UAE’s cultural heritage and sharing the country’s history with younger generations, according to two Emirati women working at Al Ain Museum. Shaikha Al Blooshi, Visitor Experience Supervisor at Al Ain Museum, said the museum is more»»»

A woman in Haryana’s Kurukshetra has been accused of killing her husband and mutilating his body before jumping from the terrace of their rented home after their landlord discovered the scene, police said. The victim, identified as Rajesh, had been living with his wife, Vimla Devi, in a rented hous»»»

Tunis, Aug. 24 (TAP)- The weather on Monday is slighty cloudy in most regions, growing cloudy during the afternoon in northwestern and central western regions.Rain is also expected, according to the National Institute of Meteorology. The wind is...»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces carry out demolition operation in Kfar Tibnit in Nabatieh district: Al-Manar reporter in southern Lebanon 24-08-2»»»

Damascus: A Syrian court on Monday handed a life sentence to Ahmed Hassoun, the country’s former grand mufti under ousted leader Bashar Assad, convicting him of crimes including inciting sectarian strife and exploiting his position. Hassoun, the 10th Assad-era figure to be sentenced under the new a»»»

RIYADH: The five largest banks in the UAE reported a combined net profit of 38.1 billion dirhams ($10.37 billion) in the first half of 2026, representing a 7.8 percent year-on-year increase, according to an analysis. These lenders, including First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD, and Abu Dhabi Commerc»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations toPresident of Ukraine HE Volodymyr Zelensky on the occasion of his country's Independence Day.»»»

Dubai, UAE: A tanker caught fire after being struck by an "unknown projectile" off the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia on Monday, a British maritime agency said. "The Company Security Officer reported a tanker has been struck by unknown projectile causing a fire to the vessel on the main deck. All cr»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Oman’s Top Diplomat Heads to Tehran for High-Stakes Hormuz Strait Talks 24-08-2026 11:17 AM Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi meets Omani counterpa»»»

RIYADH: The Middle East and North Africa’s fiscal deficit is forecast to narrow to 4.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2027 after widening to 6.2 percent this year, as oil and non-hydrocarbon revenues recover, BMI said. The research unit, a Fitch Solutions company, raised its 2026 deficit fore»»»

U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack went further on the defensive on Sunday, responding to criticism of his assessment of ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hezbollah. He had said "there are two people missing »»»

NATO’s new 5% defence commitment could become one of Europe’s most important fiscal and economic-policy questions over the next decade. For Hungary, the sums involved could run into several billion euros a year, but the economic impact will depend heavily on how much of that additional spending is »»»

Abu Dhabi: An Abu Dhabi observatory has captured a detailed image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula, one of the best-known and most structurally complex planetary nebulae, after nine days of observations and more than 36 hours of combined exposure. The image was produced by Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory»»»

Bulgaria is taking emergency measures to protect the operation of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant as the critically low level of the Danube continues to create unusual conditions around the facility. Energy Minister Iva Petrova said there is currently no threat to electricity supplies or to the st»»»

Around 100 fruit producers from Bulgaria's Sliven region blocked a key road near the Rechitsa market in protest against low purchase prices, rising production costs and a lack of markets for their peaches and plums. The farmers briefly halted traffic on the old road linking Sliven with Nova Zagora »»»

A tanker caught fire after being struck by an "unknown projectile" off the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia on Monday, a British maritime agency said. "The Company Security Officer reported a tanker has been struck by unknown projectile causing a fire to the vessel on the main deck. All crew are safe »»»

Brussels, Belgium: The European Union said Monday that it had released another 6.1 billion euros ($7.1 billion) in military aid for Ukraine to boost its air defences against Russian missile attacks. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the move ahead of talks on Monday betwe»»»

Wellington: New Zealand's government introduced legislation on Monday to ban under 16s from using social media, joining a number of countries seeking to keep youngsters off sites such as Instagram and TikTok. Australia implemented world-first legislation banning children from social media in Decemb»»»

Paris, France: An international team of scientists from Britain, Sweden and France has identified a new mechanism involved in blood clot formation, challenging decades-old understanding of how molecules of the fibrinogen protein are arranged, a key component in the blood clotting process. Experimen»»»

HR’s role now extends well beyond hiring, payroll and administration. Expectations around employee experience are rising, AI is changing how organisations attract, manage and retain talent, and UAE labour policies continue to shape workforce planning. At the same time, employees are placing greater»»»

Dubai: Kuwait has advised private-sector workers that they may leave their jobs without prior notice and still retain their end-of-service benefits in certain cases, with authorities setting out the circumstances in which an employment contract can legally be terminated. The Public Authority for Ma»»»

Doha,Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the President of Ukraine HE Volodymyr Zelensky on the occasion of his country's Independence Day»»»

Doha,Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) general index edged down 0.07% at the start of trading on Monday, losing 6.77 points to reach 9,681. QSE data showed gains in the Transportation sector, which rose 0.38%, and the Banks and Financial Services sector, which gained 0.08%. The market was weigh»»»

The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack stated that his remarks - in which he considered Israel’s control over the Syrian Golan Heights to constitute an “occupation and a violation of UN resolutions” - were a description of a well-known historical context, emphasizing that United States policy has not c»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to support mediation efforts to end the conflict against Iran and to help maintain stability in the Middle East if requested, stated Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said. "If requested, Russia is ready to support mediation efforts both to end the »»»

Confronting a drug addict can go badly wrong, one family in Bangladesh discovered when they came across their narcotic-imbibing neighbours. One by one, the family of four – man, wife and two children – were killed when they heard noises coming from the roof of their home and climbed up to the floor»»»

Muscat: Oman recorded 1,226 divorces involving citizens married to foreign nationals between October 29, 2023, and June 30, 2026, while 7,719 Omanis married foreigners over roughly the past three years, according to data from the Supreme Judiciary Council. The figures amount to roughly one divorce »»»

Dubai: UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19-year-old from Mavelikkara in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, marking a major milestone for the state. She won the national title at the grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur on Sunday, August 23, emerging victorious »»»

The U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey on Sunday walked back his comments from two days ago that Israel "still" occupies the Golan Heights in violation of U.N. resolutions, remarks that went against U.S. President Donald Trump 's position on the disputed territory. Israel captured»»»

Iran on Sunday said it had discovered more than 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas in the southern Fars province, with more than 160 billion cubic metres potentially recoverable. The find comes as the country’s energy sector faces disruption after months of US-Israeli strikes on gas facilities»»»

Iran has issued a ​warning that vessels violating its arrangements for transiting the Strait of ‌Hormuz could face ‌restrictions ​including ‌fines, ⁠detention ​or confiscation, the ⁠new body tasked to manage the Strait of Hormuz wrote in a post on ⁠X. The PGSA has said cargo owners should ⁠refer ⁠t»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces hit a tanker delivering fuel and lubricants for the purposes of the Ukrainian forces, as well as five fuel tanks in the the port of Yuzhny in the Odessa egion, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "As a result of the strikes at the Yuzhny port in the Odessa»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Space Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome carrying a spacecraft for the Russian Defense Ministry, the ministry said. "On Monday, August 24, at 5:40 a.m. (Moscow time) [02:40 GMT], a combat crew of the Space Forces of t»»»

Three newborn babies died after a fire swept through the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati early on Monday, prompting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a high-level inquiry and promise strict action against anyone found responsible. Six other in»»»

Doha, Qatar: The draw for the third edition of the Gulf Club Champions League (GCCL) will be held today via video conference from the headquarters of the Gulf Football Federation, with 12 clubs taking part. Qatar will be represented by Al Duhail and Qatar SC, both making their debuts in the Gulf Ch»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hosts Qatar fell to Tunisia in straight sets yesterday as Brazil, Iran and Italy secured places in the Round of 16 at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship in Doha yesterday. Tunisia won 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17) at the Women’s Sports Hall in Aspire Zone to claim their secon»»»

Doha, Qatar: Team Qatar by Iron Lynx secured a strong third-place finish in the LMGT3 category in Round 4 of the 2026 European Le Mans Series at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The No. 62 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo delivered a competitive and consistent performance throughout the four-hour ra»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar maintained their perfect start at the 11th Asian Junior (U19) Handball Championship in Amman, edging Iran 24-22 yesterday to secure a third straight victory. The result left Qatar top of Group B on six points, with Syria awaiting them in their final group match today.»»»

Traffic in Bishkek is expected to increase on August 30 and 31 due to the official opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games. Temporary traffic restrictions will be introduced periodically on certain roads, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan said. The ministry urged residents and visito»»»

Lebanon on Sunday arrested an online influencer known for his videos about food who had been handed a life sentence in absentia for drug trafficking, a judicial source told AFP. Georges Dib, known on TikTok as "Doctor Food" and followed by more than eight million accounts, was apprehended at his ho»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian attempts to block Russian cities by severing logistic chains and attacking civilian targets are a crime, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told Sputnik. "Kiev often attempts to cut cities and towns off from logistics and block the movement of»»»

Dubai: Dubai Maritime City handled a record 52 vessels at its dry berths in a single day on July 28, as demand for ship maintenance continues to rise alongside increased oil and gas production across the region. The figure was the highest number of vessels received by the maritime services and ship»»»