NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged member states and all parties concerned to engage “seriously and constructively” with a UN-led mechanism aimed at easing disruptions to the movement of essential goods through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that maritime crises across k»»»

DHAKA: A discussion is underway in Bangladesh on the potential of joining the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, officials say, citing a “positive position” toward a framework involving Saudi Arabia. The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement is a new defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, w»»»

Dubai: Dubai Central Laboratory, part of Dubai Municipality, has introduced advanced automated technology to test the quality of oils and fats, reducing testing time from two hours to just two minutes while significantly increasing laboratory capacity. The technology enables accurate and reliable a»»»

ConflictsUkraineCould Russia's growing fuel crisis help end the Ukraine war?Denis KishinevskiyUkrainian attacks on oil refineries have deepened Russia's fuel crisis, with shortages reaching Moscow. Could growing public anger put Putin under pressure? https://p.dw.com/p/5JGBeCars waiting in line to »»»

Paris, France: The French government said Monday it would press ahead with a ban on mobile phones in high schools from next month, but trade unions warned that the measure might be hard to implement quickly. In July, France's parliament approved legislation banning both social media access for chil»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced on Monday the opening of electronic registration and transfer for students of all nationalities in government schools for the 2026–2027 academic year. According to the Ministry, applications will be accepted from August 25 until »»»

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her morning news conference Monday that cattle exports have resumed gradually through the Agua Prieta border crossing in the northern state of Sonora. Photo by Jose Mendez/EPA Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Mexico resumed live cattle exports to the United States on»»»

Poland is seeing a significant reversal in migration trends as more people return from abroad and fewer choose to emigrate. In 2025, 83,700 people moved from Germany to Poland, while 66,800 went the other way, producing a net gain of nearly 17,000 for Poland. Similar trends are emerging with the UK»»»

BERLIN — Volkswagen's CEO warned Sunday the company was in a "more than critical" state ahead of meetings with the car giant's staff where he will defend the company's savings plans.In an interview posted on the company's intranet and sent to AFP, Oliver Blume said Volkswagen and the rest of German»»»

By Marina Rafenberg ATHENS — Green arrows representing tourist-laden jets pile up on the screens of the Athens air traffic controllers, a puzzle to solve at the height of tourist season."Look at this sky, it's crazy, there's no room for any more planes!" exclaimed Olga Toki, vice-president of the »»»

HONG KONG — Oil prices fell on Monday as investors braced for details of a US plan to isolate the Iranian economy that President Donald Trump billed as the "most crushing" financial operation ever against Tehran.Asian stocks were mostly down, with South Korea's tech-rich Kospi falling more than thr»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov criticized the government's handling of the temporary deployment of US Air Force tanker aircraft to Bulgaria, telling residents of Yambol that the city had received less attention than Burgas and Sofia. "Burgas got Eurovision, and you got planes. You are not a capo, as th»»»

Iran has said the deployment of US aerial refueling aircraft in Bulgaria violated international law and amounted to support for US and Israeli military operations against Tehran, while acknowledging that the planes have now left the country. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Te»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria would not allow a return to what he described as the country's “mutri” (thug) era, as he announced plans for deeper reforms in law enforcement, the security services and the judiciary. Speaking alongside Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov while presenting the»»»

At least 14 tankers linked to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" sailed through Bulgarian and Romanian waters during the first seven months of 2026, spending a combined 418 hours in the territorial waters of the two countries, according to an analysis by Greenpeace Bulgaria. The findings come days a»»»

BIG Poland has completed the rebranding of BIG Kielce, opening a new stage in the development of one of the city’s established retail destinations. Nearly 10,000 visitors joined Saturday’s official launch, confirming the strong local position of the nearly 37,000 sqm GLA retail park and providing a»»»

Sharjah has expanded payment options across its Tahseel government collection system by enabling the UAE’s national payment card, Jaywan, across digital channels and service centres, the emirate’s Central Finance Department said. Customers can use Jaywan through the Tahseel website and smart applic»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has announced the introduction of new subjects and updates to several existing subjects for the 2026–2027 academic year, as part of its efforts to continuously develop curricula, transition toward competency- and innovation-based education»»»

RUSSIA: The Perm oil ‌refinery, Russia’s seventh-largest oil processing plant by volumes, stopped operations following a Ukrainian drone attack, which caused ​fire and damage to technological units on August 21, two industry sources said on Monday. Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s energy »»»

Dubai: The Dubai Weddings initiative has grown from a service helping Emirati couples organise their wedding celebrations into a wider programme supporting young families before and after marriage. Launched in early 2024, the initiative brings together wedding services, marriage preparation, financ»»»

By Danielle HaynesEach year, people gather in Zama, Japan, just outside Tokyo to celebrate the Zama Sunflower Festival. More than half a million flowers bloom in time for the two-day festival, which includes music, refreshments and entertainment. This year's festival was held August 14–16, 2026. Fu»»»

Conakry: Abou Hamza, an outraged resident of the Dar es Salam neighbourhood of Conakry where a landfill collapse killed 30 people over the weekend, said that locals had tried to warn Guinea's authorities about the danger. The garbage dump in the suburbs of the capital collapsed onto a residential a»»»

DOHA: The Qatar paramotor team, affiliated with the Qatar Air Sports Committee at the Special Forces, were crowned champions of the Poland Open, after securing three gold medals and one silver at the competition held from August 18 to 22. The championship brought together 31 pilots representing Qat»»»

UN special rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese has called for the deployment of an international protection force in the Palestinian territories in response to a rise in attacks by Israeli settlers. “An International Protection Presence in West Bank/east Jerusalem and Gaza is absolutely URG»»»

PoliticsUnited States of AmericaTrump says Canada to face 50% auto, steel tariffs from 2027Natalie Muller Reuters, AP and AFPThe US had already announced a 50% levy on a range of Canadian goods after trade talks collapsed last week, prompting Canada to pledge retaliatory tariffs. https://p.dw.com/p»»»

Oil prices fell slightly on Monday ahead of the unveiling by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of the toughest set of Iran sanctions yet. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Oil prices fell slightly on Monday ahead of the unveiling by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bes»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - France's National Rally parliamentary faction leader Marine Le Pen holds a significant lead over the other candidates for the French presidency in the 2027 elections, a Toluna Harris Interactive poll conducted for the M6 broadcaster and RTL radio station showed on Monday. Toluna »»»

The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced in a statement on Monday new operations against Saudi targets in the context of the siege-for-siege and escalation-for-escalation formulas. In this regard, General Saree mentioned that the Yemeni Armed Forces successf»»»

A discussion at the Pleven BTA National Press Club Monday highlighted the need for more foster families and legislative changes to make foster care a more stable and sustainable social service. The event was part of the “Foster Me” initiative by the Social Assistance Agency, Ministry of Labour and »»»

Dubai: With the new academic year set to begin at a large number of schools on August 31, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has rolled out a wide-ranging set of measures to keep students safe on their daily commute. The plans announced on Monday include a 30-day intensive inspection campa»»»

Dubai: The UAE insurance industry's total assets climbed to Dh164.9 billion in 2025 as premiums, claims and profits increased and mandatory health insurance helped expand the number of policies across the country. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.T»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran was "collapsing" as Washington prepared to announce the details of a new economic pressure campaign that Tehran has derided as an admission of defeat. Almost six months into their war, the two sides are locked in a stalemate, with peace talks stalle»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Gharibabadi to US Treasury Secretary: Is This a Victory or an Admission of US Defeat? 24-08-2026 16:48 PM Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign»»»

The public broadcaster in the Netherlands AvroTros said it will boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest for a second year in protest at the presence of ‘Israel’, citing the war on Gaza and a lack of clear rules for excluding countries involved in military conflicts. “It is undeniable that internat»»»

Dubai: Emirates has ranked first among global airlines for international capacity in August, offering more than 31 billion available seat kilometres (ASKs), according to data from aviation analytics OAG. The Dubai-based carrier’s international capacity was about 21 per cent higher than second-ranke»»»

Non-governmental organisations including the Bulgarian Association for Electromobility (BAEM), Veloevolution Association, the Environmental Association “For the Earth”, Critical Mass, Sofenhagen and the ManEko Foundation have expressed concern over recent police operations in parks in Sofia targeti»»»

Lower new-build property prices in Bucharest and Poland’s major cities may catch the attention of Hungarian buyers, but the success of a property investment abroad is determined by much more than the purchase price and achievable rental income. An analysis by Cordia comparing the Hungarian, Polish »»»

UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko will face Brazil’s Natalia Silva in a bout that will serve as the co-main event of UFC 332. According to international media reports, the UFC women’s flyweight title fight will take place on October 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Photo Internet. Na»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Monday, gaining 95.45 points, or 0.86 percent, to close at 11,174.13 The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR6.01 billion ($1.59 billion), as 174 of the listed stocks advanced, while 83 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul Index also inc»»»

President Joseph Aoun noted Monday that the Prophet’s Birthday holiday comes this year “as Lebanon faces grave challenges, from repeated Israeli attacks against its sovereignty, land and sons in the South and the various regions, to economic and living crises that are still burdening its citizens.”»»»

Abu Dhabi: Emirati women have played an important role in preserving the UAE’s cultural identity while helping shape the country’s modern cultural and creative landscape, according to Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu »»»

KYIV: The United Kingdom will keep providing defense aid to Ukraine despite Russia’s threats, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday on a visit to Kyiv where allies gathered to discuss support. Air defense supplies are due to be the main priority at the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, joi»»»

Dubai: Avinash Kumar spends his weekdays as a Project Specialist at Amazon. His weekends belong to something else entirely. Better known by his stage name Ameen Avi, the singer from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan reached out to Gulf News to share his story, hoping it gives aspiring musicians or anyone w»»»

Dubai: Violent protests erupted in Tunisia’s southeastern city of Ben Guerdane after a migrant boat sank while heading towards Italy, as anger over the tragedy and frustration over economic conditions spilled into clashes with security forces. Protesters burned tyres and blocked roads on Sunday nig»»»

New Delhi: It promised jobs at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, had its own website, “HR executives” calling applicants and even issued offer letters. There was just one problem: “Bretish Airways” did not exist. Delhi Police say they have busted a fake airline recruitment racket that al»»»

JEDDAH: Arab Australian novelist Yumna Kassab stakes out her new novel, “Goodbye, My Love,” in the unglamorous aftermath of an Arab woman choosing to walk away from her marriage. Based in Sydney, she was the inaugural Parramatta Laureate in Literature in 2024-2025, which culminated in a recently pu»»»

The current Israeli movements, detonations, strikes and shelling "appear to be a prelude to a military operation" in south Lebanon, given that the strikes "are targeting all the high ground surrounding the Ali al-Taher hill, especially the al-Dabsheh hill and the al-Tahra hill, two hills that were »»»

Sharjah: Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed on Monday morning the swearing-in ceremony of 31 members of the Judiciary and Public Prosecution in the Emirate of Sharjah, held at His Highness's office. The swearing-in ceremony included six judges of the Co»»»

Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Sharjah Council for Higher Education and Scientific Research, has approved 4,434 scholarships for Emirati students and children of Emirati women admitted to eight higher educ»»»

Abu Dhabi: A strengthening El Niño could bring the UAE a warmer-than-usual winter, an earlier start to the rainy season and periods of heavier rainfall stretching into spring 2027, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Dr Mohammed Al Abri, director of the Meteorology Department at the NC»»»