Reconstruction and modernization have started at the Kapitan Andreevo crossing at Bulgaria's border with Turkiye, with the project set to increase the capacity of the border pass by 25% by significantly expanding the number of lanes for trucks and passenger vehicles, the head of the checkpoint, Geo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Meteorology Department has forecast chances of blowing dust on Thursday and Friday, August 20 and 21, which may lead to reduced horizontal visibility in some areas of the country. The department also said marine warnings will be in place during this period. In a social media upda»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar strongly condemns the targeting of the office of the Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister and the residence of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency in Erbil, considering the attacks a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq an»»»

Six new truck lanes have been launched at Torugart checkpoint on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border. The State Customs Service of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. Almaz Saliev, head of the agency, inspected the optimization of processes and infrastructure at the checkpoint. Following the working visit, he inst»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources Development Fund contributed to the employment of 329,000 citizens in the first half of 2026, up 23 percent from the same period a year earlier, through its training, empowerment and career guidance programs. The fund provided about SR4.9 billion ($1.3 billion»»»

DAMASCUS: A Syrian court on Tuesday issued a death sentence to detainee Wassim Assad, a cousin of longtime ruler Bashar Assad who was himself sentenced to death in absentia a week ago. Judge Fakhr Al-Din Al-Aryan said Wassim Assad was convicted of multiple murders and “murder accompanied by torture»»»

Dubai: Dubai-based small and medium-sized businesses looking to sell online can now get a 40 per cent discount on Trendyol’s introductory commission rate for their first three months, under a new partnership between Dubai Chambers and the e-commerce platform. Sign up for our daily business newslett»»»

A Syrian court on Tuesday issued a death sentence to detainee Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad who was himself sentenced to death in absentia a week ago. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Wassim al-Assad was convicted of multiple murders and "murder accompanied by torture »»»

Hamas said Tuesday it remained committed to a Gaza peace deal backed by the United States after envoy Jared Kushner spoke to Israel about pressuring the group on disarmament. "Hamas is committed to this agreed-upon process. It is clear that, so far, the Israeli side has not given the mediators clea»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Diplomacy, Battlefield in Full Coordination: Araghchi 18-08-2026 12:08 PM Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (image from archive). Foreign»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has expanded the list of government bodies and organizations authorized to classify information as state secrets. Under the new resolution, the State Personal Data Protection Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers has been added to the list. The list of informa»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers has expanded the list of funds that government agencies and budget-funded institutions may accumulate in special accounts within the Unified Treasury Account system. The amendments were made to Cabinet Resolution No. 302 of May 31, 2025. The SCNS will also receive »»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan be moved to hospital for medical checks, after a petition by his lawyers over claims of poor health. Justice Shahid Waheed said 73-year-old Khan, who has been in jail since 2023 on corruption charges»»»

LONDON: The 60-day memorandum of understanding agreed by Washington and Tehran officially expired on Monday, taking with it the fragile hope of a breakthrough in the Gulf and across the wider region. The 14-point Islamabad Agreement, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar and signed by US President Donald »»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Gold Refinery Co. has applied for exploration licenses in areas offered by the Egyptian government in the Eastern Desert, according to the company’s chairman, Suliman Al-Othaim, in statements to Asharq Bloomberg. Al-Othaim added that his company is looking to obtain a mining licen»»»

DUBAI: Palestinian comedian Alaa Shehada this week won a Scotsman Fringe First Award for his one-man show “The Bridge,” his second in consecutive years at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The award was one of six announced in the first round of this year’s prizes, which have been awarded since 1973. »»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Haboob Camel Racing Team, the sport’s first professional race outfit, have announced a landmark partnership with Independent Insurance Brokers as it ramps up its mission to haul the traditional Gulf sport into the modern sports era. Al-Haboob Camel Racing Team, with the hel»»»

In a Bulgarian National Television interview on Tuesday, General Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection Chief Commissioner Aleksandar Dzhartov said there was a decrease in the number of wildfires by 25-30%, compared to 2025. The severity of the fire incidents was not nearly as high as in 2025»»»

Dubai: Annual Dubai Municipality collections made through Al Ansari Exchange have risen by approximately 710% over the past decade, marking 10 years of a partnership that allows individual and corporate customers to pay government service fees through the exchange company’s branch network across th»»»

Syria accused Israel of striking an airfield in its northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, after a security source told AFP the out-of-service military facility had been hit. "Israeli occupation aircraft early this morning targeted the runway of the Abu Duhur military airport... with eight stri»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received on Tuesday a copy of the credentials of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the State of Qatar HE Josefin Simonsson Broden. HE the Minister of State wished HE the Ambassador success in carrying out her»»»

Washington, United States: Sophie Adenot is set to become the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk on Tuesday, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon. The spacewalk is scheduled to start at 1235 GMT and last six and a half hours, wit»»»

More than 670,000 French taxpayers are being notified after their personal and tax information was stolen and allegedly offered online. Authorities warn the data could be used for scams and identity fraud, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding a meeting on the digital security of govern»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers has amended the procedure for allocating tariff benefits for vehicles powered by electric motors. The relevant resolution was signed by Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev. The amendments were made to Resolution No. 21 of January 22, 2026, which»»»

In Kyrgyzstan, 50 percent of the remaining funds generated from fines under the Safe City system will be allocated to purchase ambulances and equip them with medical equipment. The relevant amendments have been made to a Cabinet of Ministers resolution on the further development of the Safe City co»»»

Surgeons at Moscow’s Savelyeva Hospital have performed Russia’s first hip replacement operation using the CUVIS Hip autonomous robotic system, Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor for Social Development, told reporters. “The robotic surgeon did not replace the doctor, but acted as a high-precision assist»»»

Smoke rises near the town of Domodedovo following a Ukrainian drone attack in the Moscow Region on July 20, 2026. Russia on Tuesday threatened Britain over supplying Ukraine with drones. File Photo by EPA Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Russia is warning Britain that there will be "consequences" following reports»»»

The Judges Chamber of Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has decided to request documents from the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) concerning the disciplinary proceedings against former Bulgarian European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva and the disciplinary penalty of "reprimand" imp»»»

More than half of Romanian employees (52%) say that a holiday lasting between 7 and 14 days is the minimum period they need to fully recover. Almost one quarter (23%) believe that fewer than seven days are enough, while 15% need more than two weeks. One in ten employees is unable to estimate the ne»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned attacks targeting senior officials in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, as Qatar and the UAE joined a growing regional chorus denouncing the strikes as violations of Iraqi sovereignty. In a statement posted on X, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom»»»

Dubai: Parties from the UAE and 22 overseas jurisdictions across five continents opted to use the DIFC Courts during the first half of 2026, with 243 opt-in cases accounting for 30% of the 810 cases filed across all divisions. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces carry out demolition operation near Birkat Al-Naqqar in the outskirts of Shebaa: Al-Manar reporter in southern Le»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visits Iraq on Wednesday to to discuss strategic ties: Iranian media 18-08-2026 10:41 A»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers has expanded the list of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues subject to state control. The amendments were made to Resolution No. 152 of March 26, 2025, with the aim of improving the system of state control over the circulation of such subst»»»

The number of Bulgarians traveling abroad in February 2026 increased by nearly 9% compared with the same month last year, according to data from Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI). A total of 585,800 trips by Bulgarian citizens abroad were recorded during the month. At the same time, 7»»»

Bulgaria is emerging as a promising destination for industrial battery investments as large-scale energy storage rapidly expands worldwide, potentially strengthening the country’s role as a regional electricity hub. Energy expert Simeon Beloreshki said Bulgaria has several advantages, including spa»»»

The United Arab Emirates Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participated in the 3rd meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and ASEAN, which was held in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. The meeting brought together representatives of the GCC and ASEAN member state»»»

Dubai Police impounded around 30 vehicles last year after their accumulated traffic fines exceeded Dh6,000, the threshold at which vehicles can be seized under Dubai law, according to a traffic official. Motorists whose fines approach or exceed the limit are contacted directly and urged to settle t»»»

Dubai: At least 30 people suffered burns after a massive fire tore through a fuel depot and bitumen factory in Iraq’s Sulaimaniyah province early on Tuesday, local officials and media reported. Civil defence teams brought the blaze at the facility in the Tangro industrial area under control after b»»»

A US State Department spokesperson told Asharq on Monday that Washington is prepared to work with its partners to support a “genuine and inclusive civilian-led” Sudanese dialogue, to be held at a location agreed upon by the parties and involving a broad range of Sudanese voices, including those dis»»»

The Ukrainian defector who handed over to Russia Ukraine's only submarine in 2014 has been blown up by a prostitute in the naval town of Sevastopol using a bomb she hid in a rubbish bin. The device went off on Stoletovsky Prospekt on August 13 as he climbed a flight of steps with a friend, pla»»»

The Judges Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) decided to admit Judge Vasil Pelovski to participate in the election of SJC members. The decision was unanimous and was taken without debate. Under the procedure, the SJC chambers are required to rule on the eligibility of each nominated cand»»»

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched its first Visitor Experience Awards, recognising organisations and frontline professionals who help deliver high-quality experiences to visitors across the emirate. More than 400 tourism and cultural organisations invite»»»

In 2026, the Romanian capital market is going through one of its strongest periods in terms of equity returns. Since the beginning of the year, the BET index has posted a nominal gain of 47.1%, and after adjusting for inflation accumulated over the same period, the real return remains at 41.8%. In »»»

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis targeted an oil refinery on Saudi Arabia's southern Red Sea coast on Tuesday, rebel media reported, as the rebels ramp up attacks on the kingdom. The Houthis "targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with a number of drones... in response to airspace violations over the gov»»»

RIYADH: Saudi-listed Arabian Drilling Co. has secured a contract with a new Gulf client, marking its entry into another regional market as the drilling contractor expands its offshore operations beyond the Kingdom. The company did not disclose the value of the contract or who it is with, but said o»»»

Local U.S. governments are suing the Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Markwayne Mullin, for tying security funds to election reforms. File Photo by Daniel Heuer/UPI | License Photo Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Two counties and two cities are suing the Trump administration over conditioning nati»»»

Abu Dhabi mobility announced the closure of E22, Abu Dhabi- Al Ain Road, towards the UAE capital on the nights of Aug 19, 20 and 21. The roads will be closed to drivers between midnight and 6am. The authority also posted a map of the closure via its X (formerly Twitter) handle. Have a look below: A»»»

A Peace Council official told Asharq on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and council members held “in-depth and constructive” discussions on moving toward the full implementation of Trump’s plan for Gaza. They agreed to establish two working groups, one focused on disarmament a»»»

DUBAI: The organizers of the Offlimits music festival have announced the 2026 edition will not take place — but the event will return to Abu Dhabi next year. A notice on the festival’s social media channels said: “Offlimits 2026 has been cancelled,” and that all tickets would be automatically refun»»»