Mastercard joins forces with Kee Platforms to offer embedded financing solutions for SMEs
Dubai: Mastercard is joining forces with Kee Platforms to provide embedded financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro retailers and solo entrepreneurs via Mastercard Merchant Cloud. With the opportunity to scale in the Middle East region, the collaboration will aim to create fas»»»
Zhelyazkov Cabinet Resigns
The Cabinet of Rosen Zhelyazkov announced its resignation Thursday. The resignation was announced by Prime Minister Zhelyazkov at an emergency press conference in Parliament as he stood in the company of senior officials of the three parties in the government coalition: GERB-UDF, There Is Such a Pe»»»
Hunger Games fans thrilled as Katniss and Peeta set to return
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are reportedly set to return to the Hunger Games in next year's highly anticipated prequel. The pair last starred together in Mockingjay - Part 2, the climactic installment of the original film series. US magazines The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline reported t»»»
Do you have a Dubai travel ban? Now you can check in seconds
Dubai: Dubai Police has rolled out an enhanced version of its “Circulars and Travel Bans” enquiry service on both its smart app and official website, allowing residents to instantly check their criminal or financial status without the need to visit police stations or judicial departments. The upgra»»»
Toll in deadly Indonesia floods near 1,000, frustrations grow
Lhokseumawe, Indonesia: The death toll in Indonesia's devastating floods closed in on the 1,000 mark Thursday as hundreds of thousands more continued to face shortages, with frustration growing over relief efforts. Disaster mitigation agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said 990 people had died by late T»»»
Education Above All, Qatar Foundation’s PUE collaborate to advance educational opportunities across Qatar
Doha, Qatar: Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global foundation for education and development, and Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education (PUE) today signed a collaboration agreement at Qatar Foundation Headquarters in Education City, marking a significant step toward strengthening educ»»»
The Beauty and the Beast: on the US National Security Strategy - Pepe Escobar
FLORENCE, Italy - The new US National Security Strategy, the December 2025 version, is an intriguing, quirky, Bosch-style hybrid beast. It does not exactly look as it seems. A tsunami of headlines across the discombobulated West focused on an apparent drive towards normalization between Washington »»»
UAE celebrates sustainability leaders at inaugural Excellence Awards
The inaugural Sustainability Excellence Awards 2025, hosted by Gulf News and BeingShe, took place last night at the SEE Institute, The Sustainable City in Dubai, setting a new benchmark for the UAE’s growing sustainability movement. The event brought together leaders from across industries to recog»»»
Section 10A + Red, Blue, Yellow Notices: The Tools That Trapped the Luthra Brothers
Dubai: When Delhi restaurateurs Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Thailand just hours after a fire at their Goa nightclub killed 25 people, many wondered how the owners managed to slip out so easily. But the real turning point came later — when the Indian government deployed a powerful legal tool t»»»
Trump's new security strategy: A chance for Africa? – DW – 12/11/2025
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»»»
Liwa Festival 2026 launches packed winter programme from dune races to concerts and camping
Amid the golden desert dunes of Al Dhafra, the Liwa International Festival 2026 returns with an expanded and more diverse edition, offering a dynamic blend of sand sports, artistic celebrations, adventure experiences, and family-friendly activities. The festival is one of the UAE’s most anticipated»»»
Indian expat in Dubai wins Big Ticket prize twice in 2 days – after picking her own number
Lightning struck not once but twice for Indian expat Saritha Sekhar Battepati, who clinched back-to-back cash prizes in Big Ticket’s ‘Race and Luxury Yacht’ experience at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai-based IT professional was one of 30 lucky participants selected during the Formula On»»»
Woman teacher attacked by husband in Kerala school
Kottayam In a shocking incident, a woman teacher was allegedly attacked inside her school on Thursday by her husband, triggering panic among staff and students. The incident took place at Poovathumoodu School in Ettumanoor around 10.30 a.m., when the accused, identified as Kochumon, entered the cam»»»
ICC Has Become Political Weapon, Not Court – Expert
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) entrenched bias reflects a deep crisis in the entire international system, Ali Fadlallah, Beirut-based professor of political science and international law, told Sputnik. “Prosecutor Karim Khan has publicly said that certain Western leaders told him outright»»»
Vucic: We will finish everything about NIS, maintain good relations with Russia, US
NIS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday he was confident Serbia would "finish everything" about its Russian-majority owned oil company NIS appropriately and succeed in maintaining good relations with both Russia and the US, and that he expected even greater support from the EU. NI»»»
What we know about US seizure of oil tanker off Venezuela
A US helicopter flies low over a hazy blue sea as it approaches a massive ship. It hovers as camouflaged soldiers holding rifles swing down ropes to the vessel's deck. The video, released by the US government, shows the latest in a series of escalations in Washington's pressure campaign on Nicolás »»»
71-year-old woman duped of Rs4.9 million in ‘digital arrest’, Delhi Police nab three
New Delhi: The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested three key members of a cyber fraud syndicate involved in a “Digital Arrest” and investment scam that duped a 71-year-old woman of Rs 49 lakh (Rs4.9 million) , officials said on Thursday. The breakthrough came after coordinated »»»
Zelenskyy Will Hold Urgent Talks with 30 Countries as Trump Pushes for Swift Peace Deal with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold urgent talks Thursday with leaders and officials from about 30 countries that are supporting Kyiv’s effort to obtain fair terms for an end to the war with Russia. The leaders of Germany, Britain and France were among those expected to take par»»»
Kamarrr Group announces $50M investment round to boost global AI expansion
Kamarrr Group Technology, a UAE-based emerging AI ecosystem founded by Ioannis (Giovanni) Kamarikos, today announced the launch of a $50 million investment round to accelerate international expansion and deepen integration across its portfolio of more than 20 artificial intelligence platforms. The »»»
Flooding from Storm Byron hasn’t helped Cyprus’ dams
Torrential rain may have sent floodwaters surging through Nicosia’s Pedieos River and turned the sea red at Agia Triada beach with silt and mud in Paralimni as Storm Byron swept across Cyprus earlier this week, but the island’s dams remain critically depleted. According to a report by the Phileleft»»»
Court upholds life sentence for 2021 Folegandros femicide
An appeals court on Thursday upheld the life sentence passed down at the first instance against a 35-year-old man convicted of the cold-blooded murder of his girlfriend more than four years ago. The court found that the defendant was of sound mind and acted in a calculated manner when he killed Gar»»»
Deputy prime minister launches Defense Strategy 2025-2030
DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani launched the Defense Strategy 2025-2030 during a ceremony held at Qatar Amiri Signal Corps. The strategy focuses on strengthening defence capabilities and enhancing interoperabi»»»
Top 5 Facts About the Euro You Probably Didn’t Know
The euro has been in use since 1999 as a non-cash accounting unit and since 2002 as physical currency. Today, it is the official currency in 20 countries. Despite its wide circulation, the euro still hides a number of intriguing details. Here are five curious facts about the euro you may not know —»»»
Global consumers driven back to internal combustion engine vehicles as EV enthusiasm cools – EY research
Global car buyers are putting the brakes on adoption of electric vehicles, with many shifting back to internal combustion engines (ICEs) and reassessing electric vehicle ownership, according to the new EY Mobility Consumer Index (MCI), a global survey examining sentiment and buying intent across ma»»»
Al Tamimi & Company advises L’Assiette Nordique on the opening of its capital to a major investment fund
Casablanca, Morocco: Al Tamimi & Company is pleased to announce that it has advised L’Assiette Nordique, a leading seafood processing and distribution company in Morocco, on the opening of its capital to Capmezzanine V, FPCC-RFA, the fifth fund managed by CDG Invest Growth. This transaction marks a»»»
Bulgaria and Republic of Korea Deepen Bilateral Cooperation in Digitization, Cybersecurity
Bulgaria's e-Government Minister Valentin Mundrov and Yun Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea, opened a Bulgarian-Korean forum dedicated to improving digital transformation and public safety, which took place here on Thursday, Mundrov's Ministry reported. The event »»»
Israel to 'lethally' strike Dahieh and Bekaa, if Hezbollah not disarmed
As the world prepares to celebrate a new year, the Lebanese are living day by day amid fears and threats of a renewed war. The Lebanese army has been tasked by the government to disarm Hezbollah by the year end, under U.S. pressure and Israel's almost daily strikes. However, the army's resources ar»»»
Venezuela's Machado Says Maduro Government Didn't Know Where She Was Hiding
Opposition leader María Corina Machado said Thursday that she doesn't believe the Venezuelan government knew where she was hiding for most of this year, as she met Norway's leader a day after her daughter received the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. Machado arrived in Oslo hours after Wednesday's »»»
Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado vows 'Venezuela will be free'
Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado vowed at a press conference on Thursday that Venezuela "will be free". The Venezuelan opposition leader, honoured for her fight for democracy, said she would try to return to end the "tyranny" in her home country, despite warnings she could be arre»»»
Ionuț Pătrăhău, new IMM Vice-President in Raiffeisen Bank Romania
Starting with January,2026, Ionuț Pătrăhău will join Raiffeisen Bank Romania as Vice President, responsible for the strategic and operational direction of the new SME division, at the national level, after obtaining BNR approval. Raiffeisen Bank announced this year the creation of an SME Division t»»»
TradeQuo joins Insights Success Media as title sponsor for Global Excellence & Leadership Awards 2026
Dubai: Insights Success Media Tech LLC announced today that TradeQuo will serve as its title sponsor for the Global Excellence & Leadership Awards 2026. The international ceremony takes place on January 24, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai – M Square Hotel & Residences. The event will be gra»»»
Media Review: December 11
MASSIVE PROTESTS In the aftermath of Wednesday night's mass rallies organized by the opposition Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition in Sofia and other cities, the media are awash with analysis and commentaries ahead of Thursday's no-confidence vote in the Rosen Zhelyazkov Ca»»»
Former Bolivian President Luis Arce arrested in corruption probe
Bolivia's former president, Luis Arce, has been arrested in La Paz as part of an investigation into alleged graft, the government has said. The investigation relates to when Arce, 62, was economy minister under then-president Evo Morales, who was in office from 2006 to 2019. He is accused of author»»»
Syria welcomes U.S. House of Representatives’ vote to repeal the Caesar Act
Damascus, Dec. 11 (SANA) Syria welcomed Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote in favor of repealing the “Caesar Act,” saying it is a direct result of constructive diplomatic efforts between Syria and the United States, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Syrian government over the p»»»
Pakistan's military sentences its former spy chief to 14 years in jail
Pakistan's former spy chief has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court, on charges including violation of state secrets and interfering in politics. Faiz Hameed led Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 2019 to 2021, during the tenure of now-jailed former prime »»»
Ghana deports Israelis in retaliation for alleged mistreatment of Ghanaians
Ghana has deported three Israeli nationals who arrived in the country on Wednesday in what appears to be a tit-for-tat move over the alleged mistreatment of Ghanaian nationals at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. Seven Ghanaians, including four members of an official delegation attending »»»
Von der Leyen: Serbia can count on EU support on path to membership
BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday evening her meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels had addressed Serbia's progress on the EU path and that Serbia could count on EU support on that path. In a post on X after the meeting with Vucic,»»»
Deadly Thailand–Cambodia border clashes intensify ahead of expected Trump call
Deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia intensified on Thursday along their disputed border, killing at least 19 and forcing more than half a million people to flee, as US President Donald Trump prepared to urge both sides to halt the fighting. Fighting raged Thursday along the border of Cambo»»»
Zelensky must be ‘realistic’ – Trump
US President Donald Trump has said Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky should be realistic about the course of the conflict with Russia and the need to hold elections. Zelensky, whose five-year presidential term expired in May 2024, has refused to call new elections, citing martial law. Russian Pres»»»
Tripoli government meets World Bank delegation - government's vision for economic and financial recovery and improving Libya’s "Business Readiness" index discussed
The Tripoli based Libyan government held a meeting yesterday with a World Bank delegation from Washington, headed by the Regional Director for the Maghreb and Malta, Ahmedou Mustafa Ndiaye, and the World Bank Representative in Libya, Henriette Kaltenborn, along with several Bank experts. The Libyan»»»
Underage Youths and Prohibited Items Found as 57 Held at Sofia Rally
The Sofia Directorate of the Interior Ministry (SDIM) detained 57 people for up to 24 hours during Wednesday’s anti-government protest in Sofia, SDIM Director Lyubomir Nikolov said, as quoted by the Sofia police on Thursday. The group included 22 youths under 18 years old and two kids under 14. Of »»»
Man charged with murder in former Miss Switzerland finalist’s death
Swiss authorities have formally charged a 43-year-old man with the murder of his wife, former Miss Switzerland finalist Kristina Joksimovic, whose remains were found dismembered and partially destroyed in their home in Binningen, near Basel, in February 2024. The Basel-Landschaft Public Prosecutor’»»»
At Jumeirah’s new Eco Village, sustainability is the buzzword
Did you know that if bees – whose population has been on a steady decline since the 1960s – went extinct, we would lose much of our natural food? Fruits, nuts, and veggies depend on the trusty pollinators and without them, production would suffer immensely. The rather small bug casts a large shadow»»»
BEYOND Developments reveals a new vision for purposeful living on Dubai Islands with SIORA
BEYOND Developments, the bold and design-led real estate developer shaping next-generation waterfront destinations in the UAE, today unveiled SIORA, its first beachfront masterplan on Dubai Islands and the company’s second large-scale community within a year. The launch underscores BEYOND’s acceler»»»
Russian Forces Liberate of Settlement of Liman in Kharkov Region - MoD
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Liman in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "Battlegroup Sever have completed the liberation of the Liman settlement in the Kharkov region with active actions," the ministry said in a statem»»»
Boat Carrying Migrants Capsizes in Croatia, Killing at Least 3 People
A boat carrying migrants overturned early on Thursday on the Sava river in eastern Croatia, killing at least three people and injuring eight, officials said. The accident happened in the eastern town of Slavonski Brod, by the border with Bosnia. Migrants were apparently trying to cross the Sava Riv»»»
Bishkek City Court upholds verdict in Rita Karasartova case - | 24.KG
The Bishkek City Court has upheld the verdict previously handed down by the Sverdlovsky District Court against human rights defender Rita Karasartova, her relatives reported. In September of this year, the Sverdlovsky District Court found Karasartova guilty under Article 278 (Mass riots) and Articl»»»
Desperate Gazans Pull Iron Bars from Rubble to Construct Tents and Scratch Out a Living
As winter bites in Gaza, displaced Palestinians set out every day to homes destroyed by Israel. There they rip out iron rods from the walls and use them to prop up their flimsy tents or sell to scratch out a living in an enclave that will take years to recover from war. The rods have become a hot i»»»
New ADNOC credit card offers 15% value back on fuel, transport spending
Dubai: A new co-branded credit card from ADNOC Distribution, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Mastercard is set to give people across the UAE more ways to save on daily spending, from fuel and car care to groceries, parking and travel. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The ADNOC»»»
Israeli Enemy Forces Bomb Building, Strike Home with Drone in Southern Lebanon
Israeli enemy forces detonated a building under construction north of Mays al-Jabal southern Lebanon and targeted a house in Adaysah with a quadcopter drone early this morning, according to Al-Manar TV correspondent. In another attack, enemy forces targeted the roof of a building opposite a spring »»»