Pope Leo has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as leader of the Catholic Church in New York, replacing the prominent conservative prelate with a little-known 58-year-old bishop from Illinois, Ronald Hicks, in a major shake-up of the country's Catholic leadership. Pope Leo»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump's statements about the need to hold elections in Ukraine raise the question of how the West will "orchestrate" them if they do take place, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "Just recently, US President Donald Trump, commenting on t»»»

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and war correspondent Peter Arnett has died at the age of 91, according to US media reports. Arnett won the international prize in 1996 for his Vietnam War coverage at the Associated Press (AP). But he is also well known for his work at CNN, having become a househo»»»

Belgium insisted on Thursday that its European Union partners must provide ironclad guarantees that it will be protected from Russian retaliation before it would back a massive loan for Ukraine. At a high-stakes EU summit in Brussels, the 27-nation bloc's leaders are set to decide on whether to use»»»

Dubai: Commuters across Dubai and Sharjah faced a punishing Thursday evening rush hour as unstable weather conditions and a spate of multi-vehicle incidents triggered widespread gridlock across key roads. The disruption followed an advisory from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mo»»»

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Doha: The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Football Events announced that Qatar will host the men's Finalissima 2026 at the iconic Lusail Stadium on 27 March 2026. The showpiece fixture will see European champions Spain take on South American champions Argentina in a highly anticipated clash be»»»

Doha, Qatar: Arab Cup events at Lusail Boulevard will not take place today due to current weather conditions, Lusail City announced via its social media handles. Several parts of the State of Qatar, including Doha, have been affected by heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder on Thursday, December 15»»»

The US Department of War has approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, marking the largest US weapons package ever for the island, following a $330 million deal in November for spare and repair parts for aircraft. The deal includes eight separate purchases covering 82 HIMARS rocket systems an»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has approved a $35 billion natural gas export deal to Egypt, the biggest gas deal in Israeli history. The agreement could also help repair relations between the two countries strained during the two-year war in the Gaza Strip. The gas will be delive»»»

In a powerful display of courage amid tragedy, Ahmed Al-Ahmed has emerged as the "Sydney hero" following the devastating mass shooting at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025. Also Read: Viral video: Hero tackles Bondi beach shooter in life-saving takedownA now-viral video shows that during a Hanukkah »»»

The US Senate confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to become President Donald Trump's NASA administrator, making an advocate of Mars missions and a former associate of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk the space agency's 15th leader. The vote on Isaacman, who Trump removed and then renamed as »»»

The last major meteor shower of the year, known as the Ursids, peaks soon, bringing glowing streaks to nighttime and early morning skies. Compared to other meteor showers, it's more subdued, but experts say it's still worth a glimpse. Meteor showers happen when space rocks hit Earth's atmosphere at»»»

Saturn's giant moon Titan may not have a vast underground ocean after all. Titan instead may hold deep layers of ice and slush more akin to Earth’s polar seas, with pockets of melted water where life could possibly survive and even thrive, scientists reported Wednesday. The team led by researchers »»»

Venezuela on Wednesday said its crude oil exports were not impacted by US President Donald Trump's announcement of a potentially crippling blockade, insisting it was proceeding with business as usual. Venezuela struck a defiant note Wednesday, insisting its crude oil exports were not impacted by US»»»

As 2025 draws to a close, all year long one question has dogged the most plugged-in of football fanatics: what's up with Gianni Infantino? Why all the cameos by the head of an international sports body at the US president's inauguration, a Middle East peace signing and another for DR Congo and Rwan»»»

All eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets procured under Bulgaria’s first contract with the United States have arrived at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, were welcomed during an official ceremony on Thursday. These include six single-seat and two two-seat aircraft, all cleared for service and operational. Spea»»»

President Rumen Radev held government-forming consultations here on Thursday with representatives of MECh, following the resignation of the Cabinet, announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and unanimously accepted by Parliament last week. During the consultations, MECh Chair Radostin Vasilev r»»»

The US Congress has voted to permanently repeal sweeping sanctions imposed on Syria under former leader Bashar al Assad, clearing the way for foreign investment and marking a significant shift in Washington’s policy towards the war-ravaged country following the rise of a new government. The US Cong»»»

BELGRADE - Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili said on Thursday in Belgrade there were ample possibilities for advancement of cooperation between Serbia and Georgia. At a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Kavelashvili said values, faith and beliefs were of great importan»»»

A viral video falsely claiming that a coup d’État has taken place in France has racked up more than 13 million views on social media. Although clearly AI-generated, it sparked tensions between the Élysée Palace and Facebook's parent company, as Meta initially refu»»»

After a three-and-a-half-month trial, anaesthetist Frédéric Péchier was sentenced Thursday in Besançon to life in prison for all the charges against him, a verdict he plans to appeal. Péchier is accused of poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom died, between 2008 and 2017. A French court on Thursday sen»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, December 18: French paper Le Monde reveals who was behind the viral AI fake news video that announced a coup in France. Next, some good news: a mama polar bear adopts a cub in a rare case of polar bear bonding. Also: the new season of Emily in Paris is out and we calculate »»»

Ras Al Khaimah Police have deployed 50 patrols across the emirate as part of heightened preparedness measures in response to heavy rainfall and strong winds that began yesterday. Authorities have warned that the adverse weather may continue in the coming days. Safety alerts have been issued via soc»»»

Dressed in a familiar furry green suit, Jeferson Castro is not prowling Lima’s streets to steal Christmas. Instead, he is delivering smiles and hugs from his festive motorcycle taxi, spreading holiday cheer in a city where fear of crime is part of daily life. From his three-wheeled taxi, outfitted »»»

A kid isn’t totally to blame when it acts like a lunatic in public. Particularly when you take a good look at the parents. Such is the case of the Bulgarian establishment – the European Union’s latest “foster kid” on the verge of being fully adopted into the family, despite being in the middle of a»»»

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of seeking to overthrow his government and turn his country into a colony, rejecting Washington’s recent threats and oil blockade as a “diplomacy of barbarism.” Speaking in a televised address on Wednesday, Maduro said the US was attempting to »»»

The technology sector is accelerating into 2026, propelled by a hyper-velocity artificial intelligence (AI) moment that is redefining competitive advantage. According to the annual EY Top 10 Opportunities for Technology Companies in 2026, the pace of AI innovation and adoption is driving companies »»»

Dubai: Finland’s Miss Universe delegate, Sarah Dzafce, has faced international criticism after a photo of her pulling the corners of her eyes went viral. Dzafce, 22, who has since been stripped of her Miss Finland crown, posted the image with the caption “eating with a Chinese.” The gesture, widely»»»

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri described Thursday a series of Israeli strikes on east and south Lebanon as a "message" to a Paris conference dedicated to supporting the Lebanese army. The meeting in Paris is taking place today with the Lebanese army chief and American and Saudi officials, at a time»»»

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal met Thursday in Paris with French army chief Fabien Mandon ahead of a key meeting with U.S., French and Saudi officials to discuss ways of assisting the army in its mission to boost its presence in the border area. The Paris meeting will discuss reinforcing th»»»

As the rain peppers Dubai on Thurs, Dec 18, a number of alerts have gone out as authorities prepare to deal with any and all eventualities. Dubai Municipality was one such office that called for residents and citizens to steer clear of beaches during the unstable weather conditions, which are expec»»»

A formal ceremony at the Third Air Base marked the official induction of eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets into service with the Bulgarian Air Force. Senior government officials, military leadership and representatives of the United States attended the event, which coincided with the arrival of the »»»

Thailand says it has bombed a "logistics centre" near the Cambodian town of Poipet, known for being a major casino hub and the biggest land crossing between the two countries. The bombings comes as renewed border clashes show no sign of abating. Cambodia's defence ministry said Thai forces dropped »»»

Dubai: AD Ports Group has formed a strategic joint venture with CEI Supply Chain Private Limited to expand its logistics footprint in Pakistan and offer integrated, door-to-door supply chain services across the country. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The new joint ven»»»

President Rumen Radev held government-forming consultations here on Thursday with representatives of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF), following the resignation of the Cabinet, announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and unanimously accepted by Parliament last week. During the consul»»»

The arrival of Bulgaria’s first batch of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets marks a major step in the country’s military modernization and strengthens security and stability across the Black Sea region, US Charge d'Affaires Martin McDowell said during a ceremony at Graf Ignatievo Air Base to welcome the fu»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Central Bank said on Thursday that it still plans to recover losses from European banks in the Russian arbitration court due to the blocking of its assets. "In connection with the ongoing attempts by the authorities of the European Union to illegally seize/use, withou»»»

Sharjah Charity International’s “Dirham Al Hamd” initiative has contributed more than Dh23 million to charitable projects since its launch in 2017, reinforcing its role as one of the organisation’s key funding streams for humanitarian programmes inside and outside the UAE. Built on a simple daily m»»»

The Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs has finalized its security arrangements ahead of tonight’s large protest in the so-called Triangle of Power in central Sofia, according to the director of the capital’s police, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov. He announced that police will set up 20 che»»»

Interest rates have been cut to 3.75%, the lowest level in almost three years, but further reductions are set to be a "closer call", the Bank of England has said. In a knife-edge vote, policymakers voted 5-4 in favour to lower rates from 4% reflecting concerns over rising unemployment and weak econ»»»

Farmers in tractors blocked roads, threw potatoes and eggs, and set off fireworks in Brussels on Wednesday outside a European Union leaders' summit, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannons as protesters rallied against a major free-trade deal with South American nations. Farmers»»»

Police in London arrested two people who called for "intifada" during a pro-Palestinian protest, which followed a decision by authorities to toughen enforcement of hate speech laws after a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. The arrests Wednesday came hours after police in London »»»

Tunis, Dec.18 (TAP) - Members of the Popular Current met Wednesday in Tunis with leaders of Palestinian Resistance representing the Islamic Jihad (Ihsan Ataya), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (Abed Al-Zoraii) and Hamas (Youssef...»»»

All seven candidates for European Prosecutor from Bulgaria have been admitted to a public hearing in Sofia, the Justice Ministry reported on Thursday. They submitted, within the deadline, documents proving the required length of service as magistrates and B2-level proficiency in English. This was d»»»

One of the goals of the US-led oil blockade on Venezuela is to try to weaken President Nicholas Maduro politically while hoping to create divisions within the country’s political elite, says Dr. Vinicius Vieira, Associate Professor of Economics and International Relations at the Armando Alvares Pen»»»

Facebook is testing placing a limit on how many links some users can share when they post on the social media platform. Notifications seen by some users say they can only share a certain number of links in Facebook posts without a subscription - which starts at £9.99 per month. Meta has described i»»»

Thousands of European farmers are converging on Brussels on Thursday to protest against the EU-Mercosur treaty as European leaders meet for a summit. Protesters are worried about the prospect of an influx of South American products into the bloc and the reform of agricultural subsidies. Thousa»»»