RIYADH: The Buraidah International Dates Carnival has generated more than SR98 million ($26 million) in sales in just 15 days, highlighting the growth of the Kingdom’s date industry. Statistics have revealed that 12,377 vehicles have entered the carnival grounds, transporting 2,084,421 packages of »»»

RIYADH: For a growing number of young Saudi women, summer break is no longer about stepping back — it is about stepping up. Long before receiving their diplomas, high school and university students across the Kingdom are swapping traditional leisure for coding bootcamps, clinical rounds and corpora»»»

RIYADH: Air freight volumes in the Middle East and South Asia fell 6 percent week on week in the first full week of August, the steepest regional decline, as global air cargo volumes dropped 4 percent, according to the latest WorldACD Weekly Air Cargo Trends report. The decline outpaced the 4 perce»»»

UNIFIL said Monday that Israeli ‘military activity’ in southern Lebanon has increased markedly over the past two weeks, with an average of 137 projectiles recorded each day between August 5 and 16. The UN peacekeeping force said the figure rose to 208 projectiles on Saturday and 185 on Sunday, as t»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed major improvements on Al Marabea’ Street in Al Quoz, increasing road capacity and easing congestion on one of the area’s key routes. The project covered a 1.1-kilometre stretch between the Al Khail Road exit and Al Asayel Street. The »»»

Mideast negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days after the premier rejected the 15-point, U.S.-backed road map to move the ceasefire deal forward in Gaza. The meeting, which had stretched to about three hours as of Monday a»»»

Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Monday they had targeted a Saudi military vessel and four accompanying boats in the Red Sea, as part of their maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Yahya Saree, military spokesperson for the Iran-backed Houthis, said they had "succeeded in targeting a military landing shi»»»

Dubai: For millions of Pakistanis, a national identity card is something they carry every day but rarely think about. That could change with a new card that replaces the familiar microchip with something most people already have – a smartphone. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADR»»»

Dubai: Egypt’s embassy in Muscat has warned its citizens against scams involving individuals and tourism companies offering non-existent jobs in Oman after arranging their entry on tourist visas in return for money. The embassy said a large number of Egyptian citizens had fallen victim to fraudster»»»

Dubai: Hundreds of Indian expats on Sunday night took a pledge of loyalty and commitment to the UAE and its leadership, in a moving highlight of an event marking India's 80th Independence Day in Dubai. The gathering, organised by the Indian People's Forum (IPF), one of the largest community associa»»»

BORNOVA: On a Turkish hillside overlooking the olive-covered slopes outside Izmir is a cave known to generations of locals as the place where Homer penned “The Odyssey.” “This place was always called Homer’s Valley by the locals. Travelers from all over the world would come and see the cave where H»»»

President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed on Monday Lebanon’s unyielding commitment to the full implementation of the Israeli-Lebanese framework agreement, underscoring the vital, supportive, and earnest role of the United States in facilitating the process. Aoun described Washington as a steadfast partner »»»

The Municipality of Ruse will purchase two electric buses to serve a future public transport route linking Ruse with the Romanian city of Giurgiu, Ruse Mayor Pencho Milkov said. The investment is worth around EUR 1.3 million and is being financed through a European-funded project. A contract for th»»»

Dubai: More than 21,000 participants, delegates and visitors from over 165 countries are expected in Dubai next week for the 22nd Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition, DIHAD 2026. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The event will »»»

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A Tennessee woman captured video during a recent car trip when a snake slithered out from under the hood of the vehicle. Analissa Hensley said she and her family were in the car when the serpent made its surprise appearance on Callis Road in Lebanon. "I'm sitting there like, 'We ha»»»

The Israeli airstrikes that assassinated two Hezbollah commanders represented “a harsh message to Hezbollah,” following “a security operation carried out about a week prior to the strikes, which Hezbollah is still keeping secret," a diplomatic source said, adding that it is likely to remain unclaim»»»

Dubai: DP World has reached a significant milestone in its US$800 million investment programme to transform the Port of Tartous, completing the delivery of three Mobile Harbour Cranes (MHCs) that will strengthen Syria’s trade infrastructure and support the country’s economic recovery. Sign up for o»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Yemeni Ballistic Missiles Strike Saudi Military Ship in the Red Sea: We’re Closely Monitoring All Enemy Movements 17-08-2026 15:04 PM Yemen»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli light attack drone drops explosives in Dabshe area in Nabatieh district: Al-Manar reporter in southern Lebanon 17-08-2026 14:53 PM »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington's primary goal remains preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Over»»»

Hamas Resistance Movement hailed on Monday the joint statement issued by the foreign minister of UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, KSA, and Egypt to denounce the Israeli rejection of the US plan for Gaza. What follows is the full text of Hamas statement: The Islamic Resistance Moveme»»»

DUBAI: Chinese singer-songwriter Shan Yichun, known for being the youngest star to win reality TV show “The Voice of China,” wore a gown by Lebanese couturier Georges Hobeika to attend the seventh Tencent Music Entertainment Awards at the Galaxy Arena in Macau. The rich purple gown, from the label’»»»

DUBAI: Work by Los Angeles-based Arab-American artist Massoud Hayoun has been acquired by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam. Both were finalized this year and announced this month. The V&A took “The Master’s Tools,” a 2025 acrylic painting, for its M»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz and called for Iran to surrender. “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the sh*t out of them,” Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, referring to ongoing »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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...»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»