Damascus, Aug. 17 (SANA)– The price of 21-carat gold rose by SYP 100 per gram in the Syrian market Monday compared with Sunday’s rate. According to a bulletin issued by the General Authority for Precious Metals Management, one gram of 21-carat gold was priced at SYP 16,200 ($132.79) for selling and»»»

Total assets of Kyrgyzstan’s banking sector reached 1,577.3 trillion soms as of the end of June 2026, up 30.2 percent since the beginning of the year. The press service of the National Bank reported. According to the central bank, positive growth was recorded across all key segments of the banking »»»

A new bus station has been opened in the city of Manas on Shabdanbai Abdramanov Street in Kok-Art area. According to the City Hall, the facility covers 2.2 hectares and was built taking into account modern standards. The necessary amenities have been provided for passengers. The new bus station wil»»»

Arab Finance: Egypt’s Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport is targeting EGP 19.589 billion in net profit and EGP 29.922 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year (FY) 2026/2027, including the projections of Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company, as per a statement. Ministe»»»

At least 10 killed, 7 injured as Ukraine, Russia trade attacks overnight. File photo by Strnger/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) -- At least six people were killed and four, including a child, were injured overnnight in a Ukrainian missile strike on a small community in Russia's southwestern Belgorod province. Be»»»

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 »»»

On August 16, 2026, the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) uncovered a corrupt group involved in illegally allowing freight trucks to pass through the Ak-Tilek — Avtodorozhny checkpoint. The investigation found that officials from the Kyrgyz Border Service and the Department»»»

US envoy Jared Kushner on Monday meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt aimed at reviving a US-backed Gaza peace plan that Israel has so far rejected. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.    Yesterday's developments:  &nb»»»

US envoy Jared Kushner is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after holding talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt aimed at reviving a US-backed Gaza peace plan that Israel has so far rejected. Noga Tarnopolsky, FRANCE 24's correspondent in Israel, has more on the stakes rela»»»

KAZAN, Russia (Sputnik) - Trade between Russia and China could reach a new historic high by the end of 2026, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said on Monday. "In recent years, Chinese-Russian trade and economic cooperation has demonstrated steady growth … It is quite possible that a new hi»»»

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»»»

The Ebola outbreak in the DR of Congo is spreading, with the virus now confirmed in a sixth province, raising fresh concerns about new infections and the challenges facing health teams. Meanwhile, the migration crisis between Morocco and Spain continues, as Moroccan authorities step up security aro»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Monday with the Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the State of Qatar HE Adam Shareef Umar. During the meeting, the cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Monday with Charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in the State of Qatar, HE Christopher Hodges. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance t»»»

Seoul, Aug. 17 (SANA) A South Korean oil tanker is heading home with crude loaded at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port after transiting the Suez Canal, marking the first such shipment since the Strait of Hormuz was closed in late February, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Monday.The mini»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy explained the causes of the technical failure that occurred in the country’s power system on August 14. According to the ministry, at 3:37 p.m., following a disruption, Kyrgyzstan’s power system became disconnected from the Unified Power System of Central Asia and sw»»»

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»»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday blamed pollution in Gulf waters on US military operations in the region, after several oil spills were reported. “This environmental damage stems from the US military presence and the wars it has waged in the region over the past five decades,” foreign mini»»»

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 »»»

MedLife, Romania’s largest private healthcare network and one of the country’s leading investors in medical genetics, has launched the first gut microbiome test in Romania to be processed entirely in its own laboratories, using shotgun metagenomics technology. The new test provides a detailed pictu»»»

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»»»

Personnel changes have taken place at the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic. In accordance with an order signed by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Rysgul Akimzhanova has been appointed Deputy Min»»»

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»»»

DOHA: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met with Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the State of Qatar HE Peter Chaloupecký on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs thanked the ambassador for his efforts i»»»

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»»»

Two drones launched from inside Iran targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office and the home of the autonomous region's intelligence chief overnight, authorities said Monday. "Two Hadid-110 type explosive-laden drones were launched from across the Iranian border toward the private office »»»

Robertville, Belgium: Much-needed rain brought some respite Monday to firefighters on their fourth day battling Belgium's worst wildfire in a century, which has scorched vast expanses of nature reserve on the German border. Europe has been swept by weeks of devastating wildfires fuelled by dry cond»»»

Washington, Aug. 17 (SANA) Gold prices edged higher on Monday, supported by a weaker dollar and U.S. economic data that reduced expectations of an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve next month. Spot gold rose 0.3% to $4,388.62 an ounce, while U.S. gold futures for December delivery gained 0.»»»

At least 26 emergency shutdowns of high-voltage power transmission lines have been registered in Kyrgyzstan over the past 18 months. According to the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration Adylbek Kasymaliev, the incidents were caused by violations of opera»»»

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»»»

Israeli troops opened Monday heavy machine gun fire towards the southern towns of Hadatha and El Khiam. An overnight strike targeted Wadi al-Hujeir, while artillery shelled on Sunday night Beit Yahoun and Hadatha. Israeli strikes on Saturday killed 11 people in southern Lebanon, in the deadliest at»»»

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»»»

Tour operators have recorded a decline in the number of Russian tourists traveling to Kyrgyzstan. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia reported a 2.2 percent decrease in trips by Russian citizens to Kyrgyzstan in the first six months of 2026. A decline was also recorded in travel to Kazakhst»»»

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, »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) general index decreased by 55.93 points, or 0.56%, at the start of Monday's trading, reaching 9989 points, under pressure from most sectors. The market data showed declines in Consumer Goods and Services (-0.85%), Banks and Financial Services (-0.72%), Indust»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met today with Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the State of Qatar, HE Petr Chalupecky, on the occasion of the end of his tenure. His Excellency the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs extended his thanks to the »»»

In 2025, Kyrgyzstan published around 4.09 million educational and methodological materials, more than the total produced over the previous eight years combined. Kut Bilim newspaper reported. For comparison, about 3.74 million textbooks were published in Kyrgyzstan over the preceding eight years. At»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev presented key socioeconomic indicators for January—July 2026 during a regular government meeting. According to Kasymaliev, preliminary estimates show that Kyrgyzstan’s GDP reached 1.172»»»

What if your hot coffee came with a bit of cloud? In a (now) viral move, one café in Singapore crafted an interactive drink that makes for great photos and sweet sips. Called Sweet Little Rain, this drink by Mellower Coffee, comes with a puff of candy floss suspended over a cup of black coffee. As »»»

DUBAI: The Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced on Sunday that 144 athletes representing 19 national teams will represent the nation at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4. The committee, in a press release, confirmed that the Saudi delegation would co»»»

DUBAI: Two drones attacked the office of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister in Iraq on Monday, the KRG security agency said. The attacks were launched from Iranian territory and targeted the prime minister’s private office and the residence of the director of the region’s security a»»»

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 »»»