Manila: For decades, the debate here has often treated corruption as the prime reason for the country's economic woes. The standard explanation goes something like this: weak institutions and a culture of patronage create fertile ground for "rent-seeking" — public money gets siphoned into unproduct»»»

Damascus, Aug. 27 (SANA) Syria and Türkiye discussed on Wednesday ways to enhance cooperation in trade, customs, border crossings, transport, transit and investment, with a focus on developing crossings and facilitating the movement of goods and trucks. The discussions took place during a meeting b»»»

Lawyers from the Department of Justice threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts if the Trump administration isn't allowed to renovate it and put Trump's name on it. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 25 (UPI) -- The Trump administration threatened in a court»»»

Markwayne Mullin, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security attends an event Thursday in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which falls under the department, arrested nearly 50,000 people in July. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | Licen»»»

The Department of Justice seized two platforms used by Chinese hackers to break into American infrastructure. File Photo by Sascha Steinbach/EPA Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The Justice Department and FBI announced Wednesday that they seized two platforms used to target U.S. critical infrastructure and other s»»»

Meta Platforms on Wednesday agreed to pay $17 billion to settle claims, filed by 47 US states, that the company designed Facebook and Instagram to deliberately make teens addicted to their products while deceiving the public, according to state attorneys general. The company agreed to add chil»»»

By Maxence D'aversa PARIS, France — After six months of war in the Middle East, the Gulf's major aviation hubs are navigating turbulence as a hefty portion of their lucrative transit traffic opts for other airports such as Istanbul.Between April and June, business for Middle Eastern airlines — mea»»»

AMMAN — Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) met the Kenyan economic delegation on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen economic and trade ties, expand business-to-business contacts and explore new trade and investment partnerships.IndustryJordan Chamber of Indus»»»

— Re-exports surge 44.6%, pushing total exports up 14.5%— Trade deficit narrows as export-to-import coverage improvesAMMAN — Jordan’s national exports rose by 6.2 per cent in the first half of 2026 to JD4,667 million, compared with the same period of 2025, according to the Department of Statistics »»»

CAIRO: The conviction of Syria’s former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun and Washington’s decision to remove a major obstacle to economic engagement came within hours of each other this week, highlighting two central elements of the country’s post-Bashar Assad transition. On Monday, a court in D»»»

Massive flash floods that swept through the Himalayan border regions of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday killed at least 98 people and destroyed villages and infrastructure, officials said. Hundreds are still missing, including foreign tourists and pilgrims from neighbouring India, as authorities race »»»

A lawsuit was filed by 25 states to prevent the U.S. Postal Service from implementing new rules to prevent mail-in voting before November's elections. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Aug. 26 (UPI) -- A group of attorneys general from 24 states and the governor of Pennsylvania have f»»»

South Africa-based telecommunications and digital-services group MTN (JSE: MTN) is exploring banking licences in selected African markets that could allow it to take deposits and increasingly lend from its own balance sheet, CEO Ralph Mupita told Reuters. MTN is a pan-African telecoms group offerin»»»

LONDON: A UN anti-racism committee on Wednesday expressed alarm over statements by Israeli officials threatening to inflict on Lebanon “the same level of destruction” as in Gaza, urging an end to rhetoric it said dehumanized the Lebanese population. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Dis»»»

Doha, Qatar: The School Health Program and Services at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) is preparing to launch its 2026-2027 Back-to-School campaign under the slogan "Healthy Bodies Build Strong Nations." The campaign will run from August 30 to September 10 across all public schools and k»»»

Dubai: Several participants have won cash prizes in the latest UAE Lottery Lucky Day draw held on Wednesday. In Lucky Day Draw No. 260826, the winning numbers in the Days section were 26, 29, 28, 27, 9, 14, while 5 was drawn as the winning number in the Months section. Meanwhile, three participants»»»

Tunis, August 26 (TAP) - Tunindex closed Wednesday's session up 0.8% to 19,531.53 points with a modest trading volume of TND 6.2 million thanks to a block transaction on the AMEN BANK stock worth TND 1.05 million, said broker Tunisie Valeurs. AMEN...»»»

Dubai: Several participants have won cash prizes in the latest UAE Lottery Lucky Day draw held on Wednesday. In Lucky Day Draw No. 260826, the winning numbers in the Days section were 26, 29, 28, 27, 9, 14, while 5 was drawn as the winning number in the Months section. Meanwhile, three participants»»»

PARIS: Philippe Aghion is a prominent French economist, internationally recognized for his work on growth and innovation. He is a professor at the College de France and the London School of Economics. His research has profoundly revitalized Joseph Schumpeter’s theory of “creative destruction.” It d»»»

CAIRO: The Arab League’s Secretariat-General on Wednesday condemned Israeli violations involving the destruction of UNRWA buildings in Kafr Aqab in occupied East Jerusalem, calling it a direct attack on a UN agency that plays a fundamental role for Palestinian refugees. In a statement marking the f»»»

LONDON: A non-existent US think tank published more than half a million words of pro-Israel material in just nine days as part of an Israeli government-funded campaign designed to influence how artificial intelligence chatbots respond to questions about Israel and Gaza, The Guardian has found. The »»»

Tunis, August 26, 2026 (TAP) — A Tunisian business delegation led by the Tunisia Africa Business Council (TABC) will visit Conakry from October 6 to 11, 2026, as part of efforts to deepen strategic partnerships and boost trade and investment ties...»»»

The USS Abraham Lincoln was expected to return to the United States in several weeks. File Photo by MC Nicholas R. Boris/U.S. Navy | License Photo Aug. 26 (UPI) -- A Florida man arrested by immigration officials amid his son's deployment on the beleaguered USS Abraham Lincoln has been released from»»»

Chile is preparing to introduce a new category of lower-alcohol wine as the industry faces a sustained decline in consumption and changing drinking habits among younger generations. File Photo by Mario Ruiz/EPA SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Chile, the world's fourth-largest wine exporter, is pr»»»

LONDON: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to announce within weeks a broad ban on trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, British media reported on Wednesday. According to The Telegraph, Burnham is considering a full embargo on settlement goods in res»»»

LONDON: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to announce within weeks a broad ban on trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, British media reported on Wednesday. According to The Telegraph, Burnham is considering a full embargo on settlement goods in res»»»

The Egyptian Tourism Authority organised 271 awareness trips and more than 1,000 seminars between January 2025 and June 2026 The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA), has intensified efforts to raise tourism awareness across Egypt, reaching approx»»»

Damascus, Aug.26 (SANA) Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry, Nidal al-Shaar, held talks with Turkish Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and his accompanying delegation in Damascus on Wednesday on ways to enhance cooperation in the economic and industrial sectors, increase bilateral trade, facilitate »»»

LuLu Hypermarket has launched its much-anticipated flat 50 percent off sale across all its stores in Saudi Arabia. Running from Aug. 26 to 29, the event promises shoppers across the Kingdom a chance to stock up on everyday essentials and lifestyle picks alike, all at half the price. The campaign ha»»»

Meta will pay $16.7 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general over the mental health risks posed to children by its social media platforms. File Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Meta will pay $16.7 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 state atto»»»

US President Donald Trump has reportedly submitted a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia for congressional review and renewed demands that Riyadh normalize relations with Israel as part of the deal. According to US media outlets, citing unnamed administration and congressional »»»

A rooftop water tank, an oil storage tank and a pipeline may appear to be entirely different engineering assets, but under the Saudi sun they face a common problem. Metal and concrete absorb significant amounts of heat, surfaces overheat, and owners are forced either to spend more energy on cooling»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Israeli army used white phosphorus munitions in southern Lebanon, leading to large fires and damage to agricultural and forest lands, a Lebanese military field source told Sputnik on Wednesday. "On Wednesday, the Israeli army shelled the outskirts of the Bani Hayyan settlemen»»»

Three Secret Service staff members were put on leave pending an investigation into "potential misconduct." File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Three Secret Service employees have been put on administrative leave during an investigation into "potential misconduct," the »»»

Washington: Bill Gates warned Wednesday that the world is dangerously unprepared for the upheaval brought by artificial intelligence, with the technology destroying jobs and threatening human connection, especially for young people. In a nearly 6,000-word essay published on his blog, the Microsoft »»»

RIYADH: Ireland’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia has hailed his country’s “very strong” relations with the Kingdom as he pledged to transform historic goodwill into a strong diplomatic, economic, technological and cultural partnership. In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Irish Ambassador Mich»»»

Dubai's new law regulating shared housing took effect on Wednesday, introducing mandatory permits and penalties of up to Dh1 million for repeat violations as the emirate moves to curb illegal and unregulated accommodation. Law No. 4 of 2026, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makt»»»

Parliamentary groups outlined their priorities for the new plenary session on Wednesday, the National Assembly's first regular sitting after the summer recess, with the ruling Progressive Bulgaria pledging to advance the Government's programme and opposition formations criticizing its record after »»»

Spending on gasoline and energy goods fell by $14 billion in July, the largest decline in spending to either a goods or services category in the Bureau of Economic Analysis' monthly personal consumption expenditures report. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Core persona»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is expanding its specialized public education model into the media sector, with the Ministries of Education and Media opening registration on Wednesday for a new Media Gifted Students School in Madinah. The initiative targets first-year secondary school students and aims to ide»»»

Dubai: From pookkalams (floral carpets) and Thirvuathira dance at offices to a horseback ride in the desert and an Onasadhya served 35,000 feet in the air, Indian expats from Kerala in the UAE marked Onam 2026 in style, with colleagues from multiple nationalities joining in the celebrations. This y»»»

MAKKAH: Every weekend along the shores of Al-Shuaiba, vivid modern canopy kites catch the thermal winds of the Red Sea, carving sharp arcs across the skyline. Below them, young athletes skim turquoise waters on specialized boards, executing high-speed maneuvers and gravity-defying jumps. Once a qui»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Wednesday, gaining 28.29 points, or 0.25 percent, to close at 11,259.90. The total trading turnover on the benchmark index was SR5.71 billion ($1.52 billion), as 166 stocks advanced, while 90 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul Index also increased, ri»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting at the Amiri Diwan on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi sta»»»

The fifth edition of the Congress of Arabic and Creative Industries will take place in Abu Dhabi on September 20, bringing together experts from the fields of culture, technology, academia and the creative industries. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department o»»»

As many as 1,550 teachers will be joining GEMS schools across the UAE once the new academic year begins next week. Speaking at an awareness event, group CEO Dino Varkey said the group's schools had received over half a million applications, which was slightly lower than the 600,000-plus pool last y»»»

Dubai: Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion to settle claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed young users and improperly collected children’s personal data, according to court papers. The agreement was reached during a federal trial in California involving 29 US states. It ends o»»»

London: Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their two children landed Wednesday in Britain, UK media reported, after the surprise news emerged last week they would be relocating from the United States. The couple -- who quit Britain and royal duties six years ago and moved to California -- landed abo»»»

US President Donald Trump scored two badly needed victories Tuesday as his preferred candidates in South Carolina and Oklahoma won the Republican runoffs. The sweep interrupts a bruising run for Trump, whose endorsed candidates had lost 10 Republican contests this cycl»»»

1 of 2 | City leaders across the country have been choosing to put infrastructure projects that are “less than necessary” on hold as high gas prices put a strain on municipal budgets. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Rising gas prices are not only putting pressure on»»»