Dubai: The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) have launched a new electronic system designed to streamline the settlement of blood money claims. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The system enables direct digital integration between Dubai »»»

Global football icon Lionel Messi made a special visit to Vantara, a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre founded by Anant Ambani. At the centre, initiatives traditionally begin with seeking blessings in accordance with Sanatana Dharma, which emphasises reverence for nature and r»»»

The US Senate has confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator, installing a strong advocate of Mars missions to lead the space agency as it faces deep budget cuts and intensifying competition with China to return humans to the Moon. The US Senate on Wednesday confir»»»

The Sofia Municipal Council voted, 31-3 with 15 abstentions, to approve Mayor Vassil Terziev's proposal to restructure Sofia Municipality on Thursday. The proposal was previously rejected twice in November. The main objective is to reform the organizational structure of the municipal administration»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia will soon open its embassy in Tbilisi, which will be the right place for kick-starting many business initiatives as well as for boosting bilateral cooperation further, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after a meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili in Belgrade.»»»

Bulgaria is moving toward another early parliamentary election in spring 2026, after political formations in the current National Assembly confirmed to President Rumen Radev that forming a new government within this legislature is unfeasible. In the meantime, MPs approved an “extended budget,” allo»»»

Dubai: As Imran Khan’s name trends once again in global headlines, we are revisiting an older interview conducted by Gulf News, with his former wife, writer and producer Jemima Goldsmith. She was married to the former Pakistani cricketer and former Prime Minister in her early twenties. The conversa»»»

Washington: The State of Qatar and the United States of America held a session on regional and international cooperation, as part of the seventh strategic dialogue between the two countries in Washington, D.C. The Qatari side was chaired by Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr»»»

The net flows of foreign direct investment in Bulgaria presented according to the directional principle recorded a positive value of EUR 2,566.2 million (2.3% of GDP) in January – October 2025, growing by EUR 135.4 million (5.6%) from January – October 2024 (positive value of EUR 2,430.8 million, 2»»»

Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev described 2025 as a pivotal year for the Bulgarian Air Force, marking the start of a new era with the arrival of the first eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets at Graf Ignatievo Air Base in southern Bulgaria. He was s»»»

Dubai is set to welcome 2026 with a dazzling series of fireworks displays, organised under the direct supervision of the Security Industry Regulatory Authority (SIRA), which oversees the licensing and regulation of major events across the city. This year, the skies above Dubai will light up with mo»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police have announced full readiness to tackle emergencies as unstable weather approaches, with a wide deployment of land and marine rescue teams across the emirate. Colonel Khalid Al Hammadi, Director of the Search and Rescue Department at the General Department of Transport and Rescu»»»

UAE rains are here, and nobody wants soggy shoes, drenched laptops, or a ruined commute. That’s why we’ve rounded up 7 travel and commuting gear picks you absolutely need in 2025. How did we choose them? Simple: top ratings, rave reviews, and real user feedback—the stuff that proves these gadgets a»»»

Ras Al Khaimah – Ras Al Khaimah Police have issued an urgent safety alert as heavy rain and hailstorms continue to affect the emirate, urging residents and motorists to remain cautious and follow official instructions. Authorities warned the public to avoid valleys (wadis), flood-prone areas, and s»»»

Construction of a new terminal complex at Osh International Airport is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2026, the press service of Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC reported. It is noted that this is one of the country’s key infrastructure projects, and its implementation is progressing activel»»»

Washington: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met in Washington today with Secretary General of the Organization of American States HE Albert Ramdin. The meeting focused on ways to enhance cooperation between the State of Qatar »»»

Washington: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met with Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America HE Christopher Landau, on the sidelines of the seventh strategic dialogue between the two countries, which is being»»»

Washington: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met in Washington today with US Vice President HE JD Vance. The meeting focused on discussing the strong, strategic bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the US, as well as»»»

The Libyan Export Development Authority (LEDA) reported last Tuesday (16 December) that Zuwara Port is being considered as the site of the first phase of the establishment of an integrated fisheries industrial zone in partnership, and in accordance with the Libyan Investment Law, between the privat»»»

Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov said that having a fleet of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets is "a new era in the development of the Bulgarian Armed Forces". He was speaking during an official ceremony at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base for presenting the first eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets for the »»»

BELGRADE - The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that a second review under a Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) for Serbia had been concluded successfully. "Under the Policy Coordination Instrument, the authorities are advancing key structural reforms, includ»»»

Dubai: As part of the ‘Year of Community’ initiatives aimed at strengthening social cohesion and empowering community-focused institutions, the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai honoured 30 outstanding non-profit organisations at a ceremony held at Emirates Towers on Wednesday. The rec»»»

A fraudulent scheme is operating on the Telegram messaging app using the bots «Guldari | Mamlekettik Zhardam» (@Guldari_kredit_bot) and «Guldari | Sostialdyk Credit» (@credit_guldari_bot). The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to the National Bank, the scammers, using various manipula»»»

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologised to Burkina Faso for the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen. Tuggar's spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been rel»»»

Bucharest: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania HE Oana Toiu, received a copy of the credentials of HE Dr. Rashid bin Abdullah Al Kuwari, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to Romania.»»»

Riyadh: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has commended the comprehensive developmental renaissance witnessed by the State of Qatar accross all fields, enabling it to realise distinctive civilizational achievements that are a source of pride and honour»»»

Dubai: Dubai's flagship carrier, Emirates, has urged all passengers departing Dubai on December 18-19 to arrive at the airport at least four hours before departure, as rainy and windy weather is expected to slow road traffic across the UAE. The advisory, issued during one of the busiest holiday tra»»»

Dubai: The Prince and Princess of Wales have released their official 2025 Christmas card, offering a rare glimpse into family life. The new portrait shows William and Catherine seated on green grass, surrounded by blooming spring daffodils, with their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlo»»»

Tunis, Dec.18 (TAP)- Scattered showers are expected on Thursday in the south, growing sometimes heavy during the afternoon in the southwest, the National Institute of Meteorologuy said in a follow-up bulletin. Maximum rainfall is forecast to range...»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev announced here Thursday that a contractor had been selected for waste collection in Zones Two and Five in the capital. Terziev was speaking at a briefing of the Sofia Municipal Council. These zones include the suburban boroughs of Iskar, Kremikovtsi, Pancharevo, Vrabnitsa»»»

At a meeting of the 8th convocation of the Zhogorku Kenesh, deputy chairs of parliamentary committees were elected. The press service of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan reported. Deputy groups nominated their candidates for deputy chairs of sectoral committees. The following MPs were elected by secret»»»

Police in London arrested two people who called for “intifada” during a pro-Palestinian protest, which followed a decision by authorities to toughen enforcement of hate speech laws after a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. The arrests Wednesday came hours after police in London »»»

Dubai: Heavy rains sweeping the UAE have forced major food delivery apps to slow services, prioritising rider safety amid slippery roads and poor visibility. Talabat, Deliveroo and Careem flashed warnings to users on Thursday afternoon, with in-app notices citing "high demand" or outright unavailab»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s cargo security has been given a major upgrade, as Dubai Police will now be able to monitor and operate X-ray machines across dnata’s Dubai International Airport (DXB) warehouse from a single high-tech control room. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The new»»»

Albania’s Democratic Party (DP) caused disruptions in parliament on Thursday, just days ahead of a protest scheduled for 22 December. Opposition MPs occupied the seats of government ministers before the session had officially begun, leading to clashes with parliamentary guards. Flares and smoke dev»»»

Thursday’s plenary session in Albania’s parliament was marked by sharp confrontations and chaos after opposition lawmakers disrupted proceedings inside the chamber. Tensions escalated further during the swearing-in of Endrit Shabani as the country’s new Ombudsman. MPs from the Democratic Party reac»»»

The head of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, has condemned the chaos that disrupted the final parliamentary session of the year, accusing the opposition of repeating tactics used years earlier. Speaking after Thursday’s unrest, Balla said similar scenes had unfolded on the »»»

A Briton who fought in Ukraine has been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security prison, the Russian Prosecutor-General's office has said. Hayden Davies, a former British soldier who Russia has called a "mercenary", was reportedly captured in Ukraine's Donbas region in late 2024 or early 2025 wh»»»

All eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets under the first contract between Bulgaria and the United States are now at the air base, outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said here Thursday. He was speaking at an official ceremony at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, where the aircraft were presented. Those a»»»

During consultations with President Rumen Radev here on Thursday, ahead of the procedure to hand out mandates for forming a new government, MECh Chair Radostin Vasilev said that his party sees no possibility of forming a functioning government through "political betrayals". Vasilev said: "The curre»»»

BELGRADE - The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that a second review under a Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) for Serbia had been concluded successfully. "Under the Policy Coordination Instrument, the authorities are advancing key structural reforms, includ»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia sees an escalation of the situation in the region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, commenting on the escalation around Venezuela. "We see an escalation of tension in the region, and we consider it potentially very dangerous," Peskov told reporters. Russia»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - China opposes any unilateral acts of intimidation and supports Venezuela's request to convene an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in response to US actions, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at a press briefing on Thursday. "China oppose»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have warned motorists to exercise heightened caution during periods of rain and unstable weather, urging drivers to avoid entering valleys and watercourses while they are flowing, regardless of the perceived level of risk. The advisory comes as part of national efforts t»»»

A meeting was held in Istanbul between Manasbek Samidinov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Kyrgyzstan JSC, and Bilal Ekşi, Chairman of the Board of Turkish Airlines, with the participation of Chyngyz Toktobekov, Consul General of the Kyrgyz Republic in Istanbul. According to the c»»»

The Shaklan Group, a diversified conglomerate established in 1997, has announced the launch of its spectacular new promotional campaign, “Win a Dream Home.” The highly anticipated campaign will run from December 23, 2025, to March 22, 2026, offering customers the chance to win exceptional prizes, h»»»

Manila: The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has extended once more the flight ban in areas surrounding Mayon Volcano as volcanic activity continues to pose risks to aircraft. In a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on Thursday, CAAP said flights are prohibited within the airspace ar»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the 2025 National Day Parade, which took place this morning on the Doha Corniche with wide participation from the country's military and security forces. Also present at the parade were Personal Representative of HH the Amir HH Sheik»»»