By Staff, Agencies The US has proposed unfreezing billions of euros in Russian assets held in the European Union as part of efforts to advance Ukraine peace talks, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the discussions. Moscow has repeatedly condemned the freezing of i»»»

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s parliament on Thursday approved the remainder of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s cabinet, completing the formation of a government that took office five months ago with several key positions, lawmakers said. Lawmakers approved 11 portfolios, including Nayef Al-Shammari as defense mini»»»

The Pentagon is developing plans to use the largest conventional bomb in the US arsenal in its war on Iran, CNN has reported, citing multiple sources in US President Donald Trump’s administration. If approved, the strike would mark only the second combat use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Bla»»»

Brussels: GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said a coordination meeting of GCC legislative council speakers reviewed the agenda of the second GCC-European Parliamentary Meeting, scheduled for Friday in Brussels, and discussed issues of mutual interest. He said participants stressed the»»»

BRUSSELS: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that it was crucial to give Ukraine all the means it needs to defend and protect its civilian ⁠population and its infrastructure, ⁠after he met in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A very substantive meeting with Presid»»»

RIYADH: Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, on Thursday offered his condolences for the loss of lives in recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. During a call with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Motegi said that attacks on civilians were intolerable, as he affirmed Japan’s»»»

Brussels: Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim participated on Thursday in the GCC coordination meeting of speakers of legislative councils in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The meeting discussed coordinating Gulf positions and perspectives on the topics on the »»»

​Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday rejected calls to resign as thousands of student-led protesters smashed windows and fought running battles with riot police firing water cannon and tear gas in the capital. The demonstrators accuse officials of corruption and neglecting education and sa»»»

Can a flick of a switch really be enough for Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end Ukraine's hopes of holding out against Russia? With Kyiv already reeling from daily strikes by Russia's new motor-powered drones, the United States decision to slow SpaceX Starlink service felt immediately Wednesday when»»»

Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Nobel Peace laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, Director of the Centre for Civil Liberties, says that with the diesel-supply deal with Moscow Donald Trump "is openly financing this war, by lifting sanctions is providing Russia with opportunities to earn more money" »»»

Romania reported seven people missing on Thursday after two drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea, where several vessels have been hit recently in suspected fallout from the Ukraine war. The attacks are the latest in a series off the coast of Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria in recent weeks. FRA»»»

Damascus, Oct. 15 (SANA) Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to discuss bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and the latest developments in the region. The two sides stressed the importan»»»

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fights to retain power, loyalists are crediting him with strengthening the country and defeating its enemies, while former supporters blame his leadership for October 7 and are seeking alternatives on both the left and the right. With less than a month t»»»

PARIS: At least 19 people were injured on Thursday evening after a freight train and a coach collided near the Channel Tunnel in northern France, the local prefect’s office said. None of the ⁠injuries were life-threatening, ⁠the prefecture said in a statement, adding that ambulances, a helicopter a»»»

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has begun an official visit to Lebanon that will last until tomorrow. During the visit, Qatari Prime Minister Al-Thani is scheduled to meet with President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun»»»

Bangkok: Minister of Finance HE Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari headed the State of Qatar's delegation participating in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, held in Bangkok, K»»»

The 375-metre enclosed walkway is about 'connecting two visions, not just two projects' Dubai's new pedestrian bridge linking Etihad Rail's Al Yalayis Station with Dubai Metro's Jumeirah Golf Estates Station opened on Thursday, October 15, giving passengers a direct, air-conditioned connection betw»»»

LONDON: Israeli troops raided and burned a house and set fire to a nearby animal feed warehouse in southern Syria’s Daraa province on Thursday, Syrian state media reported. State-run Alikhbaria TV said the troops stormed the house in the Wadi Al-Raqqad area of western Daraa before setting both prop»»»

Hungarian house prices fell by 1.4% in the second quarter of 2026, marking their first quarterly decline since late 2022 and the steepest drop among European countries. Prices are still 10.2% higher than a year ago, but the slowdown in demand and more moderate rent increases suggest that the market»»»

COPENHAGEN: Greenland’s parliament on Thursday unanimously adopted a proposal asking the government to draft legislation banning deep-sea mining and exploration until at least the end of 2029. Fisheries are the driver of Greenland’s economy, while hunting plays a crucial role for livelihoods in man»»»

Paris, France: The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday that the total volume of oil stocks to be released by its members would exceed the initially pledged 400 million barrels to address tightness in global oil markets. In a statement, the IEA Governing Board reaffirmed its commitmen»»»

LONDON: Missiles used by the Houthis to attack Saudi Arabia draw on a global supply chain, with components originating in countries friendly to the Kingdom reaching Yemen through intermediaries, according to one of the world’s leading experts on the proliferation of arms. Wolf-Christian Paes, who s»»»

Los Angeles: A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, delivering scientific equipment and supplies to the orbiting laboratory, NASA said. The spacecraft, carrying about 2,860 kilograms of cargo, lifted off at 6:33am Eastern Time (1033 GMT) on Tu»»»

Mogadishu: Somalia announced on Thursday that parliamentary and presidential elections would be held next year in the deeply fragmented country that faces a long-running insurgency. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's second term ended earlier this year but his government declared a "transition perio»»»

Sao Paulo: Brazilian Rafael Camara will race for Haas in 2027, the Formula 1 team announced on Thursday, after confirming the departure of French driver Esteban Ocon last month. "It's an important step in my career," the 21-year-old said in a statement from the US-based Haas team. "Now my focus is »»»

The Indian consulate in Jeddah has set up a 24-hour control room for affected travellers Indian nationals planning to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia have been urged to check their flight status regularly as disruptions affect air services between India and the kingdom, particularly through Jeddah an»»»

New York, Oct. 15 (SANA) Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, said the new Syria had transformed the legacy of the ousted regime into opportunities for cooperation and partnership with the international community, particularly on chemical weapons, while remaining f»»»

BEIRUT: The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned “in the strongest terms” the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and affirmed the Kingdom’s “inherent right” to self-defense. The presidential statement highlighted in particular the deadly strikes against Riyadh’s main airport this month»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd have signed Qatar international striker Mohammed Muntari from Al Gharafa on Thursday on a two-season deal. The 32-year-old joined Al Gharafa in the 2024-25 season, making 29 appearances and scoring six goals.He previously played for Al Jaish and Al Duhail and had a loan spell a»»»

Doha, Qatar: Local Organizing Committee for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, in collaboration with the Qatar School Sports Association, announced the group draw for the 32 schools participating in the new season of the Mini Basketball World Cup. The initiative aims to expand student partic»»»

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh visited the shrine of the master of the Ummah’s Martyrs, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, and laid a wreath on his tomb. Iranian Official Lays Wreath on Sayyed Nasrallah's Tomb in Beirut's Dahieh pic.twitter.com/63kwPhmqFa — Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) »»»

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday a fee exemption for Syrian Umrah pilgrims who overstayed in Saudi Arabia, giving them one week to register for procedures to facilitate their return home. The decision, issued by the ministry’s Consular Affairs Directorate, c»»»

RIYADH: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani arrived in Riyadh on Thursday for talks with Saudi officials on strengthening bilateral relations and the latest regional developments, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He was received upon arrival by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-K»»»

Yemen's Houthis denied carrying out an attack on Saudi Arabia on Thursday, shortly after Riyadh said it had intercepted a missile targeting the region around the holy city of Medina. Riyadh also accused Tehran of stoking tensions between the Houthis and government forces in the latest esc»»»

To discuss the ongoing conflict between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed coalition, we speak to Jules Grange Gastinel, a researcher at France's CNRS research body specialising in the Houthi movement. He tells us why the conflict has escalated and what the Houthis want.»»»

Thousands of Colombians protested peacefully across the country on Wednesday against right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella, in the opposition’s first major demonstrations since he took office in August. Former leftist president Gustavo Petro led a rally in Bogota joined by trade unionists, »»»

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was cancelling plans to livestream the firing squad execution of a convicted military base shooter – a project that had sparked outrage in the United States. Nidal Hasan is scheduled to be executed on December 3 at Fort Hood in Texas, where »»»

An association in Haiti is organising capoeira classes – an Afro-Brazilian martial art – in an attempt to reduce community violence and promote social reintegration. The Observers team spoke to its founder, Rodney Jean Marc, who said their doors are open to everyone, “even children in arm»»»

AMMAN — Royal Jordanian (RJ) Vice Chairman and CEO, Samer Majali, is currently participating in the "Wings of Change Europe 2026 (WOCE)" symposium, organised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Brussels.Senior officials, decision makers, airline leaders and representatives of i»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) has issued a report titled “Jordan’s Economy: Encouraging Performance Amid Ongoing Uncertainty” as part of its “Knowledge is Power” series, highlighting the economy’s resilience amid regional challenges.The report reviews key economic indicators for 2026, com»»»

AMMAN — Investment Minister Tareq Abu Ghazaleh met with EU and Belgian officials in Brussels on Thursday to explore ways to expand investment partnerships and boost participation in the Jordan-EU Investment Conference, scheduled to be held at the Dead Sea on November 19.During the visit, Abu Ghazal»»»

AMMAN — The One-Stop Shop at the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC), which brings representatives of several government departments together to provide services in one location, processed 78,808 transactions in the third quarter of 2026, according to an ACC statement issued on Thursday.The facility ho»»»

Hungary has approved a simplified procedure for using Keytruda, a widely used cancer immunotherapy, before surgery for malignant melanoma. However, the decision does not automatically mean that all eligible patients will receive state-funded treatment. Hungary has introduced a simplified procedure »»»

Charles Pellegrin is pleased to welcome Nicolas Vercken, Director of Advocacy for Oxfam France. France’s tax inequality is under scrutiny and Oxfam is challenging the state over its constitutional obligations. “It’s not so much about how much the percentage of tax and the burden of o»»»

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Presence in Albania has welcomed President Bajram Begaj’s appeal for calm and dialogue amid rising tensions in the country. In a public statement, the OSCE reiterated its support for inclusive dialogue, urging all parties to prioritize»»»

North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has accused Iva Mihailova of illegally crossing into North Macedonia's neighboring country of Bulgaria and warned that she and her father would eventually face justice, despite claims that she left through an official border checkpoint. Speaking at»»»

Sergei Sokolov, the editor-in-chief of Russia's independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was detained and taken for questioning on Thursday after authorities searched his home, the newspaper said. The chief editor at Russia's independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Sergei Sokolov, has been detained and ta»»»

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police for the third consecutive day on Thursday in Albania, with Prime Minister Edi Rama condemning the “chaos” that caused damage to government buildings. Thousands of protesters are calling for Rama's resignation and better studying conditions for Alba»»»

NATO will put drone strikes in the Black Sea on its agenda at a meeting next week, officials said Thursday, following two new attacks and the disappearance of seven people. Incidents involving civilian vessels in the Black Sea have been on the rise off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania in a suspec»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt “betrayed” on Wednesday after access was seemingly restricted to US intelligence and Space X satellite services, raising new questions about US commitment to Ukraine. With Trump under pressure over rising fuel prices, is the White H»»»