New Afghan dam sparks concern in Iran's Mashhad amid water crisis
Tehran [Iran], August 20: Tensions are brewing between Iran and Afghanistan after the Taliban government opened a new dam that could threaten the water supply...
N Korean leader threatens to accelerate nuclear build-up
Pyongyang [North Korea], August 20: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has threatened to accelerate the expansion of his country's nuclear arsenal, condemning ongoing United States-South...
Pakistan restores electricity, reopens roads after floods kill hundreds
Islamabad [Pakistan], August 20: Pakistan has restored 70 percent of electricity service and reopened damaged roads in the north and northwest after flash floods killed...
Hong Kong summons UK, Australia envoys after activists granted asylum
Hong Kong, August 20: Two pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been granted asylum separately in the UK and Australia, prompting anger from the Chinese...
Aid shipment from Cyprus on its way to Gaza Strip
Gaza [Palestine], August 20: A freighter carrying about 1,200 tonnes of aid supplies for the Gaza Strip has left the Cypriot port city of Limassol.
Up to 300,000 Syrians possibly missing under Assad family rule
Damascus [Syria], August 20: A Syrian commission for missing persons estimated that between 120,000 and 300,000 people have gone missing during more than five decades...
German firefighters join battle against Spain's wildfires
Madrid [Spain], August 20: German firefighters have arrived in northern Spain to help combat the country's most severe wildfires in decades.
Swedish town moves historic 672-tonne wooden church to safer ground
Copenhagen [Denmark], August 20: A historic wooden church in northern Sweden is being moved 5 kilometres down the road as part of the relocation of...
Switzerland ready to grant Putin 'immunity' to attend peace talks
Geneva [Switzerland], August 20: Switzerland is prepared to host talks on the war in Ukraine that involve the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite...
German foreign minister criticises China, North Korea over Indo-Pacific tensions
Osaka [Japan], August 20: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Tuesday accused China and North Korea of threatening international stability through aggressive actions in the...
More humanitarian workers killed in 2024 than ever before, says UN
New York [US], August 20: More humanitarian workers were killed last year than ever before, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian...
Russia hands over 1,000 bodies, Ukraine 19 bodies of fallen soldiers
Moscow [Russia], August 20: Russia has returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, chief Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on Tuesday. In exchange, Ukraine handed...
Hamas accepts Egyptian-Qatari proposal for Gaza ceasefire
Cairo [Egypt], August 19: Informed Egyptian sources told Al Qahera News that Hamas has agreed to the proposal presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediation, aimed...
Egyptian President affirms commitment to coordination with Bahrain
Cairo [Egypt], August 19: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed his country's keenness to continue joint coordination and cooperation with Bahrain across all fields,...
60 Palestinians martyred in Gaza in 24 hours
Gaza [Gaza City], August 19: A total of 60 Palestinians were martyred and 344 others injured as a result of Israeli bombardment across different areas...
EU imports €4.4 billion of Russian LNG in H1 2025
Brussels [Belgium], August 19: The European Union imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia worth around €4.48 billion (US$5.2 billion) in the first half of...
Trump discusses Ukraine crisis settlement with Zelensky, European leaders
Olympia [Washington], August 19: US President Donald Trump held a series of high-level meetings at the White House aimed at charting a path to end...
NASA, Google develop smart medical assistant for astronauts
Abu Dhabi, August 19: NASA and Google are jointly developing an intelligent medical assistant designed to support astronauts during space missions.
Record area of land burnt as Spain battles worst forest fires in...
Madrid [Spain], August 19: Spain is seeing its most devastating forest fires in over 20 years, with 3,440 square kilometres of land destroyed by more...
EU leaders set for video call following Washington meeting with Trump
Washington DC [US], August 19: EU leaders are set to hold a video conference call on Tuesday following a high-stakes meeting on the Ukraine war...
Trump moves to abolish postal voting ahead of 2026 midterm elections
Washington DC [US], August 19: US President Donald Trump wants to abolish postal voting and electronic voting machines with an executive order ahead of midterm...
France extends youth night curfew in Nîmes over drug crimes
Paris [France], August 19: A night-time curfew for young people in Nîmes in southern France has been extended until the end of the summer holidays...
Patriotism important to UK's Starmer
London [UK], August 19: Patriotism "will always be an important thing" to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Downing Street said, after white-and-red St George's Cross flags...
Trump to call Putin after meeting European leaders
Washington DC [US], August 19: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he will call Russian President Vladimir Putin after his meeting with Ukraine's Volodymyr...
Amnesty slams Israel for deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza
London [UK], August 19: The human rights group Amnesty International has accused Israel of enacting a "deliberate policy" of starvation in Gaza as the United...
Myanmar to hold 1st general election since 2021 coup
Naypyidaw [Myanmar], August 19: Myanmar will begin its general elections on December 28, its military government announced, in a phased poll widely condemned as a...
Rescuers in Nigeria search for dozens missing after boat capsizes
Abuja [Nigeria], August 19: Rescue workers in northern Nigeria are searching for more than 40 missing passengers after a boat accident in Sokoto state, the...