ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed comprehensive peace efforts in Ukraine during talks in Ashgabat, and Ankara expressed its support for them, the Turkish presidential office said on Friday. "Bilateral relations between Turkiye a»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Criminal Court (ICC), with the support of the Dutch government, is developing measures in case of new US sanctions, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Friday. On Wednesday, media reported that the US administration, threatening sanctions, was demandin»»»

Memo to the unelected Eurobozos of the European Union’s executive branch 'responsible' for setting policy: just because you keep calling a pile of cash you’re hell-bent on handing over to Ukraine a “loan” doesn’t mean it actually is. No one in their right mind would lend you money right now. Which »»»

Police have arrested a 54-year-old domestic worker on suspicion of stealing valuable jewelry from a residence in the Athens suburb of Nea Ionia. A 37-year-old man was also arrested as her accomplice. The domestic worker had been employed at the residence since July 2024, and her activities are beli»»»

PoliticsAfricaTrump's new security strategy: A chance for Africa?Martina SchwikowskiUS President Donald Trump's new foreign policy focuses less on aid and more on trade with African countries, specifically on raw materials. Could this be a wake-up call for Africa to become more economically indepen»»»

Dubai: After eight long years, the verdict in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case has finally arrived. Six men have been sentenced to 20 years. But before we discuss the courts, the lawyers, or the loopholes, we must acknowledge the woman who made this moment possible. Bhavana. It is her courage —»»»

Ukraine is running out of cash to keep its military and its economy going, after almost four years of Russia's full-scale war. For Europe, the solution to plugging Kyiv's budget hole of €135.7bn (£119bn; $159bn) for the next two years lies in frozen Russian assets sitting in Belgian bank Euroclear »»»

Manila: A devastating fire erupted in a densely-packed residential neighbourhood in Barangay Pleasant Hills, Mandaluyong City, on Friday (December 12, 2025). Local media showed towering flames and thick black smoke engulfing rows of closely spaced homes, illuminating the evening night sky with an o»»»

In 2025, Bulgaria is set to record another increase in the number of households connected to the internet. Fresh figures from the National Statistical Institute show that 92.8% of households have home access, with connectivity almost universal in urban areas at 94.9%. In rural settlements, the shar»»»

MPs spent nearly two hours debating the draft resolution to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and his Cabinet on Friday. The resignation was accepted unanimously, with all 227 MPs voting in favor. The debate centered on who should bear responsibility for next year’s budget. »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that there are “countries that wanna come in and take care of Hezbollah in Lebanon.” “And I say that right now you don’t have to do that -- you may have to do that. We have countries that are volunteering to literally come in and take care of the whole thing. We»»»

Geneva: Former Iraqi president Barham Salih will become the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from January, a UN source told AFP on Friday. Salih was president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022. He takes over as the UN refugees chief from Filippo Grandi, who is leaving at the end of Decemb»»»

This holiday season isn't quite so merry for American shoppers as large shares are dipping into savings, scouring for bargains and feeling like the overall economy is stuck in a rut under President Donald Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds. The vast majority of U.S. adults say they've noticed higher t»»»

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways carried 2.1 million passengers in November 2025, marking a 28 per cent increase compared with the same month last year and setting a new monthly record for the airline this year. The national carrier sustained strong operational performance, with a passenger load factor of»»»

President Rumen Radev will begin consultations with the parliamentary groups in the National Assembly on Monday, December 15, as part of the process of forming a new regular government, the head of State’s press secretariat said on Friday. The consultations will start at 10 a.m. on Monday with repr»»»

US President Donald Trump said he has pardoned former Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters, who is serving a nine-year sentence for allowing unauthorised access to voting machines during the 2020 presidential election. Peters was convicted last year on seven state charges, including three counts of»»»

Investors and project developers increasingly look to Romania to secure large land plots for renewable energy projects, storage facilities, logistics parks and manufacturing/production facilities. Yet, land acquisition in extra muros areas, particularly agricultural land, is governed by a unique le»»»

Abu Dhabi: NMC Healthcare and its administrators have won a major court ruling in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) that will let them see Bank of Baroda’s internal reports on suspected suspicious transactions in their case against NMC founder B.R. Shetty, Gulf News can reveal. Sign up for our daily b»»»

Swiss singer Nemo announced on Thursday that he is returning his 2024 Eurovision Song Contest trophy in protest over Israel’s continued participation in the competition. Nemo, who won last year’s contest with the song ‘The Code’, said on Thursday that the trophy “no longer belongs on my shelf.” “Eu»»»

British bankers have pushed back against plans to use the frozen Russian assets they hold to fund a loan for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Kiev’s Western backers froze about $300 billion in Russian central bank assets after the conflict escalated in 2022. UK banks hold around £»»»

Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister, Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba participated yesterday, in the Government Communication Forum as part of the Tripoli Media Days events, in a move, the Tripoli government says, aims at further strengthening communication between the government and citizens and developing c»»»

A report on the changes in the populations of 82 bird species in Bulgaria in the 2005-2025 period shows that 27% of the species are declining, 22% are stable, 28% are increasing, and 23% are undetermined. The overall bird index in the country declined by 12% for the entire period. The data, collect»»»

Geneva: Former Iraqi president Barham Salih will become the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a UN source told AFP on Friday, taking over an agency tackling swingeing budget cuts. Salih was president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022. He will take over as UN refugees chief next month from»»»

The rescue operation to get Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado out of Venezuela involved disguises, two boats through choppy seas and a flight, the man who says he led it told the BBC. Dubbed Operation Golden Dynamite, the dangerous journey was cold, wet and long -»»»

NIS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday in Nis the Serbian Armed Forces were not the same as they were ten years ago, especially when it comes to arms and equipment. "Only the emblems are the same, and the rest is not comparable, either when it comes to personnel or equipment. At th»»»

BusinessSri LankaSri Lanka: Cyclone aftermath disrupts economic recovery Murali KrishnanCyclone Ditwah has devastated critical infrastructure and disrupted key sectors, threatening Sri Lanka's already fragile economic recovery program. https://p.dw.com/p/55EnnThe UN estimates over 16,000 kilometers»»»

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to curb individual state-level regulation of artificial intelligence, until a nationwide policy is adopted. A fragmented legal landscape threatens America’s AI competitiveness compared to China, the US federal government has said. The »»»

US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Ukrainian people supported his peace proposal, which was rejected by Vladimir Zelensky. Trump previously said the Ukrainian leader was “losing” ground to Russia and urged him to hold elections, since his five-year presidential term expired in May 2024.»»»

Police used tear gas to disperse protesting farmers on Friday as veterinarians moved in to cull over 200 cows infected with nodular dermatitis, or lumpy skin disease, at a farm in southern France. The deadly outbreak, which cannot be passed to humans, has sparked fears among locals and highlighted »»»

The boss of Lululemon Athletica, the brand known for its expensive yoga leggings and other sports clothing, is to leave the company early next year. Calvin McDonald, the firm's chief executive, will depart at the end of January after more than seven years at the helm. The decision comes amid a run »»»

Damascus, Dec. 12 (SANA) The governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdul Qader Husariya , said the U.S. repeal of the “Caesar Act” constitutes a pivotal moment that is expected to positively influence Syria’s monetary and economic stability. “If the repeal of the Caesar Act may appear miraculous, »»»

Parents are divided over how schools should adapt to the nationwide shift of Friday prayer time to 12:45 pm starting January 2026 – a change that could push school pick-ups even earlier than the current 12 pm dismissal. As education regulators gather feedback before issuing final guidelines, scores»»»

GENEVA, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday sounded alarm over the situation in Sudan, saying that its operations are on the verge of a major collapse due to a critical funding shortfall.The WFP said it will be forced to dramatically cut food rations starting in April 2026 at »»»

The Culture Ministry, through the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations, has announced an international tender for the long-term concession of 24 buildings – apart from the museums – at the historic Tatoi Estate to a private operator. The Tatoi Estate served as the summer palace and exp»»»

HEADLINES Friday’s print media focus heavily on the political crisis in the country, following the resignation of the government on Thursday, possible early elections, and decisions linked to the adoption of the euro and the 2026 State Budget. 24 Chasa leads with several political front-page headli»»»

GAZA, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- A severe storm in Gaza Strip has left 12 Palestinians dead, including two children, and caused widespread destruction to homes and shelters for displaced families, the Government Media Office said Friday.In a press statement, the office confirmed that the victims included tho»»»

Swiss Eurovision 2024 winner Nemo announced Thursday they are returning their trophy in protest over Israel’s continued participation in next year’s contest amid the Gaza war. The singer said the decision contradicts Eurovision’s values of inclusion and dignity, as several countries pull out amid g»»»

US prosecutors on Thursday sentenced cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon to 15 years in prison over fraud tied to the collapse of his company, which erased about $40 billion in investor funds and rattled global crypto markets. Kwon pleaded guilty in New York after an international manhunt and still»»»

A popular Ghanaian social media influencer known as Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, has been arrested over allegations he orchestrated a romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of over $8m (£5.9m). Prosecutors said he used AI tools to create fake online identities, targeting vic»»»

Adult content creator Tia Billinger, better known as Bonnie Blue, will be deported from Indonesia after being cleared of breaking the country's strict anti-pornography laws. She was found guilty of a minor traffic offence, but was deported for an immigration violation due to working on a tourist vi»»»

WASHINGTON - Serbian Ambassador to the US Dragan Sutanovac met with US Assistant Secretary of State David L Fogel to discuss new opportunities for strengthening Serbia–US trade relations. "Our conversation focused on expanding investment, supporting companies from both countries, and addressing exi»»»

It is no secret that a tabby named Larry wields considerable power in Downing Street. Now in Belgium, a rescue cat named Maximus has shot to social media stardom as bewhiskered sidekick and PR weapon of Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Taken in from a shelter by the Flemish conservative leader over th»»»

A phone app for a panic button to help women at risk of violence will be developed by the University of Telecommunications and Post in Sofia and the Bulgarian-Turkish Women Business Club (BTWBC). The app's development was presented by BTWBC Chair Turkyan Turker at a conference on "Life Without Viol»»»

The UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has issued a fresh notification confirming that all qualifications issued by Midocean University are no longer recognised in the country, following a comprehensive compliance review that found “fundamental violations” of nation»»»

Dubai: The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Friday delivered the long-awaited verdict in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case, sentencing six men, including prime accused Pulsar Suni, to 20 years in jail. The court also ordered a fine of Rs50,000 each. The decision to withhold capital punishme»»»

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the creation of a new elite global forum — dubbed the “C5” or “Core Five” — that would bring together the United States, China, Russia, India and Japan, potentially sidelining traditional Western-led groupings such as the G7. The proposal was firs»»»

Dubai Health’s Al Jalila Children’s Hospital celebrated an inspiring moment as five-year-old Alexis O’Shea rang the hospital’s “Bell of Hope,” marking the end of her treatment and the beginning of a brighter chapter ahead. The ceremony, the hospital’s first, symbolizes the completion of a child’s c»»»

GENEVA, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Friday of the severe deterioration of humanitarian conditions after a severe "Storm Byron" trigged inside the Gaza Strip earlier this week.The storm brought heavy rainfall that has already flooded multiple displac»»»

Britain's economy unexpectedly contracted again in October, official data showed Friday, dealing a blow to the Labour government's hopes of reviving economic growth. Gross domestic product fell 0.1 percent in October following a contraction of 0.1 percent in September, the Office for National Stati»»»

Dubai: Gold prices pushed to a seven-week high on Friday, riding a weaker dollar, rate cut expectations and fresh safe-haven flows amid geopolitical strains. Dubai’s 24-karat gold reached Dh519.75 per gram by mid-afternoon, up from Dh515.75 the previous day, while the 22-karat variant climbed to Dh»»»