Dubai: Occupancy across Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity reached 96% during the first half of 2026, while the number of companies operating across the three economic zones increased 13% from a year earlier. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app »»»

More than 12,000 people displaced by a deadly 7.7-magnitude earthquake in eastern Indonesia were awaiting urgent aid on Monday as they sheltered at schools, police stations and government offices, while many remained stranded outside.  Thousands of people displaced by a powerful earthquake in »»»

US President Donald Trump called for US-South Korean military drills to be scaled back just hours before they were due to begin, describing North Korea as 'unthreatening and respectful'. South Korea said it hoped Trump’s personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could help bring Py»»»

US and South Korean forces began on Monday joint military drills as planned, despite Donald Trump calling for them to be scaled back. Trump said the exercises were too costly and hostile toward North Korea, while critics warned reducing them could weaken South Korea’s security. The drills are set t»»»

Manila: Around 5.08 million people across 10 regions in the Philippines have suffered from extreme rainfall brought by tropical cyclones and monsoon rains, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Monday. The OCD reported about 1.45 million affected families, with 24,893 people seeking shelter in 523»»»

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»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Central Bank increased the market value of its disclosed portfolio of stocks and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, in the US market by 61.4 percent in the second quarter of 2026, bringing it to $7.63 billion. The expansion included increases in the number of shares held across hundr»»»

Two strikes targeted the southern border town of al-Mansouri on Monday as Israeli troops opened heavy machine gun fire towards the southern towns of Hadatha and al-Khiam. An overnight strike targeted Wadi al-Hujeir, while artillery shelled on Sunday night Beit Yahoun and Hadatha. Israeli strikes on»»»

President Joseph Aoun on Monday welcomed a parliamentary initiative and petition calling for the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). "The presence of UNIFIL in the south is important in many respects. It helps to keep residents in their villages and tow»»»

Industry Minister Khaled Hashem said the alloys industry is a complementary industry under Egypt’s industrial strategy and a key input for iron, steel and heavy industries. It also helps maximize the use of mineral resources and increase the added value of local raw materials. Speaking on Sunday, A»»»

Tax Star, the UAE's first AI-powered corporate tax software platform, announced it has closed a $1.75 million seed funding round. The raise comes as Tax Star positions itself around one of its most significant regulatory milestones to date, its status as a pre-approved Accredited Service Provider (»»»

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»»»

Paris, France: Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard will not race again this season as he is still recovering from the broken collarbone he suffered in this year's race, his team Visma-Lease a bike announced on Monday. The 29-year-old Dane had had a successful campaign up to his crash »»»

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 »»»

Dubai: UAE shoppers with eligible Emirates NBD credit cards can now split purchases of Dh100 or more into four or eight monthly instalments, without paying interest or fees. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The option is available for eligible purchases made both online»»»

Athens: A vulture who refused to budge had to be removed from the wing of a flight awaiting takeoff on the Greek island of Crete, in order to avoid potential damage to the plane, a local newspaper reported Monday. The Patris daily said the incident occurred late Sunday at the island's Iraklio airpo»»»

A driver has been sentenced to six months in jail and fined Dh100,000 for driving recklessly against the flow of traffic in Abu Dhabi, putting the lives of people and other road users at serious risk. ​The Abu Dhabi Misdemeanour Court also ordered the confiscation of the vehicle used in the inciden»»»

Renovation of a former hospital building in the village of Novopokrovka, Issyk-Ata district, Chui region, which is planned to house a 100-bed Regional Maternity Hospital, continues. According to the Health Ministry, the facility is now in the final stage of a major renovation. A significant part of»»»

“I, too, am a victim: my shoulder is broken, my ribs are broken and my spine has been seriously injured,” one survivor of Sunday’s early-morning tragedy on Hungary’s M3 motorway told this outlet in an exclusive interview. She said she had literally dug herself out from beneath the overturned coach »»»

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»»»

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'»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received on Monday Prime Minister of Grenada HE Dickon Mitchell who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperative relations between the two countries»»»

Joint tactical exercises Center-2026 involving servicemen from Kyrgyzstan and Russia have concluded in Kyrgyzstan. The closing ceremony was held today, August 17, at the training center of military unit 20636. The exercises took place from August 11 to 17 at the Edelweiss training ground, involving»»»

Russia’s comprehensive and coordinated strikes on ports, railway junctions, fuel stations and warehouses are piling systemic strain on the Ukrainian economy, Alexander Dudchak, a researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries, tells Sputnik. These facilities can be described as dual-use, he says, sin»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Russian forces have announced fresh advances in the Zaporozhye and Donetsk directions, taking control of two settlements as Moscow says its troops continue to push deeper into Ukrainian defensive lines. "Units of the Vostok group of forces advanced deep into the enemy's defensiv»»»

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced its ongoing efforts to expand its initiative for the automatic recognition of academic and professional qualifications issued by higher education institutions in the UAE by bringing more universities into the initiative. The ini»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani held a phone call on Monday morning with Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Türkiye HE Yaşar Güler. During the call, they discussed matters of mutual interes»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration clarified order of work in connection with the public holiday and additional day off. Under the Labor Code, August 31, Independence Day of Kyrgyzstan, is a non-working public holiday. Employees may be required to work on this day only wi»»»

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.»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Romania’s domestic energy production fell by 2.6% in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, while final electricity consumption decreased by 3.3%, according to provisional data published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), cited by Agerpres. Elect»»»

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»»»

Damascus, Aug. 17 (SANA)– The price of 21-carat gold rose by SYP 100 per gram in the Syrian market Monday compared with Sunday’s rate. According to a bulletin issued by the General Authority for Precious Metals Management, one gram of 21-carat gold was priced at SYP 16,200 ($132.79) for selling and»»»

Total assets of Kyrgyzstan’s banking sector reached 1,577.3 trillion soms as of the end of June 2026, up 30.2 percent since the beginning of the year. The press service of the National Bank reported. According to the central bank, positive growth was recorded across all key segments of the banking »»»

A new bus station has been opened in the city of Manas on Shabdanbai Abdramanov Street in Kok-Art area. According to the City Hall, the facility covers 2.2 hectares and was built taking into account modern standards. The necessary amenities have been provided for passengers. The new bus station wil»»»

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»»»

At least 10 killed, 7 injured as Ukraine, Russia trade attacks overnight. File photo by Strnger/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) -- At least six people were killed and four, including a child, were injured overnnight in a Ukrainian missile strike on a small community in Russia's southwestern Belgorod province. Be»»»

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»»»

Dubai: Masdar and ScottishPower Renewables have completed installation of all 95 foundations at the £4 billion East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm, moving the 1.4GW project closer to supplying clean power to more than 1.3 million UK homes. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app»»»

Checks on individuals’ wealth have become increasingly prominent in the activity of Romania’s tax authority, ANAF, in recent years. Tax authorities have access to a growing volume of information and analytical tools, including through exchanges of information with other countries, making it easier »»»

On August 16, 2026, the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) uncovered a corrupt group involved in illegally allowing freight trucks to pass through the Ak-Tilek — Avtodorozhny checkpoint. The investigation found that officials from the Kyrgyz Border Service and the Department»»»

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»»»

KAZAN, Russia (Sputnik) - Trade between Russia and China could reach a new historic high by the end of 2026, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said on Monday. "In recent years, Chinese-Russian trade and economic cooperation has demonstrated steady growth … It is quite possible that a new hi»»»