Dubai: Greenland, the world’s largest island, has suddenly become a geopolitical flashpoint after US President Donald Trump revived his push to bring the vast Arctic territory under American control. His remarks, coming soon after a dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela, have alarmed Europe»»»

Karawang, Indonesia: President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday that Indonesia's rice production met all domestic demand, hailing a landmark achievement for food security -- one of his key campaign promises. In a speech to farmers in Karawang, east of the capital Jakarta, Prabowo celebrated an "i»»»

Sharjah City Municipality conducted six intensive workshops on rental regulation services in the second half of 2025, benefiting 600 employees from 556 real estate companies and offices across the emirate. The workshops form part of the municipality’s efforts to raise awareness of rental procedures»»»

Dubai: The UAE’s regulated stablecoin ecosystem is gaining momentum after RAKBANK secured in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE to issue an AED-backed stablecoin, while payments firm Network International moved to enable stablecoin payments across merchant platforms through AE Coin»»»

Paris: Snow, ice and high winds brought transport chaos to swathes of Europe for a third day on Wednesday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and passengers stranded. Airports in Paris and Amsterdam were the worst affected, with the Dutch authorities saying more than 1,000 travellers had been force»»»

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has sent an official diplomatic note to the Republic of Greece regarding the closure of key roads and border crossing points during the protest actions by Greek farmers, the Ministry’s press centre said here on Wednesday. The note underscores that the prolonged blocki»»»

A flood in the Krumovgrad region has caused significant damage, with a swollen river washing away a bridge in the village of Grivka, Bulgarian authorities reported. Torrential rains across the Eastern Rhodopes over the past night caused river levels to rise sharply, destroying infrastructure and fl»»»

American energy companies Chevron and Quantum Capital Group are reportedly preparing a USD22 billion bid to acquire the sanctioned Russian oil giant Lukoil, according to the Financial Times. The offer would cover the company’s refineries and over 2,000 gas stations across Europe, Asia, and the Midd»»»

The UAE Embassy in Paris has advised citizens in France to remain cautious following a sharp drop in temperatures and widespread snowfall across the country. In a social media post, the embassy urged travellers and residents to follow safety instructions issued by local authorities, monitor weather»»»

Riyadh: Are you looking to take your workout to new heights in 2026? GymNation has launched a unique high-altitude workout in Riyadh. Participants can enjoy a 30-minute workout session 2,200 feet (670.56 metres) in a hot air balloon over Riyadh. GymNation is promoting it as the world’s highest gym »»»

The Libyan Air Ambulance Service announced yesterday the commencement of international helicopter flights. Previously, it has been conducting ambulance flights using aeroplanes. It said this comes as part of its efforts to develop its operational capabilities and enhance its response time to critic»»»

Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed two people on Tuesday as Israel said it targeted Hezbollah operatives, a day before a new meeting of the committee monitoring a year-long ceasefire. Israel has intensified its strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon in recent days, saying it has struck target»»»

President Joseph Aoun told visiting U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix that Lebanon welcomes any country's wish to maintain forces in the south after UNIFIL's withdrawal in 2027. "These forces will assist the Lebanese army, which will be increasing its personnel i»»»

Chief of Indian Army, General Upendra Dwivedi, visited the BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi. He was moved by the marvellous architecture and hand-carved sculptures at the pink sandstone temple. General Dwivedi was welcomed by Pujya Brahmavihari Swami, Head of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, and briefed on the t»»»

Power was being restored on Wednesday to thousands of households in Berlin that had been without electricity in freezing temperatures for four days following a suspected far-left attack on high-voltage lines, authorities said. About 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses lost their supply on Saturd»»»

Doha, Qatar: Travellers heading to Georgia will be required to obtain a mandatory health and accident insurance, stated Qatar Airways in a travel alert. The airline said, "In accordance with the Law of Georgia “On Tourism”, starting from 1 January 2026, all tourists entering Georgia are required to»»»

A fresh wave of online scams is targeting Bulgarian consumers, exploiting the introduction of the euro and the use of generative artificial intelligence to create deceptive shopping experiences. Fraudsters have set up fake online stores offering seemingly attractive discounts on products that do no»»»

Dubai: In the age of viral videos, even a dance can make international headlines. Footage of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro moving energetically at public events—once even to a speech remixed to a Latin house beat—spread rapidly across social media, drawing millions of views, memes, and»»»

The United Nations said on Wednesday that decades of discrimination and segregation of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israel were intensifying and creating a kind of "apartheid system". Rights chief Volker Turk said there was "a systematic asphyxiation of the rights of Palestinians in the West Ba»»»

Germany's blue-chip DAX stock index jumped above 25,000 points for the first time Wednesday, following strong gains on Wall Street as hopes for the artificial intelligence boom bolster investor sentiment. The index, which groups the 40 largest publicly traded companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchan»»»

The Tripoli based Libyan government announced yesterday that, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s directives, a comprehensive monitoring campaign was launched yesterday, aimed at controlling the prices of essential commodities. This will be achieved through intensified inspection tours of suppl»»»

Tunis, 7 Jan. (TAP) – Tunisia’s tourism revenues reached 8,096.9 million dinars over the full year 2025, compared with 7,599.7 million dinars in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of around 6.5 percent, according to indicators released by the...»»»

Dubai: Four expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates have shared a combined cash prize of Dh560,000 following the latest Series 282 Big Ticket ‘Big Win’ contest. The winners, representing Jordan, India, Bangladesh, and the UAE, each took home Dh140,000 during the event held in Abu Dhabi. The »»»

Iran's army chief threatened preemptive military action Wednesday over the “rhetoric” targeting the country, likely referring to US President Donald Trump's warning that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” America “will come to their rescue." The comments by Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami come »»»

Dubai: The UAE’s latest overhaul of its Commercial Companies Law could quietly reshape the future of family-owned businesses across the country, offering new legal tools to manage inheritance, succession and control at a time when many firms are undergoing generational transitions. Sign up for our »»»

The Syrian army said that Aleppo's Kurdish neighborhoods will be considered "closed military zones" as of 3.00pm (1200 GMT) on Wednesday, creating "humanitarian corridors" for civilians to leave through beforehand. In a statement, the army said that "the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods wi»»»

A council fighting against Yemen's Houthi rebels said Wednesday that it had expelled the leader of a separatist movement and charged him with treason after he reportedly declined to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks. The latest upheaval in southern Yemen is revealing a growing divide among the Persi»»»

A 25-year-old immigrant has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Didymoteicho General Hospital in northeastern Greece since Tuesday after being found in the Nea Vyssa area of Evros with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Authorities say the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain uncl»»»

The topics of the euro's introduction in Bulgaria and the upcoming snap elections dominate Wednesday's news media. POLITICS On Bulgarian National Radio, political expert Georgi Prodanov said that the big issue for the upcoming elections is not how many votes each party will receive but whether the »»»

Tunis, 7 January 2026 (TAP) – The National Office of Handicrafts is participating in The 39th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela (Fair) 2026, January 31 to February 15.This participation is part of the Office’s ongoing strategy to...»»»

DOHA: Qatar Airways, the operator of the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet, has become the first carrier globally to enable Boeing 787-8 with Starlink. The airline has also equipped its entire Airbus A350 fleet within record-breaking eight months in December 2025. To date, »»»

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, has said that “no foreign agent” is running Venezuela in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro’s abduction by United States military forces. Rodriguez, who had been Maduro’s vice president before his abduction, spoke during a televised event on Tuesday, a»»»

Finance expert Levon Hampartzumyan provided details on the current circulation of euro coins in Bulgaria, describing the physical volume of coins as equivalent to around 350 fully loaded 20-ton trucks. He explained that the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) is actively collecting stotinki to destroy th»»»

MINISTRY OF ELECTRICITY & RENEWABLE ENERGY EGYPTIAN ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION COMPANY (EETC) New Capital, Governmental District PROJECT OF: The Turnkey Implementation for Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of (500) KV Double Circuit, Quadruple conductor per phase OHTLs in Suez G»»»

The United States Embassy in Beirut said Wednesday that it welcomes the reform steps undertaken by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government, including the Cabinet’s approval of the gap law. In a statement, the embassy said the gap law would help restore the confidence of international financial inst»»»

Families of the victims of a fire at a Swiss bar on New Year's Eve have expressed shock after officials admitted the venue had not undergone safety checks for five years. Romain Jordan, who represents some of the families, said the "staggering number of breaches and shortcomings in the inspections »»»

The minesweeper Priboy from the Sixth Division of Mine Countermeasure Ships of the Bulgarian Navy will participate in the eighth activation of the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM Black Sea), the press service of the Bulgarian Navy in Varna said on Wednesday. Currently, Priboy is sail»»»

US President Donald Trump has said that the “corrupt” Minnesota governor Tim Walz could leave office before the end of his term because he was caught “red-handed” in an alleged fraud scheme involving the state’s daycare centers. The Democrat had earlier announced his intention to not seek reelectio»»»

A group of European leaders have issued a joint statement defending Greenland as part of Denmark and calling on the US to uphold the NATO state’s territorial integrity. US President Donald Trump has restated his long-held interest in taking over the autonomous Danish territory shortly after Washing»»»

NATO would end up losing its “meaning” if conflicts break out within the bloc, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said, condemning Washington’s renewed interest in taking Greenland from Denmark. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Tusk voiced his support for Denmark in the reinvigorated row betwee»»»

Damascus, Jan. 07 (SANA) Head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce Alaa al-Ali discussed with Alp Eran Yılmaz, governor of the Turkish Cilvegözü border crossing, the importance of land crossings in enhancing trade integration between Syria and Turkey. During the meeting, held on Wednesd»»»

Pharmaceutical company Bayer has initiated lawsuits against several major COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna, alleging unauthorized use of its messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The complaints, filed in a federal court in Delaware, claim that these companies utili»»»

Dubai: Pakistan is setting up a special protection unit in Islamabad dedicated to the safety of Chinese nationals, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Wednesday. Naqvi made the remarks during a meeting with China’s Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, at the headquarters of China’s M»»»

Dubai: The UAE has taken another step toward a full-scale drone economy with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) accrediting five specialised training centres for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.While the announcement focuses on»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has launched a public consultation on the proposed update of fees for the use of radio spectrum in the State of Qatar. The consultation comes as part of the periodic review conducted by CRA of the national spectrum fee framework implemented»»»

Tunis, Jan. 7 (TAP)- The National Programme for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles in Public Establishments and Enterprises and Local Communities comes into force under an order issued by the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy on December...»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced a landmark reform allowing all categories of foreign investors to invest directly in the Kingdom’s main stock market, Tadawul, starting February 1. The move signals a strategic repositioning of the Saudi market as a highly competitive global i»»»

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's top adviser hailed "concrete results" on Wednesday as talks in Paris on ​peace and security guarantees for Ukraine entered their second day, vowing Kyiv's national interests would be protected. Ukraine is seeking strong backing from allies in the event of a ceasefire»»»

Aleppo, Jan. 7 (SANA) Syrian Civil Defense and Syrian Arab Red Crescent teams responded to the difficult humanitarian situation in Aleppo as the SDF organization increased shelling of residential areas near Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, forcing civilians to flee their homes. The Syria»»»