The World Bank said on Friday that it has approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery. The funds will be released under the bank's Public Resources for Inclusive Development - Multiphase»»»

In a post published in his Facebook account on Friday night, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov commented on the reported firing of journalists Maria Tsantsarova and Zlatimir Yochev from bTV. The MP expressed disagreement with the statement that »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff have presented a draft reconstruction plan for Gaza to potential investors, The Wall Street Journal reported. The blueprint of the futuristic resort called "Project Sunrise," drafted by Kush»»»

Sharjah City Municipality announced the reopening of public parks on Saturday following temporary closures due to unstable weather. The municipality used social media to invite residents to safely enjoy the winter season. Also Read: UAE winter alert: Temperatures dip to 3.5°C after rain—what’s ahea»»»

The Supreme Administrative Court in Bulgaria has struck down part of the government decree that introduced the so-called weekend vignette, citing an error in the conversion of its price into euros. The ruling affects only the provision that set the vignette’s price at €5.12. In its decision, the co»»»

A Pakistani court has sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 17 years in prison for corruption during his time in office, Dawn reported, marking another major legal setback for Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. Special Judge Shahrukh Arjumand of an anti-graft court handed Khan the ma»»»

A blunt critique of Mexican bread by a British baker sparked a cascade of social media outrage, ultimately leading to a public apology. In an interview for a food-themed podcast that resurfaced online, Richard Hart, the co-founder of Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City and a well-known figure in inte»»»

A SpiceJet passenger has accused an Air India Express pilot of assaulting him over an alleged queue dispute at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1, sparking widespread attention on social media. Also Read: Kerala man arrested for harassment on Dubai-Hyderabad flightHow the incident hap»»»

TEHRAN, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has never rejected negotiations grounded in respect for the country's legal rights."Iran has never rejected negotiations and dialogue based on respect for the Iranian nation's legal rights and legitimate interests," Araghc»»»

New satellite imagery shows recent activity at the Natanz nuclear facility that was damaged during June's 12-day war with Israel, according to the US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). During the June conflict, the IAEA confirmed Israeli strikes hit Iran's Natanz undergr»»»

Coldest: 3.5°C at Jebel Jais Winter chills: Sharp drop across UAE Rain cleared: Heavy system over Showers possible / cold nights Weekend ready: Ideal for outdoor plans UAE wakes up to its coldest morningWinter has made a dramatic entrance across the UAE, with temperatures dipping to 3.5°C early Sat»»»

US President Donald Trump refused to rule out going to war with Venezuela in an NBC interview published on Friday, days after he ordered a naval blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela. The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on family members and associates of Ni»»»

Irishman Diarmuid Early emerged onto the HyperX arena in Las Vegas under the bright lights, dramatic music, and fanfare worthy of any major sporting final. Only this time, instead of a ball there was a keyboard and mouse, and the playing field a humble desktop setup. Dubbed the "LeBron James of Exc»»»

Iran executed on Saturday a man convicted of spying for the Israeli intelligence and army, state media reported. According to The Associated Press, State TV identified the executed man as Aghil Keshavarz, saying he had “close intelligence cooperation” with the Mossad and took photos of Iranian mili»»»

News report by Sarah Al-Mukaizeem KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait marks on Saturday His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's second anniversary of being named as Amir, celebrating years of rapid achievements and accelerated developments.Last year alone, and due »»»

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has sharply criticized statements made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that Rubio’s remarks demonstrate hatred toward Latin America and the Caribbean and mask a desire to plunder the region's resources. "The press conference »»»

The US justice department has released an initial tranche of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents, which include photos, videos and investigative documents, were highly anticipated after Congress passed a law mandating the files be released in their entirety by Friday. The Department»»»

The US Justice Department began releasing several hundred thousand documents Friday from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with more files to be published over the coming weeks. The publication marks the clearest opportunity yet to shed light on a politically explo»»»

Dubai: Most Islamic countries are expected to observe the crescent moon marking the start of Rajab 1447 AH on Saturday, according to the International Astronomical Centre. Rajab is the seventh month of the Hijri calendar and one of Islam’s four sacred months. It holds special importance as it signa»»»

A financial literacy manual for migrant workers and their families was presented in Bishkek. The National Bank reported. According to the National Bank, the authors attempted to answer one of the most pressing questions: «Why does money earned abroad often not work for the future of the family?» «T»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has forecast unsettled weather across the UAE as a surface low-pressure system extends over the country on Saturday, supported by an upper-air low-pressure system. The weather pattern is expected to bring periods of cloud cover, rainfall in some areas»»»

Artists and music fans from around the world have been rediscovering the 1970s sound of Zambia known as Zamrock in recent years, and now one of the country's biggest stars is embracing it, hoping to give it a fresh twist. When devising her third studio album, Sampa the Great looked to the niche, br»»»

Dubai: Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan seems to be doing a good job about stepping away from his superstar dad's shadow. Last night on December 19, Aryan marked a major milestone in his career, winning Best Debut Director of the Year for his Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood at the NDTV India»»»

Slovakia will not provide further funding for Ukraine’s military because the conflict cannot be settled on the battlefield, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. Fico, who survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist in 2024, was speaking after EU leaders failed to reach agreement on »»»

The line for a selfie with South Korea's disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol stretched around Seoul's iconic Gwanghwamun gate. Except Yoon wasn't there; it was just a picture of him. The real Yoon is in prison facing insurrection charges. But that didn't matter to the thousands of excited youn»»»

Reporters ask world leaders questions all the time. No big deal. Right? But what's it like putting a question to Vladimir Putin - the president who ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the leader whose country was accused this week by the head of MI6 of "the export of chaos"? And imagine ask»»»

TEHRAN Dec 19 (KUNA) -- The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that seven people perished in the flash floods that recently swept through the southern parts of the country.The victims include a rescuer who died while carrying out relief operations in the city of Jahrom in Fars province, the IRCS sai»»»

1 of 3 | Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican serving a district in New York state appears at a bill signing in the White House's Oval Office to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team. The team won the gold medal in her district. Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License P»»»

The US says its military has carried out a "massive strike" against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Hawkeye Strike was aimed at eliminating IS "fighters, infrastructure, and weapon»»»

The Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of files from the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case on Friday in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and said more are coming. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The Justice Department on Friday rele»»»

This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse and violence which some readers may find distressing. Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they personally experienced the kind of beatings and sexual abuse highlighted in recent reports into the treatment of prisoners in Israeli detention. The Un»»»

The US Justice Department has released a large tranche of records related to its investigations into late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, publishing the files online on Friday. The documents were made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation signed by Presi»»»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. On Friday he gave a year-end news conference and spoke about deals to end the war in Ukraine and Russia. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that U.S. negotia»»»

Home sales rose only slightly in November, as supply dips. File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI | License Photo Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Sales of previously owned homes rose 0.5% in November from October, reflecting a slowdown, due to high mortgage rates, high prices and less supply. Home sales were 1% lower »»»

A man protests the opening of Shein's first physical store in BHV building in Paris on Nov. 5. On Friday, a Paris court declined a government request to suspend the website's operation in France. File Photo by Teresa Suarez/EPA Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A Paris court denied an effort by the French governmen»»»

Tourists in Italy's capital Rome will soon have to pay a €2 (£1.75; $2.34) entrance fee if they want to see its famed Trevi Fountain up close. The new barrier for visitors to view the Baroque monument will come into force from 1 February 2026. While the coins tossed into the fountain are donated to»»»

A traffic accident occurred on Friday afternoon in the Platykampos area of Larissa, when a private ambulance crashed into a riot police transport bus that had been stationed on the national road amid farmers’ protests. According to Kathimerini, the ambulance was passing through farmers’ roadblocks »»»

Farmers in the EU have protested on many occasions over unfair foreign competition and the viability of their businesses. They gathered again in Brussels on December 18, while an EU summit was going on, this time focusing their ire on the Mercosur free trade agreement between the EU and Latin Ameri»»»

Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives for the weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on May 21. He appointed Bishop Richard Moss as the new leader of the Roman Catholic church in England on Friday. Photo by Angelo Carconi/EFE Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV on Fr»»»

The Australian government has announced plans for a national gun buyback following last week’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. The scheme is expected to take hundreds of thousands of weapons out of circulation, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday. The Bondi Beach shooting left at»»»

Danish Defense Intelligence Service, led by Director Thomas Ahrenkiel, said that Russia was behind two recent cyberattacks. File Photo by Emil Helms/EPA Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The Danish government Friday said that Russia is behind two cyberattacks in 2024 and this year that were "destructive and disrupt»»»

Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) called on journalists and the public to join a protest in solidarity with bTV morning show hosts Maria Tsantsarova and Zlatimir Yochev on Friday. The group said the action will be held outside the broadcaster’s newsroom amid reports that»»»

BELGRADE - Secretary General at the Serbian MFA Dusan Kozarev met with Iran's newly-appointed Ambassador to Belgrade Mohammad Sadegh Fazli on Friday to discuss advancement of bilateral cooperation. Welcoming the ambassador, Kozarev wished him success in his post and expressed the hope joint efforts»»»

More than a month after Iraq's parliamentary elections, the country's top leaders remain locked in talks to form a government while facing pressure from Washington to exclude Tehran-backed armed groups. Amid seismic changes in the Middle East, where new alliances are forming and old powers waning, »»»

Sexual assault survivor Bhavana has spoken out again, addressing the renewed scrutiny she is facing following the circulation of nude videos allegedly linked to her. Her latest statement comes shortly after she publicly expressed her disappointment over the verdict in the long-running case related »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US State Secretary Marco Rubio said on Friday that the decision to shut down the Agency for International Development (USAID) was the right move, and all predictions of negative consequences have not occurred. On December 16, Vanity Fair published an interview with White Hous»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that there are nontrivial factors that contribute to the continuation of the Ukraine conflict, and that only the United States is able to negotiate with both parties to the conflict. "There's a reason why this war hasn't ended,»»»

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Nearly all individuals associated with Volodymyr Zelensky's close associate, Timur Mindich, continue to occupy high-ranking positions in the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Friday. "Today marks exactly one month since the Rada [Ukrainian parli»»»

CAIRO, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- The visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said the mounting hostile activities in the West Bank and Gaza are alarming.Lavrov, speaking at a news conference with the Egyptian Foreign and Immigration Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aatty, after they held talks, sai»»»