Tunis, Dec. 18 (TAP) – Around 90% of the Ministry of Environment’s budget for the 2026–2027 period will be allocated to sanitation-related projects, Minister Habib Abid said at an information day to review the progress of the rehabilitation project...»»»

Ajman: The Ajman government has announced that its employees will work remotely on Friday, December 19, in response to the expected weather conditions and ongoing atmospheric fluctuations affecting the UAE. The decision applies to staff across all government entities in the emirate, except for role»»»

Fujairah: His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, issued Law No. (2) of 2025 amending the Human Resources Law for employees of the Government of Fujairah. The law takes into account the stability of the legal and financial status of government»»»

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades. The order is expected to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug - plac»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the US was sanctioning two judges of the International Criminal Court for targeting Israel. "Today, I am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, pursuant »»»

Two of Italy’s top newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, are likely to be sold to Greek media tycoon Theodore Kyriakou, whose political and business links abroad have sparked concern over editorial independence. The proposed sale, which involves foreign investment from Gulf allies and has drawn »»»

A 48-year-old man has been arrested in Nea Filadelfia, central Athens, for stealing containers of olive oil and honey intended for household use from the storage rooms of apartment buildings. He, along with an accomplice, is accused of forming a criminal group and committing aggravated thefts repea»»»

Sharjah City Municipality has announced a temporary waiver of public parking fees across the emirate in response to the prevailing unstable weather conditions. The exemption comes into effect immediately from the time of the announcement and will continue until the end of Friday, December 19, 2025.»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has urged residents and visitors to avoid beaches and refrain from maritime activities as unstable weather continues to affect the emirate. In a statement, the municipality said these precautionary measures are aimed at protecting public safety during periods of weather vo»»»

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on 29 vessels and their management firms, the Treasury Department said, as Washington continues targeting Tehran's "shadow fleet" it says exports Iranian petroleum and petroleum products, Reuters reported. The targeted vessels and companies have trans»»»

Tunis, Dec. 18 (TAP)- The stock market closed Thursday’s session on a positive note, rising 0.3% to 13,220.3 points on a solid trading volume of 14.3 million dinars, according to broker Tunisie Valeurs.The session was marked by two block trades on...»»»

General Rudolf Heikal, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, met with French Chief of Defence Staff Fabien Mandon on Thursday to discuss strategic security challenges as international powers move to formalise a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah. The meeting in Paris, attended by repr»»»

The final day of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 is here, featuring two decisive clashes as Saudi Arabia faces the UAE in the third-place playoff, before Jordan and Morocco battle it out under the lights in the grand final. Who will finish strong, and who will lift the trophy tonight at Lusail? ⚽⚽ Sta»»»

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A 92-year-old Japanese grandmother showed off her skills at popular video game Tekken 8 and was named the winner of an esports tournament. The Care eSports Association, an organization specializing in video game tournaments for senior citizens, announced its 12th biannual tournamen»»»

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A bus driver in Brisbane, Australia, spotted a koala darting through traffic on a busy road and brought the animal aboard the vehicle to wait for rescuers. Koala Rescue Brisbane South said on social media that the Brisbane CityGlider bus driver spotted the koala on Wiles Street at »»»

Dubai: As a low-pressure system continues to affect parts of the UAE, bringing fluctuating weather conditions to several regions, authorities have reaffirmed their full readiness to respond to any developments through an integrated national coordination framework aimed at protecting lives and prope»»»

The head of the UN refugee agency in Lebanon said Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country. The US Senate voted Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administration»»»

Bulgaria is ready to act as a responsible and active partner within the European Union’s monetary union, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said Thursday during meetings with EU leaders in Brussels ahead of the European Council session, the government press office reported. Zhelyazkov told European Co»»»

A Bulgarian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Anguelieva, who is the National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, took part in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's winter plenary session in Jerusalem from December 14 to 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The d»»»

Tunis, Dec. 18 (TAP) - Weather conditions on Thursday evening will be favorable for scattered rainfall, with temporary thunderstorms in the south, and occasionally heavy rain in the southwest, according to forecasts by the National Institute of...»»»

Moderna announced a $54.3 billion investment from CEPI to fund its Phase 3 trial of a bird flu vaccine. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced it will invest up to $54.3 million with Moderna to fund a Phase 3 »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met on Thursday in Belgrade with Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, who is on an official visit to Serbia. "Welcoming the President of Georgia, Macut emphasised that this visit is an excellent opportunity to discuss numerous opportunities for deepening the co»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Armed Forces have unleashed massive strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and drone production sites, the Defense Ministry revealed in a statement on Thursday. "Operational-tactical aviation, strike drones, missile troops, and artillery struck energy infrastructure f»»»

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has urged private sector establishments in areas most affected by the prevailing weather conditions to implement remote work tomorrow, Friday, December 19th. This directive applies to roles whose nature permits it, aiming to preserve employe»»»

Sharjah is set to welcome 2026 with a large-scale New Year’s Eve programme that blends fireworks, family entertainment and immersive experiences across the emirate. The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), in collaboration with the Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority»»»

On Friday, most lowland areas and valleys will experience cloudy skies and fog, while the mountains will enjoy mostly sunny conditions, according to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) forecast for December 19. By late afternoon, a northeast wind will begin to pick up and bec»»»

The firm behind President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform is merging with a Google-backed energy company in a deal valued at more than $6bn (£4.4bn). Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and TAE Technologies announced the plans on Thursday in a joint statement, which said the move would "crea»»»

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ranked second globally in the Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025, placing just behind Germany among 193 countries, and maintaining its position in the highest “Leading” category of the global classifi»»»

A grocery shopper pictured Feb. 2022 in Richmond Heights, Missouri. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday a 2.7% annual CPI increase last month short of the 3.1% projected by Wall Street. Core CPI rose 2.6% year over year, below the 3% forecast. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | Licens»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has warned of continued unstable weather conditions across the United Arab Emirates this weekend, with heavy rain, lightning and hail expected to persist through Friday. The "Al Bashayer" low-pressure system, which moved across the country, is forecas»»»

Dubai: Unstable weather conditions across the UAE on Friday, with skies expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy and punctuated by convective cloud formations over scattered areas of the country. According to the forecast, rainfall of varying intensity is likely, with some areas experiencing lightnin»»»

Umm Al Quwain: Umm Al Quwain has seen moderate to heavy rainfall since the early hours of Thursday, accompanied by active winds, lightning and thunder, as unstable weather conditions continue to affect the emirate. The local emergency and crisis management media team in Umm Al Quwain said that all »»»

Kiryat Gat: Launched after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to monitor the truce and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, the Civil-Military Coordination Centre for Gaza is struggling to live up to its promises. The CMCC, a US initiative, is meant to set the stage for the next steps of President Dona»»»

Ukraine is facing a foreign aid shortfall of 45-50 billion euros ($53-59 billion) in 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, Reuters reported. He added that if Kyiv did not receive a first tranche of a loan secured by Russian assets by next spring, it would have to significantly cut d»»»

A TAE Technologies worker is inside the Norm nuclear fusion device in Foothills Ranch, Calif. The company announced a merger with Trump Media Thursday. Image courtesy of TAE Technologies. Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Trump Media announced Thursday that it's merging with TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion compa»»»

A doctor in France was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after being found guilty of the poisoning deaths of 12 of his patients. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A French court sentenced a former "star" anesthetist to life in prison after convicting him of murderin»»»

A significant UAE relief operation sees the Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian Ship depart fully stocked to deliver urgent food assistance to Gaza, highlighting the country's ongoing pledge to aid the Palestinian population. The final cargo has been secured aboard the Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian»»»

Beirut: Israel launched several strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure including a military compound. The attacks come as the committee monitoring the ceasefire, in effect since November 2»»»

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Dubai: Mall of the Emirates has reassured shoppers that the Dubai landmark is operating as normal, after social media posts claimed it was flooded during this week’s heavy rain. Majid Al Futtaim, which owns and operates the mall, said the widely shared footage was “outdated” and did not reflect the»»»

As 2025 draws to a close, the Middle Eastern political theatre is bracing for a seismic shift. At its zenith lies the long-anticipated normalisation between Israel and several Gulf capitals—a process that has remained in the wings since Donald Trump’s first term. However, the foundations of this sh»»»

Israel has informed Washington that it has “no deadline for using force in Lebanon,” sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. “Iran is succeeding in smuggling arms and funds to Hezbollah,” a U.S. official told the channel. “The priority is for disarming Hezbollah,” the official said, adding tha»»»

The U.S. is optimistic over the Mechanism meeting that will be held on Friday and will push for a “serious and fruitful dialogue” between Lebanon and Israel, diplomats told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. Several regional diplomatic sources meanwhile agreed, in remarks to the same daily, that Israeli»»»

President Rumen Radev held government-forming consultations here on Thursday with representatives of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF), following the resignation of the Cabinet, announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and unanimously accepted by Parliament last week. During the consul»»»

Ras Al Khaimah will host the fifth anniversary edition of the Middle East’s leading long-distance hiking event, HIighlander, from February 6 to 8, 2026, offering participants the chance to traverse the UAE’s longest and highest hiking trails on Jebel Jais, the country’s highest peak. Organised by H»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov arrived in Japan on a working visit. The trip is taking place at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to participate in the First Summit of Central Asia + Japan Dialogue. The presidential press service reported. The presidential aircraft lan»»»

China said on Thursday its arms trade with Thailand and Cambodia is unrelated to the current conflict between the Southeast Asian neighbours, with which Beijing has close ties. "We hope relevant parties will refrain from making subjective speculation and malicious hype," the Chinese Defense Ministr»»»

Doha, Qatar: The organising committee for the State of Qatar’s National Day Celebrations announced the cancellation of the Darb Al Saai events for Thursday, December 18, 2025 due to weather conditions, the Ministry of Culture announced. The Ministry stated that this was to ensure the safety of visi»»»