JEDDAH: Net profits of Muscat-listed insurance and takaful companies rose 5 percent to 20.9 million Omani rials ($54.3 million) in the first half, from 19.9 million rials, despite pressure on earnings from rising claims. Financial results showed improved performance by most listed companies, while »»»

Russian forces have liberated Kudievka in the Kharkov Region and Pershomaryevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Russia's Battlegroup Sever liberated the village of Kudievka in the Kharkov Region as a result of decisive offensive actions," the statemen»»»

Dubai: Employees in Oman cannot be dismissed for poor performance without first being told clearly where they are falling short and being given at least six months to improve, according to guidance issued by the General Federation of Oman Workers. The federation highlighted the protections under Om»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A delegation from the Palestinian Hamas movement has arrived in Cairo and is holding talks with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Saudi Arabia's Al-Hadath television channel reported on Sunday, citing the movement's source. "A Hamas delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, a member o»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Military-technical cooperation between Russia and Indonesia is not directed against third countries, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov told Sputnik in an interview. The diplomat recalled that Australia was recently "alarmed by delusional" information that Russia wa»»»

Luigi Mangione has admitted to fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and pleaded guilty to two federal stalking charges. The 28-year-old entered the plea before US District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan on Friday, according to the Department of Justice. He faces a maximum sente»»»

DUBAI: Yemen executed 181 military operations on Houthi military targets over the past 24 hours Yemen’s Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Majed Al-Nazili said in a statement released on Sunday. Al-Nazili said the strikes resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries among the Houthi militia and led to »»»

US President Donald Trump has shared a photo of his 2019 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, renewing his claim that the two leaders have a good personal relationship. Trump posted the image on Truth Social on Saturday, showing the pair meeting at Panmunjom, the village on the heavily for»»»

Dubai: Kuwait has introduced sweeping new rules governing tobacco and nicotine products, banning online sales and deliveries, setting the minimum purchase age at 21 and extending smoking restrictions to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Health Minister Dr Ahmed Al Awadhi issued Min»»»

RIYADH: Egypt gained immediate access to about $1.8 billion in International Monetary Fund financing after the fund’s executive board completed the latest reviews of the country’s economic reform arrangements. The decision allows Egypt to draw about $1.5 billion under the Extended Fund Facility and»»»

A woman was allegedly pinned against a wall and strangled by her former partner in broad daylight near Budapest’s Lehel Square, according to a social media account shared by actor and women’s right activist Áron Molnár. Two women reportedly intervened to help the victim, who was allegedly being for»»»

Dubai: The total solar eclipse of 12 August 2026 may be over, but skywatchers will not have to wait long for the next solar spectacle. The next solar eclipse will take place on 6 February 2027, less than six months from now. It will be an annul solar eclipse, producing the distinctive “ring of fire»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Police have honoured an Arab resident for alerting authorities after noticing suspicious behaviour, saying his vigilance helped officers take the necessary action and demonstrated the importance of public co-operation in preventing crime. The resident was recognised by Sharjah Poli»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for International Cooperation, HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met today with Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Qatar HE Oliver Owcza. During the meeting, they reviewed the relations of cooperation between the two countries and ways»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has launched the Hayyoh application, a new sports loyalty platform that rewards fans for attending eligible sporting events. Through the app, fans can earn points by purchasing tickets and staying until the end of the match. “The more matches you attend, the more points you earn »»»

Dubai: UAE motorists will be able to register from Monday, August 17, for an annual road-safety initiative that offers eligible drivers the removal of four traffic points if they pledge to follow traffic laws and meet the programme’s conditions. The Ministry of Interior said its “Day Without Accide»»»

Dubai: Six months ago, the Strait of Hormuz was open, oil and gas flowed through one of the world’s most important energy corridors, and Iran did not control which ships could pass or demand tolls for their transit. Today, after nearly six months of war, restoring something close to that pre-war re»»»

Some long-distance relationships are messy. And they can get tragically messier during meet-ups. A couple found this out first-hand when the allegedly volatile husband – a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier – returned home only to claim hours later that his wife had fallen off the roof of their ho»»»

Dubai: Amanat Holdings shareholders are set to receive an interim cash dividend of Dh75 million after the healthcare and education group reported a 46% increase in first-half profit to Dh153.3 million. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The dividend represents 3% of the c»»»

Arab Finance: GB Corp recorded a 24.54% year-on-year (YoY) drop in consolidated net profits after tax attributable to the shareholders for the first half (H1) of 2026, reaching EGP 1.262 billion from EGP 1.672 billion, according to the financial results. Operating revenues jumped by 35.2% to EGP 48»»»

After 100 days in office, Prime Minister Rumen Radev claimed to have "eliminated oligarchy" from political power, by filling it with office seekers from the old political model, the assessment of Continue the Change (CC) of the cabinet’s performance said. In healthcare, Ivanka Dineva was reinstated»»»

Doha, Qatar:Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani received Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the State of Qatar HE Álvaro Renedo Zalba. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the cooperation relations b»»»

Mogadishu: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia HE Abdisalam Abdi Ali, met with the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Somalia, HE Dr. Abdullah bin Salem Al Nuaimi. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation relations between the two count»»»

The Libyan flag, Libya December 6, 2016. REUTERS/Hani Amara The Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) and the General Libyan Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (GLUCC) have signed a cooperation protocol to organize an annual Egyptian-Libyan industrial integration exhibition i»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has announced that walk-in appointments for select categories of passport, visa and attestation applicants will now be accepted at all 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across the UAE. The move is aimed at streamlining the process of submissio»»»

A U.S. State Department spokesperson has said that Hezbollah "bears sole responsibility for Israel's presence on Lebanese soil," following the latest deadly Israeli strikes in south Lebanon. "This is precisely why Hezbollah must be disarmed and dismantled," the spokesperson said. "The pilot zone pr»»»

Yemen's years-long civil conflict killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and drove the country to the brink of famine before a 2022 truce restored relative calm. Now, renewed hostilities between the Houthi rebels and the government have many fearing the return of all-out war. Hodeida»»»

Honolulu: The eye of Hurricane Lala brushed past the southern part of Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. "Hurricane conditions will persist on the Big Island of Hawaii overnight, with th»»»

The conflict in the Middle East continues to affect travel, shipping and security across the Gulf, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a key flashpoint. For people living in the UAE, however, the immediate impact is more likely to be felt through flight disruptions, changes to shipping routes and t»»»

Israel vowed Sunday it would hit Hezbollah again if threatened, as it identified what it described as a commander killed in strikes a day earlier that also left several children dead. Israeli strikes on Saturday killed 11 people in southern Lebanon, according to authorities, in the deadliest attack»»»

ATHENS: Firefighters battled for a second day on Sunday to contain a forest fire on the Greek Aegean island of Skyros, as the local mayor voiced hope it could soon be brought under control. “Within the day I believe the fire will be fully extinguished,” Skyros mayor Kyriakos Antonopoulos told state»»»

Iran accused Qatar on Sunday of thwarting efforts to work out what happened to three pilots Tehran says were captured during the Middle East war, though the Gulf state has denied detaining them. The Islamic republic had previously reported one pilot killed and others missing after a sortie to Qatar»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Enemy Proceeds Attacks on Ali Al-Taher in Southern Lebanon 16-08-2026 12:07 PM Smoke rises after Israeli strike on the area between»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Arab League says Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon threatens to derail settlement efforts 16-08-2026 10:52 AM Latest News Urgent News »»»

RIYADH: Liquidity among most Fitch-rated sukuk is edging closer to pre-war levels despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, although the recovery remains uneven, an analysis showed. As of Aug. 4, just over 75 percent of Fitch-rated sukuk had a liquidity score above 50, up from 64 pe»»»

Abu Dhabi: BRIDGE Summit will return to Abu Dhabi in late November or early December 2027, with the BRIDGE Alliance Board approving a new development road map aimed at turning the event into a year-round global platform. The second edition will be held on Yas Island in collaboration with Miral, and»»»

Doha, Qatar: Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi met on Sunday with the Charge d’affaires at the US Embassy in the State of Qatar HE Christopher Hodges. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation relations between the two countries.»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian authorities continue to remove documents and other things to the city of Perechyn in Ukraine's Zakarpatye Region, located on the border with Slovakia, Russian security forces told Sputnik. "Documents and material assets are continuing to be removed from Kramatorsk. »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on a shipping map for the Strait of Hormuz, although some issues are still being discussed, Press TV reported citing Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. Earlier, Saudi broadcaster reported that Iran and Oman had reached an a»»»

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their appearance in an advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, saying the campaign may breach food safety regulations. The notices were issued on Friday, asking the ac»»»

Thousands of evacuees on Indonesia's Flores island began receiving aid on Sunday after a 7.7-magnitude quake killed 48 people, injured dozens and damaged hundreds of houses and buildings. Some 5,000 people fled their homes and in some areas people were left without electricity and telecommunic»»»

Abu Dhabi: Finance and tax professionals gathered in Abu Dhabi for an e-invoicing boot camp organised by the UAE Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP), as businesses prepare for the UAE’s next phase of digital tax transformation. The UAE E-Invoicing Boot Camp 2026, he»»»

Dubai: Khorfakkan Port is positioning for a major expansion that could eventually double its annual container handling capacity to 10 million, strengthening a UAE east coast trade gateway with direct access to international shipping routes. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balan»»»

Firefighters in Belgium battled one of the country's worst-ever wildfires late on Saturday as a rapidly growing blaze scorched more than 3,000 hectares of land. The EU scrambled helicopters and water bombers as hundreds of villagers were under evacuation orders.  Hundreds of villagers were und»»»

Scholarship students in the UAE could have their scholarships cancelled for reasons including poor academic performance, unauthorised employment, prolonged absence or providing forged academic documents, under rules set by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR). The minis»»»

You could stand in the same room with a friend, but on opposite ends, one would look like a towering giant while the other looked tiny. By playing on perspective, angles, shadow and light, the Museum of Illusions Dubai created rooms that made for fun Insta shots and interesting learning. Today, how»»»

PARIS: Magnus Carlsen has won the Chess at Esports World Cup 2026 title, and has secured his second EWC trophy in a row, all without losing a single game in his journey to the top. Carlsen, who has never lost a match at the EWC, reinforces himself as the world’s greatest chess player. The Team Liqu»»»

NEW YORK CITY: Five years after the Taliban swept into Kabul, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, is not walking back Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s February declaration that the two countries are in “open war.” “The trends are posing grave concern,” Ahmad told Arab News in an in»»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) has described the first 100 days of the Radev government as a period of taking over a failed model of governance and creating new risks, rather than bringing about real change, according to a position released by the political entity to the media. August 16 marks 100 days s»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has advised pilgrims using multiple-entry Umrah visas that they must book an approved service package for every visit, saying the visa’s year-long validity does not remove other requirements governing the pilgrimage. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said pilgrims holding the visa »»»