Manila: For motorists heading from Metro Manila to Quezon and Bicol, the journey south has long been defined by one frustrating bottleneck: the stretch of the Maharlika Highway between Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Tiaong, Quezon. That may finally begin to change this year. The Philippine Department of »»»

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON after landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Long Beach, Calif., on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Fincke announced his retirement on Wednesday. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA/UP»»»

Rescuers in Colombia faced a race against time Wednesday as they searched collapsed buildings for survivors after the country's strongest earthquake this century. The magnitude 7.4 quake has killed 265 people and injured more than 3,500, with nearly 500 still missing. Colombia's earthquake rescue e»»»

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday that it had redirected 59 commercial vessels as part of its “blockade against Iran.” The CENTCOM announced the updated figures in a post on X, saying that “An F/A-18 fighter jet launches from the flight deck of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) while t»»»

PANAMA CITY: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth floated on Wednesday the possibility of joint strikes on Colombian armed groups, as he welcomed the nation into a military-led counter-narcotics coalition after its conservative president took over last week. Colombia had authorized “joint military ope»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, an island ​in the disputed Kuril Islands chain claimed by both Russia and Japan, state news agency TASS said on Thursday. The neighbors never signed ‌a formal ‌World War ​Two ‌peace treaty ⁠as ​the main ⁠hurdle was the unresolved territorial dispute »»»

NEW YORK: Donald Trump was sued on Wednesday by two media entities seeking to shut down a new service that sells paid access to the US president’s posts, including some that can move markets, on his Truth Social platform. The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court by the Intercept and the Freed»»»

Further water level decline is expected on the Danube, and as a result, Fővárosi Vízművek called on consumers on Wednesday to reduce their use of mains drinking water. “The current forecast for the Danube’s water level demands serious attention and responsible water use from all of us. The temporar»»»

The Pentagon was accused of whitewashing US Army crimes after publishing its annual estimate of civilian casualties in 2025.The report, submitted to Congress late Monday and obtained by US news outlets, contains numbers that are far lower than estimates by independent outlets.The Pentagon concluded»»»

The DIB, the world’s leading Islamic financial group and the largest Islamic bank in the UAE, has announced the launch of its first Youth Council, creating a structured platform for young employees to bring forward fresh perspectives and ideas, contribute to relevant initiatives and take an active »»»

The government has ordered the immediate construction of a riverbed weir on the Danube between the Paks nuclear power plant and the settlement of Dunaszentbenedek. In parallel, as a temporary measure, two barges, each eighty metres long, are being placed on standby at Paks so that, if necessary, th»»»

The government is preparing a three-day series of events for the national holiday on 20 August, during which the fireworks display will be shorter than usual, government spokesperson Éva Magyar said at a Wednesday event in Budapest where the programme was presented. The series of events will cost 4»»»

The Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary group leader called András Baka, elected head of state on Tuesday, unworthy of the office of President of the Republic, in a post on Facebook. Fidesz and KDNP members of parliament did not attend the election and inauguration of the new head of state in the Nationa»»»

Dubai: Jordanian authorities have arrested a woman found begging in central Amman with about $46,600 in cash, the Ministry of Social Development said. Anti-begging teams from the ministry, working with the Public Security Directorate, apprehended the woman in Amman’s downtown area as part of effort»»»

An intergovernmental agreement has been signed between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Swiss Federal Council on international road transport of passengers and goods. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, on August 12, Minister Talantbek Soltobaev met wit»»»

Lebanon has become the first Arab country in the world to abolish the death penalty. Parliament approved the decision, replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment with hard labor, Asharq Al-Awsat reports . A majority of the 128 lawmakers voted in favor of abolishing the death penalty. The H»»»

Dubai-Sharjah traffic is building across several key commuter routes this morning, with the latest Google Maps view showing a mix of heavy congestion and slower-moving traffic at major interchanges. On the Sharjah side, E88 Al Dhaid Road is mostly moving, but the map shows pockets of orange and red»»»

Dubai: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has opened up about his long fitness journey, revealing how he brought his weight down from 135kg to 89kg and made regular exercise a non-negotiable part of his daily routine. Gadkari discussed his transformation during a recent ap»»»

Chinese Cinema Days kicked off in Bishkek on August 12. The first audience was shown Shenzhou 13, a film largely shot in orbit by members of the Chinese space mission. Cosmonauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu spent six months on the Chinese space station and filmed the action themselves»»»

MAKKAH: The Muslim World League has launched an initiative to promote social peace in West Africa, bringing together religious, political and civil society leaders around a joint framework for strengthening coexistence and preventing conflict. MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization »»»

Kyrgyzstan will soon begin assembling passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and specialized vehicles with electric engines. According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, production is planned to begin with large-knockdown assembly, followed by a transition to small-knockdown assembly and a full»»»

New York: A Chicago jury awarded $29 million in damages to the family of an Irish-born United Nations employee who died in a 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash, a US court spokesman said Wednesday. The civil suit was brought against Boeing by Naoise Connolly Ryan, widow of Michael "Mick" Ryan, an engineer w»»»

Dubai: As Pakistan marks its 79th Independence Day anniversary, Pakistanis living and working in the UAE have renewed their call for greater unity, stronger institutions, quality education and wider opportunities for the country’s young population, while expressing pride in their homeland and confi»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia is moving to prohibit the use of children in fundraising advertisements under new draft rules aimed at tightening oversight of donation campaigns and protecting donors and beneficiaries. The National Center for the Non-Profit Sector has published its draft Fundraising Governance»»»

Dubai is set to launch a “Rent Now, Pay Later” service in September that will allow tenants to spread annual rent payments over up to 12 months without interest, according to a report by Emarat Al Youm. The initiative, being developed by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) in partnership with a local b»»»

BEIRUT: Oil leaking from a tanker grounded off the coast of Oman is not only endangering a nearby island but has now also reached beaches on the Gulf Arab country’s mainland, to the north of the island, Oman’s environment authority said Wednesday. Crude oil has been leaking from the tanker Caroline»»»

The condition of the citizen of Kyrgyzstan injured in the attack in Northern Cyprus remains stable but serious. Related news Kyrgyz woman seriously injured in knife attack in Northern Cyprus According to the treating physician, as the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported, the woman periodica»»»

Washington: Keeping a low profile doesn't come naturally to Donald Trump. Yet that is the strategy the American president says he now favors in the war against Iran, and he is betting on economic pressure over diplomacy or new strikes. "We are low-keying it," Trump told news site Axios by phone Sun»»»

OneClickDrive, the UAE-based car marketplace, keeps seeing steady demand for extended rental periods in Abu Dhabi, as residents in the capital think twice before buying a car outright, especially in that first year or two of settling in. Monthly rental has been part of the platform's offering for y»»»

CALI/PEREIRA, Colombia: Colombian rescue teams raced on Thursday to find survivors still trapped beneath collapsed buildings two days after a powerful earthquake killed close to 250 people across ​the nation’s western valleys and coffee-growing region. “We are in a race against time to save lives,”»»»

WASHINGTON: US ‌President Donald Trump signed a memo on Wednesday that the White House said was aimed at empowering federal law enforcement to use ​cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations that operate in foreign jurisdictions to attack Americans. Trump signed the national security »»»

NEW YORK: A Chicago jury awarded $29 million in damages to the family of an Irish-born United Nations employee who died in a 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash, a US court spokesman said Wednesday. The civil suit was brought against Boeing by Naoise Connolly Ryan, widow of Michael “Mick” Ryan, an engineer w»»»

NOUAKCHOTT: Thirty-five Mauritanians who had been detained in Mali returned home on Wednesday, a government spokesman said, alleging some had been tortured during an episode that caught national attention. The individuals had been suspected of being terrorists, a foreign ministry source and a polic»»»

WASHINGTON: Keeping a low profile doesn’t come naturally to Donald Trump. Yet that is the strategy the American president says he now favors in the war against Iran, and he is betting on economic pressure over diplomacy or new strikes. “We are low-keying it,” Trump told news site Axios by phone Sun»»»

BURGOS, Spain: Day briefly turned to night in Spain on Wednesday, as the country witnessed its first total solar eclipse in more than a century, plunging it into eerie darkness in one of nature’s greatest spectacles.The spectral glow of the Sun’s outer corona, shimmering out of the edges of the sha»»»

MOSCOW/KYIV: Russia warned Wednesday that attacks on its grain and agricultural infrastructure were worsening global food shortages and could drive food prices higher, as Moscow and Kyiv traded strikes on key ports and export facilities on both sides of the Black Sea. Russian Foreign Ministry spoke»»»

BEIJING: China’s homegrown C919 jet completed its first international commercial flight on Wednesday, a symbolic step toward Beijing’s goal of challenging the decades-long aerospace dominance of Boeing and Airbus. The narrow-body jet has been billed as a potential competitor to Boeing’s 737 or Airb»»»

A man pays his respects during the 76th anniversary of the Jeju 4.3 memorial ceremony at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park in Jeju City, South Korea, on April 3, 2024. File Photo by Darryl Coote/UPI JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The Korea Heritage Service announced Wednesday that Jeju Island's D»»»

Dubai: Egypt’s Health Ministry has revoked the licences of three blood banks at private hospitals after inspections uncovered serious violations that authorities said posed a direct threat to public health and patient safety. The blood banks, located in Cairo, Sharqia and Qalyubia governorates, wer»»»

Dubai: Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to affect parts of southwestern Saudi Arabia through Saturday, with Jazan and Asir expected to bear the brunt of the unsettled weather, according to the National Centre for Meteorology (NCM). Forecasts from the Saudi Numerical Model show rain develop»»»

RAFHA: Three new Arabian gazelle births recorded in the Al-Taysiyah area during the second quarter of 2026 are providing another indication of progress in wildlife conservation and reintroduction efforts at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Wedn»»»

Most Poles would back the deportation of unemployed military-age Ukrainian men, a recent survey by the Warsaw-based IBRiS Institute for Market and Social Research has indicated. Public perception of Ukrainians in Poland has deteriorated in recent months amid a diplomatic spat between the two countr»»»

Dubai: Temperatures could reach 49°C in parts of the UAE on Thursday as the country faces a mix of intense heat, possible afternoon rain and overnight humidity, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The NCM said conditions would be fair to partly cloudy at times, with convective cl»»»

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of the month, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, ending the tenure of one of his most prominent and trusted advisers as the administration heads towards November's midterm elections. White House press secretary Ka»»»

Every year, International Youth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the vital role young people play in shaping a more sustainable and resilient future. Their contribution is particularly important in scientific fields that advance the knowledge, technologies, and innovations needed to addres»»»

Four more Iran-linked ships were blocked or redirected by the US Central Command on Wednesday, as American forces continue to enforce the “steel wall” naval blockade against Iran. This brings the total of ship redirections to 59 commercial vessels, 3 “disabled”, and 2 boarded as of August 12, 2026.»»»

Dubai: It is a significant weekend for two of the largest communities in this country. Pakistan marks Independence Day on Friday 14 August, India on Saturday 15 August, and the calendar has arranged itself accordingly. Here is everything worth knowing, in the order it happens. 1. Book Week at The H»»»

Actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, are shown at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023 in Washington, D.C. Their son Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to updated charges in the deaths of his parents, who were killed in December. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | Li»»»

In tonight's program, across parts of Africa millions lifted their eyes skywards for a rare celestial event, a partial solar eclipse. Also, in Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema hopes for a second term his main rival, says that it's been a tough campaign in part because of deliberate obstruction f»»»