Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot whose co-pilot allegedly stabbed him during the Israel-bound flight, was hailed as a "hero" by his friends and neighbours in Dubai Thursday. The Indian embassy in the United Arab Emirates said that he was "in good health". Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was hailed as a»»»

New images posted this week by Google Maps show the utter destruction in Gaza. It's been estimated that 61 tonnes of rubble need to be cleared – that's 20 times the amount of rubble generated in all wars across the world over the last 18 years. Aid workers, meanwhile, face the tough task of cl»»»

In tonight's edition: Africa's richest man breaks ground on a $16 billion oil refinery in Kenya. Also, at universities across Cameroon, programming is overshadowed with uncertainty amidst an indefinite strike by lecturers. Plus we speak to Ethiopian-born computer scientist and pioneering AI ethicis»»»

French teenagers on Tuesday set fire to rubbish bins and threw projectiles at police who responded with batons and tear gas, as pupils kept up blockades and protests at hundreds of high schools, demanding better conditions. The movement in the lycees, attended by students aged 15 to 18 for their fi»»»

RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made clear during his annual address to Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council on Wednesday that Riyadh remained committed to diplomacy and de-escalation, but would respond firmly to threats against the Kingdom. “We are making every possible effort to reduce escalatio»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia provided “logistical and necessary assistance” to all the passengers and crew on board the Israel-bound FlyDubai flight forced to land in Tabuk, the Kingdom’s interior ministry said on Thursday. Flight FZ1073 was over the Jordanian border when it plunged thousands of meters bef»»»

Tunis, Oct. 1 (TAP) - Sfax hosted the regional “Easy Export Days – Export & Grow” event on Thursday, with the participation of the Sfax Chamber of Commerce and Industry.According to a statement issued by the Chamber, the event is the third in a...»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar strongly condemns the Houthi group’s targeting of a power distribution station in Madinah in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that serves the Prophet’s Mosque and civilian facilities. Qatar considers the attack a serious violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy »»»

We strongly condemn the attack carried out by the Houthis on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. These provocative attacks, which threaten the sovereignty and security of Saudi Arabia and target the sacred heritage of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and uncondi»»»

RIYADH: Gulf states on Thursday condemned a Houthi drone attack on a power distribution station in Madinah that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating their solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid renewed attacks on the Kingdom. The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait issued separate statements de»»»

RIYADH: The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said its forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles and four drones launched into southern Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday. One ballistic missile and the four drones were intercepted and destroyed over Kh»»»

TUNIS, Oct 1, 2026 (TAP) - A new "Beja 2" plant was inaugurated on Thursday in the Beja industrial zone.The new site belongs to the German company Kermberg Schubert, specialised in the manufacture of automotive cables, and was built on an area of...»»»

RIYADH: Gulf states on Thursday condemned a Houthi drone attack on a power distribution station in Madinah that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating their solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid renewed attacks on the Kingdom. The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait issued separate statements de»»»

A parliamentary committee investigating the use of public funds by Hungary’s central bank has summoned former governor György Matolcsy and current governor Mihály Varga for questioning. Former and current NBH governors to appear before committee A parliamentary committee investigating alleged abuse»»»

RIYADH: Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles and four drones launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis toward southern areas of the Kingdom on Thursday, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said. One ballistic missile was intercepted over Khamis Mushait and anot»»»

WASHINGTON: The US military is dispatching roughly 9,000 troops aboard a group of ships to the Middle East, a US official said Thursday. The bolstering of the American military presence comes as President Donald Trump warned anew that new strikes against Iran could be on the horizon. He also said e»»»

Excerpts from 22 books representing 20 countries were read at 22 venues across Sofia on Thursday evening during the 15th edition of Night of Literature. Two Bulgarian books featured in this year's selection: The Artists' Borough. The Performers' Borough and Adagio for Maria. At Sofia Municipality H»»»

MILWAUKEE: G20 trade ministers agree that it is “not acceptable” for countries to target food supplies in conflicts, a French official told AFP on Thursday, adding that European leaders took aim at Russia on the issue at high-level talks. Trade officials from the Group of 20 major economies are gat»»»

Sermon stresses sincerity, knowledge, kindness and good character in education First Sermon (Khutbah One)All praise is due to Allah, who has elevated the standing of teachers and bestowed upon them abundant reward and recompense. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and I bear witnes»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia’s transformation under Vision 2030 continues to accelerate, Portugal says it is looking for ways to strengthen its engagement with the Kingdom through business partnerships, cultural exchanges, and the growing community of its citizens living and working in the country. In a»»»

Montevideo: The State of Qatar and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay have signed a letter of intent aimed at strengthening cooperation in international mediation, as the two countries seek to expand coordination on the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The agreement was signed in Montevideo on Thurs»»»

MoFA reiterates support for all measures to safeguard Kingdom’s security and stability Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the Houthi drone attack on the Taiba power distribution station in Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affair»»»

Sharjah Police facilities win age-friendly award for senior citizen access Sharjah: Five Sharjah Police facilities have been recognised with the age-friendly buildings award, highlighting the force’s ongoing efforts to make its services and infrastructure more accessible, comfortable and inclusive »»»

Washington, Oct. 1 (SANA) The United States has removed Syria from the list of countries subject to a comprehensive policy of denial for licenses and other approvals related to defense trade under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The US Department of State announced on Thursday»»»

National Assembly Chair Michaela Dotsova described State Agency for Child Protection staff as Bulgaria's unsung heroes on the agency's 25th anniversary, Parliament's press service said on Thursday. She said their work was measured by the number of smiles they brought, rather than the number of repo»»»

Offensive military infrastructure is being deployed around the Kaliningrad region, Alexander Stepanov, an expert at the RANEPA Institute of Law & National Security, told Sputnik, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks about a potential NATO attack. “Four multinational groups, comp»»»

TUNIS, Oct 1, 2026 (TAP) - A new "Beja 2" factory was inaugurated on Thursday in the Beja industrial zone.The new site belongs to the German company Kermberg Schubert, specialised in the manufacture of automotive cables, and was built on an area of...»»»

Artificial intelligence has no intuition and no ability to truly reflect, even though it can analyze data and make decisions almost instantly, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski tells Sputnik, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin's warning about the looming risks of AI. AI ta»»»

The annual awards for Bulgaria's insurance and pension sectors were presented on Thursday evening at an official ceremony. The 2025 Insurer of the Year awards in the General Insurance and Life Insurance categories went to DZI General Insurance and DZI Life Insurance, respectively. Pension Assurance»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar has reaffirmed its support for the Federal Republic of Somalia's government institutions and efforts to strengthen security and stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Speaking during an interactive dialogue on a UN human rights report on assistance to Somalia, »»»

Tunis, Oct. 1 (TAP) - The Tunisian National Railways Company (SNCFT) said that passenger transport on the international Tunis–Annaba line in Algeria will be operated by bus from Souk Ahras to Annaba as of Thursday, October 1, 2026, due to railway...»»»

LONDON: Lebanon foiled on Thursday an attempt to smuggle about 245 kg of highly explosive material from Syria, the latest in a series of reported weapons-trafficking cases along the neighboring countries’ porous border. The seizure followed surveillance and monitoring operations along Lebanon’s nor»»»

Sabaa news agency quoted a Yemeni source as saying: “The lie as well as gross fabrication propagated by the Saudi regime—alleging that Yemenis targeted a power station in Medina—is completely baseless.” This new fabrication is an attempt to mask the failure of its previous lie regarding the targeti»»»

RIYADH: Gulf states on Thursday condemned a Houthi drone attack on a power distribution station in Madinah that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating their solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid renewed attacks on the Kingdom. The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait issued separate statements de»»»

Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has been selected to design a new tower in Rinia Park in Tirana, according to an announcement by the Albanian Prime Minister’s Office. BIG’s proposal envisions a three-dimensional structure elevated above ground level, with a series of volumes desi»»»

Politicians, academics and entrepreneurs discussed the benefits, risks and requirements for introducing and using artificial intelligence (AI) effectively in Bulgaria at a national forum on Thursday. The forum, Building with Artificial Intelligence: From Campus to Smart City, was organized by the U»»»

MONTEVIDEO: The State of Qatar and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay have signed a letter of intent aimed at strengthening cooperation in international mediation, as the two countries seek to expand coordination on the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The agreement was signed in Montevideo on Thurs»»»

Cape Town: India will meet defending champions Australia and bitter rivals Pakistan in their first two matches at the 2027 Cricket World Cup, the International Cricket Council announced on Thursday. The India-Australia match, a repeat of the 2023 final, will be in Cape Town on October 7 and the Ind»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discussed the two countries’ strategic defence partnership and efforts to strengthen regional security during a phone call on Thursday. “In a call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, we reviewed the Saudi-U»»»

Tunis, Oct. 1 (TAP) - The publication of Decree-Law No. 3 of 2026, amending certain provisions of Organic Law No. 2012-23 establishing the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), has brought the legislative framework governing the electoral...»»»

Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has said Moscow hopes Hungary will continue its economic cooperation with Russia, while warning that Budapest’s recent actions could affect bilateral ties. Kremlin hopes Hungary will continue economic cooperation The Kremlin hopes “reason will prevail” in Hungary and that»»»

Tokyo: President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the medalists in the Equestrian Jumping team event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games during a ceremony held in Tokyo. His Excellency presented the medals to the winning teams: Saudi Arabia claimed go»»»

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration on Thursday imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, targeting its rail and automotive conglomerates and international suppliers to the sectors, the Treasury Department said, in the latest US push to isolate Tehran economically. The sanctions are part of the department’»»»

Three teams track complaints from the 04 platform to final resolution Dubai: Dubai Police has launched a dedicated “Pulse” Room to accelerate the handling of customer complaints, strengthen follow-up and ensure cases are resolved and closed in line with strict quality standards. The facility, which»»»

Fines of up to SR10,000 apply for breaches of new architectural guidelines Dubai: Jeddah has made Hejazi coastal architectural design guidelines mandatory for all new residential building permits and applications to renovate residential facades, with fines of up to SR10,000 for violations, the Jedd»»»

Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign finally got the dramatic election-season image it had been waiting for when the Israeli occupation prime minister appeared at Ben Gurion Airport to greet Zionist passengers who had just survived a “potentially catastrophic Flydubai flight,” according to the Zionist pol»»»

ADDIS ABABA: Eritrea said it was breaking diplomatic ties with its neighbor Ethiopia on Thursday, in response to the earlier expulsion of its diplomats from Addis Ababa. “Eritrea has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries t»»»

BEIRUT: The deputy director-general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP on Thursday that she was “deeply concerned” about the impact of the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict on agriculture in south Lebanon. The latest war “puts additional pressure on farmers and rural communities »»»

The presidency must act as an independent counterbalance and ensure public money is put to the best possible use, presidential candidate Andrey Gurov said in Kyustendil on Thursday. He was addressing a meeting at the Regional Cultural Institute. The president should support the government when it p»»»

Some stories do not end when they are published; they remain open, and years later they return to you, or you return to them. You discover that what you thought you knew then was only part of a much bigger story. The story of Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Syria is one such example. In March 2004, I inte»»»