Gaza, Nord Stream and Kiev’s golden toilets: Top stories of 2025 the West wants you to forget
2025 has yielded some extraordinary own goals that have exposed the posturing of Western politicians and left the EU isolated, irrelevant, and alone, pursuing policies contrary to self-interest. Unwelcome stories often cling to reality, like an alien to John Hurt’s face. And just as the notorious s»»»
Brazil ex-President Jair Bolsonaro's surgery for hernia 'successful'
The jailed ex-president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has undergone a successful surgery for a double hernia, his wife Michelle says. The former leader is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 presidential election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Braz»»»
Israeli drones fly at low altitude over Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh) - Al-Manar TV Lebanon
Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli drones fly at low altitude over Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh) 25-12-2025 20:03 PM Latest News Urgent News Al-Manar corresponde»»»
Abu Dhabi launches indoor air monitoring system to track pollution in buildings
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) has launched a new Indoor Air Quality Observatory, known as HawAQM, to closely monitor air quality inside buildings across the emirate. The initiative is a key project under ADPHC’s public health strategy and aims to improve living, learning and»»»
Syria’s financial watchdog probes 246 corruption cases in 2025
Damascus, Dec. 25(SANA) The Central Organization of Financial Control maintained an accelerated pace of work throughout 2025, prioritizing the recovery of state and citizens’ rights, uncovering corruption cases and protecting public funds from waste, within a previously announced institutional fram»»»
Heavy rain, flash floods hit southern California
Los Angeles: Torrential rains unleashed flash floods and warnings of debris flow across southern California, particularly in fire-scarred areas, with further downpours forecast for Thursday as authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties. Driven by an atmospheric river known as "th»»»
FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 daws over 1.2 million fans
Doha, Qatar: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 attracted more than 1.2 million spectators and concluded with Morocco lifting the trophy, as the tournament underlined Qatar's growing reputation as a host of major global sporting events. Held from December 1 to 18, the competition featured 16 national tea»»»
Single ticket wins $1.817B Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve - UPI.com
The winning ticket was sold in Arkansas. A single ticket sold in Arkansas won the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot prize in Wednesday night's Christmas Eve drawing. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A single Powerball ticket hit the $1.817 billion jackpot on Christmas Eve»»»
Partly cloudy weather over most regions Thursday night
Tunis, Dec 25 (TAP) - Partly cloudy weather will persist over most regions on Thursday night, with local fog expected over coastal areas and Sfax towards the end of the night, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.The wind will blow...»»»
In a First, Armed Gang in Gaza Forces Displacement of Residents
In an unprecedented development, an armed gang active in Gaza City forced inhabitants of residential bloc to evacuate their homes under threat of arms. Field sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that identified the gang as the “Rami Halas Group”. At dawn on Thursday, its members opened fire in the air in t»»»
Israeli Settler Attack Injures Palestinian Baby, Five Arrested
Israeli security forces announced on Thursday the arrest of five Israeli settlers over their alleged involvement in an attack on a Palestinian home that injured a baby girl in the occupied West Bank. The eight-month-old infant suffered "moderate injuries to the face and head" in the late Wednesday »»»
Derailing peace in Sudan by deliberate design
Attempts to secure peace in Sudan and halt the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe have continued for nearly two-and-a-half years of war. Yet a determined belief within the army and those backing it that military victory is still possible has prevailed. The result is unending destruction, displaceme»»»
Jingle bills: Arkansas Powerball player strikes $1.8bn jackpot on Christmas Eve
A Powerball player in Arkansas won a whopping $1.817bn (£1.34bn) jackpot in a Christmas Eve drawing, making it the second-largest lottery prize ever claimed. The single winning ticket matched all six numbers - 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and red Powerball 19 - giving the winner the option of taking a lump-su»»»
Riyadh Air Launches ‘Employment First’ Overseas Aviation Training Scholarship Program
Riyadh Air has announced its ‘Employment-First’ Overseas Scholarship Program, which aims to launch several scholarship tracks, starting with two specialized paths for engineers in Australia, followed by a pilot training program in the United States. The initiative falls under ‘Promising Path’, one »»»
King Charles Calls for More Compassion in Christmas Speech
Britain's King Charles III called for "compassion and reconciliation" at a time of "division" across the world in his annual Christmas Day message broadcast on Thursday. The 77-year-old monarch said he found it "enormously encouraging" how people of different faiths had a "shared longing for peace"»»»
Mohammad Bakri, Renowned and Controversial Palestinian Actor and Filmmaker, Dies at 72
Mohammad Bakri, a Palestinian director and actor who sought to share the complexities of Palestinian identity and culture through a variety of works in both Arabic and Hebrew, has died, his family announced. He was 72. Bakri was best known for “Jenin, Jenin,” a 2003 documentary he directed about an»»»
Municipality ministry organises inaugural National Forum on Public Cleanliness
DOHA: The Public Cleanliness Department at the Ministry of Municipality organised the first National Forum on Public Cleanliness Thursday, under the slogan 'Towards a Clean, Smart and Sustainable City,' with broad participation from government agencies, private sector partners, universities, academ»»»
Hezbollah MP Warns Anti-Resistance Powers: Mounting Pressure to Ignite People’s Wrath
Member of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Hasan Fadlallah warned anti-resistance powers in Lebanon against mounting pressure against Hezbollah’s popular base. In an interview with Al-Manar on Thursday, he stressed that “prolonged pressure on people ignites wrath that spares »»»
Al Ain Court orders Dh20,000 compensation for red-light traffic violation
Al Ain: A woman in Al Ain has been ordered to pay Dh20,000 in compensation to another driver after ruling that she ran a red light and caused a traffic accident that resulted in material damage and psychological distress. The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Cases found that t»»»
Daughters of King Charles' Brother Andrew Join Royals for Christmas Service
Britain's Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie attended the royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service on Thursday, while their father Andrew, recently stripped of his titles over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was absent. King Charles and Queen Camilla led senior royals t»»»
Over 60 Endangered Species Released into King Khalid Royal Reserve
In collaboration with the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority has released over 60 endangered species into the King Khalid Royal Reserve. This initiative supports a national program to reintroduce wildlife into their natural habita»»»
'The Best Gift Ever': Baby is Born after the Rarest of Pregnancies, Defying All Odds
Suze Lopez holds her baby boy on her lap and marvels at the remarkable way he came into the world. Before little Ryu was born, he developed outside his mom’s womb, hidden by a basketball-sized ovarian cyst — a dangerous situation so rare that his doctors plan to write about the case for a medical j»»»
Over 68 Million Visitors to Two Holy Mosques during Jumada Al Akhira
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque announced that the total number of worshippers and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques during Jumada Al Akhira 1447 AH reached 68,741,853. The authority said that the number of worshippers at the Grand Mosqu»»»
Tenant kills landlord’s son in India, flees after attack
In a shocking incident, a tenant allegedly slit the throat of his landlord’s son and threw him from the second floor of a building, killing him on the spot in the Pithampur industrial town of Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district. The incident occurred late on Wednesday night under the jurisdiction of the»»»
Dubai enacts new law to expand Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives
Dubai: Dubai has enacted a new law to formalise and expand the role of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), establishing a comprehensive legal and governance framework for one of the UAE’s largest humanitarian and development platforms. The law, issued by His Highness Shei»»»
ESC: No agreement over minimum wage, Government not against increase while requiring economic justification, unions announce more radical actions
Skopje, 22 December 2025 (MIA) - The Economic-Social Council (ESC) did not reach a decision over an increase of the minimum wage at a session on Monday. The Government said it is not against an increase but asked for economic justification of the move, noting that economic parameters "show there is»»»
EU ‘in a state of disintegration’ – Orban
The EU is beginning to disintegrate as decisions made in Brussels are increasingly ignored by member states, now divided between advocates of war and of peace, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. In an interview with Magyar Nemzet newspaper published on Wednesday, Orban said the process»»»
AFCON organisers allowing fans in for free to fill empty stands: source
Rabat: Organisers at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco are allowing supporters in for free after kick-off in matches where stadiums are not full, a Confederation of African Football source told AFP. The Group F game between Cameroon and Gabon on Wednesday in Agadir kicked off in front of almost »»»
Navi Mumbai International Airport commences operations
Mumbai: Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) - India’s newest Greenfield airport - began commercial operations on Thursday. During the initial launch period, passengers will benefit from services operated by IndiGo, Air India Express, and Akasa Air, connecting Mumbai to 16 major domestic destin»»»
See the Wolf Supermoon and Quadrantids meteor shower light up Dubai in January 2026
Dubai: The night sky over the UAE is preparing to kick off 2026 with a spectacular cosmic display. On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the Al Qudra Desert will become the ultimate theater for a rare meeting between the January Wolf Supermoon and the Quadrantids Meteor Shower. While the bright glow of a S»»»
The 20 Most Promising Egyptian Start-ups
1- Instabug: It was founded by Moataz Soliman and Omar Gabr in 2013. Instabug gives app developers a tool to help them detect software glitches. Its customers include Yahoo, PayPal, Soundcloud, and Souq. In June 2016, Instabug founders raised $1.7 million in seed funding from Palo Alto, California-»»»
Video: In Christmas surprise, UK's Catherine and Charlotte play piano duet
London: Britain's Princess Catherine and her daughter Charlotte have teamed up to perform a piano duet in a prerecorded clip for a Wednesday replay of a Christmas carol service. Sitting side by side, with Catherine using only her left hand and the 10-year-old Charlotte -- deep in concentration -- u»»»
Diallo and Mahrez strike at AFCON as Ivory Coast, Algeria win
Rabat: Amad Diallo and Riyad Mahrez starred as defending champions Ivory Coast and former winners Algeria had contrasting victories on Wednesday when the first round of African Cup of Nations (AFCON) group matches concluded in Morocco. Manchester United winger Diallo struck early in the second half»»»
Last-minute UAE Xmas, New Year travel still possible with these hacks
Dubai: A Christmas or New Year getaway may still be within reach for UAE residents — even at the last minute — provided travellers are willing to be flexible on routes, airlines and departure points, travel agents say. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Planning a last-mi»»»
Sheikh Hamdan reveals stunning new artwork at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai
Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, shared a glimpse of a striking new art installation on his Instagram stories on Thursday. The piece, now adorning the Nad Al Sh»»»
New unified platform planned to connect all Dubai free zones
Dubai: The Dubai Free Zones Council has discussed proposals to improve coordination among authorities, simplify procedures for companies and enhance the competitiveness of the emirate’s free zones. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Council, chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bi»»»
Pope Leo urges 'courage' to end Ukraine war in first Christmas address
Pope Leo has urged Ukraine and Russia to find the "courage" to hold direct talks to end the war during his first Christmas remarks to crowds in St Peter's square. He called for an end to conflicts around the world during his Urbi et Orbi address, which is traditionally delivered by the pontiff on C»»»
Southern California soaked by powerful Christmas storms
Los Angeles, United States: Flash flood warnings were in effect in Los Angeles and most of southern California on Wednesday as one of the worst Christmas storms in recent memory brought heavy rain and fears of deadly mudslides. Driven by an atmospheric river known as "the Pineapple Express," which »»»
2025 in Retrospect: Revisiting the Outgoing Year’s Historic Events
This year was full of truly remarkable moments, yet, some of them stand out as truly significant milestones. Some pivotal, history-making events that will remain in all of our memories for years to come are: the high-stakes Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Sov»»»
Kyrgyzstan ranks among world’s top 3 countries by real GDP growth in 2024 - | 24.KG
Speaking at the IV People’s Kurultai, President Sadyr Japarov said that, according to the International Monetary Fund, Kyrgyzstan ranked among the world’s top three countries in terms of real GDP growth in 2024. He stressed that this is clear evidence of the effectiveness of the country’s economic »»»
Over 21 tons of Pakistani beef denied entry to Kyrgyzstan at Torugart checkpoint - | 24.KG
At the Torugart border veterinary control checkpoint in Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn region, 21,800 kilograms of beef transported from Pakistan via China were denied entry into the country, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry reported. According to the ministry, the shipment »»»
Area of glaciers in Kyrgyzstan shrunk by 16 percent over past 70 years - | 24.KG
«Kyrgyzstan possesses enormous natural resources in terms of water resources, so we have a special responsibility to preserve them,» President Sadyr Japarov said at the People’s Kurultai. However, he noted that global climate change is increasing pressure on water resources worldwide. «Global warmi»»»
Speaker of Parliament at People’s Kurultai: AI threatens children's education - | 24.KG
The Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of Kyrgyzstan at the 4th People’s Kurultai expressed concern: young people are increasingly using artificial intelligence in their schoolwork, which could negatively impact their knowledge. In this regard, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu stated the need to d»»»
Tu Meri Main Tera movie review from UAE: Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday’s love story has zero spark or substance
Tu Meri MainTera Main Teri Tu MeriDirector: Sameer VidwansCast: Ananya Panday, Kartik Aaryan, Neena Gupta, Jackie Shroff★★Dubai: I went into Tu Meri, Main Tera, Main Tera, Tu Meri with the cautious optimism one reserves for Bollywood rom-coms. Maybe it would be frothy. Maybe it would be charming. M»»»
Implementation rate of People’s Kurultai delegates’ proposals reaches 71 percent - | 24.KG
Head of the Secretariat of the People’s Kurultai, Myktybek Abdyldaev, spoke about the number of appeals submitted by delegates and how they are being implemented. «Over 2023–2024, we processed 5,900 appeals received from delegates of the People’s Kurultai. Of these, 3,026 appeals were worked throug»»»
Almost 40% of Ukrainians Believe Zelensky Part of Corrupt Scheme in Gov’t - Poll
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Over 90% of Ukrainians rate the level of corruption in the country as high, and almost 40% believe Volodymyr Zelensky was part of a corrupt scheme within his inner circle, a poll conducted by center for social and marketing research SOCIS showed. According to the poll, 54.8% of r»»»
Sharjah Literature Festival 2026: All you need to know
The Sharjah Literature Festival will return for its second edition in 2026 with a rich line-up of workshops, author talks, performances, events, and panel discussions. It will run between Jan 5 and 11 at the University City Hall Square in Sharjah, under the theme ‘A Community Woven by Tales’. A num»»»
Over 50 Satellites to Be Sent From Vostochny Cosmodrome in Final 2025 Launch - Roscosmos
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian rocket Soyuz-2.1b will put 52 satellites into orbit from the Vostochny Cosmodrome located in Russia's eastern Amur Region during the final launch of 2025, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos said on Thursday. "Fifty-two satellites will start off on the Soyuz-2.1b la»»»
India's NBCC makes first overseas real estate move with Dh15m Dubai land deal
Dubai: NBCC (India) Ltd has entered the Dubai property market with a Dh15 million land purchase, marking a rare overseas real estate investment by an Indian state-owned firm and signalling a shift toward global diversification. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The deal »»»