MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the settlements of Petropavlovka and Lozovaya in the Kharkov Region and the settlement of Maryino in the Sumy Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. "In the course of expanding the outer control zone, the settlements »»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The military in China and the United States have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding as soon as possible to strengthen communication during crises and to prevent them, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday. The memo was part of agreements reached duri»»»

Hungary has recorded another sharp fall in the number of births, while deaths slightly increased in August compared with a year earlier. The latest figures add to a long-running demographic trend that has seen the country’s population decline for decades, even as fewer deaths have somewhat moderate»»»

Estimated spending by UAE visitors reached about Dh851 million in July and August Dubai: Thailand welcomed more than 89,000 Emirati tourists in July and August, with UAE visitor numbers rising sharply during the peak summer travel period and accounting for about one-third of all arrivals from the M»»»

Dubai’s overall population grew by 1.1 million in four years to 4.58 million Dubai: More than four in five Dubai residents are between the ages of 20 and 59, with the emirate’s working-age population reaching nearly 3.68 million at the end of 2025, according to the latest statistics from the Dubai »»»

The Iraqi government said Saturday it was holding talks with the United States to secure an exemption from then ban on Iranian airlines, which has disrupted travel for patients, students and pilgrims. All Iraqi airports enforced the ban this week, resulting in major disruption at the airport of the»»»

Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons, according to a classified US intelligence assessment that has fueled concerns in Congress over President Donald Trump’s nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh, the Washington Post reported on Friday. The assessment was included in classi»»»

Beijing:Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Saturday afternoon after concluding his state visit to the United States. Xi's entourage, including his wife Peng Liyuan, Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Comm»»»

The CEO of Egypt’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) Mostafa Hassan held talks on Thursday, September 24, 2026, with a delegation from the Arab Women Investors Union headed by its President, Hoda Galal Yassa. The meeting aims to discuss future cooperation in supporting »»»

Tunis, Sept.26 (TAP) - Tunindex ended the week ( September 21-25) down 3.2% to 18,407.77 points, with a traded volume of TND 79.8 million thanks to 3 bloc transactions on the SMART TUNISIE shares worth TND 50.3 million, said broker Tunisie...»»»

Red aviation alert issued after Etna eruption shuts key Sicilian air hub Italy’s Catania Airport has suspended all incoming flights until 4pm local time after renewed activity from Mount Etna sent volcanic ash several kilometres into the atmosphere. The airport operator said the suspension was impo»»»

Sheikh Sultan previously studied at Arkansas State University, University of Detroit Mercy Sharjah: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, has earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Management Studies from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. The doctorate ma»»»

New Gulf News expo opens pathways to further study, skills, and career advancement Dubai: Gulf News has launched Gulf News LevelUP, a new two-day education and career-focused exhibition aimed at working professionals looking to strengthen their skills, explore new career pathways, and stay ahead in»»»

Heavy rain and flooding in Bangkok disrupts traffic and prompts evacuations Bangkok authorities declared a flood disaster across the Thai capital on Saturday after almost 48 hours of heavy rain left canals full, roads submerged and residents wading through deep water. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sit»»»

New York, Sept. 26 (SANA) The U.N. Security Council condemned repeated Houthi militia attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilians and energy infrastructure, and reaffirmed its support for the Yemeni government. In a press statement Friday, council members expressed solidarity wit»»»

Restrictions vary by road, with some routes closed to trucks around the clock Dubai will begin enforcing restrictions on truck movements across roads in the emirate from October 1, 2026, under existing peak-hour traffic controls, with Emirates Road exempt from the decision. Dubai’s Roads and Transp»»»

Germany and Hungary plan to significantly deepen their defence cooperation, with training, logistics, joint military exercises and German-made weapon systems among the areas identified for closer coordination. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made the announcement after talks with his Hungar»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Bank (QNB) said that Germany's weak economic performance is largely linked to mounting pressures on its export-led industrial model, which had been a key pillar of its economic strength for decades. Rising energy costs, intensifying competition from China and domestic st»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), concluded the 12th Qatar Patient Safety Week, held from 17 to 23 September under the theme “Safe Care for Non-communicable Diseases” and the slogan “Safe Care for Life!”. The week brought together governmental, semi-governmental and private healthc»»»

Tunis, Sept.26 (TAP) - The weather is partly cloudy on Saturday, getting sometimes very cloudy in coastal regions with scattered and locally stormy showers.The wind is blowing north, relatively strong near eastern coasts and light to moderate...»»»

Traffic towards Muscat was temporarily diverted while emergency crews cleared the scene Muscat: A vehicle travelling through a tunnel in Oman appeared to narrowly escape a serious collision after a truck overturned across the carriageway, sending a shower of sparks along the road as it slid on its »»»

Here’s your roundup of the top trending stories making headlines this weekend Dubai’s 10-day mourning period and UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo’s Miss Universe bid lead the stories drawing attention this week. Also making headlines: how a stranger and ChatGPT helped a lost pilgrim travel 1,200km back hom»»»

Taxis, buses and marine services power Sharjah’s holiday mobility boom Sharjah’s transport network recorded millions of passenger journeys during the 2026 summer holiday, reflecting strong demand for public and shared transport services across the emirate, according to the Sharjah Roads and Transpo»»»

Athens: A body was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building on Saturday following an explosion in Athens' historic Plaka district, the Greek press agency ANA reported, as rescuers searched for the missing. The victim is believed to be an American tourist who was staying in a holiday rental wi»»»

Nagoya, Japan: Asian Games organisers admitted on Saturday they were "not satisfied" with ticket sales after swathes of empty seats were seen at the main stadium and other venues in Japan. The 100m sprints are one of the highlights of any Games, but the 30,000-capacity Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium »»»

Users urged to plan transactions around brief MoI app shutdown Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior's (MoI) smart app will be temporarily unavailable in the early hours of Sunday as the ministry carries out updates to the platform. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - si»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has outlined a seven-day plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying implementation would begin immediately if the United States accepted Iran’s conditions. Speaking at a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday, the top I»»»

Here’s your roundup of the top trending stories making headlines this weekend Dubai’s 10-day mourning period and UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo’s Miss Universe bid lead the stories drawing attention this week. Also making headlines: how a stranger and ChatGPT helped a lost pilgrim travel 1,200km back hom»»»

New York, Sept. 26 (SANA) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syria and Lebanon on Friday, calling for an immediate halt and reaffirming Pakistan’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New»»»

Dublin: Irish rockers U2 returned to where it all started five decades ago on Friday, with surprise 50th anniversary gigs in central Dublin and at the school where the band mates met. The legendary musicians performed at their old stomping grounds, the Mount Temple Comprehensive School, for an audi»»»

Three-day event links study choices to future skills and careers The choice of what to study after school is increasingly tied to the skills students want to build and the careers they hope to pursue. Alongside the degree itself, practical experience, industry exposure and opportunities beyond the »»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria needs to increase domestic processing of agricultural produce as he inaugurated a new sunflower processing plant in Dobrich, an investment of more than €20 million that is expected to create 60 jobs. The facility will manufacture sunflower oil and meal, with»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita discussed priorities for further strengthening the traditionally friendly Russian-Moroccan relations during a meeting in New York, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "During the conversation, the »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is experiencing a deep crisis that the organization has been heading toward for many years, and its future remains uncertain without a return to its original principles, Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dm»»»

People’s Writer of Kyrgyzstan and Secretary General of TURKSOY Sultan Raev spoke in New York at the UN Alliance of Civilizations forum as part of the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, he spoke about the role of literature and culture in promoting peace and trust among peoples. Accordi»»»

Recruitment specialists to guide Emirati jobseekers on Dubai Police career paths Dubai: Jobseekers interested in a career with Dubai Police will have the opportunity to meet recruitment specialists at Ru’ya Careers UAE 2026, taking place from September 28 to 30 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Dubai Po»»»

San Francisco, United States: Microsoft on Friday unveiled a new vision for how it will integrate Word, Excel and Powerpoint into its AI-powered assistant Copilot, in an effort to make AI the entry point for its famous suite of productivity software. In the coming weeks, individual Microsoft 365 su»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Armed Forces struck the Cosmonova data center in Kiev during overnight strikes, which was providing support for Starlink satellite communication systems, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. "As a result of the strikes, the following were hit: in the city of Kie»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump has rejected Tehran’s proposal for a week-long reopening of the Hormuz Strait and is considering new strikes after midterm elections in the United States, media reported on Friday, citing US officials. Iran has conveyed to the United States a seven-d»»»

Public banks open Sunday, ATM fees waived as India readies for bank shutdown Dubai: UAE residents sending money to India or relying on Indian banking services should take note of special arrangements announced ahead of the three-day bank strike scheduled for September 28 to 30. Public-sector banks »»»

Family-friendly run offers four race categories and medals for all participants Sharjah: The Sharjah Sports Council is preparing to host the fourth edition of the Sharjah Safari Run on Sunday, October 4th, in partnership with local sponsors and organisers. Building on the strong turnout of past eve»»»

Washington, United States: TikTok on Friday agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and enact time limits and other restrictions for teen users, avoiding trial with a settlement modeled on Instagram-owner Meta's recent agreement with US states. A trial had been set to begin Monday in the southe»»»

Vienna: For two years after he first arrived in Austria, Iraqi pupil Abdlrahman Aljanabi didn't follow maths, science and other subjects like the rest of his peers. Instead, he was pulled out of his class every day for several hours to learn German under a flagship programme meant to bring newcomer»»»

Yemen’s Riyadh-based President Rashid al-Alimi on Friday called on ‌his people to mobilise and join the armed ‌forces while offering a general amnesty to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have seized swaths of Yemen's Red Sea coast and imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. The head of Yeme»»»

Hungary’s euro adoption could take place as early as 1 January 2032 if the country meets the necessary economic criteria by 2030, according to a senior official at the National Bank of Hungary (MNB). The timeline provides one of the clearest indications yet of how Budapest could eventually replace »»»

BANGKOK: Thai authorities have declared Bangkok a disaster-affected area following days of heavy rain that have caused widespread flooding, disrupted traffic and hampered movement across parts of the capital. The declaration, which covers all 50 districts, allows local authorities and relevant agen»»»

Police release footage as UAE records 296 red light incidents in 2025 Sharjah: A driver who sped through a red light at a busy intersection in Sharjah narrowly avoided a potentially serious crash, prompting police to warn motorists against taking risks on the road. Traffic cameras monitored by the »»»

Paris, France: Zinedine Zidane's debut as France coach was overshadowed by an injury to captain Kylian Mbappe in a 1-0 win away to Turkiye on Friday, while Roberto Mancini's first game back in charge of Italy ended in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium. Zidane, the France legend and member of the team that wo»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeenbek Kulubaev, met with his counterpart from Benin, Corinne Amori Brunet. According to the Foreign Ministry, the meeting took place in New York. The parties discussed key issues of bilateral cooperation, collaboration within international organizations, »»»

The Bulgarian Air Force is hosting the joint flight training exercise European Tactical Airlift Programme Course 2026-3 (ETAP-C 26-3), which will take place from September 28 to October 8, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday. The international training will involve personnel and assets from the a»»»