Lebanese authorities have received warnings, via closed diplomatic channels, of Israel's preparation for large-scale military operation, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said on Friday. Earlier in the day, a Lebanese military source told Sputnik that Israeli warplanes attacked several areas »»»

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to halt border clashes along their disputed border, US President Donald Trump said on Friday. The two countries had brokered a ceasefire in July but Thailand suspended the agreement the following month after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines.  US President Do»»»

Romania is on NATO's eastern flank, and it is feeling the heat from drone incursions attributed to Russia, and from the Trump administration's strategic shift away from Europe. We speak to Romanian President Nicușor Dan about how his country is faring with these headwinds, and also about tough econ»»»

Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released a selection of 19 photos from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including some of Donald Trump before he became president and other prominent figures like former president Bill Clinton, then prince Andrew M»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed the Decree «On enhancing the status and strengthening the role of the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.» The press service of the head of state reported. The following paragraph has been added to the regulations of th»»»

The US ambassador to the UN has accused Rwanda of leading Africa's Great Lakes region toward war, just over a week after a peace deal was signed in Washington to end the decades-long conflict. US President Donald Trump Trump hailed the deal between DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's»»»

This week brought a mix of glamour, drama and major policy shifts. Women led the conversation at the Red Sea Film Festival, while Palash Muchhal hit back at rumours after his wedding to Smriti Mandhana was cancelled. The UAE rolled out faster passport and Emirates ID renewals, changed Friday prayer»»»

Washington: Twenty US states filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, arguing the policy is unlawful and threatens essential public services. The lawsuit targets a policy implemented by the Department of Homeland Security t»»»

Dubai: US President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Nvidia to sell its H200 artificial-intelligence chips to “approved customers” in China is rippling across global tech and geopolitical circles. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.On the surface, the move appears to reop»»»

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against a Georgia county seeking access to 2020 voting records, as Donald Trump continues to assert the presidential election was stolen from him. The justice department lawsuit asks the state to turn over "all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots»»»

Warehouses supplying the vast majority of Ukraine's pharmacies have been destroyed in a series of Russian attacks over recent months. Medical supplies worth about $200m (£145m) were destroyed in just two strikes in December and October. A large warehouse storing medicines in the city of Dnipro was »»»

NEW DELHI, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- The Al-Sabah Archaeological Collection under the Dar al-Athar Al-Islamiyah in Kuwait participated on Friday in the opening ceremony of the "Networks of the Past" gallery.The gallery, called a "Study Gallery of India and the Ancient World" organized by the Chhatrapati Shi»»»

LONDON, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- The United Kingdom sanctioned senior commanders of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Friday, over what it said were their links to mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians in the African country.Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the »»»

A new Bollywood spy film is generating praise - and unease - in India and Pakistan for its contentious portrayal of the longstanding hostilities between the South Asian neighbours. Dhurandhar, which hit cinemas last week, plunges audiences into a high-octane world of espionage, gang wars and patrio»»»

When China’s President Xi Jinping inaugurated Peru’s Chancay megaport in November 2024, he was doing far more than opening a Chinese offshore project; he was executing a vision that has reshaped global power three times before and is poised to do so again. The $1.3bn deep-water facility, capable of»»»

A billionaire investor keen on buying TikTok's US operations has told the BBC he has been left in limbo as the latest deadline for the app's sale looms. The US has repeatedly delayed the date by which the platform's Chinese owner, Bytedance, must sell or be blocked for American users. US President »»»

Ongoing problems with the V-22 Osprey aircraft must be addressed and new systems put in place to prevent deadly accidents, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Friday. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The V-22 Osprey is a highly versatile aircr»»»

The operation to refloat the tanker Kairos, which ran aground near Ahtopol, is proceeding on schedule and without delays, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said on Friday. The government approved BGN 1.2 million to finance the operation, and the agreement with the selected contractor is »»»

3265571 KUWAIT -- French Minister of Foreign Trade Nicolas Forissier hails the launching of the French Business Council in Kuwait. 3265454 WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump announces that the Gaza Strip "Peace Council" will be formed at the start of 2026. 3265618 WASHINGTON -- CENTCOM: The US»»»

A large fire broke out on a Turkish car ferry anchored at the Ukrainian port city of Odesa after it was hit in a strike on Friday. The company that operates the Cenk T confirmed the attack occurred at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) shortly after it docked at the Chornomorsk port. Ukraine's President »»»

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (KUNA) -- The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on six shipping companies operating in Venezuela's oil sector, three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's wife; and a Maduro-affiliated businessman from Panama.In»»»

Admiral Alvin Holsey relinquished his leadership of U.S. Southern Command on Friday ahead of his pending retirement after serving 37 years in the Navy. Photo by Mariano Macz/EPA Dec. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. Southern Command leader Adm. Alvin Holsey relinquished his command on Friday amid his pending retir»»»

Today’s (12 December) attack on Ukraine’s Chornomorsk Port, in which a foreign flagged vessel owned by a Turkish company was damaged, validates our previously stated concerns regarding the spread of the ongoing war in the region to the Black Sea, and its impact on maritime security and freedom of n»»»

El Salvador President Nayib Armando Bukele's government announced it has reached an agreement with Elon Musk's xAI company to introduce Grok-based tutoring in more than 5,000 public schools. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 12 (UPI) -- El Salvador has reached an agreement with »»»

For more than a century, the United States has attempted to shape political outcomes across Latin America, whether that be backing coups, toppling governments, or supporting authoritarian figures aligned with its strategic interests. Few of these efforts produced the stability sought in Washington.»»»

For more than a century, the United States has attempted to shape political outcomes across Latin America, whether that be backing coups, toppling governments, or supporting authoritarian figures aligned with its strategic interests. Few of these efforts produced the stability sought in Washington.»»»

When China’s President Xi Jinping inaugurated Peru’s Chancay megaport in November 2024, he was doing far more than opening a Chinese offshore project; he was executing a vision that has reshaped global power three times before and is poised to do so again. The $1.3bn deep-water facility, capable of»»»

Skopje, 10 December 2025 (MIA) - Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska will attend Dec. 11-12 Istanbul Economy Summit 2025, bringing together senior officials from governments, international organizations, business and academia. On Dec. 11, Dimitrieska-Kochoska will deliver an opening addre»»»

Damascus,12. Dec (SANA) Mohammad al Bakour, Head of the Syrian Economists Syndicate, stressed the importance of the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote to repeal the “Caesar Act,” noting that it will help reposition the Syrian economy on sound foundations that directly improve citizens’ lives and s»»»

President Donald Trump might sign an executive order as soon as Monday to compel the federal government to reclassify cannabis and make it legal for medicinal but not recreational use. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Dec. 12 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has voiced support for r»»»

More images from the estate of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have been released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. The Democrats said the 19 images came from a tranche of 95,000 photos the committee received from Epstein's estate as part of its ongoing investigation. US President»»»

Four Turkish F-16s violated Greek airspace on Friday afternoon. According to reports, the Turkish fighter jets, two of them armed, entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) in pairs without submitting a flight plan, flying over the central Aegean. In response, Greek fighter jets intercepte»»»

Angry French farmers are calling for more protests over the government-backed slaughter of cattle herds affected by so-called Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). On Thursday there were clashes between riot police and demonstrators in the southern Ariège department, after vets were called in to destroy potent»»»

The Union of Greek Shipowners has signed a donation agreement with the state worth €2.49 million to finance the procurement and installation of a new geolocation system for all railway trains. The system, which allows continuous real-time monitoring of train locations, has been operating in pilot f»»»

At the turn of the year, Bulgaria is preparing to enter 2026 without an approved state budget. The government is expected to pull back the second draft of Budget 2026 from parliament, allowing the Council of Ministers to move toward adopting an extension law either in the final days of December or »»»

Beijing, Dec 12 (TAP) - Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency received the highest distinction at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Media and Cultural Exchange Programme held on Friday in Beijing, with its correspondent in the Chinese capital Hedi...»»»

Iran "violently" arrested Nobel Peace Prize 2023 laureate Narges Mohammadi at a memorial ceremony on Friday, her supporters said. Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists.  Iranian security forces on Friday "v»»»

Eritrea has withdrawn from East African regional bloc Igad, accusing the organisation of "becoming a tool against" countries like itself. In a statement on Friday, Eritrea's foreign ministry said Igad had strayed from its founding principles and failed to contribute to regional stability. The withd»»»

Police have arrested a 45-year-old man from Pakistan, accused of being the manager of a warehouse in Omonia, central Athens, where hundreds of stolen identity cards, passports, and residence permits were discovered. A total of 419 documents were found at the location, including several Greek identi»»»

Palestinian sources dismissed Israeli claims circulating over the past two days that the Islamic Jihad movement is refusing to cooperate with Hamas by handing over what Israel says is the last body of an Israeli hostage in Gaza, a step Israel has linked to moving into the second phase of the ceasef»»»

Benin's opposition figure and former defence minister Candide Azannai was arrested on Friday in Cotonou, according to a police source. It has yet to be confirmed whether his detention is linked to Sunday's foiled coup attempt.  Benin's former defence minister and prominent opposition figure, C»»»

Australia this week implemented a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, and France could soon introduce a similar measure. French lawmakers will in January debate a bill whose aim is to protect children’s mental health. Australia on Wednesday became the first country to introduce a social »»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks to the media during a news conference in Jerusalem on Sunday. The German Foreign Ministry accused Russia's military intelligence of a disinformation campaign targeting Merz during February's general elections Pool Photo by Ariel Schalit/UPI | License Photo De»»»

A cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's Portovaya plant was delivered to the Beihai terminal in China on December 8. This marks the first delivery since the facility was placed under US sanctions in January 2025. The development highlights deepening China-Russia energy ties as Moscow s»»»

Iran will raise the price of its heavily subsidized gasoline for heavy users on Saturday, state media reported, as the OPEC member seeks to control rising fuel demand without triggering public anger. Proposals to increase Iran's fuel prices, some of the lowest in the world, have long been postponed»»»

BELGRADE - National Bank of Serbia (NBS) FX reserves hit 29,366.6 mln euros at end-November, their highest end-of-month level on record, after increasing by 2.5 mln euros from a month ago, the central bank announced on Friday. In a statement, it said the reserves had covered "164.2 pct of money sup»»»

The Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction signed two Memoranda of Understanding yesterday with two leading international companies in the water and infrastructure sector, as part of the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen vital infrastructure in Libya. The signing ceremony was presided over by the Mi»»»

President Rumen Radev will start the constitutionally required consultations for forming a new government in Bulgaria on Monday, December 15. The announcement came from the presidency’s press office on Friday afternoon, only hours after lawmakers unanimously accepted the resignation of Rosen Zhelya»»»

In the United Arab Emirates, the government has imposed quotas for hiring Emirati citizens across the private sector, with the aim of having them make up 10 percent of the workforce by 2026. So how are companies complying with these new rules and how can they change the habits of a population »»»

On the front line of the migration surge, Ceuta – the Spanish exclave in North Africa – continues to see thousands of people arrive each year. With the land border so heavily guarded to be virtually sealed, many of the youngest attempt the crossing by sea, venturing into the dangerous cur»»»