Dubai: Thudakkam, which fittingly translates to 'Beginning', releases in UAE cinemas this weekend. And before Mohanlal's daughter, Vismaya Mohnalal makes, her first appearance on the big screen, here's your crash course on the woman who has quietly become one of Malayalam cinema's most intriguing d»»»

Dubai: Oman's Royal Oman Police (ROP) has dismantled a transnational criminal network involved in human trafficking and drug smuggling in a joint operation with Zimbabwean authorities, rescuing a victim, arresting four suspects and seizing narcotics, Interpol said. The international police organisa»»»

Ras Al Khaimah attracted Dh771.5 million in new investments during the first six months of 2026, with 967 new establishments joining the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, underscoring the emirate’s growing appeal as a regional business and investment hub. The new businesses brought 1»»»

The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE)’s Labour Claims and Advisory Centre engaged with more than 3.4 million calls in the first half of the year. This included over 1.119 million inbound calls and more than 2.3 million outbound calls, states a performance report. The figur»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, paid tribute to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on the 60th anniversary of his accession as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, describing the UAE's Founding Father as a visionary »»»

Dubai: The UAE on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of its Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the historic milestone marked the beginning of the country's remarkable j»»»

RIYADH: Saudi food and retail group Savola reported a 36 percent increase in 2026 first-half net profit, driven by stronger operational performance in its food processing business and resilient retail performance despite a competitive market environment. Net profit rose to SR401 million ($106.9 mil»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has secretly created a Cuba task force to pressure the Cuban government to make the economic, political and leadership changes demanded by US President Donald Trump, The New York Times newspaper reported, citing sources. The creation of su»»»

The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal on Thursday adjourned the trial of 13 individuals and six companies accused of illegally trading military equipment destined for Sudan, money laundering, brokerage and document forgery until August12 to allow the defence to complete its pleadings. During the he»»»

ISTANBUL (Sputnik) - Iran and Oman have agreed to open the navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the agreement must be approved by the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Al-Hadath broadcaster reported on Thursday, citing a high-ranking source. The agreement will be valid for 60 days.Iran'»»»

Dubai: The most useful thing Muhammed Sajjad KP, known as UAE weatherman, will tell you about chasing rain in the UAE is that the rain radar isn't live updates. "If you see this radar on the application, and then drive towards those spots, you'll not get rain as we wish," he says, "because these ra»»»

Dubai: Every time Alex Eala steps onto the court, millions of Filipinos are watching. Among them are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE, many of whom see more than a promising tennis player chasing titles. They see someone who embodies the same perseverance, discipline, and sacrifices that»»»

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, the key ​maritime chokepoints in the Gulf, reduced significantly on ‌Wednesday from the previous day, Reuters cited shipping data showed. Just two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, including a Panama-flagged coal-lade»»»

On 20 July, Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared an immediate maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, formalising the collapse of the UN-sponsored 2022 truce, reactivating the Red Sea pressure front and threatening once again international trade passing through the Strait of Bab al-Mandab. Four days l»»»

Iran said Wednesday it is in the "final stage" of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. That could potentially reopen the critical waterway, ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an end to»»»

BusinessRussian FederationWhy is Russia selling its gold?Arthur SullivanRussia has become one of the world's biggest sellers of gold over the past 12 months. It's an attempt to raise cash in the face of budget issues, but not necessarily a sign of a looming financial crisis. https://p.dw.com/p/5Ht6»»»

Dubai: Space42 reported record first-half revenue after growth across its satellite services and geospatial intelligence businesses, while preparations continued for the commercial rollout of direct-to-device services on standard mobile phones. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & B»»»

RIYADH: S&P Global Ratings has cut its 2026 forecast for Middle East sustainable bond issuance to $15 billion-$20 billion, citing geopolitical volatility and weaker market conditions. The ratings agency had previously projected issuance of $20 billion-$25 billion for the year. First-half 2026 issua»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes and shelling overnight into Thursday morning, after Israel announced its first military fatalities in more than a month as renewed hostilities flared. The strikes — which began Wednesday afternoon and were accompanied by the first evacuation »»»

Dubai: What a week it has been. A SpaceX rocket hit the Moon on Wednesday at 10.34am our time, throwing up an estimated 1,100 tonnes of lunar dust. An Abu Dhabi observatory pointed a telescope at exactly the right spot and saw nothing at all. And then it rained. In August. In a country running near»»»

Dubai: Muwaileh Commercial recorded the highest number of property sales in Sharjah City during July, while Al Sajaa Industrial led by transaction value as the emirate’s real estate market reached Dh7 billion. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Muwaileh Commercial registe»»»

The Israeli military said it began striking targets in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by Iran-backed Hezbollah, just as Israel and Lebanon held talks in Rome. "In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organiz»»»

Israel reported on Thursday its first military fatalities in southern Lebanon in more than a month, after carrying out fresh strikes despite ongoing U.S.-backed talks in Rome aimed at ending hostilities. The military identified the two reservists, who were killed in combat on Wednesday, as Major Ha»»»

The UAE on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of its Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, a milestone President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said heralded the country's journey of progress and laid the foundations »»»

US President Donald Trump demanded answers from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Camp David after learning that severe munitions shortages could limit US military options against Iran, American media reported, citing people familiar with the exchange. The shortages reportedly involve long-range gui»»»

Gold prices demonstrated the fastest single-day growth in the past six months, driven by easing tensions in the Middle East, a weakening US dollar, and a number of other factors, former Central Bank of Turkiye analyst Onur Dashdemir told Sputnik. "The combination of positive signals from the Middle»»»

TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Oil prices trended lower on Thursday on the progress in Iran-Oman talks, with investors cautiously waiting for signs of a US-Iran peace deal and progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell 33 cents, or 0.42 percent, to $79.12 a barrel by 07:18 a.m. Saudi ti»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir will visit Saudi Arabia on August 6-8, the South Asian nation’s foreign office said on Thursday. “Although taking place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, the visit will carry significance beyond the»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pakistan, Russia, and Belarus are planning to launch a test freight rail route, but the main obstacle remains the unfinished transit section in Iran, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said. "We are actively working on a test freight rail route connecting Minsk, M»»»

Dubai: Eleven hundred tonnes of moon went up on Wednesday morning, and nobody on Earth watched it happen. The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9, designated 2025-010D, struck the Moon at 06.34 GMT on Wednesday 5 August, which was 10.34am UAE time. It was travelling at around seven times the speed of »»»

On 29 July, a drone struck a floating American storage and regasification unit at Damietta Port on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, setting it ablaze. The fire spread to a Greek-owned LNG tanker anchored nearby. The port is central to Cairo’s plan to turn Egypt into an energy hub for the Eastern Medite»»»

Dubai: RAK Ceramics’ board has proposed an interim dividend of 10 fils per share for the first half of 2026 after the company reported a 2.9% increase in second-quarter net profit. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The proposed distribution amounts to Dh99.3 million and »»»

Athletes from Kyrgyzstan won eight medals at the AOSI 2026 International Swimming Competition — the West Asian Championships, held on August 1–2 in Astana. The team won two gold, two silver, and four bronze medals. Artem Baryshev won the 100-meter breaststroke and took second place in the 50-meter »»»

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the heart of the current Middle East crisis, with diplomatic efforts to reopen the vital waterway unfolding alongside continued military and maritime tensions. The UAE is situated near the Hormuz Strait, a narrow waterway that sits at the gateway to the Gulf, and any»»»

Dubai: At a time when airfares remain elevated because of higher operating costs, airspace restrictions, longer flight times and volatile fuel prices, there is still some hope for UAE travellers with wanderlust. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.While many popular routes»»»

Dubai: Travelling from the UAE this month remains largely smooth, but passengers should continue to expect disruptions on selected routes across the Gulf as airlines respond to the evolving security situation in the Middle East. While the vast majority of flights are operating normally, services to»»»

Iran said an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz is in its final stages, while President Donald Trump suggested a deal could be announced within days, raising hopes of easing a blockade that has disrupted global shipping and fueled months of conflict. Iran said Wednesday it is in the “fin»»»

Every September, parents make one of the biggest decisions of the year. They compare school rankings, visit campuses, speak to other parents and weigh up academic results, facilities and extracurricular activities. These factors remain important. But increasingly, they are no longer the deciding fa»»»

JERUSALEM: Two Israeli reserve soldiers were killed during combat in southern Lebanon, the military said Thursday, where Israel has been fighting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The army identified them as Major Harel Birenstock, 34, a company commander in the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Bri»»»

Dubai: The UAE is expected to experience a mix of fair to partly cloudy weather with chances of convective clouds and rainfall in parts of the country through Monday, while inland temperatures could reach 50 degrees Celsius, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said. The NCM said an extension o»»»

Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said communication with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is very "difficult at the moment," but his presence is a "great strength" for the country to continue its path. The United States and Israel killed Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamene»»»

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was "very difficult" following the leader's reported wounding during the US-Israeli strike that killed his father. Pezeshkian, however, defended Khamenei against rising speculation over his»»»

DUBAI/RIYADH: A proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters on Wednesday, one of the biggest»»»

DUBAI: A tanker reported hearing two explosions while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday, in the latest security incident affecting one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes. UKMTO said the explosions were reported about nine »»»

Dubai: For Dr. Osama Al Hashmi, the most rewarding part of being a dentist is not measured by the number of patients he sees or years he has spent in practice. It is the moments when he can help someone who would otherwise go without treatment. As the owner of Osama Al Hashimi Dental Clinic in Deir»»»

Time machines do not exist, except when someone spends a lifetime preserving the pieces of a world that has disappeared. They exist for those who choose to look: In old letters, photographs of places that no longer exist, electricity bills from decades ago, postcards, and crisp telegrams kept delib»»»

Oil prices were little changed early Thursday as markets weighed growing hopes for a U.S.-Iran diplomatic breakthrough against continued uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil shipping chokepoint. At about 9:54 am Thursday, Aug. 6, Tokyo time, the mar»»»

The UAE economy grew by 3% in the first quarter of 2026, taking real gross domestic product to Dh485 billion from Dh470.9 billion a year earlier. Yet the stronger measure of progress lies in the economy’s changing composition. Non-oil GDP expanded by 4.8%, outpacing overall growth and increasing it»»»

President Donald Trump’s administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty US troops as it rolls back immigration protections for military families to pursue its mass deportation agenda, an Associated Press investigation found. More than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty »»»

Iran and Oman are reportedly closing in on a framework to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but the emerging arrangement could leave Tehran with a degree of control over the world’s most important oil chokepoint — precisely the outcome Washington has sought to prevent. The diplomatic p»»»