Vienna: As the new school year gets under way in Austria, a headscarf ban for girls under 14 has sparked protests on the streets and in the classroom, with dozens of pupils refusing to comply. Austria's conservative-led government has insisted that the ban, introduced on September 1, promotes gende»»»

Romania has proposed that Bulgaria join it in asking NATO to establish a military command in the Black Sea, while Sofia and Bucharest are also preparing to seek a dedicated discussion of regional security at the upcoming EU summit following a series of drone and maritime incidents. Romanian Defense»»»

EU leaders head to a summit on Thursday seeking a deal on the bloc’s nearly €2 trillion budget for 2028-2034 by Christmas amid deep divisions over spending and fears that upcoming elections, particularly in France, could strengthen eurosceptic forces. EU leaders on Thursday head for their biggest c»»»

Fires burning for months in Indonesia have sent smoke across the region Palangkaraya: Thick haze turned the skies in Indonesia’s Palangkaraya apocalyptic shades of yellow and orange on Thursday, reducing visibility to a few dozen metres as wildfires cause a regional air pollution crisis. Kuala Lump»»»

Geneva, Switzerland: The World Health Organization on Thursday told countries to do more to prevent lead exposure, with hundreds of millions of children affected worldwide. "Lead poisoning is one of the world's most serious yet overlooked environmental health threats," said Bruce Gordon, head of th»»»

By Staff, Agencies US President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran could end “very soon,” predicting a sharp decline in oil prices once the conflict comes to an end. Speaking to reporters in Montana late Wednesday, Trump suggested that Tehran was also seeking an end to the war and reiterated t»»»

Police arrest school owner as investigation begins into structurally weak building Peshawar: The roof of a private school collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 28 children and a female teacher and injuring more than 50 other people, a hospital spokesman said, as rescuers »»»

By Staff, Agencies Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez Delgado inaugurated a new maximum-security prison with a capacity of 5,100 inmates on Wednesday, drawing inspiration from El Salvador’s controversial Terrorism Confinement Center [CECOT] as part of efforts to intensify the country’s fight aga»»»

Arab Finance: Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) has signed two agreements with Grova Developments, the real estate development arm of Hassan Allam Holding, for residential projects worth around $115 million at Madinat Al Irfan in Muscat, as per a press release. The projects will form t»»»

From anime and orchestras to dandiya and hands-on art, the capital is booked Abu Dhabi is giving the sofa some serious competition this weekend, and not just because the weather is finally making plans outside sound sensible again. From Japanese animation and an oud-led orchestral encounter to Indi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has published the first critically edited edition of Al-Idah fi al-Tafsir, a Quranic exegesis by Imam Qawam al-Sunnah al-Isfahani, in a four-volume scholarly work aimed at enriching Quranic studies and providing researchers and students of Isla»»»

By Staff, Agencies The Trump administration’s investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar [D., Minn.] is aimed at building a case to strip her of her US citizenship and ultimately deport her, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials and other people familiar with the probe. According to the WSJ»»»

Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and Air Arabia report major service disruptions today Dubai: UAE travellers face another day of flight disruptions on Thursday, with multiple delays reported at both Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport and Dubai International Airport, while cancellations continue to »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that it had detained a Swedish citizen in the Pskov Region who planned acts of sabotage at military facilities under the pretext of joining the Russian armed forces. "The Federal Security Service of Russia has detained a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC), in collaboration with LexisNexis, hosted a discussion session reviewing some of the most significant cases before the Court during the first half of 2026, in conjunction with the publication of its Case Digest for H1»»»

Priyanka and Rahul pay tribute to Cheruvayal Raman, guardian of indigenous rice varieties Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has paid an emotional tribute to Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri-winning tribal farmer and conservationist from Kerala, remembering him affectionately as her “Malayali Acchan»»»

By Staff, Agencies CNN revealed that the US military has developed new strike plans that include potentially using the so-called “mother of all bombs” to target Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites should President Donald Trump give the order to resume combat operations either before or »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has urged Qatari men and women wishing to participate in the Quran Categories branch of the 31st Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Holy Quran Competition to register by October 20, the final date for applications. The competition, organised »»»

The liberal party (PNL) will not give a blank check to any ministerial nominee from the PSD who "flew to Mykonos, went to Monte Carlo with Nordis, or is known for the 'shoeboxes' affair," and will be in "total opposition" to the Social Democrats, Liberal MEP Siegfried Muresan announced on ...»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums (QM) through its International Cooperation and Government Affairs Department and in collaboration with the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the Unesco Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, has launched the “Conventions: 101” Worksh»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine is forced to cancel missions involving drones due to a slowdown in the Starlink satellite communication system, The Telegraph reported, citing Ukrainian assault troops. On Wednesday, Serhiy Sternenko, a former Ukrainian deputy defense minister, stated that the operation o»»»

ITHACA: Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff faced off with angry members of the school’s faculty Wednesday at a meeting that underscored deep frustration on campus over his administration’s handling of a woman’s report that she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024. Kotlikoff addr»»»

Prime Minister Edi Rama has condemned acts of violence during a protest that damaged the building housing the College of Europe in Tirana, arguing that the students should not be held responsible for the destruction. In a statement delivered from the damaged premises, Rama distinguished between stu»»»

Doha: Al Taawoun climbed to the top of Group C after edging Al Rayyan 2-1 in their AFC Champions League (ACL) Two clash at Wolves Park yesterday. The win sees the Saudi Pro League side lead with four points, having drawn their opening tie against Oman Al Nahda, while Al Rayyan suffered their first »»»

National Assembly Chair Michaela Dotsova will attend the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Rome on Thursday and Friday, the Parliament's press service said. The conference, scheduled for October 15 and 16, 2026, brings together parliamentary speakers from Council of Europe member S»»»

Divo: Kofi Alexis Amani has watched the trees on his cocoa plantation wilt and sometimes wither as rains became unpredictable and less abundant in Ivory Coast over the past several decades. “You can lose everything,” he sighed. The west African country is the world’s top cocoa producer, responsible»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has built a strong pipeline of highly skilled women contributing across business, education, healthcare, technology and public service, while expanding their access to leadership and decision-making positions remains a key priority, according to the Managing Director for Qatar, O»»»

Opening comes just over a month after North Korea, Russia opened their first road bridge A new four-lane road bridge linking China and North Korea finally opened on Thursday, 12 years late, enabling the Asian giant and its isolated nuclear-armed neighbour to step up cross-border trade substantially»»»

By Staff, Agencies Former “Israeli” intelligence chief Ronen Bar has sued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for defamation, accusing him of ignoring warnings ahead of the October 7, 2023 and attempting to shift the blame for the security failures. Bar, who headed “Israel’s” “Shin Bet” security agen»»»

Doha, Qatar: The seasonal influenza vaccine is available free of charge at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) health centres across Qatar, as part of efforts to protect individuals and communities from infectious diseases. Vaccination remains a key pillar of disease prevention at every stage of»»»

Mumbai, India: India's Jio Platforms, the digital arm of conglomerate Reliance Industries, is aiming to raise more than $3 billion in what would be the country's biggest-ever initial public offering, after announcing pricing details ahead of next week's launch. The company, controlled by billionair»»»

By Staff, Agencies Nine of the largest US banks discriminated against customers over their political views and business activities, including conservative organizations and individuals, the Treasury Department’s banking regulator has said in a report on debanking practices. The Office of the Comptr»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev will take part in the regular European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday, the government press service said on Thursday. The meeting will be held in Brussels on October 15 and 16, 2026. European leaders will discuss challenges to Europe's competitiveness, energy pric»»»

Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in Brussels on Wednesday that the Tisza government would work in the negotiations on the European Union’s next seven-year budget to secure dedicated EU funds for strengthening the country’s border fence and border protection. Speaking to Hungarian journalists ahead »»»

Anti-government protests in Albania’s capital Tirana turned violent for a second consecutive night on Wednesday, leaving several government buildings damaged and at least one abla»»»

The Emirate’s first legally protected area, from a salt flat into a regional benchmark Abu Dhabi- Abu Dhabi is known worldwide for its desert dunes. But the Emirate’s natural identity is broader than sand, and no place can show that better than Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, a site that marks the begin»»»

Co-worker’s tip led to the 19-year-old’s arrest and discovery of weapons and ammunition A 19-year-old man has been charged in the US over an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, after his rifle reportedly failed to fire, according to authorities. The Cons»»»

Unverified footage emerges amid conflicting accounts of Hormuz ship sinking A container ship sank near the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating attacks on commercial shipping. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy claimed on Oct. 14 that the vessel "struck a naval mine" while attempting to use what Tehran ca»»»

The Fidesz-KDNP group in the European Parliament (EP) claimed in a statement on Wednesday that Péter Magyar had given up 2.1 billion euros of the funds "secured by Viktor Orbán through tough negotiations." In its statement sent to MTI, the parliamentary group wrote that further details of the “Brus»»»

The Tisza government holds a firm stance on migration: at the upcoming seven-year budget negotiations, it will work to secure separate EU funding for Hungary for the reinforcement of the border fence and border protection — Prime Minister Péter Magyar declared in Brussels on Wednesday. Speaking to »»»

He built a career in the UAE that now takes him across the Gulf Dubai: When Romuel Perey arrived in Dubai in 2011, he had no clear vision of what his future would look like. What he knew was that he needed a change. “I didn’t plan a big move. I didn’t have a dream or a vision. I had a salary I was »»»

BRUSSELS, Belgium: EU leaders on Thursday head for their biggest clash yet over the bloc’s next long-term budget, as they race to lock in a deal before next year’s French presidential election. The 27-nation European Union wants an agreement by Christmas, worried that any future dealmaking will be »»»

Forensic expert warns that young children can drown silently in household containers Sharjah: A young girl died after being found face down in a plastic wash basin containing a small amount of water at her family’s home, highlighting the dangers of leaving water unattended around young children. Al»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s party plans to file a complaint against Meta with the Organisation of American States, alleging election interference, his cam»»»

A third-generation Abu Dhabi girl shaping the city's future with sustainability Abu Dhabi: There is a moment on the road into Abu Dhabi that most travelers never notice. The desert gives way, and a green fence rises on either side of the highway, a ribbon of living color against the sand and the sk»»»

TORONTO: Alberta voters decide next week if they want the oil-rich province to begin the process of separating from Canada, a pivotal test for the country as it confronts a hostile United States. Polling indicates less than a quarter of Alberta’s roughly five million people want independence, but i»»»

LONDON: Russell Brand behaved as a “ruthless” sexual predator when he assaulted six women over a decade, a prosecutor said Wednesday, as she opened the rape and sexual assault case against the actor-comedian. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault »»»

Dubai diners recall 2-week waits, family memories, feeding 250 naval personnel one night Dubai: Long before Dubai became a global dining destination, getting a table at Golden Dragon could take up to two weeks. For generations of residents, the Chinese restaurant was more than a place to eat. It wa»»»

Industry boost: Advanced aerospace manufacturing firm expands from Cavite to Batangas Manila: An aircraft parts maker is expanding in the Philippines. Global Aerospace Technology Philippines Inc. (GATPHI) will open a new facility in Batangas. It will make parts for export to customers around the wo»»»

Donald Trump has sparked outrage after sharing the distressing footage of a 23-year-old man with mental illness being fatally mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, captioned "Don't ever mess with nature!" This followed hours later by an AI-generated video of himself taming a tiger. The post»»»