Dubai: Indian travellers planning a trip to Dubai can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to book tickets for At the Top, Burj Khalifa online, making it easier to plan their visit before arriving in the UAE. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The new payment opti»»»

A Kamaz truck carrying fabrics caught fire in Alay district of Osh region. According to eyewitnesses, passing drivers helped remove the goods from the burning vehicle. They managed to save about half of the cargo. The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that information about the fire was rec»»»

Law enforcement agencies in Kyrgyzstan recorded 19,024 crimes from January to June 2026. This is 9.7 percent higher than the figure for the same period in 2025 (17,341 cases). The National Statistical Committee reported, citing the Prosecutor General’s Office. At the same time, the number of seriou»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar participated in the 39th Meeting of the Airport Security Officials Committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, held via videoconference. The Ministry of Interior was represented at the meeting by Lieutenant Colonel Zayed Rashid Al Naimi, Assistant Directo»»»

RIYADH: Saudia Cargo, the Kingdom’s national cargo carrier, and Riyadh Cargo, a subsidiary of Riyadh Airlines, a Public Investment Fund company, have signed an interline agreement to enhance the integration of their networks and expand access to global markets, providing customers with more flexibl»»»

RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi on Wednesday declared the Gulf states full support for all measures the Kingdom takes to protect its security and sovereignty. The secretary-general affirmed the Gulf states support for the Saudi measures and stres»»»

DUBAI: Every summer, thousands of families across the Gulf make a decision that silently reshapes every relationship within their family. They do so in the hope of giving their children a different kind of summer. They separate so their children can reconnect with grandparents, cousins and familiar»»»

PARIS: The Esports World Cup 2026 will conclude with the Counter-Strike 2 Championship final at Paris’ historic Accor Arena, where one of esports’ most iconic titles returns to one of its most celebrated venues, crowning the Club Champion and bringing the world’s largest esports and gaming event to»»»

Arab Finance: Real estate developer Madinet Masr recorded EGP 27.2 billion in new sales during the first half (H1) of 2026, up 16.5% year on year (YoY), as both unit sales and deliveries increased across its portfolio, as per an emailed press release. The firm sold more than 2,900 units during the »»»

A draft decision proposing that Bulgaria's presidential and vice-presidential elections be held on October 25 has been submitted to Parliament on Wednesday. The proposal, introduced by MPs from different parliamentary groups, was filed with the National Assembly registry by Petar Vitanov (Progressi»»»

Sydney: The highly contagious H5 bird flu virus has started spreading locally among wild birds in Australia, the nation's chief veterinary officer said Wednesday. Australia was for years the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and death in poultry and wi»»»

At least 20 fighters of Iraq’s Hashd Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces – PMF) were martyred and 32 others injured in a wave of joint attacks carried by Saudi Arabia and the United States, the Iraqi resistance group announced on Wednesday. In a statement, the PMF said the strikes hit official head»»»

Food SecurityGlobal issuesHow two wars and El Nino could fuel world hungerNik MartinThe wars in Ukraine and the Middle East haven't yet crippled global food supplies. Add a powerful weather pattern like El Nino, however, and the risks multiply. https://p.dw.com/p/5HoFlSupplies of rice — consumed by»»»

Dubai: Dubai Investments has acquired the remaining 80 per cent stake in Clemenceau Medical Center Dubai (CMC Dubai), increasing its ownership from 20 per cent to 100 per cent and making the hospital a wholly owned subsidiary of the group. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balanc»»»

U.N. peacekeepers have found around four tons of mainly ammonium nitrate explosives this month in a south Lebanon border village under Israeli occupation. On July 2 during a "routine route check" near Houla, "peacekeepers found 385 containers abandoned inside a building, containing approximately 4,»»»

Lebanese security forces have arrested a man accused of transferring nearly half a million dollars to the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria, a judicial official told AFP on Tuesday. Forces "arrested a man who had stolen $400,000 from his father's safe, and investigations showed that he had t»»»

New Delhi: Bangladesh's fugitive ex-premier Sheikh Hasina told AFP she was determined to return to her country by December despite fearing for her life. "I may be killed. I may be arrested. I may be sent to prison," Hasina, 78, said in an emailed response to questions by AFP. "I am fully aware of m»»»

Athens: Firefighters were battling a wildfire on the Greek tourist island of Paros in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday after strong winds helped spread flames, prompting precautionary evacuations in several areas, authorities said. The blaze broke out overnight at a landfill site in the western part of »»»

Alisher Kozuev, a deputy of the 7th and 8th convocations of the Zhogorku Kenesh, has been elected President of the Kara-Suu Football Club. Nursultan Kadyrbekov has been appointed as the club’s director. The new management team was introduced on July 28 during a working meeting attended by represent»»»

DUBAI: Moroccan-Belgian artist Dystinct is the face of Puma Middle East’s latest “Never Not Suede” campaign, a regional initiative celebrating the enduring cultural legacy of the sportswear brand’s iconic Suede sneaker. Marking Puma Middle East’s first regional collaboration of its kind, the campai»»»

The war in southern Lebanon is confronting the education sector with a new test as the academic year approaches, with schools among the institutions hardest hit by Israeli bombardment and destruction. Education officials say rebuilding them is no longer just an academic priority. It is essential fo»»»

DUBAI: Moroccan-Canadian singer, dancer and actress Nora Fatehi has teased her latest single, “Slay to the Rhythm,” sharing a first look with fans ahead of its release on July 31. Fatehi unveiled the teaser this week on Instagram and her YouTube channel. “Teaser out now on my YouTube channel! Check»»»

RIYADH: The Esports Foundation has unveiled the latest roster developments across PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUGB MOBILE, VALORANT, and Street Fighter 6 for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, the global country-based competition set to debut in Riyadh from Nov. 2 to 29. With the confirmed national rosters ann»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Mohammad bin Hamad Al Mana Mosque Centre in Al Waab, affiliated with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, organised a recreational and sports trip for its students to the facilities of Al Ahli Sports Club as part of the annual summer programme “Our Summer, Our Way 2026.” The »»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of its summer initiatives aimed at supporting people living with diabetes and promoting health awareness, the Diabetes Qatar (DQ) organised a dedicated support programme for children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and their families at the Diabetes Qatar’s headquarters, w»»»

AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India's largest Small Finance Bank and the first institution in over a decade to receive in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to transition into a Universal Bank, has enhanced its Non-Resident Indian (NRI) deposit offerings by revising interest »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has repeatedly warned Europe that it will not be able to control the outflow of weapons from the Ukrainian conflict zone, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, commenting on reports that the Italian mafia was seeking to buy drones used in »»»

Mahasen Faqih and her husband returned this week to their village in southern Lebanon, digging through the debris of their home in search of their belongings, as part of the U.S.-brokered "pilot zones" agreement in which Israel agreed to withdraw in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah. The co»»»

The man on trial in the stabbing of Salman Rushdie chose Tuesday not to testify or call any witnesses in the federal terrorism case, which is expected to head to the jury as soon as Wednesday. Hadi Matar's lawyer told the court that the 28-year-old — who already has been convicted of state-level at»»»

Investigators have found what appears to be a claim of responsibility by the suspect in the fatal attack near Berlin's Pride festival, German authorities said Tuesday. The 21-year-old suspect, Abdul Rahman Ballout, was killed in a confrontation with police on Sunday, the day after investigators say»»»

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has added Egypt to the agenda of its Executive Board meeting scheduled for Thursday to consider approving the seventh review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program. The meeting is expected to include discussions on requests for exemptions from and adjus»»»

Doha, Qatar: A new study by experts from the Institute for Population Health (IPH) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has revealed major gaps in research on falls among older adults in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Unintentional falls are a leading cause of injury and death a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Philippine music industry is experiencing a commercial resurgence. Supported by a base of listeners marked by a culture of music consumption, the sector caters to diverse consumer segments and is generating increased economic value in both domestic and foreign markets. Industry gro»»»

Uganda on Tuesday declared itself Ebola-free on Tuesday as the virus spreads through the Democratic Republic of Congo. File Photo Marie Jeanne Munyerenkana/EPA July 29 (UPI) -- Uganda has declared itself Ebola-free, as the virus continues to spread in neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo. U»»»

AUSTRALIA: When looking at the appointment of Jens Wissing as the new manager of Al-Ittihad, it is hard not to make the comparison to Matthias Jaissle. The 38-year-old Jaissle has transformed Al-Ahli over the past three seasons, won back-to-back continental titles and has them as ready as any team »»»

Abu Dhabi: Emirati mountaineer Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi, 19, has achieved a historic milestone for the UAE, becoming the youngest Arab to reach an elevation of over 7,000 metres and the first Emirati to summit Lenin Peak (7,134 metres) in the Pamir Mountains of Kyrgyzstan on 18th July 2026. Get»»»

At the opening of Wednesday's Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the more actively the Interior Ministry and security services work to uncover corruption schemes, the more the prosecuting magistracy hinders their work. "Our society has long been waiting for justice a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is hosting its annual Summer Quranic Centres programme at 12 mosques across Qatar, offering children a structured summer experience that combines Quran memorisation and recitation with educational, cultural and recreational activities aimed at »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Mechanical Equipment Department under the Public Services Affairs Sector, in cooperation with the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), organised a heat stress awareness initiative for ministry workers at Al Rayyan Municipality Theatre. The»»»

Doha: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), in cooperation with the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), will organise a summer camp for children from August 2 to 13. Targeting Qatari boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 13, the camp will introduce them to the Islamic civilization through a programme»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower has reached 430 metres, marking a major construction milestone for the building planned to become the world’s tallest skyscraper. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The structure has now completed more than 40% of its planned height of o»»»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched a ballistic missile strike on US military targets in Jordan and intercepted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that both operations were part of a broader response to ongoing American “hostile actions.” The IRGC Aerosp»»»

Doha, Qatar: Alfardan Medical with Northwestern Medicine (AMNM) has announced the addition of Dr. Khaled Mabruk Faraj, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic, Trauma & Spine Surgeon, further enhancing its comprehensive musculoskeletal care services and reinforcing its position as a one-stop destination for »»»

As Dubai continues to strengthen its position as one of the world's leading destinations for entrepreneurs and investors, businesses face an increasingly dynamic regulatory landscape. Marking 19 years of operations, Commitbiz has helped more than 20,000 companies successfully establish and expand t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Protection and Social Rehabilitation Center (Aman) operating under Qatar Foundation for Social Work has concluded its awareness activities for the “Tomorrow’s Leader” (Miqdam Al Ghad) programme, organised in cooperation with Ministry of Defence, represented by the National Service »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has reiterated the importance of wearing seatbelts while driving, reminding motorists that this simple safety measure plays a key role in protecting both drivers and passengers and promoting safer journeys on Qatar’s roads. In an awareness message, the mi»»»

Dubai: ADNOC Distribution has launched an advertising network that will allow brands to reach nearly 700,000 daily customers across its mobile app, service stations and Oasis convenience stores. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Engage by ADNOC will combine advertising a»»»

Every generation has its defining technology. Steam power transformed the 19th century. Electricity and internal combustion vehicles reshaped the 20th. The internet connected the world at the turn of the millennium. Artificial intelligence (AI) and electrified transport are poised to define the 21s»»»

More than 1,000 evacuees from the massive wildfires in Gironde have taken shelter in Bordeaux’s exhibition centre, where a small army of volunteers has organised a wide variety of activities to keep them busy and meet their logistical needs. FRANCE 24 reports.  The loudspeakers in the vast han»»»

American and British officials are pushing to convene an international conference in London to define respective roles within a potential coalition, but progress remains stuck in the mud, the Western press admits. Since July 24, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has been trying to secure commitments»»»