President Donald Trump participates in a Hanukkah reception in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 16, 2025. Later that day, he ordered a naval blockade of Venezuela. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered "a»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court has ordered a young man to pay Dh87,383 to a car rental company after finding that he failed to meet his financial obligations under a long-term vehicle lease agreement. In its ruling, the Court of First Instance also ordered the termination of the lease co»»»

Venezuela has expressed outrage at US President Donald Trump's announcement of a naval oil blockade “with the aim of stealing the riches” that belong to the republic. Any attempts by the US to block oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela constitute a violation of international law, stated Venezu»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan held a discussion of the Bishkek General Plan until 2050. According to the press service, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev held a meeting to discuss the draft City General Plan. He emphasized that the document is a key strategic document»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices are hovering just below their all-time highs, tracking a powerful global rally in bullion. Local buyers face some of the highest rates on record, with further moves hinging on US inflation data and fast-escalating geopolitical tensions. Sign up for our daily business newsle»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said he designated the incumbent Venezuelan government as a foreign terrorist organization and ordered a "complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever ass»»»

Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked a racism firestorm over a viral photo that showed her pulling the corners of her eyes. Sarah Dzafce, who has been dethroned, uploaded the photo with the caption "eating with a Chinese". The slanted-eyes pose is of»»»

President Donald Trump participates in a Hanukkah reception in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 16, 2025. Later that day, he ordered a naval blockade of Venezuela. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered "a»»»

UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will finish 2025 as the pound-for-pound ranking leader, the promotion’s official website says. As a reminder, in November the Kyrgyz fighter defeated China’s Weili Zhang at UFC 322 in New York. The men’s pound-for-pound rankings are topped by Russ»»»

Dubai: Commuters traveling between Dubai and Sharjah are facing severe delays this morning, Wednesday, December 17, with heavy traffic reported on several major roads. Google Maps indicates significant congestion, urging drivers to plan their routes carefully and consider alternatives. Also Read: A»»»

AMMAN — In celebration of an exceptional year marked by milestones across the economic, investment, and sports sectors, CFI Jordan hosted a “flagship” event titled “Pioneers of Success” in Amman.The event brought together key partners, top media figures, and economic experts to highlight the compan»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.The agreement, signed during the Jordan-India Busin»»»

AMMAN — Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Shadi Majali inaugurated the JIFEX 2025 Conference on Tuesday.The opening was attended by Chairman of the Greater Amman Municipality Committee Yousef Shawarbeh, Aqaba Governor Ayman Awaisheh, CEO of Aqaba Development Corporation »»»

Los Angeles prosecutors say Nick Reiner, the son of famed actor-director Rob Reiner, will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder following the deaths of his parents. The case has shocked Hollywood and Democratic political circles, where the couple were widely admired. Los Angeles prosecu»»»

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday added Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders to a full travel ban. The decision to include Syria, a country Trump has moved to rehabilitate internationally, came days after thr»»»

Hybrid work is not about where employees work from anymore; it is about how they thrive in this ecosystem. Since 2020, the way we work and live has been fundamentally reshaped, driven by a confluence of factors. Organisations around the world have had to rethink every aspect of their operations, in»»»

One month after the stunning assassination of the brother of an anti-gangland activist, French president Emmanuel Macron returning to the Mediterranean port for an update on the government’s xx-euro plan to win back the streets and offer hope to fed-up citizens of France’s second largest city. The »»»

French lawmakers on Tuesday adopted the 2026 social security budget, which includes the suspension of President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform, as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu races to finalise a 2026 spending plan by year's end.  France's lower house of parliament, the Nationa»»»

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy's legal woes looked set to continue as prosecutors on Tuesday said they would seek indictments against him, his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and nine others for alleged witness tampering in the Libya campaign funding case. French prosecutors on Tuesday said »»»

Law enforcement released new images on Tuesday of a person of interest in the Brown University shooting. Screen capture courtesy of Providence Police Department/Facebook Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Authorities on Tuesday released images of the person of interest in the Brown University shooting as law enforce»»»

A seminar on the implementation of international nuclear safeguards for representatives of the Kyrgyz Republic was held in Vienna, Austria. The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources reported. According to the ministry, the event was organized at the initiative of the Department of Stat»»»

Canada has officially expanded who can claim citizenship, rolling out a major update to its nationality laws under Bill C-3, which kicked in on December 15, 2025. The new law modernises Canada’s approach to "citizenship by descent", opening a clear pathway for many people previously shut out by old»»»

The first session of the new Zhogorku Kenesh will take place today in Kyrgyzstan. President Sadyr Japarov will attend it. The first session will begin with performing the National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the regulations, the newly elected deputies of the eighth convocation will »»»

1/20A woman reacts during a sack race as she celebrates Eid Al Fitr at a park in Quezon City, Philippines, on March 31.AP2/20Schoolgirls and cadets dance as they attend a rehearsal of a ceremony on the first day at school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv on September 1.AP3/20Visitors, wearing stuffed cost»»»

Heavy rains on Hormuz Island in southern Iran transformed parts of the island’s shoreline — known locally as Red Beach — into a vivid crimson tide, captivating visitors and viewers across social media. Videos and images shared online show rainwater washing rich red mineral soils from the slopes int»»»

Fasten your seatbelts — and maybe your snacks. A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight got an unexpected dose of wildlife when a rat turned up mid-journey, earning its place in aviation folklore as the latest “rat on a plane.” The uninvited guest was spotted aboard a KLM flight travelling from Amsterdam »»»

Dubai: A Dubai court has ordered a group of defendants to jointly pay Dh5 million in compensation, along with legal interest and court costs, after finding that they plotted to divert assets and obstruct the recovery of investors’ funds in a real estate investment dispute dating back to 2008. In it»»»

Dubai: Sharjah has launched a major initiative to enhance cyclist safety in the Al Bataeh area with the construction of vehicle overpasses designed to completely separate cars from the 24-kilometre bicycle track. The move comes under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al »»»

The FBI arrested Louisiana resident Micah James Legnon on Friday as he was driving to New Orleans to allegedly carry out an attack on federal agents there. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A suspect identified as Micah James Legnon has been arrested by agents from the »»»

Dubai: Malayalam actress and survivor Bhavana was the chief guest at the Christmas feast hosted by the Kerala government in Thiruvananthapuram, an event highlighted by Minister V. Sivankutty, who shared photographs of the occasion on social media. The actor’s presence at the official event comes ne»»»

Warner Bros Discovery will urge its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid as soon as Wednesday, according to reports. Paramount has said its offer is "superior" to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses. At the »»»

Dubai: The UAE is expected to see continued rainfall and strong winds through Friday, 19 December, as an active weather system continues to affect large parts of the country, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Rain of varying intensity has fallen since Saturday night, 13 December, thr»»»

Dubai: A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern province of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) reported. The quake occurred at 2:11am UAE time, with a depth of 50 kilometers, according to the NCM. The tremor was not felt in the UAE and had no impact on the countr»»»

Gaurav Gogoi, 43, is the deputy leader of the Congress in Parliament and the Assam state chief of the Congress, who will be taking on Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP Chief Minister of Assam, in a closely contested election early next year. Gogoi is poised, calm and steely, yet makes his points with a »»»

Washington: Senior US national security officials have told lawmakers that terrorist groups with roots in South Asia — particularly Pakistan- and Afghanistan-linked networks — continue to pose a direct and evolving threat to the United States. National Counterterrorism Centre Director Joseph Kent t»»»

Ras Al Khaimah: At the foot of Ras Al Khaimah's mountains, a white pony with black spots grazes quietly, oblivious to the fact that she may be the oldest pony in the UAE, if not among the oldest. Pebbles, who will turn 41 in January, has found a safe haven at Ride to Rescue, a sanctuary that saved »»»

The last pennies ever put into circulation were auctioned off for more than $16 million. File UPI/Kevin Dietsch | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The final pennies minted in the United States were sold for more than $16.76 million in a special auction and set a record as the most valuable modern U.S»»»

Washington: The White House announced Tuesday that US President Donald Trump has significantly expanded America’s travel ban, barring citizens from seven additional countries from entering the United States starting January 1. In a statement, the White House said Trump signed a proclamation aimed a»»»

Investigators searching for the killer who opened fire in a Brown University lecture hall have released new footage of a person they believe may be linked to the attack. Four days after the gunman killed two people and injured nine others officials have still not identified a suspect, leaving the c»»»

President Donald Trump has announced a total blockade of “sanctioned oil tankers” entering and leaving Venezuela, dramatically escalating pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro and intensifying already sharp tensions between Washington and Caracas. Trump announced the move in a Truth Social p»»»

Washington: Indian American-owned businesses are taking advantage of a federal initiative initially designed to help socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, lawmakers have been told. Testifying before a Senate panel, investigative journalist Luke Rosiak said that while the 8(a) pr»»»

Dubai: He sent Dh4,600 through a remittance app. The money left his UAE bank account — and never arrived. At the time, Abhishek had no reason to think anything would go wrong. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.It was late November 2025, and like thousands of UAE resident»»»

Share: Lebanon’s FM Youssef Raji, recently declined an invitation by his Iranian counterpart to visit Tehran . Iran’s absolute support for Hezbollah is the main problem for Lebanon . “as far as iran is concerned Hezbollah in Lebanon means iran in Lebanon“, a top Iranian cleric was quoted as saying »»»

A married couple killed in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach have been lauded for their bravery, after dashcam footage showed them wrestling with a gunman at the start of the attack. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on people thronging the famous Sydney beach for the Jewish festival of Han»»»

The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued wind and blizzard warnings for parts of Washington State amid flash flooding that has claimed at least one life. Image by the National Weather Service Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Officials are warning that conditions could worsen parts of Washington state already»»»

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a naval blockade of "sanctioned oil vessels" leaving and heading to Venezuela, sharply escalating his pressure campaign against Caracas. The United States has for months been building a major military deployment in the Caribbean -- with the stated goal of»»»

Law enforcement said Tuesday they had opened an investigation into the death of a MIT professor found dead from gun shot wounds. File Photo Justin Lane/EPA-EFE Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Law enforcement officials announced Tuesday they had opened a homicide investigation after Massachusetts Institute of Tech»»»

WASHINGTON: A federal judge said Tuesday he's leaning toward denying a preservationist group's request to temporarily halt President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project, saying the organisation failed to show that “irreparable harm” would be caused if the project moves forward. US District »»»

The red, wooden post hammered into the ground near the Malagasy village of Ambohidava heralds a change that will alter life here forever. Visiting on a gentle, sunny Thursday afternoon, the only things disturbing the 500 residents are the crowing of cockerels and the occasional rev of a motorbike e»»»