Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein flew to Russia on at least three occasions in the early 2000s, including traveling to the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk together with former US President Bill Clinton, files published by the US Department of Justice have revealed. Last week, the DOJ uploaded »»»

People take photos of Christmas lights decoration at the street on the eve of Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 24. The Ministry of the Interior has deployed up to 17,000 police personnel, civil defense members, and volunteers to enhance security at 137 major events during the holiday season. On Fr»»»

National Transportation Safety Board staff and FBI agents walk the runway looking for evidence from the UPS Flight 2976 MD-11 that crashed November 4 in Louisville, Ky.. A 15th victim has died, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Friday. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -»»»

Argentine President Javier Milei's administration is promoting a reform that seeks to redefine the role of the state in public education, curb direct government intervention and give families greater control over their children’s schooling. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo BUENOS AIRES»»»

Head of Hezbollah Executive Council Sheikh Ali Daamoush affirmed that the resistance will not be drawn into confrontation with the Lebanese Army and will not permit internal discord, stressing that attempts to provoke division are doomed to fail. Speaking during Friday prayers at the Sayyeda Zainab»»»

Al Ain: Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the opening of Winterland Al Ain, a winter games event being held at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium until January 15, 2026. The event is part of efforts to expand entertainment and sports options in the region. Winterland Al Ain adds a new at»»»

With Donald Trump back in the Oval Office in early 2025, it took less than a year for his revamped “maximum pressure” campaign to set the pace for Iran. What began as an argument over reviving the nuclear deal quickly gave way to a far starker reality: war on Iranian soil, for only the second time »»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have honoured four individuals for their quick and selfless actions in assisting victims at the scene of a traffic accident. The individuals were recognised for their humanitarian response and sense of responsibility after rushing to provide first aid and support to thos»»»

Israel has become the first country to formally recognise Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel intended to immediately expand cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology. Somaliland's president, Abdirahman Mohamed A»»»

Shakira performs on stage during the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on June 7. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Shakira confirmed she will add two additional concerts in El Salvador, bringing the total number o»»»

A medical evacuation helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro on Christmas Eve and killed all five on board. File Photo by Daniel Irungu/EPA Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A medical evacuation helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro on Christmas Eve killing all five people aboard. Tanzanian officials said the Air»»»

People take photos of Christmas lights decoration at the street on the eve of Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 24. The Ministry of the Interior has deployed up to 17,000 police personnel, civil defense members, and volunteers to enhance security at 137 major events during the holiday season. On Fr»»»

Gaza: A Palestinian was killed and another wounded Friday by Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip. Medical sources in Gaza reported that a Palestinian man was killed after being shot by the Israeli army while sitting in front of the gate of Hafsa School in the northern Gaza Strip. A child wa»»»

Four hikers have died in an avalanche in the Vardousia mountains in Fokida, central Greece. Three of the hikers, all men, had been reported missing late Thursday while following a trail from the village of Athanasios Diakos toward Korakas peak, which rises to 2,495 meters. Relatives told state broa»»»

The municipality of Agios Dimitrios in southern Athens has been declared in a state of emergency following severe damage caused by a storm on Christmas Eve. The most serious incident was recorded near the Pikrodafni stream, where extensive ground subsidence occurred. Raging waters created a sinkhol»»»

December 25 was a "turning point" in peace talks, he said. Russia is ready to reach a settlement of the Ukraine conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.However, he stressed that without addressing the root causes of the crisis, a final agreement is impossible. “The focus must be o»»»

The Greek coastguard on Friday rescued nearly 400 would-be migrants from a fishing boat and another vessel off southern Crete, ANA news agency reported. In one operation about 35 nautical miles from the small island of Gavdos, off Crete, a coastguard vessel, a Danish freighter and a helicopter took»»»

The expanding Energoatom corruption scandal has hurt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's popularity and if elections were held this weekend he would lose in the second round, according to a Socis poll. A majority of »»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 28 in what he is billing as a possible breakthrough meeting to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as speculation swirls that Russian President Vladimir Putin may step down in favour of a»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 28 in what he is billing as a possible breakthrough meeting to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as speculation swirls that Russian President Vladimir Putin may step down in favour of a»»»

There is a classic Soviet expression that sums up how hard life was in the USSR: “Today is worse than yesterday, but at least it is better than tomorrow.” In the latest poll from the independent pollster, the Levada C»»»

The expanding Energoatom corruption scandal has hurt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's popularity and if elections were held this weekend he would lose in the second round, according to a Socis poll. A majority of »»»

Damascus, Dec. 26 (SANA) Minister of Justice Mazhar al-Wais affirmed that the terrorist bombing targeting the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Homs constitutes a double crime, violating the sanctity of places of worship and infringing upon both blood and sacred space. “The heinous and horrific crime tha»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic thanked Japan's outgoing ambassador to Belgrade Akira Imamura for his efficient cooperation during his tenure in Serbia and wished him much success in his professional and private endeavours in the future. Japan will rema»»»

Israel on Friday formally recognized Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state" and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties, as the region's leader hailed its first-ever official recognition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "announced today the official recognition of the»»»

Lebanon's government on Friday approved a draft law to distribute financial losses from the 2019 economic crisis that deprived many Lebanese of their deposits despite strong opposition to the legislation from political parties, depositors and banking officials. The draft law will be submitted to th»»»

Congressman Tomás Guanipa (C) speaks during a press conference in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on Tuesday. Guanipa said Venezuelan prisons are holding people who have not committed crimes and were being detained for expressing dissent. Photo by Henry Chirinos/EPA Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Venezuela's government an»»»

After the crystal ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York City, it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to usher in 2026 and kick off months of celebrations for the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. The patriotic touches at this year's Times Square gathering, including a second confet»»»

Hundreds of flights are delayed as storms and floods hit California, where three people have died. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Three people are dead after storms and flash flooding in California over the Christmas holiday, and more are expected to disrupt flights »»»

Damage pictured Friday after an explosion at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs, western Syria. Ambulances rushed victims during Friday prayers as security forces sealed off the area and began an investigation. Photo Provided by Ahmad Fallaha/EPA Dec. 26 (UP»»»

Ankara: Turkish authorities said they thwarted an attack that ISIS had intended to carry out during New Year celebrations, following a joint security operation conducted by Turkish intelligence in cooperation with the General Directorate of Security in the eastern province of Malatya. Anadolu Agenc»»»

The introduction of the position of "regional coordinator of health mediators" is proposed in a draft amendment to the Ordinance on the Requirements for the Activities of Health Mediators. The draft has been published for a one-month public discussion on the website of the Health Ministry. The purp»»»

BELGRADE - The approx. 3 pct GDP growth projection for Serbia for 2026 depends on the way several major risks - above all, the issue of the oil company NIS - will be tackled, says Sasa Randjelovic, executive editor of the Kvartalni monitor economic bulletin. NIS is under US sanctions due to its Rus»»»

A bombing at a mosque in Syria during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said. Images released by Syria’s state-run Arab News Agency showed blood on the mosque’s carpets, holes in the walls, shattered windows and fire damage. The Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mo»»»

The US government has spent over $1.6 trillion this year on wasteful programs, such as teaching ferrets how to binge-drink alcohol and dosing dogs with cocaine, according to Senator Rand Paul’s latest annual ‘Festivus Report’. The Kentucky Republican’s 2025 edition notes a total of $1,639,135,969,6»»»

The Russian Foreign Ministry has advised the country’s citizens to refrain from traveling to Germany, warning that they could face persecution on national grounds there. During a briefing on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova drew attention to repeated incidents in which Russian»»»

London: Arne Slot believes Hugo Ekitike's run of five goals in four matches indicates the striker has heeded the Liverpool manager's advice when it comes to improving his fitness. The 23-year-old scored on his first three appearances after joining from Eintracht Frankfurt but that achievement was s»»»

A Syrian refugee family that resettled in the West Midlands shares how they found kinship in the friendship of strangers. Khaled loved his job working at the department of water management in Syria. His wife, Bushra, spent her days teaching primary school children, while evenings were for maqluba a»»»

Traffic restrictions are currently in effect in the Kypseli area of central Athens following the discovery of a suspicious object. According to the police, a local resident spotted an object wrapped in tape with a cable protruding from it on Amorgou Street and alerted the authorities. A bomb dispos»»»

A woman lost two fingers after being attacked by a neighbor’s dog in the town of Atalanti, in Fthiotida, on Christmas Eve, local media reported. The incident occurred as the woman was returning home late after an outing with her family, when the dog reportedly attacked her, severing one finger from»»»

BELGRADE - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS) hosted an end-of-year business conference of Serbian and Chinese businesspeople on Friday. PKS President Marko Cadez noted that the goal of the conference was to make plans for next year and exchange business ideas. The reception was a»»»

The leader of Ansarullah, Sayyed Abdulmalik Badreddine Al-Houthi, warned of what he described as “the Tyrant of the Age,” calling it the most dangerous and unjust force in human history. Speaking on the occasion of the Friday of Rajab, Sayyed A-Houthi said the Tyrant of the Age—embodied by global Z»»»

Beijing: China's central bank on Friday said that it has revised the rules of the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) to strengthen management and better support the development of cross-border renminbi (RMB) services. As CIPS business increases and the number of participants expands, the »»»

Across the United States, Democrats and Republicans are demanding that their leaders come clean with the Epstein files and the truth finally be told. What they are getting instead is a massive redaction campaign. Not since 1998 with the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky show trial has the American p»»»

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for money laundering and abuse of power in the 1MDB scandal. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty Friday of abuse of pow»»»

Israeli police pictured in September secure the entrance to the King Hussein Bridge Border Crossing. On Friday, an assailant allegedly ran over a 68‑year‑old man in Beit Shean before driving to Ein Harod, where he fatally stabbed an 18‑year‑old woman and injured a teenager. File Photo by Debbie Hil»»»

Putrajaya, Malaysia: A Malaysian judge sentenced former prime minister Najib Razak to 15 more years in jail on Friday after convicting him of abuse of power and money laundering in a sovereign wealth fund graft scandal. Najib was also fined 11.4 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion) for his role in the pl»»»

Marrakesh, Morocco: Veteran Knowledge Musona scored as Zimbabwe came from behind to draw 1-1 with Angola in Marrakesh on Friday as the second round of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group matches kicked off. Gelson Dala put Angola ahead midway through the first half and recalled Musona levelled deep»»»

Damascus, Dec. 26 (SANA) Syria’s Central Bank Governor, Abdelkader Husrieh, announced Thursday that the nationwide exchange of old banknotes for new ones will begin on January 1. The process will be carried out through 66 companies and 1,000 dedicated outlets across the country. Husrieh told the Sy»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE is set to see generally fair to partly cloudy weather on Saturday, with occasional cloud cover and a chance of light rain in some coastal and northern areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). In its daily forecast, the NCM said conditions will remain humid ov»»»