The Louvre reopened as normal on Friday after the museum’s staff voted against continuing their strike over working conditions. The former royal palace was shut to visitors all day on Monday and then reopened only partially on Wednesday and Thursday. Staff at the Louvre voted against continuing the»»»

A French court on Thursday sentenced a woman repatriated from Syrian camps holding Islamic State group members to 10 years in prison for terrorist conspiracy. Carole Sun, 30, left France for Syria in 2014 and was arrested by Kurdish forces in 2017 as the Islamic State group collapsed. The seco»»»

The justice department plans to release the long-awaited files related to Jeffrey Epstein as required by a new law, but not all documents would be published on Friday, an official says. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said they expect to publish "several hundred thousand pages", and then o»»»

Beijing again lashed out at a planned US arms sales package to Taiwan on Friday, with the Chinese defence ministry threatening to take "forceful measures" over the $11 billion weapons package approved by US State Department and awaiting congressional approval. China's military will s»»»

Australia has announced a major gun buyback program and a national day of remembrance following the anti-Semitic shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 people dead. On Friday, hundreds of surfers and swimmers plunged into the ocean to honour the victims. Australia will mark one week »»»

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said there will be no more wars after Ukraine if Russia is treated with respect - and claims that Moscow is planning to attack European countries are "nonsense". In a marathon televised event lasting almost four and a half hours, he was asked by the BBC's Steve»»»

Despite being a neutral country, Switzerland counts hundreds of thousands of fallout shelters – enough to accommodate its entire population in the event of armed conflict. This culture of civil protection is a legacy of the Cold War. Now the war in Ukraine has revived interest in&nbs»»»

At his annual press conference on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the ball was in Kyiv and its allies' court to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin chief also said he was certain that Moscow would take more cities and towns in eastern Ukraine before the end of the year. »»»

At least three people have been killed and five others injured as a knife-wielding attacker ‍went ‍on a ​rampage in the Taiwanese capital Taipei. The 27-year-old suspect set off smoke bombs at Taipei's main metro station on Friday, before running to another station in a busy shopping district, stab»»»

Ankara ,Dec. 19 (SANA) Turkey welcomed the U.S. decision to repeal the “Caesar Act,” stressing the importance of this step in promoting stability and reconstruction in Syria. “We hope this step will further encourage international cooperation for Syria’s reconstruction and revival, thereby contribu»»»

Tunis, Dec. 19 (TAP) – The General Legislation Committee of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) has concluded its visit programme to The Hague, the Netherlands, as part of an initiative to gain knowledge of the main international...»»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday charged that the quorum for Thursday’s legislative session was secured due to the “collusion” of President Joseph Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, warning against the emergence of a new “troika.” "In some ways, the»»»

A Paris court has rejected an effort by the French government to suspend the website of fast-fashion giant Shein in response to it selling childlike sex dolls on its platform. The court said the request for a three-month suspension was "disproportionate" - but did order age verification for the sal»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that blockade of the Kaliningrad exclave would spark escalation, stressing that all threats would be neutralized. "This implies using the full range of available tools," Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at th»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused European governments of portraying Russia as an enemy to hide their systemic mistakes. What's behind that?"NATO and the EU interpret Russian military modernization and forward deployments as offensive," Marco Marsili, a researcher at Cà Foscari University of»»»

The Winter at Tantora Festival launched yesterday in AlUla Governorate and will run until January 10, 2026, marking the beginning of the winter season with a rich program that celebrates the region’s deep-rooted agricultural and historical heritage. The festival derives its name from the Tantora, a»»»

Authorities on Friday opened an investigation into an unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in northwest Türkiye, just days after the country shot down another drone that entered its airspace from the Black Sea. Residents in Kocaeli province discovered the damaged UAV in a field, prompting an offici»»»

Tunis, Dec. 19 (TAP) - Reports on export potential, untapped opportunities and promising markets for Tunisia were presented at the annual forum of the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) of offices overseas held from December 15 to 19.Participants...»»»

Sharjah Police said heightened field readiness and close coordination with strategic partners helped contain the impact of the recent unstable weather across the UAE, with no serious incidents reported. The police praised public awareness and cooperation, noting that adherence to official safety in»»»

Photo feature by Abdullah Al-Husseini MUSCAT, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- Across mountains' slopes, terraced orchards are a testament to the Omanis' skills of coping with rugged terrain; a beautiful panorama depicting co-existence between the human being and the nature.Omanis have for a long time terraced the»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- The Amiri Diwan, on behalf of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on Friday expressed gratitude to citizens and residents of the country for offering condolences on demise of Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah. (end) rk»»»

CAIRO, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- The Egyptian Foreign and Immigration Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aatty met on Friday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, where they addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, and discussed regional and international issues of common interest.During the meeting, th»»»

Britain ​imposed sanctions on Friday on individuals and organizations it said were linked to violence perpetrated against civilians in Syria, including some who financially supported former president Bashar al-Assad's government. While Britain ‌has eased some ‌sanctions on ‌Syria ⁠as ​the country ‌»»»

Oil prices rose on Friday but were poised for a second straight weekly decline as a potential supply glut and prospects of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal limited gains driven by concerns over disruptions from a blockade of Venezuelan tankers. Brent crude futures were up 52 cents, or 0.87%, at $60.34 a»»»

A judge in the US state of Wisconsin has been found guilty of obstruction for trying to help a Mexican man evade immigration officials during an arrest attempt. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested in April after ushering Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing misdemeano»»»

Doha, Qatar: Lusail Boulevard will conclude the final day of the Arab Cup Cultural Zone with a fireworks display, the city of Lusail announced on social media. The fireworks will be accompanied by other events that begin at 5pm and conclude at midnight.»»»

UAE airport authorities cancelled or delayed dozens of flights and roads were flooded in major cities as the heaviest rainstorm in months lashed the desert nation on Friday. Dubai's Emirates airline axed 13 flights on Friday and there were also delays and cancellations at neighboring Sharjah's airp»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar has welcomed the US decision to lift sanctions imposed on the Syrian Arab Republic as part of the Cesar Act, saying it's a step that supports stability and prosperity in Syria. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed, in a statement, the State of Qatar’s hope that the lif»»»

TUNIS, Dec. 19 (TAP) – Tunisia's exports edged up 1.5% by the end of November 2025 compared with last year, reaching TND 57.9 billion. This return to an upward trend is thanks to the results achieved over the past three months, according to heads of...»»»

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit will likely need a lung transplant as her health has worsened in recent months, the country's royal household has said. The princess, 52, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. The degenerative disease creates scar tissue that stiffens the lungs making it»»»

A French court on Friday rejected the state's request to suspend Shein's site in France as "disproportionate" after the Asian e-commerce giant removed illicit products sold on its platform. French authorities had requested the ultra-fast-fashion giant's site be blocked for three months after weapon»»»

Doha, Dec. 19 (SANA) The State of Qatar welcomed the U.S. decision to lift sanctions imposed on Syria under the “Caesar Act,” describing it as an important step towards supporting stability and prosperity in the country.In a statement posted on its account on X, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said on Friday President Aleksandar Vucic was well familiar with all documents related to Serbia's oil company NIS - which is under US sanctions due to its Russian majority ownership - and that she believed he would make a public address following R»»»

Ukraine can help Poland develop anti-drone technology, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Warsaw on Friday, as he and his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki stressed the countries' unity on security matters. Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest backers since Russia's invasio»»»

Ukraine struck a Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea with ​aerial drones for the first time, an official said on Friday, reflecting the growing intensity of Kyiv's attacks on Russian oil shipping. The vessel was empty when it was struck by drones in neutral waters more than 2»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will announce on Friday a long-awaited banking draft bill, which envisions sharing losses from the 2019 economic crisis between banks and the state, a Lebanese official said. The legislation, which has come to be known as the fiscal gap law, is a key demand from the inter»»»

US President Donald Trump has suspended the green card lottery program after officials said the suspect in the shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had entered the country through that system. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said late on Thursday that,»»»

The EU should be open to reengaging in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as diplomacy regarding the Ukraine conflict is gaining momentum, French President Emmanuel Macron has said. The comments come after the bloc failed to agree on stealing frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Speaking»»»

Syria's foreign ministry on Friday welcomed the permanent ending by the United States of the so-called Caesar sanctions, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation. The U.S. Congress on Wednesday permanently ended the sanctions imposed on Syria under Bashar al-Assad, who »»»

Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, arrived in Gaza Friday for Christmas Mass at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, which hosts the Palestinian territory's only Roman Catholic church. The senior churchman "arrived in Gaza today for a pastoral visit to the Holy Family Pa»»»

Skopje, 18 December 2025 (MIA) – Green Lanes ensure the uninterrupted movement of goods and are key to strengthening the competitiveness of companies and building trust among neighboring countries. It is our shared responsibility to turn good concepts into fully functional systems in practice, Boba»»»

Save Sofia’s programme to renew Sofia’s public transport fleet was already delivering results, the party said on Friday. The comment followed a Skoda post earlier in the day saying it had signed a contract to supply 75 new low-floor trolleybuses for the Bulgarian capital. Save Sofia said the contra»»»

An upgrade of the Il-76 military transport jet, the aircraft features modern Russian digital avionics with a ‘glass cockpit’, upgraded navigation and electronic systems and a strengthened airframe. Designed to transport troops and to conduct airdrops, the Il-76MD-90A can carry the full range of equ»»»

As Christmas celebrations approach across the UAE, shoppers are on the hunt for a traditional centerpiece item: turkey. Once considered a niche product, turkey is now increasingly visible across supermarkets, traditional markets and butcher shops, as families and expats prepare for festive dinners »»»