Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has shared a video of lightning striking the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, as heavy rain hit parts»»»

Radostin Vassilev, leader of the parliamentary group “Morality, Unity, Honor” (MECH), argued during consultations with President Rumen Radev that the government resigned not due to parliamentary opposition, but because of widespread public protests. Speaking in Brussels, he said the cabinet led by »»»

The air quality in India's capital Delhi and adjoining regions continues to be hazardous for several days now, even as a layer of haze engulfs the city. On Thursday morning, the city's overall air quality index - which measures PM2.5, fine particulate matters that can clog lungs, and other pollutan»»»

Dubai: Tecom Group rolled out Phase 4 of its Innovation Hub in Dubai Internet City, a Dh615 million project adding 263,000 square feet of Grade-A office space to meet surging demand from global tech giants. The move lifts total hub investment to Dh2 billion and cements the district's role as the Mi»»»

Dubai: The sons of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan have revealed plans to visit Pakistan in January, as they expressed deep concern over the conditions in which their father is being held. Kasim and Suleiman Khan, speaking to Sky News’ Yalda Hakim from London, described the ex-pre»»»

Revising the Election Code to strengthen the role of machine voting has become a major issue during the ongoing consultations with the parliamentary forces that President Rumen Radev is holding ahead of asking them to form a government following the resignation of the Rosen Zhelyazkov cabinet on De»»»

There Is Such a People Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov said Thursday that his parliamentary group will submit a proposal to Parliament to remove the amendments to the National Service for Protection Act that transferred National Service for Protection vehicles to the President's Administration. On Nov»»»

After consultations with President Rumen Radev here on Thursday, ahead of the procedure to hand out mandates for forming a new government, Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) Floor Leader Hayri Sadakov told reporters that holding fair elections that guarantee everyone the opportunity to cast the»»»

Bulgaria has indicated that it will back the use of frozen Russian assets to fund a loan for Ukraine, provided that such a measure is agreed upon by other European Union (EU) countries. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov made the stance clear during remarks to journalists in Brussels on Wednesday. The»»»

Cambodia said Thailand's military on Thursday bombed the casino town of Poipet, a major crossing between the two nations, as foreign powers pressured them to halt reignited border clashes. Thai forces "dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet Municipality, Banteay Meanchey Province" at around 11:00 »»»

Washington: President Donald Trump promised Americans an economic boom in an address to the nation on Wednesday, while blaming Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for high prices that have hit the Republican’s popularity. “Good evening America. Eleven months ago I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,”»»»

With the background of global prices of a barrel of oil (Brent Crude) falling to US$ 55, negatively affecting the Libyan state’s main revenue, the Libyan dinar on the black-market at one stage yesterday falling to LD 8.40 per US$ putting further pressure on rising commodity prices, and the continui»»»

A tornado-like water spout was spotted off Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday afternoon after heavy rain battered parts of the emirate. A video shared online shows the weather phenomenon developing far into the sea, stretching into the clouds overhead. Also Read: UAE weather update: Hail and thunderstorms »»»

Washington: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Wednesday that he will resign from the bureau next month, ending a brief and tumultuous tenure in which he clashed with the Justice Department over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and was forced to reconcile the realities of his law enforce»»»

Sydney: Australia’s prime minister vowed to stamp out extremism Thursday as the nation mourned the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach shooting, a 10-year-old girl remembered as “our little ray of sunshine”. Father-and-son gunmen are accused of firing into crowds at a beachside Jewish festival on Su»»»

SportsIndiaMessi's India tour and rise of the solo athlete sports brandJonathan HardingIn 2025, many global sports stars went on promotional tours purely to support their individual brands. Lionel Messi's tour of India is a reminder of how sport is changing. https://p.dw.com/p/55M8oLionel Messi is »»»

A parliamentary session convened Friday with the attendance of 67 MPs -- barely meeting the required quorum --, despite a boycott by the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb MPs in protest against Speaker Nabih Berri's refusal to amend the electoral law regarding expatriate voting rights. The session will di»»»

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol appears at a military court in central Seoul on Thursday. (Photo by Yonhap) Ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday apologized to key military commanders who are standing trial for their involvement in his failed martial law bid, defending their action as th»»»

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo (L) poses with Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu during their strategic dialogue in Beijing on Thursday. South Korea called for China to play a role in resuming dialogue with North Korea. Photo courtesy of South Korea Foreign Ministry South »»»

MRF - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski said Thursday that he will submit a request to the parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order to assess whether he needs security protection. "If it is not necessary, I will accept the Committee's decision, as I have done in the pas»»»

For the first time ever, customs officers seized live corals in a failed smuggling attempt via the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian - Turkish border, the Customs Agency in Svilengrad announced Thursday. The corals were discovered in the cargo compartment of a bus traveling on a route fr»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia consistently advocates for normalizing dialogue between the United States and Venezuela and steps to deescalate the situation in the Caribbean region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. "We consistently advocate for normalizing dialogue between Washington and C»»»

UN/MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by phone to warn of the escalation of threats against Venezuela and their dangerous consequences for regional peace, the Venezuelan government said. "Nicolas Maduro Moros spoke by phone t»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Government has issued a Federal Decree-Law establishing and regulating the National Media Authority, aimed at developing the national media ecosystem, enhancing its integration with evolving media trends, and strengthening the country’s media presence regionally and international»»»

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged all parties in Yemen to exercise maximum restraint after an advance by southern separatists that risks rekindling a 10-year-old civil war after a long lull. He also said the operating environment had become untenable in the areas »»»

Over 1,000 civilians were killed when a Sudanese paramilitary group took over a displacement camp in Sudan's Darfur region in April, including about a third who were summarily executed, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office on Thursday. "Such deliberate killing of civilians or persons»»»

The Academy Awards will be shown only on YouTube from 2029, in a radical gambit for a movie industry that remains wary of streaming platforms even as viewing habits shift online. The US broadcaster ABC's contract to broadcast the Oscars is set to end in 2028, with the 100th Academy Awards. The new »»»

US President Donald Trump gave an address at the White House on Wednesday, attempting to cast his first year back in office as a success, deflecting concerns about the cost of living and offering few new policy details as he looked ahead to the 2026 midterm elections. US President Donald Trump used»»»

Around 67% of Belgians oppose the EU scheme to use frozen Russian central bank assets to back a ‘reparations loan’ to prop up Ukraine, according to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos and Belgian news outlets published on Monday. The bulk of sovereign Russian assets frozen in the West are held in the »»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday evening the official approval of a major natural gas agreement with Egypt. During a press conference, Netanyahu stated: ‘We are actively extracting gas from our territorial waters, and our economy remains one of the strongest in the w»»»

Quito, Ecuador: Ecuadoran footballer Mario Pineida was shot and killed in the port city of Guayaquil on Wednesday, his team said. Guayaquil has become a hotspot for gang violence linked to drug trafficking and several football players in Ecuador have been targeted in recent months. Pineida, 33, was»»»

U.S. Army HIMARS were included in the $11.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The United States has approved a massive $11.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan, the self-government Asian island announced Thursday. The U.S. Congress was informed »»»

During consultations with the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) here on Thursday, ahead of the procedure to hand out mandates for forming a new government, President Rumen Radev said that the legislature should aim to open up the Election Code, as this is their duty. He added that the necessar»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ghislaine Maxwell, an accomplice of infamous financier Jeffrey Epstein, has filed a petition in a US District Court to overturn or reconsider her conviction, according to a court document seen by Sputnik. "Petitioner Ghislaine Maxwell, proceeding pro se, respectfully moves this C»»»

The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has declared January 1, 2026, as an official public holiday for all Dubai government departments on the occasion of New Year’s Day 2026. Official work will resume on January 2, 2026, which will be designated as a remote working day for employee»»»

Tonight, Sofia is set to witness two simultaneous protests in the city center, both aimed at voicing public dissatisfaction with the government. The demonstrations, officially registered with the Sofia Municipality and coordinated through social media, are expected to merge into a larger collective»»»

Dubai: Days after Malayalam actor Dileep’s acquittal in the Kerala actor assault case, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has ruled to return his passport. The decision allows the actor to travel freely and attend promotional events for his new film, Bha Bha Ba, which releases in UAE cinemas to»»»

Israeli strikes targeted Thursday heights in Jouroud al-Hermel in eastern Lebanon and several other regions in the south. In the east, the strikes targeted Zaghrine. In the south, the Israeli military struck Iqlim al-Tuffah, al-Jabbour and al-Rihan heights, and Zawtar near the Litani river. Despite»»»

Waha Oil Company announced yesterday the successful launch of three new oil wells as part of the Waha Field Development Programme. The company said this is a new step that reflects the accelerated pace of development and will support increased daily crude oil production and enhance the efficiency o»»»

A former anaesthetist has been jailed for life for intentionally poisoning 30 patients, including 12 who died. A court in the city of Besançon in eastern France found Frédéric Péchier guilty of contaminating infusion bags with substances that caused cardiac arrest or hemorrhaging. Péchier was first»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kirill Dmitriev, Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, is expected to visit Miami this weekend for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the Axios news portal reported on Thurs»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union is part of the problem for reaching a peace agreement on Ukraine, member of the European Parliament from Belgium Rudi Kennes told Sputnik. Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc opposes any changes to Ukraine's borders»»»

Since December 11, five raids have been conducted in Pervomaisky district of Bishkek to prevent juvenile delinquency, child neglect, and identify children involved in labor and begging. According to the press service of the City Hall, the raids were organized in two stages — during the day and at n»»»

China opposed what it said was "unilateral bullying" after Washington ordered a blockade of sanctioned tankers entering and leaving oil-rich Venezuela, but did not say exactly how it would come to the South American country's aid or offer any refuge for its embattled leader. Earlier this week, US P»»»

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged all parties in Yemen to exercise maximum restraint after an advance by southern separatists that risks rekindling a 10-year-old civil war after a long lull. He also said the operating environment had become untenable in the areas »»»

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday amid sharp divisions over a proposal to use frozen Russian state assets to finance Ukraine – a plan Moscow has denounced as outright theft and warned would trigger legal retaliation. EU members have long debated tapping Russian central bank funds estim»»»

European Union leaders will not leave today's summit in Brussels without an agreement to finance Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. Earlier that day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said no decision on frozen Russian assets would be "big proble»»»

Dubai: India’s biggest carrier, IndiGo, on Thursday issued a travel advisory for passengers flying from UAE airports, cautioning that heavy rainfall and thunderstorms forecast across the region may cause intermittent disruptions to flight operations throughout the day. Sign up for our daily busines»»»

Mellitah Oil & Gas Company reported yesterday that it had successfully brought well B3-26 in the Bouri offshore field back into production on the same day at a rate of 2,000 barrels of oil per day. The company said this was achieved after replacing the well’s submersible control unit, located 165 m»»»

During consultations with the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) here on Thursday, ahead of the procedure to hand out mandates for forming a new government, President Rumen Radev said that the legislature should aim to open up the Electoral Code, as this is their duty. He added that the necessa»»»