Zaghouan, Dec. 15 (TAP) - The Digital Services Centre at the municipality of Bir Mcherga, governorate of Zaghouan, which will help simplify administrative procedures and facilitate access to public services, was inaugurated on Thursday by Interior...»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Georgian FM Maka Botchorishvili in Belgrade on Thursday to discuss advancement of bilateral cooperation, and thanked Georgia for its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, noting that, in the same way, Serbia supported Georg»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Thursday that the new Oreshnik missile system was put on combat duty in Belarus on December 17. "The first positions are equipped with the Oreshnik missile system; we received it yesterday and it is now on combat duty," Lukas»»»

The Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 armed group said Wednesday it had begun withdrawing its troops from Uvira, a strategic town in eastern DR Congo that it captured in early December. The AFC/M23 began withdrawing on Wednesday from the eastern DR Congo city of Uvira, which fell to the Rwanda-backed mil»»»

More than 1,000 civilians were killed when Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces took over the famine-stricken displacement camp of Zamzam in Sudan's Darfur in April, according to a UN report published on Thursday. About a third of the victims were summarily executed, says the UN Human Rights O»»»

One of the highlights of the Christmas season here in France is the food. The main feast usually happens on Christmas Eve and the traditional dessert is the incredible Yule log or bûche de Noël. More than eight million Yule logs are sold in France every year, with three quarters of them purchased i»»»

An Azerbaijani state prosecutor has requested a life sentence for Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire and former Russian citizen standing trial in Baku on multiple charges, as reported by local media. The Armenian-born businessman gave up his Russian citizenship after relocating to the Nagorno-Karabakh »»»

Thai fighter jets on Thursday struck a building in the Cambodian border city of Poipet, a casino hub popular with Thai gamblers, amid renewed clashes between the neighbouring countries just months after they agreed to a truce brokered by the US and regional powers. Thailand on Thursday bombed a bui»»»

The opposition Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition Thursday submitted a bill amending and supplementing the Election Code, which fully reinstates machine voting. The reasoning of the bill is that "it is a necessary and timely step to strengthen democratic principles, enhance»»»

Dubai: The UAE Football Association announced that the third-place playoff between the UAE national team and Saudi Arabia at the Arab Cup in Doha was officially cancelled on Friday by decision of FIFA, after severe storms and heavy rainfall left the pitch at Khalifa International Stadium unplayable»»»

A husband and wife have died after being trapped in a private sauna room that caught fire in Japan on Monday. Tokyo police are investigating whether a faulty doorknob trapped the couple inside the room at Sauna Tiger, in the city's Akasaka district, local media has reported. Investigators also foun»»»

Brian Walshe was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Ana Walshe. File Photo by CJ Gunther/EPA Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Brian Walshe was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for the murder of his wife Ana Walshe. Walshe was also sentenced to no less than 19 years for lying to police and »»»

Saturday marks the 45th Powerball drawing in the current jackpot streak and the longest in game history. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Powerball prize has risen again with $1.5 billion now up for grabs this weekend with an estimated to be $686.5 million in ca»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov and MPs Dimo Drenchev and Georgi Georgiev have held a meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, the party's press centre said on Thursday. The trade unions were r»»»

Dubai: The UAE’s diplomatic mission in Muscat has advised Emirati citizens currently in the Sultanate of Oman to remain vigilant as unstable weather continues to affect parts of the country, bringing thunderstorms and strong winds linked to a low-pressure system. In its advisory, the mission urged »»»

The opposition coalition “We Continuing the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) is testing whether the momentum of public demonstrations can be sustained even after the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s government. Thousands have gathered in Sofia. Their demand is for fair elections»»»

Tunis, Dec. 18 (TAP) – Around 90% of the Ministry of Environment’s budget for the 2026–2027 period will be allocated to sanitation-related projects, Minister Habib Abid said at an information day to review the progress of the rehabilitation project...»»»

Ajman: The Ajman government has announced that its employees will work remotely on Friday, December 19, in response to the expected weather conditions and ongoing atmospheric fluctuations affecting the UAE. The decision applies to staff across all government entities in the emirate, except for role»»»

Fujairah: His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, issued Law No. (2) of 2025 amending the Human Resources Law for employees of the Government of Fujairah. The law takes into account the stability of the legal and financial status of government»»»

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades. The order is expected to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug - plac»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the US was sanctioning two judges of the International Criminal Court for targeting Israel. "Today, I am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, pursuant »»»

Two of Italy’s top newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, are likely to be sold to Greek media tycoon Theodore Kyriakou, whose political and business links abroad have sparked concern over editorial independence. The proposed sale, which involves foreign investment from Gulf allies and has drawn »»»

A 48-year-old man has been arrested in Nea Filadelfia, central Athens, for stealing containers of olive oil and honey intended for household use from the storage rooms of apartment buildings. He, along with an accomplice, is accused of forming a criminal group and committing aggravated thefts repea»»»

Sharjah City Municipality has announced a temporary waiver of public parking fees across the emirate in response to the prevailing unstable weather conditions. The exemption comes into effect immediately from the time of the announcement and will continue until the end of Friday, December 19, 2025.»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has urged residents and visitors to avoid beaches and refrain from maritime activities as unstable weather continues to affect the emirate. In a statement, the municipality said these precautionary measures are aimed at protecting public safety during periods of weather vo»»»

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on 29 vessels and their management firms, the Treasury Department said, as Washington continues targeting Tehran's "shadow fleet" it says exports Iranian petroleum and petroleum products, Reuters reported. The targeted vessels and companies have trans»»»

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 »»»