Standfirst: The game has gone from friendly matches on dusty fields and car parks to competitive fixtures and the National Cricket Championship By Rashid Hassan RIYADH: In the 1980s, sporadic friendly cricket matches began popping up on the streets of major Saudi Arabia cities as a weekend pastime »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Defense Intelligence Agency of the US Department of War estimates that Ukraine will need at least one year to repair the damaged high-capacity power plants, a report by the Special Inspector General on Operation Atlantic Resolve said. "According to the Defense Intelligence Ag»»»

Russian units of the Tsentr battlegroup liberated the settlement of Novonikolayevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Friday. Units of the Tsentr battlegroup liberated the settlement of Novonikolayevka and the settlements of Toretskoye and Petrovka in the Do»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea considers the upcoming joint military exercise of the United States and South Korea a rehearsal for an aggressive war and is ready to respond, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Friday. The 10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise will begin on August 17, with tens»»»

After the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, Turkey has emerged as the most influential external power in Syria. File Photo by Youssef Badawi/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Relations between Lebanon and Turkey recently underwent a significant shift, driven by »»»

The Danube has dropped to a record low of 31 cm in Budapest, idling nuclear reactors in Romania and Hungary as a fierce drought parches central Europe. The river hit the mark on July 28, Xinhua reported, edging below the 33 cm low set in October 2018. Weeks of heat and thin rainfall have drained th»»»

A gold ring set with 321 diamonds, handed to Donald Trump by Antwerp's diamond traders, has drawn accusations of a “cartoonish bribe” weeks after their gems slipped free of his tariffs. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have written to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), whose p»»»

The number of crimes committed by migrants in Russia in the first half of the year decreased by 40 percent, data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs say. The number of crimes committed by stateless persons and foreign citizens in Russia decreased by almost 40 percent in the first six mont»»»

Three new metro stations on Sofia’s Line 3 were officially opened on Friday at a ceremony attended by Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, Sofia Deputy Mayor for Transport Viktor Chaushev, Metropolitan CEO Nikolay Naydenov, and Metropolitan Board member Stoyan Bratoev. »»»

Iran’s central bank has put forward a potentially consequential proposal at the BRICS financial meetings in India: the creation of a dedicated financial corridor linking and integrating the payment networks of BRICS members, alongside an independent infrastructure for cross-border financial settlem»»»

The top U.S. priority now in the Iran war is no longer its nuclear program but to bring gasoline prices down for American consumers, the vice president said Thursday, with the treasury secretary adding that new economic punishment to wear down Tehran is imminent. The comments by Vice President JD V»»»

Dubai: Dubai has been ranked the most attractive tourist city in the Middle East and 10th worldwide in a 2026 global index that uses online conversations to measure how travellers perceive destinations. The Yanolja Attractiveness Index assessed 261 cities using online data and sentiment analysis, e»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has shared another of his reflections on life and leadership, saying those who think differently and pursue ideas ahead of their time should expect criticism and not allow it »»»

DUBAI: Dubai residents have just a few days left to sign up for ‘A Dubai Invite’, after exceptional demand led organisers to increase the programme’s capacity three times since its launch. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET»»»

Washington: President Donald Trump is ordering the US Navy to remove the advanced system used to launch fighter jets from its newest type of aircraft carrier and return to using older steam catapults that he has long said he prefers, according to a directive issued Thursday. The new mandate would l»»»

A British company said Thursday it has been hired to salvage a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman's coast and stop an oil spill that is threatening wildlife as it reaches the country's shoreline following its dramatic spread in recent weeks. Satellite images have shown that oil from the »»»

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (SANA) Japan summoned Russia’s ambassador to protest President Vladimir Putin’s visit to a disputed island in the Kuril chain, Japanese authorities said Thursday. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tokyo strongly protested Putin’s visit to Etorofu, known as Iturup in Ru»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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: 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 »»»

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 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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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: 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»»»

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»»»

In the political analysts' opinion, the only strong negotiation lever at Nicusor Dan's disposal to lay pressure on political parties is that of starting the process of organizing early elections. If 100 days ago, when Bolojan's government was released by motion of censure, voted in Parliament by PS»»»

Reports of declining mental health and supply issues have been flagged by US sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln deployed to the Middle East, with some attempting to throw themselves into the sea. The ship has so far spent a record 260 uninterrupted days at sea as it supports the war in»»»

On Aug. 14, 2015, after 54 years, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, was re-opened amid a thawing in relations. 1 of 7 | On August 14, 2015, after 54 years, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, was re-opened amid a thawing in relations. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State | License Phot»»»

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Friday that he would endorse a candidate for the 2028 presidential election, but said he had yet to decide who he would back. With Philippine presidents limited by the constitution to a single, six-year term in office, Marcos had been e»»»

MOUNT TABOR, Israel: 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 two percent of the»»»

The Türkiye-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defense pact signed in Mecca could reshape security cooperation in the Middle East, bringing together a NATO member, a nuclear-armed state and one of the Gulf’s most influential powers. Hungary is not a party to the agreement and faces no direct obligations under i»»»

MOUNT TABOR, Israel: 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’»»»

A bilateral meeting between Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Erlist Akunbekov and Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aidarbek Saparov took place in Almaty on August 13. The meet»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin sent congratulations to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif on the country's Independence Day on Friday. "Dear President, Dear Prime Minister, please accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of »»»