Abu Dhabi: The garden city of Al Ain has been crowned the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2026, marking another proud milestone for the UAE. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The announcement was made during the 28th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism in Bag»»»

GRAZ - Serbian football champions Red Star Belgrade defeated Austrian side Sturm Graz 1-0 away in a UEFA Europa League Match Day 6 game on Thursday evening. Mirko Ivanic headed the ball home in the 55th minute after a Timi Max Elsnik corner. In the 52nd minute, Red Star's Nair Tiknizyan had a goal »»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3559 dinars for one euro on Friday, which is a slight change relative to Thursday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is down by 0.1 pct against the euro m-o-m and by 0.3 pct y-o-y and relative to the begi»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov addressed the International Forum «Peace and Trust: Unity of Goals for a Sustainable Future.» The event is dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust (2025), the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s Permanent N»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday, commenting on Volodymyr Zelensky's idea of holding a referendum on the territorial issue, that the entire Donbass is Russian territory in accordance with the Russian Constitution. On Thursday, Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne reported that »»»

The UK's economy shrank unexpectedly in the lead up to the Budget, according to the latest official figures. The economy contracted by 0.1% in October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, whereas economists had been expecting it to grow by 0.1%. The economy also shrank by 0.1% in the thr»»»

BusinessChinaWhy US giant Chevron, not China, may save oil-rich VenezuelaAstrid Prange de OliveiraChevron is driving Venezuela's oil rebound while China is pulling back. As President Nicolas Maduro's fate grows uncertain, Washington's renewed leverage is reshaping the country's economic and geopoli»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised his country's military modernization efforts at a key ruling party meeting, state-run media reported Friday. In this photo, Kim is seen speaking Tuesday during the second day of the plenary meeting of the Workers' Party Central Committee. Photo by KCNA/EPA SE»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces HE Dr. William Samoei Ruto on the anniversary of his country's Independence Day.»»»

Brussels, Belgium: It is no secret that a tabby named Larry wields considerable power in Downing Street. Now in Belgium, a rescue cat named Maximus has shot to social media stardom as bewhiskered sidekick and PR weapon of Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Taken in from a shelter by the Flemish conserva»»»

Tunis, 12 Dec. 2025 (TAP) – A workshop on Tunisia’s National Electric Mobility Strategy was held on Wednesday, December 10, in Tunis. It brought together leading public and private stakeholders.The event was organized as part of the E-mobility...»»»

Canada has introduced an expedited 14-day work permit processing time for certain doctors. The "Express Entry" measure, announced on December 8, forms part of a new set of immigration pathways designed to address critical healthcare shortages and help foreign-trained physicians gain permanent resid»»»

US President Donald Trump has said that there are prospects for “a real peace in the Middle East.” When asked by a reporter at the White House about reports that he was planning to appoint an American two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, Trump said Thursd»»»

An oil tanker seized by US forces off Venezuela’s coast will be taken to a US port, the White House said on Thursday, heightening tensions between the two countries. Washington said it took control of the vessel in a helicopter raid targeting assets linked to President Nicolas Maduro’s government. »»»

A solemn ceremony was held today in Osh city to unveil a monument to the prominent poet and thinker Alisher Navoi. The event was attended by Osh Mayor Zhenishbek Toktorbaev, the Presidential Envoy to Osh region Amankan Kenzhebaev, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy Ask»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Energy Taalaibek Ibraev proposed that Turkey consider cooperation in the coal sector. He made the statement during a meeting with Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar. The two officials discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and the impl»»»

On December 10, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Turkey Ruslan Kazakbaev met with the Chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, Gürsel Baran. During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Kyrgyzstan-Turkey trade and economic cooperation, noting its steady positive dynami»»»

ASHGABAT (Sputnik) - Relations between Russia and Iran are developing very positively, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. "I would like to note that relations between our countries are developing very positively," Putin said at a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Russi»»»

French indie sensation "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" on Thursday stole the spotlight at the Game Awards in Los Angeles, taking home a record nine prizes including Game of the Year. Created by Montpellier-based studio Sandfall Interactive, the post-apocalyptic RPG triumphed over industry heavyweight»»»

Bangkok: Indonesia's deadly flooding was an "extinction-level disturbance" for the world's rarest great ape, the tapanuli orangutan, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects, scientists warned on Friday. Only scientifically classified as a species in 2017, tapanulis are inc»»»

Dubai: For Maanvi Ghangroo, stepping into the universe of Four More Shots Please! has been more than a role—it’s been a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and sisterhood. Nine years into the show’s run, the final season releases on Prime Video on December 19, and Maanvi, who plays Siddhi Patel»»»

A series of Israeli strikes hit south and east Lebanon on Friday, state media reported, as Israel's army said it was targeting Hezbollah sites, the latest such raids despite a year-old ceasefire. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes in around a dozen locations, including »»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to experience a spell of unsettled weather in the coming days, with forecasts indicating rainfall, thunderstorms, and occasional strong winds linked to a developing low-pressure system. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said the country will be influenced by a surface l»»»

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan and caused small tsunami waves but no apparent damage Friday, days after a stronger quake in the same region. Friday's quake occurred off the east coast of Aomori prefecture, in the north of Honshu, the main Japanese island, at a depth of 20 kilom»»»

ASHGABAT (Sputnik) - Relations between Moscow and Ashgabat are actively developing, thanks in part to the friendly ties between the two countries' leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the national leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of th»»»

Designed to guide loitering munitions to their targets, the SKAT-350M is a Kalashnikov Concern-built long-range reconnaissance drone with a 240 km reach, 100 km video and radio linkup, 4-hour endurance time, and anti-FPV capabilities. Complementing it is the KUB-2E, another Kalashnikov product with»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- The price of Kuwaiti oil dropped 64 cents to reach USD 60.79 per barrel (pb) on Thursday, compared to USD 61.43 pb the previous day, said the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Friday.In global markets, Brent crude and the West Texas Intermediate went down 93 cents and 8»»»

Photo feature by Abdullah Al-Mhareb KUWAIT, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- Blankets of dense fog covered most cities across Kuwait on Friday, creating rare and striking scenes in which skyscrapers appeared to rise above the cloud layer, drawing the attention of photographers eager to capture the exceptional mome»»»

Blankets of dense fog covered most cities across Kuwait on Friday, creating rare and striking scenes»»»

President Donald Trump is "extremely frustrated" with both Kyiv and Moscow as efforts to negotiate an end to the nearly four-year war stall, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday. While the US pushes for action, Russia said Friday it destroyed 90 Ukrainian drones overn»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was surprised that his Lebanese counterpart declined an invitation to visit Iran, proposing instead to meet Araghchi in a "neutral third country". Minister Youssef Rajji said on Wednesday that he could not accept Araghchi's invitation to visit Tehran »»»

Doha, Qatar: Jordan will look to maintain their flawless momentum when they face regional rivals Iraq in a highly anticipated FIFA Arab Cup quarter-final at Education City Stadium today. The Nashama have been one of the standout teams of the tournament, sweeping through a challenging Group C with v»»»

India’s aviation regulator has dismissed four key flight inspectors and intensified its scrutiny of IndiGo as the airline’s ongoing operational crisis continues to disrupt travel nationwide. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) removed the inspectors — Rish Raj Chatterjee, Seema Jhamnan»»»

The US Treasury imposed new sanctions Thursday against three of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's relatives as well as six companies shipping the South American country's oil. The move came as the White House said it will bring an oil tanker seized by American forces off the Venezuelan coast to a »»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Friday voted, 227-0 with no abstentions, to accept the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. Zhelyazkov announced the resignation at an emergency news conference in the National Assembly on Thursday, just minutes before the MPs were to take a vot»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Bank of Russia said on Friday that it had filed a statement of claim with the Moscow Arbitration Court against the Euroclear depository for recovery of losses caused to the regulator. "In connection with the illegal actions of the Euroclear depository causing losses to the Ba»»»

ASHGABAT (Sputnik) - The search for solutions to problems in the international arena should be conducted taking into account the positions and opinions of all countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. "Established 80 years ago, it [the UN] still fulfills its mission with dignity a»»»

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - The Venezuelan parliament said it voted to repeal the law endorsing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). "The National Assembly of Venezuela has approved the repeal of the law endorsing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court," the parlia»»»

Mohammad Monsor Azad Fazlul, a Bangladeshi expat living in Ras Al Khaimah for the past six years, has finally struck luck with Big Ticket – winning a Dh100,000 cash prize.The 42-year-old businessman is a regular player for the past two years – purchasing tickets every month. Also Read: Bangladeshi »»»

“Vazrazhdane” will support the government’s resignation but is simultaneously pushing for a major shift in Bulgaria’s eurozone timetable, party leader Kostadin Kostadinov announced in Parliament today. “We will vote for the cabinet’s resignation. But today, ‘Vazrazhdane’ will submit a draft resolut»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar and Saudi Arabia played out a 1-1 draw in their final Group A fixture of the AGCFF Under-23 Gulf Cup at Aspire Academy yesterday, with both sides already assured of a place in the semi-finals. Qatar struck first through Mustafa Al Sayed in the 24th minute after a composed attacki»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Observation Programme is underway in Qatar, bringing together 55 representatives from football associations from across the world for five days of knowledge sharing and hands-on experience. The initiative is organised by the tournament Local Organising Comm»»»

Dubai: A powerful roar breaks the stillness of Gir National Park before the silhouette of a lioness emerges, a striking reminder of how sustained conservation has brought the Asiatic lion back from the brink of extinction. Gir National Park, spread across nearly 1,900 square kilometres of savannah »»»

Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 years ago. The findings, described in the journal Nature, push back the earlie»»»

Indonesia's deadly flooding was an "extinction-level disturbance" for the world's rarest great ape, the tapanuli orangutan, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects, scientists warned on Friday. Only scientifically classified as a species in 2017, tapanulis are incredibly r»»»

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has renewed Moscow’s offer to mediate efforts aimed at launching a political process to end the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Lavrov said Russia is prepared, with the consent of the Sudanese government, to “facilitate the search for practical solutions,” calling »»»

Russia will draw the necessary conclusions after London acknowledged that it has personnel involved in the Ukraine conflict, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Earlier this week, London conceded that British paratroopers have been operating in Ukraine after confirming a British serviceman had»»»

The US is secretly planning to create a five-nation power bloc with Russia, China, India and Japan to sideline the Western-dominated G7, several media outlets have reported. The idea was reportedly outlined in a longer unpublished draft of the US National Security Strategy released by the administr»»»