US-Iran tensions are intensifying as diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with Tehran condemning President Donald Trump’s threat of “crushing economic warfare” and Washington vowing its toughest-ever sanctions to pressure Iran. China has rejected the US push for further economic measures, while the U»»»

Dubai: Flying from the UAE today? Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and flydubai are reporting a mix of cancellations, delays and operating changes on several regional and international routes, while airlines continue to monitor the wider security situation in the Middle East. Etihad has cancelled a Tel»»»

RIYADH: French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day official visit, a statement from Elysee Palace said. The visit follows the Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024. “It reflects the vitality of the dialog»»»

The functions of exercising the powers of the Cabinet of Ministers as a shareholder of Kylym Bank OJSC will be transferred from the Ministry of Finance to the Presidential Affairs Department of Kyrgyzstan. The decree was signed by President Sadyr Japarov. According to the document, the decision was»»»

A MAJOR shift appears to be taking place in one of the world’s most strategic waterways, industry data shows. Marine Insight, citing shipping data from Brussels-based Kpler, reported on Thursday (Aug. 19) that over 80% of vessels are increasingly choosing routes closer to Omani waters, reducing the»»»

For two decades, China’s growing presence in Latin America was largely understood through commodities, trade, and sovereign lending. Today, that interpretation looks incomplete. It is involved in ports, digital networks, energy, advanced manufacturing, political coordination, and security cooperati»»»

The Treasury Secretary warns any remaining economic relationship with Tehran will "hasten a nation's economic oblivion." "Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten a nation's economic oblivion, whether that tie be purposefully constructed or willfully ignored," he wrote on X.He earlier said that Chin»»»

The United States on Thursday urged allies and China to join its campaign to isolate Iran's economy, as President Donald Trump seeks to intensify pressure on Tehran amid a stalemate in the war and growing domestic criticism. The United States on Thursday warned allies and China to join President Do»»»

Russia’s Pacific Fleet has conducted a missile test off a group of Russian-held islands claimed by Japan, as a territorial dispute between the two countries deepens. The test was announced on August 20 amid an intensifying row following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed area »»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald ‌Trump had a warm public reunion on Thursday with Michael Cohen, his former fixer turned foe whose court testimony contributed to Trump’s 2024 conviction in ​the Stormy Daniels hush-money trial. Cohen, who is seeking a pardon, interviewed Trump on his New York radio »»»

ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s most popular politician, was moved to a hospital for medical tests on the orders of the Supreme Court, his political party said early Friday. Hundreds of police, some wielding sticks, were deployed near Shifa International Hospital in t»»»

TORONTO: The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on US President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew sa»»»

WASHINGTON: A US Army unit based in Europe that was specializing in drone warfare has been directed to end its efforts to learn and use the battlefield technology and return to being a traditional infantry battalion, officials said Thursday. For more nearly a year, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Br»»»

Five women and three men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Observers say it is difficult to pick a favorite, given that the world's major powers are divided on the ou»»»

TORONTO (AP) — The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Manitoba Premier Wab »»»

Jerusalem: Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter on Thursday (local time) said Israel had received clear intelligence indicating that Turkey intended to significantly expand its military presence in Syria, describing the move as crossing a "red line", The Jerusalem Post reported. "»»»

Iran can impose major costs on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but it cannot sustainably “own” or permanently close the waterway without accelerating diplomatic isolation, military risk and economic damage to itself. The world gets it: Iran has proven its coercive maritime leverage over the »»»

Share: The US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington transits the Strait of Malacca on August 13, 2026. © US Navy via Reuters The USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, the US military announced Thursday. The aircraft carrier will repla»»»

QNA Cairo Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt Dr. Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the seventh session of the Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committe»»»

Cameroonian President Paul Biya returned to the country on Thursday after a 73-day absence, with local media reporting the 93-year-old had been in Geneva with his family and close aides. The country's opposition criticised Biya's long absence, saying he had left the country on "autopilot". Presiden»»»

BEIRUT: Director General of UNESCO Khaled El-Enany reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s recovery and long-term resilience during his first official visit to the country on Thursday. El-Enany met President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf »»»

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian presidency on Thursday warned that Israel’s E1 settlement project and wider escalation in the occupied West Bank risk pushing the region “out of control.” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned Israel’s move to open bidding for construction»»»

REINO IO Logistics has completed a nearly 27,000 sqm build-to-suit logistics centre in Piotrków Trybunalski, marking the company’s first development delivered directly within its existing logistics park in the city. Construcion of REINO IO Piotrków BTS began in October 2025 and was carried out by K»»»

QASMISHLI: Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi on Thursday said the integration of the Kurdish administration within Syria’s state institutions was complete, marking the end of the Kurds’ long-held dream of autonomy. The announcement follows months of negotiations between the two sides after a Janua»»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One) All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the earth and the heavens, who has made the scholars the inheritors of the prophets. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and we bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. May the peace,»»»

The FBI arrested a woman for planning to attack the New York state capitol building. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA Aug. 20 (UPI) -- An Albany, N.Y., woman was charged Thursday with supporting a terror group after allegedly planning an ISIS-inspired plot to attack the New York State capitol building»»»

An American academic is being held in China on suspicion of spying. File Photo by Jerome Favre/EPA Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that U.S. citizen Min Zin is being wrongfully detained in China after he visited the country and was arrested. Zin travelled to Yunnan, China,»»»

Asked by journalists in Ruse on Thursday whether GERB is expected to have its own candidate in the autumn presidential election, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said this would become clear in September. "I had a presidential ticket that would have won," Borissov said. He explained that the party’s inte»»»

AMMAN: Qatar's national table tennis team players won 20 medals (four gold, two silver and 14 bronze) at the West Asia Table Tennis Championships for national teams, hosted in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The tournament featured teams from Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, O»»»

Former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA, speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 14, 2023. The FBI has executed a number of warrants against Swalwell over sexual-misconduct allegations. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The FBI on Thursday seized e»»»

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday laid out his vision for a future where everyone has a powerful personal AI agent, arguing that open-source technology can prevent control of advanced artificial intelligence from becoming concentrated among a handful of companies, governments or institutions. Meta»»»

CAIRO: Egypt and Qatar have urged the US and Iran to return to the negotiating framework agreed in June so that they might reach a “final and lasting agreement” that brings regional stability. The Egyptian foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman»»»

Washington: The United States on Thursday warned allies and China alike to join President Donald Trump's new campaign to isolate the Iranian economy and "collapse" the government in Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments underscored how Trump is shifting to economic rather than mili»»»

Speaking to journalists in Ruse on Thursday, GERB leader Boyko Borissov asked why President and Supreme Commander Iliana Iotova has not convened the Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS) regarding reports of threats against Bulgaria. "Some of the most respected media outlets in the worl»»»

The USS George Washington nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docks at a naval base in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 5. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The USS George Washington reached the Arabian Sea in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, following reports of poor conditions f»»»

AMMAN — Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) President Fathi Jaghbir said that the industrial sector achieved a qualitative transformation across various indicators in recent years, including production, value added, exports and employment, reinforcing industry as a key driver of economic growth.Speaki»»»

AMMAN — Jordan's strategic location, skilled workforce and expanding digital infrastructure are strengthening its role as an important hub for Ericsson's regional operations, according to Patrick Johansson, President and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ericsson.In an interview with The Jo»»»

Washington: The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the US military said Thursday, relieving a long-deployed carrier following reports of mental health challenges and supply shortages aboard while it was supporting the Iran war. US Central Command,»»»

EL ALAMEIN: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed four agreements in the areas of customs cooperation and regulatory work, in addition to development and heal»»»

Members of the Panama Police guard the entrance to the port of Balboa (Pacific) in Panama City, Panama, in February The ports of Balboa (Pacific) and Cristobal (Atlantic), near the Panama Canal, were paralyzed amid the transition of the operator after the departure of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutc»»»

WASHINGTON: The United States will impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday as he urged Beijing ​to cooperate with Washington. Bessent said he would hold a press conference on Monday to discuss details. “It is a one-two punch. We have »»»

El Alamein: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani announced Thursday that the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed four agreements in the areas of customs cooperation and regulatory work, in addition to development»»»

Cases of salmonella from jalapeno peppers have been reported in 32 states with 431 infections reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. File Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Cases of salmonella from jalapeno peppers have been reported in 32 states with 431 inf»»»

Central bankers do not usually forecast the weather. The European Central Bank's chief economist has just put one into his. The Climate Crisis has gone beyond a fringe obsession of hippie tree-hugers and entered the studies of central bankers, who have been forced to sit up and take notice of the u»»»

Vice President JD Vance departs Senate Republican luncheons in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6. Vance announced the departure of White House legislative liason James Braid. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- White House legislative director James Braid is leaving the job, Vice Pr»»»

Russia and Myanmar signed ten documents in the Kremlin on August 18, including a joint declaration on countering Western sanctions. The talks between Vladimir Putin and Myanmar's president Min Aung Hlaing produced a package covering nuclear power, liquefied natural gas, a deep-water port and search»»»

DAMASCUS: A Syrian investigator has been detained and referred to prosecutors after an official investigation concluded that a slap he delivered during questioning led to the death of a 29-year-old detainee with a medical condition, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday. Authorities had earli»»»

At the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov 20, 2004, a NASA Boeing Delta II rocket lifts off with the Swift Gamma Ray Observatory on board from launch complex 17A. The payload has been used to observe and monitor gamma ray bursts and relay the information to scientists for 21 years. File Photo »»»

ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia issued two royal orders transforming the national Ehsan charitable platform into an independent nonprofit foundation and appointing its board of trustees, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. Under the first order, the platform will become the Ehsan Charitable Foundat»»»