Police probe misleading announcements, narrow exits, security lapses at Durga Puja venue Dubai: A warning that a Durga Puja pandal was about to collapse may have triggered panic that left at least 19 people dead in Kolkata on Saturday evening, as investigators examine whether misleading announcemen»»»

Zelensky’s diesel-fueled burnout READ MORE: Zelensky has made his choice, now America must make its own This week did not start well for Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, who was apparently blindsided by US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel supplies after ta»»»

Doha: The Supreme Judiciary Council has announced that 11 judicial services will be available virtually through the WhatsApp application. The council said the initiative aims to ensure the services are available 24 hours a day. The services include obtaining copies of judgments, case summaries and »»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that US President Donald Trump’s decision to waive sanctions and tariffs on Russia would last 60 days, as the move drew bipartisan criticism and raised fears in Ukraine that Washington could ease further restrictions on Moscow. US Secretary of State M»»»

ATLANTA, Georgia – Since it was established in 1956, Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta has hosted legendary Democratic leaders while its founder played a key role in the city’s move from a Republican to Democratic stronghold. With the state’s Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff leading the p»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public prosecution in coordination with the Supreme Judiciary Council announced the auction of vehicles on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 4pm to 7pm through the “Court Mzadat” application. Some of the models on auction include 2015 and 2016 model of Lexus, and 2024 model of Yang»»»

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Saturday, October 17, 2026, reviewed the economic agenda for Egypt Forum 2026 and the country’s National Economic Transformation Program, aiming at building on previous reforms and strengthening sustainable and resilient growth. Madbouly chaired a meeting attended»»»

Jakarta, Indonesia: Dozens of critically endangered orangutans have been rescued in recent weeks from rampant wildfires burning across Indonesia that have cloaked the region in toxic haze, conservation groups said. The fires have triggered a months-long pollution spell that has closed schools, fuel»»»

Los Angeles, United States: Lionel Messi scored twice in the space of four minutes to lift Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory at Atlanta United on Saturday as the Herons' MLS title defense continued to gain steam with the playoffs approaching. The 39-year-old superstar tops the Major League Soccer scorin»»»

BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army deployed extensively across Beirut’s southern suburbs on Saturday morning, patrolling streets following protests by Hezbollah supporters that saw dozens of motorcyclists descend on the capital, gathering along a major thoroughfare and chanting slogans in support of the gro»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar have qualified for the 2026 Tent Pegging World Cup in Jordan after finishing first in the qualifying play-off tournament hosted by Oman over three days. Qatar topped the standings with 414.50 points, finishing 1.50 points ahead of runners-up Iraq, while Kuwait placed third. Nasse»»»

Doha, Qatar: Egypt opened their campaign in the U17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2026 with a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia at Hamad Al Kabeer Stadium yesterday. After a goalless first half, Mohamed Gamal broke the deadlock in the 54th minute before substitute Ziad Saudi doubled Egypt’s lead in the 80th minute. A»»»

Toronto-Abu Dhabi flight diverted to Amman due to medical emergency An Etihad Airways flight from Toronto to Abu Dhabi diverted to Jordan on October 17 after a passenger on board required immediate medical treatment, the airline said. According to Etihad Airways, flight EY022 from Toronto Pearson I»»»

Paris: The Louvre is gradually plugging the security gaps exposed by the spectacular burglary of October 19 last year, but its reputation has taken a battering and its creaking infrastructure is a growing source of concern. The beloved Parisian museum, the most visited in the world, has spent a yea»»»

ROME: An Italian court is to rule on the country’s first climate lawsuit against the state, with claimants hoping Rome will be ordered to slash greenhouse-gas emissions sharply. The case, known as “Giudizio Universale” (Last Judgment), was launched in June 2021 by environmental group A Sud and more»»»

Prosecutors from across the country held a General Assembly on Saturday to elect representatives to the new Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the prosecutors’ professional quota. During the assembly, the chairperson and members of the election commission were elected, polling stations were design»»»

Shanghai: Rising star Rafael Jodar ousted Daniil Medvedev in straight sets yesterday to reach the Shanghai Masters final, where he will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in an all-Spanish affair. The 26th-ranked Davidovich Fokina fought back to stun wilting top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. I»»»

Wuhan: Polish 16th seed Maja Chwalinska overcame an injured Iga Swiatek to reach the first WTA 1000 final of her career, handing her childhood friend and compatriot a 7-5, 6-1 defeat at the Wuhan Open yesterday. Chwalinska will next face world number 170 Sonay Kartal, who became the lowest-ranked p»»»

Rawalpindi: England, Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan meet in a one-day international tri-series starting in Rawalpindi from today as they build up to next year’s 50-over World Cup. With the global tournament -- co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia -- a little under a year away, Pakistan cap»»»

Seville: Hansi Flick’s dominant Barcelona routed 10-man Real Betis 5-2 yesterday to return five points clear at the top of La Liga. Teenage winger Lamine Yamal scored a brilliant goal for the Spanish champions, with Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo also finding the net at La Cartuja »»»

Doha, Qatar: Lusail continued their promising debut season in the Qatar Stars League with a goalless draw against Al Shamal at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday, while Joselu scored a stoppage-time equaliser to earn Al Sailiya their first point of the season in a thrilling 2-2 draw against Qatar S»»»

Understanding fines for offensive language in UAE legal filings Question - A questioner asks: In a memorandum submitted to the court, I described my ex-husband as “very stingy.” I discovered that he had filed a criminal complaint against me in relation to this statement. Does he have the right to f»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An increasing number of politicians and countries around the world are expressing regret over their decision to turn away from Russian energy resources, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said. "Lately, we have indeed seen more and more politicians and countries saying»»»

April sees highest monthly trade value in Abu Dhabi’s non-oil trade with Arabs Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade with Arab countries exceeded Dh87 billion in the first seven months of this year, according to an analysis of data released by the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD). The data showed t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The View Hospital, (in affiliation with Cedars-Sinai), and Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance have reaffirmed their insurance partnership, which began in 2023 when Al Koot became amongst the first insurance companies to sign with the hospital. The continued partnership gives Al Koot’s m»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is strengthening professional standards in the legal sector through new regulations covering lawyers’ registration examinations, licensing requirements for non-Qatari practitioners and law firms’ websites, as part of efforts to enhance the quality of legal services, protect clien»»»

Arab Finance: Egypt has retained Africa’s top ranking for fixed internet speed for a fifth consecutive year and received Ookla’s Speedtest Award for the continent’s fastest fixed internet in the first half (H1) of 2026, according to a statement issued by the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (N»»»

Limoges, France: The town hall in the French city of Limoges was "largely lost" to a fire set by masked protesters on Saturday, the top regional official told AFP. "The roof has collapsed onto lower floors, except the west wing, and two-thirds of the exterior has already disappeared," the local pre»»»

Imran Khan defends his stay in India, denies protest involvement Bollywood actor Imran Khan has filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court challenging a notice directing him to leave India by October 28, calling it “unconstitutional” and alleging an abuse of power. The 44-year-old actor, nephew»»»

Mass looting and clashes with police leave Paris streets in devastation Paris: France woke up Sunday to devastated streets after clashes between police and protesters, mass looting and fires erupted nationwide as marches against rising costs of living degenerated into "extreme" violence. The widesp»»»

AI patrols and smarter investigations could reshape policing by 2040. Dubai: Dubai Police has identified 10 emerging artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities that could transform policing by 2040, including AI-powered criminal investigations, autonomous patrol systems, proactive threat detection »»»

ATLANTA, Georgia – “No Kings, Vote Now” was the theme of a rally in Atlanta, one of many organised across the US on Saturday. While many demonstrators denounced President Donald Trump’s policies, organisers said the rally was aimed at getting out the vote in the November 3 midte»»»

Prime rents slip, outer areas climb and studios lead demand as new supply floods the city Dubai: Tenants are leaving their homes for cheaper ones, while landlords in prime districts are cutting rents to hold on to them. Data shows that new leases have outnumbered renewals by 633 contracts in July a»»»

12 detained, including organisers; Modi announces aid as leaders mourn victims At least 19 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, eastern India, on Saturday evening, prompting an investigation and compensation announcements from the state and centr»»»

JERUSALEM: Three years after suffering their deadliest single attack, Israelis will deliver their verdict on veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an October 27 election that could decide if the country moves definitively into hard-right nationalism. The trauma of October 7, 2023 remains raw»»»

Johannesburg: Egypt's Al Ahly began their CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a come from behind victory against Ugandan side Kitara, claiming a 2-1 win on on Saturday. The hosts shocked the Cairo outfit when Gadafi Wahab scored after 30 minutes to take a lead they retained until midway through the»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to waive sanctions on Russia days before they were to take effect drew outrage Saturday from members of Congress, which had overwhelmingly passed the legislation in a bipartisan display of American support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. Lawm»»»

Brussels: Belgium, through its Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, on Saturday strongly condemned Israeli settlers' assault on Palestinians, the consul general, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives in the town of Al-Taybeh, in the occupied West Bank, noting that a French mayor was »»»

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Michigan: For many voters in Michigan, the US Senate race has become about far more than which party controls Washington. In the Detroit suburbs, some Jewish Democrats are confronting deeply personal questions about faith and identity as they weigh whether they can support their pa»»»

Skydance’s $110 billion creation tests whether France’s cultural exception can still compel a leveraged global media giant to fund, protect and prioritise French creativity, or merely treat it as a compliance cost. The completion this month of Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Di»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has reinforced its commitment to protecting children in Yemen through a new $1.55 million partnership between the Saudi aid agency KSrelief and the World Health Organization to provide lifesaving nutrition and medical care for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition w»»»


BANGKOK — International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Saturday this year's Annual Meetings with global policymakers were marked by "optimism and worry" about the global economic outlook as the event wound down in Bangkok.

Georgieva also said her organisation had a "responsibili»»»

Bangkok, Oct. 17 (SANA) Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh held Saturday a series of high-level meetings with international financial institutions and banks on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, advancing Syria’s reintegration into the global financial system, secur»»»

Justice Minister Toni Gogu has condemned the violence following tonight’s protest in Tirana, after fires reportedly affected the High Court building and damage was reported at the entrance of the Bank of Albania. In a public statement, Gogu emphasized that both institutions are independent and serv»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran is ready to assist in ending hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Shiite Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, that rules northern Yemen, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday during talks with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty. The me»»»

KATMANDU: Nepal’s devastating floods should be a turning point for global climate action, with the international community helping the Himalayan nation recover, a top UN official told AFP on Saturday. The country suffered one of the worst disasters in its history on August 26, when a mountain colla»»»

Hungary’s political and diplomatic landscape continues to evolve rapidly. This week brought important developments in relations with Ukraine, a potential breakthrough over billions of euros in frozen EU funds, and fresh debates over migration, economic policy and the country’s international partner»»»

Psychological support and safe spaces prioritised for children in custody cases The UAE has launched a series of national initiatives aimed at protecting children during family disputes and improving child custody arrangements, with a focus on their psychological wellbeing and family stability. The»»»

Baghdad, Oct. 17 (SANA) Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani signed several agreements and legal instruments within the framework of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, and Social Affairs Dr. »»»

NEW YORK: Jewish Americans feel they have a lot at stake in this month’s contentious elections in Israel as three years of Mideast conflicts rile up emotions across the United States, from street protests to the midterm races. But they are sharply divided along political, religious and often genera»»»