Damascus, Dec. 19 (SANA) Syria welcomed on Friday the full repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions, describing the move as a significant step toward easing the burdens on the Syrian people and opening the door to recovery and stability. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to the Uni»»»

Dr Sheikha Noura Al Qassimi, President of ESO, captured the essence of this alignment during the signing: “This partnership represents a significant milestone for the Emirates Society of Ophthalmology and reflects our shared commitment with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute to advancing ophthalmic educat»»»

The Ministry of Defence has signed a framework agreement for the delivery of over 4,300 pistols for the Army, outgoing Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov said on Friday in response to a question in Parliament. At the request of the Land Forces Command, the Ministry of Defence conducted a public p»»»

As life in Abu Dhabi returns to normal after a day of quick, harsh showers, Abu Dhabi Mobility, the emirates integrated transport centre) announced on X that the upcoming days would see a key road temporarily closed. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Street in Abu Dhabi will remain closed from today, Dec»»»

GENEVA, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called Friday for the urgent restoration of evacuation from Gaza to the West bank, including East Jerusalem, and to other countries.In a post on (X), Ghebreyesus warned that more than 1,092 p»»»

The South African government has dismissed accusations by the US that it harassed and intimidated American officials during a raid on a centre processing applications by white South Africans for refugee status in the US. Tuesday's raid saw seven Kenyans expelled from South Africa for working in the»»»

Civilian and military representatives from Lebanon and Israel met on Friday as part of the 'Mechanism' committee monitoring implementation of the year-long Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said, noting that the "security and economic tracks" advanced "in parallel" in the talks»»»

Life is beginning to get back to normal in the Emirates. In Abu Dhabi, residents and citizens can now follow up on any weekend plans that involve a visit to parks or beaches. Abu Dhabi Media Office announced the reopening of Abu Dhabi City Municipality parks and beaches to the public as weather con»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized the EU’s decision to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion interest-free loan, warning that the move brings the bloc “closer to war.” He argued, however, that an alternative plan to seize Russian frozen assets would have been even worse. Speaking ea»»»

Israel's military said Friday a man seized last year in Lebanon's Batroun was a Hezbollah operative who played a key role in planning a covert maritime force for the militant group. The Israeli army said special unit troops apprehended Imad Amhaz in November 2024 from the north Lebanese city of Bat»»»

The move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country and also help encourage investments, the head of the U.N. refugee agency in Lebanon said. The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanc»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public Works Authority, Ashghal, announced that its field teams successfully dealt with the heavy rainfall that the country experienced on Dec. 18, confirming that traffic flow was restored back to normal on most roads and tunnels within a few hours. Eng. Mohammed Al Kubaissi from »»»

The National Assembly ratified, 108-57 with no abstentions, a Contribution Agreement between the Republic of Bulgaria and the European Investment Bank (EIB) concerning the EU for Ukraine Fund. The ratification was preceded by a debate on Friday. Bulgaria's participation in the EU for Ukraine Fund w»»»

An Indian expat living in Qatar has hit the jackpot in Dubai.Jomy John, 32-year-old resident of Doha, won $1 million in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire series 527 draw held at Dubai International Airport. Also Read: Sharjah father of eight wins $1 million Dubai Duty Free raffleJohn’s luc»»»

CAIRO, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty on Friday stressed the importance of cooperation and integration among Nile Basin countries to achieve mutual benefits and shared interests for all parties involved.A press release by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said this came d»»»

Israel's military said Friday a man seized last year in Lebanon was a Hezbollah operative who played a key role in planning a covert maritime force for the militant group. The military said special unit troops apprehended Imad Amhaz in November 2024 from the north Lebanese city of Batroun, and tran»»»

In a market where deals close fast but investor protection often lags behind, Resura Real Estate has launched a comprehensive advisory-led investment model that fundamentally reimagines how international buyers navigate Dubai's booming property sector. The boutique firm's new framework addresses wh»»»

Raluca Tintoiu, Head of Wholesale Banking and a member of the Executive Committee at ING Bank Romania, talked to Business Review about the bank’s ambition to steer its clients and partners to more sustainable business practices and the way it manages to maintain focus on such goals amid market unce»»»

The discussion about AI in UI/UX has quickly become very present, but also very noisy. There is a lot of talk about automation and speed, less about decision and real impact on users. Looking towards 2026, one thing is clear: AI will be part of any relevant digital product. The difference will not »»»

In 2025, Altex Romania integrated the Brico Depot network and carried out a comprehensive upgrade of its digital infrastructure, setting the foundation for a broader, more efficient retail ecosystem. Founder and CEO Dan Ostahie reflects on the impact of these developments and on the growing role of»»»

More than 55% of Bulgarians have a positive attitude towards the European Union (EU), a survey by the Myara polling agency, presented on Friday at the Bulgarian News Agency’s National Press Club in Sofia, shows. The survey on Bulgarians’ attitudes towards the EU was conducted at the request of Bulg»»»

BELGRADE - Air Serbia exceeded on Friday last year's result of 4.4 mln passengers carried, almost two weeks earlier than last year, "directly reflecting growing passenger demand, efficient fleet management, expansion of the destination network and the stability and strength of the company’s brand,"»»»

BEIRUT, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly on Friday at the Grand Serail in Beirut, focusing on bolstering bilateral cooperation across several sectors.In a press statement, Salam said the talks reviewed cooperation priorit»»»

Dubai: AGMC, Geely's UAE distributor, launched a recall for 5,584 Emgrand sedans built from August 3, 2023 to July 4, 2024 after headquarters in Hangzhou flagged faulty fuel filler caps. Non-vented caps can build vacuum pressure over time, potentially deforming fuel tanks and risking leaks if they »»»

Huawei set the stage in Dubai last night with the highly anticipated Unfold the Moment launch event, unveiling a new lineup of flagship devices. From innovative foldable engineering to ultra-luxury wearables and cutting-edge tablets, the event introduced the HUAWEI Mate X7, the brand’s latest folda»»»

Dubai Health announced that its Genomic Medicine Center (GMC) has earned accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the globally-recognized authority in laboratory quality assurance, marking a significant milestone that reflects its commitment to the highest global standards of »»»

Lebanese Army chief General Rodolphe Haykal agreed to document the army's progress in disarming Hezbollah during talks Thursday with international envoys in Paris, the French foreign ministry said, as Beirut seeks to forestall expanded Israeli attacks. Israel and Hezbollah clashed for more than a y»»»

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal met Thursday in Paris with French army chief Fabien Mandon ahead of a key meeting with U.S., French and Saudi officials to discuss ways of assisting the army in its mission to boost its presence in the border area. The Paris meeting will discuss reinforcing th»»»

In a recent Facebook address, GERB leader Boyko Borissov dismissed concerns over the choice of voting methods for upcoming elections, stating that whether ballots are counted by machines or on paper makes no difference to his party. “GERB has won under both systems. Whatever is decided, it doesn’t »»»

Kyrgyzstan ranked 41st in the global ranking of average gasoline prices, published by the analytical portal Global Petrol Prices. According to the ranking, the average price of a liter of gasoline in the country is $0,935, or approximately 81.8 soms. Over the past year, Kyrgyzstan has fallen 13 pla»»»

As of 4 p.m., Bishkek ranked third in the global ranking of cities with the most polluted air. This data is based on the international air quality monitoring system, the Air Quality Index (AQI). According to the published data, air pollution levels in the capital of Kyrgyzstan reached 202 AQI units»»»

A top Hamas official said that talks in Miami on Friday to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire must aim to end Israeli truce "violations" in the Palestinian territory. "Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli lawlessness, halt all violations»»»

Vòya, a groundbreaking education technology platform, today announced its launch as the first unified digital ecosystem designed to integrate academics, career development, finances, productivity, and community into a single intelligent interface. Built for the modern learner, Vòya marks a signific»»»

More than a month after Iraq's parliamentary elections, the country's top leaders remain locked in talks to form a government while facing pressure from Washington to exclude Tehran-backed armed groups. Amid seismic changes in the Middle East, where new alliances are forming and old powers waning, »»»

A top Hamas official said that talks in Miami on Friday to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire must aim to end Israeli truce "violations" in the Palestinian territory. U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is to meet senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Fl»»»

Tunis, Dec. 19 (TAP)- Rain is expected Friday in most regions with storm showers in the south and west central areas. Locally heavy rain is in the forecast during the afternoon and overnight in northeastern and central eastern areas, the National...»»»

In a video posted on Facebook on Friday, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said that when elections come around, people immediately start talking about the Election Code, voting machines, and fraud. GERB has won elections with machine and paper ballots alike, "so whatever they decide, it makes no differen»»»

Dubai: A video capturing a lone man standing in the pouring rain at Business Bay, directing traffic, has gone viral on social media. On Instagram, footage shows a man braving heavy rain in Business Bay, directing traffic and helping motorists navigate waterlogged streets — a striking act of heroism»»»

RIYADH, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- Saudi Arabia welcomed Friday the US decision to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria pursuant to the Caesar Act, as contributing to supporting its stability, prosperity, and development.In a press release, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the significant and p»»»

Russia and China have continued to rapidly expand their bilateral relationship across economic, diplomatic, and people-to-people channels in 2025, with trade turnover exceeding $200 billion for a third consecutive year, Moscow’s ambassador to Beijing, Igor Morgulov, has told RT. In an interview air»»»

DOHA: The Public Works Authority 'Ashghal' announced that its field teams successfully dealt with the heavy rainfall that the country experienced on Thursday, confirming that traffic flow was restored back to normal on most roads and tunnels within a few hours. Eng Mohammed Al Kubaissi from the aut»»»

PROTESTS AND POLITICS The news media cover the latest wave of protests when thousands gathered in Sofia and other major Bulgarian cities on Thursday. The demonstrations were peaceful and demanded amendments to the Election Code and judicial reform. The rallies were triggered by the ruling coalition»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Thursday Serbia had friends in Europe who respected Belgrade's policy, and added that Serbia was not ingratiating itself with anyone. Djuric noted that support for Serbia from the PMs of Hungary and Slovakia, Viktor Orban and Robert Fico, as well as from o»»»

European leaders on Friday decided to finance Ukraine's war effort for at least two years through a joint loan of €90 billion, without resorting to Russian assets due to a lack of agreement. Kyiv was at risk of running out of money as early as the first quarter of 2026. EU leaders struck »»»

(Report) KUWAIT, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- Kuwait celebrates tomorrow, Saturday, the 2nd anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahآ’s assumption of office, as the Gulf nation witnesses multi-faceted development elevating its status regionally and internationally.His Highn»»»

Staff at two leading Bangladeshi newspapers say they were "gasping for air" as protesters, roused by the death of a prominent activist, set their offices alight on Thursday. Sharif Osman Hadi, who had emerged as a key figure after last year's anti-government protests that ousted former prime minist»»»

USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Friday that the DMZ should not be "politicized," as debate swirls around a South Korean bill calling for government control of non-military access. In this July photo, Brunson speaks at a ceremony in Goyang marking U.N. Forces Day. Photo by Yonhap The command»»»

London: A UK government minister on Friday said an investigation was underway after Britain's Foreign Office was hit by a data hack in October. "I can confirm that there was a hack related to the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)," Trade Minister Chris Bryant said, playing down a »»»

Sharjah: Residents across several neighbourhoods in the UAE’s Eastern Region are stepping up efforts to protect their homes from flooding, installing sandbags and aluminium or concrete barriers to prevent rainwater from seeping indoors amid increasingly volatile weather. According to Emarat Al Youm»»»

Opening of Bishkekselmash boiler house took place in the capital with the participation of Mayor Aibek Dzhunushaliev. The press service of the Bishkek City Hall reported. The mayor congratulated on the opening of the boiler house and noted its importance for city residents. «As a result of all this»»»