Doha, Qatar: The Land Customs Department has foiled an attempt to smuggle 24.39 grams of hashish and methamphetamine (shabu), along with 30 Lyrica pills, through the Abu Samra border crossing. The General Authority of Customs said the seizure followed a customs inspector's suspicion of a passenger »»»

Rescue workers rushed to free a survivor Friday in Colombia amid the rubble left by a powerful earthquake nearly four days earlier that killed at least 285 people and injured 4,000. Some 400 people were still missing and tens of thousands of homes were ​damaged, leaving many Colombians sleepin»»»

Venezuela's government freed 131 detained ​prisoners on Friday, as human rights groups hailed releases of some ​people ‌they say were being held ⁠unjustly or for political reasons. Venezuela on Friday freed another 131 people considered to be political prisoners, in a sign of progress in talks to r»»»

Palestinian residents of three houses in Qusra near Nablus in the occupied West Bank say they have been effectively cut off from food and other supplies since the siege by Israeli settlers began on Sunday. But the Israeli military has not done anything to remove the settlers. "We are seeing the cra»»»

Speaker Nabih Berri noted Saturday that "the two massacres perpetrated by the Israeli occupation aircraft in the towns of Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani, which resulted in the martyrdom of an entire family, mostly women and children, fall within the context of the ongoing genocidal war waged by the Isra»»»

Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike in the country's south on Saturday killed seven people, including three children and two women, in the worst toll since deals in June saw a lull in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Four people were killed and five others were meanwhile wounded in»»»

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s eastern Flores island early Saturday, leaving at least 38 people dead and several others trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Emergency crews are racing to reach affected communities as landslides blocked roads and residents fled to higher »»»

Five years after seizing Kabul and returning to power, the Taliban is celebrating what it calls a more secure and "free" Afghanistan. But its anniversary comes amid mounting criticism over sweeping restrictions on women and girls, economic hardship and continued international isolation. The Taliban»»»

Abu Dhabi: Drivers who fail to give way to emergency vehicles in Abu Dhabi face a fine of Dh3,000, six traffic points and the impoundment of their vehicle for 30 days, the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority has said. The authority urged motorists to cooperate and move aside promptly when emergency v»»»

Dubai: Three Indian expats based in the UAE have made their homeland proud, jumping out of an aircraft at 13,000 feet with the Indian tricolour to help set a new Guinness World Record for the most skydivers jumping together with national flags from a single aircraft. Jamsheer Thanalot from Kannur, »»»

Bulgaria's government has revived a procedure that could give strategic status to a company behind an investment project to build a new gunpowder plant near Smyadovo, Shumen region. The proposal concerns Karash Invest, owned by Hristo Emilianov Gebrev, the son of arms manufacturer Emilian Gebrev, a»»»

The foreign policy program of the government of Prime Minister Rumen Radev for 2026-2030 keeps Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union and NATO as the foundation of the country’s international policy, while calling for a more active role in both organizations and a stronger defense of national »»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Police has highlighted its preparations to secure stadiums and sports facilities ahead of the new season, urging supporters to follow safety instructions and work with officers to ensure matches begin and end without incident. In an awareness video shared by the force, the Special »»»

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s chief commander says that the country has brought “the most heavily armed military in the history of the world to its knees” through successful offensive and defensive operations conducted under intense fire. In a message on Saturday thanking the forces »»»

Hungary’s emergency operation to raise the Danube’s water level near the Paks Nuclear Power Plant has produced its first encouraging result, even before the two barges being sunk in the river have reached the bottom. The two 80-metre barges were positioned across the Danube as part of the emergency»»»

An international scientific conference will be held in Issyk-Kul region on September 3 as part of the VI World Nomad Games. It aims to unite the scientific community for a comprehensive study of the historical heritage, philosophy, culture, traditions, and contemporary aspects of the development of»»»

Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike in the country's south on Saturday killed seven people, including three children and two women, in the worst toll since deals in June saw a lull in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Two people were killed and nine others were wounded in another Is»»»

Hungary has launched an extraordinary emergency operation on the Danube near Paks as authorities race to prevent critically low water levels from affecting the operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Two 80-metre barges have been positioned in the river between Paks and Dunaszentbenedek and thei»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said seven people including two women and three children killed in an Israeli strike on Saturday were not military targets, after Israel said it struck Hezbollah "infrastructure". "The seven martyrs of the Israeli strike on the village of Ansar are not 'military infrastru»»»

Dubai Customs has foiled an attempt to export more than 70 million illicit cigarettes to a European country after detecting nine shipments across three air cargo facilities. The shipments were linked to a single importer through risk indicator analysis and a review of shipment data, allowing inspec»»»

The US Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) has a new commander, with Rear Adm. Thomas Donovan taking over from Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers as the Iran war continues to reshape the US military’s focus in the Middle East. Donovan assumed command during a change-of-command ceremony in Tampa, Flo»»»

The Russian Vostok battlegroup has liberated the settlement of Rybalskoye in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported on Saturday. "As a result of the decisive actions of units of the Vostok battlegroup, the settlement of Rybalskoye in the Zaporozhye region has been liberated»»»

Dubai: Parts of the UAE could see light rain this weekend, with the best chance coming on Sunday across northern and eastern areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Saturday itself is expected to remain largely dry. Conditions will be fair to partly cloudy, becoming cloudy at times »»»

A liturgy and a national flag-raising ceremony marked the start of the celebrations in Nessebar on Saturday, as the town observes its holiday on the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The liturgy at the Dormition of the Mother of God Church was celebrated by Metropolitan Arseny of Sliven.»»»

A potential disaster was averted Friday when a Phoenix air traffic controller recognized two American Airlines jets mistakenly were flying the same flight number and acted quickly to avoid confusion and keep them a safe distance apart. Audio of the incident shortly after midnight Friday shows how h»»»

On the morning of 18 August 1995, a visibly distressed man walked into the police station in Jászberény and told officers to arrest him. He said he had strangled his wife during an argument at their home in the Hungarian town. However, investigators soon established that the killing had been preced»»»

Varna Day is being celebrated on August 15 with concerts, sports events and other initiatives across the city. The programme traditionally begins with a solemn Holy Mass at the Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral, followed by a military ceremony and the raising of the flags of Bulgaria, Varna »»»

New Delhi, India: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday his government would provide free online coaching lessons for competitive exams, weeks after massive youth-led protests forced the education minister to resign. Modi said the initiative was aimed at easing the financial burden on m»»»

"We sincerely congratulate our Indian friends on their national holiday! We wish you success, prosperity, well-being and new achievements!" the ministry said. Cooperation between the two countries is multifaceted, and the potential for deepening it is enormous, the ministry noted.“Our countries are»»»

Dubai Municipality intensified inspections of the emirate’s construction sector in July 2026, carrying out 4,992 visits to projects under construction and recording more than 1,761 engineering and technical violations. According to the municipality’s periodic bulletin on X, regulatory action was ta»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Europe's underground gas storage filling has exceeded 60%, but remains at the lowest level for this date since records began in 2021, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) said on Saturday. As of August 13, EU countries injected 0.28 billion cubic meters of gas, raising reserves by 0.2»»»

The US Republican Party must address the economic pressures facing Americans or risk driving more young people toward socialism, Vice President J.D. Vance has said. Vance made the remarks in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, pointing to the cost of housing and education, access to well-paid j»»»

RIYADH: The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has announced dates for the 2026-27 Riyadh Racing Season, along with a number of new features highlighted by the introduction of a colts and fillies series. Getting underway on Oct. 16 and concluding on April 17 next year, the season will now feature the Riya»»»

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has accused Lebanese authorities of subjecting the country's armed forces to undue pressure by implementing a framework deal agreed with Israel to end hostilities. The June trilateral framework, to which the United States is also a party, involves the disarmament »»»

Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike in the country's south on Saturday killed seven people, including three children and two women, in the worst toll since deals in June saw a lull in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli army meanwhile said that the airstrike and other heav»»»

From a personal message by Dubai's Ruler about the value of family time to a new visa offer for Indian tourists, several stories captured readers' attention this week. Other major developments included Dubai's announcement of a public holiday for the Prophet Mohammed's Birthday, new travel options »»»

An Air India flight from Bangkok to Delhi was forced to abort its take-off after the pilots detected a hydraulic malfunction, marking the second hydraulic-related incident involving an Air India A320 in 10 days. According to an exclusive report by the New Indian Express, Flight AI2335, carrying mor»»»

Oakland, United States: A coalition of US states will seek around $200 billion in damages against Meta, which they accuse of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive for children, when a landmark trial kicks off on Tuesday. Meta previously had claimed in court documents that t»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia prepares to host Expo 2030, the experience of Osaka 2025 offers lessons on how the Kingdom can turn the six-month event into longer-term economic and business opportunities. Expo 2030 Riyadh is expected to attract more than 42 million visits from 197 countries across a site »»»

CEUTA: Spain has beefed up police and military presence in its North African enclave of Ceuta amid social media messages encouraging migrants ​to attempt another mass border breach on Saturday, two weeks after tens of thousands rushed into the city. Soldiers in combat fatigues stood watch outside s»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s next generation of screenwriters has completed a feature film development program designed to strengthen emerging talent and support new voices across the Kingdom. Netflix and Righters House have announced the completion of the “Write the Future: Feature Film Writers Lab” in S»»»

Los Angeles: U.S. Food Safety regulators have upgraded a recall of about 19 million eggs to its highest risk category over potential salmonella contamination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday classified the recall that started last month as Class I, its highest recall classi»»»

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov received reports from the command and also presented state awards to servicemen who distinguished themselves during combat missions. Key points from the command reports: During the summer campaign, the battlegroup liberated 19 settlements An analytical cente»»»

Iran on Saturday fired back at U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory, saying the crucial energy waterway it has blockaded "will remain Iranian". Trump has repeatedly said the strait, which Tehran effectively closed at the start of»»»

Seoul: Republic of Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday called for talks with North Korea to end their long-running state of war and explore ways to halt the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities, pledging to pursue a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Speaking at a ceremony mark»»»

US President Donald Trump has said the United States will declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory “pretty soon” after defeating Iran, escalating tensions over the strategically vital waterway. Speaking at a political rally in New York on Friday, Trump said the US already had “total control” of th»»»

RIYADH: It might come as a surprise to some that Simone Inzaghi is now one of the longest-serving head coaches in the Saudi Pro League, after just over 14 months in charge of Al-Hilal. While the Riyadh side finished second, and unbeaten, in the league last season, and reached the quarter-finals of »»»

Brad Pitt has started drinking again and this really is cause for celebration among millions of ordinary people around the world, because after all, what brings us closer to the great and famous, but our vices? I have often heard people who enjoy a glass of cognac in the morning point out that Wins»»»

RIYADH: Global financial institutions are rapidly expanding across the Gulf as market reforms and economic transformation programs reshape the region into one of the world’s fastest-growing capital markets. The shift is particularly visible across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with wave of regional hea»»»

On Aug.15, 1914, a U.S. ship sailed from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, officially opening the Panama Canal. 1 of 3 | The SS Ancon became the first ship to transit the newly built Panama Canal on August 15, 1914. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Archives Aug. 15 (UPI) -- On this date in»»»