The investigation into the criminal case against civil activist Mavlyan Askarbekov has been completed. The case materials have been sent to Leninsky District Court of Bishkek. The first hearing is scheduled for August 20. Askarbekov is charged under Article 330 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Re»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia raised SR9.52 billion ($2.54 billion) through its August sukuk issuance, an increase of 77.94 percent from July, as the Kingdom continued to deepen its domestic debt market. In a press release, the National Debt Management Center said the issuance was divided into five tranches»»»

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war in a 103-for-103 swap, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “On August 19, 103 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In exchange, 103 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war were handed over,” the ministry said.The»»»

Azerbaijan's finance ministry has raised its average annual inflation forecast for 2026 to 5.7%, up from the 4.8% projected earlier, according to a mid-year budget execution and year-end outlook document published by the ministry and cited by Report. The revision reflects actual inflation recorded »»»

Ghana has climbed to sixth place among the world's largest gold producers, overtaking the United States after a jump in domestic output and a slump in American production, the Ghana Chamber of Mines said. The West African nation produced 185 tonnes of gold in 2025, moving up from its traditional se»»»

Ukraine has been using UK-made jet drones for deep strikes inside Russia for the past six months, The Sunday Times reported on August 16, citing Ukrainian military sources. The use of UK-made weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia has lead to fears that Russia will retaliate by targetting those »»»

Around 7,000 children currently live in children’s homes in Hungary. A report produced in early 2024 exposed appalling conditions in these institutions, but the Orbán government chose instead to conceal the reality: abuse, a lack of psychological support, starvation, and outdated, unusable furnitur»»»

NAIROBI: The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo now exceeds 5,000, government data showed late on Tuesday, as health officials warn that response efforts are failing to contain the deadly disease. Congo’s 17th Ebola epidemic ‌turned into ‌the biggest in the country’»»»

DUBAI: Jordanian-Romanian shoe designer Amina Muaddi has fronted a new campaign for French beauty house Lancome, appearing in a film for the label’s La vie est belle Very Cherry eau de parfum wearing heels and carrying a clutch from her own brand. Lancome released the film on its Instagram page thi»»»

A total of 20 illegal structures will be demolished on Tuesday in Stara Zagora's Lozenets borough, Stara Zagora Mayor Zhivko Todorov told journalists. The structures are located on state-owned private property, comprising forest land - deciduous forest - outside the regulatory boundary and within a»»»

FINANCIAL TIMES: IRAN EYES TARGETING US MILITARY ASSETS IN EUROPE IF TENSIONS ESCALATE Denevnik.bg and 24 Chasa reproduce a Financial Times report, citing people close to the Iranian regime, according to which Iranian officials and military planners have examined potential targets at American milit»»»

More than 400 school principals from across Bulgaria are enhancing their professional skills through a summer online academy, educational platform Prepodavame.bg said on Wednesday. The Summer Academy for School Principals is a free online program featuring 11 practical workshops for leaders of scho»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman because he is unhappy the country is close to a deal with Iran to manage ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials said on Tuesday, a day after Trump leveled the threat. The officials said the Trump administration has told »»»

Geneva: The bodies of two Belgian climbers who disappeared in the Swiss Alps 34 years ago have been found, freed from the melting Trift Glacier, police said Wednesday. On July 26, a hiker reported finding two bodies on the glacier in southern Switzerland, near the Italian border, the regional polic»»»

Dubai: The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has received 20,500 applications from 135 countries for its 29th edition, marking the largest international participation in the award's history. Registration for the 29th edition, corresponding to 1448H–2027, will close on Wednesday, with application»»»

Oman has suspended all powered paragliding activities across the country until further notice following a fatal accident in Salalah, according to the Oman Air Sports Committee. The decision covers all types of powered paragliding and applies to all locations licensed for the activity in the Sultana»»»

Dubai: Federal government employees in the UAE will receive specialised training in artificial intelligence, risk management, asset lifecycle planning and global asset management standards under a new programme launched by the Ministry of Finance. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf »»»

Criminal investigation officers in the city of Manas have identified an apartment that, according to preliminary information, was being used to provide illegal sexual services, the press service of the Internal Affairs Department of Jalal-Abad region reported. The apartment was discovered in a resi»»»

On the occasion of 19 August World Humanitarian Day, designated by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2008, we once again emphasize the importance of protecting UN personnel and humanitarian aid workers and of the rapid, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need. At»»»

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced that women employed by the state government will be entitled to 365 days of maternity leave for a third child, extending a benefit currently available for the first two children. The measure was among a sweeping package of we»»»

KABUL: It’s grape season in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, and the harvest this year is plentiful. But that’s small comfort for the region’s grape producers and workers, who say fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan has left them unable to access their primary market.For months, t»»»

BANGKOK: Thai schools conducted ‌active shooter drills on Wednesday, as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened ​fire at a school and killed at least eight people.At the Surasamontree School in Bangkok, students took part in a “run, hide, fight” exerci»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government will challenge the Supreme Court’s order to move jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to a private hospital for medical checks, the law minister said late Tuesday. The ruling “does not fall within the four corners of the law,” Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said »»»

Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Burgas is an opportunity for Bulgaria to showcase its hospitality, culture and traditions and improve its image as a tourist destination for years to come, the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association (BHRA) said on Wednesday. On August 13, the Black Se»»»

The Israeli army struck and shelled overnight into Wednesday the Ali al-Taher hill, the outskirts of Wadi Zebqine and a house in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Israeli forces also carried detonations in Hadatha and al-Mansouri.»»»

Cairo, Egypt: The Arab League has condemned the Israeli strike on the Abu Al-Duhur airbase in Syria's Idlib province on Tuesday, describing it as a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and international law and another escalation in Israel's repeated attacks on Syria and other countries in the r»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s companies have reached an agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on the supply of oil products to the country. The corresponding agreements were signed following talks in Urumqi, the Cabinet of Ministers reported. The meeting was held as part of Deputy Chairman of t»»»

Washington, Aug. 19 (SANA) The US dollar remained near multi-month lows against major currencies Wednesday as Treasury yields retreated and investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes for signals on interest rates. The dollar index fell to 99.65, Reuters reported. The euro rose t»»»

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors have charged a man from the Bronx with hate crime offenses alleging he assaulted a security guard and a congregant in a racially motivated attack at a Manhattan synagogue last week. Larry Montes was arrested following the alleged attack at Central Synagogue on F»»»

Dubai: Dubai is planning almost 800 inspection visits during the back-to-school shopping season, covering physical stores and online retailers selling school-related products across the Emirate. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereThe month-long campai»»»

Dubai: Spanish authorities temporarily closed Granada’s historic Alhambra Palace as a precaution after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake caused minor damage to the UNESCO World Heritage site and injured three people. The earthquake struck at 10.38am on Tuesday. local time, with its epicentre in the town o»»»

Tunis, Aug. 19 (TAP)- The weather on Wednesday is slightly cloudy, the National Institute of Meteorology (INM) said.The wind is blowing north in the north and the midland and east in the south, relatively strong near coasts and light to mderate...»»»

Monaco: Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba will be released by Monaco after a series of injuries, the French club said on Wednesday. Pogba, 33, won the World Cup with France in 2018 but since serving a ban for doping has struggled to return to elite level.»»»

Islamabad, Aug. 19 (SANA) Pakistan strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria’s Idlib governorate, saying they violated international law and risked further undermining regional peace and stability.In a statement posted on X, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described t»»»

The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions against two top members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which the court said "undermine the rule of law". The move represents the Trump administration's latest salvo against the court based in The Hague, which was set up in 2002 by the internationa»»»

Manila: The Department of Energy (DOE) has identified five provinces as potential hosts for the country’s first commercial nuclear power plants, marking a major step in the government’s nuclear energy programme. Energy Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo Bacordo identified the five provinces as follows: »»»

Israel struck an air base in northwest Syria early Tuesday, saying it aimed to prevent Turkish troops from deploying there. Turkey, which has close ties with the Syrian government and has been providing assistance to Syria's military, has tense relations with Israel. The rival countries have sought»»»

Doha, Qatar: Panasonic and Ghamdan Trading Company (GTC) today reaffirmed their shared commitment to serving customers across Qatar with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), following a high-level meeting between the chief executives of both organizations. The agreement builds on a p»»»

Akyn (poet) Askat Zhetigen told journalists that he had no intention of asking for an apology or a presidential pardon after his conviction. «People who are guilty ask for a pardon. I am not guilty. There are no elements of a criminal offense in my case. I did not ask for either an apology or a par»»»

The so-called Kuril Islands issue was forced upon Japan by America after its atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik. “This issue was imposed on Japan by those who looked after the country after World War II — precisely those who »»»

Dubai: UAE travellers will get another direct option to Germany from December, with Air Arabia launching daily non-stop flights between Sharjah and Frankfurt from December 15, 2026. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereThe new service will connect Sharj»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, hosts the Recent Advances in Primary Immunodysregulation Disorders (RAPID 2026) conference from September 25 to 27, 2026, bringing together international experts, clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals to discuss the latest a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Establishments and Authorities Security Department, represented by the Sports Security Section, organized the Second Annual Forum, “Integration of Security and Organizational Roles for the Qatar Stars League,” with the participation of representatives from various entities involved»»»

Cairo, Aug. 19 (SANA) Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy condemned Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria’s Idlib governorate, calling for international action to end repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory.Fahmy said the strikes represented a “flagrant violation” »»»

Damascus, Aug. 19 (SANA) The Central Bank of Syria announced the adoption of an electronic payment and transfer system to expand payment options for citizens and businesses and modernize the country’s financial infrastructure.The system was approved under Decision No. 1124, issued by the General Se»»»

Iranian Zulfiqar road-mobile, ballistic missiles are displayed during a pro-government demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, July 24, 2026. Photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI | License Photo Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The United Arab Emirates announced it was indefinitely severing trade relations with Iran on W»»»

Dubai: Dubai Taxi Company (DTC) is expanding the number of taxis available through Bolt in Dubai after signing a partnership agreement with Arabia Taxi to integrate 1,607 vehicles into the ride-hailing platform. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe move is expected to in»»»

The Government will adopt a decision to establish an Interinstitutional Coordination Council for the construction of the National Children's Hospital, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said this at the beginning of Wednesday's meeting of the Council of Ministers. "[It will be established] to make up for t»»»

DOHA: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Wednesday with Ambassador of the State of Libya to the State of Qatar HE Mohammed Mustafa Al Saghir Al Lafi, on the occasion of the ambassador's departure from his post. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs expre»»»