Senior members of the Irish government have been briefed on drone presence in Irish skies on the night Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ireland, BBC News NI understands. Zelensky flew into Dublin late on Monday night for a one-day official visit with his wife, First Lady Olena Zele»»»

Company says the tint 'drifts between light and ethereal' and encourages renewal and serenity. Pantone's Color of the Year for 2026 is Cloud Dancer. Image courtesy of Pantone. Dec. 4 (UPI) -- On Thursday, Pantone announced its Color of the Year for 2026: Cloud Dancer. Cloud Dancer is described on P»»»

A Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter officer responded to an ABC store in Ashland, Va., to remove a raccoon that ransacked the store and passed out drunk in the bathroom. Photo courtesy of Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter/Facebook Dec. 3 (UPI) -- An animal control officer was »»»

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows Mars up close when it was just 55 million miles away from Earth in 2007. On Thanksgiving Day, Minneapolis reached only 27 degrees. More than 220 million miles away on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover measured daytime highs around 30 degrees. File Photo courtesy of NA»»»

Cats, raccoons and other furry critters wreaked havoc across the United States in 2025. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 4 (UPI) -- There are many persuasive reasons to love animals: they can be cute, cuddly and occasionally even hilarious. But sometimes even the most precious pet»»»

Tunis, Dec. 4 (TAP) - The Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP), during the final session on Thursday evening to discuss the 2026 Finance Bill, approved the exceptional provisions of the social solidarity contribution aimed at supporting the...»»»

A man clears a sidewalk of snow after a snowstorm hit the Seattle area in 2012. A storm this week will raise snow levels in the Cascades and through the Pacific Northwest, forecasters say. Rainfall along the coasts of British Columbia, Washington and northern and central Oregon through Friday will »»»

Fire Point, the Ukrainian defense contractor behind the long-range Flamingo cruise missile, has broken ground on a military facility in Denmark, despite allegations linking the firm to a graft scandal in Ukraine’s energy sector, according to media reports. Construction began on Monday with a ceremo»»»

In addition to the 47 Senators who caucus with Senate Democrats, at least 13 more Republicans will need to sign on to the measure for its passage. Senate Democrats intend to force a floor vote next week on a proposed three-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, which expire at the end o»»»

DOHA: Minister of State for Foreign Trade HE Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed has met with Senior Advisor to Canada's Prime Minister on Foreign, Defence, and Security Policy Scott Gilmore, who is currently visiting Doha. The agenda included discussions on bilateral trade and investment relations and »»»

This week saw more fruitless talks about ending the war in Ukraine, the head of the OBR resign over a publishing mistake and the King host a glittering state banquet for the German president. But how much attention did you pay to what else happened in the world over the past seven days? Quiz collat»»»

A protest action was held outside the home of GERB leader Boyko Borissov, GERB MP Toma Bikov said in a video on the party’s Facebook page on Thursday. Standing in front of Borissov’s house, Bikov said that shortly beforehand there had been a provocation by a group he refused to identify, adding tha»»»

Sofia Court of Appeal upheld the detention of five of the seven defendants in the Historical Park case on Thursday. The court released Nikolay Hitov on BGN 20,000 bail for health reasons and freed Emil Eftimov without any measure, while confirming custody for Anatoli Savov, Plamen Kanchev, Biser Si»»»

Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives for the weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City, in May. On Thursday, a papal commission announced it had voted against allowing women to be deacons. File Photo by Angelo Carconi/EPA Dec. 4 (UPI) -- A commission chosen by t»»»

A 29-year-old driver has been jailed following a fatal crash on Artemidos Avenue in Loutsa early Sunday which killed a 24-year-old pedestrian and caused serious injuries to three others who were with him. The man apologized to the victim’s family during his hour-long testimony, claiming he lost con»»»

The Israeli military has carried out a new round of air strikes in southern Lebanon, less than a day after Israel and Lebanon held their first direct talks in decades. Residents of the towns of Mjadel, Baraachit, Jbaa and Mahrouna were told to evacuate areas around locations that the Israeli milita»»»

Bulgarian institutions sent a strong, coordinated signal on Thursday that progress on North Macedonia’s EU path depends on real guarantees for the rights and security of citizens with Bulgarian identity. At a regular sitting, Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee adopted a declaration condemning th»»»

Taxi drivers in the Athens region have suspended a planned 24-hour strike because of the ongoing Storm Byron, which is bringing heavy rain and strong winds to much of Attica, their union announced Thursday. The Attica Taxi Drivers’ Union (SATA) said taxis will resume normal service at 6 a.m. Friday»»»

DOHA: Omar Khribin smashed a sensational late equaliser with a powerful strike from outside the box to earn Syria a dramatic 1-1 draw against hosts Qatar at Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday. The draw leaves Qatar’s Arab Cup hopes hanging by a thread. With just one point from two matches, t»»»

Hellenic Train has announced that an Intercity train operating the Athens-Thessaloniki route was forced to stop at 6.12 p.m. at Agioi Anargyroi station after experiencing a technical problem. Two backup engines were immediately dispatched to replace the malfunctioning units, and once the process is»»»

Fitch has kept its outlook for Poland’s GDP growth unchanged at 3.2% in 2026 and 2.9% in 2027, expecting stronger investment activity once EU-funded KPO projects accelerate. The agency notes improving bank lending and forecasts 3.3% growth for 2024. Inflation fell to 2.4% in November, with core inf»»»

Pakistan has confirmed Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces, a newly created post designed to strengthen coordination between the Army, Navy and Air Force. The appointment marks another major step in Munir’s rise, months after he became only the second officer in »»»

Damascus, Dec. 4 (SANA) Members of the United Nations Security Council delegation, during the visit to Damascus on Thursday, reaffirmed the Council’s support for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity.At a press conference held at the Semiramis Hotel, Slovenia’s Permane»»»

Tunis, Dec. 4 (TAP)- The current account deficit shrank to 1.6% of GDP, that is TND 2.6 billion in 2024 down from 2.3% of GDP in 2023 ( TND 3.5 billion), the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) said in its report on the "Balance of Payments and the...»»»

1 of 3 | House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shakes hands with Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., during a swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol on Thursday morning. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., was sworn in by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on th»»»

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gravely arrives in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in late October to conduct military exercises over several days as part of Washington's naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea. File Photo by Andrea de Silva/EPA Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kaml»»»

Damascus, Dec. 4 (SANA) Members of the United Nations Security Council delegation, which visited Syria on Thursday, were briefed by the National Committee for Investigating the Events in Sweida on its working methodology and operational framework, as part of efforts to support the course of justice»»»

All public and private primary and secondary schools in the Attica basin will remain closed on Friday due to Storm Byron. Night schools in the region will also remain closed on Thursday. The closures were ordered to protect students and staff and prevent travel-related risks in areas affected by se»»»

Hamas is increasingly bracing for what it sees as a looming Israeli assassination attempt against senior figures operating outside Palestinian territory. Senior officials in the movement told Asharq Al-Awsat that concern has been mounting over a potential strike targeting Hamas’s top echelon, parti»»»

Dubai: India’s IndiGo has apologised to passengers after three days of widespread disruption that has severely impacted flights and operations across its domestic and international network. In a statement issued on Thursday, the airline said it “deeply regrets the inconvenience caused” and acknowle»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday Serbia would have no problems with gas supplies and that he expected a short-term gas agreement with Russia to be signed soon, and added that there would be no problems with gas supplies until the summer. "Serbia will have no problems w»»»

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Protest against the expansion of the blue and green parking zones in front of the Metropolitan Municipality building ended peacefully on Thursday. Protesters began gathering in late afternoon, chanting “Resignation” and “No to the zone.” The planned march to the National Assembly did not take place»»»

Poland’s housing market is shifting as smaller cities become increasingly attractive for buyers and developers. In 2024, they accounted for 47% of new residential projects, driven by high land prices in major cities, remote-work migration, and lower construction costs. Large price disparities inten»»»

Unilever is investing nearly PLN 100 million to overhaul logistics at its Poznań factory, building a fully automated high-bay warehouse and a new shipping hall. The 36-meter facility will store 9,600 pallets and feature advanced autonomous retrieval systems, including three 34-meter self-driving li»»»

A survey of 517 retail-industry employees shows rising awareness of the sale-and-leaseback model: nearly 40% have encountered it, and almost half of those familiar with it view it as beneficial. Once limited to industrial and office real estate, the model is now gaining traction in Poland’s retail »»»

NBP President Adam Glapiński said inflation is expected to remain within the bank’s target range, with core inflation dropping below 3%, its lowest in six years. Although a slight price increase may occur early next year, falling electricity tariffs could further ease inflation. Glapiński pointed t»»»

Fitch has kept its outlook for Poland’s GDP growth unchanged at 3.2% in 2026 and 2.9% in 2027, expecting stronger investment activity once EU-funded KPO projects accelerate. The agency notes improving bank lending and forecasts 3.3% growth for 2024. Inflation fell to 2.4% in November, with core inf»»»

Orange Polska’s new 2026-2027 social agreement allows up to 1,000 employees to take voluntary departures, representing about 12% of the workforce. The company estimates the program’s cost at roughly PLN 150 million, reflecting higher expected severance per employee. The deal includes salary increas»»»

OpenAI has acquired Poland-based Neptune.ai, a startup specializing in tools for monitoring and analyzing AI model training. Neptune, originally spun out of Deepsense in 2018, had already been working closely with OpenAI, and its technology will now be fully integrated into OpenAI’s training ecosys»»»

FinQbit, a Polish deep-tech startup, raised PLN 3 million to build a SaaS platform that lets financial institutions run complex risk-analysis models on quantum computers and GPU accelerators. Founded by industry veterans Tomasz Ćwik and Rafał Pracht, the company converts mathematical problems into »»»

Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs has launched a PLN 3 million grant program to support fact-checking, debunking, and anti-disinformation education after Meta ended its global fact-checking partnerships. NGOs can receive between PLN 50,000 and PLN 500,000 for training, materials, and online outr»»»

Legal proceedings come on anniversary of shooting death of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson 1 of 3 | Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for an evidentiary hearing in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Thursday. Pool Photo by Curtis Means/U»»»

This year's projected coffee crop would be the third-largest in the country’s history, behind only 2018 and 2020, according to the National Supply Co. File Photo by Sebastiao Moreira/EPA Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, expects to harvest 56.5 million 132-pound bags in 2»»»

Sources in Gaza said the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of an armed militia opposed to Hamas, unfolded against the backdrop of a tribal confrontation, with two members of his own Tarabin clan implicated in the attack. The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the two assailants, from the Deba»»»

Tunis, Dec. 4 (TAP) - The Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP) adopted, in a plenary session Thursday, the article proposed by the government within the framework of the 2026 Finance Bill, concerning the procedures for settling agricultural...»»»

Democratic Party's leader Sali Berisha has dismissed Ervin Salianji’s public meeting with dissatisfied party members in Durrës, describing it as a “private gathering with a personal agenda,” despite the hall being filled with supporters. Speaking to the media, Berisha intensified his rhetoric, accu»»»

Dubai: The UAE has welcomed an Iraqi woman — affectionately known as the Mother of the Iraqis — after her touching gesture during the Iraq–UAE football match won the hearts of thousands. Her visit was arranged through a personal initiative by Emirati journalist and content creator Jassim Al Shuhaim»»»

Germany's president has drawn a parallel between his country's ties with the UK post-Brexit to the recent reunion of the famously feuding Oasis brothers. Frank-Walter Steinmeier told MPs and peers that after the UK split from the EU there was disappointment and uncertainty - but that both sides had»»»