US and Ukrainian envoys issued a joint statement on Sunday that hailed "productive and constructive" talks in Miami but did not announce any apparent breakthrough in efforts to end the war with Russia. Top representatives from both Ukraine and Russia, as well as Kyiv's European allies, have been in»»»

Signs for the Powerball lottery jackpot are displayed on Second Avenue in New York City, in 2023. The grand prize has climbed to $1.6 billion for Saturday's jackpot after 45 consecutive drawings with no winners. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The Powerball jackpot»»»

Late one night last month Iang Za Kim heard explosions in a neighbouring village, then fighter jets flying overhead. She ran out of her home to see smoke rising from a distance. "We were terrified. We thought the junta's planes would bomb us too. So we grabbed what we could – some food and clothes »»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) unveiled the details of the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work on Sunday. This came during a press conference attended by a contingent of national leaders, representatives of public agencies, civil society institutions, and media »»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) unveiled the details of the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work on Sunday. This came during a press conference attended by a contingent of national leaders, representatives of public agencies, civil society institutions, and media »»»

Manila: The Philippines’ dominant development model — over-centralised, elite-driven, and clientelist — often runs headlong into the country’s deep historical, geographical and cultural realities. Rather than aligning economic growth with broad-based institutional reform, this model reinforces old »»»

AMMAN — Gold prices remained near record highs this week, while trading in Jordan’s local market stayed slow as consumers postponed purchases amid global economic uncertainty and anticipated changes in US monetary policy.Head of the Jordanian Jewellers Association Ribhi Allan said that local demand»»»

Gaza: Health authorities in Gaza Strip confirmed that around 1,500 children are awaiting the opening of border crossings to travel and receive treatment outside the strip, amid a severe shortage of medicines and essential medical supplies that has led to the suspension of a large number of surgical»»»

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower, in 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. The Ursid meteor shower, the final celestial event of the year, will take place overnight Sunday into Monday. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI | License Photo D»»»

Far from rotting our brains, video games may improve our cognition. But how we play them matters when it comes to the benefits they provide. By playing video games, "people are practicing complex skills in simulated environments,” said Aaron Seitz, a professor of psychology and the director of the »»»

Abuja: Nigerian authorities have secured the release of 130 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic school in November, a presidential spokesman said Sunday, after 100 were freed earlier this month. "Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity," Sunday »»»

Share: Photo: A damaged ATM machine is pictured in Beirut, Lebanon March 17, 2021. The financial collapse of Lebanon resulted in depositors largely being shut out of their savings and the local currency losing about 99% of its value . Poverty in Lebanon has more than tripled over the past 10 years,»»»

Los Angeles, United States: "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi fantasy series, debuted atop the North American box office with $88 million in ticket sales in the weekend before Christmas, industry estimates showed Sunday. "Fire and Ash" grossed $345 »»»

France ​will ⁠build a new aircraft carrier to boost ​its ‍capacities ​as a maritime ​power, President Emmanuel Macron told French troops gathered at a military ‍base in ​Abu Dhabi. Macron arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to celebrate Christmas with troops and to discuss bilateral ties »»»

Vila-real, Spain: Barcelona wingers Raphinha and Lamine Yamal guided the Catalan giants four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal on Sunday. Brazil international Raphinha won and converted an early penalty before Villarreal's Renato Veiga was sent off before half-t»»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah City Municipality’s call centre was placed on maximum alert during the recent low-pressure weather system and rainfall that affected the emirate and the UAE as a whole, officials said. Operating round the clock via the emergency number 993, the centre received 522 report relate»»»

Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said he is confident in the actions of the United States authorities following the death of a Bulgarian citizen in an immigration detention facility in Michigan. Speaking to Bulgarian National Television, Georgiev noted that an official investigation is underway and »»»

Gold prices in Egypt continued their upward trajectory last week, rising by 0.8% in local markets, while global gold prices gained about 1%, driven by expectations that the US Federal Reserve will maintain a monetary easing cycle in 2026, according to a report by iSagha. Saied Embaby, CEO of iSagha»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has mocked EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, suggesting that she believes she can do better against Russia than Napoleon and Adolf Hitler did. Speaking at a conference in the southern Hungarian city of Szeged, Orban argued that many European countries view t»»»

DANA Gas, the Middle East’s leading regional private sector natural gas company, has commenced drilling the Balsam-2 development well in the Balsam Development lease onshore Nile delta. The Balsam-2 well is being drilled with the 2000 HP Egyptian Drilling Company’s Rig #48 and targets the Qawasim f»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) unveiled on Sunday the details of the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work. This came during a press conference attended by a contingent of national leaders, representatives of public agencies, civil society institutions, and media pro»»»

The EU’s failure to grab frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine will reinforce Washington’s view of the bloc as an irrelevant and “impotent force,” British outlet The Economist reported on Friday. EU leaders had long debated providing cash-strapped Kiev a so-called ‘reparations loan’ backed by Ru»»»

San Francisco: A huge electricity outage hit San Francisco on Saturday, leaving 130,000 residents without power for several hours at its peak, with the city’s main provider saying all services would return overnight. Pacific Gas & Electric Company said in a statement on X that power had been restor»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE continues to make strong gains in the tourism sector, strengthening its position as one of the world’s leading travel destinations while attracting steady investment backed by high returns and a competitive business environment. These achievements are part of a long-term national»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Aid Agency has signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support the delivery of urgent humanitarian and relief aid to the Sudanese people impacted by the repercussions of the ongoing conflict in the country. According to the»»»

A 53-year-old man has been arrested in Chania, Crete, after police discovered police and navy uniforms, along with ammunition, at his home. During a search of the residence, officers found and seized 531 cartridges of various calibers, a metal rod, a pistol magazine, a magazine loading device, and »»»

US President Donald Trump is preparing for a more aggressive immigration crackdown in 2026 with billions in new funding, including by raiding more workplaces — even as backlash builds ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Trump has already surged immigration agents into major US cities, where the»»»

Madrid: Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo's club record for goals in a calendar year and Jude Bellingham also scored as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga. French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo's tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham s»»»

Dubai: More than 9,200 workers across five areas in Dubai benefited from a joint awareness campaign by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and Dubai Police, aimed at strengthening legal, digital and security awareness among the workforce. Launched in October, the initiative fo»»»

Dubai: Looking for a government job in 2026? Expat professionals have a growing range of opportunities in Dubai and across the UAE as the government expands roles in healthcare, technology, infrastructure, and education. Check out the latest jobs in the UAEWith federal vacancies set to rise and sev»»»

A Kremlin envoy reported that peace talks in Florida on a US-proposed plan to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine are progressing "constructively" as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing diplomatic efforts. The talks, involving both Ukrainian and European officials, come amid sharply dive»»»

Donald Trump has claimed that he could pay himself $1 billion in US government money as damages for a raid carried out at his Mar-a-Lago estate by the FBI. Federal agents searched Trump’s property in Palm Beach, Florida in August 2022 as part of an investigation into his alleged mishandling of clas»»»

DOHA: Msheireb Properties announced the launch of the third edition of Baraha Cinema, which will run from December25-January 3, which will include an outdoor cinema experience featuring family films, seasonal activities, and a movie-themed culinary programme. Baraha Cinema is part of Msheireb Downt»»»

Total net wealth across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) exceeded $7.5 trillion in 2024, underscoring the region’s growing financial depth and asset accumulation, according to data from Boston Consulting Group. Saudi Arabia ranked as the region’s wealthiest economy, with total net wealth reaching»»»

Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan police on Sunday ruled out "terrorism" in a metro stabbing in the capital Taipei, where an attacker killed three and wounded 11. A 27-year-old man, identified by police by his family name Chang, set off smoke bombs at Taipei Main Station metro on Friday afternoon before launc»»»

Dubai: A special court has sentenced former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which revolves around allegations that the couple retained a Saudi gift at a fraction of its value. The case concerns a Bulgari jewellery set give»»»

Bulgaria has never abstained when it came to the freezing of Russian assets and voted in favor of their long-term freeze, outgoing Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev told Bulgarian National Television on Sunday. He was asked to clarify Bulgaria’s position after this country, along with Italy, Belgium,»»»

Ahmedabad on Saturday received its first indigenously built metro train, marking a major milestone for Gujarat’s urban transport system and India’s push for domestic manufacturing. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the new metro coaches during his visit to the Titagarh Rail Systems ma»»»

This recipe reminds me of those vintage Looney Toons cartoons where the aroma of something cooking lifts Bugs Bunny off his feet and into midair. He blissfully floats along, surrendering to the fragrant current, until he reaches its source and devours the dish. Similarly, the wafting scent of cinna»»»

Next week in Bulgaria, cloudy skies will dominate much of the country, with fog persisting in several regions. Rain showers are expected in the eastern half, while Southwestern Bulgaria will see mostly sunny weather, though valleys and lowlands may experience localized fog. Winds will be generally »»»

Sydney: Australians fell silent in flickering candlelight Sunday to honour the Bondi Beach shooting victims, marking one week since gunmen fired into crowds at a Jewish festival. A father and son are accused of targeting the beachside Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people including children and H»»»

Germany’s mass-circulation tabloid Bild published a sharply critical piece targeting outgoing Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, focusing on his behavior during a high-level EU summit dedicated to major geopolitical and economic decisions. In the article, Bild describes how Zhelyazkov drew »»»

Vladimir Putin is ready to talk with France's Emmanuel Macron over the war in Ukraine, the Russian president's spokesman said in an interview published Sunday. Putin has "expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Macron", Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti. "Therefore, if there i»»»

Bulgaria has received close to 70 billion leva, or roughly 35.8 billion euro, in grant funding from the start of the transition period (1990s) up to 2024, according to an analysis by the Institute for Market Economy. The volume of grants has grown steadily over time, with more than half of all fund»»»

The Saudi capital underwent an unprecedented structural shift in its real estate market in 2025, driven by a forward-looking agenda led by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Far from incremental regulation, the year’s measures amounted to a deep corrective overhaul aimed a»»»

US forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks, following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade on sanctioned vessels. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the operation, carried out with the Defense Department»»»

On Dec. 21, 1975, the notorious terrorist Carlos the Jackal led a raid on a meeting of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna. German and Arab terrorists stormed in with machine guns, killed three people and took 63 others hostage, including 11 oil ministers. 1 of 8 | On December 21, 1975, the notorious terr»»»

Traffic police have implemented temporary road restrictions in central Athens for Sunday morning’s Athens Santa Run 2025, a charitable fundraising event. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the City of Athens Reception and Solidarity Center (KYADA), supporting vulnerable social groups affected »»»

Abu Dhabi: A parliamentary report approved by the Federal National Council has revealed that the number of vacant positions across the UAE’s federal government will rise to 7,842 in 2026, stressing the need for new federal initiatives to fill critical roles as government restructuring accelerates. »»»

EU taxpayers will have to pay €3 billion a year in borrowing costs to finance Kiev’s collapsing economy and military under a newly approved loan scheme, Politico reported on Friday, citing senior bloc officials. Kiev’s European backers this week failed to approve a ‘reparations loan’ that would hav»»»