DONETSK (Sputnik) - Under the worst-case scenario, shelling of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant by the Ukrainian armed forces could lead to consequences comparable to the Chernobyl and Fukushima tragedies, power plant Director Yury Chernichuk told Sputnik. Yevgeniya Yashina, communications direct»»»

A unique commemorative medal dedicated to the great Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov has been created in Russia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported. The medal was produced at the Dubrovin Foundry on the initiative of its head, Ivan Dubrovin. It is made of pure 999-grade silver. The obverse features a profil»»»

A Bulgarian man from Chicago, Nenko Ganchev, 56, has died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, a private prison contracted by ICE, raising urgent calls for a full investigation, ABC7 Chicago and Bulgaria»»»

Bulgaria has opted not to join the newly established International Claims Commission for Ukraine, an initiative created under the Council of Europe to evaluate and determine compensation for destruction, loss, and injuries caused by Russian aggression, Dnevnik reported. Alongside Bulgaria, Hungary,»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov took part in the ceremony announcing bilateral documents as part of Central Asia + Japan Business Forum. The press service of the President reported. According to the press service, approximately 300 business representatives from Central Asian countries and Jap»»»

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh has accused Libya’s stakeholders of stalling political progress on the UN-backed roadmap intended to lead the country toward national election. “Four months have elapsed si»»»

In unusually blunt language, and following a visit by Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to Cairo, the Egyptian presidency issued a statement on the war in Sudan outlining three points it described as red lines. It said Egypt would not allow any of them to be»»»

The Supreme Administrative Court in Bulgaria has struck down part of the government decree that introduced the so-called weekend vignette, citing an error in the conversion of its price into euros. The ruling affects only the provision that set the vignette’s price at €5.12. In its decision, the co»»»

After weeks of tension, public protests and shifting budget drafts, the immediate budget crisis has been resolved. For the fourth time since the pandemic, the country will begin the year operating under an extended budget framework. Given the initial proposals and the developments that followed, th»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah on Saturday congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the second anniversary of His Highness the Amir's assumption of power.In a press release»»»

A Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 17 years in prison for corruption during his time in office, Dawn reported, marking another major legal setback for Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. Special Judge Shahrukh Arjumand of an anti-graft court handed Khan the ma»»»

Dubai: A Dubai civil court has ordered five men to jointly repay Dh600,000 stolen from a man after impersonating police officers. The court also directed them to pay Dh50,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, along with legal interest at 5 per cent from the date the case was filed. Th»»»

A blunt critique of Mexican bread by a British baker sparked a cascade of social media outrage, ultimately leading to a public apology. In an interview for a food-themed podcast that resurfaced online, Richard Hart, the co-founder of Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City and a well-known figure in inte»»»

The Dubai misdemeanours court has sentenced three Asian men to one month in prison, fined each Dh1,000, and ordered their deportation after convicting them of assaulting a neighbour in their residential building. Also Read: Dubai court fines man Dh4,000 for assaulting fiancée, overstaying visaAccor»»»

A wing of Yemen’s General People’s Congress (GPC) operating in areas under Houthi control has moved to consolidate its alignment with the Iran-backed group, dismissing the party’s secretary general, Ghazi Ali al-Ahwal, and replacing Ahmed Ali Saleh, son of the late Yemeni president, with a figure c»»»

A SpiceJet passenger has accused an Air India Express pilot of assaulting him over an alleged queue dispute at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1, sparking widespread attention on social media. Also Read: Kerala man arrested for harassment on Dubai-Hyderabad flightHow the incident hap»»»

TEHRAN, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has never rejected negotiations grounded in respect for the country's legal rights."Iran has never rejected negotiations and dialogue based on respect for the Iranian nation's legal rights and legitimate interests," Araghc»»»

Damascus, Dec.20 (SANA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates affirmed Syria’s commitment to combating ISIS and ensuring that the organization has no safe havens on its territory, calling on the US and member states of the International Coalition to join in supporting Syria’s efforts against »»»

New satellite imagery shows recent activity at the Natanz nuclear facility that was damaged during June's 12-day war with Israel, according to the US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). During the June conflict, the IAEA confirmed Israeli strikes hit Iran's Natanz undergr»»»

In a post published in his Facebook profile on Friday, shortly before midnight, There Is Such a People (TISP) leader Slavi Trifonov commented on the reports of two journalists and morning talk show hosts fired from bTV and the call for protests that followed earlier Friday. Trifonov stated that bTV»»»

From the Philippines being named Asia’s Best Retirement Destination to hailstorms and thunderstorms sweeping Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, this week brought a mix of global recognition and extreme weather. Lightning struck the Burj Khalifa as Dubai prepared for more rain, while UAE residents plan lon»»»

The committee overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, known as the “mechanism,” convened its 15th meeting in Naqoura, the second to include civilian representatives, with renewed focus on the return of residents to their homes on both sides of the border. The statement issued after the»»»

Coldest: 3.5°C at Jebel Jais Winter chills: Sharp drop across UAE Rain cleared: Heavy system over Showers possible / cold nights Weekend ready: Ideal for outdoor plans UAE wakes up to its coldest morningWinter has made a dramatic entrance across the UAE, with temperatures dipping to 3.5°C early Sat»»»

US President Donald Trump refused to rule out going to war with Venezuela in an NBC interview published on Friday, days after he ordered a naval blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela. The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on family members and associates of Ni»»»

Speaking after a tense EU summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Orbán described the meeting not as a political consultation but as a war council. “Yesterday, the European Council held a meeting under unusually tense circumstances, dealing with the most difficult question imaginable. It wasn’t really a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The eleventh edition of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption concluded its work in Doha with the adoption of the Doha Declaration 2025. A statement issued by the Conference affirmed that the Doha Declaration delivered a clear message »»»

Irishman Diarmuid Early emerged onto the HyperX arena in Las Vegas under the bright lights, dramatic music, and fanfare worthy of any major sporting final. Only this time, instead of a ball there was a keyboard and mouse, and the playing field a humble desktop setup. Dubbed the "LeBron James of Exc»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused the illegitimate regime in Venezuela of cooperating with criminals that threaten the national security of the United States. Rubio said Friday the regime of President Nicolas Maduro openly cooperates with Iran, Hezbollah, and drug trafficking groups. “T»»»

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- The "Operation Hawkeye Strike", launched by the U.S. army against so-called ISIS or Daesh targets in Syria, is expected to last several weeks, according to a U.S. offiical."The strikes are expected to last several weeks or up to a month," the source was quoted by NBC Ne»»»

Taipei: Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te pledged a full, public inquiry into a deadly metro attack as he visited hospitals on Saturday. A 27-year-old suspect set off smoke bombs in Taipei's main metro station during the Friday evening rush hour before launching into a stabbing rampage, according to »»»

The French government held talks with farmers' unions on Friday and warned against staging further blockades during the Christmas holiday season after days of angry protests over a mass cull of cows ordered in response to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease. The French government on Friday warne»»»

Israel has effectively turned the “yellow line” marked on the Gaza withdrawal map, part of a phased pullback agreed under the October ceasefire, into a de facto firing line, where approaching civilians are routinely shot, according to Palestinian officials, underscoring a widening pattern of Israel»»»

Tokyo: Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totaling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo vies for influence in the resource-rich region. The announcement came after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted an inaugural summit with the leaders of five Central Asia nations -»»»

Since 2020, the budget of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) has increased more than sixfold, the ministry’s press service reported. It was noted that over this period, the ministry’s economic entities generated a profit of 240.8 million soms, whereas five years ago they were opera»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov spoke at the first Central Asia—Japan Summit in Tokyo. The presidential press service reported. He emphasized that the summit reflects a shared aspiration to elevate the partnership between the Central Asian countries and Japan to a qualitatively new level. «Si»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev congratulated employees and veterans of the national security agencies on their professional holiday. In his address, he highlighted the key achievements of the agency in recent years. Fight against corruption and crime »»»

US fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery hit more than 70 targets across central Syria on Friday, the Pentagon said, in a major military operation against ISIS. "We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our partners across the region," said Admiral »»»

DOHA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his confidence that several countries will send troops to participate in the planned international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip. During a press conference, Rubio said, "I am very confident that we have a number of countries acceptable to al»»»

A man with at least one knife and smoke grenades attacked crowds indiscriminately in Taiwan's capital on Friday evening, killing at least three people and injuring 11 others, according to the national news agency and the city government. The suspect later fell to his death from a department store b»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced the Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria against the IS/ISIS* terrorist group in response to the attack on US soldiers in Palmyra. "Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, i»»»

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has sharply criticized statements made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that Rubio’s remarks demonstrate hatred toward Latin America and the Caribbean and mask a desire to plunder the region's resources. "The press conference »»»

The US justice department has released an initial tranche of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents, which include photos, videos and investigative documents, were highly anticipated after Congress passed a law mandating the files be released in their entirety by Friday. The Department»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Department of Justice made public thousands of documents concerning the late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, releasing them just hours before the deadline. The web page on the Department of Justice's site, whi»»»

The State Tax Service, together with the operator Uchkun OJSC, has summed up the results of operation of the fuel marking system. As of December 1 this year, a total of 2,142,200 tons of gasoline and diesel fuel have undergone the marking procedure, the agency’s press service reported. According to»»»

Due to dense fog, Manas International Airport is currently not accepting flights. The information was confirmed to 24.kg news agency by the airport’s information service. Fog has been observed since last evening, and some flights have been delayed or diverted to other cities. For up-to-date informa»»»

The US Justice Department began releasing several hundred thousand documents Friday from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with more files to be published over the coming weeks. The publication marks the clearest opportunity yet to shed light on a politically explo»»»

The WHO and its partners have evacuated more than 10,600 patients from Gaza with severe health conditions, including more than 5,600 children, since the start of the war, the head of the UN health agency said Friday, adding that 1,092 patients are known to have died while awaiting medical evac»»»

Sreenivasan, the acclaimed Malayalam actor, screenwriter, director, and producer, passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. He had been receiving treatment at his home in Udayamperoor, near Kochi, for a long-standing illness. He breathed his last at Trippunithura Taluk Hospital, where he had been b»»»

During a working visit to Osh State University, Acting Minister of Health Kanybek Dosmambetov met with faculty and students of the Faculty of Medicine. During an open dialogue, he emphasized that the visit was aimed not only at familiarizing with the clinic’s operations but also at personally commu»»»

A financial literacy manual for migrant workers and their families was presented in Bishkek. The National Bank reported. According to the National Bank, the authors attempted to answer one of the most pressing questions: «Why does money earned abroad often not work for the future of the family?» «T»»»