WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Dmitri Zlodorev - Atlanta may have avoided destruction during the Civil War had the US city had such a composer as Dmitri Shostakovich, US Commission of Fine Arts Chairman Rodney Mims Cook Jr. told Sputnik. "Russia has proved it during the siege of Leningrad that culture and m»»»

PARIS: History has been made in Tekken 8 at Esports World Cup 2026 after AG.AL’s Khawaja “M. Zubair” Mohammad Zubair defeated Yoon “LowHigh” Sun-woong in the grand finals. Not only did the win crown a brand new Tekken 8 at EWC winner, but M. Zubair won the tournament after entering through the Last»»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said they would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States accepts all of Tehran’s demands. “Our current strategy is to maintain this strait until the enemy accepts all our conditions,” said Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi, as quoted by sta»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Geran strike drone crews hit oil production facilities in the Akhtyrsky district of the Sumy Region, disrupting Ukrainian armed forces' transport logistics, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Geran strike UAV crews have struck oil production facilities in the A»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, carried out a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's oil refinery in Jazan in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Sunday. "The Yemeni armed forces successfully carried out a drone strike on the »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A criminal case for a terrorist act has been opened following the Ukrainian armed forces' attack on civilian targets in the Russian city of Belgorod, Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told Sputnik on Sunday. "The main investigative department of the Ru»»»

Dubai: The UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has said the country's Midday Breakpolicy is a leading global model for protecting workers from heat stress, highlighting more than two decades of implementation and a private sector compliance rate of 99 per cent last year. The»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has announced the launch of an artificial intelligence-powered system that will slash building permit processing times from days to just minutes, marking a significant step in advancing Dubai's digital transformation and reinforcing its global leadership in adopting smart »»»

BEDMINSTER: Joaquin Niemann’s dominant week hit its first speed bump, but he remains well positioned to secure his second LIV Golf title of the season. The LIV Golf New York 2026 36-hole leader opened Saturday with a double bogey on the par-4 first, the first blemish on his card all week, but he ba»»»

PARIS: Kuaishou Gaming of China have won the Honor of Kings World Cup at the Esports World Cup 2026, becoming first-time EWC champions following a thrilling 4-3 grand final finish against compatriots AG.AL. The newly crowned champions had fought their way through the tournament and to the final wit»»»

The Japanese city of Nagasaki on Sunday marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing with a ceremony at the Peace Park memorial. It came as Japanese  Minister Sanae Takaichi ’s government has opened a debate on the country's postwar non-nuclear principles amid increasing doubts over th»»»

Tunis, Aug. 9 (TAP)- The weather on Sunday is slightly cloudy, growing cloudy during the afternoon in central western areas and locally in the south with showers.The wind is blowing light to moderate then relatively strong in the afternoon near...»»»

The brutal killing of a 37-year-old man on Youth Hill in Plovdiv by five teenagers aged between 14 and 17 has raised difficult questions about how young people can become involved in extreme violence and who bears responsibility for preventing such behavior. Child and adolescent therapist and psych»»»

Sharjah: Khorfakkan Port is preparing to receive a giant roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel carrying 6,068 new energy vehicles manufactured by Chinese automaker BYD, marking the launch of a new direct maritime shipping route between China and the UAE. The vessel departed from Xiaomo International Logis»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority has warned owners of buildings and commercial establishments that failing to maintain an approved lift maintenance contract is a violation that carries a Dh5,000 fine, urging compliance with safety regulations designed to protect building occupants. »»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, Saudia, has achieved a new milestone by ranking first among global airlines for on-time arrivals in July, according to Cirium's monthly report. The airline recorded an on-time performance rate of 87.24 percent across 16,406 flights during the month, accordin»»»

Dubai: Motorists travelling along famous Al Qudra Road can expect significantly shorter journeys and less congestion after Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened a new four-lane bridge at the intersection with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street on Sunday. The 700-metre bridge, whi»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority has urged parents and caregivers to maintain constant supervision of children during the summer months, warning that a momentary lapse in attention can lead to serious accidents. As part of the seventh edition of its "Safe Summer" campaign, the autho»»»

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s army has begun paying soldiers’ salaries directly into their personal bank accounts, in what officials describe as a landmark reform aimed at curbing corruption, eliminating ghost soldiers and ending a longstanding system that allowed commanders and intermediaries to control mil»»»

MIAMI: Lionel Messi was absent following the death of his father as Inter Miami lost 2-1 to visiting Monterrey on Saturday in a Leagues Cup match. Teams observed a minute of silence before the match for Jorge Messi, who died at age 68 in Argentina, where the Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi arrived»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia sent airplanes and hundreds of firefighters on Sunday to fight a blaze in a popular national park, one of a growing number of wildfires the country is battling during an unusually dry season. The largest fire reported this week has burned about 176 hectares (435 acres) of Mount B»»»

The Plovdiv Fire Safety and Civil Protection Regional Directorate reported on Sunday that the fire that broke out near Asenovgrad on Saturday has been extinguished. During the night, five fire crews remained on site to monitor the area and respond immediately should the fire reignite. In some areas»»»

Damascus, Aug. 9 (SANA) More than 10,000 specialized visitors attended three industrial exhibitions in Damascus over four days, with participating companies signing a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding, organizers said as the events concluded on Saturday.The exhibitions, held at th»»»

Abu Dhabi: Drug traffickers are using increasingly deceptive methods, including sweets, A4 paper and unidentified deliveries, to target children and teenagers, the National Anti-Narcotics Authority has warned. The authority revealed three methods recently detected by security agencies as part of it»»»

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, President Iliana Iotova commented on the Saturday incident, when a drone entered Bulgarian airspace from the north and exploded near the border with Romania. Iotova stated that she is extremely disappointed by the way this incident is being exploited for crude polit»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Singapore HE Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on the occasion of his country's National Day.»»»

The only Hungarian shop linked to Russian ultra-discount retailer Mere has unexpectedly closed, which left customers and observers uncertain about the future of the controversial chain’s Hungarian operation. According to Világgazdaság, the store, which opened under the name Basket Plus in Budapest’»»»

FIFA on Saturday issued a statement defending its president, Gianni Infantino, against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the organisation. It came a day after a British newspaper accused the FIFA boss of paying off a fomer lover while at UEFA, alleg»»»

Iran has issued a list of demands for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, including compensation for war damages, complicating a potential deal to open the vital waterway. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said discussions with Oman were "approaching the final stages", but added the reopen»»»

Attractive salaries, well-known company names and promises of quick recruitment can make a job offer difficult to ignore. But UAE authorities are warning jobseekers that behind some of these offers are scammers seeking money or personal information. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation»»»

Brasilia: Four people were killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, including three Colombian tourists from the same family. Brazilian authorities reported that the helicopter went down in Tijuca National Park, a mountainside forest with very dense vegetation. Firefight»»»

The indigenous Hmong people have lived in a mountainous region of northern Vietnam for centuries. But today, these farming communities are on the front line of the climate crisis. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and landslides are now part of their daily life. The terraced ric»»»

Total solar eclipse (1/4). A total solar eclipse will sweep across northern Spain on August 12 in one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. For Singaporean family Janet Tay, Koh Joo Beng and their son Jared, it will be the latest stop in a journey that has taken them aroun»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Saturday that Ukraine faces a winter with virtually no working thermal power plants after overnight Russian strikes killed four people, including a three-year-old child. Speaking in Belgrade, he said the latest attacks and shelling of frontline communit»»»

A little after eight on Saturday morning, a drone crossed into Bulgarian airspace from the Romanian direction near the old Kardam checkpoint in Dobrich and blew apart in a sunflower field, roughly a hundred meters inside the country and a short walk from a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas»»»

Diplomatic efforts to calm the conflict between the US and Iran are continuing, but uncertainty remains across the Gulf. Much of the attention is on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for the region. Iran and Oman are discussing ways to ease restrictions on commercial shipping, but ther»»»

Ankara: Turkey's foreign minister said Saturday he expected Egypt to join a joint defence agreement with regional partners designed to stabilise the region that is grappling with the Middle East war. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the agreement on Friday against the backdrop of war betwee»»»

Johannesburg, South Africa: A triumphant night for north Africa ended on Saturday with hosts Morocco and Algeria reaching the Women's Africa of Nations (WAFCON) semi-finals and the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. They took contrasting paths to quarter-finals success as Morocco built a two-goal lead, then»»»

A British publication has named Sofia the most underrated capital city in Europe, praising Bulgaria's capital for its affordable prices, rich history, vibrant cultural scene, local cuisine, and easy access to nature. In an article by Metro, the author says mentioning frequent trips to Bulgaria ofte»»»

Santander de Quilichao, Colombia: Two bombing attacks in different parts of Colombia on Saturday marked the first day in office for new President Abelardo de la Espriella, leaving at least one police officer dead and several wounded. The tough-talking leader campaigned on confronting "narcoterroris»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - A fire broke out early on Sunday at a facility at Saudi Aramco's Jazan oil refinery in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's energy ministry said. "Saudi Aramco firefighting teams extinguished a fire that broke out early on Sunday at a facility belonging to the company's refin»»»

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during her speech at a memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing, again failed to mention the United States as the country that had dropped atomic bombs on Japanese cities. The ceremony is broadcast on Japan's main television c»»»

Opinion polls suggest that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are on course to win the next German election with around 27 to 29 percent of the vote. Its lead over the second-placed Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU), led by current chancellor Friedrich Merz, is growing significantly. Ge»»»

Victoria, Canada: Canadian officials declared a state of emergency Saturday after a fast-moving wildfire forced the overnight evacuation of more than 20,000 people in the western province of British Columbia. Winds fanned the Bald Range wildfire to grow rapidly late Friday, pushing flames into the »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian army struck fuel and lubricant warehouses, military equipment, as well as a port transshipment complex in the port of Odessa overnight into Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The targets in Odessa included "fuel and lubricant and military equipment warehouses,»»»

On August 9, 1945, a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" on the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. 1 of 7 | On August 9, 1945, two planes of the 509th Composite Group, part of the 313th Wing of the 20th Air Force participated in a mis»»»

Beijing: China's national observatory on Sunday activated a red alert -- the highest level in the country's typhoon warning system -- as Typhoon Dolphin approaches. Typhoon Dolphin is forecast to make landfall along the country's east coast from Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province to Fuding in Fujian Pro»»»

Doha: Qatar U-20 team recorded a convincing 7-0 win over Austrian side Kapfenberger today in a friendly during their training camp in Slovenia. The team is preparing for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers, scheduled from August 25 to September 6, with the finals set to be held in China in 2027. Qata»»»

Jakarta: Indonesian authorities have closed access to a national park on Java Island as firefighters battle a wildfire raging there for nearly a week. The blaze has razed 176 hectares (435 acres) since it broke out on Monday in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, near the popular East Java tour»»»

On 30 July 2026, the declaration establishing the Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance was signed in Riyadh. The signatories were Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Türkiye, Pakistan, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Djibouti and Somalia. Representatives of 43 countries atten»»»