WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump on Monday called the idea of the Strait of Hormuz becoming part of the US is great. "I do think it's a great idea," Trump told reported. The president also claimed once again that the US has "total control" over the strait.Last week, Trump said he wo»»»

Dubai: Around 1,700 aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been rescued from an alleged large-scale illegal recruitment scheme involving fake job offers in Central Europe, the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said. Authorities arrested Mazhoor Ubongin Khusin, also known as “»»»

Egyptian Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem participated in laying the foundation stone for the Sungrow Power Suez plant, which will specialize in advanced battery energy storage systems (BESS) and is set to become the first dedicated energy storage systems manufacturing facility in the Middle East»»»

Egypt plans to establish a new investment entity to coordinate its investments in Africa and is urging the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) to expand its backing for continental infrastructure and trade initiatives, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Sunday. Abdelatty, who »»»

LONDON: An Israeli-Palestinian nonprofit organization on Monday urged the EU and the governments of the UK, Canada and Australia to impose sanctions on Avi Bluth, head of the Israeli military’s Central Command, for failure to prevent mounting attacks by settlers on Palestinian communities in the oc»»»

The Government, trade unions and employers reached an alignment on a mechanism for setting the national minimum wage, the Finance Ministry said Monday. Changes in four equally weighted indicators will determine how much the minimum wage may increase. The Price Index of a Small Basket will be used t»»»

Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa plans to apply to the Industrial Development Agency, ARP, for a loan of up to PLN 1.066 billion as the troubled mining group works to stabilize its finances. JSW’s management approved the application on Monday. The proposed financing would replace an earlier plan involvin»»»

The Government, trade unions and employers agreed on a mechanism for setting the national minimum wage, the Finance Ministry said Monday. Changes in four equally weighted indicators will determine how much the minimum wage may increase. The Price Index of a Small Basket will be used to determine th»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent: Israeli occupation forces carry out a bombing in the town of Al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon 17-08-2026 18:52 PM La»»»

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-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»»»

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II said China and Arab countries have maintained durable ties through decades of regional upheaval by focusing on practical cooperation and shared interests, as he called for deeper coordination on easing tensions in the Middle East. In an interview with China’s Xinhu»»»

BEIRUT: Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon continued on Monday, as a 60-day deadline set by an agreement in June between US-Iran to reach a deal on ending their conflict expired, an arrangement Tehran previously said also applied to Lebanon. However, an official Lebanese source told Arab News that»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent: Israeli artillery targets the outskirts of Zawtary Sharqiyeh town, South Lebanon 17-08-2026 17:13 PM Latest News Ur»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife, in collaboration with Neom, has documented the birth of the first striped hyena cub since two breeding pairs were reintroduced to the Neom Nature Reserve. The birth is a positive sign that the hyenas have adapted successfully to the reserve and o»»»

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, »»»

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»»»

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 »»»

London: The head of Cambridge university Monday condemned a "racist feeding frenzy" prompted by plagiarism claims against black academic Jason Arday, as his supporters prepared for a London vigil after his death last week. Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest ever black professor in 2023, was fou»»»

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israel and the Board of Peace have agreed that the disarmament of Palestinian movement Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip must precede the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu's office said on Monday. "The prime minister and the Board of Peace held in-depth»»»

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»»»

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan monks have joined residents of the coastal locality of Hiriketiya in protesting the presence of Israeli tourists, whom they accuse of setting up illegal establishments and disturbing the peace near one of the country’s most famous Buddhist temples. Hiriketiya is a fishing villag»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IRGC Responds to Trump’s Allegations about Backchannel Talks: We Are the Arm and Voice of the Iranian People 17-08-2026 17:08 PM The Islami»»»

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 »»»

The ever-expanding radius of Russian strikes – targeting a vital steel plant in central Ukraine, drone factories in Kiev, and seaborne logistics along the Black Sea are aimed at systematically dismantling the country’s MIC, RANEPA Institute of Law & National Security expert Alexander Stepanov told »»»

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) --»»»

The 2028 presidential race is already taking shape around a paradox: Vice President Sara Duterte remains the strongest early candidate in the polls, yet the impeachment trial that could define her political future is still unfolding. That combination makes any forecast tentative. Duterte has a powe»»»

Planet One Group Chairman and Founder Sanjeev Mansotra met Honorable Adama Diawara, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ivory Coast in Dubai on August 12, 2026, amid plans for a $1 billion investment in Côte d’Ivoire’s higher education sector. The prospective commitment brings fre»»»