Dhaka: Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Saturday for the funeral of a student leader, after two days of violent protests over his killing. Huge crowds accompanied the funeral procession of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in last year's pro-democracy uprisin»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Mobility, the emirate’s integrated transport authority, has announced a partial closure of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) near Al Mirfa in the Al Dhafra region. The closure is scheduled from Sunday, 21 December 2025, to Saturday, 10 January 2026, affecting tw»»»

Alphabet's Google has advised some employees on US visas to avoid international travel due to delays at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing an internal email. The email, sent by the company's outside counsel BAL Immigration Law on Thursday, warned staff who need a visa ⁠stamp to »»»

In an interview for the Bulgarian National Television from Friday night, GERB-UDF MP and Chair of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance, Delyan Dobrev, said that the ambition to simultaneously achieve a significant increase in revenues and implement a large investment programme that exc»»»

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled a new 8-kilometre alternative road providing direct access to the tourist camps in the Al Awir area. The initiative aims to ensure smooth and convenient travel for visitors while meeting the needs of local residents, the RTA said in a social »»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait expressed his pride and appreciation on Saturday for the journey led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with wisdom in preserving the nation's sovereignty and stability and strengthening its nation»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar will witness the winter solstice for 2025 tomorrow, December 21, marking the end of autumn and the beginning of winter astronomically in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. The Qatar Meteorology Department stated that this phenomenon occurs every year due to the 23.5° tilt of t»»»

Russian officials are set to arrive in Florida on Saturday to meet with US negotiators for the latest round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as talks between US, Ukrainian and European negotiators on Friday ended with all sides saying progress had been made on agreeing»»»

Democrats on Friday voiced frustration that the long-awaited release of the Epstein files included many heavily redacted pages, claming it fell far short of what was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The latest release includes photos of noted public figures in Epstein's social c»»»

Greece’s top administrative court and the Cyclades Antiquities Authority have halted further construction near the Apokofto Lighthouse on the island of Sifnos, suspending work on four adjacent properties above Chrisopigi beach. The Council of State accepted appeals by residents and ordered a freeze»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev wrote on Facebook on Saturday that the capital is ready for the adoption of the euro, with no price hikes and even lower public transport fares. He recalled that Sofia Municipality has adopted a package of amendments to municipal ordinances in connection with the introduc»»»

Dubai is once again relishing clear blue skies after heavy rainfalls, with the Government of Dubai Media Office sharing stunning images and video of the city’s skyline, popular attractions, and residents enjoying the refreshed, pleasant weather. Also Read: UAE winter alert: Temperatures dip to 3.5°»»»

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to further jail terms following a fraud case involving state gifts. They were convicted of breaking Pakistan's rules on gifts after Bibi was given a luxury jewellery set by Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman duri»»»

CAIRO, Dec 20 (MENA) – Egypt continued in 2025 to strengthen its regional and international leadership in environmental protection and sustainable development by implementing integrated strategies focused on the transition to a green economy, improved waste management, biodiversity conservation and»»»

The US military has carried out a wave of air strikes against dozens of Islamic State group targets across central Syria, US officials said, in retaliation for a deadly attack on American personnel. The strikes follow President Donald Trump’s pledge to respond after two US soldiers and a civilian i»»»

Washington, Dec.20 (SANA) The U.S. Department of War (Pentagon) announced that U.S. forces carried out strikes at dawn Saturday targeting dozens of ISIS terrorist sites in Syria, in response to its terrorist attack that targeted joint Syrian-American forces near Palmyra last Saturday. Ministry of F»»»

Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totalling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo vies for influence in the resource-rich region. The announcement came after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted an inaugural summit with the leaders of five Central Asia nations -- Kaza»»»

Russian missile strikes on port infrastructure in Odesa, southern Ukraine, killed eight people and left 27 wounded, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Saturday morning. The strikes came as Russian envoys are set to travel to Miami to hold talks with US negotiators aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. »»»

Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk, has urged caution against speculation and political interpretations regarding her son’s detention, stressing that any assessments should rely solely on official court decisions, BGNES reported. On December 18, the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv o»»»

Abu Dhabi: Operation Gallant Knight 3 has confirmed the continuation of its extensive humanitarian efforts to support residents of the Gaza Strip, providing urgent aid to displaced communities amid extremely challenging conditions. In a post on X, the operation shared the results of Week 110 of its»»»

Mumbai, India: Indian selectors dropped Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill on Saturday from the T20 squad for the World Cup in February after a prolonged form slump. Gill, 26, has scored only 291 runs in his last 15 matches in the game's shortest format at an average of 24.25. However, battery Surya»»»

A suspect involved in the distribution of synthetic drugs has been detained in Bishkek, the press service of the Main Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek reported. According to the department, on December 18 the State Service on Drug Control received information that synthetic drugs were being s»»»

New details have emerged from the five-hour meeting of the Mandates Council. According to locan media, the head of SPAK, Klodian Braho, informed members that the USB submitted as evidence in the case involving Belinda Balluku contains approximately 16,000 pages of materials. Sources also report tha»»»

The Council on Rules, Mandates and Immunity held a lengthy meeting late on Friday, marked by extensive debate over the request concerning the parliamentary immunity of MP Belinda Balluku. After hours of discussion, the Council decided not to reach a conclusion yet, requesting additional time to rev»»»

In a post published in his Facebook account on Friday night, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov commented on the reported firing of journalists Maria Tsantsarova and Zlatimir Yochev from bTV. The MP expressed disagreement with the statement that »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Support for Kiev under the EU loan of 90 billion euros will cost participating European countries around 3 billion euros (over $3.5 billion) per year, media reported, citing a high-ranking official in Brussels. The EU loan to Kiev will cost participating EU countries around 3 bil»»»

NEW YORK (Sputnik), Lenka White - A tunnel between Russia and the United States is not only technologically feasible, but it can also help improve economic, security, and people-to-people ties between the two countries, George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the first Trump presidential c»»»

In Russia, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan who beat a disabled child has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. According to the press service of the Moscow Region Courts of General Jurisdiction, the Voskresensky District Court handed down the verdict, sending the man to a correctional colony for beating a»»»

Mexico City: A pilot refused to take off and barricaded himself in the cockpit of a plane in Mexico City on Friday, staging what he said was a protest over unpaid wages, local media reported. “This plane isn't leaving until they pay us what they owe us,” the pilot told dozens of passengers onboard »»»

NEW YORK (Sputnik) Lenka White - The meeting between Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and US Rep. Anna Paulina Luna marks "tremendous" progress toward resuming negotiations and business between Russia and the US, George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the first Trump presidential cam»»»

DONETSK (Sputnik) - Under the worst-case scenario, shelling of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant by the Ukrainian armed forces could lead to consequences comparable to the Chernobyl and Fukushima tragedies, power plant Director Yury Chernichuk told Sputnik. Yevgeniya Yashina, communications direct»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff have presented a draft reconstruction plan for Gaza to potential investors, The Wall Street Journal reported. The blueprint of the futuristic resort called "Project Sunrise," drafted by Kush»»»

Sharjah City Municipality announced the reopening of public parks on Saturday following temporary closures due to unstable weather. The municipality used social media to invite residents to safely enjoy the winter season. Also Read: UAE winter alert: Temperatures dip to 3.5°C after rain—what’s ahea»»»

Acting Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan Kanybek Dosmambetov visited the Interregional Combined Clinical Hospital in Osh, where he reviewed the hospital’s medical activities and the current state of its infrastructure. Hospital Director Atabek Zhumaliev briefed the acting minister on ongoing major r»»»

Eight people were killed and 27 wounded in a Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa, southern Ukraine, late on Friday, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Saturday morning. Some of the wounded were on a bus at the epicenter of the overnight strike, the service said in a Telegram post. »»»

A Bulgarian man from Chicago, Nenko Ganchev, 56, has died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, a private prison contracted by ICE, raising urgent calls for a full investigation, ABC7 Chicago and Bulgaria»»»

Bulgaria has opted not to join the newly established International Claims Commission for Ukraine, an initiative created under the Council of Europe to evaluate and determine compensation for destruction, loss, and injuries caused by Russian aggression, Dnevnik reported. Alongside Bulgaria, Hungary,»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov took part in the ceremony announcing bilateral documents as part of Central Asia + Japan Business Forum. The press service of the President reported. According to the press service, approximately 300 business representatives from Central Asian countries and Jap»»»

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh has accused Libya’s stakeholders of stalling political progress on the UN-backed roadmap intended to lead the country toward national election. “Four months have elapsed si»»»

In unusually blunt language, and following a visit by Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to Cairo, the Egyptian presidency issued a statement on the war in Sudan outlining three points it described as red lines. It said Egypt would not allow any of them to be»»»

The Supreme Administrative Court in Bulgaria has struck down part of the government decree that introduced the so-called weekend vignette, citing an error in the conversion of its price into euros. The ruling affects only the provision that set the vignette’s price at €5.12. In its decision, the co»»»

After weeks of tension, public protests and shifting budget drafts, the immediate budget crisis has been resolved. For the fourth time since the pandemic, the country will begin the year operating under an extended budget framework. Given the initial proposals and the developments that followed, th»»»

A Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 17 years in prison for corruption during his time in office, Dawn reported, marking another major legal setback for Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. Special Judge Shahrukh Arjumand of an anti-graft court handed Khan the ma»»»

Tunis, Dec. 20 (TAP)- The weather on Saturday is sometimes densely cloudy in most regions with scattered showers in the midland and the north.The wind is blowing west relatively strong near eastern coasts, light to moderate elsewhere, the National...»»»

The coast guard in Crete conducted two separate migrant rescue operations during the night, rescuing 62 people from the sea. The first operation took place 45 nautical miles southeast of Kali Limenes, where a patrol vessel located a dinghy carrying 27 migrants. Among those identified were women and»»»

Dubai: A Dubai civil court has ordered five men to jointly repay Dh600,000 stolen from a man after impersonating police officers. The court also directed them to pay Dh50,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, along with legal interest at 5 per cent from the date the case was filed. Th»»»

A blunt critique of Mexican bread by a British baker sparked a cascade of social media outrage, ultimately leading to a public apology. In an interview for a food-themed podcast that resurfaced online, Richard Hart, the co-founder of Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City and a well-known figure in inte»»»

New Delhi: A passenger train smashed into a herd of elephants in India's northeast, killing seven animals on the spot, officials said Saturday. No travelers were injured in the accident in Assam state, home to more than 4,000 of the roughly 22,000 wild elephants in India. Senior Assam police offici»»»

To tackle air pollution, Sofia Municipality is introducing a green ticket for travel on public transport on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the municipal administration reported on Saturday. Unlike the regular ticket, which costs BGN 1.60 and is only good for one ride or for any number of rides withi»»»

Amid the heavy rains sweeping parts of the UAE, luck shone brightly on three individuals who struck big during the latest Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise draw held at Dubai International Airport. And leading the pack of winners was an Emirati who went from car trouble to cruising in style. Also Rea»»»