Damascus, Dec. 25(SANA) The Central Organization of Financial Control maintained an accelerated pace of work throughout 2025, prioritizing the recovery of state and citizens’ rights, uncovering corruption cases and protecting public funds from waste, within a previously announced institutional fram»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko on Thursday to discuss events that have marked the year 2025, as well as Serbia's energy security. Botsan-Kharchenko conveyed to Djuric Russian FM Sergey Lavrov's greetings for the upcoming New Ye»»»

Lebanon said Israeli strikes near the Syrian border and in the country's south killed three people on Thursday, as Israel said it targeted a member of Iran's elite Quds Force and a Hezbollah operative. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities betwee»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Syrian security forces arrest the head of an ISIS-affiliated terrorist cell in Damascus countryside: reports 25-12-2025 19:05 PM Latest New»»»

Los Angeles: Torrential rains unleashed flash floods and warnings of debris flow across southern California, particularly in fire-scarred areas, with further downpours forecast for Thursday as authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties. Driven by an atmospheric river known as "th»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that this year’s Christmas comes amid ongoing suffering in southern Lebanon, speaking after a private meeting with Maronite Patriarch Béchara Raï. While cautiously optimistic about a potential easing of regional tensions, he emphasized that challenges pe»»»

The Prevala and Troyan mountain passes are temporarily closed due to heavy snowfall, the press centre of the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) said here on Thursday. A total of 582 snow-clearing machines are treating road surfaces across the national road network. The roads remain passable under win»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic met with Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Li Ming on Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation. Gasic said Serbia was exceptionally appreciative of the support provided to it by China and that the personal relationship between two leaders, President»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 attracted more than 1.2 million spectators and concluded with Morocco lifting the trophy, as the tournament underlined Qatar's growing reputation as a host of major global sporting events. Held from December 1 to 18, the competition featured 16 national tea»»»

The winning ticket was sold in Arkansas. A single ticket sold in Arkansas won the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot prize in Wednesday night's Christmas Eve drawing. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A single Powerball ticket hit the $1.817 billion jackpot on Christmas Eve»»»

Sharjah Police’s “Aman” initiative has helped reduce criminal incidents by 29 per cent in the first half of 2025, reinforcing safety and improving the quality of life across the emirate. The initiative, led by the General Department of Comprehensive Police Centers, focuses on preventive policing in»»»

Search efforts continued Thursday in northern Greece for a 45-year-old fire service officer who has been missing since Tuesday. The man, commander of the fire brigade unit in Ano Poroia, in the Serres region, disappeared after leaving the home where he lives with his wife and children. He left behi»»»

In an unprecedented development, an armed gang active in Gaza City forced inhabitants of residential bloc to evacuate their homes under threat of arms. Field sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that identified the gang as the “Rami Halas Group”. At dawn on Thursday, its members opened fire in the air in t»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he had had "very good" talks with US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, focused on ending the "brutal Russian war". "We discussed certain substantive details of the ongoing work," he said in a post on social media. "»»»

Mogadishu: Somalians voted on Thursday in the Mogadishu region's first direct local election in nearly 60 years, despite security concerns and a boycott by opposition leaders. The election is seen as a test ahead of the 2026 presidential ballot, in a country struggling to emerge from decades of con»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's EXPO 2027 Commissioner Jagoda Lazarevic, who is also minister of internal and external trade, EXPO 2027 Director Danilo Jerinic and Iranian EXPO 2027 Section Commissioner Sodaif Beikzadeh signed on Thursday in Belgrade a contract on Iran's participation in the specialised expo. »»»

DOHA: The Doha Equestrian Tour Organising Committee has announced that tickets are now on sale for the H H The Father Amir Cup, with the opening leg set to take place at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab from January 2 to 4. The prestigious event will bring together more than 240 elite riders competi»»»

The bodies of two members of the Iowa National Guard who were killed in an ambush in Syria earlier this month arrived home on Wednesday afternoon. Photo courtesy Gov. Kim Reynolds/X Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The remains of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in an ambush in Syria arrived at the Iowa Nat»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have reported five cases of suffocation linked to the use of charcoal and firewood for indoor heating, urging residents to follow safety guidelines during the winter season. The incidents were highlighted as part of the ‘Safe and Enjoyable’ winter campaign, launched join»»»

Syrian authorities on Thursday said forces killed a senior leader in the ISIS group and arrested another operative in fresh operations near capital Damascus in coordination with the US-led coalition. Syrian security and intelligence forces, working in coordination with the international coalition, »»»

As Bulgaria prepares to adopt the euro from January 1, 2026, the Ministry of Interior (MI) advises citizens to use only official currency exchange points, such as banks or post offices. During the first six months following the currency changeover, these exchanges will be free of charge. To ensure »»»

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 »»»

Abu Dhabi: Hotels and restaurants with tourism licences across Abu Dhabi can now welcome pets, following changes to the emirate’s animal control regulations in public venues. The Department of Municipalities and Transport announced amendments to Chairman’s Decision No. (4) of 2018, issued under Law»»»

Attempts to secure peace in Sudan and halt the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe have continued for nearly two-and-a-half years of war. Yet a determined belief within the army and those backing it that military victory is still possible has prevailed. The result is unending destruction, displaceme»»»

A Powerball player in Arkansas won a whopping $1.817bn (£1.34bn) jackpot in a Christmas Eve drawing, making it the second-largest lottery prize ever claimed. The single winning ticket matched all six numbers - 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and red Powerball 19 - giving the winner the option of taking a lump-su»»»

Tel Aviv: Mohammad Bakri, a Palestinian director and actor who sought to share the complexities of Palestinian identity and culture through a variety of works in both Arabic and Hebrew, has died, his family announced. He was 72. Bakri was best known for “Jenin, Jenin,” a 2003 documentary he directe»»»

Riyadh Air has announced its ‘Employment-First’ Overseas Scholarship Program, which aims to launch several scholarship tracks, starting with two specialized paths for engineers in Australia, followed by a pilot training program in the United States. The initiative falls under ‘Promising Path’, one »»»

Hezbollah mourned on Thursday the Islamic scholar and resistance figure Sheikh Reda Mahdi, extending condolences to the Islamic nation and to religious seminaries and their scholars. In a statement, the group said Sheikh Mahdi passed away peacefully after a long life devoted to learning and struggl»»»

Yangon: Myanmar's junta will stage the third and final round of its heavily restricted elections on January 25, a statement said Thursday, just days before polls open for the first batch of ballots. Democracy watchdogs say the junta-run vote is a charade to rebrand the rule of the military, which s»»»

Tunis, Dec. 25 (TAP) – The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has officially launched the FEMBIOTEC platform in Tabarka. The platform is aimed at providing direct access to all sources of information in relation to...»»»

NIS - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Thursday the upcoming December 28 elections for the Kosovo-Metohija provincial assembly in Pristina were crucial for the survival of Serbs in the province. Petkovic called on internally displaced Serbs who ar»»»

Britain's King Charles III called for "compassion and reconciliation" at a time of "division" across the world in his annual Christmas Day message broadcast on Thursday. The 77-year-old monarch said he found it "enormously encouraging" how people of different faiths had a "shared longing for peace"»»»

Damascus: Syria's central bank has announced that a new national currency would be introduced on Jan. 1, 2026, with a process to exchange the existing notes set to begin on the same date. Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdul Qader Husrieh, said a 2025 presidential decree authorizes the laun»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent reports Israeli occupation forces fired grenades at a house in the southern town of Blida, setting it ablaze 25-12-2»»»

Antakya: Saint Peter’s, one of the world’s oldest rock churches, is a sacred rallying point for the isolated Christians still left in quake-hit Antakya in southeastern Turkey, the city known in ancient times as Antioch. “Since the earthquake, our community has scattered,” said worshipper Mari Ibri.»»»

Police in northern Greece arrested a 46-year-old shop owner for illegally selling fireworks. Officers from a crime prevention and suppression unit detained the man in the municipality of Thermi, near the northern port city of Thessaloniki. He owns a convenience store selling snacks, sweets and toba»»»

Muscat, Oman: Qatar's shooters have completed their Arab Shooting Championship campaign in Muscat with a haul of 12 medals. The Qatari men's team claimed bronze in the 25-meter central fire pistol team event, with Mohamed Abdulmohsen, Abdullah Al Obaidli and Mohammed Al Yafei finishing third. Overa»»»

In 2026, Bulgarians will work a total of 1,984 hours spread across 248 working days, with May being the shortest month in terms of workdays at 18, and July the longest at 23. The new year begins with an extended break due to the introduction of the euro, as January 2 is declared a non-working day b»»»

Dubai: This Christmas festive season in Dubai has reached new heights of sweetness with spectacular giant gingerbread houses including ones that visitors can actually step inside. These edible architectural and culinary wonders are turning heads, offering families and Christmas enthusiasts unique p»»»

Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has hailed its Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) system as a key driver in making travel across the city smoother and safer. The system, which displays real-time messages to drivers, has helped reduce travel times by up to 20% on major roads. It also improve»»»

The Israeli military said it killed a member of Iran's elite Quds Force in a strike in Lebanon on Thursday, accusing him of planning attacks against Israel, AFP reported. The military said the strike killed Hussein Mahmud Marshad al-Jawhari, "a key terrorist in the operational unit of the Quds Forc»»»

A man suspected of attempting to forcibly place a foreign national into a car has been detained in Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan, the Internal Affairs Department of the region reported. The incident came to light after a video circulated on Instagram on December 24, 2025, showing an attempt to for»»»

The CSTO countries held exercises to neutralize extremist groups. The organization’s press service reported. The exercises, conducted under the guidance of the joint staff, involved duty shifts from the Crisis Response Center, as well as the Ministries of Defense and Emergency Situations of Tajikis»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Slow but steady progress is being observed in Russia's negotiations with the United States on a Ukrainian settlement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. "Slow but steady progress is being observed in the negotiation process with the United Sta»»»

On December 25, deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh considered an agreement between Kyrgyzstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the project «Expansion of Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Osh city.» It was noted that the EBRD has already implemented two phases of the «»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, MOEHE, has announced that the results of the first semester of the secondary school certificate for the academic year 2025-2026, will be released on Saturday, December 27, 2025. The Ministry while stating this on its official platforms, n»»»

Mohammad Bakri, a Palestinian director and actor who sought to share the complexities of Palestinian identity and culture through a variety of works in both Arabic and Hebrew, has died, his family announced. He was 72. Bakri was best known for “Jenin, Jenin,” a 2003 documentary he directed about an»»»

With the adoption of the euro on 1 January 2026, all payments in Bulgaria will move from levs to the single European currency. This applies to wages, pensions and all types of social and cash benefits, which will be recalculated under legally defined rules designed to prevent any loss of income. Wa»»»

DOHA: The Public Cleanliness Department at the Ministry of Municipality organised the first National Forum on Public Cleanliness Thursday, under the slogan 'Towards a Clean, Smart and Sustainable City,' with broad participation from government agencies, private sector partners, universities, academ»»»