Workers allegedly exploited while building US consulate in Milan sign deals for record payout
MILAN: Foreign workers building the vast new US consulate compound in Milan signed agreements at a Milan hotel Wednesday securing payouts averaging 45,000 euros ($50,400) each for alleged labor abuses while working for an American construction company. More than 60 laborers, mostly from India, sign»»»
Broken promise of ‘European solution’ on migration overshadows next week’s summit
Twelve years ago, EU summit leaders announced they had a strategy to tackle unprecedented migrant arrivals. Next week, they will meet again in Brussels and to tell us something similar. We journalists will report on the latest twists and turns, hoping to get some sort of angle that hasn’t been cove»»»
Israel’s long October
It has become a cliché in Israel to say the country is “stuck on October 7”: unable to move on to 8 October; unable to return to 6 October. Moving beyond that day will take time, but it will also require moments that mark a before and an after. One came last year, when the last living Israeli hosta»»»
Nobel physics winner's pride at pioneering AI role
Turin, Italy: Nobel Prize for physics winner Francis Halzen spoke with pride on Wednesday about his early promotion of artificial intelligence in his research on neutrinos. Halzen, 82, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was visiting the city of Turin in northern Italy and spoke to »»»
More unaccompanied children are taking dangerous crossings to Europe, UN says
GENEVA: More than two-thirds of refugee and migrant children who reached Europe via Mediterranean and Balkan routes last year were unaccompanied, and many experienced exploitation, a report by UN agencies showed on Wednesday. While overall child arrivals by land and sea fell 25 percent from 2024 le»»»
Most child migrants reaching Europe in 2025 travelled alone: UN
Geneva: Most migrant children who reached Europe last year were travelling alone, the United Nations said Wednesday, warning about the abuse and violence they face en route. More than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe along migration routes last year arrived without a parent or guard»»»
UN warns of risks facing underage migrants travelling alone
Geneva: The majority of migrant children who reached Europe last year were travelling alone, United Nations agencies said Wednesday, warning about the abuse and violence they face en route. More than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe along migration routes last year arrived without a»»»
UAE National Agriculture Centre Partners with Growtech Middle East to drive sustainable farming
Growtech Middle East 2026 puts UAE farmers, sustainable agriculture & growth centre stage Dubai: Growtech Middle East, formerly known as Agra Middle East, will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 26–28 October 2026, with the UAE National Agriculture Centre (NAC) joining as its Strategic Gov»»»
France roar back in Nations League as Italy beat Turkiye
Paris: Michael Olise starred as France stormed back from behind to thrash Belgium 4-1 in the UEFA Nations League on Monday, while Italy continued their resurgence with victory over Turkiye. Dodi Lukebakio’s first-half strike had Belgium on track for a first competitive victory over France since 198»»»
Saudi defense minister discusses military cooperation with Italian counterpart
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a telephone call on Tuesday with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto. During the call, the two ministers discussed areas of military and defense cooperation between the Kingdom and Italy and ways to enhance them, the Saudi Press Agency»»»
Scientist who hunts mysterious ghost particles in the Antarctic ice wins Nobel Prize for physics
STOCKHOLM: Belgian-born scientist Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for his efforts to demystify a rare group of neutrinos, tiny cosmic particles that researchers believe offer clues to how the universe evolved. “It was a great surprise, and I obviously didn’t expect it,” Halzen»»»
UN rights council keeps spotlight on Russia
GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council voted Tuesday to extend its monitoring of abuses in Russia, citing the “continued significant deterioration” of rights. The UN’s top rights body voted 21-5 to prolong by a year the mandate of its special rapporteur on rights violations in Russia. Ireland presente»»»
Serbia's economic growth to accelerate to 3.1 pct in 2026 and 3.7 pct in 2027
WASHINGTON - Serbia's economic growth will accelerate from 2 pct in 2025 to 3.1 pct in 2026 and 3.7 pct in 2027 and slow down slightly to 3.5 pct in 2028, the World Bank said in its latest Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, released on Tuesday. Growth is projected to be supported by "public i»»»
Tampa talks to focus on 'verifiable security arrangements'
Discussions at the Lebanese-Israeli military meeting on October 20 will focus on mechanisms for establishing verifiable security arrangements, media reports quoted U.S. State Dept. officials as saying. “This includes forming a verification committee to ensure that the area south of the Litani River»»»
Industrial Producer Prices Surge 16.8% in BulgariaOpinions
Bulgaria recorded the second-largest annual increase in industrial producer prices in the European Union in August 2026, with prices rising 16.8% from a year earlier, while the country also posted the joint-highest monthly increase of 3.3% with Estonia. The figures come from Eurostat's initial esti»»»
UN rights council condemns drone strikes plaguing Sudan
GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council on Monday condemned indiscriminate drone strikes and attacks on civilians in Sudan, and slammed outside forces fueling the conflict with weapons and mercenaries. The United Nations’ top rights body decided to extend the mandate of the council’s independent intern»»»
Super-rich worth $160 billion have left or reduced ties with UK, with UAE among key destinations
Half of those tracked completed their departures before major UK tax reforms took effect Dubai: Britain is confronting one of the largest outflows of private wealth in its recent history, with billionaires and other ultra-rich individuals who have left the country or sharply reduced their ties to i»»»
UK and Lebanese troops launch joint military exercise PEGASUS CEDAR 2026
British soldiers from the Support Company of the 4th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS), based at Dhekelia Garrison Cyprus, have arrived in Lebanon to join their Lebanese counterparts in the Air Assault Regiment in a landmark military exercise aimed at strengthening bilateral defen»»»
G7 agrees to release 100 million barrels of reserve diesel
Some of the world’s wealthiest nations agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude from their reserve stockpiles over the next four months in an effort to rein in runaway fuel prices. That amounts to around one day’s worth of global oil demand and includes a “frontloaded sub»»»
Sheikh Mohamed, Meloni discuss stronger ties, regional developments
Leaders review economic cooperation and regional developments during phone call Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Her Excellency Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, discussed bilateral relations and opportunities to expand cooperation, particularly in»»»
International Operation Uncovers Smuggling of Drugs, Weapons, Counterfeit Goods, Trafficking of Migrants
Smuggling of drugs, weapons and counterfeit goods as well as trafficking of irregular migrants were uncovered during a week-long operation dubbed Balkan Bridge II that ended on Sunday, head of the General Directorate Border Police Anton Zlatanov and Deputy Director of the National Customs Agency St»»»
325m barrels of oil from strategic reserves released — IEA
PARIS, France — The International Energy Agency (IEA) said Saturday that member countries had so far released 325 million barrels of oil and oil-derivative products from strategic reserves, from 400 million barrels promised in March.The update came a day after G7 countries, in coordination with the»»»
Italy’s Ustica enigma: Can French files solve mystery crash blamed on stray missile?
France’s decision to share defence documents with the Italian judiciary has raised hopes of a breakthrough in investigations into the 1980 crash of a passenger jet near the island of Ustica, which a former Italian president claimed was mistakenly shot down by a French fighter jet. Sceptics caution »»»
Startup Wrap: Gulf investors back robotics, fintech, beauty and proptech
RIYADH: Regional investors across the region deployed capital across sectors includling industrial robotics, alternative financing, and beauty as September came to a close. Shorooq and Presight join Maven Robotics’ $100m series A UAE-based Shorooq and Presight, a G42 company, participated in US ind»»»
325 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves released: IEA
Paris, France: The International Energy Agency said Saturday that member countries had so far released 325 million barrels of oil and oil-derivative products from strategic reserves, from 400 million barrels promised in March. The update came a day after G7 countries, in coordination with the IEA, »»»
French investigative site says anti-Semitic messages tied to Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's ally
French investigative outlet Mediapart said on Thursday it had authenticated anti-Semitic messages allegedly sent by far-right politician Jordan Bardella in 2013. Bardella denied writing them and said he would sue for defamation and forgery. The allegations come seven months before France’s presiden»»»
G7 members will release 100 million barrels of diesel after US threatens export ban
Members of the Group of Seven bloc of highly industrialised economies on Friday agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from their reserves over four months, averting a potential US ban on diesel exports. The European Union had earlier pushed back against Washington's thr»»»
After 11 World Cups, football finally comes home for one Indian fan
Kolkata, India: From Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" to Zinedine Zidane's headbutt, Indian football fan Dipak Nandy has witnessed some of the World Cup's defining moments from the stands. But on Saturday, the 77-year-old will savour a rare sporting occasion from the comfort of his hometown »»»
US pushes EU to tap emergency diesel stocks or face US export ban
The US is pressuring France and Germany to tap emergency diesel reserves to help bring down soaring global prices, and has threatened not to export the fuel if they refuse, Reuters has reported. Washington wants the EU to release 120 million barrels over the next six months as US President Donald T»»»
Central Election Commission Determines Locations and Number of Polling Stations Abroad for October 25 Presidential Election
The Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted a decision determining the locations and number of polling stations to be opened abroad for the presidential election on October 25. The largest number of polling stations will be in the United Kingdom, with 82, followed by Turkiye with 78. Germany will»»»
Tunisia signs Algiers Ministerial Declaration on South Hydrogen Corridor project
Tunis, Oct. 2 (TAP)- Energy ministers of Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, Austria and Germany inked Thursday the Algiers Ministerial Declaration on the South Hydrogen Corridor project "SoutH2 Corridor." The project seeks to support Euro-Mediterranean...»»»
Italy's firefighting planes return home after scorching summer
Rome: After a gruelling summer skimming lakes and coastlines to dump thousands of tonnes of water on wildfires across a parched Europe, Italy's fleet of bright yellow and red Canadair planes has finally returned home to a base near Rome for maintenance. Italy operates one of the world's largest fle»»»
Romanian Creative Week returns to Bucharest with art, fashion, film, and creative industry talks
Romanian Creative Week—the largest event dedicated to the creative industries in the European Union—returns from October 2 to 8, 2026, with the second edition of RCW X Bucharest, the event’s autumn capsule. Held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, the program brings projects spann»»»
Kyrgyzstan increases coffee imports by more than 50 percent - | 24.KG
In the first nine months of 2026, Kyrgyzstan imported 199.3 tonnes of coffee from third countries. This is already more than the total volume imported throughout last year, the State Customs Service reported. Thus, coffee imports in the first nine months of this year were 52.2 percent higher than t»»»
Media Review: October 2
POLITICS Trud argues that the Radev cabinet faces three key constraints: time, personnel and money. Time is particularly limited, as the government must tackle a long list of urgent domestic and foreign-policy issues while institutional procedures slow down decision-making. Personnel is another maj»»»
QM to present exhibition on artist Giuseppe Penone
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, yesterday released new details about ‘Giuseppe Penone: The Inner Flow of Life,’ a major survey at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) focused on the career of the pioneering Italian artist. On view from 26 Oct»»»
Hungary backs tougher EU return rules, bloc approves new system for migrants without right to stay
Hungary has voted in favour of new EU rules designed to make the return of people without a legal right to stay more effective, including stricter measures and the possibility of return hubs outside the bloc. EU approves new return framework The Council of the European Union has given its final app»»»
Minister, Italy Ambassador discuss boosting investment cooperation
AMMAN — Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh on Thursday met with Italian Ambassador to Jordan Pier Luigi Zamporlini to discuss ways to strengthen investment cooperation between the two countries.Abu Ghazaleh highlighted the importance of building on the longstanding relations between Jordan a»»»
Can UK-Saudi ties become a security architecture for an unstable Gulf?
LONDON: For decades, the UK-Saudi relationship has been defined by energy, defense, trade and intelligence cooperation. But as conflict and instability increasingly threaten the Gulf’s shipping lanes, energy infrastructure and critical technologies, Sir Liam Fox argues that the partnership now need»»»
Spanish royals to visit crisis-hit Ceuta on October 13
MADRID: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit Spain’s diplomatically sensitive enclave of Ceuta on October 13 as a migration crisis engulfs the north African territory claimed by Morocco, the palace announced on Thursday. Their trip to Ceuta, and then to Spain’s other north African enclave of»»»
Work on migrant return hubs ‘progressing well’, EU countries say
BRUSSELS: Work to set up migrant return hubs outside the European Union is progressing “very well”, Denmark said Thursday as the bloc’s home affairs ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss further ways to boost deportations. Denmark — along with Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands — has bee»»»
FlyDubai cockpit incident turns focus to crew-related hijackings
The pilot of the FlyDubai flight is suspected of having stabbed his copilot midflight in an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The incident has turned focus to similar incidents in the past, where deliberate crashes or near crashes have been instigated by on or off-duty crew. A pilot on a plane t»»»
World's tallest gold bar on display at Sharjah watch and jewellery show
BTC's Guinness-certified 2.12m gold bar is styled as a ruler for visitors to stand beside Dubai: The world's tallest gold bar is on display at the 58th Watch & Jewelry Middle East Show at Expo Centre Sharjah, where visitors can stand next to it and compare their height. The bar, presented by the Bu»»»
What Paysafe’s Wallet Consolidation Means for Every Stakeholder in Europe
Paysafe, the payments group behind Skrill, Neteller and PaysafeCard, is reshaping its consumer business around a single account. PaysafeWallet, introduced on 22 April 2026, turns PaysafeCard’s former Account & Card product into a full-service digital wallet with a dedicated IBAN and debit card, and»»»
Lebanon urges US to increase pressure on Israel to end its operations in the south – Ya Libnan
Share: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called on the United States to increase pressure on Israel to implement the agreements and halt operations in southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities are also requesting continued support for the armed forces and say they inten»»»
Energy and AI strategic priorities for Italy amid global tensions, minister says
Rome, Sept. 30 (SANA) Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin affirmed Wednesday that energy resilience and artificial intelligence technology represent strategic twin pillars for Italy’s economic future and national competitiveness. In statements reported by It»»»
Italy extends border checks with Spain for another 15 days
Rome: Italy has extended for another 15 days the checks at its air and maritime borders with Spain due to the continuing situation in Ceuta, local media reported Wednesday. According to Corriere della Sera, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi decided to extend the checks after a meeting of »»»
Visa: Over 90% of European banks are already using AI
At European level, 48% of the banks included in the study focus their AI investments on operational efficiency or staff productivity, whilst 30% cite customer experience or fraud prevention as the main driver of investment. The area in which the technology is applied influences the results achieved»»»
Newly signed Saudi-Italian agreement to create greater access for businesess
RIYADH: Saudi-Italian business ties have been strengthened after an agreement was signed to improve access to each other’s markets. The Federation of Saudi Chambers and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Italy’s national promotional institution, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to strength»»»
[Interview] Ceuta crisis shows how EU border outsourcing puts children at risk, says German lawyer
Spain is coordinating with Morocco to prevent a new mass crossing into Ceuta this week, Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares said ealrier in September in response to renewed encouragement to storm the Ceuta border crossing on social media. Warnings of a new wave of border crossings has caus»»»