President Donald Trump’s social media rhetoric threatening a “crushing economic operation” against Iran preceded a 3% bump in oil prices on Thursday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Oil prices were up 3% Thursday after President Donald Trump's threat to impose a "c»»»

Abu Dhabi has recorded its first-ever Olive Ridley turtle nest, a rare discovery that scientists say offers new insight into the emirate’s marine environment and highlights the importance of continued conservation work. The nest was found on Saadiyat Island during a routine patrol by the Environmen»»»

NEW DELHI: India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Palestinian authorities to build a specialty hospital in the West Bank, following an international appeal for urgent healthcare assistance made by the Palestinian Embassy in New Delhi. On Wednesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad M»»»

Central bankers do not usually forecast the weather. The European Central Bank's chief economist has just put one into his. The Climate Crisis has gone beyond a fringe obsession of hippie tree-hugers and entered the studies of central bankers, who have been forced to sit up and take notice of the u»»»

London: Six years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dramatically walked away from royal life and moved across the Atlantic, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing to return to Britain with their children. The reported move marks an extraordinary turn in a saga that has included an explosiv»»»

János Lázár, a former minister in Hungary’s previous government and arguably Fidesz’s most prominent political figure after Viktor Orbán, has resigned from his parliamentary mandate, effective 20 August. Former transport minister leaves Parliament Lázár announced the decision in a lengthy Facebook »»»

Dubai Municipality has restructured 20 services as part of efforts to simplify procedures, improve government efficiency and provide customers with a faster and more seamless experience. The overhaul includes changes to the operating models of 13 services, with some integrated into other services, »»»

Russia is destroying Ukraine's weapons “before they ever end up being used against its troops,” Viktor Litovkin, a retired Russian Army colonel and veteran military analyst, tells Sputnik. Russia's strikes on military plants, logistics hubs, and weapons depots pack a triple whammy effect: Ukraine c»»»

Dubai: The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) reviewed 2,267 humanitarian cases during the first half of 2026, approving 1,295 after assessing their circumstances and eligibility under approved humanitarian criteria. GDRFA Dubai said its Humanitarian Cases »»»

Dubai: Iran says it controls the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump insists the United States has broken Tehran’s grip on the vital waterway. The reality is more complicated — and could help explain why a conflict now deep into its sixth month remains so difficult to end. Shipping traffic remains sever»»»

Dubai: There's that one moment at a boarding gate when a person's true character shows itself. The first boarding call sounds — group one, mind you — and suddenly half the waiting area rises as if to a starting gun only they could hear. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesS»»»

The State has earmarked EUR 20 million for preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 through the end of this year, Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov said in Burgas on Thursday, as the host city began work on the organization of the event and Sofia Municipality sought detailed feedback on wh»»»

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has emphasized the importance of UNIFIL forces' presence in southern Lebanon and their assigned role, both in “maintaining security in the south and in supporting the Lebanese Army's deployment across all Lebanese territory up to the international border, as stipul»»»

The founder of China Evergrande Group, the world's most-indebted property developer, was sentenced to life in prison by a Chinese court on Thursday, five years after the firm's collapse shook the nation's economy and financial markets. China sentenced the founder of embattled property giant Evergra»»»

Tehran: Six months into its war with the United States, Iran's military has begun signalling a shift from retaliation to offence, which analysts say could reflect Tehran's belief it holds leverage to advance its demands and break the stalemate. Since US-Israeli strikes launched the war on February »»»

CAIRO: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Dr Mostafa Madbouly on the sidelines of the seventh session of the Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committee, held in Cairo, Egypt. Duri»»»

CAIRO: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE DrBadr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the seventh session of the Qatari-Egyptian Jo»»»

Today, nuclear energy is a source of pride for Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. Putin convened a meeting on the development of nuclear energy. On Thursday, the Russian nuclear industry marks the 81st anniversary of its founding."Today, nuclear energy - with its powerful concentration »»»

Burgas Airport says it is ready to handle increased passenger traffic expected around Eurovision 2027, with thousands of visitors from Bulgaria and abroad anticipated to travel to the city for the competition. The airport has already begun discussions with airlines about next summer's flight schedu»»»

This week The Telegraph reported that “Russians withdraw billions from banks amid fears Putin could seize deposits.” What actually happened is Russian bank deposits have doubled since the start of the war in Ukraine and are still rising. Russians are not taking money out of banks; they are putting »»»

CAIRO: President of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met in Cairo on Thursday with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who is visiting Egypt as the head of the State of Qatar's delegation to the seventh session of »»»

Natalie Harp has spent years operating close to US President Donald Trump while attracting little public attention. But recent events have thrust the 35-year-old presidential aide into the spotlight, including accompanying Trump on a secret flight from Turkey during a reported security threat. »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are reshaping how they finance the next wave of infrastructure, moving beyond government spending to tap private and institutional capital for projects spanning energy, water, and the digital economy. The shift marks a broader change in the Gulf’s inves»»»

Hungary’s public broadcaster has launched its revamped flagship news programme, with its first edition featuring comments from opposition figures and critics of the government: a notable change in tone following a major overhaul of the public media’s news operation. The new Híradó aired for the fir»»»

The Sofia City Prosecution Office (SCPO) has initiated two pre-trial proceedings based on sufficient data indicating possible crimes related to the construction of Lot 4 of the Hemus Motorway and the Northern Speed Tangent project, the prosecution service said here on Thursday. The pre-trial procee»»»

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the start of preparatory work on a project to build the country’s second nuclear power plant. The head of state made the announcement during a working visit to Khorezm region, Podrobno.uz reported. According to the president, reliable energy supp»»»

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SCPO) has initiated two pre-trial proceedings based on sufficient data indicating possible crimes related to the construction of Lot 4 of the Hemus Motorway and the Northern Speed Tangent project, the prosecution service said here on Thursday. The pre-trial proce»»»

Cairo: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Dr. Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of the seventh session of the »»»

Eight vultures have died in a suspected poisoning incident in Bulgaria's Central Balkan National Park, including black and griffon vultures and the country's only bearded vulture, conservationists reported. The first dead birds were discovered on August 18 in difficult-to-reach terrain at an altitu»»»

Donald Trump said just before midnight Washington time that he has a deal with Canada to avoid 50% tariffs, and thus the tariffs are on pause for three days. Although that may not be the case a few more seconds from now. Just ask Iran. Whoops, here we go already. Canada has already disputed the exi»»»

Dubai: Beijing has become a showcase for robots that could transform the way people work, with hundreds of companies displaying AI-powered machines at a major robotics conference. The robots on show come in many forms, taking on tasks ranging from making coffee and sandwiches to boxing. Even a robo»»»

Dubai: A 50-kilometre automated people mover (APM) will be built at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), creating what its developer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) says will be the world’s largest airport APM system. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe sys»»»

The Democratic Republic ‌of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of Merck’s Ervebo vaccine for Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, as the country attempts to contain its biggest ever outbreak of the deadly disease. Here are some details: Last week Congo had requested a release o»»»

Israel's defense minister on Thursday accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of dragging Turkey into "dangerous adventures in Syria", after Israel tacitly acknowledged a strike on a north Syria air base earlier in the week. "Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security," Israel Katz wr»»»

International payment platforms Sendwave and Wise Group (Nasdaq: WSE; LSE: WISE) have restricted services for Kenyan users amid heightened scrutiny of the country’s anti-money-laundering regime, Business Daily reported on August 18. Sendwave told a Kenyan customer that it was currently unable to pr»»»

The scenario that keeps Western planners awake is easy to describe and, it turns out, almost entirely unstudied: Russia moves on a Nato member while China moves on Taiwan, The Atlantic reported on August 17. Asked what the West would actually do if Russia and China opened two fronts in Europe and T»»»

Kazakhstan’s first artificial intelligence university plans to enrol 600 students and trainees in the 2026-2027 academic year, as the government expands AI education from higher education to schools and rural classrooms, The Times of Central Asia reported on August 18. Science and Higher Education »»»

Tajikistan will need roughly $5.8bn more to complete construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power plant, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings, which expects the entire project to be finished by 2035.  The figure is lower than S&P's previous estimates, which stood at arou»»»

Dubai: Disney Abu Dhabi may still be an expanse of largely empty land, but Disney boss Bob Iger is already imagining what could rise from it. In newly released documentary Disney Worldbuilders, now streaming on Disney+, Iger stands at the future site of Disney’s first theme park resort in Abu Dhabi»»»

Sharjah is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its public transport network, deploying smart surveillance cameras on intercity buses and taxis to improve passenger safety, monitor driver behaviour and detect accidents and road hazards. The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA»»»

The scenario that keeps Western planners awake is easy to describe and, it turns out, almost entirely unstudied: Russia moves on a Nato member while China moves on Taiwan, The Atlantic reported on August 17. Asked what the West would actually do if Russia and China opened two fronts in Europe and T»»»

Cairo: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Thursday in Cairo with Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, on the sidelines of the seventh session of the Joint Higher Committee between the two coun»»»

Health Minister of Kyrgyzstan Damir Osmonov held a meeting with a Turkish delegation to discuss promising areas of cooperation, including pharmaceutical supply, development of the pharmaceutical industry, digitalization, medical services, project development and infrastructure. Dr. Hassan Chagil, a»»»

Cairo: President of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received on Thursday in Cairo, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. HE the Prime Minister is in Cairo to lead the State of Qatar's delegation in the proceedings o»»»

Dubai: “If this goes ahead, the cost could be as much as Dh2,700 a month for someone relying on visitor parking, which is a significant additional expense for many people in the community,” said Andreas Lambri, a homeowner in Uptown Motor City. Homeowners and residents of the gated Dubai community »»»

A former senior official who worked under US Covid czar Anthony Fauci has pleaded guilty to conspiring to hide government records concerning coronavirus research and the origins of the pandemic. David Morens served as a senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NI»»»

Dubai: Airport ground operations are moving towards more electric and autonomous equipment, with dnata investing $110 million in 800 new ground support units across 10 countries and testing self-driving baggage vehicles in the UAE. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - s»»»

Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov has alerted the Sofia City Prosecution Office about unfavorable contracts and financial losses caused by the previous management of Water and Sewerage (W&S) Energy Group from March 2025 to March 2026. At the time, the managing director»»»

DUBAI: Oman ​said lasting security in the Strait of Hormuz ‌required ‌permanent ​peace ‌in ⁠the ​region and rejected ⁠further escalation or conflict, ⁠its ‌foreign minister told ‌his ​Japanese ‌counterpart ‌on Thursday. Iran has said ‌a deal with Oman ⁠on ⁠new shipping lanes through the strait was »»»

DUBAI: Oman ​said lasting security in the Strait of Hormuz ‌required ‌permanent ​peace ‌in ⁠the ​region and rejected ⁠further escalation or conflict, ⁠its ‌foreign minister told ‌his ​Japanese ‌counterpart ‌on Thursday. Iran has said ‌a deal with Oman ⁠on ⁠new shipping lanes through the strait was »»»