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»»»

Oil prices rose slightly on Thursday as investors assessed the likelihood of further US sanctions against Russia and the supply risks posed by a blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers. Brent crude rose 32 cents or 0.54% to $60 per barrel at 0910 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 38 cents, or»»»

Saudi Arabia's largest telecoms operator STC on Thursday announced a joint venture with the kingdom's artificial intelligence company Humain to develop and operate data centers. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the venture, in which Humain will hold a 51% stake, while»»»

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has argued that Israeli strikes against Hezbollah do not violate Lebanon’s sovereignty, noting instead that the Iran-backed group is the party undermining the country’s sovereignty. In an interview with Al-Arabiya English, Saar said Israel has only “minor” dispu»»»

The head of the U.N. refugee agency in Lebanon said Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country. The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administra»»»

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued a stark warning Thursday as he arrived for a key European Union summit in Brussels, saying that if Ukraine's allies failed to provide it with financial support to continue defending itself against Russia and keep the country running, Europe would be next. Ph»»»

A 30-year-old man suspected of aiding and abetting in a double murder at a campsite in Foinikounda in the southwestern Peloponnese on October 5, turned himself in to the authorities on Thursday morning. According to sources, the suspect had fled to Germany after the execution-style shooting of the »»»

Greece’s main urban transport operator has extended the deadline for applications to hire bus drivers once again, underscoring a growing staffing crunch that is disrupting public transit even as the Greek capital’s fleet is modernized. OSY, which operates buses and trolleybuses in the Athens area, »»»

Greece’s farmers appear ready to escalate their protest actions, based on decisions taken at local assemblies. However, Thursday’s meeting of representatives from the farmers’ blockades, scheduled for 2 p.m. in Serres, will also determine whether a delegation will agree to meet with the government.»»»

A 54-year-old academic accused of defrauding the family of a missing doctor by claiming he could help locate him using “quantum technology” is expected to appear before judicial authorities in Crete on Friday. The suspect was brought before prosecutors on Tuesday but was granted a delay and will be»»»

A 21-year-old man has sued Greek pop singer Giorgos Mazonakis for sexual harassment, a claim the popular performer has denied. Filed on Thursday morning, the suit accuses Mazonakis of making “inappropriate” sexual advances on the young man at his place of work. The incident reportedly took place in»»»

Greece’s population continued to edge downward in 2024 despite strong migration inflows, according to new estimates released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). ELSTAT said the country’s estimated permanent population stood at 10,372,335 people as of January 1, 2025, down 0.03% from a r»»»

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias was in France on Thursday to take delivery of the first of four advanced new navy frigates commissioned by Athens from the Naval Group. The F601 Kimon, a heavily armed variant of France’s defense and intervention frigate, was being handed over in a special cerem»»»

The organization and management of unlicensed nursing homes will be criminalized, the National Assembly decided on Thursday, adopting amendments to the Penal Code at second reading. Providing a social care service without a license will be punishable by up to five years in prison if the offender ha»»»

The Dubai Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities has announced that charitable associations and institutions in the emirate have begun offering a service to receive donations through cryptocurrencies and virtual assets. This qualitative step reflects the department’s commitment to »»»

Dubai: Dubai Police have urged citizens, residents, and tourists to avoid swimming or using marine vessels as the emirate faces a period of unstable weather, warning that sudden changes at sea could endanger lives and property. Lieutenant Colonel Ali Hamid Al Shamsi, Acting Director of the Ports Po»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has urged residents to use ‘Fares’, its digital reporting service, to quickly flag rain-related emergencies, adding that the platform a faster and more convenient way to ensure rapid response and public safety. In a social media post, the Municipality said that reporting i»»»

Dutch and British gas prices posted small gains on Thursday morning but are largely expected to trade sideways with rising demand from colder weather easily met by pipeline and liquefied natural gas deliveries. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub was up 0.19 euros at 27.57 euros»»»

Doha: The Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) has urged citizens and residents to exercise extra caution as thundery conditions and heavy rainfall continue to affect several parts of the country, including Doha. In a series of weather updates shared on social media, QMD said thundery rain is expecte»»»

The EU will not discuss plans to seize Russian assets during Thursday's summit in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Wednesday, calling it a “victory.” The bloc has temporarily immobilized roughly $230 billion in Russian central bank assets by invoking Article 122, an emer»»»

AP news file photo of Naguib Sawiris The Chairman of Orascom Investment Holding (OIH), Naguib Sawiris, has announced his intention to compete for the management contract of the Hurghada International Airport. Sawiris revealed that OIH has recently been approached by prominent British and French fir»»»

SHARJAH: Passengers flying out of Sharjah have been urged to check their flight status with airlines before leaving home, as unsettled weather and rain sweep across the UAE. It said in a statement, "Sharjah Airport advises all passengers to stay up to date on the latest flight information, as weath»»»

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a bus transporting company mineworkers was pelted by stones by artisanal miners in early November. We spoke to several locals who said this was not an isolated incident, blaming the tensions on a lack of space for the artisanal miners. A video shared online on N»»»

On December 18, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan held a ceremony handing over new service vehicles and snowmobiles to police units. The ministry’s press service reported. The new vehicles and equipment were handed over to tourist police units in Issyk-Kul, Naryn regions and Bishkek, t»»»

The rebel group which last week seized the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira say they have begun withdrawing, promising to complete the pullout on Thursday, following pressure from the US. The M23 group captured the strategic city near the border with Burundi, days after a "historic" US-br»»»

Dubai: The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) have launched a new electronic system designed to streamline the settlement of blood money claims. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The system enables direct digital integration between Dubai »»»