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»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has confirmed his participation in the Russia-Africa summit in October in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "In this context, we also discussed the fact that the third Russia-Africa summit, which will be held at »»»

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»»»

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is now the deadliest in the country's history, according to the latest government data, with 2,235 reported killed from the virus. Confirmed cases have risen to 4,945, including 101 new cases detected in the last 24 hours, Congo's public health ins»»»

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was on Monday booed by dozens of residents of the town of Le Porge in southwestern France, a region ravaged by wildfires, in a show of anger at the government's handling of the worst such crisis to hit the country in decades.  Dozens of residents on Mond»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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'»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

LUGANSK (Sputnik) - Ukraine is frantically trying to solve the shortage of air defense missiles by combining Soviet and Western systems, which ultimately threatens to result in civilian casualties, military expert Andrey Marochko told Sputnik. "According to my information, Ukraine is now franticall»»»

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»»»

With the new management of the Varna water utility, a technical solution will be found to cut off the water supply to buildings constructed illegally in the Baba Alino locality, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Shishkov said in Varna, on the Black Sea, on Monday. Shishkov inspect»»»

In Saint-Louis, Senegal, traditional pirogue races are keeping alive a centuries-old tradition dating back nearly 200 years. Held in the fishing district of Guet Ndar, the 3.5-kilometre race brings together dozens of rowers and huge crowds, turning the event into both a major sporting competition a»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Dubai: Commercial Bank of Dubai customers can now initiate payments from eligible accounts held with other banks directly through the CBD mobile app, bringing multiple banking relationships into a single app experience. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click »»»

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»»»

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»»»

Kinshasa: An Ebola outbreak has now killed 2,325 people in Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the deadliest outbreak of the virus, according to government figures released Monday. The deaths were from 4,945 confirmed cases, overtaking an outbreak in 2018-2020 that killed 2,299 people from 3,38»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The West is planning a provocation involving accusations against Russia of allegedly supplying weapons illegally to drug cartels and other organized crime groups in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Monday. According to the SVR, »»»

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 »»»

Seoul: Republic of Korea's industry minister Kim Jung-kwan has said that Seoul and Washington need to resolve outstanding issues over a US$200 billion investment plan agreed upon as part of their bilateral tariff negotiations. Industry Minister made the remarks after arriving in Dallas, Texas, as R»»»

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 »»»

ABU DHABI: The Ultimate Fighting Championship, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, is set to return to the UAE capital with UFC 333. The event will see UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and undefeated No. 1-ranked contender Movsar Evloev headlining »»»

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»»»

Dubai: UAE banks recorded net profits of Dh90.8 billion in 2025, up 11.7% from the previous year, while the banking system’s total assets increased 17.1% to Dh5.3 trillion, according to the Central Bank of the UAE’s Financial Stability Report 2025. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf»»»

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»»»

Athens: Two fires on the Greek island of Salamis near Athens that claimed two lives and led to the evacuation of nearly 600 people have been largely extinguished, the fire service said Monday. "The situation is better, there is no active front," a fire department spokesman told AFP, adding that two»»»

Damascus, Aug. 17 (SANA) Syria has intensified diplomatic efforts to challenge attempts to alter the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan, relying on UN resolutions and growing international support for its demand that Israel withdraw to the June 4, 1967 line. Damascus has pursued the issue at»»»

Rescuers were digging through collapsed buildings and clearing landslide-blocked roads Monday as Indonesia's death toll from a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake rose to at least 54, with thousands of people still displaced across eastern Indonesia, local media reported. The earthquake struck early »»»

Dubai: Oman’s Ministry of Labour imposed fines totalling OMR3.246 million and deported nearly 3,000 workers following a nationwide crackdown on labour violations, according to its latest inspection figures. The ministry said 6,707 inspection visits were carried out across Oman’s governorates as aut»»»

Russia has begun its winter campaign to freeze Ukraine into submission early and since the end of July has been tearing into what is left of Ukraine’s power sector. Last year’s campaign only scaled up in September, hitting Ukraine's power grid in the hope of making its major cities unliveable. Temp»»»