Beijing: China firmly opposed Israel's formal recognition of Somaliland as an "independent sovereign state" and its agreement to "establish diplomatic relations" with it, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Monday. "China firmly supports Somalia's sovereignty, unity and territorial in»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut on Monday received a farewell visit from Ukrainian Ambassador to Belgrade Volodymyr Tolkach, with whom he discussed the current international circumstances and bilateral relations. "Macut underlined that Serbia uses every opportunity to call for peace and expressed»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Shura Council convened Monday at its headquarters, chaired by HE Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. The session was attended by representatives from various ministries and authorities, alongside sports media practitioners, opinion writers, and individuals interested in social a»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanon, Egypt Sign Natural Gas MoU to Support Power Generation, Supply Deir Ammar Power Plant 29-12-2025 18:27 PM Lebanon and Egypt signed»»»

Iraq's parliament on Monday elected a new speaker following overnight talks to break a political deadlock. Haibet Al-Halbousi received 208 votes from the 309 legislators who attended, according to The AP news. He is a member of the Takadum, or Progress, party led by ousted speaker and relative Moha»»»

Police have arrested a 39-year-old man accused of carrying out 16 burglaries at luxury residences across Attica, along with an accomplice, stealing more than €1 million in cash and jewelry. The criminal group was primarily active during the summer months, taking advantage of homeowners’ absence whi»»»

GOLUBAC - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he was satisfied with implementation of infrastructure projects in the "challenging" year of 2025 and added that he expected Serbia's economic growth rate to exceed 3 pct from 2026, which he noted would make Serbia one of the best countrie»»»

US President Donald Trump was shocked and outraged by the attempt to attack the state residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov said. "US President was shocked by this news, literally outraged, saying he could never have imagined such crazy actions," he to»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump talk with reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., in February. Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Trump Monday in Florida. File Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netany»»»

The UK is witnessing the largest and most significant prison hunger strike since 1981. Since the beginning of November, a total of eight activists in pretrial detention for standing up against the Gaza Genocide, have been protesting against Israel’s continuing mass murder, Britain’s complicity, and»»»

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a "positive call" regarding the peace settlement in Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. "President Trump has concluded a positive call with President Putin concerning Ukraine," Leavitt said via X.O»»»

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales(R09) arrives at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, August 28, 2025. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Dec. 27 (Asia Today) -- China's push to become a major aircraft carrier power, which gained momentum after i»»»

President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh received Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir, along with a delegation representing leading Egyptian public- and private-sector companies specialising in infrastructure, transport and»»»

A 35-year-old man who is allegedly a member of a major crime group led by a well-known criminal nicknamed “Entik” has been remanded in custody after testifying before an investigating magistrate. Since March, a warrant has been pending against the man for involvement in the murder of mobster Vangel»»»

Skopje, 29 December 2025 (MIA) — Skopje Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski met Monday with the city's firefighter of the year, police officer of the year and blood donor of the year and awarded them the City of Skopje's annual awards recognizing their achievements. According to the City of Skopje in a press r»»»

BusinessTaiwanRussian energy: Taiwan's hidden risk in a China conflict?Arthur SullivanDespite vows to cut back, Russian hydrocarbons continue flowing to Taiwan, making it Moscow's biggest buyer of the naphta derivative, and raising concerns over energy dependence. https://p.dw.com/p/55cjOTaiwan con»»»

Abu Dhabi: Seventeen-year-old Emirati drifting talent Khalifa Alfalasi delivered an outstanding performance by securing third place in the Pro Class at Round 1 of the Emirates Drift Championship, held as part of the Liwa International Festival 2026. Competing against 42 professional drift drivers f»»»

Sharjah Police have reviewed final security and organisational preparations for the New Year’s Eve 2026 celebrations during a high-level coordination meeting chaired by Major General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police. The meeting, part of the 13th session of the Suprem»»»

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Ukraine had tried to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence ‌in the Novgorod ‌region and so ‌Moscow's ⁠negotiating ​position ‌would be reviewed. Lavrov said that on Dec. 28-29, Ukraine had attacked the Russian president's state residen»»»

Damascus, Dec. 29 (SANA) The Central Bank of Syria will illuminate its facade this evening in the colors of the Syrian national flag, before transitioning to a visual display of the new currency denominations, Central Bank Governor Abdulkader Husrieh said on Monday in a post on Facebook. Husrieh sa»»»

Hamas' armed wing confirmed on Monday the death of its spokesperson, Abu Obeida, months after Israel announced that he had been killed in an air strike in Gaza. Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades released a video statement on its Telegram channel, saying: "We pause in reverence before... the masked man lo»»»

British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria, which killed two other people. The former world champion was travelling in a vehicle that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos. Photos from the scene showed the 36-year-old being helped»»»

BusinessGermanyFax and furious: Why Germany struggles to go digitalNicolas Martin | Andreas BeckerGermany, the land of tech pioneers, still relies on fax and paper for basic public services. Why is digital government stuck in the slow lane while Denmark and India race ahead? https://p.dw.com/p/55Yd»»»

Lebanon said Monday it plans to purchase natural gas from Egypt, seeking to reduce its reliance on fuel oil for its ageing power plants in a country hamstrung by regular electricity cuts. The electricity sector has cost Lebanon more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, and suc»»»

President Donald Trump displays a chart comparing the size of a data center to the Island of Manhattan during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The proliferation of data centers»»»

The suspect in the stabbing of three women in the Paris metro last week is French, the interior ministry said Monday, after previously saying he was an undocumented Malian ordered to leave the country. A source with knowledge of the case, requesting anonymity because not allowed to speak to the pre»»»

Moscow: The Russian presidency (the Kremlin) has affirmed that it concurs with US President Donald Trump's assessment that the parties are close to reaching a settlement in Ukraine. Moscow agrees with Trump's remarks on the parties being close to reaching a solution for the conflict and the negotia»»»

US President Donald Trump says he has no desire to travel to Ukraine but may agree to do so if it helps end Kiev’s conflict with Russia. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has been urging the US president to visit for months, suggesting that Trump’s sympathies could be swayed if he personally witne»»»

A new phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will take place in the very near future, the Kremlin has just announced. The US and Russian leaders have spoken on the phone nine times before, each call tackling critical global issues. Putin and Trump la»»»

Dubai Police organised a community awareness event in the Al Ttay area to promote security and traffic awareness among workers. The initiative was part of the Al Khawaneej Community Forum and carried out in cooperation with strategic partners. Also Read: Stay alert: Abu Dhabi Police educates worker»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Sunday, ahead of key talks aimed at finalizing a plan to end the Ukraine war. Photo courtesy Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/UPI | License Photo Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President »»»

Parking at the chairlift serving the Seven Rila Lakes will cost 5 euros from the New Year, replacing the current flat fee of 5 leva, regardless of how long vehicles remain there, the Municipality of Sapareva Banya confirmed to Bulgarian National Radio. The hourly rate in the town’s blue parking zon»»»

British boxer Anthony Joshua arrives for his non-title heavyweight bout against US boxer and influencer Jake Paul at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on December 19, 2025. Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was injured in a fatal highway accident that killed two people on December »»»

Dubai: Highlighting the growing role of overseas Pakistanis in strengthening economic relations between Pakistan and the UAE, Ali Zeb Khan, Trade and Investment Counsellor at the Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai, said that structured platforms like the Chinar Business Conference (CBC) are vital »»»

China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and missile units to conduct joint live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on alert and called the Chinese govern»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov Monday hailed billions in a new National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) payment, claimed credit for all payments under this Plan and slammed the opposition for any delays. "The Bulgarian State’s portfolio for Bulgarian businesses is up by several billion levs," Boris»»»

President Joseph Aoun on Monday hoped the new year will witness “a new birth of Lebanon, so that it becomes a state of institutions, away from the state of sects.” “History has proven that the Lebanese Army has saved Lebanon many times, and the future will prove that it is Lebanon's only savior, be»»»

Palm Beach: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan. Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes o»»»

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) says it would stand firmly against any unrest or territorial aggression, warning adversaries against miscalculation. In a statement issued on Monday to mark the anniversary of the 2009 nationwide rallies in support of the Islamic Republic held on the 9th of»»»

Doha, Qatar: National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) announced the convention of its fourth national forum titled "Human Rights at the Core of Combating Drugs: Challenges and Prospects for Sustainable Solutions", to be held on January 20 and 21, 2026, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior. Th»»»

TUNIS, Dec. 29 (TAP) – Tunisia’s investment policy is based on guaranteeing freedom of investment, protecting the rights of both domestic and foreign investors, and continuously improving the services provided to them, Minister of Economy and...»»»

DUBAI - Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic was honoured with the Globe Sports Award in Dubai on Sunday. Djokovic received the award from Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Arabic-language media reported. The award, handed out by Globe Soccer Award, was introduced this year to recognise "exc»»»

DOHA: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) announced the convention of its fourth national forum titled 'Human Rights at the Core of Combating Drugs: Challenges and Prospects for Sustainable Solutions', to be held on January 20 and 21, 2026, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior. The f»»»

Dubai: Sharjah has approved a Dh44.5 billion general budget for 2026, setting out a measured but expansive spending plan that prioritises infrastructure, economic competitiveness and social stability, while responding to a more uncertain global backdrop of inflation, higher interest rates and geopo»»»

The boss of cinema chain Everyman has stepped down less than three weeks after the company warned trading had been weaker than expected. Everyman Media Group said on Monday that Alex Scrimgeour was leaving with immediate effect and would be replaced on an interim basis by non-executive director Far»»»

Political opposition leaders in the United Kingdom have called for a human rights activist to be stripped of his citizenship over past social media posts allegedly containing violent and antisemitic language within days of the dual national returning to Britain after years in Egyptian prisons. The »»»

Damascus, Dec. 29 (SANA) The Central Bank of Syria’s announcement of a new currency and the removal of two zeros from its nominal value underscores that currency reform is not an isolated measure or a temporary procedure, but part of a broader, integrated economic strategy.Central Bank Governor Abd»»»

Dubai: The 24-day ‘Hatta Unites Us’ festival, part of the popular #Hatta_Winter initiative, concluded with resounding success, attracting 20,000 visitors and generating Dh300,000 in revenue. Showcasing the talent and resilience of home-based entrepreneurs, the festival emerged as a dynamic platform»»»

Dubai: As the world prepares to ring in 2026, Dubai is already refining the final touches of a massive security and logistics plan designed to keep millions of revellers safe. Major General Hareb Al Shamsi, Acting Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, has chaired a high-level meeting to ensure the ci»»»

Following a U.S. mediation, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed to open a new chapter of cooperation between them, especially in files related to Lebanon and Syria, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday. Doha had on Sunday witnessed a meeting over the Lebanese file between State Minister at the Qat»»»