Tunis, Dec. 18 (TAP)- The stock market closed Thursday’s session on a positive note, rising 0.3% to 13,220.3 points on a solid trading volume of 14.3 million dinars, according to broker Tunisie Valeurs.The session was marked by two block trades on...»»»

General Rudolf Heikal, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, met with French Chief of Defence Staff Fabien Mandon on Thursday to discuss strategic security challenges as international powers move to formalise a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah. The meeting in Paris, attended by repr»»»

The final day of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 is here, featuring two decisive clashes as Saudi Arabia faces the UAE in the third-place playoff, before Jordan and Morocco battle it out under the lights in the grand final. Who will finish strong, and who will lift the trophy tonight at Lusail? ⚽⚽ Sta»»»

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A 92-year-old Japanese grandmother showed off her skills at popular video game Tekken 8 and was named the winner of an esports tournament. The Care eSports Association, an organization specializing in video game tournaments for senior citizens, announced its 12th biannual tournamen»»»

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A bus driver in Brisbane, Australia, spotted a koala darting through traffic on a busy road and brought the animal aboard the vehicle to wait for rescuers. Koala Rescue Brisbane South said on social media that the Brisbane CityGlider bus driver spotted the koala on Wiles Street at »»»

Dubai: As a low-pressure system continues to affect parts of the UAE, bringing fluctuating weather conditions to several regions, authorities have reaffirmed their full readiness to respond to any developments through an integrated national coordination framework aimed at protecting lives and prope»»»

The head of the UN refugee agency in Lebanon said Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country. The US Senate voted Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administration»»»

Bulgaria is ready to act as a responsible and active partner within the European Union’s monetary union, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said Thursday during meetings with EU leaders in Brussels ahead of the European Council session, the government press office reported. Zhelyazkov told European Co»»»

A Bulgarian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Anguelieva, who is the National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, took part in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's winter plenary session in Jerusalem from December 14 to 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The d»»»

Tunis, Dec. 18 (TAP) - Weather conditions on Thursday evening will be favorable for scattered rainfall, with temporary thunderstorms in the south, and occasionally heavy rain in the southwest, according to forecasts by the National Institute of...»»»

Moderna announced a $54.3 billion investment from CEPI to fund its Phase 3 trial of a bird flu vaccine. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced it will invest up to $54.3 million with Moderna to fund a Phase 3 »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met on Thursday in Belgrade with Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, who is on an official visit to Serbia. "Welcoming the President of Georgia, Macut emphasised that this visit is an excellent opportunity to discuss numerous opportunities for deepening the co»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Armed Forces have unleashed massive strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and drone production sites, the Defense Ministry revealed in a statement on Thursday. "Operational-tactical aviation, strike drones, missile troops, and artillery struck energy infrastructure f»»»

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has urged private sector establishments in areas most affected by the prevailing weather conditions to implement remote work tomorrow, Friday, December 19th. This directive applies to roles whose nature permits it, aiming to preserve employe»»»

Sharjah is set to welcome 2026 with a large-scale New Year’s Eve programme that blends fireworks, family entertainment and immersive experiences across the emirate. The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), in collaboration with the Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority»»»

On Friday, most lowland areas and valleys will experience cloudy skies and fog, while the mountains will enjoy mostly sunny conditions, according to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) forecast for December 19. By late afternoon, a northeast wind will begin to pick up and bec»»»

The firm behind President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform is merging with a Google-backed energy company in a deal valued at more than $6bn (£4.4bn). Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and TAE Technologies announced the plans on Thursday in a joint statement, which said the move would "crea»»»

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ranked second globally in the Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025, placing just behind Germany among 193 countries, and maintaining its position in the highest “Leading” category of the global classifi»»»

A grocery shopper pictured Feb. 2022 in Richmond Heights, Missouri. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday a 2.7% annual CPI increase last month short of the 3.1% projected by Wall Street. Core CPI rose 2.6% year over year, below the 3% forecast. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | Licens»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has warned of continued unstable weather conditions across the United Arab Emirates this weekend, with heavy rain, lightning and hail expected to persist through Friday. The "Al Bashayer" low-pressure system, which moved across the country, is forecas»»»

Dubai: Unstable weather conditions across the UAE on Friday, with skies expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy and punctuated by convective cloud formations over scattered areas of the country. According to the forecast, rainfall of varying intensity is likely, with some areas experiencing lightnin»»»

Umm Al Quwain: Umm Al Quwain has seen moderate to heavy rainfall since the early hours of Thursday, accompanied by active winds, lightning and thunder, as unstable weather conditions continue to affect the emirate. The local emergency and crisis management media team in Umm Al Quwain said that all »»»

Kiryat Gat: Launched after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to monitor the truce and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, the Civil-Military Coordination Centre for Gaza is struggling to live up to its promises. The CMCC, a US initiative, is meant to set the stage for the next steps of President Dona»»»

Tunis, Dec. 17 (TAP) - On the occasion of Revolution Day, the Palestine Public Broadcasting Corporation illuminated its tower with the flag of the Republic of Tunisia on Wednesday evening, as a message of solidarity from the Palestinian people and...»»»

A TAE Technologies worker is inside the Norm nuclear fusion device in Foothills Ranch, Calif. The company announced a merger with Trump Media Thursday. Image courtesy of TAE Technologies. Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Trump Media announced Thursday that it's merging with TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion compa»»»

A doctor in France was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after being found guilty of the poisoning deaths of 12 of his patients. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A French court sentenced a former "star" anesthetist to life in prison after convicting him of murderin»»»

A significant UAE relief operation sees the Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian Ship depart fully stocked to deliver urgent food assistance to Gaza, highlighting the country's ongoing pledge to aid the Palestinian population. The final cargo has been secured aboard the Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian»»»

Beirut: Israel launched several strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure including a military compound. The attacks come as the committee monitoring the ceasefire, in effect since November 2»»»

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Dubai: Mall of the Emirates has reassured shoppers that the Dubai landmark is operating as normal, after social media posts claimed it was flooded during this week’s heavy rain. Majid Al Futtaim, which owns and operates the mall, said the widely shared footage was “outdated” and did not reflect the»»»

As 2025 draws to a close, the Middle Eastern political theatre is bracing for a seismic shift. At its zenith lies the long-anticipated normalisation between Israel and several Gulf capitals—a process that has remained in the wings since Donald Trump’s first term. However, the foundations of this sh»»»

Israel has informed Washington that it has “no deadline for using force in Lebanon,” sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. “Iran is succeeding in smuggling arms and funds to Hezbollah,” a U.S. official told the channel. “The priority is for disarming Hezbollah,” the official said, adding tha»»»

The U.S. is optimistic over the Mechanism meeting that will be held on Friday and will push for a “serious and fruitful dialogue” between Lebanon and Israel, diplomats told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. Several regional diplomatic sources meanwhile agreed, in remarks to the same daily, that Israeli»»»

President Rumen Radev held government-forming consultations here on Thursday with representatives of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF), following the resignation of the Cabinet, announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and unanimously accepted by Parliament last week. During the consul»»»

Ras Al Khaimah will host the fifth anniversary edition of the Middle East’s leading long-distance hiking event, HIighlander, from February 6 to 8, 2026, offering participants the chance to traverse the UAE’s longest and highest hiking trails on Jebel Jais, the country’s highest peak. Organised by H»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov arrived in Japan on a working visit. The trip is taking place at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to participate in the First Summit of Central Asia + Japan Dialogue. The presidential press service reported. The presidential aircraft lan»»»

China said on Thursday its arms trade with Thailand and Cambodia is unrelated to the current conflict between the Southeast Asian neighbours, with which Beijing has close ties. "We hope relevant parties will refrain from making subjective speculation and malicious hype," the Chinese Defense Ministr»»»

Doha, Qatar: The organising committee for the State of Qatar’s National Day Celebrations announced the cancellation of the Darb Al Saai events for Thursday, December 18, 2025 due to weather conditions, the Ministry of Culture announced. The Ministry stated that this was to ensure the safety of visi»»»

China told the United States on Thursday to "immediately stop" arming Taiwan after Taipei said Washington had authorised a $11 billion weapons package to the island. Approved by the State Department but awaiting congressional approval, the sale would take effect in about a month, according to Taiwa»»»

DOHA: The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Football Events announced that Qatar will host the men's Finalissima 2026 at the iconic Lusail Stadium on March 27. The showpiece fixture will see European champions Spain take on South American champions Argentina in a highly anticipated clash between»»»

Muscat: India and Oman on Thursday signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a landmark deal aimed at significantly boosting bilateral trade, investment and cooperation in emerging sectors, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Ta»»»

New Delhi: Delhi authorities on Wednesday intensified vehicle checks across the National Capital as stringent pollution-control measures under GRAP Stage IV (Severe+) came into force, including denial of fuel to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate and restrictions on »»»

Following heated debates and confrontations in the Parliament this Thursday, the Socialist Party parliamentary group has submitted a request to Speaker Niko Peleshi seeking disciplinary action against 29 opposition MPs. The request, signed by 34 ruling party MPs, proposes suspensions from committee»»»

A Bulgarian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Anguelieva, who is the National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, took part in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's winter plenary session in Jerusalem from December 14 to 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The d»»»

DOHA (Sputnik) - Qatar on Thursday held its first large-scale military parade in six years to mark National Day, commemorating the state's founding, showcasing military readiness following Israel's September strikes on its capital, a Sputnik correspondent reported. The parade was opened with fighte»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The main source of military threats to Russia is the collective West, which has not abandoned its goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday. "The primary source of the growing military»»»

Wizz Air, a leading airline in Bulgaria, has announced a new direct route connecting Varna with Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. Scheduled to begin on September 22, 2026, the service will operate three times a week - on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays - offering enhanced connectivity between Bulgaria a»»»

A Russian diplomatic delegation is expected to travel to Florida this week for talks with the US representatives involved in President Donald Trump’s push to broker a peace agreement in the Ukraine conflict, according to media reports. The delegation will reportedly be led by senior negotiator Kiri»»»

New Delhi: Indian Railways has electrified 99.2 per cent of its broad gauge network, marking a major milestone in India’s transport infrastructure push and placing the country ahead of several major railway systems globally, including the UK, Russia and China, according to a Ministry of Railways st»»»

Muscat: Oman Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik conferred ‘The First Class of the Order of Oman’ on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday - an award that has previously been presented to Queen Elizabeth, Queen Maxim, Emperor Akihito, Nelson Mandela and King Abdullah of Jordan. This is the 29th such global»»»