Venezuela has accused the United States of the "greatest extortion" at an emergency session of the UN Security Council in New York. Washington's seizure of two Venezuelan oil tankers was "worse than piracy," the Venezuelan ambassador to the UN said. The emergency meeting of the Security Council was»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed details of the latest US-led plan to end the war in Ukraine, saying it had been agreed between negotiators from Kyiv and Washington and sent to Moscow for feedback. The document will be supplemented by additional bilateral agreement»»»

Damascus, Dec. 23 (SANA) Syria and Japan announced on Tuesday the resumption of relation, marking the start of a new chapter in bilateral cooperation. The announcement followed an official meeting in Damascus between Mohammad Zakaria Lababidi, Director of the Department of Afro-Asian and Oceania Af»»»

Dubai: Few in the Indian entertainment industry possess Ekta Kapoor’s keen business sense. The daughter of Jitendra and TV mogul behind glossy, dramatic telenovelas knows when to disrupt, when to pivot—and crucially, when not to rock the boat. Vrusshabha marks Balaji Telefilms’ first serious stab i»»»

If you are a civilian in the mood to check out Police Desert Park – which opened earlier this month – you may not be allowed in over the weekend. In its sixth edition, the annual event held in Al Kaheef area of Al Bataah in Sharjah has decided on a gentle rule tweak. Sharjah Police announced the ch»»»

The Tripoli based Libyan Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Mohamed Al-Haddad, and his accompanying delegation died in a plane crash near Ankara airport last night. Accompanying Al-Haddad were Lieutenant General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, Br»»»

An informed government source said that the International Monetary Fund‘s (IMF) Executive Board will convene after the New Year holidays to approve a report on the fifth and sixth reviews of Egypt’s reform program at the staff level. The source indicated that this step paves the way for the report’»»»

Bank customers and Depositors Association members hold placards during a protest organized by the 'Depositors' Outcry', a group campaigning for the rights of depositors, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday Customers are angry over the continued restrictions that local banks have imposed on withdrawals »»»

If there's one dish that defines Bulgarian Christmas Eve, it's bob chorba—a rich, satisfying bean soup that has warmed Bulgarian homes for centuries. Despite the fasting restrictions that prohibit meat and dairy on this special night, bob chorba proves that a meal can be both simple and incredibly »»»

The UAE Agency for International Aid has signed a cooperation agreement with International Medical Corps – UK to support the delivery of healthcare services to Sudanese people affected by the recent escalation of violence in Sudan. Under the agreement, the UAE Agency for International Aid will cont»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Zarechnoye in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "Units of the Vostok battlegroup continued to advance into the depth of the enemy's defenses and liberated the settlement of Zarechnoye i»»»

A private jet that crashed overnight, killing Libya's army chief of staff and seven others on board, had reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing shortly before contact was lost, a Turkish official said on Wednesday. The Dassault Falcon 50 jet, which took off from Ankara Esen»»»

The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, »»»

Kyrgyzstan’s first solar power plant has been commissioned in Kemin. The ceremonial opening of the facility was attended by President Sadyr Japarov, the presidential press service reported. The new 100-megawatt solar power plant is located on 230 hectares. The project was implemented with the parti»»»

Hundreds of motorcycle riders took to the streets of Caracas on Monday to protest US ‘piracy’ against Venezuelan oil shipments. The rally comes after the US Navy intercepted two oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude as part of an ongoing naval blockade of the Latin American country. Participants at»»»

Washington: The US Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the late financier and convicted sex»»»

DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting held at its headquarters in the Amiri Diwan. At the beginning of the meeting, the Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the seventh Strategic Di»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has given details of an updated peace plan that offers Russia the potential withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the east that Moscow has demanded. Giving details of the 20-point plan agreed by US and Ukrainian negotiators in Florida at the weekend, Zelensky sa»»»

The Sofia Municipality provides hot meals and drinks to people experiencing homelessness every weekday as part of its winter measures to protect the most vulnerable, Deputy Mayor for Social Activities and Integration of People with Disabilities Nadezhda Bacheva told BTA. The initiative runs from De»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Baikal light-engine multipurpose aircraft has made its first flight with the domestically produced VK-800 engine and AV-901 propeller, the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry said on Wednesday. "The LMS-901 Baikal aircraft is making its first flight with a domestically p»»»

A private jet that crashed overnight, killing Libya's army chief of staff and seven others on board, had reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing shortly before contact was lost, a Turkish official said on Wednesday. The Dassault Falcon 50 jet, which took off from Ankara Esen»»»

Speaking in Parliament about the development of the aviation industry, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev noted that airports are actively acquiring aircraft with their own funds. According to him, three aircraft have already been purchased for 2,385 billion soms.»»»

Damascus, Dec. 24 (SANA) Syria expressed its sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to Libya following the death of Libyan Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Gen. Mohammed al-Haddad, and members of his accompanying delegation in a military plane crash in Turkey, according to a statement issued»»»

Delivering world-class medical services to the highest global standards, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has inaugurated the first international facility of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute outside the United States, as part of a strategic partnership announced by the Government of Abu Dhabi wi»»»

Twelve people suspected of belonging to a criminal group that sold drugs at a private school in the northern suburbs of Athens have been remanded in custody following their testimony before an investigating magistrate. Among the suspects are six minors. The investigating magistrate began hearing te»»»

The Jewish settler outpost of Or Meir is small. A handful of prefabricated white shelters, it sits at the end of a short dirt track on a hill leading up from Road 60, a major route that dissects the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Over time, similar modest dwellings have turned into sprawling Israeli h»»»

Police have detained individuals involved in ala kachuu (bride kidnapping) incident in Chui region, the press service of the Main Internal Affairs Department of the region reported. According to the victim’s mother, unknown individuals forced her daughter into a Honda Stepwgn near their home and fl»»»

There's something magical about sodena pitka, the traditional Bulgarian bread that graces tables on Christmas Eve. This round, golden loaf carries centuries of tradition in every bite, and the best part? You don't need to be an experienced baker to make it. The recipe is surprisingly straightforwar»»»

Dubai: A Beechcraft Super King Air 200 autolanded itself Tuesday at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport after a rapid loss of cabin pressure, marking the first full real-world use of Garmin's Autoland system from takeoff to shutdown. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The»»»

DAMASCUS, Dec. 24 (SANA) Minister of Finance Mohammad Yisr Barnieh discussed with Canadian Ambassador to Damascus Gregory Galligan avenues for technical support and capacity building that Canada could provide in the fields of public finance and the financial sector, with a particular focus on affor»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's economy has turned to the East, and about 87% of trade is carried out with non-Western countries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said on Wednesday. "There is a shift in the [Russian] economy towards the East, towards the Global South, towards emerging mark»»»

US trade officials determined that China should be punished for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor industry, but will wait 18 months to impose tariffs, American authorities said Tuesday. A US Trade Representative (USTR) investigation concluded China's targeting of semiconductors»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest version of a plan to end the Russian invasion would freeze the front line, but still pave the way for Ukrainian withdrawals and the creation of demilitarized zones. Zelensky said the 20-point plan, agreed on by US and Ukrainian negotiators, was»»»

The construction of 17 small hydropower plants is planned for 2026, and 19 new hydropower plants in 2027. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev said at a session of the Zhogorku Kenesh. According to him, total energy production was increased to 117.8 megawatts in 2024. «Eight smal»»»

Russia’s Perm Krai has increased timber exports to Kyrgyzstan sixfold. Statistics from the regional office of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) say. It is noted that Perm Krai is expanding economic cooperation with Central Asian countries. From Janu»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor ADQ has closed a $5 billion syndicated financing deal with Asian financial institutions, marking its first borrowing in the Greater China region and drawing demand more than three times the initial target. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheq»»»

Doha, Qatar: “Working with sourdough teaches you to listen,” goes a popular quote by American baker and educator Peter Reinhart. This is probably why expat baker and the Managing Director of Bloom Bakehouse, formerly Bakemart Qatar, T K Khaleel, sitting in his Qatar office speaks sparingly. A perso»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation’s Rumailah Hospital has achieved a major international milestone after its Department of Geriatrics became the first service worldwide outside the United Kingdom to receive Developmental Accreditation from the Memory Services National Accreditation Programme (»»»

Fifty-two residents of a Ukrainian village have been taken to Russia by invading forces in a cross-border raid on the village of Hrabovske, authorities in Kyiv say. Thirteen Ukrainian soldiers were also captured in the border village in the northeastern Sumy region. The attack occurred at night on »»»

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) has issued a first-level yellow code alert for heavy precipitation on Wednesday for seven regions across Bulgaria, according to the institute’s weather warning map. In the northwestern regions of Vidin, Vratsa and Montana, rain is expected »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. "I know that yesterday [on Tuesday] you had a very good conversation with president Putin, during which you discusse»»»

A fire broke out in a central bank branch in Gorna Oryahovitsa after banknotes contaminated with mothballs ignited, destroying around 30,000 leva, while another 170,000 leva stored in the vault remained intact. The incident happened late on Tuesday afternoon. An elderly man went to the bank to depo»»»

They’ve done it! It took three years to develop but now, a new ‘quick-release’ system has been designed in the UK that will help hijab-wearing police officers in their line of duty. BBC has reported that the new headwear, which takes both modesty and practicality into account, was designed by resea»»»

Dubai: A digital creator behind the viral Emirates Dubai Air Hotel video that fooled millions has spoken out about how news outlets transformed his AI-generated concept into a real project proposal with fabricated price tags and specifications that never existed in his original post. On Sunday, Gul»»»

The Transfusion Hematology Centre of Sofia's Military Medical Academy (MMA) marked its anniversary on Tuesday with a record number of blood donors, the MMA press office said. Nearly 8,000 people donated blood over the past 12 months, the highest number in the Centre’s history. In previous years, th»»»

In Kyrgyzstan, 45 kidney transplants were performed using state budget funds in two years. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev said at a plenary session of the Zhogorku Kenesh. He stated that this demonstrates that healthcare remains a key social policy priority. «In 2024, 36.3 »»»

Every time you think the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor story must have finished, there is another twist. The latest batch of documents from the Epstein files includes emails that could further damage his reputation. Or perhaps his reputation is already at rock bottom and this will only reinforce exist»»»

An email sent from an individual named "A", saying they are at Balmoral and asking Ghislaine Maxwell for "inappropriate friends", is among the latest tranche of Epstein files released on Tuesday. The message, sent to Maxwell on 16 August 2001, begins: "I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the R»»»

London. BP agreed to sell a 65% stake in its Castrol lubricants business to Stonepeak Partners at an enterprise value of $10.1 billion, generating around $6 billion in net proceeds to slash net debt. The deal marks a key step in BP's $20 billion divestment push, with over half now completed or anno»»»

Moscow, Dec. 24 (SANA) Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani on Wednesday affirmed that Syrian-Russian relations are entering a new era based on mutual respect. During his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow, al-Shaibani said: “We continue the r»»»