Washington, United States: President Donald Trump pledged to blast more rockets into space in a push to boost US space travel, including to Mars and the Moon, the White House said Thursday. The United States is competing with China in the race to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, more than 5»»»

Latvia has begun publicly naming companies that continue to trade with Russia and Belarus, publishing an initial list of 170 businesses as part of efforts to increase pressure on commercial links with the two countries, Latvia’s national broadcaster LSM.lv reported on August 20. The Central Statist»»»

The United States has demanded that Cuba open up to private investment, and Cuba has passed sweeping reforms to encourage just that. So Cuba's U.N. ambassador says he wants to know why Washington keeps piling on sanctions that stymie the very economic opening it has sought for decades. Ambassador E»»»

Since gaining independence a little over 100 years ago, and subsequently joining the EEC in 1973, the Irish state has maintained strong diplomatic credentials among European partners. Throughout this time, Ireland has been very well looked upon due to its commercial openness, consensus-building, an»»»

Tehran's grocery stores are well-stocked, but many families can barely afford the basics. Unemployment is soaring and those with jobs are working more hours for money worth half as much as a year ago, putting food, medicine and everything else — except for heavily subsidized gasoline — further out »»»

GENEVA: The Ebola outbreak raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo is growing “exponentially,” with more than 2,500 deaths now recorded, with half in the last 20 days, the United Nations’ senior Ebola coordinator said Friday. The Ebola outbreak is already the biggest in the country’s history and»»»

LONDON: Spain and local authorities in Ceuta must provide adequate shelter to migrants and asylum seekers who arrived in the exclave last month, Human Rights Watch said on Friday. Those who wish to apply for asylum should also be given the opportunity to do so, the organization added. “Thousands of»»»

Dubai: UAE telecom operator du has launched a series of back-to-school offers, including discounts of up to 50 per cent on selected Power Plans for six months. The promotion also gives customers an additional 60GB of data when they subscribe to annual prepaid Flexi plans, aimed at providing greater»»»

The Green Balkans environment protection organization has proposed the bearded vulture as a symbol of Bulgaria for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, hoping that it will enhance the protection of the species. The organization cites conservation efforts to restore the vulture population in Bulgari»»»

A dramatic police chase unfolded at Lake Balaton on 20 August after a driver who was initially stopped near Aszófő allegedly sped away, crashed into several police vehicles and tried to hit officers on a cycle path. Four police officers suffered minor injuries, while the driver was taken to hospita»»»

Israel has acknowledged that its troops killed Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl, and opened a criminal investigation into the incident. At the same time, it has refused to pursue a probe into the death of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in a separate attack. Both incidents occur»»»

Nearly six months into the Iran war, US President Donald Trump is reaching for a different weapon. After months of air strikes, threats of massive attacks and faltering attempts at diplomacy, Trump has promised an “economic D-Day” against Tehran — an unprecedented campaign of financial pressure int»»»

Dubai: A 26-year-old Belgian car salesman has been formally recognised as the son of Prince Laurent of Belgium, bringing a long-running paternity story into the spotlight of the Belgian royal family. Prince Laurent legally established his parentage with Clement Vandenkerckhove during a civil ceremo»»»

BusinessGermanyWhy Germany's gas storage levels are so lowNik MartinGermany's gas storage facilities are only 50% full as traders bet that wholesale prices will fall if the Iran war ends. With around three months until winter, DW asks whether the country can refill its reserves in time. https://p.d»»»

NEW YORK: Ivonne A-Baki has a simple diagnosis for what is wrong with the UN. It is not the Charter. It is not simply the Security Council veto. And it is not a problem that can be solved by creating more bureaucracy. “The problem with the UN is that there is no trust,” the Ecuadorian-Lebanese dipl»»»

Residents of a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut have said they will not trade the group’s weapons for reconstruction money, while decrying a US-brokered framework peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The Dahiyeh neighborhood in the south-western part of the Lebanese capital has suffered extens»»»

During a press conference here on Friday, Plovdiv Mayor Kostadin Dimitrov, Deputy Mayor Plamen Panov and architect Dimitar Baldzhiev reported that Plovdiv Municipality will hold an open international architectural competition for a conceptual design to reconstruct and revitalize the Trimontium pede»»»

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam reveals new details in his memoirs about a meeting between former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Damascus in the summer of 2004, describing it as the harshest encounter in the period leading up to Hariri’»»»

Dubai: Since 1970s, a bright red Toyota sign illuminated the roof of a residential building on Sheikh Zayed Road, turning it into one of Dubai’s most recognisable landmarks. The Nasser Rashid Lootah Building, better known as the Toyota Building, has stood along Sheikh Zayed Road for more than five »»»

A summer of extreme heat has left many Tunisians short of water and electricity — and full of anger at the country's leadership. Protesters rallied in the capital Tunis on Thursday, many calling on President Kais Saied to leave power. Mobilized by a new opposition collective, the demonstrators plea»»»

Nearing the six-month mark of the Iran war and facing diminishing stockpiles of key weapons, the Trump administration is touting a crushing financial campaign against Tehran, promising an "economic D-Day" against a country that has so far withstood nearly five decades of punishing American sanction»»»

WASHINGTON: US First Lady Melania Trump poked fun Thursday at media speculation over her month away from the public eye and scrutiny over one of President Donald Trump’s close aides. “Good afternoon. I heard you missed me. Here I am,” Melania said with a chuckle as she opened an event in the White »»»

The Minister of Justice, Nikolay Naydenov, and the Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva are starting work on a new bill on children's justice, the two institutions announced on Friday. The bill aims to pave the way for a comprehensive reform of the legislation on antisocial behaviors of minors and juvenile»»»

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF – Hashd Shaabi) Chief Faleh Al-Fayyad said Thursday that Iraq is entering a new phase of political and security stability following the withdrawal of US forces, stressing that the issue of weapons regulation must be addressed without military action. “The dep»»»

Doha, Qatar: Gabriel Pereira’s first-half strike gave Al Rayyan a winning start as the Qatar Stars League season got underway, with the former champions edging debutants Lusail SC 1-0 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium yesterday. Qatar SC and Al Wakrah shared a 2-2 draw in the first match on the opening day »»»

Hungary is set to endure its hottest day of the week on Friday, with temperatures potentially reaching 38°C, while severe thunderstorms and torrential rain could hit several parts of the country. According to HungaroMet, temperatures will climb to between 31°C and 38°C during the hottest hours of F»»»

Dubai: DP World has moved 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units across the GCC by road and rail since March, giving businesses additional ways to move goods through the region during disruption to shipping routes. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereThe»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s consumer spending stayed above $3.5 billion for a third straight week as education outlays surged ahead of the new academic year, official data showed. The Kingdom’s point-of-sale transactions totaled SR14.19 billion ($3.79 billion) in the week ended Aug. 15, according to dat»»»

Over the past five and a half years, 619.1 billion soms in customs payments have been transferred to Kyrgyzstan’s state budget. This exceeds the total amount collected in customs payments over the previous 30 years. The figures were presented by Daiyrbek Orunbekov, head of the Presidential Administ»»»

Rumen Radev is testing how far he can push Bulgaria's foreign policy without openly breaking with the European Union and NATO, according to an analysis by Britain's Guardian newspaper, which examines whether the Bulgarian prime minister could emerge as Europe's next Viktor Orban. The comparison has»»»

Dubai: Gold prices climbed again in Dubai on Friday, extending a strong run that has pushed local rates back to levels last seen towards the end of May. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.At 8.45am, 24-karat gold stood at Dh547.50, up Dh3.50 from Dh544 on Thursday, while »»»

The United States on Thursday urged allies and China to join its campaign to isolate Iran's economy, as President Donald Trump seeks to intensify pressure on Tehran amid a stalemate in the war and growing domestic criticism. The United States on Thursday warned allies and China to join President Do»»»

TORONTO: The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on US President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew sa»»»

WASHINGTON: A US Army unit based in Europe that was specializing in drone warfare has been directed to end its efforts to learn and use the battlefield technology and return to being a traditional infantry battalion, officials said Thursday. For more nearly a year, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Br»»»

TORONTO (AP) — The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Manitoba Premier Wab »»»

Jerusalem: Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter on Thursday (local time) said Israel had received clear intelligence indicating that Turkey intended to significantly expand its military presence in Syria, describing the move as crossing a "red line", The Jerusalem Post reported. "»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi football continued to digest Wednesday’s news that the Public Investment Fund, the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, was officially acquiring the remaining ownership stakes in the league’s “big four” clubs, the fans of one of them, Al-Hilal, had other things on their minds on Thursd»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Al Wakrah and Qatar SC played out an exciting 2-2 draw while Al Rayyan chugged past debutants Lusail 1-0 in their respective opening games of the Doha Bank Stars League 2026-27 season on Thursday. At the Lusail stadium, Qatar SC’s Aron Gunnarsson scored the first goal of t»»»

Customers at a Walmart on Nov. 28, 2013 in Alexandria, Va. Shares of Walmart fell more than 9% after the retailer reported the lowest quarterly comparable sales growth since 2020. File Photo by Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Walmart on Thursday reported sales grew at their slowest pace i»»»

RAVENNA, Italy: Former Brazil star Ronaldinho, who retired from the game in 2015, said on Thursday that he was making a comeback 11 years later with Italian third-division side Ravenna to try and score “a 300th goal.” The 46-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2002 and the Ballon d’Or in 2005, ended»»»

Ravenna: Former Brazil star Ronaldinho, who retired from the game in 2015, said on Thursday that he was making a comeback 11 years later with Italian third-division side Ravenna to try and score "a 300th goal". The 46-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2002 and the Ballon d'Or in 2005, ended a glit»»»

A march by people with disabilities, held under the slogan Darkness for Indifference! Light for Our Rights!, made its way through central Sofia, accompanied by performances featuring artists with torches, stilts and music. The event was organised by the Mobility Movement. Participants carried illum»»»

An American academic is being held in China on suspicion of spying. File Photo by Jerome Favre/EPA Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that U.S. citizen Min Zin is being wrongfully detained in China after he visited the country and was arrested. Zin travelled to Yunnan, China,»»»

Asked by journalists in Ruse on Thursday whether GERB is expected to have its own candidate in the autumn presidential election, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said this would become clear in September. "I had a presidential ticket that would have won," Borissov said. He explained that the party’s inte»»»

Tunis, August 20 (TAP) - The Tunisian IPO market still offers significant growth potential despite recent years' slowdown, said the Tunis Stock Exchange in its "Global and Tunisian IPO market dynamics - Trends and Outlook" note. Between 2008 and...»»»

AMMAN: Qatar's national table tennis team players won 20 medals (four gold, two silver and 14 bronze) at the West Asia Table Tennis Championships for national teams, hosted in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The tournament featured teams from Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, O»»»

KINSHASA: The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could be up to three times larger than the official tally, with only 30 to 40 percent of cases currently being detected, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday. The continent»»»

Everything that has kept the Russian economy growing since 2020 has now been exhausted and long-term growth could drop to 1.6%, a Kremlin think tank told Vladimir Putin on August 19. Without a change of model, growth settles at 1.6% a year over the coming decade - roughly half the 3% Putin has set »»»

CAIRO: Egypt and Qatar have urged the US and Iran to return to the negotiating framework agreed in June so that they might reach a “final and lasting agreement” that brings regional stability. The Egyptian foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman»»»

BARCELONA: The Joan Gamper Trophy has inaugurated FC Barcelona’s league season for the past seven decades. Every August, the Catalan giants go to great lengths to line up a marquee opponent, and this year they invited the biggest club in Africa and the Arab world — Al-Ahly SC. When the friendly was»»»