Dozens of visitors gather to watch giant panda Xiao Xiao at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 28. On Monday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced that the twin giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will be returned to China in late January 2026. The two pandas at Ueno are the onl»»»

Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued an Emiri Decree regarding the establishment of the University of the Art Sharjah. Under the decree, a non-profit academic institution named the University of the Art Sharjah (UAS)»»»

Tunis: Aid workers accused of assisting irregular migration to Tunisia went on trial on Monday, as Amnesty International criticised what it called “the relentless criminalisation of civil society” in the country. Six staff members of the Tunisian branch of the France Terre d’Asile aid group, along »»»

Doha: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Monday called upon maritime vessel owners, be they individuals or companies, to suspend maritime navigation as well as maritime vessel leasing (tourist, recreational, fishing, jet skis, and similar vessels) in the Doha area, specifically from Hamad Internati»»»

The Council of Ministers announced Monday that it has approved Bulgaria’s participation in an administrative arrangement related to the European Union’s Secure Connectivity Programme. The move aims to support the development of a reliable and secure satellite infrastructure that will provide uninte»»»

Seven people have been charged with participation in an organized criminal group involved in arson, bribery, and drug trafficking in Sofia and Lovech, Central Northern Bulgaria. Two of them are leaders of the group, one of whom is an Interior Ministry employee, District Prosecutor of Lovech Valenti»»»

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning on Monday that flights to Italy on December 17 may be delayed or cancelled due to a national air transport strike. The strike is scheduled to take place between 13:00 and 17:00. The Foreign Ministry added that air transport for humanitarian and sanit»»»

The Council of Ministers has approved on Monday amendments to the ordinance regulating the deployment of intelligent transport systems (ITS) in road transport and their links with other modes of transport. The changes aim to speed up the development of modern, connected and safer transport services»»»

The government has approved additional transfers totalling BGN 53 million to the Sofia Municipality budget to finance the expansion of the metro and its security by police, the government information service said on Monday. Part of the funds are for the construction of the extension of Line 3 of th»»»

President Rumen Radev held consultations with parliamentary forces GERB and "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) as part of the constitutional procedure to form a second regular government within the 51st National Assembly. The meetings took place at the presidency on Dondukov 2 st»»»

A stray comet from another star swings past Earth this week in one last hurrah before racing back toward interstellar space. Discovered over the summer, the comet known as 3I/Atlas will pass within 167 million miles (269 million kilometers) of our planet on Friday, the closest it gets on its grand »»»

Prosecutors in Berlin have filed charges against the far-right Alternative for Germany's (AfD) Matthias Moosdorf for allegedly greeting another party member with the banned Nazi salute during a parliamentary session, they said in a statement on Monday. The Bundestag lower house of parliament voted »»»

The government said on Monday that it has approved additional expenditures under the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Communications in the amount of BGN 40 million for BDZ Passenger Transport EOOD, the passenger division of the national rail operator. The funds constitute repayable financia»»»

STARA PAZOVA - The Serbia men's national football team will be in Pot 3 of the draw for the 2026–2027 UEFA Nations League A, the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) has announced. The Nations League Division A is comprised of 16 European national teams divided into four pots with four teams each. »»»

Amazon has apologised after an error meant it showed a child a 15-rated film by mistake when they had tried to watch a PG movie. The child's parent had paid to rent Diary of a Wimpy Kid from the firm's Prime Video service, but they soon realised it was incorrectly streaming Love & Other Drugs - whi»»»

Iran’s rial slid further Monday to a new record low of more than 1.3 million to the US dollar, deepening the currency’s collapse less than two weeks after it first breached the 1.2-million mark amid sanctions pressure and regional tensions. Currency traders in Tehran quoted the dollar above 1.3 mil»»»

Seven individuals, among them three serving police officers, have been formally charged for involvement in an organized crime group linked to arson, bribery and narcotics trafficking in Sofia and the Lovech region. Those accused include the head of Sofia’s Fifth Regional Police Department, an exper»»»

Safi: A flash flood in a Moroccan coastal town killed at least 37, local officials said Monday, as search and rescue operations continued. Drought-hit Morocco often faces severe weather, but Sunday’s flooding in Safi is already the deadliest such disaster in at least a decade. A muddy torrent swept»»»

Doha: The Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) issued on Monday a weather warning to owners of farms and camps located in open areas across the country, citing expected weather fluctuations in the coming days. In a statement, the department urged owners to exercise the highest levels of caution and v»»»

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research reported that the President of the Libyan Academy for Graduate Studies, Prof. Dr. Ramadan Al-Madani, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Faisal Abdel Azim Al-Abdali, President of the Libyan Commission for Scientific Research, Mr. Fathi Al-Mansouri, Vice»»»

Volodymyr Zelensky and his European handlers have finally recognized a glaring truth that US President Donald Trump was long aware of: “There's no way for Ukraine to join NATO,” says ex-German army officer Major Florian Pfaff. This belated realization explains why Zelensky is now saying that Ukrain»»»

DOHA: Chairman of Qatar Media Corporation HE Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani met on Monday with Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation of the Arab Republic of Egypt Eng Khaled Abdel Aziz, who is visiting the country. During the meeting, they explored aspects of cooperation and coordi»»»

BEIRUT: Prime Minister of the Republic of Lebanon HE Dr Nawaf Salam met with Ambassador of the State of Qatar in Beirut HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to discuss bilateral cooperation and ongoing support during the current period. The talks focused on strengthening coordination between th»»»

DOHA: Qatar Tourism has announced the restaurants awarded the prestigious 3-star rating, the highest distinction, at the inaugural Taste of Qatar Certification Ceremony. Held on December 14 at the Katara Opera House, the event honoured establishments that demonstrated exceptional excellence across »»»

Tulkarem: The Israeli army is to demolish 25 residential buildings in the north West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp later this week, local authorities told AFP on Monday. Abdallah Kamil, governor of the Tulkarem governorate where Nur Shams is located, told AFP he was informed of the planned demoliti»»»

President Joseph Aoun announced Monday that “domestic and external contacts are ongoing to consolidate security and stability in the South through negotiations via the Mechanism committee, which will hold a meeting on Friday.” “The choice of negotiations is the alternative to a war that will not yi»»»

Riyadh: GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi has met with Austria's special envoy, Herbert Scheibner, to discuss ways of enhancing relations between the GCC and Austria. The meeting also reviewed Gulf-European relations more broadly, with the two sides exchanging views on the latest regio»»»

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates »»»

Skopje, 14 December 2025 (MIA) - According to the Energy Community, North Macedonia, along with Serbia and Moldova, recorded the most notable reform momentum in 2025 in the energy sector. The latest annual report, monitoring reform implementation in member states, highlights that “North Macedonia a»»»

The Council of Ministers has proposed to the National Assembly to approve a bill on the collection of revenues and the execution of expenditures in 2026 until the adoption of the State Budget Act for 2026, the Budget Act of the Public Social Insurance, and the Budget Act of the National Health Insu»»»

Kuwait, Dec. 15 (SANA) Syria’s Minister of Energy, Mohammad al-Bashir, met with Abdallah al-Mutairi, Chief Executive Officer of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), on Monday in Kuwait to discuss cooperation and investment opportunities in Syria’s energy sector, as well as ways to strengthen the »»»

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef inaugurated the third Made in Saudi Expo 2025 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center in Malham, organized by the Saudi Export Development Authority through the Made in Saudi Program, with Syria’s Minister of Ec»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Municipality has secured five‑star accreditation from the EFQM Foundation, represented by the Urban Planning Sector. This groundbreaking milestone underscores the ministry’s commitment to institutional excellence and performance quality based on the highest global standards. O»»»

Crypto.com and LuLu Financial Holdings (LuLuFin) have announced a strategic partnership to develop regulated digital asset capabilities across multiple markets, beginning in the UAE. The collaboration will integrate Crypto.com’s trading infrastructure, institutional-grade custody, and payment techn»»»

Doha: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index closed lower on Monday, decreasing by 96.99 points, or 0.89 percent, to reach 10,757.96 points. During the session, a total of 127,143,428 shares were traded, with a value of QR 379,335,319.853, through 27,971 transactions across all sectors. The session s»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the credentials of new Cuban Ambassador to Belgrade Pavel Orencio Diaz Hernandez on Monday, noting that Serbia was committed to developing further the friendly relations between the two countries. "With Ambassador Hernandez, I exchanged views o»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to see more rain this week, particularly across northern parts of the country and offshore areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). Also Read: More rain ahead: NCM tracks new weather wave across the UAELight to moderate rainfall is forecast for Tuesday and»»»

Sharjah: Step into Sharjah's newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site and you are not just walking through desert wadis and limestone caves. You are also traversing an ancient seabed where marine creatures thrived during the age of dinosaurs, now transformed into fossil-rich mountains thanks to t»»»

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has approved the introduction of front number plates for motorcycles and e-bikes used in corporate delivery services, which previously carried only a rear plate. The requirement will take effect at the end of December and will be implemented gradually upo»»»

The mother of jailed French journalist Christophe Gleizes wrote a letter to Algeria's president requesting he pardon her son from his seven-year sentence on terror-related charges. Gleizes, a sportswriter, was convicted of "glorifying terrorism" in June. "I respectfully ask you to consider granting»»»

A father and son have been identified as the primary suspects behind a deadly attack on members of the Jewish community at Australia’s Bondi Beach, police said. On Sunday, the two reportedly opened fire on people who had gathered in the Sydney suburb to mark the first day of Hanukkah, killing at le»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked Australian government policies to the deadly attack on a Jewish gathering in Sydney at the weekend, claiming that Canberra’s support for Palestinian statehood has fueled domestic anti-Semitism. Two gunmen killed 15 people and wounded dozens of ot»»»

New Delhi: Football superstar Lionel Messi ended his whirlwind tour of India on Monday with a lap of honour in New Delhi, thrilling thousands of fans and thanking them for "all the love and support". The 38-year-old Argentine great greeted chanting supporters at a nearly packed Arun Jaitley Stadium»»»

Chile is perceived by many of its neighbours in the Latin American region as a safer, more stable haven. But inside the country, that perception has unravelled as voters worried about security, immigration and crime chose José Antonio Kast to be their next president. Kast is a hardline conservative»»»

The Sofia Municipality plans to build nine new parking lots in the capital, which will provide over 2,000 additional parking spaces within the next 12-18 months, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev said on Monday. The parking lots are planned in the neighbourhoods of Ovcha Kupel, Ilinden, Nadezhda, Serdika, »»»

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Monday ahead of three way talks between European, American and Ukrainian delegations on efforts to hammer out a peace deal that is acceptable to all sides. Photo by Hanni»»»

The EU intends to direct money from frozen Russian assets toward supporting Ukraine's military efforts in the ongoing conflict, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. "Therefore, today's task will be to make it clear that the risk of co»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia could play a very important role in helping to resolve the situation around Iran's nuclear program, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told Sputnik. "A very important one. Is something I had the honor to discuss with [Russian] Presiden»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Police have recorded more than 30,000 violations since the launch of new regulations on designated lanes for motorcycles, delivery bikes, buses, and heavy vehicles, which came into effect on 1 November. Sharjah Police said the violations were largely caused by drivers ignoring mand»»»

Riyadh, Dec. 15 (SANA) Minister of Industry and Economy Nidal al-Shaar participated on Monday in the “Made in Saudi 2025” exhibition in Riyadh, alongside Saudi Minister of Industry Bandar bin Ibrahim al-Khorayef. The exhibition is considered the Kingdom’s most prominent industrial event, reflecting»»»