Kazakh billionaire Timur Turlov did not set out to run world chess. In late June the founder of Freedom Holding Corp, the Nasdaq-listed financial services group, agreed to stand as deputy to Arkady Dvorkovich, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) president seeking a third term. Then on July 23»»»

The US Department of Agriculture has cut its forecasts for Russian and Ukrainian grain exports because of the Black Sea shipping war, and every rival exporter's price has gone up. The department's monthly Grain: World Markets and Trade report, published on August 12 by its Foreign Agricultural Serv»»»

Grants from the European Union and other partners now cover more than a fifth of Ukraine’s budget revenue, masking a wartime financing gap that widened to $20bn in the first half of 2026. Kyiv’s headline deficit tells a reassuring story. After counting $13.1bn in grants, the central budget shortfal»»»

Kazakh billionaire Timur Turlov did not set out to run world chess. In late June the founder of Freedom Holding Corp, the Nasdaq-listed financial services group, agreed to stand as deputy to Arkady Dvorkovich, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) president seeking a third term. Then on July 23»»»

The US Department of Agriculture has cut its forecasts for Russian and Ukrainian grain exports because of the Black Sea shipping war, and every rival exporter's price has gone up. The department's monthly Grain: World Markets and Trade report, published on August 12 by its Foreign Agricultural Serv»»»

MELBOURNE: New Zealand became the latest nation to withdraw its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s reelection bid on Friday over the aborted commercial rights stake sale plan, while Oceania’s confederation cautiously backed the governing body’s leadership. Infantino has faced open revolt»»»

LONDON: Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked outcry both in Israel and the UK after he referred to Britain as the “first Islamic republic” with nuclear weapons. The Israeli prime minister’s comments appeared to mirror inaccurate far-right conspiracies claiming that Britain is being “taken over” by its Mu»»»

OMIS, Croatia: A wildfire engulfed homes in a picturesque Croatian resort overnight, injuring 40 and forcing 1,200 to evacuate, officials said, as EU officials warned that pockets of “very extreme” wildfire conditions were stretching right across the continent. Hundreds more were evacuated from a b»»»

RIO DE ‌JANEIRO: Brazil’s ​federal police on Friday carried out search warrants targeting former ‌Rio ‌de Janeiro ​Governor ‌Claudio ⁠Castro, ​two sources familiar ⁠with the investigation told Reuters. Castro’s lawyer said in ⁠a statement ‌to ‌Reuters ​that authorities ‌had ‌not searched his reside»»»

BERLIN: A Berlin theater that has set up an outdoor swimming pool scrapped plans Friday to reserve it for black children and young people for one afternoon, citing a backlash and security fears sparked by “racist agitation.” The Volksbuehne theater and the anti-racism organization Each One Teach On»»»

LONDON: Arsenal begin the defense of their Premier League title as one of the few ‌clubs untouched by a close season of managerial upheaval that has transformed the landscape of English football. While Mikel Arteta’s methods are tested and trusted at Arsenal after nearly seven years at the helm, it»»»

LUSAKA: Zambia suspended vote counting nationwide on Friday following reports of violence in some districts, the electoral commission said. The copper-rich southern African nation went to the polls on Thursday in an election focused on economic hardship. President Hakainde Hichilema, who has been i»»»

Jerusalem: US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner will visit Israel next week in hopes of bridging gaps on a Gaza plan rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, officials said Friday. Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza of Trump's so-called B»»»

The Varna Appellate Court has made a final decision to terminate the proceedings against Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, municipal councillors Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov, businessman Ivaylo Marinov, and the former head of the mayor’s office, Antoaneta Petrova, and send the case back to the S»»»

Tunis, August 14, 2026 (TAP) – Thunderstorms and scattered rain are expected Friday evening and during the early hours of the night, particularly across western areas of northern and central Tunisia, as well as the Sfax and Sahel regions. Skies will...»»»

Tunis, August 14 (TAP) - Tunindex closed Friday's session down 1.15% to 19,692.67 points with a high traded volume thanks to a block transaction on the BT stock worth TND 18.6 million, said broker Tunisie Valeurs. HANNIBAL LEASE shares were the best...»»»

Brazil will analyze which industries have been affected by U.S. tariffs and estimate their economic impact before deciding whether to retaliate. File Photo by Antonio Lacerda/EPA BRASILIA, Brazil, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Brazil has formally launched an economic reciprocity process in response to unilatera»»»

Singapore authorities prepare to enforce legislation that goes into effect on Monday, protecting citizens from online sexual abuse including banning the use of artificial intelligence to create explicit images without consent. The laws will also allow authorities to prosecute offenders suspected of»»»

Bulgaria participated in the international exercise Black Sea 2026 in Romania, the Border Police General Directorate reported on Friday. The exercise took place on Thursday and Friday in the Romanian city of Constanta and ​​Romanian territorial waters as part of a joint operation, coordinated by th»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem: What is happening is surrender, and we do not accept surrender. We will remain standing, steadfast. We do not accept the vio»»»

1 of 2 | Construction continues on the East Wing ballroom on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to continue construction on the White House»»»

Speaking to journalists in Pleven on Friday, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the government is taking concrete measures to fulfill its programme. "We have eliminated the oligarchy from political power. They are now outside it," Radev said. He was in the city to attend the ceremony at which gra»»»

Occupied Jerusalem: Around 70,000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al Aqsa Mosque today, despite heightened Israeli security measures around the mosque and Old City. Palestinians continue to call for worship at Al Aqsa, rejecting Israeli attempts to alter its historical and legal status ami»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem: No matter how harsh the present is, the future, according to the divine promise and what we do as a duty, will, God willing,»»»

The Latvian military said a drone that entered the country's airspace overnight was shot down by NATO Baltic Air Policing jets. File Photo by Valda Kalnina/EPA Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The Latvian military said a drone that entered the country's airspace overnight was shot down by NATO Baltic Air Policing »»»

Agentic AI could change how governments deliver public services by moving beyond answering questions to completing tasks, coordinating across departments and responding proactively to people’s needs, according to experts from Deloitte Middle East. Speaking about the growing role of the technology i»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Mobility has announced a new traffic restriction preventing 50-seat worker transport buses from using a Mafraq Bridge exit leading to the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road from Monday, August 17. The Integrated Transport Centre said the restriction applies to the Mafraq Bridge exit E328B l»»»

The Burgas Appellate Court upheld the remand in custody of MRF Burgas Chapter Leader Hristo Shirokov over alleged participation in an organized criminal group, the court said on Friday. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed. Prosecutors allege that the group included officials from the Burgas »»»

Dubai: Motorists in Dubai can have their vehicles inspected free of charge at AutoPro centres across ENOC petrol stations until August 23, as part of a road safety campaign by Dubai Police. Dubai Police urged drivers to take advantage of the free comprehensive inspections, which are available from »»»

Ankara: The Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs announced that a Turkish-flagged vessel had rescued 48 Sudanese migrants stranded in the Mediterranean Sea off the Greek island of Crete. In a post on X today, the directorate said the vessel Donau Express II rescued the irregular migrant»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem to the Authority: How do you accept this continued humiliation of the Lebanese Army instead of being its protectors? 14-08-20»»»

LONDON: Aston Villa’s 1981 First Division title-winning goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer has died at the age of 78. Rimmer was ever-present as Villa were crowned champions of England, in the forerunner of the Premier League. But he is best remembered for being forced off with a neck injury after only nine m»»»

GENEVA: Attacks on health care facilities, workers and patients in conflict zones including Ukraine and Gaza have continued to rise in 2026, reaching an average of more than four per day, the World Health Organization said on Friday. There have been more than 900 attacks between January and August »»»

Mumbai: India's Reliance Industries and Britain's Rolls-Royce announced on Friday plans to jointly design and manufacture engines for the south Asian country's multirole indigenous fighter jet programme. Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company, has been expanding into de»»»

Manila: On a Manila court made of crushed seashells, an earnest four-year-old sends a forehand sailing wide -- one of dozens of kids aiming to follow in the footsteps of the Philippines' first homegrown tennis sensation, Alexandra Eala. The 21-year-old's rise has sparked a rush of interest in a spo»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem: The Lebanese authority was not cooperative with the resistance, which presented a leading model for 15 months of commitment »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem: On March 2, 2026, the resistance responded to the assassination of Imam Leader Khamenei. The response also summarized the pa»»»

With US President Donald Trump’s grand objectives for his war on Iran unrealised, he now appears to be trying to negotiate a way out. While months of US strikes on Iran, the assassination of its key leadership, and a naval blockade on its oil exports succeeded in inflicting a steep human, economic »»»

France's constitutional council struck down a proposed ban on social media for children under 15 on Friday, citing freedom of expression. President Emmanuel Macron tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with re-working ​the draft legislation to take the Constitutional Council's concerns into accou»»»

France’s Constitutional Council has blocked a bill that would have banned social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed on freedom of expression. It’s a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who has championed the legislation and has now asked his prime minister to rewrite the bill. »»»

The U.S. Department of Commerce said Friday that retail sales dropped .6% in July from June, the largest decline since May 2025. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce said Friday that retail sales dropped 0.6% in July from June, the larges»»»

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has prepared a diplomatic protest note over the case of Iva Mihaylova in North Macedonia, Prime Minister Rumen Radev told a briefing in Pleven on Friday. The trial against Mihaylova, who is charged with a serious offence related to road traffic safety in North Macedon»»»

Bulgaria’s Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and representatives of Lockheed Martin have discussed the implementation of the contract for the second batch of eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, the Defence Ministry said. During the talks, the contractor reported production-related difficulties that w»»»

Foreign Ministry representatives Friday met with Hristina Mihaylova, mother of Iva Mihaylova, and gave her firm assurances that Bulgaria was using all available channels of communication with the Republic of North Macedonia, the Ministry said. The meeting followed the latest refusal by a court in K»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Trump Stops Short of Endorsing Netanyahu as His Campaign Falters: Axios 14-08-2026 18:08 PM US President Donald Trump and Zionist Prime Min»»»

The Wekerle Sándor programme could deliver affordable rental homes and student accommodation, while the government also moves to revisit the M6 motorway deal and several controversial investments Hungary could launch a multi-billion-euro rental housing programme by the end of the year, with the Wek»»»

Rumen Radev's government will hit its hundredth day this weekend and the numbers behind it are still remarkable. Progressive Bulgaria won 131 of 240 seats in April, forming only the second single-party government since 1990. Radev became the first Bulgarian to hold both the presidency and the premi»»»

Tunis, August 14 (TAP) – Tunisia’s primary energy balance recorded a deficit of 3.1 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) at the end of June 2026, up 10% from the deficit recorded a year earlier, when the gas transit royalty is taken into account,...»»»

A container ship carrying cargo moves away from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City on November 2. A new White House report accuses Chinese companies of doing limited assembly and repackaging in third countries to avoid U.S. tariffs. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Aug. »»»

Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian economy continued to defy expectations for the third consecutive quarter, growing strongly by 6.0 percent in the second quarter of 2026 despite shocks that have disrupted the global economy, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday. Anwar, who is also finance minister»»»