Pair executed after court ruling upheld and royal order issued to enforce death sentences Dubai: Saudi Arabia has executed a Bangladeshi man and woman after they were convicted of committing indecent acts inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca, the Interior Ministry announced. The ministry ident»»»

BEIRUT: A Hezbollah MP acknowledged Thursday that a 500-kilogram shipment of explosives seized last week by Lebanese authorities belonged to the group, a rare admission by the Iran-backed militants. “The vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance” against Israel, lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said.»»»

A Hezbollah MP acknowledged Thursday that a 500-kilogram shipment of explosives seized last week by Lebanese authorities belonged to the group, a rare admission by the Iran-backed party. "The vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance" against Israel, lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said. He said Hez»»»

DFSA says DIFC-based firm provided company setup services to 71 clients without approval Dubai: The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has imposed a Dh1.67 million ($454,367) financial penalty on HAYMAN-WOODWARD GLOBAL MOBILITY SERVICES (DIFC) LTD. for providing company formation and related»»»

BELGRADE - A National Bank of Serbia (NBS) delegation will participate in the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) Group, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand this month, the NBS has announced. "In addition to the plenary session of »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine continues to strike targets in the Russian energy sector, contradicting the peace efforts of the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. On UkraineOn Wednesday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak noted that there was, in fact, no morato»»»

Romania’s e-commerce market is expected to reach EUR 13.5 billion in 2026, after online purchases of goods and services totalled EUR 12.9 billion in 2025, up 10% year-on-year. Marking National E-Commerce Day, the Romanian Association of Online Stores (ARMO) highlighted the importance of consumer tr»»»

A Muslim Nation Confronting Its Own Faith Azerbaijan’s government has turned a school dress code into a confrontation over religious freedom, exposing the contradictions of a predominantly Muslim nation whose leaders see independent religious expression as a political threat. In a country of about »»»

Admitting Ukraine to the EU would amount to “hara-kiri” for the bloc and inflict immense damage on France, right-wing French politician Marine Le Pen has warned, using the Japanese term for ritual suicide. Le Pen has long criticized military and financial support for Ukraine, repeatedly pledging to»»»

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s attempt to blame Russia for the Brexit vote is a crude attempt to undo the referendum and tie the UK back to Brussels. It’s also imploding dramatically. In an appearance on the ‘The Rest is Politics’ podcast on Sunday, Burnham said that he sought answers about »»»

Elon Musk has denied instructing his company SpaceX to abruptly restrict Starlink and Starshield satellite communications services used by Ukrainian forces to operate drones. Ukrainian officials and frontline commanders said terminals suddenly stopped working overnight Tuesday into Wednesday when d»»»

Gives start-ups, SMEs complete security function as single subscription from $2,500/ month Dubai-based cybersecurity company Dynova has crossed $500,000 in annual recurring revenue in its first year, while remaining profitable, fully bootstrapped and without raising venture capital. Founded by secu»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Venezuela may increase oil production by up to 200,000 barrels per day over the coming year under favorable conditions, former Chilean Energy Minister Ricardo Raineri told Sputnik. "The additional growth of approximately 100,000-200,000 barrels per day over the coming six to 12 m»»»

Ilhan Omar accuses Trump of political intimidation amid criminal investigation Federal authorities investigating Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar seized the Democratic lawmaker's phone and have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, according to a person briefed»»»

The MOAB delivers a massive blast, but it is not designed to destroy deeply buried sites The United States is considering using a weapon known as the “Mother of All Bombs” in potential renewed strikes against Iran, according to CNN. The report concerns military contingency plans. It does not establ»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Activate Capital (Activate), a US-based growth equity firm investing in intelligent energy and infrastructure technology, announced on Thursday, October 15, 2026, that Activate has joined QIA’s USD 3 billion Fund of Funds. Activate invests in compan»»»

An international conference marking the 35th anniversary of Bulgaria's Constitutional Court took place in Sofia on Thursday. The theme of the conference was "The Role of Constitutional Courts in Guaranteeing the Rule of Law". The event was attended by official representatives and delegations of con»»»

A visiting senior United Nations official reaffirmed the body's commitment to stability in Lebanon as the mandate of its peacekeeping force in the country is set to expire this year. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix met officials as well as representatives of countri»»»

Israeli opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Miniter Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival in upcoming elections, vowed Thursday to defeat Hamas in Gaza if he becomes prime minister following the October 27 vote. "Today I give a public commitment: from the moment I enter the Prime Minister's Office»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Energy Ministry expects a slight decline in coal production in the country in 2026 to 430 million tonnes from 434 million in 2025, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Dmitry Islamov said. "I said that our main task is to maintain the production volume. And I already mentio»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Federal Maritime Commission has proposed introducing a $200,000 fee for Spanish vessels entering US ports and restricting imports of Spanish goods in response to the closure of ports to US-flagged ships. "In order to address these unfavorable conditions created by Spain, t»»»

The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) has opened nominations for the 2026 edition of BVB Arena, its flagship programme dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurial companies with growth potential and an interest in accessing capital market financing. The revamped programme will select 40 companies for indivi»»»

Hassan Fadlallah, a lawmaker for the Lebanese group Hezbollah, said on Thursday that a car carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives, seized by Lebanese security forces earlier this week, indeed belongs to the Iran-backed group, at a time when the government is moving forward with its efforts to»»»

In recent weeks, Russia has been losing territory it previously seized in Ukraine. Putin is escalating the war and has an apparent goal of closing the Black Sea to commercial shipping, MP Ivaylo Mirchev of Democratic Bulgaria told a briefing on the sidelines of the National Assembly. “Our goal shou»»»

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov said on Thursday he would assess whether he had grounds to appeal Deputy Prosecutor General Magdalena Lazarova-Prodanova's selection as acting Prosecutor General and whether an appeal would be appropriate. He spoke to reporters after the Plenum of the Supreme Judic»»»

The Plenum of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Thursday voted 17-2 to elect Magdalena Lazarova-Prodanova as acting Prosecutor General. The decision may be appealed within 14 days. Under the Judiciary System Act, one person may serve as acting President of the Supreme Administrative Court, acting »»»

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Hungary’s former government unlawfully restricted teachers’ right to strike, with Education and Child Affairs Minister Judit Lannert welcoming the decision and pointing to reforms introduced by the new government. The European Court of Human Rights »»»

Saqr Ghobash denounces Houthi violations, backs Saudi measures for security Abu Dhabi: Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), affirmed the UAE's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned the attacks carried out by the Houthi terrorist group against civilians and»»»

Israel's army chief said that the military was reinforcing troop levels "across all fronts", citing an increased risk of escalation as Israel heads into elections this later month. On a visit to the occupied West Bank, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the potential for incidents on Israel's borde»»»

Household electricity consumption in Romania fell by 11.3% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, nearly three times the rate of decline recorded nationally, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Overall electricit»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3931 dinars for one euro on Thursday, which is a slight change relative to Wednesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative»»»

No evidence offered that she passed the bar exam in any state or in China New York: The new White House press secretary is facing mounting questions about her background and resume as she transitions into her role as the public face of the Trump administration. Katie Zacharia has long described her»»»

By Staff, Agencies “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc has lost four seats in Hebrew Channel 13’s latest weekly poll, leaving it with 51 seats and well short of the parliamentary majority required to form a government, as the alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eise»»»

Parliament approved an updated air defence investment project on Thursday, revising the first stage for one IRIS-T SLM system and adding a second for five more. The updated Acquisition of Surface-to-Air Missile Systems project provides for warranty and initial logistical support, the delivery of gu»»»

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis on Thursday said it had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region -- home to one of Islam's holiest cities that the Houthis previously vowed not to target. "Interception and destruction of a cruise missile in th»»»

Dubai developer plans AI-powered employee feedback, performance tools and a 24/7 chatbot Dubai: DAMAC Properties said 94 per cent of its employees adopted its digital recognition and rewards platform within its first year, as the Dubai-based developer plans to expand the use of artificial intellige»»»

The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) is working with Romania’s Investments and European Projects Ministry on potential guarantee mechanisms for municipal bonds under the European Union’s next multiannual financial framework, according to BVB CEO Remus Vulpescu. The initiative aims to expand local aut»»»

RIYADH: Non-oil trade between Dubai and China reached 2.1 trillion Emirati dirhams ($571.8 billion) from 2016 to 2025, according to the chairman of the emirate's commerce body. Speaking to the Emirates News Agency at the Dubai Business Forum – China in Shenzhen, Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansoori said bi»»»

By Staff, Agencies “Israeli” prison guards have shot Palestinian prisoners with rubber bullets, causing severe injuries that included the surgical removal of a testicle and an operation for a fractured shin, according to a report published by “Israeli” daily “Haaretz” on Wednesday, citing medical r»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday conclusively adopted amendments to the Insurance Code allowing third-party liability insurance policies for certain vehicles, including motorhomes and motorcycles, to be issued for periods of at least 30 days. The revisions were introduced by Daniel Parushev and MPs f»»»

Zurich: The Asian Cup scheduled for January in Saudi Arabia could be moved back a year to 2028 "if we need to", the continent's top football official said, following a series of Houthi attacks on the country. But AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa also said they were in "no hurry" t»»»

NCM predicts afternoon showers, dusty winds of up to 45km/h and early morning fog Dubai: Parts of the UAE could experience rainfall over the next five days as convective clouds develop over eastern areas before spreading to some inland and western regions, according to the National Centre of Meteor»»»

Operation leads to 33 suspects and seizure of Dh200 million in funds Sharjah: Sharjah Police have dismantled four interconnected international criminal networks involved in cyberattacks, digital wallet theft, money laundering, online fraud, extortion and violent assaults, arresting 33 suspects from»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlements of Nefedovka and Chernoye in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. This allows to expand the security zone Russia is establishing to prevent Ukrainian shelling of Russia's territories.Ukraine los»»»

DOHA: Qatar University has underscored the importance of strengthening digital awareness among families and young people as rapid advances in technology, digital platforms and generative artificial intelligence expose children to increasingly complex online risks. The focus comes amid national effo»»»

Security data released on Wednesday indicated that at least 10 vessels have been attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz since last Sunday the highest toll recorded since the outbreak of the war involving Iran on February 28, 2026. According to data from the security firm Vanguard, the Internation»»»

“This unacceptable aggression against civilian vessels in the Black Sea must stop,” Prime Minister Rumen Radev urged Thursday upon arriving in Brussels to attend a two-day meeting of the European Council. “I have spoken with the Prime Minister of Romania, and today I will speak with the Romanian Pr»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation edged up to 1.9 percent in September, driven primarily by higher housing, transport and food costs, while consumer prices remained unchanged from the previous month. The housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category recorded the largest annual inc»»»

Damascus, Oct. 15 (SANA) Gold prices in Syria fell by 100 Syrian pounds per gram on Thursday compared with Wednesday’s rates, according to the General Authority for Precious Metals Management. Syrian gold prices decline The authority’s daily bulletin put the selling price of a gram of 21-karat gold»»»

By Staff, Agencies Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator of Iran's Army Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and that any passage through it must be coordinated. Speaking to reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of a ceremony honoring army nurses, Sayyari s»»»