A husband and wife have died after being trapped in a private sauna room that caught fire in Japan on Monday. Tokyo police are investigating whether a faulty doorknob trapped the couple inside the room at Sauna Tiger, in the city's Akasaka district, local media has reported. Investigators also foun»»»

Brian Walshe was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Ana Walshe. File Photo by CJ Gunther/EPA Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Brian Walshe was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for the murder of his wife Ana Walshe. Walshe was also sentenced to no less than 19 years for lying to police and »»»

Saturday marks the 45th Powerball drawing in the current jackpot streak and the longest in game history. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Powerball prize has risen again with $1.5 billion now up for grabs this weekend with an estimated to be $686.5 million in ca»»»

Dubai: The UAE’s diplomatic mission in Muscat has advised Emirati citizens currently in the Sultanate of Oman to remain vigilant as unstable weather continues to affect parts of the country, bringing thunderstorms and strong winds linked to a low-pressure system. In its advisory, the mission urged »»»

The opposition coalition “We Continuing the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) is testing whether the momentum of public demonstrations can be sustained even after the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s government. Thousands have gathered in Sofia. Their demand is for fair elections»»»

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades. The order is expected to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug - plac»»»

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on 29 vessels and their management firms, the Treasury Department said, as Washington continues targeting Tehran's "shadow fleet" it says exports Iranian petroleum and petroleum products, Reuters reported. The targeted vessels and companies have trans»»»

General Rudolf Heikal, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, met with French Chief of Defence Staff Fabien Mandon on Thursday to discuss strategic security challenges as international powers move to formalise a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah. The meeting in Paris, attended by repr»»»

Dubai: As a low-pressure system continues to affect parts of the UAE, bringing fluctuating weather conditions to several regions, authorities have reaffirmed their full readiness to respond to any developments through an integrated national coordination framework aimed at protecting lives and prope»»»

The head of the UN refugee agency in Lebanon said Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country. The US Senate voted Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administration»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has warned of continued unstable weather conditions across the United Arab Emirates this weekend, with heavy rain, lightning and hail expected to persist through Friday. The "Al Bashayer" low-pressure system, which moved across the country, is forecas»»»

Umm Al Quwain: Umm Al Quwain has seen moderate to heavy rainfall since the early hours of Thursday, accompanied by active winds, lightning and thunder, as unstable weather conditions continue to affect the emirate. The local emergency and crisis management media team in Umm Al Quwain said that all »»»

Kiryat Gat: Launched after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to monitor the truce and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, the Civil-Military Coordination Centre for Gaza is struggling to live up to its promises. The CMCC, a US initiative, is meant to set the stage for the next steps of President Dona»»»

Beirut: Israel launched several strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure including a military compound. The attacks come as the committee monitoring the ceasefire, in effect since November 2»»»

As 2025 draws to a close, the Middle Eastern political theatre is bracing for a seismic shift. At its zenith lies the long-anticipated normalisation between Israel and several Gulf capitals—a process that has remained in the wings since Donald Trump’s first term. However, the foundations of this sh»»»

Israel has informed Washington that it has “no deadline for using force in Lebanon,” sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. “Iran is succeeding in smuggling arms and funds to Hezbollah,” a U.S. official told the channel. “The priority is for disarming Hezbollah,” the official said, adding tha»»»

Wizz Air, a leading airline in Bulgaria, has announced a new direct route connecting Varna with Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. Scheduled to begin on September 22, 2026, the service will operate three times a week - on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays - offering enhanced connectivity between Bulgaria a»»»

Parliament adopted amendments to the Family Code on second reading on Thursday, which provide for the possibility of the court to order shared parenting. When both parents have expressed a desire to exercise parental rights and this is in the best interests of the child, the court may order the joi»»»

Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook for Bulgaria’s public finances downward, increasing its projections for future budget deficits, while keeping the country’s sovereign credit rating unchanged at BBB+ with a stable outlook. The rating was raised earlier in the year, following the announcement of»»»

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and war correspondent Peter Arnett has died at the age of 91, according to US media reports. Arnett won the international prize in 1996 for his Vietnam War coverage at the Associated Press (AP). But he is also well known for his work at CNN, having become a househo»»»

Belgium insisted on Thursday that its European Union partners must provide ironclad guarantees that it will be protected from Russian retaliation before it would back a massive loan for Ukraine. At a high-stakes EU summit in Brussels, the 27-nation bloc's leaders are set to decide on whether to use»»»

Dubai: Commuters across Dubai and Sharjah faced a punishing Thursday evening rush hour as unstable weather conditions and a spate of multi-vehicle incidents triggered widespread gridlock across key roads. The disruption followed an advisory from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mo»»»

The last major meteor shower of the year, known as the Ursids, peaks soon, bringing glowing streaks to nighttime and early morning skies. Compared to other meteor showers, it's more subdued, but experts say it's still worth a glimpse. Meteor showers happen when space rocks hit Earth's atmosphere at»»»

President Rumen Radev held government-forming consultations here on Thursday with representatives of MECh, following the resignation of the Cabinet, announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and unanimously accepted by Parliament last week. During the consultations, MECh Chair Radostin Vasilev r»»»

Ras Al Khaimah Police have deployed 50 patrols across the emirate as part of heightened preparedness measures in response to heavy rainfall and strong winds that began yesterday. Authorities have warned that the adverse weather may continue in the coming days. Safety alerts have been issued via soc»»»

A kid isn’t totally to blame when it acts like a lunatic in public. Particularly when you take a good look at the parents. Such is the case of the Bulgarian establishment – the European Union’s latest “foster kid” on the verge of being fully adopted into the family, despite being in the middle of a»»»

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal met Thursday in Paris with French army chief Fabien Mandon ahead of a key meeting with U.S., French and Saudi officials to discuss ways of assisting the army in its mission to boost its presence in the border area. The Paris meeting will discuss reinforcing th»»»

The Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs has finalized its security arrangements ahead of tonight’s large protest in the so-called Triangle of Power in central Sofia, according to the director of the capital’s police, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov. He announced that police will set up 20 che»»»

Farmers in tractors blocked roads, threw potatoes and eggs, and set off fireworks in Brussels on Wednesday outside a European Union leaders' summit, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannons as protesters rallied against a major free-trade deal with South American nations. Farmers»»»

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 »»»

One of the goals of the US-led oil blockade on Venezuela is to try to weaken President Nicholas Maduro politically while hoping to create divisions within the country’s political elite, says Dr. Vinicius Vieira, Associate Professor of Economics and International Relations at the Armando Alvares Pen»»»

Thousands of European farmers are converging on Brussels on Thursday to protest against the EU-Mercosur treaty as European leaders meet for a summit. Protesters are worried about the prospect of an influx of South American products into the bloc and the reform of agricultural subsidies. Thousa»»»

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has argued that Israeli strikes against Hezbollah do not violate Lebanon’s sovereignty, noting instead that the Iran-backed group is the party undermining the country’s sovereignty. In an interview with Al-Arabiya English, Saar said Israel has only “minor” dispu»»»

The head of the U.N. refugee agency in Lebanon said Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country. The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administra»»»

Greece’s farmers appear ready to escalate their protest actions, based on decisions taken at local assemblies. However, Thursday’s meeting of representatives from the farmers’ blockades, scheduled for 2 p.m. in Serres, will also determine whether a delegation will agree to meet with the government.»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police have urged citizens, residents, and tourists to avoid swimming or using marine vessels as the emirate faces a period of unstable weather, warning that sudden changes at sea could endanger lives and property. Lieutenant Colonel Ali Hamid Al Shamsi, Acting Director of the Ports Po»»»

Dutch and British gas prices posted small gains on Thursday morning but are largely expected to trade sideways with rising demand from colder weather easily met by pipeline and liquefied natural gas deliveries. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub was up 0.19 euros at 27.57 euros»»»

SHARJAH: Passengers flying out of Sharjah have been urged to check their flight status with airlines before leaving home, as unsettled weather and rain sweep across the UAE. It said in a statement, "Sharjah Airport advises all passengers to stay up to date on the latest flight information, as weath»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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: 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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Thursday's news media are dominated by the topics of legal changes on Bulgarians' second pension and the extension of the 2025 state budget into 2026. ECONOMY 24 Chasa reports on its front page that Bulgarians' second pension will be increased by linking it to the minimum wage. Under amendments to »»»

If you find yourself in Hatta over the rainy weekend, don’t worry. Dubai Police announced on X that the Hatta Police Station is fully equipped and prepared to deal with any emergency incidents that crop up during the period of unstable weather. Colonel Ali Obaid Al Badwawi, Acting Director of Hatta»»»

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on southern and northeastern Lebanon on Thursday as a deadline looms to disarm the militant Hezbollah group along the tense frontier. The strikes came a day before a meeting of the committee monitoring the enforcement of a US-brokered ceasefire that halted »»»

Share: Lebanese army members stand on a military vehicle during a Lebanese army media tour, to review the army’s operations in the southern Litani sector, in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, November 28, 2025. REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File Photo French, Saudi Arabian and Amer»»»