New Delhi: India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $14.881 billion to stand at $765.901 billion, according to the latest figures released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This was the second consecutive week when the country's forex reserves had declined. The previous week, they fell by 4.92 b»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Anwar Gargash, senior diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said Iran "has dragged us into this conflict", after the UAE was "the target of 3,300 missiles and drones" fired by Iran. After US President Donald Trump said h»»»

Armed with paper fortune-tellers and pop worship songs, young French Catholics from the Anuncio movement fanned out into the crowds awaiting Pope Leo XIV's arrival in Paris on Friday, hoping to bring strangers closer to God in one of Europe's most secular countries.    A group gathers aro»»»

Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland have continued to rise as public attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees deteriorate, Kiev’s ambassador to Warsaw, Vasily Bondar, has said. His remarks came a day after a Ukrainian man was detained over a deadly knife attack at a Catholic abbey in southeastern Poland. Po»»»

Doha, Qatar, 25 September 2026: Faith, identity, leadership, and the challenges of today’s ever-shifting world have been explored by over 1,300 young Muslims from across Qatar alongside scholars, educators, thought leaders, and other inspiring voices, as the second edition of Qatar Foundation’s QIY»»»

Nor’easter threatens flooding, power outages and travel chaos across region New York: More than 40 million people in the northeastern United States braced Friday for heavy rain and strong winds as an unusually powerful storm for the season was forecast to crash into the region. New York, Boston and»»»

Pope Leo rode his "popemobile" through the heart of Paris and celebrated vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral on Friday as he opened a four-day state visit to France. The head of the Roman Catholic Church raised existential concerns about scientific progress in speeches at UNESCO heaquarters and the Ély»»»

The European Union on Friday said it will pursue a €120 million fine against the X social network after the US Justice Department said it supported the efforts of X owner Elon Musk to have the case annulled. The bloc fined the platform in 2025 for breaching EU online transparency rules, notably wit»»»

Former accountant accused of setting textile goods ablaze after dispute with employer A dispute over ₹10,000 in unpaid salary allegedly led a former accountant to set fire to textile goods in India’s Surat city, causing an estimated ₹240 million in losses, according to police. The fire broke out at»»»

Doha, Qatar,: Themes of resilience in the face of challenges, unlocking creativity, and how changing our behaviors can have broader impact on the world were placed in the spotlight for young Muslims to discuss and reflect on during the first day of Qatar Foundation’s QIYADA conference. In a talk ti»»»

NEW YORK - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says he will resign from his post in the evening of Sunday, September 27. "Sunday will be a busy day, I will resign on Sunday evening, I think around 8 pm," Vucic told reporters in New York on Thursday evening, adding that he would also provide an expla»»»

Loik Le Priol, one of the main suspects in the 2022 murder of Argentine rugby player Federico Martin Aramburu, asked forgiveness from the victim's family in a Paris court on Friday. Verdicts in the trial of four suspects – including Le Priol and Romain Bouvier, who both have links to France’s »»»

Australian health educator recounts late-night questioning before joining husband in Dubai Dubai: Australian naturopath and health educator Barbara O’Neill has said she was questioned by authorities in Qatar before being allowed to continue her travels and return to Dubai. O’Neill, who has an inter»»»

President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he had made a "final decision" to grant Kyiv the licence to produce Patriot air defence missiles, the Ukrainian leader said Friday. The assurance came during the last meeting between the two leaders, Zelensky said, capping a period of un»»»

The EU has gone through seven waves of enlargement since 1973, but there has not been one since Croatia joined in 2013. Indeed, there are not likely to be any new members in the club before 2028 – some 15 years after Croatia entered. But 2026 undeniably has momentum, and is on track to be a record »»»

Hungary has joined a major international declaration expressing solidarity with Ukraine and calling on Russia to accept a ceasefire and enter meaningful peace negotiations. The move comes after a turbulent period in Hungary-Ukraine relations and shortly after Budapest and Kyiv became embroiled in a»»»

The Bulgarian government has set a target of keeping the budget deficit at no more than 3% by 2027, alongside restoring a sustainable financial system and maintaining predictable tax policy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a conference organized by the Ministry of Finance and the European Stabil»»»

Nagoya: Qatar's 3x3 basketball team won the silver medal at the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) in Japan after falling to South Korea (10-19) in the final match. The Qatari squad, comprising Mohammed Hashim, Hamad Yassin, Nizar Mahmoud, and Mubarak Jama, delivered an impressive tournament run.»»»

Saudi Arabia is facing mounting security and economic pressures as the conflict in the Middle East threatens its oil infrastructure and shipping routes, while its longtime security partner, the United States, appears increasingly unwilling or unable to provide the protection Riyadh has historically»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that he expects two more meetings with US President Donald Trump this year and invited the US leader and his wife to visit China to attend the APEC summit. "We expect two more meetings with Mr. President this year. One at the APEC s»»»

The Economist magazine stated in an editorial that the United States appears to be stuck in the Middle East, with no easy way out. However, the current war may signal something completely different: a moment of American withdrawal from the region, meaning that Washington is finally abandoning its d»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Tehran will take measures in response to Colombia’s hostile approach after it severed diplomatic relations with Iran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Colombia said on Thursday that it had severed diplomatic relations with Iran. Among the reasons for this decision, Co»»»

Iran has offered the US a new deal aimed at ending the months-long conflict before the midterm election in November, directly challenging President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran is deliberately waiting until after the election to reach an agreement. Trump claimed in a speech at the UN on Tuesday»»»

Parliament has given final approval to a zero excise duty rate on natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used as motor fuel for the period from October 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026. The amendments to the Excise Duties and Tax Warehouses Act were adopted at first and second reading in a sing»»»

BusinessBulgariaBulgaria's battery boom: From zero to global leaderMihail Ivanov in SofiaIn under two years, Bulgaria has become one of the world's most battery-intensive energy markets. Can the surge last — and what will it mean for conventional power generators? https://p.dw.com/p/5NGvRPowerhouse»»»

The forum, held from September 24–26 under the theme “United Cultures — Common Values,” brings together more than 2,000 participants from over 70 countries to discuss cultural cooperation, heritage, and international dialogue. Sputnik is live from St. Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Pu»»»

Viral video shows adventurous pair tackling rugged Himalayan roads in three-wheeler Forget the SUV or adventure motorcycle. Two British tourists exploring one of India’s most spectacular mountain regions have chosen a rather more unconventional ride — an auto-rickshaw. The pair have attracted atten»»»

Iran seeks return to earlier deal as Hormuz deadline, Saudi attacks keep tensions high The US-Iran conflict is entering another critical diplomatic window, with Tehran calling on Washington to return to an earlier agreement before the US midterm elections and setting a four-to-five-day deadline for»»»

“Xi did not bring a Chinese business delegation because he did not need one. The American tech and finance crowd came to him,” Hong Kong-based geopolitical analyst Angelo Giuliano told Sputnik, commenting on the optics and substance of the Chinese president’s state visit to Washington. “Bringing ex»»»

Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone has been added to a high-risk maritime area following a sharp increase in attacks on commercial vessels, with maritime risk assessment firm Ambrey reporting at least 45 such incidents in previously unaffected parts of the Black Sea over the past 12 month»»»

Democratic Bulgaria is calling for Parliament to hear the foreign minister or the relevant deputy foreign minister over conflicting statements about Bulgaria's position on Ukraine, MP and Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group chair Nadezhda Yordanova said. The request concerns the differing posit»»»

Bulgaria is benefiting from a rapid expansion of battery energy storage systems as record drought hits electricity generation across Eastern Europe, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) analysis from Sofia. Around 100 battery energy storage sites are currently operating in Bulgaria, most of t»»»

Pezeshkian tells US TV interview Iran ready to strike deal with Trump to end conflict United Nations: It is for the United States to choose whether to end its war in Iran as Tehran does not wish to continue fighting, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a US television interview aired Thursd»»»

New survey finds confidence growing as fewer investors cut exposure to UAE equities UAE retail investors are becoming increasingly bullish on their home market despite six months of geopolitical uncertainty, according to etoro’s latest UAE Retail Investor Beat, a survey of 1,000 retail investors re»»»

On a warm afternoon in May, a simple gathering on Margaret Island had slowly turned into a small Filipino feast. We were there for a friend’s birthday. Around the picnic blankets were the usual signs of a celebration: cake, drinks, bags of snacks, and people taking photos for their Instagram. There»»»

EU governments are deadlocked on how to proceed with a major overhaul to the bloc’s pesticides rules following a sustained pushback from scientists and countries outside the EU. The revisions to the pesticides regulation form part of a food-and-feed ‘Omnibus’ law proposed by the EU Commission last »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump on Friday said he expects "tremendous" things to occur following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "Tremendous things will be happening," Trump said via Truth Social. Donald Trump called his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping "ver»»»

Great Britain is going through a war scare. Or to be precise, its combined political and media establishment is subjecting its people to a relentless propaganda (in up-to-date NATO-speak “cognitive warfare”) campaign to create a sense of impending war against Russia. As you would expect, that war i»»»

September is proving a miserable month for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Two weeks ago, his Christian Democratic Union suffered a crushing defeat in Saxony-Anhalt, where the Alternative for Germany won 43.8% of the vote against just 17.2% for the CDU, then, on September 20, another humiliation »»»

MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hezbollah on Friday snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil over recent remarks criticizing the Iran-backed group and the recent wars it has fought. “Lebanon is in dire need today of honesty, loyalty, and words that unite rather than divide -- a national d»»»

Albania’s top state officials and senior security leaders are expected to meet Monday morning at the Palace of Brigades for a session of the National Security Council, amid heightened attention over an investigation involving a former intelligence chief. The meeting, convened by President Bajram Be»»»

The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly has produced one of the most politically damaging scenes for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent years: as he approached the podium on September 24, dozens of diplomatic delegations left the chamber. Western media coverage plac»»»

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold chief of staff talks to support the kingdom, Riyadh said in a statement on Friday, as Yemen's Houthis ramp up attacks on the world's top crude exporter. The Iran-backed group has escalated its attacks on the kingdom since July, ending a years-long truce a»»»

Argentina's poverty rate jumped to 32.3% in the first half of 2026, official data showed Thursday, as incomes failed to keep pace with the rising cost of basic goods, a setback for libertarian President Javier Milei little more than a year before he seeks reelection. The national statistics agency,»»»

Couple were preparing for pre-marriage medical checks when an argument turned violent Dubai: An 18-year-old man has died after being stabbed during an argument with his 19-year-old fiancée in the Turkish city of Adana, as the couple were preparing to complete formalities ahead of their marriage. Lo»»»

Inspections found illegal alterations, overcrowding and bachelors in restricted areas Dubai Municipality has carried out more than 16,000 inspection visits across residential areas of the emirate since the beginning of 2026, identifying 2,395 building and occupancy violations. The inspections inclu»»»

With Saudi oil facilities, cities and ships off its coast coming under escalating attacks, the kingdom's top religious authority has called on soldiers to be prepared to defend the country from Iran-backed Houthis. The strongly worded statement from Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, who tradition»»»

Two midwives were flown in by helicopter as tiny North Ronaldsay celebrated a rare arrival For 34 years, no baby had been born on the tiny Scottish island of North Ronaldsay. That changed at 4.05am on September 15, when Duncan Wilder Thorstein Traill Suarez Ford entered the world in an ancestral fa»»»

Largest-ever narrowbody order deepens Turkish Airlines-Boeing ties amid fleet growth Turkish Airlines has finalized a deal with Boeing for up to 150 737 MAX aircraft, the carrier's largest single-aisle order to date. This ends months of uncertainty after negotiations over engine terms had threatene»»»

In southern Lebanon, eight-year-old Yara Ajami started the academic year this week in a doorless, windowless classroom after her school was destroyed by an Israeli strike. Well known in the area for its excellence, Ajami's elementary school in Burj Qalaway was struck by Israel in May. "We are happy»»»