WASHINGTON: A White House official said Friday that Press Secretary Katie Zacharia was leaving her role after just a few days on the job, following a lackluster press briefing performance and scrutiny over her resume. President Donald Trump has fired Katie Zacharia as press secretary, advisers to t»»»

Tunis, Oct. 16 (TAP) - The Bureau of the National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD), at a meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of Council President Imed Derbali, approved the referral of the 2027 Finance Bill and Economic Budget Bill...»»»

Lyon: Oscar-winning directors Ethan and Joel Coen are set to reunite for a new movie, ending a multi-year directing break following their celebrated collaboration on cinematic classics such as Fargo, Barton Fink, and No Country for Old Men. Both of them have latterly turned to personal projects, wo»»»

No casualties as Indian crew survives tanker incidents in two regions All 24 Indian seafarers aboard two vessels involved in separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and Romania are safe, with no casualties or injuries reported, India’s Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal sa»»»

The Justice Ministry published proposed Judicial System Act amendments for public consultation, introducing new rules on magistrates' secondment and competitive selection, the Ministry said on Friday. The changes aim to strengthen competitive selection, curb indefinite secondments and provide more »»»

Trump suggests Zacharia may step down after harsh coverage President Donald Trump signalled that his embattled new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, may be on her way out - a mere week after he picked her for the post. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn as he left for a rally in Georgia, »»»

Jakarta: Smoke from spreading forest and land fires in Kalimantan has reached Jakarta, prompting Indonesia’s meteorological agency on Friday to advise capital residents to restrict outdoor activities. Satellite images showed smoke spreading across Kalimantan and Sumatra and reaching Banten, West Ja»»»

As they met separately with Finance Minister Galab Donev in Sofia Friday, trade union and employer organizations disagreed on the minimum wage and public-sector wage increase in the government's 2027 budget plan. Representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) a»»»

KYIV: Kyiv has begun installing mobile concrete shelters at public transport stops, an AFP reporter saw Friday, as it grapples with air attacks and concern about the city’s preparedness for the looming winter. The Ukrainian capital has faced an increased number of Russian aerial strikes over the pa»»»

Damascus, Oct. 16 (SANA) Syria is seeking to expand domestic seed production to lower farming costs and reduce reliance on imports, as agricultural institutions restore seed-multiplication facilities and work with research centers and farmers to develop higher-yielding varieties. The General Establ»»»

DHAHRAN: It took Riyadh-resident Amal Sghaier nearly 22 hours and several detours to return home from her vacation in South Korea this week. Airport closures due to recent unrest meant her original journey was not possible, so she entered the Kingdom by car via King Fahd Causeway. While she enjoyed»»»

LONDON: Downing Street Friday distanced itself from comments by the wife of the British prime minister’s national security adviser who voiced support for banned activist group Palestine Action. Sarah Helm, a journalist and author and wife of Jonathan Powell, Andy Burnham’s national security adviser»»»

TUNIS, Oct. 16, 2026 (TAP) - Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Tunisia, based in Cairo, Appuhamige Sisira Kumara Senavirathne on Friday extended an official invitation to the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) to participate...»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe 3 people have been killed by Israeli occupation fire in various areas of the Gaza Strip since this dawn: Al-Manar reporter 16-10-2026 19:31»»»

ROME: Italy’s air traffic capacity recovered to 75 percent on Friday after overnight problems hit the data transmission network supporting air traffic control services nationwide, air navigation company ENAV said. ENAV ruled out a cyberattack and said flight operations remained safe. The company sa»»»

The United Nations aviation agency has found Lebanon’s main airport lacks valid certification, according to a report summary seen by Reuters, in a setback to US President Donald Trump’s move to revive direct US-Beirut flights. Trump made the announcement in July and signed an order last month for t»»»

TUZ GOLU, Turkiye: Turkiye’s second-largest lake has become a stark symbol of a growing water crisis, with drought and intensive groundwater use threatening an ecosystem that supports wildlife, industry and tourism. Known for its stunning natural beauty, Tuz Golu — Turkish for Salt Lake — is a shal»»»

BAKU: Azerbaijan said Friday it had charged a Turkish newspaper columnist with calling for the violent overthrow of the government, amid tensions between the close allies over restrictions on Islamic headscarves in schools. The case comes amid a rare public row between Baku and Ankara, with critici»»»

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday, calling for a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, as he recovers in hospital from a lung cancer operation. The Vatican said that Pope Leo “expressed his deep concern about the grave huma»»»

HANOI: Vietnam will keep its annual public debt ceiling at 60 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during the 2026-2030 period under the government's adjusted public debt strategy, local daily Tien Phong reported Friday. Under the strategy, signed on Thursday, government debt will remain capped »»»

Several major sporting events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed as a result of repeated deadly attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the Kingdom's airports and infrastructure. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Guy Barton, Visiting Fellow at Lancaster University and co-creato»»»

BELGRADE- Aleksandar Vucic, who heads the Aleksandar Vucic-United Serbia electoral list for the October 25 early parliamentary polls in Serbia, said on Friday he expected more than four million voters to cast their ballots, taking the turnout to 63-64 pct. The higher the turnout, the higher the sup»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shaibani, met on Friday in Riyadh to discuss strengthening ties and addressing shared regional challenges. During the talks, Al-Shaibani reaffirmed Syria’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia following recent Hout»»»

Indian authorities on Friday detained Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the satirical youth movement "Cockroach Janta Party", ahead of a new protest in New Delhi, live images from the group showed. Police earlier closed a central New Delhi park in an attempt to stifle near-daily demonstrations ca»»»

BAGHDAD: Iraq has lost around $60 billion during the Middle East war, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Thursday, with Iran blockading a waterway that is crucial to global energy flows. OPEC member Iraq was producing about four million barrels of oil per day before the conflict, exporting about»»»

Beirut: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has held talks in Beirut with Prime Minister of the Lebanese Republic HE Dr Nawaf Salam on bilateral cooperation, economic ties and regional de-escalation. The meeting on Friday focused on »»»

Interactive exhibition highlights progress in integrative medicine practices Al Shifaa Summit for Integrative Medicine, an initiative of the UAE Integrative Medicine Council, will return for its second edition from 20 to 22 October 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, as part of Abu Dhabi Future Health »»»

BANGKOK: Rising energy and fertilizer costs are hitting smallholder farmers and driving up prices of agricultural commodities, fueling fears of a global food crisis, the head of the UN agriculture development fund told AFP. Global agricultural prices jumped 13 percent in the third quarter of the ye»»»

KALEMIE, DR Congo: US businessman Erik Prince and his mercenaries have emerged as key players in the war-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), fighting for its government as Washington vies for strategic minerals in the country, researchers and local sources told AFP. Numerous foreign parami»»»

Global law enforcement unites to tackle digital crime and financial networks Dubai: Artificial intelligence (AI), intelligence-led policing and the fight against money laundering took centre stage at a preparatory dialogue for the World Police Summit (WPS) in Dubai on Friday, bringing together amba»»»

Abu Dhabi Police urge drivers to slow down as rain, fog and dusty winds are forecast here Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have urged motorists to exercise caution as rain, fog and dusty winds are forecast across parts of the UAE over the coming days, warning of reduced visibility and slippery roads dur»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker and Acting President of the Republic Ana Brnabic said on Friday the Security Information Agency (BIA) was one of the pillars supporting the state, the Republic of Serbia. At a ceremony that marked the BIA Day, Brnabic thanked the BIA personnel for the years of »»»

The Ministry of Education and Science has received a letter from Miroslav Dachev, Rector of Sofia's National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA), which includes a roadmap drawn up in accordance with September 18 recommendations of an interdepartmental working group to address students' and le»»»

JOHANNESBURG: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has lifted the suspension of the country’s national police chief, Fannie Masemola, his office announced on Friday. Masemola is expected to resume his duties on Monday after he was suspended in April when he was charged with breaking finance laws»»»

Beirut: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has met Parliament Speaker of the Lebanese Republic HE Nabih Berri in Beirut to discuss bilateral cooperation and efforts to strengthen security and stability in Lebanon. The meeting took p»»»

The fading art of traditional photography in a modern world A portrait studio is a small room where time learns to linger. People step before the camera for only a heartbeat, yet what they carry away can outlive fashions, addresses and even the cityscape beyond the door. For the generation now, the»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian army struck a logistics center storing supplies for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city of Rovno (Rivne), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "The strike in the city of Rovno damaged the Equator logistics center, which was used to store and distribute supp»»»

Ministry alerts public to dangers of drifting containers in Musandam waters Oman has issued a maritime safety warning to fishermen and seafarers after containers began drifting in waters off Musandam Governorate following the sinking of a cargo ship, with authorities cautioning that some of the con»»»

Information Services, Bulgaria's national system integrator, publicly demonstrated the computer system that will process voting data for Bulgaria's October 25 presidential election. At the Parliament building on Friday, the company explained how the election process works, from voting and vote coun»»»

Minister of Education and Science Georgi Valchev and the French Ambassador to Bulgaria, Marie Dumoulin, discussed cooperation in higher education and in research and development, partnering in STEM education, promoting Bulgarian studies and Bulgarian literature in France, and maintaining French lan»»»

NAIROBI: Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has named a caretaker government to stabilize the northern Tigray region and prepare for an election within six months, after fighting erupted between a rebel alliance and federal troops. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led an offensive last»»»

Following US President Donald Trump's October 9 announcement of an agreement signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel into the United States, a number of pro-Russian social media accounts began claiming that a Russian oil tanker was already carrying thousands of barrels»»»

In tonight's edition: As former Congolese president Joseph Kabila returns to centre stage with a new alliance with the M23 rebels, political leaders in DR Congo are having to choose sides. Also, the US is calling for restraint in Ethiopia as a rights group warns that the conflict in Tigray is alrea»»»

Critically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney's announcement that her books could no longer be sold in the UK due to her support for proscribed group Palestine Action has left British booksellers rushing to stock up on her works before distributors run out. The British government's ban on the gr»»»

Bulgaria marked Aviation and Air Force Day on Friday with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the Monument to the Aviator in Sofia. In 2026, Bulgarian military aviation marks the 114th anniversary of its first combat flight. President Iliana Iotova inspected the guard of honour and laid a wreath i»»»

More UAE expats are staying longer, prompting a rethink of retirement, savings For many professionals, a move to the UAE begins with a two- or three-year plan: advance a career, build savings and return home in a stronger financial position. As careers develop and families settle, that departure da»»»

SOFIA: A string of drone attacks on at least seven cargo vessels in the Black Sea this month, off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, has some members of the alliance wondering if Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking escalation to test their support for Ukraine in its war agains»»»

DP World says an east coast gateway could give cargo owners faster, alternative routes Dubai: Fujairah’s location on the UAE’s east coast could give cargo owners an alternative gateway to global markets and cut sailing times on some Indian Ocean services by up to five days, according to DP World. T»»»

DAMASCUS/LONDON: Iran has managed to export some liquefied petroleum gas and jet fuel since July, despite a US naval blockade, shipping intelligence showed and people involved in security said. Tehran has in recent weeks been concealing such cargoes among a growing volume of ship-to-ship transfers »»»