Dubai: Europe’s oldest monarch has been admitted to hospital after a medical examination, with Norway’s King Harald V requiring treatment for fluid retention linked to medication for a blood disorder, the Royal Palace said on Monday. The 89-year-old was admitted to Rikshospitalet in Oslo after an e»»»

Prime Minister Péter Magyar called on MBH Bank and Lőrinc Mészáros, who has ties to business interests with stakes in the lender, to reinstate a charity programme benefitting children from low-income households with good grades in a post on Facebook on Monday. New HQ of Lőrinc Mészáros’s bank too e»»»

Architect Stoyan Petkov has taken over GERB local organizations in the Varna region. The new chairman of both the city and regional party chapters was officially introduced by the leader Boyko Borissov. He explained that party members, including MPs, MEPs, district and municipal mayors had rallied »»»

Nearly 8 in 10 Argentine households earn less than the national average, helping explain why consumer spending remains weak despite signs of improvement in the broader economy File Photo by Matias Martin Campaya/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Nearly 8 in 10 Argentine households earn less than the national av»»»

An image made with a drone shows an Amazon Web Services data center in Ashburn, Va., on Sept. 23, 2025. File Photo by Jim Scalzo/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Nvidia announced on Monday that it will finance an OpenAI data center in Ohio for up to $105 billion. The credit from Nvidia will fund the data cente»»»

Egypt’s new Criminal Procedure Law will take effect on October 1, 2026, as the Justice Ministry prepares to implement the legislation alongside a broader programme to digitise the judicial system, accelerate court proceedings and improve judicial efficiency. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reviewed »»»

Egypt-China trade reached approximately $20.8bn in 2025, with Chinese exports to Egypt accounting for nearly $19.9bn, compared with just $819m in Egyptian exports to China, Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service Abdel Aziz Elsherif said. The figures highlight both the scale of the economic partner»»»

Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is expanding a digital spatial monitoring system designed to detect encroachments and violations affecting waterways, water infrastructure and ministry-administered land at an early stage, as part of efforts to strengthen digital oversight and gove»»»

1 of 2 | British Prime Minister Andy Burnham gives a speech outside No 10 Downing Street on July 20. On Monday, sources close to the prime minister said he received messages from someone impersonating White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo Aug. 17 (UPI) -»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has begun enforcing new inspection and monitoring powers over private and non-profit organisations that violate the rights of people with disabilities, with penalties for the most serious breaches reaching SAR500,000 ($133,000). The Authority for the Care of People with Disabili»»»

The UAE is moving ahead with plans to transform 50% of government sectors, services and operations into models powered by Agentic AI within the next two years, as officials work to build the technology and data infrastructure needed for the shift. The Higher Committee for Agentic AI organised the “»»»

Dubai: A Canadian-bred falcon has sold for 1.3 million Saudi riyals ($346,000) at an auction north of Riyadh, making it the most expensive bird sold at this year’s event and the second-highest sale in the auction’s history. The juvenile three-quarter gyr Super White falcon, bred by Jim Wilson Falco»»»

Helsinki: A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland reveals that regular coffee consumption is associated with reduced body fat and lower visceral fat levels. According to a report by the New York Post, the study surveyed over 2,200 participants regarding their dieta»»»

More than 3.1 million guests visited Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi during the first half of 2026, as the landmark continued to attract worshippers and visitors from around the world. According to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, the mosque welcomed 3,127,607 guests during the six-mont»»»

LONDON: In a sign of the growing pressure on Syria’s embattled captagon networks, smugglers are increasingly taking to the air — not in aircraft, but using balloons in an attempt to bypass tighter border controls and carry the illicit drug into Jordan and beyond. Increasingly, however, their balloo»»»

U.S. rescue teams conduct search operations for survivors following two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 30. File Photo by U.S. Department of State/UPI | License Photo Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Major earthquakes that struck Venezuela»»»

Dubai: Two farmers in Kentucky have rejected a Dh97.25 million ($26.48 million) offer for land that has been in their family for generations, after learning that the property was being sought for a vast data centre intended to support artificial intelligence infrastructure. Delsia Bare and her moth»»»

Dubai: At least 15 people were killed in two separate disasters involving Hindu pilgrims in eastern India on Monday, with eight dying in a hotel fire in West Bengal and seven in a crowd crush at a temple in neighbouring Bihar, officials said. The incidents occurred during Shravan, a sacred month in»»»

Monschau, Germany: Firefighters and farmers backed by water-dropping aircraft battled through a fourth day Monday to tame Belgium's worst wildfire in a century, still burning through pristine parkland though it was halted short of the German border. The blaze charring the High Fens nature reserve, »»»

A prominent Malian broadcaster and an influencer were on Monday jailed for seven years after criticising the ruling junta. Mohamed Youssouf Bathily was convicted by the Bamaka court of criminal conspiracy and discrediting the state alongside Rokia Doumbia, a noted campaigner. A Malian court sentenc»»»

AL-MUKALLA: At least seven missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthis struck two government-controlled areas on Yemen’s Red Sea coast on Monday, as the militia continued to mourn dozens of fighters killed during its latest military escalation, local officials said. Two missiles struck Mokha seapo»»»

Nearly 10 years after the attempted referendum on Catalan independence which led to violent clashes between the public and the police, the political demands of the independence movement have not been met. ENTR travelled to Catalonia in June to meet with young people there who are continuing the fig»»»

By UPI Staff A look at the women who have served as presidents of Latin American countries, both elected and interim. This collection highlights the modern female leaders who have shaped national politics across the region in recent decades. Violeta Chamorro, Nicaragua President-elect of Nicaragua »»»

Dubai: After spending nearly six months largely out of sight, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is beginning to show what his Iran will look like. And it looks increasingly like a country preparing for a long fight. Khamenei has installed a string of veteran military and security har»»»

Russia's meat and feed exporters face a choice between two very different markets: Iran, slow and bureaucratic but predictable, and the Philippines, fast-growing but brutal on price. This is what Russia's pivot to Asia looks like at the level of an actual container. Shut out of European agricultura»»»

The EU bought €809mn of Russian liquefied natural gas in June, 57% more than a year earlier, with Belgium the single biggest buyer. That gave Russia 24.1% of the EU's LNG market by value, second only to the US on 54.3% and €1.83bn. Belgium took €268mn worth, its highest since July 2025, ahead of Fr»»»

Russia's meat and feed exporters face a choice between two very different markets: Iran, slow and bureaucratic but predictable, and the Philippines, fast-growing but brutal on price. This is what Russia's pivot to Asia looks like at the level of an actual container. Shut out of European agricultura»»»

Five years after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on Washington to reopen its embassy in Kabul and deepen diplomatic and economic engagement with the country. The appeal includes potential US investment in Afghanistan’s mineral resources an»»»

Russia's banks are earning more than ever, yet beneath the record profits lie mounting bad debts, a flight to cash and a corporate-loan pile that few in Moscow can measure. The country's largest lender, state-controlled Sberbank, posted a record IFRS net profit of RUB1.01tn ($12.6bn) in 1H26, up 19»»»

The EU bought €809mn of Russian liquefied natural gas in June, 57% more than a year earlier, with Belgium the single biggest buyer. That gave Russia 24.1% of the EU's LNG market by value, second only to the US on 54.3% and €1.83bn. Belgium took €268mn worth, its highest since July 2025, ahead of Fr»»»

Russia's meat and feed exporters face a choice between two very different markets: Iran, slow and bureaucratic but predictable, and the Philippines, fast-growing but brutal on price. This is what Russia's pivot to Asia looks like at the level of an actual container. Shut out of European agricultura»»»

Russia's main state development bank has sacked its chief economist over a speech he gave three months ago, in which he said the Russian economy would survive. Andrei Klepach, chief economist at VEB.RF for 12 years, was dismissed on August 16. VEB.RF chairman Igor Shuvalov let him go on an instruct»»»

Anxiety in Russia has climbed back to the level it reached when Vladimir Putin ordered mobilisation four years ago. Some 57% of Russians describe the situation in their country as tense and a further 13% call it critical or explosive - 70% between them, the highest since September 2022. Only 19% sa»»»

Armenian banks must now identify and freeze payments designed to slip past Western sanctions on Russia, under central bank rules that took effect on August 12. The requirements sit inside a new regulation on banks' minimum internal control standards approved by the Central Bank of Armenia. Lenders »»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has cracked down on tankers caught disposing of wastewater at unauthorised locations, penalising several vehicles in a fresh drive to protect the emirate's public spaces and environment. The municipality told Gulf News on Monday that multiple tankers were caught dumping wa»»»

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Monday sentenced prominent opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years in prison over his criticism of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. The 63-year-old is among the very few Kremlin opponents who remained in Russia after it launched a sweeping crackdown on dissent follo»»»

Albania’s Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari has introduced Ervis Gjoshi as the new acting head of the country’s General Directorate of Fire Protection and Rescue, as authorities seek to strengthen the national response to emergencies and wildfire risks. Gjoshi takes over the leadership of the ins»»»

1 of 3 | The U.S. Supreme Court once again rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to appeal the verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse and defamation case on Monday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court once again rejected President Donald Trum»»»

Dubai: James Dacombe left school as a teenager to build a technology company. Eight years later, the British entrepreneur has become Europe’s youngest self-made billionaire, after his artificial intelligence chip start-up Olix secured a $3.3 billion valuation. The 25-year-old joined the billionaire»»»

Dubai: A Canadian-bred falcon has sold for 1.3 million Saudi riyals ($346,000) at an auction north of Riyadh, making it the most expensive bird sold at this year’s event and the second-highest sale in the auction’s history. The juvenile three-quarter gyr Super White falcon, bred by Jim Wilson Falco»»»

Massive wildfires are burning across Europe, from Belgium and Greece to Spain, Italy and France. Alexander Held, Senior Expert at the European Forest Institute, explains why fires are spreading into unexpected areas and whether Europe is facing a new normal. He also looks at how citizens can help p»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia’s capital continues to embrace visual arts outside the traditional confines of museums and display galleries, artistic installations have seamlessly woven themselves into everyday culture — appearing everywhere from the King Abdullah Financial District and metro stations to »»»

Duane "Keefe D" Davis was arrested September 29, 2023, on a single charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang, in the 1996 shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur. File Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Aug. 17 (UPI»»»

Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomed more than 3.12 million guests in the first half of 2026, reinforcing its position as one of the UAE’s most prominent religious and cultural landmarks and an increasingly important destination for international visitors. The Sheikh Zayed Gra»»»

The Abu Dhabi Centre for Hazardous Materials Management, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, organised a specialised workshop on the safe handling of hazardous materials at an industrial facility engaged in their handling and management. The workshop aimed to enhance employee»»»

Emirates NBD has launched what it says is the UAE’s first dedicated transition finance framework, creating a formal structure to help companies in high-emitting industries secure funding as they move towards lower-carbon business models. The framework is designed for corporate and institutional cli»»»

Prosecutor Vladimir Nikolov from the District Prosecution Office - Pleven (Northern Bulgaria) has been nominated for election as a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the prosecutors' quota, the SJC said on its website. Nikolov was nominated by magistrates from the Supreme Cassation P»»»

Dubai: The UAE remains open for business and commercial air travel, but the security situation around the Gulf remains tense as the United States and Iran enter another uncertain phase of their confrontation. The immediate concerns for UAE residents are air travel, shipping through the Strait of Ho»»»

Two anti-drone systems have been delivered and will now be prepared for service, the Defence Ministry said Monday, responding to a BTA inquiry. The ministry added that personnel must familiarize themselves with the equipment before it is commissioned. The systems were purchased from the US company »»»

Richard Branson's VirginTrains won approval from British regulators Monday to access track running beneath the English Channel, bringing the company's plans to launch passenger services from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam susbtantially closer. File photo by Will Oliver/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) --»»»