An autotransformer for Kurpsai Hydropower Plant will be delivered from China earlier than originally scheduled, the press service of Electric Stations OJSC reported. According to the company, a delegation from the OJSC visited the production facilities of Shaanxi Hanzhong Transformer Co., Ltd. (Sha»»»

A raccoon that broke into a Virginia store and joyfully drank its way through the liquor aisle is now suspected of a wider crime spree, officials say. A Hanover animal control officer suspects the stripe-tailed mammal also broke into a nearby karate studio and then raided the Department of Motor Ve»»»

The US ambassador to the UN has accused Rwanda of leading Africa's Great Lakes region toward war, just over a week after a peace deal was signed in Washington to end the decades-long conflict. US President Donald Trump Trump hailed the deal between DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's»»»

Dubai: US President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Nvidia to sell its H200 artificial-intelligence chips to “approved customers” in China is rippling across global tech and geopolitical circles. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.On the surface, the move appears to reop»»»

"Every moment of that abortion was a surprise to me," says Annie Ernaux. The French Nobel literature laureate is talking about an illegal abortion that nearly ended her life in 1963. She was a 23-year-old student with ambitions to become a writer. But as the first in a family of labourers and shopk»»»

Warehouses supplying the vast majority of Ukraine's pharmacies have been destroyed in a series of Russian attacks over recent months. Medical supplies worth about $200m (£145m) were destroyed in just two strikes in December and October. A large warehouse storing medicines in the city of Dnipro was »»»

CAIRO, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE affirmed on Friday the indispensable role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in safeguarding the rights and well-being of Pale»»»

A new Bollywood spy film is generating praise - and unease - in India and Pakistan for its contentious portrayal of the longstanding hostilities between the South Asian neighbours. Dhurandhar, which hit cinemas last week, plunges audiences into a high-octane world of espionage, gang wars and patrio»»»

A billionaire investor keen on buying TikTok's US operations has told the BBC he has been left in limbo as the latest deadline for the app's sale looms. The US has repeatedly delayed the date by which the platform's Chinese owner, Bytedance, must sell or be blocked for American users. US President »»»

A large fire broke out on a Turkish car ferry anchored at the Ukrainian port city of Odesa after it was hit in a strike on Friday. The company that operates the Cenk T confirmed the attack occurred at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) shortly after it docked at the Chornomorsk port. Ukraine's President »»»

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (KUNA) -- The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on six shipping companies operating in Venezuela's oil sector, three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's wife; and a Maduro-affiliated businessman from Panama.In»»»

US President Donald Trump has said the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia will halt fighting "effective this evening". Trump made the announcement after telephone conversations with the two leaders following deadly border clashes in recent days which have left at least 20 people dead and half»»»

For more than a century, the United States has attempted to shape political outcomes across Latin America, whether that be backing coups, toppling governments, or supporting authoritarian figures aligned with its strategic interests. Few of these efforts produced the stability sought in Washington.»»»

For more than a century, the United States has attempted to shape political outcomes across Latin America, whether that be backing coups, toppling governments, or supporting authoritarian figures aligned with its strategic interests. Few of these efforts produced the stability sought in Washington.»»»

Former pro-basketball player Jason Collins, the first openly-homosexual male athlete in a major American professional sport, has announced that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Collins was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, he wrote in an article for sport broadca»»»

Tunis, Dec. 12 (TAP) - CEO of Visteon, Sachin Lawande, said that the company’s new technical center, inaugurated on Friday in the Lac area, will serve as a strategic engineering hub to strengthen the presence of the company, which specialises in...»»»

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting along their disputed border, which has killed at least 20 people this week. The latest fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stems from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demar»»»

Iran "violently" arrested Nobel Peace Prize 2023 laureate Narges Mohammadi at a memorial ceremony on Friday, her supporters said. Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists.  Iranian security forces on Friday "v»»»

The Bugatti Residences in Business Bay has set a new record, with a penthouse selling for Dh550 million — the highest price ever achieved for such a property in both Dubai and the Middle East, signalling significant shifts within the city’s premium real estate sector. Executed under the direction o»»»

Palestinian sources dismissed Israeli claims circulating over the past two days that the Islamic Jihad movement is refusing to cooperate with Hamas by handing over what Israel says is the last body of an Israeli hostage in Gaza, a step Israel has linked to moving into the second phase of the ceasef»»»

Benin's opposition figure and former defence minister Candide Azannai was arrested on Friday in Cotonou, according to a police source. It has yet to be confirmed whether his detention is linked to Sunday's foiled coup attempt.  Benin's former defence minister and prominent opposition figure, C»»»

Taylor Swift broke down in tears after meeting survivors and families of the victims of the Southport stabbing attack, backstage footage from her Eras tour reveals. The star met privately with some of those affected by the attack in July 2024, which took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance worksho»»»

Australia this week implemented a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, and France could soon introduce a similar measure. French lawmakers will in January debate a bill whose aim is to protect children’s mental health. Australia on Wednesday became the first country to introduce a social »»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks to the media during a news conference in Jerusalem on Sunday. The German Foreign Ministry accused Russia's military intelligence of a disinformation campaign targeting Merz during February's general elections Pool Photo by Ariel Schalit/UPI | License Photo De»»»

A nonprofit organisation tasked by the US Congress with helping preserve historic sites has sued the White House to stop construction on President Donald Trump's new ballroom. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the suit on Friday, arguing that the White House failed to seek necessar»»»

A cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's Portovaya plant was delivered to the Beihai terminal in China on December 8. This marks the first delivery since the facility was placed under US sanctions in January 2025. The development highlights deepening China-Russia energy ties as Moscow s»»»

The European Parliament is set to adopt its negotiating mandate on Mercosur, after which talks on the final shape of a trade deal can begin. The accord with Latin American countries would create a free trade area of more than 700 million people, at a time when the EU is locked in trade conflicts wi»»»

Gaza: A wave of severe weather and extreme cold that has been hitting the Gaza Strip since yesterday has caused the deaths of 13 Palestinians in less than 24 hours, in addition to a series of widespread collapses in several areas. Civil defense teams are continuing search and rescue operations unde»»»

The Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction signed two Memoranda of Understanding yesterday with two leading international companies in the water and infrastructure sector, as part of the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen vital infrastructure in Libya. The signing ceremony was presided over by the Mi»»»

Austria’s OMV prepares to lift force majeure and resume its exploration commitments in Libya The National Oil Corporation’s (NOC) Exploration Department discussed last Wednesday (10 December) OMV’s 2025 exploration activities, including post-drill evaluation of discovery B1-106/4 and drilling resul»»»

Ukraine could join the European Union as early as January 2027 under the latest US plan to end the war with Russia, a senior source familiar with the matter told AFP on Friday. The complicated EU accession process usually takes years and requires a unanimous vote from all 27 members of the bloc, an»»»

On the front line of the migration surge, Ceuta – the Spanish exclave in North Africa – continues to see thousands of people arrive each year. With the land border so heavily guarded to be virtually sealed, many of the youngest attempt the crossing by sea, venturing into the dangerous cur»»»

Germany said Friday it had summoned Moscow’s ambassador after it accused Russian-linked groups of hacking its air traffic control system and attempting to influence the 2024 general election. Dubbing such operations, including drone flights near European airports, as “hybrid attacks”»»»

Gaza's civil defense agency on Friday said at least 13 people had died in the last 24 hours, including three children who died from exposure to the cold, as a winter storm batters the territory. Heavy rain from Storm Byron has flooded tents and temporary shelters across the Gaza Strip since late We»»»

A Lululemon store pictured Dec. 2019 in Lynnfield, Mass. On Friday, the Canada-based company's sock value spiked more than 9% in premarket trading following its announcement CEO Calvin McDonald will step down next month. Photo Provided by CJ Gunther/EPA Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Shares of Lululemon stock su»»»

Volodymyr Zelensky is deliberately setting conditions Russia can't accept to portray it as blocking peace talks, Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation, tells Sputnik. The head of the Kiev regime is also seeking a much-needed»»»

Israel and Costa Rica have signed a free trade agreement, but it must be ratified by Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly in the face of opposition by pro-Palestinian groups. File Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Costa Rica and Israel finalized a free trade agreement this week that eliminates»»»

The ambient air on planes and in hospitals mostly contains harmless microbes typically associated with human skin, researchers reported. File Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA Germophobes can breathe a little easier when visiting a hospital or taking an airplane trip, a new study says. The ambient air o»»»

“It’s perfectly normal for this colonial Ukrainian administration to turn to its masters in Washington, London or Brussels,” Ukrainian politics expert Alexander Dudchak told Sputnik after Volodymyr Zelensky asked the US to help secure the country in a future election. “Everyone understands that Tru»»»

Kilmar Abrego Garcia delivers remarks during a rally before his check-in at the ICE Baltimore Field Office on August 25. A federal judge said Friday that he can't be re-arrested at a similar check-in Friday. File Photo by Shawn Thew/EPA Dec. 12 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Maryland ruled Friday that»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump is still convinced of the actions being taken by President Joseph Aoun and of what the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has achieved and intends to achieve, according to “exclusive information” obtained by the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. Trump has informed U.S. env»»»

Memo to the unelected Eurobozos of the European Union’s executive branch 'responsible' for setting policy: just because you keep calling a pile of cash you’re hell-bent on handing over to Ukraine a “loan” doesn’t mean it actually is. No one in their right mind would lend you money right now. Which »»»

PoliticsAfricaTrump's new security strategy: A chance for Africa?Martina SchwikowskiUS President Donald Trump's new foreign policy focuses less on aid and more on trade with African countries, specifically on raw materials. Could this be a wake-up call for Africa to become more economically indepen»»»

Ukraine is running out of cash to keep its military and its economy going, after almost four years of Russia's full-scale war. For Europe, the solution to plugging Kyiv's budget hole of €135.7bn (£119bn; $159bn) for the next two years lies in frozen Russian assets sitting in Belgian bank Euroclear »»»

Samat Isabekov has been appointed Director of the Customs Infrastructure Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The organization’s official website says. He assumed his duties on December 10, 2025. Samat Isabekov was born in 1972. He graduated from the Kyrgyz National University with»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that there are “countries that wanna come in and take care of Hezbollah in Lebanon.” “And I say that right now you don’t have to do that -- you may have to do that. We have countries that are volunteering to literally come in and take care of the whole thing. We»»»

London: Britain's King Charles III, who has broken royal taboos to speak openly about battling cancer, will appear Friday in a "personal message" filmed for a TV campaign raising funds for research into the devastating disease. Charles, 77, announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with»»»

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways carried 2.1 million passengers in November 2025, marking a 28 per cent increase compared with the same month last year and setting a new monthly record for the airline this year. The national carrier sustained strong operational performance, with a passenger load factor of»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) said he and his foreign policy team held a "a constructive and in-depth discussion" on security guarantees with senior U.S. officials on Thursday, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff»»»

US President Donald Trump said he has pardoned former Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters, who is serving a nine-year sentence for allowing unauthorised access to voting machines during the 2020 presidential election. Peters was convicted last year on seven state charges, including three counts of»»»