President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the start of preparatory work on a project to build the country’s second nuclear power plant. The head of state made the announcement during a working visit to Khorezm region, Podrobno.uz reported. According to the president, reliable energy supp»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved a conclusion on an intergovernmental agreement with Belarus regulating the stay of citizens of the two countries. The document has been submitted to the Zhogorku Kenesh for ratification. The corresponding order was signed by Adylbek Kasymaliev. The agr»»»

A local man inspects the aftermath of Russian missile strike on a residential area of Kyiv early Thursday. Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A Russian aerial assault on Kyiv overnight killed at least 13 people and injured 40, with officials saying Ukraine was effectively defenseless ag»»»

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPO) has initiated two pre-trial proceedings based on sufficient data indicating possible crimes related to the construction of Lot 4 of the Hemus Motorway and the Northern Speed Tangent project, the prosecution service said here on Thursday. The pre-trial proce»»»

President Joseph Aoun met Thursday with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and thanked him for his efforts to support Lebanon in resisting Israeli aggression and securing the liberation of its territory. Aoun urged the Pope to compel Israel to commit to the U.S.-brokered Framework Agreement, halt its dail»»»

Cairo: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Dr. Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of the seventh session of the »»»

In the first six months of 2026, coal was among the commodities that generated a significant trade surplus for Kyrgyzstan, with the surplus exceeding $44,725.7 million. Coal and lignite exports were 7.5 times higher than imports. The main export destinations were Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China, a»»»

Greece is prepared to help defend Bulgarian airspace if Iran carries out an attack on US military facilities in Southeast Europe, according to Greek media reports citing sources from the Greek Defense Ministry. Athens is considering deploying a Patriot air defense system near the Bulgarian border i»»»

Former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov is expected to be formally announced as a presidential candidate within days, according to Atanas Atanasov, deputy speaker of Parliament and a leading figure in Democratic Bulgaria. Speaking to Nova TV, Atanasov said preparations are already underway to»»»

JEDDAH: Morocco’s consumer price index fell 0.6 percent year on year in July, as a decline in food prices more than offset higher non-food costs, official data showed. According to Morocco’s High Commission for Planning, food prices fell 3.7 percent from a year earlier in July, while non-food price»»»

Eighteen-year-old Teodor Velev, accused of attacking Nepalese citizens in Plovdiv and causing them minor bodily injuries, will remain free on bail after the Plovdiv District Court confirmed the €700 measure. The court hearing established that Velev had already paid the bail and had cooperated with »»»

Eight vultures have died in a suspected poisoning incident in Bulgaria's Central Balkan National Park, including black and griffon vultures and the country's only bearded vulture, conservationists reported. The first dead birds were discovered on August 18 in difficult-to-reach terrain at an altitu»»»

Donald Trump said just before midnight Washington time that he has a deal with Canada to avoid 50% tariffs, and thus the tariffs are on pause for three days. Although that may not be the case a few more seconds from now. Just ask Iran. Whoops, here we go already. Canada has already disputed the exi»»»

Dubai: Beijing has become a showcase for robots that could transform the way people work, with hundreds of companies displaying AI-powered machines at a major robotics conference. The robots on show come in many forms, taking on tasks ranging from making coffee and sandwiches to boxing. Even a robo»»»

Dubai: A 50-kilometre automated people mover (APM) will be built at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), creating what its developer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) says will be the world’s largest airport APM system. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe sys»»»

The Democratic Republic ‌of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of Merck’s Ervebo vaccine for Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, as the country attempts to contain its biggest ever outbreak of the deadly disease. Here are some details: Last week Congo had requested a release o»»»

Israel's defense minister on Thursday accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of dragging Turkey into "dangerous adventures in Syria", after Israel tacitly acknowledged a strike on a north Syria air base earlier in the week. "Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security," Israel Katz wr»»»

International payment platforms Sendwave and Wise Group (Nasdaq: WSE; LSE: WISE) have restricted services for Kenyan users amid heightened scrutiny of the country’s anti-money-laundering regime, Business Daily reported on August 18. Sendwave told a Kenyan customer that it was currently unable to pr»»»

The scenario that keeps Western planners awake is easy to describe and, it turns out, almost entirely unstudied: Russia moves on a Nato member while China moves on Taiwan, The Atlantic reported on August 17. Asked what the West would actually do if Russia and China opened two fronts in Europe and T»»»

Eating and entertainment establishments in Bulgaria that have been awarded two or more stars are required to have POS terminals available to customers, consumer rights expert Gabriela Rumenova said. The requirement is set out in the Tourism Act and has been in force since March 1, 2024. Rumenova, f»»»

Bulgaria’s economy expanded by 2.7% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, with strong household consumption and rising investment continuing to support growth, according to express estimates from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). On a seasonally adjusted basis, GDP increased by 0.6% c»»»

RIYADH: Syria produced 14.8 million barrels of crude oil in the first half of 2026, about 79 percent below its 2010 pre-war production levels, as the energy sector works to rebuild infrastructure and restore output. Raw natural gas production reached 1.43 billion cubic meters during the period, whi»»»

An Emirati delegation comprising approximately 70 businessmen will visit Lebanon on August 26 and 27 to sign agreements with the private sector in Lebanon, LBCI television has reported. The delegation will also propose providing and developing services at the airport, ports, and border crossings.»»»

Kazakhstan’s first artificial intelligence university plans to enrol 600 students and trainees in the 2026-2027 academic year, as the government expands AI education from higher education to schools and rural classrooms, The Times of Central Asia reported on August 18. Science and Higher Education »»»

Tajikistan will need roughly $5.8bn more to complete construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power plant, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings, which expects the entire project to be finished by 2035.  The figure is lower than S&P's previous estimates, which stood at arou»»»

Sharjah will launch the 13th Al Maleh and Fishing Festival on August 27, bringing together fishing businesses, traditional producers and government entities in a four-day event aimed at preserving the UAE’s maritime heritage and supporting local industries. Organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Comme»»»

Dubai: Disney Abu Dhabi may still be an expanse of largely empty land, but Disney boss Bob Iger is already imagining what could rise from it. In newly released documentary Disney Worldbuilders, now streaming on Disney+, Iger stands at the future site of Disney’s first theme park resort in Abu Dhabi»»»

Sharjah is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its public transport network, deploying smart surveillance cameras on intercity buses and taxis to improve passenger safety, monitor driver behaviour and detect accidents and road hazards. The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA»»»

The scenario that keeps Western planners awake is easy to describe and, it turns out, almost entirely unstudied: Russia moves on a Nato member while China moves on Taiwan, The Atlantic reported on August 17. Asked what the West would actually do if Russia and China opened two fronts in Europe and T»»»

Israeli War Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, accusing him of “dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria” and vowing that ‘Israel’ would not “allow any actor to threaten its security”. The rebuke, posted in Turkish on social »»»

There are no indications of plans for further protests among residents of the Bulgarian village of Bezmer over two US military tanker aircraft stationed at the nearby airbase, Mayor Rosen Rusev told BTA. He said the situation in the village is calm, with an increased presence of military police and»»»

GENEVA: A collection of soccer fan groups from around the world launched a petition Thursday calling for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA president after he tried to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. The petition with the hashtag InfantinOut also calls for “FIFA to be rebuilt so»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged "economic warfare" against Iran and threatened any country that trades with it, prompting Iran to dismiss the plan on Thursday as a continuation of failed policies. The war between the two countries, started by the U.S. and Israel in February, appears stalemated,»»»

Cairo: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Thursday in Cairo with Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, on the sidelines of the seventh session of the Joint Higher Committee between the two coun»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces carry out wide-scale demolition operation in southern Lebanese town of Zawtar Al-Sharqiya: Al-Manar reporter 20-0»»»

Health Minister of Kyrgyzstan Damir Osmonov held a meeting with a Turkish delegation to discuss promising areas of cooperation, including pharmaceutical supply, development of the pharmaceutical industry, digitalization, medical services, project development and infrastructure. Dr. Hassan Chagil, a»»»

Cairo: President of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received on Thursday in Cairo, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. HE the Prime Minister is in Cairo to lead the State of Qatar's delegation in the proceedings o»»»

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned that ending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) would undermine UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and further endanger southern Lebanon. In remarks to Al-Jomhouriya Lebanese daily, Speaker Berri described the termi»»»

Dubai: “If this goes ahead, the cost could be as much as Dh2,700 a month for someone relying on visitor parking, which is a significant additional expense for many people in the community,” said Andreas Lambri, a homeowner in Uptown Motor City. Homeowners and residents of the gated Dubai community »»»

A former senior official who worked under US Covid czar Anthony Fauci has pleaded guilty to conspiring to hide government records concerning coronavirus research and the origins of the pandemic. David Morens served as a senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NI»»»

Egypt is quietly solidifying its footprint as a massive global manufacturing engine, and Beijing is writing a hefty check to prove it. Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Issa recently met with executives from a top-tier Chinese industrial giant to hammer out a massive two billion do»»»

Dubai: Airport ground operations are moving towards more electric and autonomous equipment, with dnata investing $110 million in 800 new ground support units across 10 countries and testing self-driving baggage vehicles in the UAE. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - s»»»

There is evidence that 37 people voted more than once in the April 29, 2026 parliamentary elections and the cases will be referred to the prosecution service, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said Thursday. A report about the 37 cases was submitted the same day by CEC member Ismail Osman. CEC »»»

Hezbollah proposed earlier this week to hand over the strategic Ali al-Taher area to the Lebanese Army, amid “the decline of its ability to hold onto it and its attempt to withdraw the fighters and equipment that are present there,” an informed Western diplomatic source said. “This information gain»»»

Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov has alerted the Sofia City Prosecution Office about unfavorable contracts and financial losses caused by the previous management of Water and Sewerage (W&S) Energy Group from March 2025 to March 2026. At the time, the managing director»»»

DUBAI: Oman ​said lasting security in the Strait of Hormuz ‌required ‌permanent ​peace ‌in ⁠the ​region and rejected ⁠further escalation or conflict, ⁠its ‌foreign minister told ‌his ​Japanese ‌counterpart ‌on Thursday. Iran has said ‌a deal with Oman ⁠on ⁠new shipping lanes through the strait was »»»

DUBAI: Oman ​said lasting security in the Strait of Hormuz ‌required ‌permanent ​peace ‌in ⁠the ​region and rejected ⁠further escalation or conflict, ⁠its ‌foreign minister told ‌his ​Japanese ‌counterpart ‌on Thursday. Iran has said ‌a deal with Oman ⁠on ⁠new shipping lanes through the strait was »»»

Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast a»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia appreciates the efforts of all countries that sincerely want to contribute to the Ukrainian settlement, but there are still few of them, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "We highly appreciate the efforts of all countries that demonstrate a sincere desire t»»»

IRAN EYES STRIKING US ASSETS IN BULGARIA The topic that Iranian forces had assessed striking US military assets in Bulgaria dominates Thursday’s media. Citing “two regime insiders”, the Financial Times said that “Iranian forces had assessed striking US assets in south-eastern European countries suc»»»