Republicans split over blame after Democratic midterm sweepNasdaq slides as AI and chip stocks extend losses after Democratic midterm winMore tankers burn in Hormuz as Iran keeps up pressureTrump weighs Iran deal or escalation after midterm defeatKomyshuvakha toll rises to 42 as Ukrainian drones hit RyazanParaguay's president announces resignation as Ueno bank collapse deepens crisisUnions and ministry dispute size of French cost-of-living protests as PM calls social conferenceHouthi missiles keep targeting Saudi Arabia as Yemen's government reshufflesEisenkot leads recommendations as ultra-Orthodox party withholds backing from NetanyahuMelania Trump hosts Russians and Ukrainians as Europe seeks a voiceBank of England raises rates to 4% and signals moreNo sign of foul play in Aiwanger's death, preliminary autopsy indicatesSecond wave of bomb threats hits European flights, no explosives foundBritish national with Ebola to be evacuated from CongoHong Kong court adds ten years to Joshua Wong's sentenceTech leaders concede data-centre backlash after midtermsGaza truce toll passes 1,600 after new Israeli strikesChina blocks SoftBank's takeover of ABB's robotics business in ChinaANC loses ground in South African local electionsRussia deepens military support for IranIndonesia deploys troops in Jakarta over wiretap scandalOil stays below $100, rebounds from two-month lowOpenAI launches GPT-6 Cyber with top cyber risk ratingNigerian court voids Atiku's 2027 presidential candidacyFinland jails Russian captain over Baltic cable sabotageTrump-Putin diesel deal falters as tankers divertSaudi Arabia and Syria sign defence deal and $403m in loansIsrael weighs life without US aid as midterms strain tiesDeveloping countries' external debt hits record $9.4tnCrédit Mutuel Arkéa seeks to recover over €100m after hackHerzog warns West Bank violence could lead to civil warBosch announces 750 more job cuts, over 30,000 in totalEurope drains gas storage at twice the usual rateSouth Korea to deploy navy closer to HormuzChina ties more US farm purchases to $30bn tariff cutsEU pays Ukraine €4.36bn as Kyiv aims to close accession clustersNvidia chips pile up in Hong Kong as China withholds approvalsBangladesh garment protests continue despite wage board moveGermany agrees to buy 50% stake in tank maker KNDSRepublicans split over blame after Democratic midterm sweepNasdaq slides as AI and chip stocks extend losses after Democratic midterm winMore tankers burn in Hormuz as Iran keeps up pressureTrump weighs Iran deal or escalation after midterm defeatKomyshuvakha toll rises to 42 as Ukrainian drones hit RyazanParaguay's president announces resignation as Ueno bank collapse deepens crisisUnions and ministry dispute size of French cost-of-living protests as PM calls social conferenceHouthi missiles keep targeting Saudi Arabia as Yemen's government reshufflesEisenkot leads recommendations as ultra-Orthodox party withholds backing from NetanyahuMelania Trump hosts Russians and Ukrainians as Europe seeks a voiceBank of England raises rates to 4% and signals moreNo sign of foul play in Aiwanger's death, preliminary autopsy indicatesSecond wave of bomb threats hits European flights, no explosives foundBritish national with Ebola to be evacuated from CongoHong Kong court adds ten years to Joshua Wong's sentenceTech leaders concede data-centre backlash after midtermsGaza truce toll passes 1,600 after new Israeli strikesChina blocks SoftBank's takeover of ABB's robotics business in ChinaANC loses ground in South African local electionsRussia deepens military support for IranIndonesia deploys troops in Jakarta over wiretap scandalOil stays below $100, rebounds from two-month lowOpenAI launches GPT-6 Cyber with top cyber risk ratingNigerian court voids Atiku's 2027 presidential candidacyFinland jails Russian captain over Baltic cable sabotageTrump-Putin diesel deal falters as tankers divertSaudi Arabia and Syria sign defence deal and $403m in loansIsrael weighs life without US aid as midterms strain tiesDeveloping countries' external debt hits record $9.4tnCrédit Mutuel Arkéa seeks to recover over €100m after hackHerzog warns West Bank violence could lead to civil warBosch announces 750 more job cuts, over 30,000 in totalEurope drains gas storage at twice the usual rateSouth Korea to deploy navy closer to HormuzChina ties more US farm purchases to $30bn tariff cutsEU pays Ukraine €4.36bn as Kyiv aims to close accession clustersNvidia chips pile up in Hong Kong as China withholds approvalsBangladesh garment protests continue despite wage board moveGermany agrees to buy 50% stake in tank maker KNDS
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Saudi-Syria defence pact

Where things stand

Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a defence cooperation agreement on Wednesday, 4 November, during President al-Sharaa's second Riyadh visit in under a month, alongside $403m in loans. The military pact's terms remain unpublished.

Saudi Arabia has backed Syria's government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's rule, with Riyadh positioning itself as a key political and financial partner for Damascus. Closer military ties would deepen that relationship.

Timeline in detail

Friday, 6 November 2026Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia and Syria sign defence deal and $403m in loans

Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a defence cooperation agreement on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Syria's President al-Sharaa visited Riyadh for the second time in under a month. Loans worth $403m were also agreed, while details of the military pact have not been made public.