UK summons Israeli envoy over West Bank settlement project
LONDON: Britain said on Wednesday it had summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires and demanded a halt to a major West Bank settlement project after Israeli authorities opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area. The E1 plan, green-lit by Israel last year, has drawn international condemnation, »»»
Trump says US has 'draconian sanctions' ready for Iran; claims Hormuz naval blockade '100% successful'
Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said Washington has "very draconian sanctions" available against Iran and indicated that further measures could be announced, while asserting that the Strait of Hormuz remained open and the naval blockade had been "extremely effect»»»
No, Italy’s Lake Como didn’t dry up
Lake Como in northern Italy has disappeared after a “geological rupture”, a sensational report posted on TikTok claimed. This isn’t true. For one, the footage and photos in this report were all generated by artificial intelligence. Secondly, while the water levels in the lake have dropped, it's bec»»»
Trump says US, Canada reach trade deal, tariffs on farmers to drop to zero
Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said the United States and Canada have reached a trade deal, with tariffs on Canadian imports expected to be reduced to zero for American farmers, subject to the finalisation of documents. "We had a very good conversation with the »»»
Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committee to convene today
QNA El-Alamein A preparatory meeting of senior officials for the Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committee, in its seven session, was held on Wednesday in the city of El-Alamein, Egypt, in preparation for the session scheduled to be held on Thursday, with the participation of a large number of represe»»»
640,000 workers have benefited from Dubai markets, with 99% satisfaction
Dubai Municipality has completed integrated community market projects for workers in Muhaisnah 2, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3 and Al Quoz 4, while a fourth market in Jebel Ali Industrial Area 1 is scheduled to open in the coming period. Together, the projects span more than 69,000 square metres and f»»»
Peter Thiel drops Argentina event as protests target his investments - UPI.com
Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel has withdrawn from a high-profile libertarian summit in Argentina where he was scheduled to appear alongside President Javier Milei, days after protesters dressed as Gandalf demonstrated outside his $12 million Buenos Aires mansion. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/»»»
‘We won’t go back’: Young Moroccan migrants in Ceuta refuse to abandon their European dream
CEUTA, Spain – FRANCE 24 spent an evening with unaccompanied minors who are sleeping rough in Ceuta but refusing to return home. Amid the fear, the cold and the long wait for help, these young Moroccan migrants shared their stories. It’s 2am local time and a heavy s»»»
$658m phosphoric acid complex launched in Egypt’s New Valley to boost mining exports
Egyptian officials laid the foundation stone on Wednesday for a $658m industrial complex to produce phosphoric acid from phosphate ore at the Abu Tartour plateau in the New Valley Governorate. The facility aims to produce 250,000 tonnes annually of highly concentrated commercial phosphoric acid, a »»»
The strongest El Niño on record will hit food prices from Brazil to Indonesia
The Pacific is warming faster than at any point in history, and central bankers have started writing it into their forecasts. A super El Niño now under way began in June and is expected to run into 2027. Carbon Brief analysis of forecasts from 14 modelling groups finds that 96% of runs predict the »»»
Hungary’s wind power capacity could grow tenfold by 2030
Hungary’s long-stagnant wind energy sector could be on the verge of a major transformation. The government has unveiled a package of measures aimed at increasing the country’s wind power capacity more than tenfold by 2030, backed by a planned EUR 1.5 billion investment in electricity grid upgrades,»»»
Ukraine tops the world for crypto use per person as volumes hit $206bn
Ukrainians trade more cryptocurrency per head than anyone else on earth. What they mostly do not do is trade it under Ukrainian law. Ukraine ranks eighth in the world for the spread of crypto-assets and first once the ranking is adjusted for population, Oleksiy Semenyuk, head of the National Securi»»»
Pro-Palestinian rally for Abu Safiya in Budapest draws Israeli and Jewish protest
A Budapest pro-Palestinian protest planned for Friday has triggered growing opposition after Hungarian police said they found no legal grounds to prohibit the gathering. The demonstration is intended to express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and with Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the »»»
Bulgaria Invites International Observers to October Presidential Elections
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has extended invitations for international observation of the presidential and vice-presidential elections scheduled for October 25, 2026, in order to ensure the conduct of fair, free and democratic elections and in fulfillment of its commitments under the Election C»»»
Election Commission Invites Innovation Minister to Meeting on October 25 Presidential Election
The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided at its meeting on Wednesday to invite Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister Ivan Vasilev to a meeting on the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 25, 2026. CEC Chair Georgi Horozov proposed that the meeting with the minister be »»»
Continue the Change Says Radev "Managed to Drag Bulgaria into War" within 100 Days in Office
Continue the Change (CC) Wednesday said that within 100 days in office, the Radev government had managed to drag the country into a war. The statement was published on Facebook following a Financial Times report that Iran is considering military targets in Europe, including Bulgaria, if US Presiden»»»
More UAE companies accept Jaywan payments as airlines, malls and online retailers join network
Dubai: More UAE companies are now accepting Jaywan, the country's domestic card scheme, with national airline Etihad Airways becoming the first airline to allow customers to use Jaywan cards to book flights. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe expansion now includes Maj»»»
Saudi listed banks’ net loans rise 7% to $865.2bn in Q2
RIYADH: Net loans at Saudi Arabia’s 10 listed banks rose 7 percent year on year to SR3.25 trillion ($865.2 billion) by the end of the second quarter of 2026, while deposit growth outpaced lending for a second consecutive quarter, according to Al Rajhi Capital. Deposits increased 9 percent to SR3.15»»»
CC Says Radev Managed to Drag Bulgaria into War within 100 Days in Office
Continue the Change (CC) Wednesday said that within 100 days in office, the Radev government had managed to drag the country into a war. The statement was published on Facebook following a Financial Times report that Iran is considering military targets in Europe, including Bulgaria, if US Presiden»»»
Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committee holds seventh session's preparatory meeting
El-Alamein (Egypt): A preparatory meeting of senior officials for the Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committee in its seven session was held on Wednesday, in the city of El-Alamein, Egypt, in preparation for the session scheduled to be held on Thursday (August 20, 2026), with the participation of a l»»»
ICD signs and deploys second $50m Bahrain facility with Al Salam Bank
RIYADH: The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector has signed a new $50 million line-of-finance facility with Al Salam Bank B.S.C. to expand access to Shariah-compliant funding for private-sector businesses in Bahrain. The institution, known as ICD, said in a post on X the tr»»»
Etihad becomes first airline to accept Jaywan cards for flight bookings
Dubai: UAE customers can now use Jaywan cards to pay for Etihad Airways flights directly on the airline’s website, making Etihad the first airline to accept the UAE’s national domestic card scheme for flight bookings. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click he»»»
Gold prices stable in Syria as global bullion prices rebound
Damascus, Aug. 19 (SANA) Gold prices remained stable in the Syrian market Wednesday, while global bullion prices rebounded as the US dollar and global bond yields eased. According to a bulletin issued by the General Authority for Precious Metals Management, the price of 21-karat gold stood at SYP 1»»»
Dubai events calendar 2026 brings GITEX Global, Big 5, Beautyworld and more through December
Dubai: Dubai will host a packed run of exhibitions, conferences and consumer events through the end of 2026, with GITEX Global, Arabian Travel Market, Beautyworld Dubai, Big 5 Global and Automechanika Dubai among the major shows scheduled between August and December. Get updated faster and for FREE»»»
Qatar, Egypt review bilateral cooperation ahead of 7th Joint Supreme Committee session
EL ALAMEIN: Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Nayef Al Emadi and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Arab Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt HEEhab Fahmychaired in the city of El Alamein on Wednesday the preparatory meeting of senior officials fo»»»