JEDDAH: Qatar-listed companies posted combined net profit of 23.63 billion Qatari riyals ($6.49 billion) in the first half of 2026, down 11.4 percent from a year earlier, as earnings came under pressure across parts of the market. According to data from the Qatar Stock Exchange, the latest bourse i»»»

Officials in Washington are allegedly discussing the possible use of nuclear weapons against Iran as the months-long conflict continues to escalate, former US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed. Greene, once a prominent MAGA ally, made the allegation in a post on X on Sunday. She said»»»

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said he was “not happy” that Washington had agreed to take part»»»

At least 19 people were killed Sunday in drone and missile strikes in Russia and Ukraine which destroyed a book market in Kyiv while Moscow faced one of the most massive attacks since the start of the war. Ukraine and Russia have been escalating their long-range strikes for months, resulting in a g»»»

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. »»»

Iran said Monday it is working to finalize a joint statement with Oman on a plan to manage the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Fully reopening the waterway to commercial shipping has been a key demand of the United States, but it remains unclear whether the deal will meet Washington'»»»

DUBAI: Iran ‌said on Monday that two French embassy employees involved in a diplomatic dispute ​last month would not be allowed to return to Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the two had violated the Vienna Convention — which defines the rules and privileges of diplomatic missio»»»

Shares were mixed in Europe and Asia on Monday after U.S. stocks edged back from their all-time high following a weaker than expected report on the U.S. economy. Oil prices also were mixed. In early European trading, Germany's DAX was nearly unchanged at 26,438.04, while the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has welcomed a parliamentary initiative calling for the extension of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, saying an international presence remains vital to stability and to supporting the Lebanese Army. Aoun said Lebanon’s first preference was to r»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran’s central bank governor, Iraqi trade minister discuss ways to boost economic ties 17-08-2026 11:05 AM Latest News Urgent News Iran’s c»»»

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»»»

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has firmly rejected any discussion of extending the 60-day period referenced in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, with spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei declaring that Tehran does not formulate policy under pressure or artificial timelines—particularly when the United States»»»

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»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran and Oman are continuing talks on the Strait of Hormuz despite the factors that complicate the process, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday. "The talks between Iran and Oman are seriously continuing, with the parties exchanging views on a joint s»»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday blamed pollution in Gulf waters on US military operations in the region, after several oil spills were reported. “This environmental damage stems from the US military presence and the wars it has waged in the region over the past five decades,” foreign mini»»»

Two drones launched from inside Iran targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office and the home of the autonomous region's intelligence chief overnight, authorities said Monday. "Two Hadid-110 type explosive-laden drones were launched from across the Iranian border toward the private office »»»

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Iran has accused Qatar of holding three of its pilots for half a year in violation of international law, heightening tensions between the two nations and threatening to expand the war in the Middle East, despite Doha claiming not to have the pilots. "Qatar's government has exhauste»»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday it will consider three missing pilots to be prisoners in Qatar, despite Doha’s denials, until it clarifies their fate.Tehran has said the Iranians went missing while carrying out an operation against the United States’ Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Mar»»»

US President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the Pentagon to scale back "inappropriate and hostile" military drills with South Korea, claiming that the ally had failed to help with the war against Iran and citing his "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.   US »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IRGC General Says; ‘Israel’ Too Weak for War with Iran 17-08-2026 10:56 AM A senior IRGC official said that Israel is not capable of waging»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli enemy forces conduct sweep operation toward the village of Haddatha in Bint Jbeil distr»»»

Japan's economy grew an annual rate of 1.1% in the April-June quarter even as private consumption stayed flat and the growth of exports declined, according to government data released Monday. Japan 's real GDP, or gross domestic product, the sum value of nation's goods and services, grew at a seaso»»»

The top U.S. military commander Adm. Brad Cooper visited the USS Lincoln as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues. The Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran, including the blockade on Iranian ports. It has spent a record-se»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - After visiting the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where sailors allegedly attempted to jump overboard, Pentagon Central Command Chief Brad Cooper said the ship's mental health situation was not the worst. "Of the US Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln curre»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar have been drawn alongside Tunisia, France and Venezuela in Pool A of the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship, which will be hosted in Doha from August 19 to 29. The tournament will bring together 20 teams from around the world, divided into five pools. Pool B featur»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s U-18 national basketball team has not lost hope of reaching the knockout stages of the FIBA U-18 Asian Championship, despite suffering a 66–118 defeat against China at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Hall in Ahmedabad, India. The game was part of Group C’s second-round fixtures in the»»»

The Iranian military announced on Sunday it would be offering a $30,000 reward for killing or capturing US soldiers, with the bounty doubled if conducted by a woman. There have been no known deployments of US ground troops in Iran during the war except for a rescue mission carried out in April. Ira»»»

Eight of the world’s largest oil producers posted a combined $93 billion in profits in the second quarter of 2026, nearly double their earnings in the same period last year, as the Iran war and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher. The figures, reported by Oi»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices moved closer to their highest level of August on Monday, leaving jewellery buyers facing rates that have risen by nearly Dh44 per gram since the beginning of the month. The 24K variety was priced at Dh531 per gram at 8.34 am in Dubai on Monday, up from Dh527.50 on Sunday, w»»»

Tehran: Iranian Army Chief Amir Hatami has announced a $30,000 bounty for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier, with the reward reportedly doubled when the act is carried out by a woman, amid ongoing friction between Tehran and Washington. The decision comes after a "large number of requests" »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 10. Trump on Sunday announced he ordered the Pentagon to scale back its involvement with joint military exercises with South Korea that are set to begin this week. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo »»»

Eight Muslim-majority nations condemned Israel on Sunday for rejecting a roadmap to end its war in Gaza. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority nations have condemned Israel's rejection of a U.S.-backed roadmap to end its war»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have “never been seen” as soon as next week. The United States, ‌United Nations and European Union have applied»»»

Dubai: Flying from the UAE today, August 17? Most UAE flights continue to operate, but travellers should expect possible delays, cancellations and last-minute schedule changes as airlines continue to adjust services amid the ongoing regional security situation. Emirates has partially resumed flight»»»

US President Donald Trump said he is “not happy” that the United States agreed to joint military exercises with South Korea, calling them costly and hostile toward North Korea. “These exercises are not only costly... but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,” Trump wrote on Truth»»»

Iran’s Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami announced a $30,000 reward for anyone who kills or captures an aggressor US soldier and hands them over to authorities, Press TV reported. Hatami said Iranian women who carry out such an operation will receive double the reward.He added that »»»

The PR surge which heralded that the “tide is turning” in the Ukrainian conflict is ending up in a debacle. Ukraine, it turns out, can inflict tangible damage on the Russian economy thanks to its deep drone and missile strikes, with crucial help of US intelligence and two American tech giants, Pala»»»

WASHINGTON: It is among the most famous phrases in presidential history: ” The buck stops here.” Except with President Donald Trump, it almost never does. Concerns about a weak economy and still-high inflation? His predecessor, Joe Biden, saddled him with that, he says, even though the Democrat has»»»

The UAE remains open for business and air travel, but the sharp decline in Hormuz shipping and the recent attacks on three UAE-linked vessels show that the regional security environment remains fragile. With the deadline for a temporary agreement expiring today (Monday, August 17, 2026) the US-Iran»»»

Israel has spent tens of millions of dollars to boost its image in the US by seeking to influence how AI platforms portray the country, Politico has reported. US public attitudes toward Israel have deteriorated in recent years, first over its response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and more r»»»

Ronald Johnson, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said Sunday that federal immigration agents have arrested and handed over three people wanted in Mexico, including a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, »»»

Share: Trump instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea over Seoul’s refusal to take part in actions against Iran. He also cited his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. U.S. Army soldiers take part in a U.S.-South Korea joint»»»

As the Aug. 17 deadline for the 60-day US-Iran memorandum arrives, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) political deputy, Brig. General Yadollah Javani warned that Iran's military posture could shift from defensive to offensive, telling state broadcaster IRIB that Tehran's future actions could »»»