Dubai: Spectators have just 24 hours remaining to catch the "Dubai, City of Dreams" drone performance before it concludes its limited run tomorrow evening. The show, a cornerstone of 2025 Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) at JBR and Bluewaters, is scheduled for its final two outings at 8pm and 10pm on »»»

Shock still grips the family of retired Lebanese General Security captain Ahmed Shukr, who was abducted days ago, as Lebanese security and judicial assessments increasingly point to Israeli intelligence as being behind his disappearance, over suspected links to the 1986 vanishing of Israeli airman »»»

Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove President Donald Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Last week, the board of the Kennedy Center - which Trump filled with allies - voted to rename the performing arts centre the Trump-K»»»

Doha: The Qatar Endurance Racing Club (QERC) is set to organize the Founder Cup International Endurance Race over 120 km on Friday at the Marathon Village in Sealine, with the competitions slated to conclude on Saturday. A total of 75 riders of both genders will participate, competing across stages»»»

Almaty: Kazakhstan exported a record 13.4 million tonnes of grain, or more than 15 million tonnes including feed flour, during the 2024-2025 marketing year, reaching record levels, Kazinform news agency reported Wednesday, citing Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov. As of now, 3.9 milli»»»

Tunis, Dec 24 (TAP) - Tunisia will take part, for the second time, in the Saudi Food Show 2026, one of the Middle East’s largest international trade exhibitions for food and beverages, scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June...»»»

DOHA: The head of Qatar's Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) has been named among the Arab world's most influential figures in the field of social responsibility for 2025, organisers have announced. Ibrahim Abdulla Al Dehaimi was selected by the Regional Network for Social Respon»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starovic said on Wednesday that, besides Montenegro, Serbia was the most prepared candidate country for full EU membership in terms of the general level of preparedness. "That is not my assessment, but an assessment that can be read from»»»

BELGRADE - The US Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has issued a new licence to Serbia's Russian-majority owned oil company NIS whereby the deadline for the completion of talks on a sale of the Russian stake in the firm is extended until March 24, 2026, Tanjug learns. Due to the Russian majori»»»

E-commerce sales in Saudi Arabia via "mada" cards soared to an all-time monthly high in October 2025, surpassing SAR30.7 billion. The surge in sales represents a 68% year-on-year increase, totaling about SAR12.4 billion more than the SAR18.3 billion recorded in October 2024, according to the Saudi »»»

Addis Ababa: The Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia has donated dozens of motorcycles to the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission to support traffic control and security efforts. The motorcycles were handed over on Tuesday at the commission's headquarters in Addis Ababa, the country's capital, in a ceremon»»»

A Russian police officer blocks a street at the site of a bomb explosion in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, in an overnight attack, two traffic police officers and a man were killed when an explosive device detonated near a police car on Yeletskaya Stree»»»

Waymo displays a self-driving Jaguar taxi in October in New York City, N.Y. Three days following a massive San Francisco blackout that disrupted its driverless operations, Waymo said it will upgrade its fleet to better handle future power outages. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo De»»»

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the agreement signed in the Omani capital, Muscat, on the exchange of prisoners and detainees in Yemen, describing it as an important humanitarian step that contributes to alleviating human suffering and supports efforts to enhance stability in Yemen»»»

Algeria's parliament has unanimously passed a law declaring France's colonisation of the North African state a crime, and demanding an apology and reparations. The law also criminalises the glorification of colonialism, state-run TV reports. The vote is the latest sign of increasingly strained dipl»»»

Tunis, Dec 24 (TAP) — The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) on Wednesday published the official ballot model for the recall referendum regarding the locally elected councillor for the Echraf constituency (Imada), in the Chorbane...»»»

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks as President Donald Trump listens in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 24. Trump named Landry as his special envoy to Greenland on Monday. File Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo Dec. 24 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump's new»»»

Dubai: With New Year’s Eve approaching, a spell of bitterly cold weather is expected to affect several Gulf countries and parts of the wider region, as a cold air mass moves southwards toward the end of the year. In Kuwait, meteorologist Issa Ramadan warned that the cold wave will be driven by the »»»

Tunis, Dec 24 (TAP) — The National Agency for Energy Management (ANME) on Wednesday launched in Tunis, three specialised training cycles on carbon accounting for university academics.The initiative falls under the Embedded Carbon Programme and the...»»»

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that 19 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including four deaths, have been reported globally so far this year, while stressing that the overall risk level remains moderate. Of the 19 cases reported to WHO between the begi»»»

BP announced Wednesday that it's selling its majority ownership of Castrol to pay debts. File Photo by Neil Hall/EPA Dec. 24 (UPI) -- BP is selling its majority stake in Castrol to U.S. investment company Stonepeak in an effort to pay down its debt. The company is selling its $10 billion, 65% owner»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starovic said on Wednesday that, besides Montenegro, Serbia was the most prepared candidate country for full EU membership in terms of the general level of preparedness. "That is not my assessment, but an assessment that can be read from»»»

Gentian Gjyli has been removed from his position as head of the Albanian Road Authority (ARRSH) after being placed under house arrest by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), facing charges from SPAK for “violating equality in tenders.” He has been replaced by Ami Kozeli»»»

Tunis, Dec 24 (TAP) — The Financial Market Council (CMF) on Wednesday announced that Tawasol Group Holding (TGH) had recorded a consolidated loss of TND 3.3 million for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, following the application of...»»»

Bangkok: Thailand and Cambodia announced that officials from the militaries of both countries commenced Wednesday talks to resume the ceasefire, following border clashes that claimed the lives of dozens on both sides. Spokesman for the Thai Ministry of Defence, Surasant Kongsiri, said the three-day»»»

Israel's parliament gave the initial go-ahead on Wednesday for a government-empowered inquiry into the surprise October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel rather than the expected independent investigation demanded by families of the victims. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted c»»»

Violent Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday targeted the Nmeiriyeh and Houmine valleys in south Lebanon, with the Israeli army claiming they hit Hezbollah rocket launchers and military infrastructure. Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah, despite a Nov»»»

As Christmas and New Year holidays drive a surge in passenger traffic, Sharjah Airport has issued a travel advisory urging travellers to plan ahead and arrive early to ensure a smooth journey during the peak travel period. The airport shared a checklist on social media, highlighting essential steps»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas on Wednesday of violating the Gaza ceasefire by refusing to disarm, and said Israel would retaliate after a military officer was wounded by what the military described as a bomb. In a speech at a graduation ceremony for Air Force pilots, Netan»»»

Voters in South Carolina elected Republican John Lastinger to fill the seat vacated by former State Rep. RJ May. File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Republican John Lastinger, a pastor and self-described conservative, won the special election for South Carolina's House »»»

In a crowded regional and international landscape shaped by overlapping security, strategic, economic, and political pressures, the administration of US President Donald Trump has moved since its return to the White House in January 2025 to recalibrate its approach to Syria. After years of US polic»»»

Colombian President Gustave Petro Petro says the country is facing a fiscal crisis that cannot be addressed through ordinary state mechanisms and warned that, without additional revenue, cuts to social spending and public services would be unavoidable. File Photo by Carlos Ortega/EPA Dec. 24 (UPI) »»»

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia are suing Secretary for Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse a new rule that blocks gender-affirming care for minors. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Dec. 24 (UPI) -- More than a dozen states have filed a lawsuit to over»»»

Algeria's parliament unanimously approved on Wednesday a law declaring France's colonization of the country a crime, and demanding an apology and reparations. Standing in the chamber, lawmakers wearing scarves in the colors of the national flag chanted "long live Algeria" as they applauded the pass»»»

Mumbai: In a dramatic political reunion ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray on Wednesday formally announced an alliance, signalling a major realignme»»»

China is expanding its digital yuan, or e-CNY, into ASEAN trade routes. Recent People’s Bank of China (PBOC) pledges include cross-border pilots with Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, all tied to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. This builds on 2020 pilots, current»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has proposed sweeping amendments to its pesticide regulations, introducing prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to SR10 million for manufacturing or importing banned or counterfeit pesticides. The proposals were disclosed by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agr»»»

Ankara: Search teams in Turkey on Wednesday recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, while efforts to retrieve the victims’ remains were still underway, Turkey’s interior minister said. The private jet»»»

Bethlehem: Scouts marched under a clear blue sky in Bethlehem on Wednesday, as the Palestinian city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza to celebrate its first festive Christmas in more than two years. Throughout the Gaza war that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, a sombre »»»

Dibba Al Fujairah Court Dismisses Dh150,000 Compensation Claim Over Alleged Misconduct Fujairah: The Dibba Al Fujairah First Instance Federal Court has rejected a Dh150,000 civil compensation claim filed by a man who said his reputation and well-being were damaged after being accused of misconduct »»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev described 2025 as a challenging but successful year, marked by tangible progress across multiple sectors, in an interview with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Terziev said the municipal administration focused on delivering sol»»»

Chinese rocket developer LandSpace plans to successfully recover a reusable booster in mid-2026, a company executive said in an interview, underscoring the Beijing-based firm's ambition to become China's answer to SpaceX. The ability to return, recover, and reuse a rocket's engine-packed first stag»»»

The US is subjecting Venezuela to the “greatest extortion” in the country’s history, Caracas’ envoy to the UN, Samuel Moncada, has said. Moncada made the statement during a UN Security Council session on Tuesday, called by Caracas after Washington seized another tanker off the Latin American countr»»»

Russia plans to launch a power station on the Moon within a decade, space agency Roscosmos has announced, saying it has signed a contract with NPO Lavochkin, the country’s lead developer of deep-space and planetary missions, to carry out work through 2036 on the project. The purpose of the facility»»»

Ankara: Israel fails to deliver on its promises and constantly places hindrances in the way of life-saving humanitarian aid entering Gaza under various pretexts, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. Speaking during the extended meeting of the heads of the Justice and Developmen»»»

Dubai: Kuwait’s Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed Abdulwahab Al Awadhi, has issued a ministerial decision regulating the sale and circulation of energy drinks, introducing age limits, consumption caps and sweeping restrictions on where the products may be sold, according to Al Qabas newspaper. Under the»»»

As the holiday season approaches, Abu Dhabi Police, the UAE Cybersecurity Council, and experts in artificial intelligence and digital technologies have warned the public against falling victim to scammers and cybercriminals who attempt to lure victims into purchasing fake tickets and entry passes f»»»

A Colorado mother who is accused of murdering two of her children has been extradited from the UK to the US, authorities say. Kimberlee Singler, 37, is alleged to have carried out the attack in Colorado before fleeing to London, where she was arrested in December 2023. She challenged her extraditio»»»

Search teams in Türkiye on Wednesday recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, while efforts to retrieve the victims' remains were still underway, Türkiye's interior minister said. The private jet carry»»»

A fake video purporting to show Jeffrey Epstein attempting suicide in his prison cell has made it into the latest batch of records on the convicted sex offender released by the US Department of Justice. Last week, the DOJ uploaded thousands of documents online under the Epstein Files Transparency A»»»