The Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) returns to Tripoli for its fourth edition, taking place from 24–26 January 2026 under the official endorsement of the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Oil & Gas, National Oil Corporation (NOC), and the Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REAOL). T»»»

Nato countries' pledge to spend 5% of their economic output on defence is Donald Trump's "biggest foreign policy success," the alliance's chief has said. In an interview with the BBC, Mark Rutte said it was thanks to Donald Trump that Nato was "stronger than it ever was", adding that Trump "is good»»»

MRF – New Beginning said on Wednesday that the security detail of the party’s Floor Leader, Delyan Peevski, is not larger than that of the President or the Prime Minister, that no millions of leva are being spent on his protection, and that the vehicle he uses does not belong to the National Servic»»»

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, as well as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), has called for the formation of the Dubai RDI Ecosystem. This structure, under DFF’s»»»

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine by diplomatic or military means, and would seek to expand a "security buffer zone" there. "First, the goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to do this and addres»»»

In tonight's edition: Rwandan-backed M23 rebels say they've agreed to conditionally withdraw from the strategic Congolese town of Uvira. Also, the rebels' offensive in eastern DR Congo has forced tens of thousands of people to flee into neighbouring Burundi. Plus a new report by the World Meteorolo»»»

The CEO of a huge organisation that has helped millions of girls across a series of African countries has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how the group she now runs helped her when she was a girl. Angeline Murimirwa was able to continue her education thanks to CAMFED, the Campaign for Female Education. I»»»

Doha, Qatar: CEO of the Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) HE Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al-Thani received today in his office the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the State of Qatar HE Fayez Majed Abu Al Rab. During the meeting, ways to enhance areas of joint media work and strengthe»»»

Dubai: A minor earthquake was recorded in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the Saudi Geological Survey, with authorities confirming that the tremor caused no damage or injuries. The survey’s official spokesperson, Tareq Aba Al Khail, said seismic monitor»»»

France and Italy said Wednesday they remain opposed to a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, dashing hopes of the contentious pact being signed this week. Paris demanded "mirror clauses" requiring Mercosur products to comply wit»»»

Christmas is just around the corner, and for many people in France, the end-of-year holiday season is synonymous with chocolate. In this edition of Entre Nous, we speak to chef Jade Genin, who has made a name for herself in France's highly exclusive chocolate world and has become famous for her inc»»»

Senior British police officials said Wednesday that in the light of recent deadly antisemitic attacks they would now arrest protesters using language or signs that intimidate Jews. File photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA-EFE Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Demonstrators on the streets of Britain's two largest cities, chant»»»

Amman, Dec. 17 (SANA) The Syrian delegation of Social Affairs and Labor Ministry participated in the two-day meeting of Arab Ministerial Social Affairs Council, kicked off Wednesday in Amman. The meeting was held with closed sessions dedicated to discussing the agenda and draft resolutions, in prep»»»

Hezbollah’s Arab and international relations official, Ammar al-Moussawi, has been carrying out a secret visit to Saudi Arabia for the past three days, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Wednesday. The daily noted that Moussawi had visited Turkey on December 6-7 at the head of a Hezbollah del»»»

Skopje, 16 December 2025 (MIA) — A delegation led by Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Bozhinovska paid a working visit to the Czech Transmission System Operator ČEPS in Prague, according to an official press release. The visit was carried out as part of the state's agenda for »»»

On Wednesday, the Varna Regional Court ordered bail as a preventive measure for municipal councillors Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov. The two are defendants in a case involving an alleged criminal conspiracy to obtain unlawful benefits together with Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev. Until now, bot»»»

Abu Dhabi: Blood samples in Abu Dhabi could soon travel through the air rather than via city roads, as the emirate launches a pilot project using drones to speed up the movement of critical medical diagnostics between healthcare facilities. PureLab, operator of the largest network of laboratories i»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality issued crucial safety guidelines on Wednesday to help residents protect themselves and their properties as weather conditions shift and the UAE is bracing for rains and strong winds. The civic body shared preventive measures designed to help people navigate rainfall and st»»»

Bulgaria is expected to see mostly sunny skies on Thursday, according to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) forecast for December 18. Fog or low clouds will linger in many plains and lowland areas until midday, but visibility is expected to improve rapidly after a weak weste»»»

A three-year-old child was pronounced dead on arrival at Alexandroupoli University Hospital in northeastern Greece after being brought in by its mother in a severely malnourished condition. Local media reported that doctors observed signs consistent with prolonged and extreme malnutrition. The chil»»»

A 16-year-old student has been ordered held in custody after allegedly stabbing a classmate at a school in central Athens. Prosecutors are also investigating her parents for possible neglect. The attack took place around noon Monday at the 15th High School of Athens in Kypseli. Police said the two »»»

Abu Dhabi Police have warned the public about the spread of unauthorised QR code stickers in some locations, cautioning that they may be used in digital fraud schemes aimed at stealing banking and personal information. In a statement, the police said fraudsters have been placing counterfeit QR code»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah City Municipality has intensified its preparations for the upcoming rainy season, deploying 405 tankers and pumps and completing extensive maintenance works aimed at minimising water accumulation and ensuring smooth traffic flow across the emirate. The municipality said it has adop»»»

Pakistan’s information minister said Wednesday that his country has been the victim of a coordinated online disinformation campaign following the mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach. Attaullah Tarar accused “hostile countries,” including India, of spreading false claims that one of the two att»»»

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stressed that the State of Qatar is marking this year's anniversary of the founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, amid comprehensive achievements across all fields under the wise leadership»»»

Doha In a world rife with crises and conflicts and facing several challenges, the name of the State of Qatar stands out as a shining beacon of dialogue, mediation, and the promotion of peace, security, and stability around the world, thanks to the wise guidance and sound vision of His Highness the »»»

The Attorney General’s Office reported today that the Investigators into the falsification of civil status data found evidence of negligence in the management of the data system at the Sirte Central Civil Registry Office. They discovered irregularities involving the falsification of family records,»»»

Doha The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani participated in Qatar's Arda (traditional sword dance), which was held in the courtyard of Lusail Palace on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Qatar National Day. Personal Representative of HH the Amir HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, HH Sheikh Abd»»»

Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to fend off a hostile bid by Paramount Skydance to buy the company. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. Discovery's board of directors urged shareholders on Wednesday to reject the hostile takeover by Paramount Skydance. The board s»»»

Dubai: Unsettled weather conditions are expected across the UAE on Thursday, with clouds thickening over parts of the country and the risk of rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. The Centre said the weather will be partly cloudy to overcast, with th»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) launched the Maritime Bundle, the first of its kind worldwide, to unify maritime transport services under a comprehensive digital umbrella, offered to both national and foreign vessels calling at UAE ports. The launch ceremony drew the par»»»

Italy and France on Wednesday said they were not ready to back a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, dealing a blow to hopes of finalizing the deal in the coming days. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been expected to fly to B»»»

Bangkok: The latest round of Thailand-Cambodia conflict has left at least 19 Thai soldiers and 19 Thai civilians dead, with over 270,000 people displaced, Thailand's defense ministry announced on Wednesday. The ministry's spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said that from Tuesday night to early Wednesda»»»

The Libyan General Union of Chambers of Commerce reported last Monday (15 December) that the Second Session of the Libyan Indonesian Joint Committee convened in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Monday, to strengthen the existing friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries. The Libyan side wa»»»

Britain removed duplicate entries from some of its sanctions lists on Wednesday, the government said in a notice, as it moves to consolidate its designations under a single authority, Reuters reported. The update, which does no affect any restrictions already in place, eliminated four duplicate lis»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index closed lower on Wednesday, decreasing by 72.03 points, or 0.67 percent, to reach 10,654.65 points. During the session, a total of 166,818,535 shares were traded, with a value of QR 699,216,571.020, through 18,702 transactions across all sectors. The»»»

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab met Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with President Joseph Aoun. “We discussed the parliamentary (elections) juncture and the current hurdles that are in its way, seeing as bickering and provocation cannot lead to parliamentary elections,” Bou Saab said after the meeting»»»

Dubai: The UAE has sharply accelerated the processing of work permit quotas, cutting approval times from up to 10 days to just one second, as part of the country’s efforts to eliminate bureaucracy and embed artificial intelligence across government services. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emir»»»

The Prime Minister has said Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must "pay up now" to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action. Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that money from the sale of the club would be used to benefit victims of the Russian invas»»»

About once a week on average, Russia stages a massive combined drone and missile attack on Ukraine, usually targeting multiple cities. In the capital Kyiv alone, these attacks have killed more than 330 civilians since 2022. At least 900 others have been injured and thousands more have lost their pr»»»

Jamaican superstar Sean Paul is set to return to Bulgaria on May 13, 2026, with the Rise Jamaica concert at Vidas Art Arena, organized by Fest Team. Fourteen years after his first performance in the country, the artist brings a large-scale show promising to immerse fans in the vibrant rhythms of th»»»

Crude benchmarks were rising on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the US would put a stop to any traffic of sanctioned oil tankers in and out of Venezuela. The country's oil revenue is a lifeline for the Maduro government, which now mainly sells its barrels to China. Also in this editi»»»

DOHA: The Qatar Meteorology Department has forecast partly cloudy to cloudy weather on Thursday, with chances of rain beginning from Thursday afternoon and continuing into Friday. The department also warned of a noticeable drop in temperatures and an increased feeling of cold from Thursday evening,»»»

Dubai: Police have arrested a 52-year-old male teacher in Tondo, Manila, for allegedly maltreating a student whom he reportedly forced to consume a cockroach to ensure his silence regarding a separate molestation incident. The suspect, identified by authorities only as 'Nel,' was apprehended by Man»»»

Tunis, Dec. 17 (TAP)- A popular march in support of the July 25 process and President Kais Saied took, place Wednesday at Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis. The march was called by political parties and activists in commemoration of the...»»»

President Joseph Aoun announced Wednesday that he has resorted to negotiations with Israel in order to “consolidate security and stability, especially in the South,” stressing that “negotiation does not mean surrender.” “We are counting on the stances taken by U.S. President Donald Trump and his in»»»

1/5Residents capture rare scenes of snow settling on rocky slopes in Trojena.SPA2/5White blankets the mountains of Tabuk as rare snowfall draws residents and visitors outdoors.SPA3/5Cold conditions bring snowfall to higher elevations, offering a striking contrast to the desert climate.X4/5Snow clin»»»

BusinessVenezuelaVenezuela blockade: What it means for Maduro and oil marketsArthur SullivanUS President Donald Trump has threatened Venezuela with a naval blockade to thwart its oil exports — a move that would hit the Maduro government hard but may leave global oil markets unfazed. https://p.dw.co»»»

ConflictsAfghanistanIndia seizes Afghanistan trade opening amid Pakistan riftMurali Krishnan in New DelhiThe Pakistan-Afghanistan crisis and border closures are reshaping regional trade. India is capitalizing on the conflict by deepening economic ties and strategic engagement with Kabul. https://p.»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, talking to journalists in the parliamentary lobby on Wednesday, said that the best solution for the country is to adopt a completely new state budget. According to him, the current situation in parliament is absurd and unprecedented, as an attempt is being ma»»»