Damascus, Dec. 7 (SANA) Since December 8, 2024, Damascus has emerged from years of isolation and conflict, shedding the weight of war and authoritarian rule. Liberation has transformed the city into a hub of diplomatic activity, welcoming dozens of Arab and international delegations and signaling S»»»

Saudi Arabia is on track for the deployment of its luxury train service, named aptly Dream of the Desert, in 2026. You can now book your suite for next year and expect a luxury retreat on wheels. Here's a look at 5 things you need to know about the luxe new offering and the five itineraries you can»»»

The largest anti-fascist demonstrations Croatia has seen in years have highlighted a widening rift between the country’s political left and right, as disputes over the wartime legacy of the Ustasha regime intensify. Thousands of people marched through central Zagreb on November 30, rallying against»»»

Russia's central bank will remove restrictions on foreign currency transfers abroad for Russian citizens and residents of “friendly countries” from December 8. Russia classifies countries as "friendly" or "unfriendly" based on whether they have imposed sanctions. Western nations including the Unite»»»

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a second show-cause notice to IndiGo, addressing the airline’s accountable manager a day after serving a similar notice on CEO Pieter Elbers, as widespread cancellations and delays continued to disrupt air trav»»»

Member of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc at Lebanese Parliament MP Hussein Jishi lashed out at the United States over its green light to the Israeli enemy to continue its attacks on Lebanon. In a memorial service on Sunday, MP Jishi said the US pretends to be mediator while unleashing the I»»»

Dubai: The UAE has officially entered its winter season with the predawn appearance of Ikleel Al Aqrab, a bright trio of stars in the constellation Scorpius, according to Emirati astronomer Ibrahim Al Jarwan. Al Jarwan, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and member of the»»»

Dubai: A Pakistani woman has issued a desperate public appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming her husband abandoned her in Karachi and is now preparing to secretly remarry in Delhi. The case has triggered outrage among women’s groups and cross-border legal bodies. In a video message circu»»»

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa warned on Saturday that Israel’s effort to establish a demilitarized buffer zone in southern Syria risks pushing the country into a “dangerous place.” Speaking on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, al-Sharaa said US-mediated negotiations with Israel remain underway to»»»

Dubai: The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has hired newly licensed civil engineer Dave Rusty Recososa, the son of a Davao City jeepney driver who went viral for offering free rides to celebrate his son's success, as part of the agency’s ongoing drive to recruit young talent and rebu»»»

Dubai: Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of the prominent Islamic author, speaker and businessman Tareq Al-Suwaidan, according to an official decree published in the Kuwait Al Youm gazette. Gulf News reviewed the decree, which was issued from Seif Palace and signed by the Emir, Sheikh Mishal Al Ah»»»

Mounting protests across frontline villages in south Lebanon are exposing deep frustration over stalled reconstruction efforts and long-delayed compensation for war damage, delays that have pushed many families to abandon their homes and rebuild their lives elsewhere. In Taybeh, a resident recently»»»

It was during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East in May that he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, after being urged to by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It was a bold move. But bolder still was Trump’s later invitation for al»»»

Doha, Qatar: University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) celebrated Qatar National Day with a vibrant on-campus event that brought together students, faculty members and staff to honour the Nation’s rich heritage and values. Held as part of the official Qatar National Day celebrations at t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Doha Forum convened a high-level session titled “How Shifts in Global Aid Are Reshaping Fragile States,” bringing together leading figures from humanitarian organizations, international agencies, and policy think tanks. The panel examined the mounting challenges facing fragile stat»»»

The humble pocket calculator may not be able to keep up with the mathematical capabilities of new technology, but it will never hallucinate. The device's enduring reliability equates to millions of sales each year for Japan's Casio, which is even eyeing expansion in certain regions. Despite lightni»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Faleh Educational Holding successfully convened its Annual Ordinary General Assembly on Thursday, December 04, 2025, in the presence of the Company’s Chairperson and Founder Dr. Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh Al Thani; Chief Executive Officer, Sheikha Anwar bint Nawaf Al Thani; and member»»»

Doha, Qatar: Safari Hypermarket, which has been scripting a remarkable success story in Qatar for the past two decades, will open its newest outlet at Ezdan Mall in Gharafa on December 10. The Safari Group, which launched its first Safari Hypermarket on Salwa Road on May 5, 2005, is an organisation»»»

Doha, Qatar: The US Federal Reserve (Fed) has entered one of its most contested policy periods in decades. The 25 basis points (bps) policy rate cut delivered in October was notable not for its size, but for the lack of consensus in reaching this decision. As highlighted in our November commentary,»»»

Dubai: A 24-year-old Indian student, Sahaja Reddy Udumala, from Telangana, tragically died following a house fire in Albany, New York, on Thursday, December 4. Ms Udumala, who moved to the United States in 2021 for higher education, was reportedly asleep when the fire started, preventing her from s»»»

President Donald Trump’s advisers and Ukrainian officials say they’ll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday after making progress on finding agreement on a security framework for postwar Ukraine. The two sides also offered the sober assessment that any “real progress toward any agreement” ultim»»»

Dubai: The United States intends to widen its travel ban to cover more than 30 countries, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, signalling a significant expansion of one of the Trump administration’s most sweeping immigration measures. Speaking on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Noem decli»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flew into Israel Saturday for his first visit since taking office, and reaffirmed Berlin’s support after traditionally solid ties between the countries were shaken by the Gaza war. Merz landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport just before 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) and was m»»»

Donald Trump's National Security Strategy (NSS) sketches a future in which the US is “ready to throw the current political leadership in Ukraine under the bus, much as several NATO countries and EU leadership expect,” believes retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski. The US signals in the d»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar find themselves in a precarious position in their bid to reach the FIFA Arab Cup quarter-finals as they meet Tunisia in their final Group A match tonight, with coach Julen Lopetegui (pictured) urging full focus ahead of the crucial clash at Al Bayt Stadium tonight. With only one »»»

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani’s November visit to China marks the first visit by a senior Syrian official since former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power. Long overdue, the visit is seen by many as a turning point in China-Syria relations. China—once Assad’s staunch »»»

On 23 November 2025, an Israeli F-15 launched GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs at Hezbollah's military commander in Beirut. The strike killed its target, Hezbollah’s military chief, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, but one bomb failed to detonate. Within days, Washington urgently requested that Lebanon return the»»»

Dubai: The Al-Shuqaiq Center beach in Al Darb Governorate, Jazan Region, has experienced a notable increase in weekend visitor numbers, drawing both locals and regional tourists amid the mild winter weather. The Red Sea coastal destination is fast becoming one of the Jazan Region’s principal winter»»»

Dubai: The National Center of Meteorology said Sunday that weather across the UAE is expected to remain fair to partly cloudy, with low clouds forming over the islands and parts of the western region. Light rain may occur in isolated areas as humidity increases overnight and into early Monday, part»»»

Mumbai, India: At least 23 people were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the west Indian state of Goa, chief minister Pramod Sawant and other officials said early Sunday. Several tourists were among the dead in the blaze, which broke out at about midnight at a club in Arpora in North Goa d»»»

A memorial of flowers and American flags is seen outside the Farragut West Metro Station in Washington on Monday, where Adam Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom were ambushed while patrolling the capital. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 6 (UPI) -- West Virginia National Guardsman Adam Wolfe is »»»

Last year, more than 18,000 older people living with dementia left their homes and wandered off in Japan. Almost 500 were later found dead. Police say such cases have doubled since 2012, underscoring a growing strain on the world's oldest society. The crisis is further compounded by a shrinking wor»»»

Hongkongers are voting in an election seen as a test of public sentiment following a deadly fire that angered some in the city. The government has mounted a huge campaign to encourage Hongkongers to choose members of the Legislative Council (LegCo). All of the candidates have been vetted to ensure »»»

"He's officially the top dog, isn't he," former Man City defender Micah Richards asks Alan Shearer. "Well, he's a top dog in 2025 - absolutely, yeah," Shearer replies coyly, before the pair and Gary Lineker erupt into fits of giggles. The three ex-footballers are talking about how Man City's Erling»»»

Manila: As the world races toward net-zero emissions in transportation, a humble catamaran gliding silently along the Pasig River has captured global attention. Dubbed M/B Dalaray, this battery-electric ferry which seats 40 passengers – the Philippines' first homegrown zero-emission vessel – repres»»»

Imprisoned former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will be charged with contempt of court if he ever seeks public office again in New Jersey, a state judge ruled on Friday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., cannot seek public office again i»»»

Two people who organised a marathon in Iran where a number of women athletes competed without wearing veils have been arrested, the Islamic republic's judiciary said Saturday. While women in Iran are required by law to cover their hair in public, the law's enforcement has become more sporadic since»»»

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called Thursday's attacks on civilians in Sudan "shocking" and warned that history is repeating itself following atrocities in El Fasher. Poto by Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Rapid Support Forces militia reportedly killed more than 100 c»»»

KUWAIT -- Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Director General of Civil Aviation of the French Republic in Paris. KUWAIT -- Kuwait's Minister of Social Affairs, Family, and Childhood Affairs Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah affirmed on Fri»»»

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas responded Saturday to a new US National Security Strategy accusing Europe of facing "civilisational erasure" due to its immigration policies by saying that Washington remained the bloc's main ally. The strategy also called for the US to aggressively maintain domi»»»

The US National Park Service (NPS) is removing Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth from its list of fee-free entrance days. The move is part of President Donald Trump's "modernisation" of the park service, which, beginning in 2026, also includes changing the parks' cost structure to favour Ame»»»

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told the Doha Forum Saturday that Israel's continued insistence on a demilitarised zone in the country's south could lead the two nations to a "dangerous place". Israeli troops continue to occupy a UN-patrolled area in the Golan Heights and have repeatedly launched mil»»»

The death toll from cyclone-driven floods and landslides across three Indonesian provinces on Sumatra rose to 908 people on Saturday, with over 400 listed as missing, government data showed. The disaster has also claimed around 200 lives in southern Thailand and Malaysia. Indonesia’s environment mi»»»

Right-wing politician Nigel Farage is set to address supporters in Falkirk on Saturday, aiming to capitalise on Reform UK’s unexpected rise in Scotland ahead of May’s devolved parliament elections. The anti-immigration party, once marginal north of the border, is now polling second behind the SNP, »»»

Italy is set to open the Mediterranean’s first sanctuary for dolphins that have lived in captivity, offering a natural but supervised home for the animals as marine parks across Europe close. Located off Taranto, the San Paolo Dolphin Refuge is expected to receive its first dolphins by mid-2026 and»»»

The United States has told the European Nato allies that it will hand over responsibility for conventional defence capabilities by 2027 and no longer act as the automatic security guarantor, Reuters reports on December 6. The report comes one day after the White House released its latest National S»»»

The United States has told the European Nato allies that it will hand over responsibility for conventional defence capabilities by 2027 and no longer act as the automatic security guarantor, Reuters reports on December 6. The report comes one day after the White House released its latest National S»»»

Is the former head of Zelenskiy’s presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, going to skip the country before formal corruption charges are brought against him? That is the question being asked on the streets of Kyiv over the weekend after reports emerged that Yermak, until recently the second mos»»»

Overzealous air pollution officials in Uzbekistan used excavators to demolish tandoor ovens, upsetting locals, according to a Gazeta.uz report. As disquiet over the disproportionate action mounted, the khokim (mayor) of Shakhrikhan district in the eastern region of Andijan, Khikmatillo Dadakhonov, »»»

Birmingham, United Kingdom: Emiliano Buendia shattered Arsenal's 18-match unbeaten run with the last-gasp strike that sealed Aston Villa's dramatic 2-1 win over the Premier League leaders on Saturday. Mikel Arteta's side fell behind to Matty Cash's first half goal at Villa Park before Leandro Tross»»»