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»»»

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»»»

Ali Chauffeur Services Dubai has announced a major expansion of its monthly driver and school transport services, bringing safer, more reliable, and convenient travel solutions to residents across Dubai. The company, known for its RTA-approved and highly trained drivers, aims to provide families an»»»

Rains drenched Gaza’s tent camps and dropping temperatures chilled Palestinians huddling inside them Thursday as winter storm Byron descended on the war-battered territory, showing how two months of a ceasefire have failed to sufficiently address the spiraling humanitarian crisis there. Families fo»»»

A strategic Memorandum of Understanding has been announced to enable AE Coin digital payments across ADNOC Distribution’s extensive retail network in the UAE. By adopting the country’s first-of-its-kind stablecoin, ADNOC Distribution becomes the first fuel and convenience retailer in the UAE to off»»»

The State Department on Thursday announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of 29-year-old Francisco Manuel Bermudez Cagua, also known as Churron. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of State/Website Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The State Department is offering a $5 mil»»»

On Dec. 12, 1988, three trains collided in London, killing 35 people, Britain's worst railway accident in 21 years. 1 of 7 | The rail tracks at Clapham Junction can be seen in 2018 in London. On December 12, 1988, three trains collided at the junction, killing 40 people, Britain's worst railway acc»»»

A wave of airline strikes in 2025, including this December, is throwing travel across Europe and the UK into turmoil just as the holiday rush begins. With many people flying home to see family or heading out on winter trips, travelers in Spain, the UK, Portugal, and Italy are being warned to expect»»»

Dubai: The Walt Disney Company has struck a deal with OpenAI to license its vast stable of characters and imagery for use on Sora, the generative AI video platform. The three-year partnership marks the first major content deal of its kind, allowing AI-generated short videos based on Disney, Marvel,»»»

Dec. 12 (UPI) -- European Union member states have approved nearly $2.7 billion in funding for Ukraine as part of a plan to bolster the war-besieged nation's recovery, reconstruction and modernization. The disbursement of the funds was approved Thursday by the European Council, the 27-member block'»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has amended the procedure for inspections of business entities. The corresponding resolution supplements the existing regulations with provisions allowing the suspension of business activities in cases of serious violations. According to the document, if an in»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Ashgabat to take part in the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's declaration of neutrality. WorldIslamic Countries May Create Single Energy Belt in Eurasia17 May, 10:13 GMTTurkmenistan's path of neutrality has justified itself, allowin»»»

Walt Disney and OpenAI agreed a three-year licensing deal on Thursday allowing users to generate short videos featuring Disney characters with artificial intelligence. It is the first time a major studio has permitted such broad generative-AI use of its protected characters, from Mickey Mouse to Ma»»»

China just sent shockwaves through the global defence world. Its colossal Jiu Tian aerial “drone carrier” — essentially a flying mothership for swarms of drones — has completed its first flight, a moment state media is calling a “breakthrough in China’s large drone technology.” The unmanned behemot»»»

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at blocking states from enforcing their own artificial intelligence (AI) regulations. "We want to have one central source of approval," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. It will give the Trump administration tools to p»»»

Democratic lawmakers called for US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem's resignation Thursday as she defended the Trump administration's mass deportation program at a fiery congressional hearing. "You promised America that you would go after the worst of the worst," Democratic Representative Seth M»»»

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Rains drenched Gaza’s tent camps and dropping temperatures chilled Palestinians huddling inside them Thursday as winter storm Byron descended on the war-battered territory, showing how two months of a ceasefire have failed to sufficiently address the spiraling humanitaria»»»

Sen. Mike Braun, R-IN, adjusts his glasses during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC, in 2022. Braun, now governor of Indiana, criticized fellow Republicans for joining with Democrats Thursday to reject a measure to redraw the state's congressional lines to favor the GOP»»»

Manila: Filipinos confront a stark political paradox today: rampant corruption intertwined with entrenched political dynasties, forming a multi-headed monster that’s nearly impossible to slay. Leaders trapped in their own webThe irony stings — the very leaders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. do»»»

Manila: A senior Philippine politician said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr could be "playing with fire" if the creation of an Independent Probe Commission (IPC) to investigate alleged large-scale corruption in government is not pushed. Former Justice Secretary and and ex-Senate president Franklin Dr»»»

Behind the counter of his convenience store, surrounded by rows of crisps, sandwiches and spirits, Muhammed Rabani glances at a bank of CCTV screens, anticipating a shoplifter coming at any moment. Muhammed has grown wearily used to the crime. "It's every day," he says. He estimates it is costing t»»»

Lying on your back in a big hospital scanner, as still as you can, with your arms above your head – for 45 minutes. It doesn't sound much fun. That's what patients at Royal Brompton Hospital in London had to do during certain lung scans, until the hospital installed a new device last year that cut »»»

Healthcare subsidies for millions of Americans appear likely to expire after the Senate failed to pass competing bills, a politically fraught issue ahead of next year's midterm elections. Both Democratic and Republican plans fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance, meaning insurance premiums t»»»

The United States sanctioned three members of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro's family and others for alleged trafficking of drugs and illicit oil on Thursday after seizing a sanctioned oil tanker a day earlier. Photo by Venezuelan President Office | License Photo Dec. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Treasury »»»

Austria's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14. Rights groups consider the move as discriminatory in the context of growing anti-immigration sentiment in the country.  Austrian lawmakers on Thursday voted by a large maj»»»

Dubai Police have confirmed that traffic is moving smoothly in and around the Hatta Winter Festival, following intensified efforts and close coordination between police teams and government partners. Major General Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations and Chair of the »»»

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos is working with Ukrainian officials to help them implement reforms so they can eventually join the European Union. File Photo by Malton Dibra/EPA Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Ukraine is taking technical steps toward membership in the European Union after facing vetoes by H»»»

Bulgaria’s government has announced its resignation following mass anti-corruption protests across the country. In a statement on Thursday, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said he and his cabinet would step down after facing their sixth no confidence vote. The announcement comes just weeks before B»»»

Disney has agreed to invest $1bn (£740m) in OpenAI as part of a deal which will let people use many of its iconic characters in the chatbot ChatGPT and video-generation tool Sora. It is the first major studio to license parts of its catalogue to the tech giant, in a move which could have major impl»»»

The Varna Court of Appeal has upheld the ruling of the Varna District Court that changed Mayor Blagomir Kotsev’s detention measure from “remand in custody” to bail of BGN 200,000. His defence had asked the court to replace the bail with recognizance not to leave - or drop any restrictions. Varna Ma»»»

Harold Wayne Nichols is set to die by lethal injection Thursday morning. File Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Correction Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Tennessee is set to execute Harold Wayne Nichols on Thursday morning for the rape and murder of a 20-year-old college student in 1988. Nichols, 64,»»»

Ukraine could have avoided the 2022 escalation with Russia by dropping its NATO aspirations, a former advisor to President Joe Biden has told Russian pranksters. Vovan and Lexus on Thursday released records of calls with two former members of Biden’s National Security Council in which they posed as»»»

Mexico'congress pproved up to 50% tariffs on China. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Mexico's congress has approved charging up to 50% tariffs on Chinese imports Wednesday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum proposed the tariffs in September and said they are a way to boos»»»

The Senate is unlikely to pass either of the two healthcare bills they're voting on Thursday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on two competing healthcare plans meant to address healthcare costs likely to rise in the new year wi»»»

Oil companies offered $300 million for drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday in the first of 30 sales planned for the region under Republican efforts to ramp up U.S. fossil fuel production. The sale came after President Donald Trump's administration recently announced plans to allow ne»»»

VIENNA Austrian lawmakers on Thursday voted by a large majority in favour of a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under 14, a move rights groups and experts say is discriminatory and could deepen societal division. Austria’s conservative-led government - under pressure with anti-immigrati»»»

Rains drenched Gaza’s tent camps and dropping temperatures chilled Palestinians huddling inside them Thursday as storm Byron descended on the war-battered territory, showing how two months of a ceasefire have failed to sufficiently address the spiraling humanitarian crisis there. Children’s sandale»»»

Ultra-slim 7.98 cm profile and retractable LDS for hard-to-reach areas As the second-thinnest robot vacuum available in Romania, after the flagship Roborock Saros 10R, the Roborock Qrevo EdgeT uses a liftable LiDAR navigation system that adapts to its surroundings, a feature that is only available »»»

Dubai: Dubai Police has rolled out an enhanced version of its “Circulars and Travel Bans” enquiry service on both its smart app and official website, allowing residents to instantly check their criminal or financial status without the need to visit police stations or judicial departments. The upgra»»»

The National Assembly adopted Thursday at first reading the revised 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Bill with 122 votes in favour, 89 against, and none abstaining. It was supported by GERB-UDF, MRF – New Beginning, BSP – United Left, There Is Such a People (TISP), and three MPs not affiliated w»»»

The US House of Representatives has passed a defense spending bill that would provide $800 million in military aid to Ukraine through 2027. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved 312-122 on Wednesday and will now advance to the Senate, where it is expected to receive bipart»»»

Washington’s recent openness toward Damascus is increasingly colliding with Israel’s assertive on-the-ground approach, highlighting a widening rift between the two traditional allies over the future of Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The United States now appears to be pushing»»»

Dubai: A Saudi court has ruled that a government body must cover the medical costs incurred by a private hospital after an illegal resident, admitted in a critical emergency, later died while receiving treatment. The court found that the hospital fully complied with medical regulations by providing»»»

Farm Sense AD, a long-standing agribusiness company based in the Dobrudja region, has initiated bankruptcy proceedings in the Sofia City Court. The request was filed on November 20, 2025, marking a difficult moment for a firm with more than three decades in the grain sector. Over the years the comp»»»

Dubai: A man has been ordered to pay Dh70,000 in compensation to a medical centre after he damaged a high-precision eye-examination device during a routine visit. The Abu Dhabi Civil Family and Administrative Court ruled that the man was liable for the cost after entering the eye-testing room witho»»»

Doha, Qatar: Vodafone Business has announced the launch of enhanced features on its MyVodafone Portal, empowering businesses to manage their digital services with greater simplicity, transparency and control. The enhanced portal reflects Vodafone Business’s ongoing commitment to supporting the digi»»»

After three consecutive interest rate cuts, investors now confront an uncertain US monetary policy outlook for the year ahead, clouded by persistent inflation, data gaps, and an impending leadership change at the Federal Reserve. The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter-percentage poi»»»

The Parliamentary Committee on Energy adopted the 2026 State Budget Bill at first reading on Thursday with 11 votes in favour, four against and one abstention. In view of the euro changeover on January 1, 2026, all budget documentation has been prepared in euro, using the official conversion rate u»»»

Washington, Dec. 11 (SANA) U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson expressed his gratitude to the House of Representatives for approving the full repeal of the Caesar Act as part of the Department of Defense budget for 2026. Wilson said Wednesday in a post on the X platform: “Grateful that the House of Represe»»»

Washington, Dec. 11 (SANA) The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday by a majority to repeal the sanctions imposed on Syria under the “Caesar Act,” which was enacted in December 2019 to penalize the former regime for war crimes committed against the Syrian people during the years of the upr»»»