Swiss banking giant UBS said Tuesday it nearly doubled its net profit in its best third quarter in a decade, the latest in a string of global lenders to report better-than-expected results despite the coronavirus pandemic. 

Fading hopes for a pre-election US stimulus and concerns about a fresh surge in virus infections in key economies weighed on Asian markets Tuesday, tracking a sharp sell-off on Wall Street.

Major European stock markets were mixed Monday as a technical hiccup hit Paris and investors weighed the chances of a U.S. stimulus package, dealers said.

Iraq's anti-corruption commission on Monday said it had arrested an ex-governor accused of embezzling millions of dollars, including aid for citizens who had fled their homes in war.

Sixty-five European lawmakers have signed a letter calling for the EU to downgrade its attendance at next month's G20 summit in Riyadh over human rights concerns, according to a document released Monday.

American Airlines says it plans to begin flying the Boeing 737 MAX again in December, assuming the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) allows the plan to resume service, the carrier confirmed on Monday.

The European Union on Monday signaled a potential breakthrough in stalled Brexit talks in a move welcomed by Britain, which stressed however that it would not accept a deal at any price.

German reinsurance giant Munich Re said Monday that it anticipates a boom in cyber-risk insurance in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The first ever passenger flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel landed near Tel Aviv on Monday, a month after the countries signed an agreement normalizing ties.

Etihad Airways flight EY 9607 from Abu Dhabi landed at Ben Gurion airport early in the morning with only crew on board, a spokeswoman for the Israel Airports Authority told AFP.

The International Monetary Fund said Monday that Lebanon’s economy is heading towards a contraction by 25%, compared with an estimated shrinkage of 12% in April -- one of the region's sharpest economic contractions this year.

"Lebanon needs a comprehensive reform program that tackles deep-rooted issues," the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia director Jihad Azour, who is an ex-Lebanese finance minister, said.