Seoul: Korean authorities began a new attempt Wednesday to coax a Shark-turned-viral sensation back to sea, with falling temperatures in the Busan canal where it is stranded raising concerns for its survival. The dusky Shark -- affectionately nicknamed "Bukhangi" by fans -- was spotted last month i»»»

By Staff, Agencies “Israeli” War Minister Israel Katz threatened Tuesday to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs [Dahiyeh] in response to any rocket or drone fire targeting the “Israeli” entity, issuing further threats against Lebanon amid continued attacks and occupation of its territory. In a post on»»»

By Staff, Agencies Authorities ordered residents within a 1.6-kilometer [1-mile] radius of an industrial area in Toledo, Ohio, to evacuate late Tuesday following an active hazardous materials leak. The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department instructed people near Enterprise Boulevard and Progress Avenue»»»

György Matolcsy, the former governor of Hungary’s central bank, has been detained on suspicion of economic fraud causing significant financial damage and using a forged private document, his lawyer has confirmed. Matolcsy was taken to the Central Chief Prosecution Office of Investigation early on W»»»

Legislation should support the continued availability of generic and biosimilar medicines in Bulgaria, parliamentary Health Committee Chair Kostadin Angelov said at a forum on Wednesday. He was speaking at the opening of Generic and Biosimilar Medicines: A Guarantee of Sustainable Access to Treatme»»»

Ukrainian forces launched a massive overnight strike on Lugansk, damaging the building of the Lugansk Telephone Company, with people potentially trapped under the rubble, regional head Leonid Pasechnik said. "Overnight, neo-Nazis carried out massive strikes on the center of the republic's capital. »»»

Visitors can complete claims through an app, with smart gates handling extra verification Dubai: Tourists shopping in the UAE can now receive VAT refunds within one business day, down from about nine days previously, as the Federal Tax Authority introduces an AI-powered platform that allows eligibl»»»

SBI confirms data leak, exposing thousands of customer records on the dark web Dubai: State Bank of India (SBI) said on Wednesday that 3,897 customer records containing personal details were found exposed on the dark web, days after a hacker group claimed to be sitting on a much larger haul of the »»»

László Kövér, former Speaker of Hungary’s National Assembly and a co-founder of Fidesz, has admitted that the party failed to address several important issues during its 16 years in government, singling out the country’s education system as an area that has deteriorated. Co-founder of Fidesz used t»»»

KYIV: Four people were killed in a wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine on Wednesday, the government said, as US envoy Steve Witkoff headed to Saint Petersburg for talks. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said two people were killed when a drone hit a 24-story building in the capital, Kyiv»»»

Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H E Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, met with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Middle East and Africa, H E Mark Mitchell. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United States an»»»

Doha, Qatar: Marza Group marked another significant milestone in its journey of growth and expansion with the successful signing ceremony for a new building to establish the seventh branch of Marza Hypermarket in Qatar. The signing ceremony, held on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 6pm at Signature by »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Peru in the State of Qatar, inaugurated the “Peruvian Corner” at Katara on Monday. The space is anchored by the sculpture “Prosperity and Well-being,” created by Peruvian artist Marcelo Wong.»»»

Doha, Qatar: HSBC yesterday announced the appointment of Sami Abouzahr as Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB), UAE and Middle East, effective immediately. Sami relocates to the UAE from Hong Kong, where he has served as Head of Investments and Managed Solutions, Wealth and Premi»»»

Congress budget padding smashed, Court doubles down on financial discipline, transparency Manila: The Philippine Supreme Court ruled that Congress exceeded its constitutional power when it added ₱449.5 billion ($7.12 billion) to the 2024 national budget’s unprogrammed appropriations, raising total »»»

The Lebanese Army has rejected Israeli allegations questioning its operations south of the Litani River, affirming that it remains committed to its assigned duties and obligations despite Israeli threats and repeated violations of the cessation-of-hostilities understandings. In a statement issued l»»»

By Staff, Agencies US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday denied any changes to Washington’s policy toward Ukraine, saying the Pentagon had issued no directives to restrict satellite communications services and was working to ensure that American forces maintained sufficient supplies of Patrio»»»

The UK government’s negligent approach towards care homes at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic led to high disease and death rates among the elderly, a public inquiry into the nation’s response to the disease outbreak has concluded. More than 43,000 people died from Covid-19 in care homes thro»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums (QM) has appointed celebrated Nigerian curator Azu Nwagbogu as the Artistic Director of Tasweer 2027, the fourth edition of QM’s photography biennial and the first to be presented under QM’s future Art Mill Museum. Known for his work organising exhibitions and publishing »»»

Doha: Es’hailSat - Qatar Satellite Company, is exhibiting at the 16th edition of Milipol Qatar, the Global Exhibition & Conference for Homeland Security and Safety, one of the leading events on the international defense and security industry calendar. This event serves as an ideal meeting of minds »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber (QC) hosted a press conference on Tuesday, October 20, to announce the upcoming 13th Gulf Quality Conference, organised by the Gulf Quality Centre for Consultancy and Training. The event will take place on November 12 at the Sharq Hotel Doha, under the theme “Artificial I»»»

Doha, Qatar: Managing Director and CEO of Nebras Energy Mohammed bin Nasser Al Hajri was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Advancement of Qatar’s Energy Industry at the 2026 Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards, held yesterday at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resor»»»

As Iran seeks to disrupt energy flow and the markets, the focal point of the fighting has for now shifted to Yemen, with the Iran-backed Houthi militia staging attacks on Saudi airports, cities, oil facilities, and infrastructure. A host of regional actors have come together to mediate, with most a»»»

By Staff, Agencies The United Nations has warned that approximately 950,000 displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are at risk of flooding during the winter season, with more than 400,000 living in displacement sites classified as highly vulnerable. A UN report published Tuesday said 294,250 fami»»»

"I cannot understand why Iliana Iotova was misled by all of this and did not come to explain herself. They simply hid her," Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski said on Wednesday after MPs twice failed to establish a quorum for an extraordinary parliamentary sitting intended»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar’s National Committee for Qualifications and Academic Accreditation (NCQAA) has granted institutional accreditation to the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), making it the first university in the country to receive this accreditation. Speaking at a press con»»»

Minister of State for Interior Affairs H E Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Mohammed Al Thani met with State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany H E Bernd Krösser during his visit to Qatar to participate in Milipol Qatar 2026. During the meeting, the »»»

Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has announced the launch of the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Arthroscopy service by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery team at Aisha bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital, marking a significant step in advancing specialised surgical services and providing patients wi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Commercial Bank and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) announced yesterday its financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026. The Group reported Net Profit before Pillar Two Tax of QR1,644.1m for nine months 2026. The year-on-year movement in profit was supported by re»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber is participating in the 16th edition of Milipol Qatar 2026, held under the gracious patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and organised by the Ministry of Interior at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center from October 20 to 22. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassi»»»

West Nusa Tenggara eyes Gulf tourists and UAE investment in solar energy projects Lombok is looking to attract more visitors from the UAE and the wider Gulf region, with West Nusa Tenggara’s governor outlining plans to improve connectivity, develop resorts and position the Indonesian province as a »»»

Why Maz Jobrani believes better jokes, not censorship, are the answer Dubai: Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani has zero patience for comedians who complain that cancel culture is killing their careers. His take? “Listen, you're not being canceled. You're just lazy. You haven't written new jokes»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar secured three medals at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games yesterday, with swimmer Shamil Shahov winning a silver and a bronze, while Ali Arshid added another silver in athletics. Shahov claimed silver in the men’s 100m breaststroke (SB12), clocking 1:13.17 to finish second b»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s payment systems processed transactions worth QR100.429bn in September 2026, marking a 19% increase compared with the same month last year, as transaction volumes rose by 25%, according to statistics released by the Qatar Central Bank (QCB). The total number of transactions reac»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has won an Excellence Award for deploying intelligent agents under the Microsoft 365 Copilot project, recognising its efforts to integrate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into its institutional operations and accelerate digit»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aamal Company (“Aamal”), one of the region’s leading diversified companies, announced that its subsidiary, Aamal Energy, has signed a five-year contract with a local company to provide procurement services, with an initial contract value exceeding QR100m. Under the agreement, Aamal Ene»»»

BASRA: Iraq has closed the Sheeb border crossing with Iran to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks until further notice, ‌two sources ‌at the ‌crossing said on Wednesday. Another source said the decision has been taken to check the security arrangements inside the crossing. The Sheeb crossing»»»

By Staff, Agencies The Hill reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced support for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Tuesday, saying his election would reflect a broader push for a different political direction in Washington, with working people at the center of policymakin»»»

London, Oct. 21 (SANA) Gold prices fell for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday as rising oil prices heightened inflation concerns, while investors awaited signals on the future path of US interest rates. Spot gold slipped 0.1% to $4,119.37 an ounce by 0516 GMT, while US gold futures for Dece»»»

The night market offers residents a place to reconnect with family, friends, community Dubai: The music catches your attention first. Then come the lights, the chatter of families, and the smell of food drifting from one stall to the next. A traditional Filipino jeepney adds another reminder of hom»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Ahli coach Borja Jimenez has warned his players against repeating their mistakes as they look to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Al Wakrah when they face Al Gharafa in tomorrow’s Qatar Stars League clash at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium. Jimenez said Al Ahli must show greater focus and »»»

London: Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting the team down during his time in charge. Portugal star Ronaldo was in his second spell at United when Ten Hag was hired in 2022. Ten Hag’s relationship with Ronaldo quickly became tense and the striker re»»»

Travel advisories issued for Saudi routes; cancellations and delays persist. Flights from the UAE continue to face disruption on Wednesday, October 21, as airlines adjust services amid escalating regional security tensions. Several flights to Saudi Arabia have been cancelled, while delays have been»»»

There was no quorum in the plenary chamber on the second attempt to register MPs for the extraordinary parliamentary sitting. The electronic voting board showed 109 MPs present: 21 from Progressive Bulgaria, 34 from GERB-UDF, 18 from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), 19 from Democratic Bu»»»

Doha, Qatar: Doha will kick off the 2027 Diamond League season on May 7, with the detailed schedule of disciplines for all 14 meetings confirmed as athletes begin planning their campaigns for one of athletics’ biggest titles. The publication of the Diamond Discipline allocation sets the Road to the»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Republic of Korea is looking to expand its comprehensive strategic partnership with Qatar by strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), advanced technology, investment, energy, infrastructure and cultural exchange, said the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Qat»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s role in mediating between Washington and Tehran could prove critical to ending the Iran conflict, US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Thomas J. Barrack said, arguing that a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement offer a way out of a crisis with conseque»»»

A protest against the government's response to security developments in the Black Sea took place in central Sofia, with demonstrators demanding a stronger defense policy and closer coordination with Bulgaria's EU and NATO allies. The demonstration, held under the slogan "Your 'Peace' Is Capitulatio»»»

Kostadin Kostadinov is running in this election with a score to settle. Six months ago Rumen Radev's new party took a large share of Revival's voters and cut its parliamentary group from 33 seats to 12, and Kostadinov has spent the presidential campaign trying to take them back. He is also the only»»»

A survey by Market Links conducted for bTV shows President Iliaana Yotova leading Andrey Gyurov by 16.7 percentage points in the presidential race, while support for the Progressive Bulgaria (PB) party has fallen to 32% in a hypothetical parliamentary election. Further reading: Poll: Yotova Le»»»