Luglon, France: A new wildfire in southwestern France has forced the evacuation of more than 500 people and burned 1,100 hectares (about 2,700 acres), officials said on Friday. This summer southwest France has been ravaged by forest fires which advanced quickly because of tinderbox conditions worse»»»

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»»»

Minister of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Communal Services of Kyrgyzstan Nurdan Oruntaev inspected the progress of reconstruction at Manas Ordo historical and cultural complex in Talas region. According to the Ministry of Construction, construction and installation work is currently 85 p»»»

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 »»»

ALKHOBAR: For Rahaf Alshammari, taekwondo began long before she entered a club or competed for a medal. Growing up, the Saudi Arabia athlete and her sisters were introduced to the sport by their father, a black belt who turned taekwondo techniques into a childhood game they called wrestling. Years »»»

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 average salary in Kyrgyzstan reached 53,759 soms in January—June 2026. The National Statistical Committee reported. The data is released with a one-month delay. In June 2026, the average monthly nominal accrued salary at enterprises and organizations across all economic sectors increased by 27.»»»

Since the beginning of 2026, at least 24,300 meters of synthetic fishing nets and 650 kilograms of waste have been removed from the waters of Issyk-Kul Lake. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan, in just the past three days, from August 11 »»»

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 »»»

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 Islamic Republic of Pakistan HE Asif Ali Zardari, on the anniversary of his country's Independence Day.»»»

Air India's Airbus A320neo operating a Phuket-New Delhi flight temporarily lost control of major flight surfaces for about four seconds after failures involving all three hydraulic systems, according to a report. According to analysis by Airbus of the aircraft's flight data recorder, accessed by ND»»»

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,»»»

In the first half of 2026, Gross Domestic Product fell by 0.8% compared with the first half of 2025, on a gross basis, and by 1.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis. ”Following the revision of the quarterly gross series for Gross Domestic Product due to the inclusion of the new figure for the second q»»»

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»»»

Dubai: Parkin has cut its 2026 public parking revenue forecast after revising its outlook for the rollout and utilisation of new parking spaces, with stronger demand for seasonal cards and developer parking expected to make up the shortfall. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Bala»»»

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»»»

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO: The Professional Fighters League has announced the six semifinal matchups, and heavyweight main event for PFL Africa: Morocco on Oct. 10, as the league’s continental tournament reaches its penultimate round across the bantamweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Winner»»»

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»»»

Dubai: A 51-year-old man from Tamil Nadu has gone viral after clearing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), 34 years after completing his Class 12, to finally pursue his long-held dream of becoming a doctor. A Suresh Kumar, a native of Velankanni in Nagapattinam district, has already »»»

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»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions remained above $3.5 billion in the week ending Aug. 8, underscoring resilient consumer spending even as activity moderated from the previous week, official data showed. According to the latest data released by the Saudi Central Bank, also known as S»»»

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the RSS of having little understanding of India’s history and philosophy, while also criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy. Addressing a plenary session of the Congress in New Delhi on Thursday, Gandhi said there was no reason for party w»»»

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»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev attended a ceremony in Pleven on Friday at which graduates of the Georgi Benkovski Higher Air Force School received their first officer ranks and diplomas. Radev reviewed the formation of cadets and sergeants from the military school. The Prime Minister himself graduated »»»

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»»»

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President Asif Ali Zardari of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the occasion of his country's Independence Day. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime M»»»

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»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s commercial gaming regulator has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s financial services regulator to strengthen regulatory cooperation and information sharing. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGR»»»

Human Rights Watch has called on the United Nations to keep an international force in Lebanon after its peacekeepers' mandate ends this year. The peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, has roughly 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries, and has been in place since 1978. Its presence has »»»

North Korea on Friday condemned the upcoming U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise. In this photo, taken Thursday, U.S. military vehicles are parked at a base in Dongducheon. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- North Korea on Friday condemned an upcoming major U.S.-South»»»

The anniversary edition of the "George Enescu" International Competition opens on 23 August at the Romanian Athenaeum with a concert bringing together Enescu's heritage, contemporary works and a new generation of performers.According to an Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania (UCMR) re»»»

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»»»

More than 8,200 jobs have been put on the market this year by employers in the private healthcare sector, for doctors and nurses as well as support staff in the administrative departments of private clinics, while the public system is facing another staffing crisis.According to data published by a »»»

Romania could begin lowering its monetary policy interest rate early next year as inflation falls below the benchmark rate, National Bank of Romania (BNR) Governor Mugur Isarescu said on Thursday."I cannot tell you at this point [when the monetary policy rate could be cut - editor's note], because »»»

Romania's national power system is stable following the shutdown of Unit 2 at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, operations are proceeding normally, and all available estimates indicate that there are no risks to the continuous supply of electricity nationwide, the Energy Ministry said in a stateme»»»

The National Bank of Romania is ready to resume preparations for adopting the euro; however, Romania currently meets none of the necessary criteria, and the switch to the euro is a complex political and social process, BNR Governor Mugur Isarescu stated on Thursday."It is a very good discussion (re»»»

The National Bank of Romania projects that the annual inflation rate will stand at 6.1% at the end of the current year, 3.4% at the end of 2027, and 2.8% at the end of the second quarter of 2028, according to the Quarterly Inflation Report (August 2026 edition).The annual CPI inflation rate is proj»»»

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) has revised upwards, to 6.1%, from 5.5% previously, its inflation forecast for the end of 2026 and anticipates that it will reach 3.4% at the end of 2027, as against 2.9% previously, according to data presented on Thursday by the governor of the National Bank of R»»»