Beijing: Beijing activated a Level II flood-control emergency response, the second-highest level, on Tuesday as authorities warned of heavy rain and heightened risks of urban waterlogging and landslides. Most parts of the city are expected to receive more than 100 millimeters of rain within six hou»»»

Dubai: Emirates passengers flying to Dubai can now change their travel dates as many times as they need without a fee, under new measures introduced by the airline as it gives travellers more flexibility when booking flights. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The free da»»»

The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) decided on Monday to keep the monetary policy rate at 6.50% per year, the central bank announced in a press release sent on Monday.According to the press release, the Board decided to maintain the lending facility (Lombard) interest rate »»»

President Nicusor Dan will meet on Tuesday at the Cotroceni Palace with the leaders of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) for consultations on the draft public-sector pay law.Accordin»»»

Doha, Qatar: The draw for the men’s basketball competition at the 20th Asian Games ‘Aichi–Nagoya 2026’ has placed Qatar in Group B alongside Iran, Jordan, and Chinese Taipei. The Asian Games will be held in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. The organising committee confirmed the groups»»»

Commenting on the fire at an ammunition depot near the village of Belitsa, Aleksandar Dzhartov, Director of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, said on Tuesday morning that the night had passed calmly, with two firefighting teams working throughout the night on the eastern»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold buyers are facing the highest rates in more than two months after prices extended a rapid August rebound, with 24-karat gold reaching Dh531.25 per gram on Tuesday. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The 24K rate rose Dh3 from Dh528.25 on Monday, while 22»»»

The Global North is running out of missiles. Six months into the Iran war, and with Russia's winter bombardment of Ukraine just getting under way, the interceptors built to shoot down ballistic and cruise missiles are being fired faster than the West can build them — and Ukraine, whose skies have g»»»

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual-defence pact in Mecca on August 7 explicitly modelled on Nato's Article 5, but the agreement's first 48 hours — a Houthi strike on Saudi energy infrastructure that neither Ankara nor Islamabad answered — have already tested how much protection it ac»»»

Of late, Pakistan’s diplomatic performance deserves more attention than it gets. Operating in an international system increasingly divided into competing geopolitical blocs, Islamabad has across the summer demonstrated an unusually sophisticated ability to keep multiple doors open at the same time.»»»

Iran's five-month war with the US and Israel is edging toward a negotiated pause over the Strait of Hormuz even as its side effects keep spreading — with Yemen's Houthis hitting Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure twice in 24 hours and a still-unclaimed drone strike reaching as far as a refinery i»»»

Russia killed at least three people, including a three-year-old boy, in a drone strike on the Kyiv-region village of Pukhivka overnight into August 9, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russia combined the attack with a six-missile ballistic strike on Kyiv's civilian infrastructure that killed »»»

Doha, Qatar: QIIB continues to strengthen its record of institutional excellence and leadership in Islamic banking, adding two prestigious ‘Global Business Magazine Awards for 2026’ to its growing list of regional and international accolades. The latest awards are ‘Mobile Banking Experience Qatar 2»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s total retail real estate supply held firm at 5.7 million square meters of Gross Leasable Area during the second quarter of 2026, according to ValuStrat. The overall supply remained evenly split between 2.5 million square meters of organised retail space and 3.2 million square m»»»

Six years ago on August 9 2020, Belarusians went to the polls in a presidential election that Alexander Lukashenko rigged so brazenly — awarding himself over 80% of the vote against a political novice, former English teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya) — that it triggered the »»»

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual-defence pact in Mecca on August 7 explicitly modelled on Nato's Article 5, but the agreement's first 48 hours — a Houthi strike on Saudi energy infrastructure that neither Ankara nor Islamabad answered — have already tested how much protection it ac»»»

The Global North is running out of missiles. Six months into the Iran war, and with Russia's winter bombardment of Ukraine just getting under way, the interceptors built to shoot down ballistic and cruise missiles are being fired faster than the West can build them — and Ukraine, whose skies have g»»»

Ukraine's ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has given President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a deadline of August 18 to reinstate him to the post or face mass protests, in the most direct political challenge the president has faced since taking office in 2019. "If our goal is to stop the war, then we»»»

Russia killed at least three people, including a three-year-old boy, in a drone strike on the Kyiv-region village of Pukhivka overnight into August 9, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russia combined the attack with a six-missile ballistic strike on Kyiv's civilian infrastructure that killed »»»

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi said his government was close to completing its Cabinet lineup, with parliament expected to vote on candidates for vacant ministries next week. Al-Zaidi announced the move during a meeting of the Coordination Framework on Monday after finalizing candidates»»»

Six years ago on August 9 2020, Belarusians went to the polls in a presidential election that Alexander Lukashenko rigged so brazenly — awarding himself over 80% of the vote against a political novice, former English teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya) — that it triggered the »»»

Ras Al Khaimah: Wynn Al Marjan Island has completed its 550-metre shoreline, giving the first look at the beachfront, lagoon and offshore reef that will form a major part of the resort when it opens in 2027. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe latest milestone comes as »»»

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on August 7 that cooperation between members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and third countries should not be viewed as a zero-sum game, as Yerevan seeks to maintain ties with the bloc while developing closer relations with the European Union. Rel»»»

Russia killed at least three people, including a three-year-old boy, in a drone strike on the Kyiv-region village of Pukhivka overnight into August 9, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russia combined the attack with a six-missile ballistic strike on Kyiv's civilian infrastructure that killed »»»

Cases of fraud involving websites that resemble the official tolom.kg service have increased in Kyrgyzstan, the Prosecutor General’s Office warned. According to the agency, scammers are sending SMS messages claiming that recipients have outstanding traffic fines. They then direct people to fake web»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Rail has reassured commuters of the safe and efficient movement of trains across the Doha Metro network, highlighting the role of its Integrated Control Center (ICC) in maintaining smooth and reliable services around the clock. Located in Al Wakra, the ICC serves as the operation»»»

Doha, Qatar: Government-led development initiatives continue to serve as a “vital anchor” for Qatar’s industrial and infrastructure landscape, driving cross-sector investment and strategic partnerships across key non-oil sectors, according to regional analysts. Speaking to The Peninsula, Mohammed A»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Library (QNL) is playing an increasingly important role in preserving and making accessible the scientific heritage of the Islamic world, while working to ensure that this wealth of knowledge reaches beyond researchers and specialist collections and into classrooms. Spea»»»

After a bruising campaign in which the traditional Democratic establishment and its allies among Jewish and pro-Israel lobbying organisations spent tens of millions of dollars supporting their preferred candidate, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a 41-year-old Egyptian American epidemiologist, Abdulrah»»»

The Makkah Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan is more than a new military accord among three major states. It points to a broader reshaping of the region’s security landscape after the wars and upheavals of recent years. For the “new Syria”, it carries particular si»»»

Among all the challenges across the Middle East, water security seldom makes the headlines, yet it can keep policymakers awake at night. The Gulf states are among the world’s highest consumers of water per capita but endure some of the most acute water scarcity on the planet. According to the World»»»

Jason Chang and his brother Richard are dubbed "titans" of technology, Asian multi-billionaires behind the AI innovation. The siblings, based in Singapore, are credited for transforming their family fortune built in real estate into one of the world's most important semiconductor businesses. As of »»»

BENGHAZI: The head of military intelligence for eastern Libya’s Libyan National Army ​was killed on Monday when an explosive device detonated in his car outside his home in the Hawari area of Benghazi, two security sources told Reuters. Brig. Fowzi Mansouri ‌was killed ‌in the ​evening ‌blast, the »»»

The International ​Atomic Energy Agency will soon ‌remove ‌nuclear ​material ‌stored ⁠at ​a clandestine ⁠site in Syria after ⁠the ‌Trump ‌administration ​reached ‌understandings with ‌Syria and Israel, ‌Axios reported on ⁠Monday, citing ⁠Israeli and US officials. The UN nuclear watchdog earlier sai»»»

President Donald Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that the Republican president was flying on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post on Monday. The Post said »»»

Dubai: Tabreed has approved an interim cash dividend of 5 fils per share for the first half of 2026 after net operating cash flows climbed 40% year-on-year to Dh632 million, giving shareholders a second consecutive year of interim payouts. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balanc»»»

Russian scientists have restored all competencies in the field of megascience facilities and have fully resumed the production of their components, Mikhail Kovalchuk, head of the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute,” told Sputnik. Megascience-class facilities give scientists the opportuni»»»

NEW DELHI: Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to six on Monday, compared with a 10-day average of about 11 vessels, shipping data showed, amid fading hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran. Four commodity vessels, including two empty oil product tankers, entered the waterway,»»»

Afghanistan secured automatic ‌qualification for the 2027 World Cup with a win over Ireland on Monday, leaving ​twice champions West Indies to go through qualifiers for the third successive edition of the 50-overs tournament. The top eight teams in the one-day rankings on September 30, excluding co»»»

The US-Iran confrontation is entering another uncertain phase, with President Donald Trump demanding that Iran compensate families of people killed in conflicts and attacks fomented by Tehran in the last 50 years, while Washington and Tehran remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Ir»»»

The man charged in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, one of America's most notorious unresolved murders, goes on trial Monday in Las Vegas. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur'»»»

Colombia declared a national emergency on Monday after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in the west of the country killed at least 111 people and injured 87 others as rescue teams searched for survivors trapped under debris. The quake prompted evacuations in the capital, Bogota, and was felt across other»»»

AMMAN — Real estate trading volume in the Kingdom rose 15 per cent month-on-month in July to JD673.8 million, although it was down 10 per cent from the same month last year, according to the Department of Lands and Survey’s monthly report.For the first seven months of 2026, total real estate tradin»»»

AMMAN — The manufacturing sector's gross domestic product (GDP) reached JD1.6 billion during the first quarter of 2026, according to a report on the executive programme of the Economic Modernisation Vision (2026–2029).Key achievements included publishing Jordan Ecolabel Regulations No. 1 of 2026, a»»»

Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci will pay a working visit to Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Interior Ministry said in a press release. During the visit, the police academies of Bulgaria and Turkiye will sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Ciftci and his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan Demerdzhiev are e»»»

Israel on Sunday rejected a deal announced by US President Donald Trump last month for Gaza. Netanyahu said Israel's military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and rejected the 15-point document agreed to by Hamas.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu »»»

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US meets Tehran’s demands, including an end to sanctions and compensation for war damage. The blockade of the crucial energy route has rattled markets and pushed up prices, while President Donald Trump s»»»

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels struck a government-held port on the country’s Red Sea coast late Sunday, escalating fears over threats to strategic shipping routes and a potential return to civil war.  The Yemeni military said seven people including military personnel and civilians were »»»

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Revolutionary Guards General Ali Abdollahi to the top post of the country's armed forces on Monday, while also confirming a new commander of the Guards. Earlier, Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US met certain demands made»»»

Dubai: On August 31, schools across the UAE reopen after the summer break and households across the country are entering the annual scramble to restock uniforms, shoes, stationery and school supplies before the bell rings. It's a ritual that comes with a real price tag - uniforms alone can run into»»»