MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Kuwait consider it necessary to find ways to de-escalate situation in the Persian Gulf region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Bahrain's capit»»»

Tirana, Albania: Albania's capital saw protests Sunday for a sixth day in a row as Prime Minister Edi Rama ruled out resigning, the main demand of the protesters. Violent demonstrations have rocked Tirana since Tuesday, with thousands of protesters calling for Rama to step down as they rally agains»»»

Energy costs surge as Middle East conflict impacts global markets UAE residents are facing renewed uncertainty around regional trade and energy costs as fighting escalates sharply in Yemen, Iran threatens tighter controls on the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices climb back above $100 a barrel. The UA»»»

Looters on Saturday seized the opportunity to raid and vandalise a host of shops and businesses across France – from bakeries and supermarkets to tech stores – as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest higher living costs and other grievances. Looters in several French citie»»»

US President Donald Trump said "France is burning" on Sunday via his social media platform Truth Social after demonstrations swept across the country over the weekend. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that police had arrested more than 1,800 people as outbursts of arson and looting bro»»»

MANAMA (Sputnik) - Russia's total trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states showed significant growth last year, increasing by 45%, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday. Lavrov is participating in the ninth round of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Strate»»»

France is counting the cost of one of its strongest days of unrest in years after protests against the cost of living spiraled into nationwide rioting. More than 500,000 people reportedly joined demonstrations across the country, as student protests converged with wider anger over prices and public»»»

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Sunday appointed Omar Al-Halabi as chairman of the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Syria’s sovereign fund sits at the heart of the country’s attempts to bring in foreign capital after 13 years of war, and was created to oversee investment projects and »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Saudi Arabia are committed to effective cooperation within the OPEC+ format, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday held a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Bahrain's capital, Manama,»»»

'Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!' says US President Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump on Sunday blamed immigration for unrest during protests in France and urged the country to tighten its migration rules. "France is burning! The immigration of people »»»

Police probe misleading announcements, narrow exits, security lapses at Durga Puja venue Dubai: A warning that a Durga Puja pandal was about to collapse may have triggered panic that left at least 19 people dead in Kolkata on Saturday evening, as investigators examine whether misleading announcemen»»»

TEHRAN: Newly appointed Iranian defense minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi threatened on Sunday to inflict “enormous damage” on the United States and its allies in the Middle East if Washington resumes its military campaign against the country. “People can rest assured that they will most likely not dare to»»»

BRUSSELS: The European Union said Sunday that it “strongly condemns” an attack the previous day by a group of Israeli settlers on visiting European diplomats. “The EU strongly condemns the latest attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank, including on European diplomats,” the foreign service sai»»»

Damascus, Oct. 18 (SANA) The selling price of a gram of 21-karat gold in Syria rose by 150 Syrian pounds on Sunday from the previous day to 16,450 pounds ($134.84), according to the General Authority for Precious Metals Management. The buying price of 21-karat gold stood at 16,150 pounds ($132.38) »»»

Zelensky’s diesel-fueled burnout READ MORE: Zelensky has made his choice, now America must make its own This week did not start well for Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, who was apparently blindsided by US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel supplies after ta»»»

Bulgaria is seeking enhanced NATO support for its air defence capabilities while prioritizing diplomacy to address security incidents in the Black Sea, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said here on Sunday. Bulgaria has sent two letters to NATO, at the end of August and on October 13, requesting en»»»

Leeds, United Kingdom: Lisandro Martinez was named in Manchester United's starting line-up to face Leeds on Sunday despite his controversial remarks about the struggling club's hierarchy. Argentina defender Martinez took aim at United's powerbrokers following their 2-0 Champions League loss to Atle»»»

Pope's discharge on Saturday capped days of uncertainty that rattled the world's Catholics Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV addressed thousands of people in St Peter's Square on Sunday, smiling and saying he would resume work "gradually" in his first major public appearance since undergoing lung cancer s»»»

US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that he did not order restrictions on Ukraine’s military access to Starlink satellite services, adding that he did not believe SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had done so either. Ukrainian state and military officials earlier this week accused SpaceX of abruptly res»»»

DHAKA: Volunteer Saudi doctors have over the past week provided treatment to more than 5,000 men and women needing eye surgery and specialized care in one of the poorest regions of Bangladesh. The medical campaign was funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and Al-Basar Interna»»»

AI, internships and human skills are central to preparing students for the workplace As AI and other technologies become more common in higher education, students need to learn when and how to use them without becoming dependent on them, experts said at a panel discussion at Edufair Abu Dhabi. Univ»»»

JEDDAH: A Saudi airport employee who had been on the job for just one month helped guide passengers to safety during the deadly missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, despite being wounded by shrapnel. Sultan Al-Harbi, 27, was organizing passengers preparing to board a fligh»»»

Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced on October 18 that thStrip’s hospitals received seven martyrs and 25 injured Palestinians within the past 24 hours. One of the martyrs was a Palestinian girl, Misk al-Dallu, who was martyred on Sunday after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on tents shelterin»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Sports Day 2027 Committee has announced on Sunday, October 18, 2026, details of the upcoming edition of the event, which will be held on the second Tuesday of February. Next year's Qatar National Sport Day will fall during the holy month of Ramadan and will be held under the theme »»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that US President Donald Trump’s decision to waive sanctions and tariffs on Russia would last 60 days, as the move drew bipartisan criticism and raised fears in Ukraine that Washington could ease further restrictions on Moscow. US Secretary of State M»»»

ATLANTA, Georgia – Since it was established in 1956, Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta has hosted legendary Democratic leaders while its founder played a key role in the city’s move from a Republican to Democratic stronghold. With the state’s Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff leading the p»»»

Massive wildfires in Indonesia show no sign of letting up. The environmental disaster is turning into a pollution crisis across Southeast Asia, as toxic haze from the blazes spread to neighbouring countries.    Also on the show:  The much delayed Yalu River Bridge linking China and N»»»

Indian police released Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke from detention on Saturday after the activist was detained ahead of a rally calling for the resignation of India's chief election commissioner. Two other CJP leaders remain in custody after having been arrested whil»»»

Gqeberha: Rain delayed the start of play after Australia won the toss and decided to bowl in the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Sunday. Play eventually got under way at noon, two hours after the scheduled start, with 75 overs due to be bowled in the day. South Africa reache»»»

Drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea are threatening Bulgaria’s exports and tourism, with financier Nikola Yankov warning on bTV that a lack of insurance could effectively shut the ports of Varna and Burgas, while grain producers say five million tonnes of wheat are awaiting export »»»

Exam strategies for UAE students eyeing Indian medical and engineering careers at Edufair Abu Dhabi: UAE students considering medical or engineering degrees in India should start planning their entrance-exam pathway from Grade 11, a career guidance expert spoke on the centre stage of Edufair Abu Dh»»»

It is too early to say exactly what assistance Bulgaria will receive from NATO, as further discussions are pending. However, Bulgaria's airspace is already protected by its own fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missile systems, although some of the equipment is somewhat outdated, Defence Minister»»»

BRUSSELS: The European Union “strongly condemns” attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank, including against European diplomats, the bloc’s foreign policy spokesperson said on Sunday. The ‌statement came ‌a day ‌after Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Israeli settlers attacked Palesti»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s energy investments helped limit the impact of the global energy shock, while structural reforms and financial buffers have strengthened the Kingdom’s ability to navigate regional uncertainty, the finance minister said. Speaking at the closing press conference of the Internati»»»

Bulgaria’s energy storage capacity has reached 6 gigawatts this year, approaching the country’s electricity demand of 7.4 GW and reshaping domestic and regional power markets, Greek outlet Newsit reported. The rapid expansion of battery storage is already affecting wholesale electricity prices and »»»

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has reported that the country's current account deficit reached 8.1% of gross domestic product over the 12 months to July, its highest level since 2009, while forecasting economic growth of 2.8% for 2026. The BNB Governing Council said economic activity continued t»»»

Nearly 1,800 arrested and over 500 police injured in nationwide unrest Dubai: A Rolex store was among the shops looted in the southern French city of Marseille on Saturday as violent protests swept across France, leaving public buildings damaged and hundreds of police officers injured. An Hermès bo»»»

Issued on October 12, the royal decree was published in Oman's Official Gazette on Sunday Dubai: Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq has restored Omani citizenship to 11 people under a royal decree published on Sunday, October 18, in the country's Official Gazette. Royal Decree No. 89/2026, issued on O»»»

What does an OCI card offer? Travel, property rights, and political restrictions American actor Imran Khan, who has Indian origins and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, is an example of how people with ties to India can retain foreign citizenship while enjoying certain privileges in th»»»

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV addressed thousands of people in St Peter's Square on Sunday in his first weekly Angelus prayer since leaving hospital after lung cancer surgery. A chorus of "Viva il papa!" (Hooray for the pope!) reverberated across the square as the 71-year-old leader of the world's 1.4»»»

London: Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said he would be fit to return "in a few weeks" following surgery on a fractured jaw sustained during his team's 2-0 Premier League win at Everton. The Argentina international was taken to hospital after colliding with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite»»»

Tragedy strikes 27 minutes into church service in Guayaquil as worshippers watch in horror Dubai: A Catholic priest died after a large wooden cross fell from a church wall and struck him while he was celebrating Mass in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil on Saturday, in an incident captured during a »»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov said attacks on ships in the Black Sea had severely damaged tourism along Bulgaria’s coast, while describing the recent rise in fuel prices as inexplicable. Borissov said that during GERB’s time in government, policies had focused on developing the Black Sea coast as a hu»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct result of aggressive actions by the United States and what Tehran calls the Zionist regime, which he said began on Feb. 28, 2026, and has continued in various forms since. Araghchi made the remarks durin»»»

System brings government, conservation groups, and private-sector partners together The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Rescue Network, an initiative designed to accelerate emergency responses, coordinate rescue efforts and provide essential care for wildlif»»»

Thousands of trucks stranded, border restrictions raise fears of LPG shortage, price hike Dubai: Pakistan has temporarily suspended commercial trade through two major border crossings with Iran, leaving around 2,000 trucks stranded and raising concerns over possible shortages and higher prices of l»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public prosecution in coordination with the Supreme Judiciary Council announced the auction of vehicles on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 4pm to 7pm through the “Court Mzadat” application. Some of the models on auction include 2015 and 2016 model of Lexus, and 2024 model of Yang»»»

The 9th round of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue is taking place in Manama, Bahrain. Sputnik brings you a live broadcast from Manama, Bahrain, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is participating in the strategic dialogue between Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Counc»»»

Sisi chairs defence council meeting, with MPs due to debate a defensive mission on Sunday Cairo: Egypt’s National Defence Council has approved sending troops to Saudi Arabia on a defensive mission, an Egyptian MP announced on Sunday, with parliament due to consider the deployment at an emergency se»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - If the situation in the Strait of Hormuz persists, it will drive oil prices even higher, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Saturday. "As of now, we still see that shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have not been resumed … Volatility remains high, the marke»»»