Taiyuan: China successfully sent a new satellite into space on Monday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. The SEO satellite was launched at 1102 a.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2C carrier rocket. It entered its preset orbit successfully. This launch ma»»»

Taipei: Taiwan's government will propose record defence spending for 2027, President Lai Ching-te said Monday, as the island democracy faces growing military pressure from China. "Next year's total defence budget -- including both the annual budget and the special budget -- will exceed NT$1 trillio»»»

Jakarta: An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale struck eastern Indonesia on Monday. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that the earthquake occurred 46 kilometers northwest of Nagekeo, in eastern Indonesia, at a depth of 10 kilometers.»»»

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than ever before. According to forecasts by the World Health Organization (WHO), it could become the deadliest outbreak in the history of the fight against the disease. According to the WHO, one person dies from th»»»

RIYADH: Project management directors, engineers and specialists will be among the professions subject to a 70 percent Saudization requirement in the Kingdom from Feb. 14, 2027. The move follows a decision by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in partnership with the Ministry of»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian drones struck a berthing terminal in the Izmail port that was used to unload military cargo from ships, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. The Russian armed forces continue to carry out strikes against the port infrastructure and Ukrainian naval vessels used in »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States should resume alternate negotiations with Moscow and Kiev to bring the two sides closer together on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, Thomas Graham, former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Senior Director for Russia on the National Security»»»

SYDNEY: Australian toxic mushroom killer Erin Patterson launches an appeal Wednesday against her conviction in a triple-murder case that made headlines worldwide. The 51-year-old was found guilty last year of murdering her husband’s parents and an elderly aunt in 2023 by serving them a beef Welling»»»

Pension expenditure under the State Social Security budget amounted to nearly EUR 6.5 billion in the first half of 2026, up 10.2% from the same period of last year, the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) said in a press release on Monday. Pensions accounted for the largest share of total exp»»»

Dubai: Ferrari’s first all-electric car has sold for $40 million at a charity auction, making it the most expensive new car ever sold at auction. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The 2026 Ferrari Luce Tailor Made, identified as “Chassis 0”, is the »»»

Kathmandu: Four people were killed and eight others injured after landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains in the Jajarkot district of western Nepal. The Nepalese Army said the landslides swept away two houses and damaged three others yesterday, adding that around 300 residents were evacuated fr»»»

Kyrgyzstan and China have held negotiations on a draft agreement on cooperation in managing Kyrgyz-Chinese border crossing points between the State Customs Service of Kyrgyzstan and the General Administration of Customs of China. According to the State Customs Service of Kyrgyzstan, the draft docum»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Relations between Moscow and Jakarta are developing very successfully and the two countries continue to work together, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. "Dear Mr. President, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the national holiday — the In»»»

On Aug. 17, 1999, an earthquake in a densely populated region of northwestern Turkey killed at least 17,000 people and injured about 40,000. 1 of 5 | On August 17, 1999, an earthquake in a densely populated region of northwestern Turkey killed at least 17,000 people and injured about 40,000. UPI Fi»»»

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Indonesia's Flores region early Monday, as the death toll from a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit eastern Indonesia days earlier rose to 54, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) and Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Pakistani Prime Minister: We will continue to cooperate with Saudi Arabia and Turkey to play a constructive role in ensuring the defense of»»»

Q 2 2026 economic growth data showed a weak development, with a decrease from the same period in 2025 of 0.4% unadjusted and a stagnation compared with the previous quarter, according to Iulian Lolea, chief economist of the Concordia Employers' Confederation."Data on economic growth in Q2 2026 show»»»

Romania's economy is showing early signs of rebalancing in the first part of 2026, with the economic contraction easing, EU-funded investment accelerating, net exports making a stronger contribution, the external deficit narrowing and inflation resuming a downward trend, interim Finance Minister Al»»»

The stagnation of the economy in the second quarter could be followed by a slight economic contraction in the third and fourth quarters of this year, while the economy could enter 2027 on a healthier footing, economic consultant Adrian Negrescu believes.According to flash data released on Friday by»»»

The balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 14,202 million, in the period January-June 2026, compared with EUR 13,555 million in the same year-ago period, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) announced on Friday.The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods increased by E»»»

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained unchanged in real terms in Q2 of 2026 compared with Q1 of 2026, while compared with Q2 of 2025 it fell by 0.4% on the unadjusted series and by 2% on the seasonally adjusted series, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) estimated data released »»»

Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation (AAC) requires, in an open letter addressed to the President, the premier and the chair persons of the two Chambers of the Parliament, rigorous monitoring and complete traceability of Ukrainian cereals in transit, as well as concrete measures for the protect»»»

The government established on Friday through decision, the list of the sectors comprising activities carried out in line with the changing seasons with a view to implementing the rules governing the employment of foreign nationals as seasonal workers. According to a press release from the Governmen»»»

The percentage of the PNRR implemented has risen by 31% over the past fourteen months and is set to reach 78% following the fifth payment request?compared to an annual average of approximately 10.4% during the first four and a half years?Dragos Pislaru, the interim Minister of Investments and Europ»»»

The government approved on Friday the signing of cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia aiming at the combating of crime and terrorism.Accordingly, according to a government press release, the Memorandum entitled ‘Conclusion of negotiations and signing of the Agreemen»»»

Romania could reach 97.22% of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) if it adopts the remaining reforms, interim Minister of Investments and European Projects Dragos Pislaru said on Friday at a press conference held after a Government meeting.According to Pislaru, Romania will submit its »»»

Romania has received 11.02 billion euros from the European Commission under cohesion policy, representing 35.6% of the total 30.986 billion euros in non-repayable funds, interim Minister of Investments and European Projects Dragos Pislaru said on Friday, presenting a report to the Government."Under»»»

Modernising the Naval Forces, whether through fleet renewal, mine-countermeasure capabilities or capabilities to monitor and protect maritime infrastructure, remains a priority for Romania, President Nicusor Dan said on Saturday.In his message on Romanian Navy Day, read at the events in Constanta b»»»

Romania officially submitted on Friday evening its fifth payment request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), worth a total of 2.84 billion euros, interim Minister of Investments and European Projects Dragos Pislaru announced."Last night, at 8:00 pm, Romania officially submitted »»»

Romanian Navy Day was celebrated on Saturday in six cities, with the main events taking place in Constanta, where more than 3,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel took part in the military ceremony and the FNR 26.10 joint and interinstitutional naval exercise.Events was held in Constanta, Ma»»»

The intensity of the attacks on the Ukrainian front, close to Romania’s border was unprecedented in recent times and the MApN radars discovered, in the proximity of the Romanian air space over 100 drones over the last 96 hours, says the minister of National Defense, Radu Miruta.‘Yesterday and today»»»

Investigations in the area of Galati County where the drone that entered Romanian national territory overnight between Saturday and Sunday was shot down Sunday afternoon, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informed on Sunday.'The aerial and ground reconnaissance mission carried out by joint te»»»

Minister of Foreign Affairs Oana Toiu had a telephone conversation on Sunday with her Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares to thank Spain after a drone that entered Romanian territory in the early hours of Sunday was intercepted and shot down by a Spanish air patrol in Galati County."Earlier thi»»»

A 22-year-old man suspected of attempting to bribe a police officer has been detained in Kara-Suu district. The press service of the Internal Affairs Department of Osh region reported. According to police, on August 14, the man handed 40,000 soms to an investigator. The money was allegedly intended»»»

NEW DELHI/SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose on Monday as fading expectations of a US-Iran peace breakthrough and slower tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reinforced geopolitical risk concerns in the market. Brent crude ​futures rose as much as 1 percent to $89.40 per barrel and were last trading»»»

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- At least seven Hindu devotees were killed Monday morning in a crowd crush at a Shiva temple in eastern India, where tens of thousands had gathered to take part in a religious observance, according to reports. The incident occurred near Ashok Dham, a famous temple dedicated to Lord »»»

Dubai: Dubai: The UAE has once again positioned itself at the forefront of global healthcare innovation, becoming the first country in the world to approve an expanded use of the drug RINVOQ (upadacitinib) for treating non-segmental vitiligo, a skin condition that causes patches of skin to lose the»»»

PARIS: Team Falcons have been crowned Rocket League champions at the Esports World Cup 2026, delivering a dominant 4-0 victory over Spacestation Gaming in the Grand Final to claim the title for the first time. The Saudi Arabian Club, represented by Samy “dralii” Hajji and brothers Yazeed Abdullah “»»»

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, Reuters reported on Monday, citing data. Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none registered for Sunday, shiptracking data from Kpler showed, versus 31 in the prior weekend. Ships ​entering the strait on Saturd»»»

Bishkekgaz gas service announced that gas supplies will be temporarily suspended from August 17 to 19 due to work on a medium-pressure gas pipeline. The gas outage will affect areas bounded by the following streets and landmarks: the Big Chui Canal area, Ala-Archa River, L. Tolstoy Street, B. Alyku»»»

Dubai: There was an unexpected star in the front row at Lucky Ali’s Dubai concert on August 16: rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh. Singh was spotted attending the veteran singer’s live show at the Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday night, and beyond the obvious celebrity-spotting moment, there was something rather h»»»

After US President Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran on June 17, 2026, US officials fanned out across the Gulf to sell an agreement they hoped would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin winding down the war. Instead, according to a US Congressional report citing I»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe 6 civilians killed in Russia, 2 in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv exchange overnight air strikes 17-08-2026 08:43 AM Latest News Urgent News 6 »»»

Temporary traffic restrictions will be introduced on certain roads in Bishkek, Chui and Issyk-Kul regions from August 29 to September 6, the Interior Ministry of Kyrgyzstan said. The restrictions are related to state events and will be imposed periodically, the ministry said. The Interior Ministry »»»

Three of those detained at a private club in Plovdiv linked to the international neo-Nazi organization Blood & Honour have been charged with inciting discrimination, hatred and violence based on race, nationality or sexual orientation, Plovdiv's Deputy District Prosecutor Neno Dimov said at a brief»»»

Dubai: Nakheel has begun handing over 892 homes at Jebel Ali Village, with residents starting to move into the 80-hectare residential community following the completion of residential construction and core infrastructure. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply clic»»»

Seoul: US President Donald Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to scale back "inappropriate and hostile" military drills with Republic of Korea, hours before the exercises began on Monday. Trump cited his "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as he said he was unhappy about the d»»»

Traffic has been temporarily restricted on a section of road to Kant asphalt plant from kilometer 1 to kilometer 6 due to road construction works, the press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported. A detour toward the town of Kant is available for both passenger cars and he»»»

Dubai: L’IMAD, a sovereign investor of the Government of Abu Dhabi, has announced its intention to make a voluntary conditional cash offer to acquire up to 100% of the issued and paid-up share capital of AD Ports Group. The proposed transaction will be made through L’IMAD’s wholly owned subsidiary »»»

Ankara: Qatar represented by the Ministry of Culture is participating in the 11th International Istanbul Arabic Book Fair kicked off in Turkiye on Saturday. Running until August 23, the event is held under the theme “The Story Continues”, bringing together over 300 publishing houses from over 30 co»»»