Colombia rescuers find woman alive, two days after deadly quake
Two days after Colombia was struck by the country's strongest earthquake in a century, a 32-year-old woman was on Tuesday pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building. Exhausted rescuers continue to search collapsed buildings across western Colombia in a desperate hunt for survivors.»»»
Trump says he faced ‘greater risk’ on swapped plane after secret flight change sparks controversy
President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed a US media report that he secretly switched planes while flying out of Turkey last month due to a security risk. While some journalists left on the original Air Force One flight expressed anger at having unwittingly served as decoys, Trump maintained the »»»
Meta's 'Big Tobacco' moment?: Social media giant faces $1.4 trillion lawsuit over harm to children
Jury selection begins Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by the US states of California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey alleging that Meta uses technology to make Facebook and Instagram addictive for children. The states are demanding changes to Meta's apps in addition to financial penalties as high a»»»
Moderate Crowley beats progressive Hong in Wisconsin Democratic primary
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on Wednesday eked out a stunningly narrow win against democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Democratic party primary for the Wisconsin governor's race. Crowley's win by less than a percentage point comes as the party faces a divide between establishment»»»
Syria advances tax reform in talks with IMF, Bank of America
Damascus, Aug. 12 (SANA) Syria’s Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh discussed draft tax legislation with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission specializing in tax policy, focusing on reforms aimed at meeting current requirements, economic reform priorities and international trends. The I»»»
Skywatchers gather in Europe to see total solar eclipse
Burgos, Spain: The streets of typically quiet Spanish villages were clogged by skygazing tourists on Wednesday in anticipation of a rare total eclipse that would plunge areas into an eerie daytime darkness. The shadow cast when the Moon blots out the Sun will begin in Russia's remote Arctic north a»»»
UK's Count Binface, the 'joke' candidate challenging far-right Farage in Clacton by-election
Britain's Count Binface, a man wearing a metallic rubbish bin over his head, challenges far-right politician Nigel Farage on Thursday in the Clacton by-election sparked by the Reform UK leader's shock resignation from his post in July. None of the UK's mainstream political parties are fielding cand»»»
PM Radev: Bulgaria Considering Tougher Measures Against Youth Crime
Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria is considering tougher measures to tackle youth crime following the killing of Georgi Kuzev in Plovdiv, while warning that children cannot be left to be raised by social media. Opening the Cabinet meeting, Radev said the Interior Ministry had detained those »»»
Iran Ready for Protracted Conflict With US - IRGC Top Official
TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran is ready for a protracted conflict with the United States to fully ensure its security, a top adviser to the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, said. "We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can »»»
POV | Elena Badea, Valoria: How to create teams that think critically, not just execute
In many companies, teams work flawlessly…until something comes up that is not in the procedures. Then the rhythm breaks and people wait for instructions. Managers become the “command center”, and the team loses exactly what matters: cognitive agility. By Elena Badea, Managing Director, Valoria Busi»»»
Spain prepares for rare solar eclipse against backdrop of heat and wildfires
MEDINACELI: Spaniards rushed to buy specialized glasses to view a rare total solar eclipse Wednesday, as authorities warned people flocking to rural areas to avoid anything that could spark new wildfires. Across a swath of northern and central Spain, millions of people will have some of mainland Eu»»»
Lebanon becomes first Middle East country to abolish death penalty – Ya Libnan
Share: Lebanese lawmakers attend a parliamentary session to discuss the abolition of the death penalty in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA Lebanese lawmakers have approved legislation prohibiting the death penalty, making Lebanon the first Middle Eastern country to end capital »»»
Ousted by Orbán, back with a vengeance: Hungary’s president András Baka to restore rule of law
In a secret ballot on Tuesday (11 August), the Hungarian parliament elected András Baka, a legal scholar and former president of the Supreme Court, as the country’s president with the votes of 140 MPs, presumably from the Tisza parliamentary group. The opposition Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary group»»»
International Youth Day: The UAE’s young generation is already building its future
What does being young in the UAE look like in 2026? It might be a university student working on a start-up between lectures. It could be an athlete training before sunrise, a young Emirati sitting in a government meeting and offering an idea, or a teenager learning how to build with artificial inte»»»
C&WE: Net take-up generated 73% of Bucharest’s office demand in H1, while vacancy rate fell to a five-year low
Bucharest’s office market continues to strengthen its fundamentals, supported by a recovery in occupier demand driven by new lease transactions and expansions, against a backdrop of limited new supply. Net take-up accounted for 73% of the total leasing activity in H1 2026, up from 53% during the sa»»»
PM: "There Is No Place for Fascist Atrocities in Bulgaria, We Will Do What Is Necessary"
Prime Minister Rumen Radev Wednesday reacted to a brutal murder in Plovdiv last week. "There is no place in Bulgaria for fascist atrocities, and we will take the necessary measures," he said at the beginning of the government's weekly meeting. In his words, "all Bulgaria was shocked by the sadistic»»»
Sofia to Build 20-Plus Nurseries to Address Daycare Shortage
Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev told a press briefing on Wednesday that more than 20 nurseries are being built in the capital, with 1,500 new places expected to open in the coming months and years. Terziev was attending the opening of a renovated nursery in Lozenets borough. The Mayor reported that ther»»»
EU has no idea who will pick up tab for €90 bn Ukraine loan – MEP
The EU is pumping €90 billion ($105 billion) into Ukraine without knowing how the burden of the interest-free loan will be distributed among member states, German MEP Fabio De Masi told the Berliner Zeitung, warning that the money will enrich “corrupt oligarchs” in Ukraine. Member states gave the g»»»
Media Review: August 12
HEADLINES Wednesday's media coverage focuses on the fatal beating of Georgi Kuzev in Plovdiv and the broader problem of youth groups organizing violence online. Reports examine the Government's proposed prevention measures, the role of families, schools and social media, and the possible influence »»»
How Iran’s conflict with the US left trail of death, destruction and competing claims
LONDON: Iran has tied the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to a sweeping list of political and financial concessions from the US, including full compensation for damage caused by what it described as two “imposed wars.” The demands were set out on Saturday by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of»»»
Kosovo begins excavations at newly found mass graves tied to 1998-99 war missing
KALLUDER E VOGEL: Erblin Ademi watched from afar as workers excavated recently discovered mass graves from the 1998-99 war in Kosovo. Nearly 30 years after his father went missing, Ademi both feared and wished that his remains will finally be found. Ademi was just 9 when he last saw his father, Ade»»»
China plans to develop modern coal industry by 2030
Beijing: China has unveiled a plan to develop a modern coal industry by 2030, aiming to balance energy security with green transition. The plan, issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, expected to account for 87 percent of China's total coal »»»
Hungarian man arrested over plot to lure 15-year-old Danish girl to Hungary
A 22-year-old Hungarian man has been placed in temporary extradition custody after Danish authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant over allegations that he lured a 15-year-old Danish girl to Hungary for the purpose of subjecting her to sexual offences. The Budapest-Capital Regional Court ordere»»»
Mohammed bin Rashid hails UAE youth as nation’s greatest wealth and hope on International Youth Day
Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has reaffirmed the UAE leadership’s confidence in young Emiratis, describing them as the nation’s greatest wealth and greatest hope as the world marks International Youth Day.»»»
World's happiest countries: 3 surveys, 3 ways of measuring 'happiness' — Finland tops life satisfaction, rival survey crowns Indonesia, others
Happiness is difficult to measure. But the latest global surveys agree on one thing: where people live, how they judge their lives and how they feel day to day can produce very different pictures of what it means to be happy. The 2026 World Happiness Report, released by the Wellbeing Research Centr»»»
Kuwaiti student sues Education Ministry, wins case overturning failed school year
Dubai: A Kuwaiti court has overturned an Education Ministry decision that failed a middle-school student and ordered that she be declared successful and promoted to the eighth grade after a technical glitch prevented her from accessing online classes. The dispute began during the second semester wh»»»
PM Reacts to Brutal Murder in Plovdiv: "There Is No Place for Fascist Atrocities in Bulgaria, We Will Do What Is Necessary"
Prime Minister Rumen Radev Wednesday reacted to a brutal murder in Plovdiv last week. "There is no place in Bulgaria for fascist atrocities, and we will take the necessary measures," he said at the beginning of the government's weekly meeting. In his words, "all Bulgaria was shocked by the sadistic»»»
How Iran’s conflict with the US left trail of death, destruction and competing claims
LONDON: Iran has tied the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to a sweeping list of political and financial concessions from the US, including full compensation for damage caused by what it described as two “imposed wars.” The demands were set out on Saturday by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of»»»
Lightning strikes Ohio prison, hospitalizing 16 people - UPI.com
Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Lightning struck a northern Ohio state prison, injuring at least 16 people, who were transported to the hospital, officials said Tuesday night. The lightning struck the Grafton Correctional Institution, located about 30 miles southwest of Cleveland, Tuesday night, as inmates were r»»»
QIC delivers resilient net profit of QR365m in H1 2026
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Insurance (QIC, or ‘the Group’), the leading insurer in Qatar and one of the largest across the Middle East and North Africa, reported a resilient performance for the first half of 2026, with net profit of QR365m. The Group absorbed the impact of an exceptional regional geopoliti»»»
Colombia rescuers find woman alive as quake death toll passes 240
Pereira, Colombia: Colombian rescuers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building Tuesday, sparking cheers and applause as exhausted crews raced to find more survivors from the country's strongest earthquake in a century. Daniela Largo was carried from the wreckage wrap»»»
Oil rises as doubts over US-Iran deal heighten supply concerns
BEIJING: Oil prices rose on Wednesday as doubts about a US-Iran peace deal and attacks on two ships fuelled concerns about disruptions to Middle East supplies, although industry data showed swelling inventories of US crude. Brent futures were up 75 cents, or 0.84 percent, to $89.66 a barrel by 08»»»
Lebanon becomes first Middle East country to abolish death penalty - UPI.com
Lebanese lawmakers attend a parliamentary session to discuss the abolition of the death penalty in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Lebanese lawmakers have approved legislation prohibiting the death penalty, making Lebanon the first Middle Eastern country to en»»»
Germany & Japan Reembrace Mass Surveillance - Russian MFA Spox
Germany and Japan are reviving practices reminiscent of the Gestapo and Japan’s Tokko secret police, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova writes on social media. “Two former WWII Axis powers returned in unison in July to surveillance practices from which they were forcibly weaned i»»»
Emirates, Etihad rank among Middle East’s top 3 airlines in 2026 Flyers’ Choice Awards
Dubai: Emirates has been voted the preferred airline in the Middle East and Africa in the 2026 Flyers’ Choice Awards, while Etihad Airways took third place in the regional ranking. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The awards, organised by AirlineRatings.com, are based e»»»
40 contestants advance to second stage of Awal Al-Awael Quran Competition
Doha, Qatar: Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs has successfully concluded the qualifying round of the third edition of the ‘Awal Al-Awael’ International Quran Competition, the international segment of the Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Quran Competition. The qualifyin»»»
MoJ organises specialised qualifying programme for public legal positions
Doha, Qatar: The Centre for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is organising a specialised qualifying programme for public legal positions. The programme includes three specialised tracks and targets legal professionals working in government and semi-government entities. Th»»»
European football returns to beIN Sports for 2026-27 season
Doha, Qatar: Barely three weeks after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, European club football roars back to life this week – and fans across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will not miss a moment, with beIN Sports (beIN) broadcasting the new season live and exclusive across 24 MENA markets. F»»»
Strong non-hydrocarbon growth drives Qatar’s economic resilience
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) yesterday reported that the Qatari economy demonstrated solid resilience throughout 2025, bolstered by strong non-hydrocarbon sector performance. In its Annual Macroeconomic Review, QCB reiterated that the overall real GDP expanded by 2.9 percent last year, lar»»»
Qatar’s effort in combating cybercrime deserves great applause: Angola Ambassador
Doha, Qatar: The Ambassador of Angola H E António Coelho Ramos da Cruz has praised Qatar’s efforts in combating cybercrime, saying they deserve great applause. Speaking at the opening of a UNODC ransomware investigation training in Lusail, he highlighted the State’s strong partnership with the Unit»»»
Palestinian students and staff sue Columbia University alleging discrimination
WASHINGTON: A group of current and former Palestinian students and staff have sued Columbia University, alleging discriminatory treatment by the school against its Palestinian community since late 2023, according to a court filing in New York. The lawsuit said the university failed to protect its»»»
Five years on, Afghanistan's Taliban build foreign ties despite rights concerns
Since they seized power in Afghanistan five years ago, the Taliban have succeeded in expanding their diplomatic and economic ties with countries around the world. But Afghanistan remains largely isolated due to a widespread refusal to formally recognise the Taliban government over human rights abus»»»
Hungary's Parliament elects new President - | 24.KG
Members of the Hungarian Parliament have elected 73-year-old András Baka as the country’s president, Meduza reports. He was nominated for the post by the ruling Tisza party. The position became vacant after the country’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, forced the resignation of Tamás Sulyok, a pr»»»
UK ‘joke’ candidate Binface pushes serious point about politics
LONDON: British politics has a long-cherished reputation for attracting the weird and wonderful. But in a pantheon of colorful characters, Count Binface, a man wearing a rubbish bin over his head, is stealing the show. The self-described “intergalactic space warrior” from the fictional planet Sigma»»»
3 states are set to hold executions on the same day, a first in the US since 2010
MONTGOMERY, Alabama: Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma plan to execute inmates Thursday in what would be the first time in nearly 16 years that three people are put to death on the same day in the United States. The executions come as a small number of states, including the three with scheduled letha»»»
Doctors ignored ‘warning signs’ before Maradona’s death, court hears
SAN ISIDRO, Argentina: Diego Maradona showed “warning signs” that went unheeded during the home hospitalization leading up to his death in 2020, a witness on Tuesday told the trial examining the Argentine football legend’s demise. Seven health care professionals have been on trial since mid-April i»»»
Darline Graham, Ralph Norman poised for GOP runoff to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham - UPI.com
1 of 5 | Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, R-S.C., was poised Tuesday night to be headed for a GOP runoff election against Rep. Ralph Norman for the Senate seat long held by her brother, the late Lindsey Graham. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph»»»
Trump administration bans use of Medicaid funds for gender identity healthcare - UPI.com
Protesters supporting trans youth gather Jan. 13 outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, the Trump administration finalized rules banning use of Medicaid funds for gender identity healthcare for youth. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 11 (UPI) -- On Tuesday, the »»»
Russia frees former US Marine amid health fears
A former US Marine detained by Russia since 2022 was headed back to the United States on Tuesday after being released on humanitarian grounds, President Donald Trump said. Robert Gilman, a teacher from Massachusetts, had been serving a ten-year prison sentence over disputed charges of assaulting a »»»
Car bomb kills Haftar intel chief in eastern Libya
The head of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls the east and parts of southern Libya, has been killed in a car bombing, the army said in a statement late on Tuesday. Fawzi al-Mansouri was assassinated on Monday when an explosive stuck to his car detonated as he »»»