Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and other members of his Board of Peace in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss the president’s plans for Gaza. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjam»»»

Egypt’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mahmoud Esmat has received UAE Ambassador to Cairo Hamad Al Zaabi to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and support investment in the electricity and renewable energy sectors. During the meeting, Esmat praised the longstanding ties bet»»»

Egypt plans to establish a new investment entity to coordinate its investments in Africa and is urging the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) to expand its backing for continental infrastructure and trade initiatives, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Sunday. Abdelatty, who »»»

LONDON: An Israeli-Palestinian nonprofit organization on Monday urged the EU and the governments of the UK, Canada and Australia to impose sanctions on Avi Bluth, head of the Israeli military’s Central Command, for failure to prevent mounting attacks by settlers on Palestinian communities in the oc»»»

Doha, Qatar: Years of Culture, Qatar’s long-term cultural exchange initiative, has marked a successful summer of international programming, with major exhibitions presented across Mexico, Chile and China bringing Qatar’s creative partnerships to audiences around the world. Spanning three continents»»»

The Egyptian foreign ministry and the Journalists Syndicate agreed on Monday to organise regular educational events and joint training programmes to brief the press on the country’s foreign policy and regional stances. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty »»»

Egypt-China trade reached approximately $20.8bn in 2025, with Chinese exports to Egypt accounting for nearly $19.9bn, compared with just $819m in Egyptian exports to China, Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service Abdel Aziz Elsherif said. The figures highlight both the scale of the economic partner»»»

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II said China and Arab countries have maintained durable ties through decades of regional upheaval by focusing on practical cooperation and shared interests, as he called for deeper coordination on easing tensions in the Middle East. In an interview with China’s Xinhu»»»

BEIRUT: Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon continued on Monday, as a 60-day deadline set by an agreement in June between US-Iran to reach a deal on ending their conflict expired, an arrangement Tehran previously said also applied to Lebanon. However, an official Lebanese source told Arab News that»»»

The UAE is moving ahead with plans to transform 50% of government sectors, services and operations into models powered by Agentic AI within the next two years, as officials work to build the technology and data infrastructure needed for the shift. The Higher Committee for Agentic AI organised the “»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to maintain the Israeli military presence in the Gaza Strip and is bearing responsibility for a possible failure of mediation efforts to resolve the conflict, League of Arab States (LAS) Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy said on Mo»»»

LONDON: In a sign of the growing pressure on Syria’s embattled captagon networks, smugglers are increasingly taking to the air — not in aircraft, but using balloons in an attempt to bypass tighter border controls and carry the illicit drug into Jordan and beyond. Increasingly, however, their balloo»»»

AL-MUKALLA: At least seven missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthis struck two government-controlled areas on Yemen’s Red Sea coast on Monday, as the militia continued to mourn dozens of fighters killed during its latest military escalation, local officials said. Two missiles struck Mokha seapo»»»

Nearly 10 years after the attempted referendum on Catalan independence which led to violent clashes between the public and the police, the political demands of the independence movement have not been met. ENTR travelled to Catalonia in June to meet with young people there who are continuing the fig»»»

By UPI Staff A look at the women who have served as presidents of Latin American countries, both elected and interim. This collection highlights the modern female leaders who have shaped national politics across the region in recent decades. Violeta Chamorro, Nicaragua President-elect of Nicaragua »»»

Armenian banks must now identify and freeze payments designed to slip past Western sanctions on Russia, under central bank rules that took effect on August 12. The requirements sit inside a new regulation on banks' minimum internal control standards approved by the Central Bank of Armenia. Lenders »»»

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israel and the Board of Peace have agreed that the disarmament of Palestinian movement Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip must precede the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu's office said on Monday. "The prime minister and the Board of Peace held in-depth»»»

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Monday sentenced prominent opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years in prison over his criticism of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. The 63-year-old is among the very few Kremlin opponents who remained in Russia after it launched a sweeping crackdown on dissent follo»»»

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan monks have joined residents of the coastal locality of Hiriketiya in protesting the presence of Israeli tourists, whom they accuse of setting up illegal establishments and disturbing the peace near one of the country’s most famous Buddhist temples. Hiriketiya is a fishing villag»»»

RIYADH: Diriyah Co. signed an SR2 billion ($533 million) financing agreement with Arab National Bank to develop hotel-branded residences in Diriyah and Wadi Safar, marking the first partnership between the two companies. The deal was signed by Diriyah Co. Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo and Louai Al-Zahe»»»

Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to disarm and demilitarize Gaza during direct talks with US President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Axios reported on Sunday, citing a source familiar with the matter. The meeting was aimed at locking in a pledge Hamas first made in late Ju»»»

MINSK (Sputnik) - Belarus and Iran are developing a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership and a roadmap for the development of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, the chairman of the Belarusian parliament's lower house, Igor Sergeyenko, said on Monday. During a meeting with»»»

RIYADH: For a growing number of young Saudi women, summer break is no longer about stepping back — it is about stepping up. Long before receiving their diplomas, high school and university students across the Kingdom are swapping traditional leisure for coding bootcamps, clinical rounds and corpora»»»

Mideast negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days after the premier rejected the 15-point, U.S.-backed road map to move the ceasefire deal forward in Gaza. The meeting, which had stretched to about three hours as of Monday a»»»

Dubai: Egypt’s embassy in Muscat has warned its citizens against scams involving individuals and tourism companies offering non-existent jobs in Oman after arranging their entry on tourist visas in return for money. The embassy said a large number of Egyptian citizens had fallen victim to fraudster»»»

Hamas Resistance Movement hailed on Monday the joint statement issued by the foreign minister of UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, KSA, and Egypt to denounce the Israeli rejection of the US plan for Gaza. What follows is the full text of Hamas statement: The Islamic Resistance Moveme»»»

DUBAI: Work by Los Angeles-based Arab-American artist Massoud Hayoun has been acquired by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam. Both were finalized this year and announced this month. The V&A took “The Master’s Tools,” a 2025 acrylic painting, for its M»»»

Dubai: The UAE and central Arabian Peninsula will witness the first seasonal appearance of the Suhail star on August 24, traditionally marking the gradual easing of the intense summer heat and the transition towards milder weather. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and a»»»

Dubai: The 60-day clock has run out on Donald Trump’s Iran deal. Now the US president faces a harder question: What does he do next? The memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran in June was supposed to provide a pathway out of the war. It envisioned an end to hostilities, th»»»

The Israeli army is preparing for a possible return to “several days of combat” in Lebanon in light of the ongoing escalation on the Lebanese front, Israel’s Channel 12 has reported. The report indicated that the Israeli army will not relinquish control of the tunnel complex in the Ali Taher height»»»

Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman today discussed the longstanding fraternal ties between the two countries and ways to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the economic and development fields, in support of shar»»»

GAZA CITY (Sputnik) - Palestinian movement Hamas on Monday welcomed a joint statement by the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic countries condemning Israel's rejection of the roadmap proposed by the Board of Peace for further implementation of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the wa»»»

At least 15 cases of rape have been recorded in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta since it was swarmed by the massive influx of migrants in late July, El Mundo reported on Sunday, citing Spain’s national gendarmerie. The crisis erupted on July 30-31 when an estimated 72,000 migrants entere»»»

From January to July 2026, at least 5,446 individual residential houses with a total floor area of 745,900 square meters were commissioned in Kyrgyzstan. Total investment amounted to 23,565 billion soms. The area of completed private homes increased by 4.9 percent compared with the first seven mont»»»

The deal that US President Donald Trump signed at Versailles in June set an ambitious 60-day deadline for ending the war with Iran and reaching an accord on its nuclear program.The deadline was Monday, and the two sides are further apart than they were then.Talks, such as they are, have focused on »»»

POLITICS On bTV's morning show, former foreign affairs minister Nadezhda Neynsky said Bulgaria was losing its foreign policy influence due to inconsistent actions. According to her, Prime Minister Rumen Radev's governance programme fails to provide a clear development plan for Bulgaria up to 2030. »»»

Dubai: Islamic Arab Insurance Company, SALAMA, reported profit after tax of Dh28.3 million for the first half of 2026, more than three times the Dh8.2 million recorded in the same period last year. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The insurer also »»»

A new Israeli opinion poll shows a decline in support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which is now tied with the Yashar party led by former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. The poll indicates that Yashar party surpasses Netanyahu in the polling index, which assesses the pa»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has begun preparations for the 2027 Hajj season, holding coordination meetings with Hajj affairs offices from more than 75 countries as part of efforts to ensure early readiness and smoother services for pilgrims. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the meetings focus on prepara»»»

Abu Dhabi: The National Space Science and Technology Centre (NSSTC) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) announced the successful launch of the SEO satellite aboard A Long March 2C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in China. The achievement is part of the centre's eff»»»

Arab Finance: Egypt’s Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport is targeting EGP 19.589 billion in net profit and EGP 29.922 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year (FY) 2026/2027, including the projections of Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company, as per a statement. Ministe»»»

Abu Dhabi: Indonesia's Red and White flag flew above a colourful display of traditional attire and textiles from across the country as members of the Indonesian community in the UAE gathered at the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on Monday morning to commemorate the 81 Anniversary of Indonesia's In»»»

US envoy Jared Kushner on Monday meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt aimed at reviving a US-backed Gaza peace plan that Israel has so far rejected. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.    Yesterday's developments:  &nb»»»

US envoy Jared Kushner is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after holding talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt aimed at reviving a US-backed Gaza peace plan that Israel has so far rejected. Noga Tarnopolsky, FRANCE 24's correspondent in Israel, has more on the stakes rela»»»

BEIJING: Jordan’s King Abdullah will visit China from Tuesday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing announced on Monday. China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, has presented itself as a neutral party in the Middle East conflict and has called for stability in the vital Strait of Hormuz»»»

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump's special envoy Jared Kushner will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss further steps in implementation of Trump's plan for Gaza, Israeli media reported on Monday, citing unnamed Israeli officials. On Monday, Kushner, as well as US»»»

Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a statement Sunday condemning Israel’s rejection of the road map, saying, “Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza.” Other signers included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and t»»»

Many believe Viktor Orbán breathed a sigh of relief after his election defeat, first travelling to the United States for the final matches of the football World Cup, then to Serbia for a festival, and more recently being spotted in Croatia in decidedly illustrious company. Is he truly merely on hol»»»

U.S. negotiator and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief on Sunday in a new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled Gaza ceasefire. Kushner will meet on Monday with Israel's prime minister, who is under pressure after rejecting the new»»»

Dubai has stepped up operational readiness across its airports to handle an expected influx of citizens, residents and visitors returning from holidays, with additional staff and smart-gate capacity deployed to speed up procedures. The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai »»»