World News

Meta eyes record $95 billion equity raise to fund AI infrastructure push

Meta plans $35 billion in stock offerings and a further $60 billion share sale programme to finance AI expansion, as heavy infrastructure spending strains its free cash flow

Serbia's Vucic loses election after 14 years amid student-led protests

The right-wing leader's 14-year hold on power ends as a diverse student-led opposition movement triumphs after two years of protests against his government

Israel heads to poll as Netanyahu's future, coalition math remain uncertain

Opinion polls indicate neither bloc is assured of the parliamentary majority needed to form a government

Musk says SpaceX raised $40 bn in debt deal, predicts neocloud shakeout

Musk, in a post on X, attributed the successful debt raise to the company's investment-grade status and revenue from its Starlink satellite internet and launch businesses

Lula wins record fourth term in Brazil, defeats Bolsonaro in runoff vote

The electoral court declared Lula the winner with 51.76% of the vote to Flávio Bolsonaro's 48.24% on Sunday, after a messy election day marked by allegations of voter suppression

Top defence officials of Mecca pact countries hold talks in Tehran

Saudi Defence Min Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan army chief and the head of Turkiye's intelligence service were to meet with Iran's top officials to push for a deal between Tehran and Washington

Dubai South home sales hit record in 8M 2026 as smaller units gain share

Residential transactions reached 12,428 in January-August, already above full-year 2025 volumes, while studios and one-bedroom homes accounted for about 76 per cent of sales

Chinese carmakers overtake Japanese rivals in Europe for first time

Registrations of Chinese-branded cars roughly doubled from a year earlier in September to make up 12.7% of total sales across the region, led by hybrids, according to market researcher Dataforce

Sri Lanka repatriates 40 Iranian sailors after providing medical care

The Embassy of Iran had funded the logistical arrangements for the departure

Israel election 2026: Netanyahu's rivals, key parties and what's at stake

Final opinion polls point to a possible deadlock, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition nor the Opposition projected to secure a majority

Trump admin eyes Hungarian PM Orbán for UN chief with Russia, China backing

The Trump administration has approached former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán about becoming the next UN secretary-general, with Russia and China reportedly receptive to the idea

Messages are still being passed to US amid war concerns, says Iran

Tehran says messages are still being passed through intermediaries as fears of renewed war rise, while Trump says the US will not strike Iran on Sunday and tensions persist across the region

Saudi Arabia partly reopens Riyadh airport despite renewed Houthi threats

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had halted operations on October 10 following an attack claimed by the Houthis that killed 13 people

Trump adds Norway to vulgar list of countries over Nobel Peace Prize snub

Trump ​made the comments at a political rally in Port Huron, ​Michigan, ahead of next week's midterm elections

Singapore diversifies energy supplies as Indonesia cuts gas exports

The remarks came as Indonesia began reducing natural gas exports to the city-state from Saturday, as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to bolster domestic supply

UAE's Nusseibeh vows independence, dialogue with Iran if elected UN chief

A former UAE ambassador to the UN, Nusseibeh vowed to act as a voice for international diplomacy and the rule of law, principles she said would underpin her credibility

'I had to do it': Trump says US-Canada tariff dispute to end 'soon'

Trump predicts a swift resolution to the tariff dispute with Canada but offers no details, as Michigan Republicans flag concerns over the impact on the auto industry

US orders non-emergency personnel to leave Saudi amid Houthi strikes

In a security alert posted on X, the US Mission in Saudi Arabia warned that the cross-border hostilities pose a high risk of broader regional escalation

Flavio Bolsonaro calls for annulment of election after loss to Lula

Brazil's election, a typically routine affair known for the speed and reliability of its electronic voting system, descended into chaos, when Lula's campaign requested additional voting time

Trump names Vance, Rubio among potential 2028 Republican candidates

Trump says the Republican Party has a 'great bench' of contenders for the White House