It has been a busy week for headlines across the region and beyond. UAE residents can look forward to an upcoming three-day weekend, while Oman opens its doors wider with a free 14-day visa. In local news, a tragic gas cylinder blast in Dubai drew emergency responses, while travel rules take centre»»»

Dubai: For many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), returning to the UAE after a holiday in the Philippines should be as simple as checking in, clearing immigration, and boarding the flight. But for some, one document can make the difference between a smooth departure and multiple trips across the ai»»»

If you are American, then you might be getting damn tired of losing wars. I know I am. And you may be asking yourself, “Why does this keep happening?” It’s an intriguing and disheartening puzzle: Although the United States has been far-and-away the world’s most powerful country for many decades, wi»»»

What is underway at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs may prove to be more than a simple change of leadership: it could amount to a restructuring that reaches to the institution’s foundations. The institute has been transferred from the Prime Minister’s Office back to the Ministry of»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC): The United States and the Israeli entity failed to achieve their objectives in the war against Iran »»»

DOHA: The Department of Meteorology has warned of poor horizontal visibility at first and thundery rain in some areas during the afternoon on Saturday. In its daily weather report, the department said inshore areas would be misty to foggy at first, becoming hot during the daytime, with a chance of »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IRGC: Foreign media acknowledged Trump’s defeat thanks to the revolutionary media’s efforts to counter enemy disinformation 08-08-2026 09:2»»»

Abidjan: The Djidji Ayokwe, a sacred "talking drum" which was taken by French colonial troops in 1916 and then to France, arrived back in its home village in Ivory Coast on Friday. The ceremony, on Ivory Coast's national independence day holiday, was the first time today's Ivorians were able to see»»»

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a mutual defence pact, the US Navy is enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran and Oman are nearing a shipping deal for the Strait of Hormuz, all as the Houthis are blamed for an attack on Najran. Meanwhile, most UAE flights are operating as sche»»»

New York: Major US stock indexes closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 reaching a record high as investors responded to weaker-than-expected US jobs data that reduced expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in September. The S&P 500 rose 46.48 points, or 0.60%, to close at 7,756.44»»»

Madrid: Spain announced on Friday that it would temporarily restore internal border checks for travelers arriving from Italy in response to Rome's refusal to lift border controls on travelers arriving from Spain amid the recent migration crisis in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. The tem»»»

Signs of intense degradation of the high-altitude cryosphere have been recorded on the Chelektor moraine-glacier complex on the northern slope of the Kyrgyz Ridge, the Hydrometeorological Service reported. Director of the Service, Daurbek Sakyev, along with specialists from the Ministry of Emergenc»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The EU's tech chief called on Meta and TikTok to "act decisively" to stem disinformation at times of crisis, saying the European Commission held talks with both platforms Friday following last week's Ceuta migrant surge. A wave of social media disinformation is believed to have p»»»

Puerto Morelos, Mexico: A small skiff moves through a stinking carpet of sargassum, dragging what looks like a threshing machine through the brown, floating seaweed choking the normally clear waters of the Mexican Caribbean. A round-the-clock defense is underway against the invasion in Mexico's int»»»

The Trump administration is once again trying to limit who can become an American, with a pair of executive orders issued this week that attempt to place restrictions on birthright citizenship and on foreigners who give birth in the US. A Supreme Court decision in June struck down a previous attemp»»»

Washington, DC: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine has spent recent weeks privately advising top US President Donald Trump administration officials that the United States must seek an "off-ramp" from the conflict with Iran. Citing sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported that Cain»»»

Manila: The Philippines is entering an unusual phase of its energy transition. It is adding solar and wind power at a pace that could eventually transform the electricity system, while at the same time confronting one of the oldest problems in power generation: What happens when the sun stops shini»»»

Péter Magyar’s intervention in two public media appointments has caused debate over the independence of Hungary’s state broadcaster. The independence of Hungary’s public media has been one of the country’s most sensitive political issues ever since the democratic transition of 1989–90. Following th»»»

The Ministry of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan has denied reports that the 4th and 5th floors of the National History Museum have been transferred to another party, specifically China. According to the ministry, no part of the museum has been transferred to foreign institution»»»

DUBAI: Yemen’s armed forces carried out a military operation targeting Houthi elements and military equipment across multiple fronts, armed forces spokesperson Colonel Majed Al Nazili said. Al Nazili said the operation was conducted along several axes of contact with Houthi forces and came in respo»»»

Wi Sung-lac and Michelle Steel discuss ways to strengthen alliance amid security, trade and investment issues New US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel (C), accompanied by her husband, lawyer Shawn Steel (L), arrives at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, South Korea, 04 August 2026. Ph»»»

Pavilion owners in Bishkek’s 12th microdistrict have filed lawsuits in the district court and with the prosecutor’s office, challenging the City Hall’s decision to dismantle their retail outlets. The entrepreneurs are currently awaiting the court’s decision. They also met with members of the Bishke»»»

Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, commander of the US Army's V Corps, has been relieved of his command just two months before his scheduled departure, ABC News reports. Costanza, who took command in April 2024, was responsible for overseeing US Army forces and coordinating operations across Euro»»»

The government also made decisions on strengthening the independence of the agricultural chamber, the election process for the president and deputies of the National Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Office (NVVH), measures to ensure the transparency of public funds, free driving licence acquisit»»»

Dubai: "The only reason why I have not given up and still have hope is because of my children," said Raziya Razick, a Sri Lankan expatriate who has called the UAE home for the past decade. Razick and her family are grappling with legal dues, the result of a series of setbacks that began when she lo»»»

DETROIT: Michigan Democrats on Friday urged voters to rally behind their statewide candidates, three days after a bitter US Senate contest highlighted divisions between the progressive and moderate wings of the party. A slate of nominees and other notable Democrats spoke to a crowd of more than 1,0»»»

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian Christians call themselves “living stones” and say they have lived continuously in the Holy Land for the last 2,000 years. Maybe not for much longer, believes Reverend Mitri Raheb. “If the current conditions continue, there will not be a single Palesti»»»

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian Christians call themselves “living stones” and say they have lived continuously in the Holy Land for the last 2,000 years. Maybe not for much longer, believes Reverend Mitri Raheb. “If the current conditions continue, there will not be a single Palesti»»»

Share: Turkey has expressed its readiness to include Lebanon in the project of reviving the Hejaz Railway—a move discussed during high-level official talks, including meetings with the Turkish leadership in Ankara—aimed at reconnecting regional trade corridors and strengthening economic partnership»»»

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have detained an Argentinian professional soccer player while he was traveling with his American club in Florida, team officials said Friday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Argentinian professional soccer player Matías P»»»

Dubai: There was a time when hunger dictated Jenifer Segalowitz’s life. One afternoon after returning home from school in the Philippines, she discovered there was nothing left to eat. Hungry and exhausted, she accepted a piece of fried chicken that had already been thrown into the trash after her »»»

The UAE’s summer travel rush continues, with thousands of passengers flying abroad as airlines maintain operations despite ongoing regional uncertainty. While most flights are operating as scheduled, some Gulf routes continue to see changes due to operational adjustments and temporary airspace rest»»»

Hidden accounts, secretive messages or covert contacts are usually discovered by accident, not design. An unlocked phone or an unexpected notification may reveal a second profile, showing a child’s alter-ego unknown to their parent. This does not reflect poor parenting. Instead, it shows that secre»»»

Authorities in Illinois have charged a 15-year-old boy with the random knife slaying of a man waiting for a bus while dressed in a clown costume. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA-EFE Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A 15-year-old boy has been charged with randomly stabbing a man to death at a southern Illinois bus sto»»»

Dubai: Zainab Imichi Alhassan knew something was off when her husband suddenly began texting her phrases such as “Whatever you want, dear” and “All done, my darling.” Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The couple did not usually speak that way, so she immediately assumed »»»

Abelardo de la Espriella, the winner of Colombia's June 21 presidential runoff election, delivers a speech in Cali, Colombia, on Friday during his swearing-in ceremony. Photo by Ernesto Guzman Jr./EPA Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president of Colombi»»»

NEW YORK: The UN Security Council on Friday condemned Houthi missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels, along with unauthorized aircraft landings at Sana’a International Airport and Hodeidah Airport, warning that such actions threaten regional security and risk undermining peace e»»»

House and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner has criticized programs for prioritizing permanent housing solutions that apply the Housing First model, in which individuals are housed without preconditions. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Friday »»»

BOGOTA, Colombia: Conservative Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s president Friday, not in the capital as is the tradition, but in the volatile southwestern city of Cali in a move meant to signal his hard-line approach to illegal armed groups operating in the region. De la Espriell»»»

BRUSSELS: The EU’s tech chief called on Meta and TikTok to “act decisively” to stem disinformation at times of crisis, saying the European Commission held talks with both platforms Friday following last week’s Ceuta migrant surge. A wave of social media disinformation is believed to have played a l»»»

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Senate easily passed sweeping Russia sanctions legislation on Friday, advancing a long-delayed measure backed by late ​Senator Lindsey Graham and setting the stage for consideration by the House of Representatives within weeks. Graham, a South Carolina Republican who died last »»»

DAMASCUS: Syrian Internal Security Forces killed two Daesh (ISIS) militants who were planting an improvised explosive device near the Sayyidah Zaynab area of Damascus countryside, state media SANA reported Friday, citing the Interior Ministry. The ministry said the militants were discovered during »»»

Dubai: The warmth of your mother's hands as she kneads the dough. The aroma of bread baking before sunrise. The crackle of spices blooming in hot Emirati ghee. Long before recipes are written down or traditions are spoken about, this is where a cuisine truly begins. For Chef Nabhan Al Ali, Executiv»»»

Economic activity data for June confirmed what we saw in the second quarter GDP data: as summer arrived, the Hungarian economy went on holiday. Both industry and retail sector growth rates came in lower than expected, but we are still optimistic about the future.  The Hungarian »»»

By the end of this year, the Bulgarian Naval Forces will have another minehunter, said Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, Commander of the Bulgarian Naval Forces, in his address to the people attending the official awards ceremony for military personnel and civilians here on Friday. He specified that, un»»»

KOCHI, India: As the sun set over Kochi’s historic Jew Town neighborhood, Keith Hallegua donned a gray kippah and began a solitary walk to the synagogue at the end of his cobbled street. It was Shavuot, the Jewish holiday commemorating God giving the Torah to Moses. Hallegua reached the 458-year-ol»»»

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and her attorney, Abbe Lowell, leave the U.S. Supreme Court, which blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to remove her from the independent central bank. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump is once again trying t»»»

LONDON: The United States announced sanctions on Friday targeting crypto exchanges and shadow banking networks used by Iran to launder billions of dollars. The announcements were the latest effort by Washington to squeeze Iran’s finances with its “Economic Fury” campaign, which was launched alongsi»»»

New York: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday confirmed a limited improvement in the flow of essential supplies into the Gaza Strip recently, despite acknowledging that humanitarian needs remain immense as the population continues to rely heavily »»»

LONDON: Sujood Faroun, 29, a mother of two young children, suffered cardiac arrest in late July as an ambulance rushed her toward a hospital in Ramallah. But at the edge of her hometown of Sinjil, the ambulance encountered a closed Israeli army gate guarded by soldiers. Her husband pleaded for help»»»