France raises bird flu alert level after detecting a severe strain of the virus among poultry in European countries, including Belgium and Luxembourg
According to the Tass news agency, John Sullivan, the US ambassador to Moscow, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Sullivan is said to have been at the State Department for about 20 minutes, but the reason for his summons has not been announced. A diplomatic source told Tass that the move was due to "US interference in the Russian election"
Bahrain Gulf Airlines announced that for the first time, its direct flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, will start on October 29 and will have two flights a week to this city. These flights are operated within the framework of agreements between Bahrain and Israel
Lebanese President Michel Aoun signs decree on formation of new Lebanese government on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister-elect Najib Mikati Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned 13 months ago, after which Mustafa Adib and Saad Hariri failed to form a government.

At a news conference, White House spokesman Jen Saki told Fox News how the United States was working with a regime in which the FBI had offered a $ 10 million ransom for its interior minister. "We are here to celebrate the departure of American citizens," said Saki, without mentioning the reward for the arrest of Sirajuddin Haqqani.