DOHA: The Qatar Diamond Exchange (QDE) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Diamond Exchange of Singapore, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange and the Tokyo Diamond Exchange during the 41st World Diamond Congress in Singapore. The agreements reflect QDE's strategic focus on developing cl»»»

Israeli occupation forces continued attacks across southern Lebanon on Monday, carrying out airstrikes, artillery shelling, ground incursion and demolition operation in several areas. Al-Manar correspondent reported that an Israeli light attack drone droped explosives in Dabshe area in Nabatieh dis»»»

Dubai: The UAE and central Arabian Peninsula will witness the first seasonal appearance of the Suhail star on August 24, traditionally marking the gradual easing of the intense summer heat and the transition towards milder weather. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and a»»»

The Danube water level remained stable at the gauging stations in Ruse and Silistra over the past 24 hours, according to the Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River Executive Agency. At three of the stations - Svishtov, Nikopol, and Oryahovo - a decrease of one to two centimeters was record»»»

As of August 17, 2026, the average price of AI 92 gasoline in Bishkek has increased by 1 som compared with the previous week. Data from the Antimonopoly Regulation Service under Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce say. Prices for other major fuel types in the capital remained unchanged ov»»»

Reform U.K.'s Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Robert Jenrick, unveils his party's plans for drastic cuts to welfare at a news conference in London on Monday. Photo by Andy Rain/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Britain's Reform U.K. party said Monday that it would slash almost $68B from welfare, were it to »»»

Dubai: The 60-day clock has run out on Donald Trump’s Iran deal. Now the US president faces a harder question: What does he do next? The memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran in June was supposed to provide a pathway out of the war. It envisioned an end to hostilities, th»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund reported a 9 percent rise in 2025 revenue to $120 billion, while net profit more than doubled to $17 billion, helped by contributions from maturing portfolio companies. In its annual report, the sovereign wealth fund said assets under management exceede»»»

CAIRO: Weather conditions and ‌operational challenges were hampering salvage efforts for a grounded tanker that was leaking Russian crude oil in a protected marine area off Oman’s coast, the sultanate’s state news agency reported on Monday. Oman has been coordinating the salvage operation with risk»»»

Strikes and shelling targeted the southern border towns of al-Mansouri, Aitaroun and Bani Hayyan on Monday as Israeli troops opened heavy machine gun fire towards several southern towns, including Hadatha and al-Khiam. An overnight strike targeted Wadi al-Hujeir, while artillery shelled on Sunday n»»»

The Israeli army is preparing for a possible return to “several days of combat” in Lebanon in light of the ongoing escalation on the Lebanese front, Israel’s Channel 12 has reported. The report indicated that the Israeli army will not relinquish control of the tunnel complex in the Ali Taher height»»»

The U.N. rights chief voiced alarm Monday at the rising civilian toll of escalating hostilities in Yemen, urging restraint and an immediate de-escalation to avoid plunging the country back into a full-scale war. "I urge all parties to halt immediately any actions that risk returning Yemen to full-s»»»

Washington and Tehran have agreed to extend their temporary ceasefire ahead of its expiration on August 17, 2026. According to Anadolu, both sides have formally notified international mediators of their agreement to extend the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Pakistani government sources said»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The information that foreign organizers and sponsors are involving Ukrainian military personnel in terrorist attacks in Africa is alarming, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "The information that those who organize and finance these operations of illegal arme»»»

DOHA, Qatar: Qatar Airways Holidays is set to elevate the Qatar stopover experience with the launch of exclusive FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2026 packages. For the first time, three-day Formula 1 race tickets have been integrated into Qatar Stopover packages along with flights and hote»»»

Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman today discussed the longstanding fraternal ties between the two countries and ways to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the economic and development fields, in support of shar»»»

Dubai: Before Thaikkudam Bridge took the stage in Dubai, rhythm guitarist Ashok Betty Nelson made me a promise: “If you want to dance, if you want to listen to good melodies, come to our show. You will not be disappointed.” Having now watched them in action at Coca-Cola Arena this weekend as a part»»»

MOGADISHU: Somali federal troops drove opposition forces out of one of the country’s biggest cities, Baidoa, on Monday, following heavy clashes that left many people dead, residents told Reuters. Baidoa, which is home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict and hunger in other area»»»

RIYADH: Iraq is targeting a 10 percent contribution from tourism to gross domestic product as part of a national strategy through 2035 aimed at revitalizing the sector and creating 1.5 million jobs. The Tourism Authority held a workshop to discuss a proposed vision for developing a national tourism»»»

GENEVA: The UN rights chief voiced alarm Monday at the rising civilian toll of escalating hostilities in Yemen, urging restraint and an immediate de-escalation to avoid plunging the country back into a full-scale war.“I urge all parties to halt immediately any actions that risk returning Yemen to f»»»

The first improvements along the route of the Sofia Green Ring will become visible in September, the Sofia Municipality press service reported on Monday. In the run-up to the European Volleyball Championship, part of the future east section along Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard will be transformed to »»»

Tunis, Aug. 17 (TAP)- Domestic electricity production grew 5% end of June 2026 to 9,550 GWh (including renewable self-generation), according to the report on the energy situation published by the National Observatory of Energy and...»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has referred a tower to the Public Prosecution after access to the building was denied to a telecommunications service provider. The CRA said the situation was rectified in accordance with the law, with the telecommunications service provid»»»

The Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (SDMK) has announced a tender among domestic suppliers to purchase influenza and meningococcal vaccines for citizens of Kyrgyzstan planning to perform Hajj in 2027. The suppliers and vaccines must meet specific requirements regarding quality, stora»»»

JEDDAH: Qatar-listed companies posted combined net profit of 23.63 billion Qatari riyals ($6.49 billion) in the first half of 2026, down 11.4 percent from a year earlier, as earnings came under pressure across parts of the market. According to data from the Qatar Stock Exchange, the latest bourse i»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said the Qiwa platform recorded more than 3 million services during this year’s second quarter, as it continued efforts to develop the labor market and enhance the efficiency of digital services provided to businesses and ind»»»

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 »»»

The UN delivered aid to Qusra in the West Bank after Israeli settlers cut off several Palestinian families from food, water and electricity. Residents say they have faced months of harassment and attacks, while rights groups accuse settlers of trying to force Palestinians from the area. Critics war»»»

At least 15 cases of rape have been recorded in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta since it was swarmed by the massive influx of migrants in late July, El Mundo reported on Sunday, citing Spain’s national gendarmerie. The crisis erupted on July 30-31 when an estimated 72,000 migrants entere»»»

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»»»

Firefighters in southwestern France are continuing to battle a wildfire that has burned 1,700 hectares of forest in the Landes region. The blaze has stopped spreading but remains out of control, with 550 firefighters, military personnel and six water-bombing aircraft working to contain it and allow»»»

Back to school in France also means “rentrée littéraire”, the annual period when thousands of new books hit shelves across the country. For FRANCE 24, French bookseller Isabelle Claret Lemarchand, who runs a bookshop in London, discusses the style and trends of this year’s new releases, compares th»»»

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»»»

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia last week, killing dozens, injuring hundreds and damaging more than 900 buildings. Nearly 13,000 people have been displaced, with many still sheltering in tents as rescue efforts continue and hospitals treat the wounded.»»»

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»»»