DAMASCUS: Israeli forces shelled areas in southern Syria and carried out a ground incursion into a village in Quneitra province on Saturday, opening fire toward civilian homes and journalists, according to reports by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Several artillery shells landed on the outskirt»»»

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»»»

GAZA CITY: Israel said on Saturday that it attempted to kill Hamas’s top leader in the Gaza Strip in an airstrike on an apartment that local officials said killed five people, four of them women. The pre-dawn strike came on the anniversary according to the Jewish calendar of the October 7, 2023 att»»»

PARIS: French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said she had full confidence in her top ally Jordan Bardella, accused by an investigative news website of making antisemitic comments in 2013, in a statement published Saturday. “I have complete confidence in Jordan,” Le Pen said in the b»»»

UAE leaders extend warm wishes to Germany on Unity Day UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany on the occasion of his country's Unity Day. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, »»»

ISTANBUL: Rescuers recovered another body from the ferry tragedy that occurred off northern Cyprus in late August, raising the death toll to 19 with nine people still missing, officials said Saturday. The update came in a statement from the office of Unal Ustel, prime minister of the Turkish Republ»»»

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 »»»

Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Madrid and other cities in Spain on Saturday to demand affordable housing, fuelled by anger at lawmakers who narrowly rejected measures put forward by the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to strengthen protection for tenants. Fresh protests over »»»

Beijing: World No.1 Elena Rybakina could not regroup and fell to 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva in the second round of the China Open on Saturday in Beijing. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan was playing her first match since seizing the top ranking on her US Open win in New York, but Armenia's Charaeva»»»

LONDON: Anti-immigration Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was ignored when he complained of threats to his safety, his deputy said Saturday after the man accused of killing former British politician Ann Widdecombe was charged with plotting a terror attack against Farage. Richard Tice said Farage»»»

Share: File: Vice President JD Vance headed the secret Camp David meting that discussed Iran and the Saudi -Houthi war President Trump’s top cabinet members huddled for hours at Camp David on Friday to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, three U.S. officials t»»»

Beijing: Big-serving Alexander Zverev trounced home hopeful Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 at the China Open on Saturday to set up a quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic in Beijing. The German top seed needed just 55 minutes to brush aside the Chinese wildcard, ranked 250th, firing nine aces along the »»»

Argentina offers citizenship to foreigners who invest at least $350,000 in the country Buenos Aires: Argentine President Javier Milei's government said Friday that the country would offer citizenship to foreigners who invest at least $350,000 in the country. South America's second-largest economy a»»»

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, »»»

The man accused of murdering former UK Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe has also been charged with preparing a terrorist attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire was charged on Friday under the Terrorism Act 2006 and will appear in court on Wednes»»»

PARIS: Five people have been charged in France on suspicion of sending funding via humanitarian groups to a third party seeking to collect money for Hamas, the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said Saturday. The PNAT told AFP the five were taken into custody on Tuesday by i»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Vivian Salama from Washington. An attorney and staff writer at The Atlantic, Salama has reported from more than 85 countries. Her latest investigation takes us back to September 26, 2023. As Israel's national security establishment gathered to commemorate the 5»»»

The first round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday pits two well-known names in the political ring: Lula vs. Bolsonaro. But it’s not former president Jair Bolsonaro facing off against the incumbent head of state – it’s his eldest son, Flavio Bolsonaro. He’s less charismatic than his father»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, October 2: We look at reactions in the French papers after high school blockades turned violent across France. We also look ahead to Brazil's two-round presidential election, which begins this weekend. The electoral campaign culminated with the cancellation of a presiden»»»

The mudslinging between Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his election rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, has heated up ahead of what is expected to be an extremely close vote this weekend. From stating loose rumours as facts, to taking comments completely out of their context, they »»»

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will stand for re-election in Brazil on Sunday. At 80, the former steelworker hopes to capitalise on his popularity and economic successes to win a fourth term in office but is neck-and-neck in the polls with far-right rival Flavio Bolsonaro. Nearly four decades »»»

In recent months, the eastern Central African Republic has been hit by several attacks attributed to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan militia infamous for its massacres and mass abductions of children in the 1990s and 2000s. The group's leader, Joseph Kony, wanted by the International Cr»»»

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»»»

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»»»

In her cookbook "Scandinavian Everyday,” Nichole Accettola describes herself as a "PPP” - a passionate porridge person. Although she grew up in Ohio eating sugary instant oatmeal, she writes that she was living in Scandinavia around the time of "a porridge renaissance,” when "new ingredients and fr»»»

Rome: World No.1 Jannik Sinner on Saturday again delayed his return to the courts, announcing his withdrawal from next week's Shanghai Masters. The 25-year-old, who has won six titles in 2026 with an impressive record of 44 wins against three losses, has not played since his Wimbledon title in July»»»

LONDON: If anyone were in any doubt as to who was behind the attempt this week to block veteran Arab politician Sami Abu Shehadeh from standing in next month’s Israeli general election, that doubt vanished on Friday afternoon when cell phones across Israel lit up with a recorded message from the fa»»»

Nagoya: Qatar's Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan cemented their Asian Games dominance on Saturday, defeating Indonesia 2-1 in the men's beach volleyball final to capture a third consecutive gold at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The Qatari duo held their nerve in a hard-fought final to add another Asian Games »»»

NAGOYA: Qatar's Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan cemented their Asian Games dominance on Saturday, defeating Indonesia 2-1 in the men's beach volleyball final to capture a third consecutive gold at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The Qatari duo held their nerve in a hard-fought final to add another Asian Games »»»

Three days of developments reveal injuries, flight suspensions, a UAE probe, new findings What began as reports of an unexplained altercation inside the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 has developed into a major security investigation, with UAE prosecutors now saying the co-pilot attempted to car»»»

Three days of developments reveal injuries, flight suspensions, a UAE probe, new findings What began as reports of an unexplained altercation inside the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 has developed into a major security investigation, with UAE prosecutors now saying the co-pilot attempted to car»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s 2027 budget is asking a shrinking economy to deliver tax revenue more than double what it collected in 2024 — a target one economist calls unrealistic — while the country has yet to resolve how the losses from its banking crisis will be shared. The Ministry of Finance has submitte»»»

Husband says wife would not let him use the toilet immediately after she had cleaned it Dubai: A Turkish man has sought a divorce from his wife after four years of marriage, alleging that her intense focus on cleanliness turned everyday life into a source of repeated disputes. In his court filing, »»»

Nagoya, Japan: Tom Kim shot a sparkling final-round six-under 64 on Saturday to win golf gold at the Asian Games -- and avoid a long spell in South Korea's military. He let out a roar of "Come on!" as he tapped in for par at the last in Nagoya and celebrated a three-stroke victory after a superb ro»»»

Nagoya, Japan: Pranavi Urs held her nerve to hole a knee-knocking three-foot putt for par on the final green to win the Asian Games women's individual golf gold by one stroke on Saturday. Urs was doused in water in celebration by her fellow Indian golfers Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar after completi»»»

The case of the National Cultural Fund (NKA) and the suspicion of breach of fiduciary duty levelled against former Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó raises questions about whether Fidesz MPs are lawfully entitled to sit in parliament, Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated on Friday, at t»»»

Sepang, Malaysia: World championship leader Kimi Antonelli topped the times for Mercedes ahead of both Red Bulls in Saturday's third and final free practice ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The 20-year-old Italian produced a late fastest lap of 1min 36.302sec to outpace four-time champi»»»

Investigators uncover alleged smuggling network using transit passengers, airport staff Mumbai: Indian authorities have busted an alleged international smuggling network at Mumbai airport that used secret hand-offs between transit passengers and an airport staff member to move gold into India. The »»»

Abu Dhabi becomes home for Lebanese chef Joe Barza's timeless creations "Abu Dhabi is my second home since 1999," the Lebanese chef, Joe Barza said. Barza is among the best-known chefs in the world. He has judged Top Chef Middle East, served as Hilton's brand ambassador for the Gulf and Africa, and»»»

MADRID: Fresh protests over housing are due to take place in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday, a day after parliament rejected two government measures to strengthen protection for tenants. The government introduced the measures after nationwide protests following the eviction, on a stret»»»

Nora Fatehi, a Dubai-bound passenger arrest and passport changes make the list From higher UAE fuel prices and flight disruptions amid regional tensions to major developments involving flydubai, this week delivered stories with an immediate impact on residents and travellers. Entertainment also gra»»»

Dubai’s former Lamcy Plaza to return as The Plaza in 2027, bringing a new chapter For many Dubai residents, Lamcy Plaza was more than a shopping mall. It was a meeting place, a weekend destination and, for some, part of everyday life. Now, almost a decade after it closed, the Oud Metha landmark is »»»

WASHINGTON: The US G20 presidency said Friday it was “severely disappointed” that some members rejected a statement this week for action against excess industrial capacity, a criticism commonly aimed at China. The United States holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 major economies this y»»»

MOBILE, Alabama: President Donald Trump is continuing his midterm campaign swing with a rally in deep red Alabama Friday, returning to the place where he drew his first mega crowd. Trump is stumping for Republican candidates, including Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running against former Democratic»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court on Friday put back on the election ballot an Arab party that could be a kingmaker, hours after one Arab-Israeli politician withdrew under court pressure. In September, an electoral committee of MPs voted to disqualify multiple candidates for the October 27 general »»»

NEW YORK: UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone has urged the international community to translate its political support for Syria into practical assistance and funding to help rebuild the country’s economy and institutions, while warning that Israeli military operations are threatening»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesian President ‌Prabowo Subianto named a new advisory council on Friday that includes tycoons, politicians and influential former Islamic leaders, the latest ​in a slew of personnel changes as he grapples with a declining approval rating. * Among the 24 new members appointed are loca»»»

Brazil is seeking to investigate allegations of US government funding for activities aimed at interfering in its elections and undermining the legitimacy of its Supreme Federal Court, public news agency Agencia Brasil reported Thursday. Earlier this week, The Guardian cited a source familiar with t»»»

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has rewarded her personal communications adviser with a permanent job in the commission’s media department, in a move that reveals how the EU bureaucracy really works, and how von der Leyen has created a royal court in Brussels. Von der Leyen’s Col»»»

LONDON: Two Iranian men have been charged with plotting a terror attack on the Jewish community in Manchester, UK police said Friday. The arrests come nearly a year after a deadly knife and gun attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in northern Manchester where worshippers had gath»»»