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»»»

A unique commemorative medal dedicated to the great Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov has been created in Russia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported. The medal was produced at the Dubrovin Foundry on the initiative of its head, Ivan Dubrovin. It is made of pure 999-grade silver. The obverse features a profil»»»

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»»»

Riyadh, Dec.20 (SANA) The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) welcomed repeal of US sanctions imposed on Syria under “the Caesar Act,” affirming that the step represents a positive development that contributes to supporting efforts to restore stability and improve humanitarian and economic conditions in»»»

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»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saturday a congratulatory letter from President of Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Counselor and Head of the Court of Cassation Dr. Adel Boursali on the occasion of the second anniversary of His Highness»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah on Saturday congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the second anniversary of His Highness the Amir's assumption of power.In a press release»»»

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»»»

The Dubai misdemeanours court has sentenced three Asian men to one month in prison, fined each Dh1,000, and ordered their deportation after convicting them of assaulting a neighbour in their residential building. Also Read: Dubai court fines man Dh4,000 for assaulting fiancée, overstaying visaAccor»»»

Dubai: What initially appeared to be an ordinary moment on the road quickly turned fatal when a vehicle lost control and struck a man standing outside the roadway. The incident later resulted in the victim’s death. Dubai’s Traffic Court examined the case and reviewed the circumstances established b»»»

A wing of Yemen’s General People’s Congress (GPC) operating in areas under Houthi control has moved to consolidate its alignment with the Iran-backed group, dismissing the party’s secretary general, Ghazi Ali al-Ahwal, and replacing Ahmed Ali Saleh, son of the late Yemeni president, with a figure c»»»

On Dec. 20, 2015, a landslide at an industrial park in Shenzhen, China, toppled dozens of buildings and killed 73 people. 1 of 8 | On December 20, 2015, a landslide at an industrial park in Shenzhen, China, toppled dozens of buildings and killed 73 people. File Photo by Xu Hu/EPA Dec. 20 (UPI) -- O»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- The price of Kuwaiti oil went down by 31 cents to USD 59.24 per barrel (pb) on Friday, compared to USD 59.55 pb the previous day, said Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Saturday.In global markets, Brent Crude rose by 65 cents to USD 60.47 pb and West Texas Intermediate »»»

Doha, Qatar: Two Asian Elephants have arrived at Al Khor Park, announced the Ministry of Municipality. It added that the elephants are a gift from the government and people of the friendly Republic of Nepal. The gift symbolises the depth of bilateral relations and the bonds of friendship and cooper»»»

A SpiceJet passenger has accused an Air India Express pilot of assaulting him over an alleged queue dispute at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1, sparking widespread attention on social media. Also Read: Kerala man arrested for harassment on Dubai-Hyderabad flightHow the incident hap»»»

Weather conditions are set to change over the weekend following a prolonged period of fair weather. A low-pressure system is expected to bring rain and isolated thunderstorms mainly from Thessaly southward, affecting Central Greece, Evia, the Peloponnese and the Southern Aegean. According to state »»»

Seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed and a calf was injured when a high-speed passenger train collided with a herd crossing the tracks in India's northeastern state of Assam early Saturday, local authorities said. The train driver spotted the herd of about 100 elephants and used the emergency b»»»

TEHRAN, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has never rejected negotiations grounded in respect for the country's legal rights."Iran has never rejected negotiations and dialogue based on respect for the Iranian nation's legal rights and legitimate interests," Araghc»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saturday a congratulatory letter from Minister of Amiri Diwan Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah on the occasion of the second anniversary of His Highness the Amir's assumption of power.In reply, His Hi»»»

Damascus, Dec.20 (SANA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates affirmed Syria’s commitment to combating ISIS and ensuring that the organization has no safe havens on its territory, calling on the US and member states of the International Coalition to join in supporting Syria’s efforts against »»»

New satellite imagery shows recent activity at the Natanz nuclear facility that was damaged during June's 12-day war with Israel, according to the US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). During the June conflict, the IAEA confirmed Israeli strikes hit Iran's Natanz undergr»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saturday a congratulatory letter from Chairman of Kuwait National Guard (KNG) Sheikh Mubarak Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the occasion of the second anniversary of His Highness the Amir's assumption of p»»»

Saudi Arabia and India have signed a bilateral agreement granting mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports, a move aimed at easing official travel and strengthening ties between the two countries, according to Saudi Press Agency. A»»»

In a post published in his Facebook profile on Friday, shortly before midnight, There Is Such a People (TISP) leader Slavi Trifonov commented on the reports of two journalists and morning talk show hosts fired from bTV and the call for protests that followed earlier Friday. Trifonov stated that bTV»»»

From the Philippines being named Asia’s Best Retirement Destination to hailstorms and thunderstorms sweeping Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, this week brought a mix of global recognition and extreme weather. Lightning struck the Burj Khalifa as Dubai prepared for more rain, while UAE residents plan lon»»»

The committee overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, known as the “mechanism,” convened its 15th meeting in Naqoura, the second to include civilian representatives, with renewed focus on the return of residents to their homes on both sides of the border. The statement issued after the»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saturday a congratulatory letter from His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the occasion of the second anniversary of assumption of power.In reply, His Highness the »»»

Coldest: 3.5°C at Jebel Jais Winter chills: Sharp drop across UAE Rain cleared: Heavy system over Showers possible / cold nights Weekend ready: Ideal for outdoor plans UAE wakes up to its coldest morningWinter has made a dramatic entrance across the UAE, with temperatures dipping to 3.5°C early Sat»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saturday a letter from His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah on the second anniversary of assumption of power.In reply, His Highness the Amir sent a reply letter t»»»

US President Donald Trump refused to rule out going to war with Venezuela in an NBC interview published on Friday, days after he ordered a naval blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela. The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on family members and associates of Ni»»»

Speaking after a tense EU summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Orbán described the meeting not as a political consultation but as a war council. “Yesterday, the European Council held a meeting under unusually tense circumstances, dealing with the most difficult question imaginable. It wasn’t really a»»»

Full-time employees’ average gross earnings were HUF 692,700 and average net earnings reached HUF 482,400 in October 2025. Average gross earnings grew by 8.7%, net average earnings increased by 10.0% and real earnings were 5.5% higher than a year earlier. The increase in net average earnings exceed»»»