Saudi leaders offer condolences on death of former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have sent separate cables of condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping over the death of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, state news agency SPA reported on Friday. King Salman expressed his deepest condolences and sincere s»»»
India Independence Day 2026: Modi charts path to Viksit Bharat by 2047
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said self-reliance would pave the way for India to become a developed nation, stressing the need for the country to become self-reliant and protect its interests. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 80th Independence Day»»»
Can Jared Kushner revive Trump’s stalled Gaza peace plan?
LONDON: It is almost 11 months since US President Donald Trump, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025, unveiled his 20-point peace plan for Gaza. It was, said the president, a “big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the greatest days»»»
CEO sent to prison for 'largest Ponzi scheme in Georgia history' - UPI.com
Todd Burkhalter, the founder and CEO of Drive Planning in Atlanta, Ga., ran a years-long scheme that defrauded thousands of investors of nearly $400 million, prosecutors said. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- An Atlanta executive was sentenced to 20 years in prison on»»»
Kerala expat's friend picks the number that lands him a Dh100,000 Big Ticket win
Dubai: For Saidalavi Kariodan Varichalil, a ticket picked at random by a friend has turned into a Dh 100,000 win in Big Ticket's Series 289. The 44-year-old from Kerala in India has been living in the UAE for the past 17 years, where he works as a school watchman. He first heard about Big Ticket th»»»
Barely half of Ukrainians abroad still plan to go home
Just over half of the Ukrainians living abroad still intend to come home, down from more than two-thirds a year ago, as new lives in the EU take root. The share planning to return fell to 53% from 68%, while the share who say they do not intend to return at all doubled to 34% from 17%, according to»»»
From classroom to career: Reinventing hospitality education for the real world
Walk the lobby of any five-star hotel in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and you will find a workforce under unprecedented pressure. Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, a pipeline of major sporting events, and the legacy of Expo are generating sustained demand for hospitality talent at a scale the region has nev»»»
UAE weather: 49°C heat followed by rain and 40km/h winds
Dubai: Temperatures could reach 49°C in parts of the UAE on Saturday, with clouds building over northern and eastern areas before the prospect of rain increases across parts of the country over the next several days, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Saturday will be fair to partly c»»»
Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Indonesia, causing widespread damage
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores region early Saturday, killing at least two people, injuring two others and causing buildings and homes to collapse. The shallow quake triggered panic across the island, with hospitals evacuating patients and setting up temporary tre»»»
British couple in the UAE is on a mission to rehome 50 abandoned pets: 'There's a forever home for all, out there'
Where there's hope, there's a will, and when there's a will, there are many, many ways. It's this iron-clad hope that leads rescuers to the abandoned, injured and traumatised dogs and cats across the UAE. While there are stories within stories, While there are stories within stories, one such story»»»
Libya’s Haftar played key role in release of US hostage held by Daesh, sources say
DAKAR: Authorities in eastern Libya under military commander Khalifa Haftar helped secure the release of an American missionary held hostage held by a Daesh affiliate in West Africa’s Sahel region, escorting him to freedom through Libya, five sources told Reuters on Friday. Four of the sources said»»»
Massachusetts mayor charged in $1.5M COVID loan fraud - UPI.com
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena, 61, was charged with wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly using $1.,5 million in COVID loans for small businesses to fund his campaign, pay personal taxes and pay off other loans. DePena applied for pandemic relief loans in 2020 and 2021 to support Tenares Tire»»»
Jason Arday, ex-Cambridge professor at centre of plagiarism row, found dead
Academic Jason Arday, who resigned from the University of Cambridge last week amid a high-profile plagiarism storm that featured racism claims, was found dead Friday, the prestigious British institution confirmed. Arday, 41, was found unresponsive on Friday afternoon at an address in south London, »»»
ADNOC confirms vessel attack in Strait of Hormuz, situation under control
ADNOC confirmed that one of its vessels came under attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, August 14. No injuries were reported, and the situation was brought under control. The company said it remains committed to protecting the safety and wellbeing of seafarers, while supp»»»
Jason Ardey, youngest Black Cambridge prof, found dead after resigning - UPI.com
People walk outside Jesus College, where the late Prof. Jason Arday worked, at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, Britain, on Aug. 7. Arday, who resigned last week amid scrutiny of his academic history, was found dead in London on Friday, police said. File Photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA Aug. 14 (U»»»
Putin says Russia, North Korea coordinating on regional security, KCNA reports
SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Moscow and Pyongyang were cooperating across all areas and coordinating efforts to ensure regional security and stability, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Saturday. Putin said in a message to Kim marking th»»»
AI stock sell-offs keep returning as investors question spending, valuations and returns
Dubai: Investors have grown used to sudden bouts of selling in AI-linked stocks, but analysts say the recurring swings are less about discovering new risks and more about fresh evidence forcing markets to reconsider how much companies are spending and how long it will take for those investments to »»»
An ‘influencer’ degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value
NEW YORK: Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit n»»»
British PM bans sales of BBQs, deploys military in wildfire fight - UPI.com
An aerial view taken with a drone shows smoke rising from wildfires near Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Britain, on July 31. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Friday banned the sale of disposable barbeques and took other emergency measures to combat wildfires triggered by heatwaves and a lack of ra»»»
Israel forces Palestinians out of Qusra after siege by Jewish settlers
Palestinian residents of the West Bank village of Qusra have been ordered to leave their homes after a days-long siege and repeated attacks by Israeli settlers, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declaring the area a closed military zone in what it claims is a move to protect civilians. In an int»»»
Central Africa’s Muslims go home years after brutal war
SIBUT, Central African Republic: The Islamic call to prayer echoes once again across Sibut’s rooftops — a sign that peaceful coexistence has returned to the town in the mostly Christian Central African Republic (CAR) after years of civil war. The conflict emptied the thriving market town around thr»»»
An ‘influencer’ degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value
NEW YORK: Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit n»»»
U.S. missionary released in Niger after 10-month kidnapping - UPI.com
Aug. 14 (UPI) -- An American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger last fall has been released, officials said Thursday. Kevin Rideout, 50, was abducted by three men from outside his home in the capital of Niamey on Oct. 21. The details of his release are unclear, but he was in FBI custody and in g»»»
FBI statistics: Violent crime, murders fell by record levels in 2025 - UPI.com
The levels of violent crime decreased by a record amount during 2025, the FBI announced Friday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Violent crime, including the estimated rate for murders and certain manslaughters, showed record year-to-year decreases in the United States»»»
Two slicks are close to 2 Iranian islands in the Gulf as huge oil spill off Oman threatens disaster – Ya Libnan
Share: A satellite image shows Qeshm Island following suspected oil spills at sea, off the coast of Iran, August 10, 2026. European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-2/Handout via REUTERS Two slicks have appeared in Iranian waters, satellite imagery and video verified by Reuters show, as tit-for-tat attack»»»
West Bank: Palestinians families trapped in home
Israeli settlers are carrying out a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, where families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off, in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. France 24 Senior Re»»»
‘We never leave’: Palestinians besieged in West Bank fear Israeli settlers will seize their homes
For nearly a week, Israeli settlers have been surrounding homes in the West bank village of Qusra in a coordinated offensive to force Palestinian residents from their homes in order to seize new land. Palestinian Amin Rahal and his three brothers haven't gone to work in weeks, instead taking turns »»»
Romania’s sole nuclear plant shut down as Danube hits record low
The only nuclear power plant in Romania has been completely shut down due to record-low Danube River levels, state-owned energy company Nuclearelectrica announced on Thursday. River water is essential for cooling many European nuclear plants, making low levels an increasing constraint on power gene»»»
USS Abraham Lincoln ending long deployment amid health concerns - UPI.com
An F-35C Lightning II prepares to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in 2018. Naval officials announced Friday the warship is ending its record-breaking deployment following reports of the deteriorating mental health of its crew. U.S. Navy File Phot»»»
Fallen French football giants Bordeaux move closer to extinction
Bordeaux: Bordeaux, once one of France's leading football clubs and the team where the country's new head coach Zinedine Zidane made his name, lurched further into trouble on Friday. After years of crippling financial problems, the spectre of judicial liquidation is looming over the Girondins after»»»
India’s 80th Independence Day: Progress, people and partnership
JEDDAH: As India celebrates its 80th Independence Day, we remember with gratitude the countless men and women whose courage and sacrifice secured our freedom. We also pay tribute to the generations of Indians who have, since 1947, strengthened our democracy, built our institutions and contributed t»»»
Kentucky woman charged with vandalizing National Mall's WWII Memorial - UPI.com
Federal authorities charged Melissa L. Farris, 41 of Kentucky, with felony vandalism for allegedly spray painting the National Mall's World War II Memorial. Photo courtesy of U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A Kentucky woman was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Nati»»»
Europe killed 25,000 of its own people this summer for want of air conditioning
Extreme heat has killed more than 25,000 people across Europe this year, on data compiled by Insurance Journal from government agencies and research institutions in Germany, Spain, France, the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Germany alone accounts for an estimated 11,900 excess heat deaths sin»»»
Russian view, Tehran's Hormuz trap
The escalation of US armed action against Iran, coupled with the sharp weakening of pro-Iranian groups across the region under parallel Israeli operations, has pushed Tehran to abandon its policy of strategic patience. In its place, according to a former ambassador to Tehran, Aleksandr Maryasov, Ir»»»
Belgian woman charged in France over foiled attack on US bank
PARIS: A 23-year-old Belgian woman was charged in France Friday for allegedly being part of an attempted March 28 bomb attack on a Bank of America branch in Paris that officials said might be tied to a pro-Iran group. That attack — thwarted when police stopped and arrested four people about to set »»»
What has changed in Afghanistan five years after the Taliban’s return?
NEW YORK CITY: Olga Cherevko has spent the past several months crisscrossing Afghanistan, from Bamiyan and Herat to Paktika, Khost and, most recently, Nuristan, where flash flooding recently tore through villages, leaving families with nothing. Across different landscapes and provinces, the stories»»»
Violence in Sudan continues to imperil civilians UN
United Nations: Violence continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and displace people across Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. In Blue Nile state, more than 20 civilians were killed and many others injured on Tuesday in clashes in Geisan town in the southeast of the country, the UN Of»»»
Alex Murdaugh's retrial moved to a different county - UPI.com
The second trial of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his wife and son, will take place outside of his home county, a judge ruled Friday. File Photo via South Carolina Department of Corrections/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The second trial of disgraced So»»»
Trump dismisses concerns over crew aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump dismissed concerns Friday over living conditions and the mental health of service members on a US aircraft carrier deployed against Iran, while confirming the ship would soon rotate out. Asked by reporters whether family members were worried about the situation on»»»
Yemen government says Houthi missiles kill at least four civilians in port city
ADEN: Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port of Mocha on Friday, killing four civilians, amid an escalation in hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and the government. The armed forces aligned with the Yemeni government»»»
Iraqi daily oil exports in August highest since start of war: minister
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s average daily oil exports since the beginning of August are the highest since the outbreak of the Middle East war between Iran and the United States choked off the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said Friday. Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair told a press conference that»»»
Lebanon’s creative talent suffers as regional war drags on
BEIRUT: For decades, the Gulf served as the center of gravity for much of Lebanon’s creative talent, with swaths of designers and marketing executives flocking to its cities to find clients or relying on its foundations and cultural centers for funding. But with regional economies now under pressu»»»
WHO decries lack of justice over 10,000 attacks on healthcare
GENEVA: The World Health Organization said Friday that more than 10,000 attacks on healthcare had been recorded since 2018 — but nobody has ever been brought to justice. These attacks, reported across 29 countries and territories, have resulted in approximately 5,700 deaths and 8,500 injuries, the »»»
Afghan women face grim future as aid cuts compound Taliban repression, UN envoy warns
NEW YORK CITY: Five years after the Taliban seized control of Kabul for the second time, Afghan women and girls are trapped in what the UN’s top official responsible for the issue described as an unparalleled crisis of rights, which has been worsened by a collapse in international funding that is s»»»
Cubans find rest on rooftops as blackouts drive them from home
HAVANA: Every night, when summer heat and blackouts make sleep impossible at home, Cubans head for rooftops, porches and public spaces where they can catch a breeze. Alexis Milan waits with his blind 17-year-old son for the sun to disappear behind the horizon of Central Havana, so they can head to »»»
Stolen artworks by Matisse, Cezanne, Renoir recovered in Brazil, Italy - UPI.com
"Le Luxe II" by Henri Matisse is on display at Museum of Modern Art on April 27, 2022, in New York City. Police in Brazil and Italy announced Friday they have recovered stolen Matisse artworks, as well as works by Paul Cezanne and Pierre-August Renoir. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Pho»»»
'I shot Mr Thompson': Luigi Mangione admits killing UnitedHealthcare CEO in shock court confession
New York: Luigi Mangione spoke slowly and deliberately as he admitted to shooting US health care executive Brian Thompson, in a stunning confession befitting a crime that has gripped the United States. "I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died," Mangione, wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit, told a»»»
Hezbollah chief calls to reverse 'mistake' of direct talks with Israel - UPI.com
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem called Friday for “reversing the sinful, disgraceful and humiliating mistake” of Lebanon negotiating peace with Israel. File Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem lashed out at the Lebanese offic»»»
Mexico prosecutes ex-governor over 43 missing Ayotzinapa students - UPI.com
Eleven years after the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College in the state of Guerrero were forcibly disappeared by members of the Mexican Army, thousands of people, including the parents of the students, took to the streets of Mexico City in September to demand justice in one of t»»»
EU Monitoring Albania’s New Special Court Rules Amid Concerns Over Media Access
The European Union says it is aware of new internal regulations introduced by Albania’s Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), amid growing public debate over restrictions on media access and the transparency of court proceedings. The new rules, which set tighter security, order »»»