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News
Thousands of residents of Syria’s Hasakah province rallied after Friday prayers to demand state authority across the province and the release of detainees and people forcibly disappeared in prisons run by the dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). In scenes described as the “greatest celebration” and the “Hasakah flood,” protesters gathered in Freedom Square in the city center under the slogan “Friday of the Syrian Flag.”
Culture
Paris: Laura Cappelle In 2006, the American director’s whimsical, candy-colored “Marie Antoinette” divided audiences with its Manolo Blahnik shoes and contemporary soundtrack. Yet the film has since become a classic, and Versailles is honoring its 20th anniversary with an exhibition at the Petit Trianon, the small chateau on the royal estate given to the queen for her private use in the 1770s, where part of “Marie Antoinette” was filmed.
Politics
“We on the right and center-right represent about 65% of the electorate, so we will remain able to form governments in the future. I know I will lose support and may even alarm many of my good friends. But I believe we must tie our fate to that of the Arabs in Israel.” Natan Eshel, known as Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest adviser, published those words on June 16, 2019.
News
The European Union is continuing to fulfill its commitments to support Lebanon’s military and security institutions after the end of UNIFIL’s mandate by establishing a new mission to provide training and advice to the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces. The mission will not replace the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), but will help “strengthen state sovereignty and extend its authority” across Lebanese territory.
News
A second powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck Panama Friday afternoon following a series of aftershocks, the US Geological Survey said. It came after a magnitude 7.7 quake shook the Central American country, collapsing buildings near its epicenter and prompting evacuations. The first earthquake shook Panama on Friday morning, collapsing buildings near its epicenter and prompting evacuations across the country.
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to club action on Friday after a controversial international break with Portugal and bagged the opening goal as Al-Nassr beat Diriyah 3-0 in the Saudi Pro League. The victory put the defending champion level on points behind leader Al-Qadsiah on goal difference in the eighth round. During the international window, the 41-year-old Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal squad, for which he has scored 146 goals in 234 appearances.
Sports
Vincenzo Montella was sacked as head coach of Türkiye on Friday following a string of Nations League defeats. "It has been decided not to continue with our head coach," the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on X. Türkiye have lost all four of their Nations League matches against France, Belgium and twice to Italy. Appointed in September 2023, the former Italy international enjoyed some early success as he guided Türkiye to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, where they were beaten 2-1 by the Netherlands.
Sports
The Confederation of African Football is reappraising its decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, CAF president Patrice Motsepe declared on Friday when he added his organization did not take orders from FIFA or UEFA. Motsepe, who last December announced the biennial Africa Cup would switch to a four-year cycle from 2028, said on Friday that it was “nonsense, absolute rubbish” that CAF was being dictated to by either the world or European governing body.
News
The co-pilot who attacked the captain of a flydubai jet last week had planned to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's international airport, the United Arab Emirates' top prosecutor said on Friday. In the aftermath of the incident, people on board -- the majority of whom were Israeli -- described a sudden plunge in altitude and a fight for control of the aircraft, which was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were repatriated on a second flydubai flight hours later.
Politics
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had secured Russian leader Vladimir Putin's agreement for a major release of diesel, temporarily easing sanctions on Moscow as he pushes to lower energy costs ahead of midterm elections. "Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace," Trump said on social media after talks with Putin. The move comes weeks before key US midterm elections where Trump's Republican Party risks losing its current grip on Congress, while voters grapple with mounting cost of living worries.
Politics
Vice President JD Vance cast doubt Friday on whether the Pentagon will livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan in December but told reporters that if it is livestreamed, “I’m not going to be watching it.” The Republican vice president said, “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” when asked about the plans that the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. But Vance then tried to set aside the controversy over the shocking plans for a public execution and said Hasan’s crimes should not be forgotten.
News
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is worsening as the Houthi escalation spreads, leaving more than 5,000 people dead or wounded since August, displacing about 200,000 and fueling a rise in suspected cholera and measles cases. The United Nations is warning of gaps in care and the risk of outbreaks as health services struggle to reach the wounded and deliver emergency treatment, especially in conflict zones and displacement camps.
News
The military operation “Dawn of Yemen” entered its fifth day on Friday, as government forces completed the clearing of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the strategic Mayyun Island, while consolidating their positions on the highlands overlooking the international shipping route. The development strengthens government gains along the western coast, even as fighting continues in the southern and western countryside of Taiz, alongside an expanding aerial campaign targeting Houthi militia positions and movements across several parts of the country.
Sports
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho slammed criticism of star striker Kylian Mbappe, on Friday labelling the attacks as "ridiculous". The French captain has come under fire for spending his time recovering from a left knee injury -- which he suffered playing in a Nations League match against Türkiye -- in France and Switzerland rather than Madrid. The 27-year-old was also pictured at the entrance of a Parisian nightclub and photographed on a bicycle when he was in Switzerland.
Sports
George Russell needs to throw everything he can at stopping — or even just delaying — Kimi Antonelli’s march to the Formula 1 title. That won’t be easy from the back of the grid at the Singapore Grand Prix. Russell was third, with Mercedes teammate Antonelli ahead of him in second, when his power unit suddenly failed Sunday during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, leaving him with a penalty this week for an engine change.
News
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country's first test-firing of a domestically developed hypersonic missile, the presidential office said in a statement on Thursday. The rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president took place amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and a race to develop weapons capable of evading missile defenses.
Business
Belgian fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello will leave his post as chief designer at Saint Laurent after a decade in charge, the French house's parent company Kering announced Friday. "Anthony Vaccarello has played a key role in Saint Laurent's development, helping to strengthen its identity and influence across the worlds of fashion and culture," Kering said in a statement, without giving any reason for Vaccarello's departure. The designer had hinted at his potential exit at his final show for Saint Laurent on September 29.
News
A Ukrainian drone attack has damaged a data center belonging to Russian technology giant Yandex, the company said on Friday, the second strike on one of the company's facilities in as many days. The attacks could signal the start of a new retaliatory campaign from Kyiv targeting Russia's internet infrastructure -- weeks after Moscow started hitting data centers in Ukraine. Yandex, often dubbed "Russia's Google", runs the country's most popular search engine, as well as a food-ordering and taxi app used by tens of millions.
