RIYADH: Syria and the World Bank Group have agreed to establish a multi-donor trust fund to support the country’s economic recovery and reconstruction, attract investment and encourage private-sector financing to advance sustainable development. The Syria Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund, kno»»»

Trump and Netanyahu escalate threats as Tehran warns of retaliation Dubai: Fresh threats from US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have raised fears of renewed military strikes against Iran, potentially reigniting a conflict that has already shaken the Middle East»»»

MOL Group has inaugurated its first biomethane plant in Szarvas. As a result of the investment of more than HUF 2.7 billion, the facility can now produce biomethane from biogas of a purity suitable for injection into the national natural gas network. This way, more than 7 million cubic metres of na»»»

By Staff, Agencies Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to arrive in Tehran on Monday for talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, as Moscow steps up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions surrounding Iran. According to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, the two foreign ministers wi»»»

Seoul, Oct. 19 (SANA) Syria and South Korea discussed cooperation in digital infrastructure and technology development during a meeting on the sidelines of a global summit in Seoul.Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdul Salam Haykal met with South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and »»»

There are mornings in wartime when the silence itself seems wounded. The roads are still there, though fewer people travel them. The fields remain beneath the grey sky, though in places they are scarred by fire. Somewhere a railway station opens its doors, a baker lights an oven, a woman draws back»»»

Berlin: Head of the Department for Culture and Society at the German Federal Foreign Office Ambassador HE Christina Beinhoff emphasized that Al Diwan Arabic Book Fair in Berlin has succeeded, within a short period, in introducing the German public to the richness and diversity of Arab literature, a»»»

Nine days before Israeli elections on October 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a new national security doctrine advocating preemptive strikes and border buffer zones, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who slammed it as ‘empty slogans’ ahead of the vote. The three-page »»»

Varna Municipality launched procedures to remove two illegal structures – the Nemo restaurant in the Starite Lozya-Bunata locality and a car wash in the Trakata locality, the municipal administration said on Monday. Formal findings notices have been issued, initiating the demolition proceedings. An»»»

In the UAE, its influence is less direct but potentially significant Dubai: Winter in the UAE usually brings welcome relief from the heat. This year, it could also bring more rain than usual, as one of the world's most influential climate patterns approaches its expected peak. El Niño, which develo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Tasweer, Qatar's leading platform for photography, will open As the Image Unfolds -The Language of Athar at Bayt Al Wakrah on October 26, 2026. The exhibition features new photographic works by Mohammed Fakhroo, Ghada Al Mawlawi and Raja Aderdor developed during their participation in »»»

Kuwait: The Amir of the State of Kuwait HH Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received French President Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival in Kuwait on Monday for an official visit. The two leaders are scheduled to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation between Ku»»»

Beit Hanina: The UN’s World Food Programme said Monday it would end monthly assistance to 500,000 people in Gaza due to a funding shortfall, while warning that needs remained acute. “As of this month, we’re now cutting half a million people from the number of people that we’re assisting,” Shaun Hug»»»

By Staff, Agencies “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a new "national security" doctrine centered on preemptive military strikes, expanded deterrence, and buffer zones along “Israel’s” borders, prompting fierce criticism from opposition leaders who dismissed the document as a »»»

Beijing, Oct. 19 (SANA) China’s economy grew 4.6% year on year in the first nine months of 2026, with growth accelerating in the third quarter as strong exports and industrial production helped offset persistent weakness in domestic demand and the property sector, according to official data. Gross »»»

BERLIN: Germany has urged its citizens to exercise “caution” in France and avoid demonstrations after violent protests erupted across the country at the weekend. “Further demonstrations and, in some cases, further outbreaks of violence in the coming days cannot be ruled out,” the foreign ministry s»»»

Visitors and staff at the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) were evacuated from the building on Monday, a BTA reporter saw. The Sofia Directorate of the Interior (SDVR) told BTA that it was following procedure in response to a report of an explosive device at the Health Insurance Fund. The Inte»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.4109 dinars for one euro on Monday, which is a slight change relative to Friday, 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 to t»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the settlement of Omelnik in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. The capture of Omelnyk opens up opportunities for a flanking maneuver and the encirclement of a major Ukrainian Armed Forces fortified a»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic slipped by four positions in the latest ATP rankings and occupies the 12th position with 3,000 points, while Italian Jannik Sinner retained the number one spot with 10,950 points. Alexander Zverev is in second place with 10,070 points and »»»

Hungary’s average advertised residential property prices have reached a significant negative milestone, surpassing HUF 1 million per square metre for the first time, reaching a record HUF 1.004 million in September. While prices in Budapest have largely stagnated this year, the latest figures sugge»»»

Twelve migrants drowned in two separate incidents off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos in the northeastern Aegean Sea on Monday, after their boats capsized as the coast guard chased them, authorities said. Five men and one woman died after a speedboat carrying migrants from Turkiye made a sudd»»»

China wants to be a reliable and responsible partner in Bulgaria's modernization, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday at the start of delegation-level talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Sofia. Wang, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria, held a one-on-one meeting with »»»

Some 38.8 tonnes of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, were found during joint inspections of three warehouses at the same address in Sofia, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency said on Monday. Inspectors from the Sofia Regional Food Safety Directorate and representatives of the Sofia Custo»»»

UAE celebrates creativity and heritage with immersive workshops and exhibitions for kids Abu Dhabi: From 6 November to 6 December, Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi will host the Middle East’s first outdoor Children’s Biennale. The event is organised by Abu Dhabi Festival, which is run by the Abu Dha»»»

From visiting hub to operational base, Abu Dhabi's evolving business landscape Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is evolving into a globally significant, institution-led business hub, but sustaining that growth will require firms to invest in permanent local capabilities, not simply establishing a presence or b»»»

Technical talks between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the headquarters of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, Florida, LBCI reported on Monday. The news channel learned from official sources that U.S. Marine Corps Major General Joseph Cle»»»

By Staff, Agencies The Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a message congratulating the officials, coaches, and valiant wrestlers of Iran’s Freestyle Wrestling team, as well as the great Iranian nation - especially the young champions of the h»»»

By Staff, Agencies Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has acknowledged that convincing the public to support continued military assistance to Ukraine is becoming increasingly difficult, as opposition to arms supplies grows amid rising living costs and nationwide protests over government spendi»»»

Raiffeisen Bank listed a new 750 million lei corporate bond issue on the Regulated Market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) on Friday, marking the bank's tenth bond issue to be listed on the exchange, according to a BVB press ...»»»

Vista Bank has completed the takeover of a 100% stake in the brokerage firm Investimental, following the approval of the transaction by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), according to a press release issued by the bank on ...»»»

Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) and the Romanian Investment and Development Bank (BID) are expanding their partnership to finance small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by introducing revolving loans, euro-denominated financing and guarantees covering up to 80% of investment loans, according to a »»»

Developing a deeper, more liquid and more accessible stock market is an institutional priority for the Financial Supervision Authority (ASF), in conditions in which Romania needs a financial ecosystem able to back entrepreneurial initiative and mobilize capital for productive investments, said ASF »»»

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) and the Romanian Fintech Association (RoFintech) have signed a cooperation protocol aimed at supporting digitalisation and fostering innovation in payment services. The agreement is valid for four years and may be extended, according to a statement released by the»»»

The number of stock trading accounts opened via the BT Pay app has reached 35,000, double the level recorded in June 2026, according to a press release from BT Capital Partners.This growth was driven by the integration of investment services into the BT Pay app, which allows users to open a trading»»»

ING Bank Romania is relaunching ING Business PRO, a new version of its mobile app for entrepreneurs, designed to simplify the management of a company’s financial operations directly from a smartphone. The new app offers enhanced features for day-to-day business management and a clearer, more user-f»»»

InterCapital ETF, part of InterCapital Group, has listed its fifth exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), giving Romanian investors access to 30 of Poland’s largest and most liquid listed companies. The InterCapital POLAND WIG30TR UCITS ETF began trading on October 12 und»»»

The euro continues to lose value against the US dollar, reaching its lowest level against the American currency in the past 17 months. Selling pressure on the single currency is intensifying amid reports of ongoing fiscal problems in France, combined with pronounced political instability in the eur»»»

The Competition Council has conditionally cleared the transaction through which Allianz-Tiriac Asigurari S.A. intends to acquire Campion Broker de Asigurare ?i Reasigurare S.R.L. Following its assessment, the competition authority identified a potential ...»»»

Interim Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare warned on Friday that strict fiscal discipline and budgetary rigor remain mandatory “not only as guarantees for development, but to avoid immediate blockages.” He stressed that any debate regarding ...»»»

In January - August 2026p, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 19,925 million, compared with EUR 18,983 million in the same year-ago period. The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods increased by EUR 818 million, the surplus on ...»»»

Sydney: An Australian lawmaker was struck by a car and suffered "critical injuries" on Monday, police said, adding the driver is now in custody. A woman widely identified as MP Helen Haines "suffered what has been described as critical injuries" in the attack, Victoria Police Acting Superintendent »»»

Tunis, Oct. 19 (TAP)- On the sidelines of his participation in the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti had a...»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has urged Gulf states to build a shared, sustainable digital network and pool computing power, protecting data sovereignty so Gulf Cooperation Council firms can compete worldwide. The proposal was outlined by Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Alswaha a»»»

Guests fall ill after eating lupin beans at wedding reception in Giza Governorate Dubai: Twenty people were hospitalised with suspected food poisoning after eating lupin beans served at a wedding reception in Egypt's Giza Governorate, according to local media reports. The guests began experiencing »»»

Tunis, Oct. 19 (TAP)- The weather on Monday is densely cloudy with localised rain storms in the north, the centre and the south and temporarily cloudy elsewhere.The wind is blowing east in the north and the midland and west in the south,...»»»

JAKARTA: Fires in Indonesia burned through over 1.9 million hectares between January and the end of September this year, a monitor analizing satellite imagery said on Monday. The figure, an area nearly 12 times larger than London, is a conservative estimate in part because haze has complicated sate»»»

Bulgaria offers excellent investment opportunities in electric vehicles, energy, agriculture and high technology, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Monday at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria. The two held a one-on-one meeting before talks bet»»»

The expansion follows the successful development of Flying Tiger Copenhagen in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, where the partnership will have established a network of 20 stores by the end of 2026. Entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro is planned for early 2027. Building on »»»

Macron's Kuwait trip focuses on bilateral relations French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kuwait on Monday for an official visit, accompanied by a delegation of senior French officials, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported. Kuwaiti Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and Cro»»»