BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic thanked Japan's outgoing ambassador to Belgrade Akira Imamura for his efficient cooperation during his tenure in Serbia and wished him much success in his professional and private endeavours in the future. Japan will rema»»»

Israel on Friday formally recognized Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state" and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties, as the region's leader hailed its first-ever official recognition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "announced today the official recognition of the»»»

Cairo, Dec. 26 (SANA)Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs Friday afternoon.He extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and »»»

Lebanon's government on Friday approved a draft law to distribute financial losses from the 2019 economic crisis that deprived many Lebanese of their deposits despite strong opposition to the legislation from political parties, depositors and banking officials. The draft law will be submitted to th»»»

Congressman Tomás Guanipa (C) speaks during a press conference in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on Tuesday. Guanipa said Venezuelan prisons are holding people who have not committed crimes and were being detained for expressing dissent. Photo by Henry Chirinos/EPA Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Venezuela's government an»»»

After the crystal ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York City, it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to usher in 2026 and kick off months of celebrations for the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. The patriotic touches at this year's Times Square gathering, including a second confet»»»

Damage pictured Friday after an explosion at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs, western Syria. Ambulances rushed victims during Friday prayers as security forces sealed off the area and began an investigation. Photo Provided by Ahmad Fallaha/EPA Dec. 26 (UP»»»

Hundreds of flights are delayed as storms and floods hit California, where three people have died. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Three people are dead after storms and flash flooding in California over the Christmas holiday, and more are expected to disrupt flights »»»

Ankara: Turkish authorities said they thwarted an attack that ISIS had intended to carry out during New Year celebrations, following a joint security operation conducted by Turkish intelligence in cooperation with the General Directorate of Security in the eastern province of Malatya. Anadolu Agenc»»»

Tunis, Dec 26 (TAP) – The stock market eased up 0.1% on Friday to 13,270.5 points, with a solid trading volume of TND 32.9 million, according to stock broker Tunisie Valeurs.The session was marked by the execution of four block trades involving...»»»

Tunis, Dec 26 (TAP) – The stock market posted an oscillating trend over the past week before ending on an overall upward note of 0.2%, at 13,270 points.The benchmark index recorded a strong market performance in 2025, with a gain of 33.3%, according...»»»

The introduction of the position of "regional coordinator of health mediators" is proposed in a draft amendment to the Ordinance on the Requirements for the Activities of Health Mediators. The draft has been published for a one-month public discussion on the website of the Health Ministry. The purp»»»

BELGRADE - The approx. 3 pct GDP growth projection for Serbia for 2026 depends on the way several major risks - above all, the issue of the oil company NIS - will be tackled, says Sasa Randjelovic, executive editor of the Kvartalni monitor economic bulletin. NIS is under US sanctions due to its Rus»»»

A bombing at a mosque in Syria during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said. Images released by Syria’s state-run Arab News Agency showed blood on the mosque’s carpets, holes in the walls, shattered windows and fire damage. The Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mo»»»

The US government has spent over $1.6 trillion this year on wasteful programs, such as teaching ferrets how to binge-drink alcohol and dosing dogs with cocaine, according to Senator Rand Paul’s latest annual ‘Festivus Report’. The Kentucky Republican’s 2025 edition notes a total of $1,639,135,969,6»»»

The Russian Foreign Ministry has advised the country’s citizens to refrain from traveling to Germany, warning that they could face persecution on national grounds there. During a briefing on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova drew attention to repeated incidents in which Russian»»»

London: Arne Slot believes Hugo Ekitike's run of five goals in four matches indicates the striker has heeded the Liverpool manager's advice when it comes to improving his fitness. The 23-year-old scored on his first three appearances after joining from Eintracht Frankfurt but that achievement was s»»»

A Syrian refugee family that resettled in the West Midlands shares how they found kinship in the friendship of strangers. Khaled loved his job working at the department of water management in Syria. His wife, Bushra, spent her days teaching primary school children, while evenings were for maqluba a»»»

Traffic police carried out thousands of checks on Christmas Eve in Attica as part of efforts to curb drunk driving. According to police data, more than 8,700 breathalyzer tests were conducted across the Attica basin, with 92 drivers found to be over the legal alcohol limit. The operation involved 2»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem to Address Memorial for Hezbollah’s Late Senior Commander 26-12-2025 18:08 PM Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem »»»

Traffic restrictions are currently in effect in the Kypseli area of central Athens following the discovery of a suspicious object. According to the police, a local resident spotted an object wrapped in tape with a cable protruding from it on Amorgou Street and alerted the authorities. A bomb dispos»»»

A woman lost two fingers after being attacked by a neighbor’s dog in the town of Atalanti, in Fthiotida, on Christmas Eve, local media reported. The incident occurred as the woman was returning home late after an outing with her family, when the dog reportedly attacked her, severing one finger from»»»

BELGRADE - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS) hosted an end-of-year business conference of Serbian and Chinese businesspeople on Friday. PKS President Marko Cadez noted that the goal of the conference was to make plans for next year and exchange business ideas. The reception was a»»»

The leader of Ansarullah, Sayyed Abdulmalik Badreddine Al-Houthi, warned of what he described as “the Tyrant of the Age,” calling it the most dangerous and unjust force in human history. Speaking on the occasion of the Friday of Rajab, Sayyed A-Houthi said the Tyrant of the Age—embodied by global Z»»»

Across the United States, Democrats and Republicans are demanding that their leaders come clean with the Epstein files and the truth finally be told. What they are getting instead is a massive redaction campaign. Not since 1998 with the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky show trial has the American p»»»

Riyadh: The GCC condemned today in the strongest terms the explosion that took place at a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs and led to several casualties and injuries. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudawi expressed, in a statement today, his strong condemnation and denunciation of the terro»»»

Mecca , Dec. 26 (SANA)The Muslim World League condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the city of Homs, affirming its full solidarity with Syria in confronting all threats to its security and stability.“We denounce this terrorist crime, whose perpetrators »»»

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for money laundering and abuse of power in the 1MDB scandal. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty Friday of abuse of pow»»»

Israeli police pictured in September secure the entrance to the King Hussein Bridge Border Crossing. On Friday, an assailant allegedly ran over a 68‑year‑old man in Beit Shean before driving to Ein Harod, where he fatally stabbed an 18‑year‑old woman and injured a teenager. File Photo by Debbie Hil»»»

Doha, Dec. 26 (SANA) The State of Qatar condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in the city of Homs, affirming its full solidarity with Syria in all measures taken to safeguard security. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced, in a statement published on its official website, »»»

Doha: Weather, inshore, until 6am on Saturday will see cold, scattered clouds and hazy becomes misty to foggy at places by late night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report, warning of poor visibility at places by late night. Offshore, it will be hazy with scattered clouds »»»

Marrakesh, Morocco: Veteran Knowledge Musona scored as Zimbabwe came from behind to draw 1-1 with Angola in Marrakesh on Friday as the second round of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group matches kicked off. Gelson Dala put Angola ahead midway through the first half and recalled Musona levelled deep»»»

Tokyo: Japan's broader Topix index reached an all-time high on Friday as investor concerns over the country's debt levels eased. The Topix climbed 0.5% in early trading to 3,436.75, marking its highest level ever during a trading session. Meanwhile, the Nikkei 225, Japan's benchmark index, rose 0.9»»»

Damascus, Dec. 26 (SANA) Syria’s Central Bank Governor, Abdelkader Husrieh, announced Thursday that the nationwide exchange of old banknotes for new ones will begin on January 1. The process will be carried out through 66 companies and 1,000 dedicated outlets across the country. Husrieh told the Sy»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE is set to see generally fair to partly cloudy weather on Saturday, with occasional cloud cover and a chance of light rain in some coastal and northern areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). In its daily forecast, the NCM said conditions will remain humid ov»»»

An explosion has killed at least eight people and injured 18 others during Friday prayers inside a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs, the health ministry has said. Pictures from Syria's state-run news agency, Sana, show the inside of the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque with black, scorched walls, sma»»»

Farmers protesting delays in European Union subsidy payments and other grievances have signaled their intention to maintain road blockades as they consider the next steps in their mobilizations. Representatives of farmers at Malgara, west of Thessaloniki, are considering blocking the Athens-bound c»»»

Ukraine is a “viper’s den” rife with corruption, Hunter Biden, the son of former US President Joe Biden, has said, as he reflected on his time as a board member of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Hunter Biden was hired by Burisma in 2014, when his father served as vice president in the Obama »»»

A total of 17 white storks with permanent disabilities have been transferred from the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre in Stara Zagora (South Cenral Bulgaria) to two rescue centres in Italy, Green Balkans reported. This is the second such transfer of white storks to Italy, after 23 birds were s»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in the city of Homs in the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic, which resulted in deaths and injuries. The State of Qatar also affirmed its full solidarity with the Syrian government in al»»»

Skopje, 26 December 2025 (MIA) — There will be a serious crisis and a serious rise in poverty in 2026, much worse than in 2025, SDSM leader Venko Filipche told a press conference Friday. According to him, the state will need to borrow at least an additional 2 billion euros for expenses and not for »»»

After Cabinet passed a long-awaited banking draft bill that would distribute losses from the 2019 economic crisis amid objections from nine ministers and modest protests, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appeared a bit agitated as he answered journalists' questions. The law stipulates that each of the st»»»

Cabinet approved Friday a long-awaited banking draft bill that would distribute losses from the 2019 economic crisis. Thirteen ministers voted in favor of the financial gap law amid the objection of nine ministers: three Lebanese Forces ministers, two Hezbollah ministers, Kataeb minister Adel Nassa»»»

Skopje, 25 December 2025 (MIA) - The fight for a higher standard of life and lowering the unemployment rate is one of the Government's top priorities. We are in the stage of confirming three foreign investments worth up to EUR 120 million and opening of over 1,500 jobs, said Prime Minister Hristija»»»

Seoul government vows to triple fines for corporate data leaks. Shinhan Card headquarters in Seoul. The company has reported massive data leaks. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Shinhan Card, one of the country's top credit card issuers, reported a massive data leak Tuesday. The Seoul-based »»»

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida at the weekend, as talks continue on ending Russia's full-scale war. Zelensky said he expected the meeting to take place on Sunday and to focus on a US-brokered 20-point peace plan, as well as separate proposals»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija said on Friday Serb Sladjan Trajkovic had been sentenced to ten years in prison by a Pristina court without evidence or witnesses and noted that the ruling was a part of a broader plan aimed at intimidating the Serbs and expelling them fr»»»

Tripoli, Libya: The Libyan Interior Ministry said on Thursday that the Turkish chief public prosecutor and a Libyan committee investigating the crash of a plane carrying Libyan military officials have agreed to send the aircraft's black box to Germany for technical analysis. In a statement, the min»»»

Riyadh, Dec. 26 (SANA) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs on Friday. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “We affirm our categorical rejection of terrorism a»»»

Assen Vassilev, leader of Continue the Change (CC) party, said during a meeting with supporters here on Friday that Bulgaria cannot become a normal country while decisions are made through “phone calls” rather than by observing the law. Vassilev emphasized the need to appoint politically neutral le»»»