Dubai: Every independent artist today faces the same problem: millions of songs, one algorithm, and almost no way to stand out. In the UAE, a small but determined community has found an answer in a familiar, but unlikely place — vinyl. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.J»»»

WASHINGTON: Alexandra Eala stunned former world number one Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the women’s final of the WTA and ATP Washington Open, where she will face third-ranked Jessica Pegula. The 21-year-old Philippines left-hander delivered an impressive victory over the four-time Gran»»»

Darlene Regis Qatar’s young basketball athletes are ready to take their shot on the international arena as they proudly represent the nation at the World Youth Championship 2026. From August 6 to 9, Singapore will host one of the world's premier youth basketball tournaments, bringing together the t»»»

Washington, United States: Alexandra Eala stunned former world number one Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the women's final of the WTA and ATP Washington Open, where she will face third-ranked Jessica Pegula. The 21-year-old Philippines left-hander delivered an impressive victory over the»»»

The United States and Japan have executed a highly coordinated intervention to rescue the beleaguered yen, driving the currency to its highest level since early May following direct market purchases and explicit support from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The yen closed in New York on Friday »»»

LONDON: Icelandic coast guards and special forces seized a ship operated by a group founded by anti-whaling activist Paul Watson and detained its crew, officials in the Arctic island nation said Saturday. The Icelandic Coast Guard said the crew of whaling ship Hvalur 9 requested assistance on Thurs»»»

Rescuers work at the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, amid the Russian invasion. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, at least nine people were killed and 28 others injured, including four children, in a large-scale overnight Rus»»»

Tokyo: A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Japan's Aomori Prefecture on Saturday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). There were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage. Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 80 k»»»

TOKYO: Authorities ended Saturday a massive dayslong search-and-rescue operation at a collapsed shopping mall in southwest Japan following a powerful earthquake that killed 34 people earlier this week. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Kumamoto on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. T»»»

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, known as Mawhiba, has concluded its summer programs, held in 19 cities across five countries. The Mawhiba Summer 2026 programs brought together more than 12,000 gifted students from across Saudi Arabia, focusing»»»

Tokyo: Japanese officials said Saturday they had ended rescue operations at a shopping mall devastated by an explosion following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 36 people. A total of 12 people were pulled from the site, including seven who were confirmed dead, according to the disaster m»»»

South Korea says results cannot establish that exposure came from nuclear testing at Punggye-ri Earth is displaced during an explosion on the first day of dismantling at North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, North Korea, 24 May 2018. On 24 May North Korea started to demolish its»»»

Dubai: Filipino workers travelling overseas will no longer need to carry a printed overseas employment certificate (OEC) when departing from Manila, as 24 international airlines at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have started accepting the new digital OFW Pass. The move has been expected »»»

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation said on Saturday it welcomed the scrapping of FIFA's proposal to allow private investment in the World Cup. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa "welcomed the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise," the Kuala Lumpur-based bod»»»

The 730-person agency will coordinate intelligence for the prime minister, while a separate foreign intelligence service is planned The photo shows the Prime Minister's Office (Kantei) in Japan. The Japanese government launched the National Intelligence Bureau on Friday as an organization reporting»»»

Federal officials said drought conditions over the past 25 years have dwindled the water capacity available to the seven states that rely on the Colorado River. File Photo by NASA/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- Federal officials on Friday released an updated framework for the Colorado River, »»»

The F-35B is a fifth-generation stealth fighter het that costs more than $100 million. The aircraft is one of the most advanced pieces of equipment in the U.S. military’s arsenal. File Photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook/U.S. Air Force July 31 (UPI) -- A military fighter jet crashed near Miramar Marine »»»

We have learned with deep sorrow that the earthquake in the Kumamoto prefecture of Japan has claimed many lives. We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Japan, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.»»»

USS George Washington begins five-day Da Nang visit one day after Russian naval vessels leave Cam Ranh The USS George Washington (CVN-73) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docks at a naval base in Busan, South Korea. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA July 30 (Asia Today) -- The nuclear-powered aircraft ca»»»

South Korea, the United States and nine other countries on Friday issued a joint alert about North Korean IT workers. In this 2016 photo, the North Korean flag flies over its embassy in Beijing. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo South Korea, the United States, Japan and eight other c»»»

Reykjavik: A ship run by a group founded by anti-whaling activist Paul Watson said Friday it had been boarded by Iceland's coast guard overnight while it was monitoring a whale hunt. "The Captain Paul Watson Foundation confirms that its vessel, the Bandero, has been seized at sea by the Icelandic C»»»

Cape Canaveral: A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago. The rocket's upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists»»»

Kumamoto, Japan: Sniffer dogs in Japan helped rescuers Friday make a final sweep of a shopping mall wrecked by an explosion after a big earthquake, as the death toll from the tremor three days earlier hit 35. "At the Aeon mall, 11 people were pulled out as of last night (Thursday), among them seven»»»

Tokyo: Japan's National Intelligence Bureau held its first meeting Friday, a body aimed at centralising information-gathering and addressing accusations that the country is a "spy paradise". Under a bill enacted in May, Japan has upgraded an existing intelligence body to serve as the central comman»»»

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation said on Friday it was backing UEFA and CONCACAF over serious concerns about FIFA's proposal to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup. "The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFA's pro»»»

KUMAMOTO, Japan: Sniffer dogs in Japan helped rescuers Friday make a final sweep of a shopping mall wrecked by an explosion after a big earthquake, as the death toll from the tremor three days earlier hit 35. “At the Aeon mall, 11 people were pulled out as of last night (Thursday), among them seven»»»

Doha: Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host of the next three editions of the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL) finals after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee approved the country’s provisional hosting rights yesterday. Saudi Arabia has staged the first two editions of»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar were handed challenging groups in the men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball competitions following the draw for the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026, with the men’s team set for a Gulf derby against Bahrain. The Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4. In the men’»»»

DUBAI: With the 2026 Esports World Cup halfway through, the next few days will see four champions crowned, with the OWCS Midseason Championship, Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series Championship, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s Mid Season Cup, and Street Fighter 6 concluding in week four. With 10 to»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai fell on Friday, bringing a volatile month to a close after rates moved through a range of more than Dh21 for 24-karat gold. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The 24K variety dropped to Dh491.75 per gram from Dh495.50 on T»»»

AMMAN — Global passenger demand for air travel declined by 1.7 per cent in June 2026 compared with the same period last year, as weaker domestic markets in China, the United States and Japan offset growth across several international regions, according to new figures released by the International A»»»

TOKYO — Japan will temporarily slash consumption tax on food from eight percent to just one percent starting next April, the prime minister said on Thursday, as her administration seeks to tackle rising inflation.It will be the first such reduction since the tax was introduced in 1989, and the rate»»»

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee has officially awarded Japan the hosting rights for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028, which also serves as the qualification tournament for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. he selection followed a comprehensive evaluation prais»»»

Seoul: The World Heritage Committee wrapped up its 48th session in Busan, Republic of Korea, with the addition of 25 new sites to UNESCO's World Heritage List. At the close of its ten-day meeting, in which Qatar participated, the committee announced that the UNESCO World Heritage List now comprises»»»

Milan, Italy: Prada said Wednesday that overall net income fell by 15 percent despite higher revenue, in what the luxury fashion company said was a "disrupted" macroeconomic environment. The Milan-based fashion house is still integrating its newest brand, Versace, amid a general slump in the luxury»»»

A joint research and development laboratory between Bulgaria's state-owned dairy company LB Bulgaricum and Japan's food manufacturer Meiji Corporation will be completed by the end of the year, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said during a meeting with representatives of Meiji, as reported by the governm»»»

Members of the press gather Thursday outside the Aeon Mall in Kashima, scene of an onging search and rescue operation after an explosion shortly after Tuesday's earthquake caused the already damaged complex to partially collapse. Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/EPA July 30 (UPI) -- The death toll on t»»»

Dubai: Middle East airlines are slowly climbing out of the hole left by the Iran conflict, new figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show, even as global air travel demand fell for a third straight month in June. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balance»»»

Kumamoto, Japan: Twenty-five cats stuck inside a shopping mall in Japan gutted in an explosion after a major earthquake have been rescued, the operator said Thursday, triggering huge relief on social media. Momo, Kohaku, Tango, Shandy -- a fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat -- and the others were in Cat C»»»

Kumamoto: Twenty-five cats stuck inside a shopping mall in Japan gutted in an explosion after a major earthquake have been rescued, the operator said Thursday, triggering huge relief on social media. Momo, Kohaku, Tango, Shandy - a fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat - and the others were in Cat Cafe MOFF »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has strengthened its position as one of the world’s leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters after increasing its share of the global market to 18.7% in 2025, according to the latest International Gas Union (IGU) World LNG Report 2026. The report shows that Qatar exported 81»»»

KUMAMOTO, Japan: Rural communities in southwestern Japan were struggling to get their lives back to normal Thursday, two days after a powerful earthquake set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes, killing at least 23 people. Time was running out to find survivors»»»

TOKYO: The death toll from a powerful earthquake in southwestern Japan rose to at least 18, authorities said Thursday, as emergency crews continued searching damaged buildings and industrial sites for people feared trapped beneath debris. The Kumamoto disaster management office's latest tally put f»»»

South Korea's delegation, including UNESCO Ambassador Kim Ji-hee (R), applauds as Turkey is selected as the next host country at the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap The first UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting held in South Korea wrapped up Wednesday»»»

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam presented Egypt’s integrated water management strategy during a high-level session marking the 50th anniversary of Japan’s Water Day and Water Week, attended by Emperor Naruhito, senior government officials and international water exp»»»

The US Senate passed the “sanctions from hell” package advanced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham on July 29 with an overwhelming majority of 86 to 12 in favour, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in attendance. Zelenskiy was in Washington to visit US President Donald Trump to consolidat»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of condolences to HM Emperor Naruhito of Japan over the victims of the earthquake that struck Kumamoto City in southern Japan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.»»»

The Orbán government’s Bethlen Gábor Fund (BGA) distributed HUF 255.9 million (approximately EUR 705,000) in discretionary grants to Hungarian diaspora organisations outside Europe between July 2025 and the end of April 2026, according to documents obtained through a freedom of information request.»»»

Record Shanghai listing fuels semiconductor ambitions, though company still trails South Korean and U.S. rivals technologically A large screen shows the latest stock exchange and economy data in Shanghai, China, 15 June 2026. Photo by ALEX PLAVEVSKI / EPA July 28 (Asia Today) -- China's successful »»»

After a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan on July 28, the country's prime minister said 13 people had died so far and many were injured. The rescue work is ongoing to find those still missing. The earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu, forcing over 260,000 pe»»»