Damascus, Dec. 26 (SANA) Syria’s Central Bank Governor, Abdelkader Husrieh, announced Thursday that the nationwide exchange of old banknotes for new ones will begin on January 1. The process will be carried out through 66 companies and 1,000 dedicated outlets across the country. Husrieh told the Sy»»»

A total of 17 white storks with permanent disabilities have been transferred from the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre in Stara Zagora (South Cenral Bulgaria) to two rescue centres in Italy, Green Balkans reported. This is the second such transfer of white storks to Italy, after 23 birds were s»»»

Seoul government vows to triple fines for corporate data leaks. Shinhan Card headquarters in Seoul. The company has reported massive data leaks. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Shinhan Card, one of the country's top credit card issuers, reported a massive data leak Tuesday. The Seoul-based »»»

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida at the weekend, as talks continue on ending Russia's full-scale war. Zelensky said he expected the meeting to take place on Sunday and to focus on a US-brokered 20-point peace plan, as well as separate proposals»»»

Berlin, Germany: German Minister for Digital Affairs, Karsten Wildberger has expressed openness to introducing a ban on social media use for children, similar to recent measures adopted in Australia, the German News Agency, DPA, reported on Friday. Wildberger told DPA that restricting children's ac»»»

President Donald Trump (R) escorts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18. Zelensky confirmed he'll have another meeting with Trump in the coming days. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Ukrainian Preside»»»

At least eight people died and 18 wounded in a blast that struck a mosque in an Alawite neighbourhood of the Homs province in Syria on Friday, according to local officials. At least eight people were killed in an explosion ⁠at a mosque of the Alawite minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Frid»»»

Sharjah: A 17-year-old Indian expat student in the UAE has died following a sudden cardiac arrest, her family said on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Aisha Mariam, a Grade 11 student at Sharjah Indian School. According to her family, who hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, Aish»»»

Abu Dhabi: Al Ain City Municipality has launched a new project to collect and analyse data on road conditions using smart technology. The aim is to improve road quality across the city and nearby areas, boost efficiency, and support long-term sustainability. Engineer Rashid Hamad Al Nuaimi, Directo»»»

The warplane is among the most sought-after in Russian combat aviation, having destroyed the highest number of targets during the special military operation. A true powerhouse of the Russian Air Force, this fighter jet combines high speed and supermaneuverability with both guided and unguided weapo»»»

Moscow has made a "proposal" to France concerning the case of researcher Laurent Vinatier, who has been imprisoned in Russia since June 2024, the Kremlin said Thursday. Vinatier was sentenced by a Russian court to three years in prison for allegedly failing to register as a "foreign agent" but»»»

Israeli security forces announced on Thursday the arrest of five Israeli settlers over their alleged involvement in an attack on a Palestinian home that injured a baby girl in the occupied West Bank. The eight-month-old infant suffered "moderate injuries to the face and head" in the late Wednesday »»»

South Korean prosecutors on Friday sought a ten-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of obstruction of justice after his attempt to impose martial law last winter. The suspension of civil rule led to massive protests and weeks of political chaos in South Korea.»»»

Malaysia's High Court on Friday found former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak guilty of all 21 counts of money laundering related to the sprawling corruption scandal involving Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). This conviction is likely to add years to the pri»»»

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty on Friday of all 21 counts of money laundering related to the country's 1MDB graft scandal, which saw billions plundered from the now-defunct sovereign wealth fund. "This court finds the accused guilty of all 21 charges and convicts the a»»»

Geneva: The United Nations said the presidential election race in Guinea had been marked by intimidation, and urged authorities to ensure there was no fear or repression in Sunday's voting. "Ahead of Sunday's presidential election in Guinea, the civic and political space has been severely restricte»»»

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu speaks at U.N. Headquarters on September 19, 2023, in New York City. Nigeria's foreign minister said Tinubu gave the go-ahead on U.S. strikes on ISIS targets in his country. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Nigerian President Bola Tinu»»»

The year 2025 entered Bulgaria’s political history as one marked by the collapse of a regular government under public pressure and by decisive steps toward eurozone membership, according to BTA. After a prolonged cycle of early parliamentary elections, a cabinet led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazk»»»

Dubai’s Event Security Committee (ESC) has confirmed that all security, organisational, and service preparations are in place for New Year’s Eve 2026, ensuring the celebrations uphold Dubai’s reputation for world-class events. The announcement was made at a press conference at Dubai Civil Defence h»»»

Twenty-two years have passed since the deadly attack in the Iraqi city of Karbala that claimed the lives of five Bulgarian servicemen. A truck bomb rammed into Camp India, where the Bulgarian contingent was stationed, killing Georgi Kachorin, Ivan Indjov, Svilen Kirov, Nikolay Saryev and officer ca»»»

Dubai is preparing for one of its busiest New Year’s Eve celebrations yet, with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) unveiling a comprehensive traffic and mobility plan as more than 2.7 million passengers are expected to use public transport — up from around 2.5 million last year. Speaking to Gu»»»

It's been a rollercoaster of a year for U.S. trade policy. President Donald Trump launched a barrage of new tariffs in 2025, plunging the U.S. into trade wars with nearly every country in the world. Volley after volley of threats and steeper import taxes often arrived erratically — with Trump claim»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Unfriendly countries were forced to acknowledge the impossibility of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia and switched to calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. "[Russia's] firm defense of its national interests in relatio»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched a pilot project using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to identify illegal waste dumping across the Emirate. The initiative aims to improve waste management, strengthen environmental monitoring, and redefine oversight thr»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he would soon meet US leader Donald Trump, as part of efforts to end the Russian invasion. "We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level -- with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year»»»

Abu Dhabi: Liwa Village, part of the Liwa International Festival, has added a new attraction with the launch of Go Water Kart, a water-based racing experience making its debut this year. The activity offers visitors a chance to race on water, combining speed and competition in an unusual setting. T»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli media: Two killed, six injured in a stabbing and car-ramming operation in Beit She’an (Beisan) 26-12-2025 13:50 PM Latest News Urge»»»

The Russian ruble surged 44% against the dollar in 2025, becoming the world’s best performing currency, being only beaten by gold (72%) and silver (159%) prices amongst the major traded commodities, The Bell reported on December 24. »»»

A deadly explosion hit a mosque in Syria's Homs on Friday, said authorities who reported at least six people killed. "A terrorist explosion targeted the Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque during Friday prayers in Al-Khadri Street in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs," the interior ministry said in a sta»»»

A man was arrested on Friday after attacking workers at a tyre factory in central Japan, leaving 15 people injured, authorities said. Eight people were stabbed, while seven others were hurt after a chemical believed to be bleach was thrown during the assault. The incident took place at a Yokohama R»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Mosque Attack in Homs Kills Three, Wounds Five in IED Blast 26-12-2025 13:39 PM An explosion inside a mosque in the city of Homs on Friday »»»

Abu Dhabi City Municipality has announced that the popular camping spot Al Wathba Lake will be temporarily closed to visitors for routine maintenance. The municipality said on its social media that the lake will be closed on Monday, December 29, from 12:30 pm to 7:00 pm. It will reopen after 7:00 P»»»

An Israeli reservist soldier rammed his vehicle into a Palestinian man as he prayed on a roadside in ​the occupied West Bank on Thursday, after earlier firing shots in the area, the Israeli military said. "Footage was received of an armed individual running over a Palestinian individual," it said i»»»

President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam agree that the upcoming parliamentary elections -- scheduled for May 2026 -- should be held on time, a media report said. Aoun, Berri and Salam are insisting on timely elections, despite some calls for postponing the polls fo»»»

Fourteen people were injured in a stabbing attack in a factory in central Japan during which an unspecified liquid was also sprayed, an emergency services official said on Friday. "Fourteen people are subject to transportation by emergency services," Tomoharu Sugiyama, a firefighting department off»»»

Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen's internationally-recognized government, conducted air strikes on separatist positions in Hadramawt on Friday, according to local media and the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council. "The Saudi Air Force bombed positions of the Hadrami Elite Forc»»»

An explosion in a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area of Syria's Homs killed five people on Friday, state media reported, citing a preliminary toll. State news agency SANA reported "an explosion inside the Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood, the nature of which is be»»»

Dubai Police Headquarters has revealed the official location maps for the city’s New Year’s Eve 2026 fireworks, highlighting 48 displays across 40 venues across the emirate. The events will be held under the supervision of the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), in coordination with relevan»»»

BELGRADE - Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Friday a solution that would, above all, be in the spirit of the friendly relations between Russia and Serbia was being sought for Serbia's oil company NIS. NIS is under US sanctions due to its Russian majority ownership.»»»

Three people were ​killed and five injured when an explosion struck a mosque ‌the ⁠Syrian ​province ‌of Homs on Friday, a local official said. Syrian state media said ⁠security forces had ‌imposed a ‍cordon around ‍the area ‍and were investigating. Local officials told Reuters it ​may have been cau»»»

A major Gaza hospital has suspended several services because of a critical fuel shortage in the devastated Palestinian territory, which continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis, it said. Devastated by more than two years of war, the Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza district of Nuseirat ca»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe SANA: Initial reports indicate that 3 people were killed and 5 were injured in an explosion at a mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood o»»»

Lagos: Nigeria said Friday it provided the United States with intelligence on jihadists before the Christmas Day strikes by US forces against what President Donald Trump said were Islamic State militants in the northwest of the country. The US strikes come after Abuja and Washington were locked in »»»

Damascus, Dec. 26 (SANA) A Syrian Foreign Ministry official source said Friday that repeated statements by SDF about Syria’s unity contradict the situation in the country’s northeast, where administrative, security, and military institutions operate separately out of the state, reinforcing division»»»

This year saw truly historic meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and global leaders. Among them, the Russian head of state shook hands with US President Donald Trump, China's President Xi Jinping, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iran's President»»»

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who was serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent successful hernia surgery in Brasília after being temporarily released from jail. Doctors said he was expected to remain hospitalised for several days. Former Brazilian president Ja»»»

Tokyo: Fourteen people were injured in a stabbing attack in a factory in central Japan during which an unspecified liquid was also sprayed, an emergency services official said on Friday. "Fourteen people are subject to transportation by emergency services," Tomoharu Sugiyama, a firefighting departm»»»

The Special Forces for the Security of the Grand Mosque responded on Thursday after a man jumped from the upper levels of the mosque, authorities confirmed, according to Saudi Gazette. A security officer was injured while trying to prevent the man from falling, the force said. Both the man and the »»»

Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, has established its Levant headquarters in Amman, Jordan, coming closer to partners in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine. This follows the recent inauguration of its offices in Bahrain and Pakistan, said a statement. By est»»»

Turkish authorities said Friday that they have apprehended a suspected member of the extremist ISIS group who was planning attacks on New Year's celebrations. State-run Anadolu Agency reported that Ibrahim Burtakucin was captured in a joint operation carried out by police and the National Intellige»»»