Damascus, Oct. 18 (SANA) Syria’s Federation of Industrial Chambers and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) discussed expanding foreign markets for Syrian products and developing financing programs to help damaged factories resume operations, the federation said on Sunday. Federation Pre»»»

Interactive map offers 100,000 routes, real-time crowd updates at two holiest mosques Dubai: Saudi Arabia has introduced digital services that allow Umrah pilgrims to monitor crowd levels in real time at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, helping them choose less congeste»»»

JEDDAH: A Saudi airport employee who had been on the job for just one month helped guide passengers to safety during the deadly missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, despite being wounded by shrapnel. Sultan Al-Harbi, 27, was organizing passengers preparing to board a fligh»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IRGC Navy warns vessels violating transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz to turn back immediately or risk being targeted by missiles 18-10-2»»»

Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced on October 18 that thStrip’s hospitals received seven martyrs and 25 injured Palestinians within the past 24 hours. One of the martyrs was a Palestinian girl, Misk al-Dallu, who was martyred on Sunday after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on tents shelterin»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Sports Day 2027 Committee has announced on Sunday, October 18, 2026, details of the upcoming edition of the event, which will be held on the second Tuesday of February. Next year's Qatar National Sport Day will fall during the holy month of Ramadan and will be held under the theme »»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that US President Donald Trump’s decision to waive sanctions and tariffs on Russia would last 60 days, as the move drew bipartisan criticism and raised fears in Ukraine that Washington could ease further restrictions on Moscow. US Secretary of State M»»»

ATLANTA, Georgia – Since it was established in 1956, Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta has hosted legendary Democratic leaders while its founder played a key role in the city’s move from a Republican to Democratic stronghold. With the state’s Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff leading the p»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The US will not dare to attack Iran, otherwise it will suffer huge damage, the new defense minister of Iran, Mehrdad Akhlaghi, said on Sunday. "It is very likely that they will not dare to attack us. If they attack, both they and the region will suffer very great damage," the min»»»

The Zionist enemy continued to violate the ceasefire through artillery shelling and detonations on Sunday, and also abducted citizens in Kfar Chouba. According to details, an Al-Manar correspondent reported that an enemy force entered the Khallat Zuhair area in Kfar Chouba and abducted two local re»»»

Massive wildfires in Indonesia show no sign of letting up. The environmental disaster is turning into a pollution crisis across Southeast Asia, as toxic haze from the blazes spread to neighbouring countries.    Also on the show:  The much delayed Yalu River Bridge linking China and N»»»

Indian police released Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke from detention on Saturday after the activist was detained ahead of a rally calling for the resignation of India's chief election commissioner. Two other CJP leaders remain in custody after having been arrested whil»»»

Gqeberha: Rain delayed the start of play after Australia won the toss and decided to bowl in the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Sunday. Play eventually got under way at noon, two hours after the scheduled start, with 75 overs due to be bowled in the day. South Africa reache»»»

Representatives of Moscow's industrial sector held more than a hundred business meetings with Belarusian partners on new joint projects during the recent INNOPROM Belarus international industrial exhibition in Minsk, according to Anatoly Garbuzov, Moscow government minister and head of the city's D»»»

Drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea are threatening Bulgaria’s exports and tourism, with financier Nikola Yankov warning on bTV that a lack of insurance could effectively shut the ports of Varna and Burgas, while grain producers say five million tonnes of wheat are awaiting export »»»

Bulgaria’s Special Operations Forces are working to acquire modern weapons and equipment and develop skills in operating remote systems and countering hybrid threats, Brigadier General Bozhidar Boykov, commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, told reporters at a ceremony marking Military »»»

Exam strategies for UAE students eyeing Indian medical and engineering careers at Edufair Abu Dhabi: UAE students considering medical or engineering degrees in India should start planning their entrance-exam pathway from Grade 11, a career guidance expert spoke on the centre stage of Edufair Abu Dh»»»

NCM warns temperatures and rainfall could exceed seasonal averages across the UAE Dubai: The UAE could experience above-average temperatures and rainfall in the coming months as the El Niño weather phenomenon strengthens, with a 96 per cent probability of El Niño conditions prevailing from November»»»

Doha: The Bureau of the Shura Council held a meeting on Sunday, chaired by Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. The first meeting of the second ordinary session of the second legislative term, corresponding to the 55th annual session of the Shura Council, addressed a numbe»»»

It is too early to say exactly what assistance Bulgaria will receive from NATO, as further discussions are pending. However, Bulgaria's airspace is already protected by its own fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missile systems, although some of the equipment is somewhat outdated, Defence Minister»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Republic of Singapore, HE Lawrence Wong, arrived in Doha on Sunday, October 18, 2026, on an official visit to the country. The Prime Minister and the accompanying delegation were received at Hamad International Airport by HE Dr. Abdullah bi»»»

BRUSSELS: The European Union “strongly condemns” attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank, including against European diplomats, the bloc’s foreign policy spokesperson said on Sunday. The ‌statement came ‌a day ‌after Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Israeli settlers attacked Palesti»»»

Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha and Mecca face thunderstorms, hail and strong winds Dubai: Saudi Arabia's National Centrefor Meteorology (NCM) has issued red alerts for heavy rain across parts of four regions on Sunday, warning of thunderstorms that could trigger flash floods. The alerts cover parts of Jazan,»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s energy investments helped limit the impact of the global energy shock, while structural reforms and financial buffers have strengthened the Kingdom’s ability to navigate regional uncertainty, the finance minister said. Speaking at the closing press conference of the Internati»»»

Bulgaria’s energy storage capacity has reached 6 gigawatts this year, approaching the country’s electricity demand of 7.4 GW and reshaping domestic and regional power markets, Greek outlet Newsit reported. The rapid expansion of battery storage is already affecting wholesale electricity prices and »»»

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has reported that the country's current account deficit reached 8.1% of gross domestic product over the 12 months to July, its highest level since 2009, while forecasting economic growth of 2.8% for 2026. The BNB Governing Council said economic activity continued t»»»

Jakarta: A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia on Sunday. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) reported that the earthquake occurred 60 kilometers from the Labuan Bajo area, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Indonesia is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic »»»

Paris, France: Around 1,500 shops and retailers were damaged in French protests on the weekend, with many of them looted, the head of a group representing the sector said Sunday. The cost to the establishments will run to "several hundreds of millions of euros", Alexandre Bompard, president of the »»»

Nearly 1,800 arrested and over 500 police injured in nationwide unrest Dubai: A Rolex store was among the shops looted in the southern French city of Marseille on Saturday as violent protests swept across France, leaving public buildings damaged and hundreds of police officers injured. An Hermès bo»»»

Issued on October 12, the royal decree was published in Oman's Official Gazette on Sunday Dubai: Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq has restored Omani citizenship to 11 people under a royal decree published on Sunday, October 18, in the country's Official Gazette. Royal Decree No. 89/2026, issued on O»»»

What does an OCI card offer? Travel, property rights, and political restrictions American actor Imran Khan, who has Indian origins and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, is an example of how people with ties to India can retain foreign citizenship while enjoying certain privileges in th»»»

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV addressed thousands of people in St Peter's Square on Sunday in his first weekly Angelus prayer since leaving hospital after lung cancer surgery. A chorus of "Viva il papa!" (Hooray for the pope!) reverberated across the square as the 71-year-old leader of the world's 1.4»»»

London: Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said he would be fit to return "in a few weeks" following surgery on a fractured jaw sustained during his team's 2-0 Premier League win at Everton. The Argentina international was taken to hospital after colliding with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite»»»

Doha, Qatar: Commander of the Qatar Amiri Guard, HE Major General Staff Mohammed bin Sultan Al Suwaidi, met Sunday with Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the State of Qatar, HE Antonino Maggiore, at Barzan Camp. The meeting addressed matters of mutual interest and ways to enhance and further»»»

MANAMA (Bahrain) (Sputnik) - Russia supports the peacekeeping efforts of Arab countries aimed at preventing the return of a full-scale war to the Middle East region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday. The Russian foreign minister is in Bahrain's capital, Manama, participating in»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine lost up to 350 soldiers in combat against Russia's Tsentr battlegroup over the past day, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "The losses of Ukrainian armed formations amounted to up to 350 military »»»

Tragedy strikes 27 minutes into church service in Guayaquil as worshippers watch in horror Dubai: A Catholic priest died after a large wooden cross fell from a church wall and struck him while he was celebrating Mass in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil on Saturday, in an incident captured during a »»»

Clifford CoonanInvestors say France needs to get its spending and debt under control. Economic growth is sluggish and fear over French debt has sent the euro tumbling against the dollar. https://p.dw.com/p/5ONU5AdvertisementFrance is under growing pressure to rein in its debt as borrowing costs cli»»»

There are no lost generations. Everyone lives in their own time, with the hope, desire and opportunity to give their best, said Iliana Yotova, incumbent President and presidential candidate in the October 25 election, during a discussion with students in Sofia. She recalled that she graduated from »»»

Students can now complete registration in three minutes Students applying to universities in the UAE can now complete their registration in just three minutes instead of 10 thanks to its new digital platform. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) announced that its Natio»»»

Damascus, Oct. 18 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued on Sunday two decrees appointing officials to senior positions in the country’s energy and economic sectors. Decree No. 190 of 2026 appoints Maher Khalil al-Hassan as executive chairman of the Syrian Petroleum Company. Decree No. 191 of 2026»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov said attacks on ships in the Black Sea had severely damaged tourism along Bulgaria’s coast, while describing the recent rise in fuel prices as inexplicable. Borissov said that during GERB’s time in government, policies had focused on developing the Black Sea coast as a hu»»»

Authorities target violations as e-scooter misuse endangers road safety Abu Dhabi Police seized 9,237 electric scooters in violation of traffic rules and regulations during the first 10 months of 2026, following their use on public roads, between vehicles and on routes not designated for them, posi»»»

Oslo, Norway: The foreign ministries of the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Norway have held the third round of political consultations in Oslo. The Qatari side was chaired by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, while the Norwegian side was cha»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe National News Agency: Enemy army carries out a massive explosion in Al-Qantara, Marjeyoun District 18-10-2026 13:06 PM Latest News Urgent N»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct result of aggressive actions by the United States and what Tehran calls the Zionist regime, which he said began on Feb. 28, 2026, and has continued in various forms since. Araghchi made the remarks durin»»»

President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged that Iran will not bow to aggressors, speaking before Parliament on Sunday to defend his nominee for defense minister, Mehrdad Akhlaghi. During deliberations on Akhlaghi’s confirmation as the nation’s next defense minister, the president said the nominee’s ac»»»

System brings government, conservation groups, and private-sector partners together The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Rescue Network, an initiative designed to accelerate emergency responses, coordinate rescue efforts and provide essential care for wildlif»»»

Doha, Qatar: To ensure schools have up-to-date health information for students, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has introduced an electronic student health declaration form. Launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, PHCC announced this in a social med»»»

Thousands of trucks stranded, border restrictions raise fears of LPG shortage, price hike Dubai: Pakistan has temporarily suspended commercial trade through two major border crossings with Iran, leaving around 2,000 trucks stranded and raising concerns over possible shortages and higher prices of l»»»