RIYADH: The UK-Gulf Cooperation Council free trade agreement has shifted the focus of an upcoming London forum toward investment partnerships and practical implementation, according to the CEO of the organizing firm. In an interview with Arab News ahead of the UK-GCC Strategic Dialogue on Oct. 20, »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health is intensifying its programmes and initiatives aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing across different segments of society through a series of awareness and specialist activities taking place throughout October, marking World Mental Health Day. The»»»

Doha, Qatar: Poland's reclassification from an emerging market to a developed market reflects three decades of economic and institutional progress, supported by market reforms, European Union membership and deeper integration into Western European supply chains, Qatar National Bank (QNB) said in it»»»

SWS has sold over six million boards worldwide and can produce more than 450,000 each year Dubai: A Dubai-based manufacturer that produces half the world's kiteboards and wakeboards has won the Dubai-it Award for Projects in the Field of Economy. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Cr»»»

A tanker was struck by an "unknown projectile" off Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, forcing the evacuation of its crew, a maritime monitoring agency said on Saturday. The vessel was hit on Friday, 68 nautical miles off the coast of Jubail, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, adding»»»

Colombo: Sri Lanka suffered a nationwide electricity blackout on Saturday after the national grid tripped, possibly because solar power generation exceeded consumption, officials said. The country was without grid power for more than two hours, with no clear timeline for when electricity would be r»»»

Pilots declared a Mayday after a jet door fell off, forcing a rapid return to the airport Abuja: A private jet carrying nine people was forced to make an emergency landing in Nigeria after one of its doors detached thousands of feet above the ground, prompting a Mayday distress call and an emergenc»»»

Mecca and six other areas face heavy storms; residents are urged to avoid flooded valleys Mecca: Saudi Arabia has warned of heavy thunderstorms, flash floods and strong winds across seven regions, with severe weather expected to persist in parts of the kingdom until Wednesday, October 21. The Natio»»»

Beijing, Oct. 17 (SANA) The ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) will open in Shanghai on November 5, bringing together companies from 162 countries, regions and international organizations, including Syria and several Arab countries, as part of efforts to boost trade and expand access to t»»»

CJP’s Ratna Singh calls Dipke’s arrest a violation of fundamental rights New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke, who was detained by Delhi Police ahead of the planned ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally in the national capital, is scheduled to be produced before the Special Executive M»»»

Flight suspension to Saudi Arabia extended; passengers offered refunds and rebooking Air India and Air India Express have temporarily suspended flights to and from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam until October 24, 2026, citing the prevailing situation. The airlines have announced flexible rebooking optio»»»

Mindanao facility offers dental, maternal, emergency and diagnostic services Mindanao: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, inaugurated the Dinas Health Clinic in the Dinas area on the Philippine island of Mindanao. The »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Restrictions on the use of Starlink could significantly reduce the combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian armed forces, disrupting the use of drones and hampering the defense of forward positions, the director of military analysis at the Defense Priorities research center, Jen»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Five injuries reported, including four women, as Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, south of West Bank’s Al-Khalil 17-1»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Enemy Continues Attacks on Southern Lebanon 17-10-2026 12:00 PM Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Nabatieh Al-Fawqa in souther»»»

By Staff, Agencies The family of an “Israeli” soldier killed in a Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon in November 2024 has decided to leave “Israel” over the military’s handling of his death, citing serious operational failures, negligence and a lack of accountability, Haaretz reported. The family»»»

By Staff, Agencies At least 124 people have been martyred and another 327 wounded in the escalating Saudi-led aggression against Yemen since fighting intensified on September 3, according to Yemen's Ministry of Health. The mounting casualties come as Saudi warplanes launched 101 airstrikes and miss»»»

Bangkok, Oct. 17 (SANA) Minister of Finance Mohammad Yisr Bernieh and Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Mohammed Safwat Raslan discussed with Hamam bin Nasser bin Jreid, Chief Executive Officer of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), ways to enhance cooperation in financing small a»»»

Tesla Inc.’s new "flying” car drew awed reactions from Wall Street and EV fans alike. It even won over one of Elon Musk’s notable adversaries. "Wow the new Roadster looks quite amazing,” Sam Altman posted Friday on X. "Good job @elonmusk.” The OpenAI chief executive officer was among a number of bi»»»

Families explore study abroad and career options at Edufair Abu Dhabi 2026 Abu Dhabi: Following a successful Dubai edition that attracted more than 7,000 visitors, Edufair returns to Abu Dhabi as families weigh an expanding range of degree programmes, overseas study destinations and career options.»»»

Dubai: A tanker was struck by an "unknown projectile" off Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, forcing the evacuation of its crew, a maritime monitoring agency said on Saturday. The vessel was hit on Friday, 68 nautical miles of Jubail, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said, adding that "all crew»»»

Orange County's Norte Fire has burnt 570 acres; crews are battling another fire in Malibu Los Angeles: The UAE Consulate General in Los Angeles has urged Emirati citizens in the United States to exercise caution after two wildfires broke out in Southern California, one in Orange County and another »»»

Northern Oman may see above-average rain in October and November as temperatures stay hot Muscat: Oman is facing the prospect of wetter-than-usual conditions in its northern regions and higher temperatures across the country in the coming months, with a strengthening El Niño weather pattern potenti»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity market expanded 10.7 percent annually to SR16.3 billion ($4.35 billion) in 2025, as businesses and government entities increased spending on digital protection amid the Kingdom’s broader technology transformation. Private sector spending accounted for 69 percent»»»

US Vice President JD Vance suggested in an interview aired Friday that he may have disagreed with President Donald Trump over the Iran war. “Even if you disagree with him on that one issue, you can have that disagreement. And I think I have had that disagreement,” Vance said on a political talk sho»»»

By Staff, Agencies Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh reaffirmed on Friday that Tehran remains committed to securing an end to the “Israeli” war on Lebanon as part of any broader regional agreement, stressing that the conflicts across the region are interconnected and cannot be resol»»»

Mindanao projects include homes for 60 families and accommodation for 50 orphans Mindanao: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, said that humanitarian and charitable work is deeply rooted in the UAE's values, reflecting »»»

Tokyo: Japan has registered a record number of foreigners living in the country this year despite growing anti-immigration sentiment, as the country grapples with problems caused by an ageing and shrinking population. Data showed 4.28 million foreigners staying in Japan as of the end of June, exclu»»»

Heavy missile strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of northwestern Yemen have drastically intensified this week. Saudi-led coalition jets carried out successive waves of airstrikes after first warning residents of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, to keep away from two key oil facilities. Meanwhile, governm»»»

The UAE has given him the opportunity to grow and the responsibility to help others Dubai: Collecting cans for recycling, supporting food waste reduction, and helping young hospitality professionals advance their careers are among the ways one Indian expatriate is giving back to the UAE. For Rajat »»»

By Staff, Agencies Russia announced on Friday that the US Treasury Department had asked the Russian Direct Investment Fund [RDIF] to help implement a recently announced diesel supply agreement between Moscow and Washington. Speaking at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow, Russian president»»»

RIYADH: A joint European-Gulf statement emphasized the importance of energy security and diversifying energy sources in consolidating economic stability and supporting sustainable development paths, calling for strengthening Gulf-European cooperation to ensure the reliability and sustainability of »»»

Naidiri, Fiji: It had been decades since sharks last patrolled the reef off the coast of Fiji's Naidiri Village, but they returned this year following a community-led effort to protect the fishery and plant thousands of corals. Manoa Duwai convinced his village in 2009 to create a protected area wi»»»

The UAE has given him the opportunity to grow and the responsibility to help others Dubai: Collecting cans for recycling, supporting food waste reduction, and helping young hospitality professionals advance their careers are among the ways one Indian expatriate is giving back to the UAE. For Rajat »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran Says Ready to Help End Saudi-Yemen Conflict 17-10-2026 10:31 AM Esmaeil Baqaeil, Spokesman of Iranian Foreign Ministry in an image fro»»»

The issue of reconstructing affected areas in Lebanon has ignited a political debate over who should bear the costs, with Hezbollah placing the primary responsibility for housing, reconstruction, and supporting displaced persons on the government. While Hezbollah stated that it is "working on a pro»»»

CAIRO: On Friday evening, Palestinian factions concluded a new round of talks hosted by Cairo, agreeing to hold a comprehensive Palestinian national conference under Egyptian auspices in the coming period, with the participation of various Palestinian factions and forces, to discuss the issues of p»»»

By Staff, Agencies A super tanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil burst into flames after striking a sea mine in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz while attempting to navigate an unauthorized route, according to the Islamic Revolution Guards [IRG] Navy. In a statement, »»»

Washington, United States: White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia was pushed out Friday after less than a week in the high-profile job following a series of blunders that added to distractions for her embattled boss, President Donald Trump. "Can confirm," a White House official told AFP, after »»»

New rules permit second family villas, larger upper floors and lower setbacks across Dubai Dubai: Dubai Municipality has introduced new regulations allowing Emirati homeowners greater flexibility to expand their villas, build second homes for family members and add residential annexes, under an ini»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The suspension of some provisions of the law on sanctions against Russia by the administration of US President Donald Trump is an important and truly historic moment, Russian special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe UKMTO says received time-late report of incident 68NM northeast of Saudi Arabia’s Al Jubayl: Tanker stuck by an unknown projectile, crew ev»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iraq hosts Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ministerial meeting 17-10-2026 10:10 AM Latest News Urgent News Iraq hosts Organizatio»»»

Tokyo: Japan's weather agency withdrew an erroneous alert for a magnitude 9.9 earthquake minutes after issuing it, apologising for the warning that disrupted transport. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had initially warned on Friday that a magnitude 9.9 earthquake occurred near the Kuril Islan»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived sweeping US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia's energy revenues, marking a new low in Washington's ties with war-torn Ukraine. The move came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU lead»»»

Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and Air Arabia cancel flights to Saudi cities amid disruptions UAE travellers face another unsettled day of air travel on Saturday, October 17, as cancellations and schedule changes continue to affect flights between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh remains a major disru»»»

About 80 Israeli settlers set fire to olive trees and threw stones at Palestinians in a West Bank village Friday, injuring at least two people, including a US photojournalist with The Washington Post. The coordinated attack came as violence by settlers is on the rise during the olive harvest in the»»»

US President Donald Trump on Friday put a sweeping package of sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian energy revenues on hold, saying the waiver was in the country's national interest. The relationship between Washington and Kyiv has been fraying since Trump struck a deal with Moscow easing sanctio»»»

Washington, Oct. 17 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending the implementation of sanctions, restrictions and tariffs targeting Russian oil revenues, after signing into law last month legislation authorizing him to impose such measures on buyers of Russian oil an»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, October 16: French papers look ahead to Saturday's call for mass protests, which will bring together a number of social movements. Next, climate change has devastating consequences on communities in Afghanistan. Also, Libération publishes a special edition written in the styl»»»