Pyongyang has shared new images of its first nearly completed nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally inspected the vessel. Kim hailed its construction as an “epoch-making crucial change,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday. »»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has given a positive assessment of a conversation he had with US envoys on how to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelensky said Thursday's call with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which lasted nearky an hour, had yielded "new ideas in terms of formats, meetings,»»»

The National Capital Planning Commission will review the Trump administration's plans to modernize the White House's East Wing, including ballroom construction, during a Jan. 8 meeting. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The National Capital Planning Commission has added»»»

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

Tribune News Network Doha Ooredoo Qatar, the nation’s leading telecommunications provider, has announced the launch of its new eSIM solution for Internet of Things (IoT) Devices, developed to support enterprises in simplifying device management, enhancing security, and scaling IoT operations across»»»

Tribune News Network Doha The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG), a member of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has collaborated with Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Herfah Programme to develop the first Dye Plants Garden at the historic Al Khater house in Education City. This initiative bridges traditional »»»

Istanbul officials on Thursday announced they detained 115 suspected members of ISIS who were planning terror attacks in Turkey aimed at mostly non-Muslim people at Christmas and New Year events, such as the Christmas mass at Saint Antuan Church pictured in 2022. File Photo by Erdem Sahin/EPA Dec. »»»

The Polish Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept a Russian military reconnaissance aircraft near Polish airspace over the Baltic Sea on Thursday amid heightened tensions in Eastern Europe. Photo by Jakub Karczmarczyk/EPA Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Polish Air Force fighters intercepted a Russian milit»»»

Dubai: Oil prices barely moved in Christmas Eve trading as thin holiday volumes and mixed supply signals kept markets cautious, even as geopolitical friction rose between the United States and Venezuela. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped three cents to trade near $58 a barrel, ending a five-day»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 get underway in Doha on Friday, with Qatar hosting the elite global event until December 30. The tournament brings together the world's leading players to compete for four world titles in rapid and blitz chess across the men's and women»»»

The Christmas holiday exodus from cities is continuing, with traffic conditions showing marked improvement after widespread disruption caused by farmers’ road blockades earlier in the week. According to police, negotiations between farmers and traffic authorities helped ease congestion at several k»»»

Dubai: Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai, has praised Dubai Airports for ensuring a smooth and efficient arrival experience for visitors, following an inspection tour on Thursday. In a statement, »»»

Mr. Arqilea Koça has been appointed as the new Deputy General Prosecutor. The decision was taken by the General Prosecutor, Mr. Olsian Çela, taking into consideration the opinions of the prosecutors within the General Prosecutor’s Office during the relevant meeting.Mr. Koça currently serves as the »»»

Tunis, Dec 25 (TAP) - The Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) called for the establishment of a new productive pact, aimed at rebuilding an entrepreneurial model grounded in competitiveness, transparency, and sustainability. In the first...»»»

2025 has yielded some extraordinary own goals that have exposed the posturing of Western politicians and left the EU isolated, irrelevant, and alone, pursuing policies contrary to self-interest. Unwelcome stories often cling to reality, like an alien to John Hurt’s face. And just as the notorious s»»»

Damascus, Dec. 25 (SANA) First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Mokhles Nazer said on Thursday that removing zeros from the new currency does not constitute a change in the Syrian pound’s purchasing power, but rather an attempt to restore it to its natural place in people’s lives and or»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) has launched a new Indoor Air Quality Observatory, known as HawAQM, to closely monitor air quality inside buildings across the emirate. The initiative is a key project under ADPHC’s public health strategy and aims to improve living, learning and»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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. »»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

STARA PAZOVA - Nottingham Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic and Spartak Moscow midfielder Tijana Filipovic claimed on Thursday the 2025 Football Association of Serbia (FSS) Golden Ball awards as Players of the Year. Head coach of the Serbia women's national football team Lidija Stojkanovic was name»»»

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: 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»»»

Suze Lopez holds her baby boy on her lap and marvels at the remarkable way he came into the world. Before little Ryu was born, he developed outside his mom’s womb, hidden by a basketball-sized ovarian cyst — a dangerous situation so rare that his doctors plan to write about the case for a medical j»»»

Damascus, Dec. 25 (SANA) Syria is set to introduce a new national currency starting January 1, 2026, the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdulkader Husarieh, announced on Thursday. Husarieh described the move, outlined in Decree No. 293 of 2025, as a “pivotal national milestone” and the begi»»»

Fujairah: Fujairah Police have completed their security and traffic preparations for New Year’s Eve, announcing a comprehensive plan aimed at ensuring the safety and smooth movement of residents and visitors across the emirate. Police said the comprehensive security readiness plan combines heighten»»»

Dubai: The newly established Dubai Film Development Committee, formed under the Dubai Media Council to drive growth in the emirate’s film sector, held its first meeting at the Council’s headquarters. The session focused on reviewing the committee’s mandate, discussing its operational framework, and»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Thursday Russian shareholders in the Serbian oil company NIS were in talks with Hungary's MOL about exiting ownership of NIS and that they had contacted the US Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) to ensure the »»»

​Syria will start swapping ‌old bank ‌notes ‌for ⁠new ​ones ‌under a plan to replace ⁠Assad-era ‌notes starting ‍from ‍January ‍1st 2026, Syria's ​Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh ⁠said on Thursday, Reuters reported.»»»

Greek coastguard were searching Thursday for a missing child off the island of Farmakonisi after rescuing 52 migrants in two separate incidents in the Aegean Sea, local media reported. They found 13 migrants who had arrived on the small, uninhabited island, but one boy was reported missing from the»»»