AL-MUKALLA: The chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, has urged the Iran-backed Houthis to lay down their arms and become a political party, saying the internationally recognized government seeks permanent peace rather than another temporary truce as the militia cont»»»

1/14Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Shafqat Ali Khan, hoists the national flag during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi.Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi2/14In Dubai Fawad Ahmed Khan Acting Consul General along with Consul officials, led the celebrations in the city»»»

Speaking to journalists after the opening of three new stations on Line 3 of Sofia's Metro underground railway on Friday, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said that Prime Minister Rumen Radev's governance programme contains measures that are relevant and important for Sofia Municipality. On August 12, th»»»

Washington, Aug. 14 (SANA) U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would announce additional economic measures against Iran next week, as the United States steps up pressure on Tehran amid heightened regional tensions.Bessent said in a television interview that the measures would seek»»»

Count BinFace (C) is joined on stage by other candidates in Clacton in the early hours of Friday as he celebrates his second place finish in Thursday's byelection. Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, who won, did not attend after his party claimed there had been a "credible" threat made against him. P»»»

Narita, Japan: At least five people died in eastern Japan after "unprecedented" heavy rain that left thousands stranded at Narita airport overnight and snarled up roads and rail services, authorities said Friday. The torrential downpours late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and power outages,»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Yediot Aharonot Reveals Israeli Army’s Manpower Overhaul as 12,000-Soldier Shortage Threatens Combat Readiness 14-08-2026 13:25 PM The Isra»»»

Iraq: Iraqi environmental police have documented an underground river inhabited by rare blind fish deep beneath the desert of Anbar province, in an unusual environmental and geological discovery. The site lies at Al Khasfa, a deep geological depression and cave formation near Haditha in western Ira»»»

Kuwait: Kuwaiti authorities have arrested a citizen accused of turning his home into an indoor marijuana-growing operation, seizing six kilograms of marijuana, hashish and thousands of dinars in suspected drug proceeds. The arrest followed an investigation by the International Drug Control Departme»»»

DUBAI: Arab nations have condemned the latest Iranian attacks against UAE commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in what was described as a threat to maritime safety and security. Two tankers linked to UAE-based ADNOC were targeted on Thursday, the second such incident involving ADNOC »»»

India’s Akasa Air is adding up to seven Boeing 737-8200 aircraft to its fleet through a new sale and leaseback agreement with aviation finance company and plane lessor Avolon. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The deal expands the partnership between Avolon and Akasa Air»»»

RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned the brutal and repeated Iranian attacks targeting two tankers belonging to ADNOC of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stated that these attacks represent a dangerou»»»

Dubai: Saudi authorities have urged Umrah pilgrims to plan their visits to the Grand Mosque around periods of lower crowd density, saying careful timing can help worshippers move more smoothly through the Mataf and Masaa and perform their rituals with greater ease. The General Authority for the Car»»»

Shipping activity in the strategic Strait of Hormuz has dipped sharply below monthly averages this week, reflecting mounting jitters over escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran, according to vessel-tracking data cited by Reuters. Analytics from maritime intelligence firm Kpler in»»»

Israeli settlers are conducting a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. The IDF has nominally interv»»»

Dubai: After two years of trying his luck, After two years of trying his luck, Arifuzzaman Shuvo has become one of Big Ticket's newest winners, taking home Dh100,000 in the Series 289 consolation prize draw. The 38-year-old manager from Bangladesh has called Ajman home for the past 17 years, living»»»

Privilege may have opened a door, but Thudakkam, now out in UAE cinemas, is where Vismaya and Ashish have to prove what they can do once they walk through it. And, pleasantly, they do. The survival thriller revolves around Meenu, a woman whose seemingly idyllic existence is upended by a creepy, pre»»»

Nigel Farage has returned to Parliament with an emphatic by-election victory, but the result has not resolved the controversy that prompted him to resign his seat in the first place. Instead, it restarts the parliamentary investigation into his finances and could expose him to a fresh challenge to »»»

Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned the brutal and repeated Iranian attacks targeting two tankers belonging to ADNOC of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stated that these attacks represent a dangerou»»»

Paris, France: EU officials have agreed to study an experimental vaccine against Lyme disease, the world's most common tick-borne illness, its developers said Friday. Pfizer and the French-Swiss firm Valneva say trials have shown a 70 percent efficacy rate in people aged five and above for a diseas»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Qeshm Oil Pollution Direct Result of US-Israeli Aggression: Deputy FM 14-08-2026 12:28 PM Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August »»»

Dubai: Al Ansari Financial Services reported a 28.7 per cent drop in first-half net profit to Dh151 million, as geopolitical pressures, weaker activity across some remittance corridors and tougher competition squeezed profitability. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The »»»

KABUL: As Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers mark five years since sweeping back to power, some Kabul residents said they feel safer after decades of conflict and upheaval but stressed the leaders should now focus on creating jobs and expanding access to schools in the country where girls above the age o»»»

The anti-immigrant Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage beat comic opponent Count Binface on Friday as was expected, regaining the seat in Parliament he quit a month ago to trigger the widely mocked by-election in the seaside town of Clacton.  Reform UK leader Nigel Farage regained his parliame»»»

Dubai: UAE bank lending picked up pace in June, with Dh24.7 billion in additional credit flowing through the banking system — roughly twice the Dh12.3 billion increase recorded in May. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Total gross credit rose 0.9 per cent to Dh2.758 tril»»»

It’s a small world, which was made smaller by something that happened in a little town in England two centuries ago. I’ve been back in the UK seeing family and friends and with it came a reminder of the interconnected world we live in. 200 years ago a place in County Durham launched the first steam»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

Washington, United States: Engine fragments struck a window of a Ryanair plane last month resulting in a man nearly being sucked out of the aircraft mid-flight, according to a preliminary report published Thursday by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). A tourist on a flight from The»»»

Narita: At least four people died in eastern Japan after “unprecedented” heavy rain that left thousands stranded at Narita airport overnight and snarled up roads and rail services, authorities said Friday. The torrential downpours late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and power outages, with f»»»

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. »»»

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»»»

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has ordered the temporary administrative closure of The Original Lessi Cafe – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. – Branch in Abu Dhabi over repeated food safety violations. The café, which operates under Commercial Licence No. CN-2625289-2, was f»»»

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»»»

The United Arab Emirates on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two vessels linked to its state-owned oil company as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait, frequently attacking commercial ships, and wants to charge users for passage, which 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»»»

Sao Paulo: Police in Brazil recovered on Thursday eight Matisse engravings stolen from a Sao Paulo library last year, officials said. The works were found at a home in the town of Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo, and the man who had them was arrested, police said in a statement. The works, es»»»

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 »»»

Cali, Colombia: Colombia's disaster relief chief vowed to find the hundreds of people still missing after a massive earthquake, as rescuers dug through rubble early Friday following the end of a critical lifesaving period. The strongest quake to hit Colombia this century devastated the western citi»»»

The water level of the Danube at the gauging station in Ruse fell by a further 3 cm over the past 24 hours, reaching 121 cm below the reference zero level, according to information from the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River (EAEMDR), published on Friday morning. H»»»

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»»»

Singapore: Oil prices rose slightly in Asian trading on Friday, driven by renewed concerns over crude supplies amid ongoing Middle East tensions. Brent crude futures gained nine cents, or 0.1 percent, to reach $87.16 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose four cents to »»»

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, UAE: The UAE Ministry of Defence has announced a recruitment drive for Emirati citizens to join the country’s Land Forces, setting out eligibility requirements and registration centres across the Emirates. Applicants must be UAE nationals aged between 18 and 35 and have completed at leas»»»

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 »»»