Bangkok, Oct. 18 (SANA) The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has expressed interest in financing proposed strategic projects in Syria following talks between Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh and an IFC delegation headed by Managing Director Makhtar Diop in Bangkok. The meeting was held»»»

AMMAN — Aqaba’s ports have recorded significant growth in cargo-handling volumes and transit trade since the beginning of 2026, driven by increased activity across several port facilities, Hussein Safadi, CEO of Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), has said.Presenting a briefing during Prime Minist»»»

Energy costs surge as Middle East conflict impacts global markets UAE residents are facing renewed uncertainty around regional trade and energy costs as fighting escalates sharply in Yemen, Iran threatens tighter controls on the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices climb back above $100 a barrel. The UA»»»

Doha: The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, through its Zakat Affairs Department, announced that it provided QAR 91,381,807 in Zakat assistance during the third quarter of 2026, benefiting 2,934 families across Qatar. Director of the Zakat Affairs Department Mohammed Abdul Latif A»»»

MANAMA (Sputnik) - Russia's total trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states showed significant growth last year, increasing by 45%, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday. Lavrov is participating in the ninth round of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Strate»»»

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Sunday appointed Omar Al-Halabi as chairman of the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Syria’s sovereign fund sits at the heart of the country’s attempts to bring in foreign capital after 13 years of war, and was created to oversee investment projects and »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Saudi Arabia are committed to effective cooperation within the OPEC+ format, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday held a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Bahrain's capital, Manama,»»»

'Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!' says US President Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump on Sunday blamed immigration for unrest during protests in France and urged the country to tighten its migration rules. "France is burning! The immigration of people »»»

107 projects completed, 36% of investment allocated to beaches, 22% to landscaping Dubai Municipality has completed more than 107 projects worth a combined Dh1.6 billion in 2026, marking a major milestone in the development of Dubai’s public spaces, community facilities and urban infrastructure. De»»»

Police probe misleading announcements, narrow exits, security lapses at Durga Puja venue Dubai: A warning that a Durga Puja pandal was about to collapse may have triggered panic that left at least 19 people dead in Kolkata on Saturday evening, as investigators examine whether misleading announcemen»»»

Doha: Some indicators of Qatar's real estate market improved last week, according to data released by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Aqarat). The total value of real estate sales contracts during the 42nd week of 2026, from Oct. 11 to 17, reached QR 696.5 million, up 15.6 percent week over w»»»

TEHRAN: Newly appointed Iranian defense minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi threatened on Sunday to inflict “enormous damage” on the United States and its allies in the Middle East if Washington resumes its military campaign against the country. “People can rest assured that they will most likely not dare to»»»

Damascus, Oct. 18 (SANA) The selling price of a gram of 21-karat gold in Syria rose by 150 Syrian pounds on Sunday from the previous day to 16,450 pounds ($134.84), according to the General Authority for Precious Metals Management. The buying price of 21-karat gold stood at 16,150 pounds ($132.38) »»»

Bulgaria is seeking enhanced NATO support for its air defence capabilities while prioritizing diplomacy to address security incidents in the Black Sea, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said here on Sunday. Bulgaria has sent two letters to NATO, at the end of August and on October 13, requesting en»»»

Washington: AI-powered chatbots could cloud children's ability to distinguish humans from machines by simulating human emotions and parental affection, potentially blurring the boundaries between human relationships and interactions with digital technologies, American scientists warned. Interviews »»»

Doha: Qatar University (QU), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and Scale AI have signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of the National Co-Advisor Platform, an AI-powered solution designed to enhance academic advising and support student success at QU.»»»

Leeds, United Kingdom: Lisandro Martinez was named in Manchester United's starting line-up to face Leeds on Sunday despite his controversial remarks about the struggling club's hierarchy. Argentina defender Martinez took aim at United's powerbrokers following their 2-0 Champions League loss to Atle»»»

Pope's discharge on Saturday capped days of uncertainty that rattled the world's Catholics Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV addressed thousands of people in St Peter's Square on Sunday, smiling and saying he would resume work "gradually" in his first major public appearance since undergoing lung cancer s»»»

RIYADH: The Islamic Development Bank Group and the UN Development Programme are seeking to strengthen resilience and support recovery in member countries affected by crises, building on their long-standing cooperation. IsDB Group President Muhammad Al Jasser met with UNDP representatives on the sid»»»

US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that he did not order restrictions on Ukraine’s military access to Starlink satellite services, adding that he did not believe SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had done so either. Ukrainian state and military officials earlier this week accused SpaceX of abruptly res»»»

DHAKA: Volunteer Saudi doctors have over the past week provided treatment to more than 5,000 men and women needing eye surgery and specialized care in one of the poorest regions of Bangladesh. The medical campaign was funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and Al-Basar Interna»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Manama, the Bahraini capital, on the sidelines of the ninth round of the Russia–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) strategic dialogue, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "T»»»

The 9th round of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue is taking place in Manama, Bahrain. Sputnik brings you a live broadcast from Manama, Bahrain, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is participating in the strategic dialogue between Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Counc»»»

Beijing, Oct. 18 (SANA) China’s exports of refined oil products surged 39.4% year on year in September, as the war in the Middle East disrupted global energy supplies, customs data showed on Sunday. Exports of refined petroleum products, including diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and marine fuel, rose 19»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality announced the issuance of 2,226 building permits during the third quarter of 2026, according to statistics shared in a social media post detailing the performance of building permit system in the country. The figures include 1,631 permits for small projects»»»