MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said the United States launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against what he described as ISIS* targets in northwest Nigeria. "Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terroris»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Ouissal Ikhlef delivered a standout performance on the sixth day of the combined weightlifting championships in Doha, claiming nine gold medals across three events at the Ezdan Palace Hotel yesterday. The competitions include the 10th Qatar International Weightlifting Cup 2025,»»»

President Donald Trump has said the US launched a "powerful and deadly strike" against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria. The US leader described IS as " terrorist scum", accusing the group of "targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians". Trump said the US m»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai rose to fresh all-time highs Friday morning as global precious metals extended their record-breaking rally. The 24-karat variety stood at Dh543.25 per gram at 8:10 am, up from Thursday’s close of Dh539.75. The 22‑karat variety rose to Dh503, up from Dh499.75 the previous»»»

Tokyo: The Japanese government on Friday approved a record budget for the upcoming fiscal year, to pay for everything from bigger defence spending to ballooning social security costs as inflation persists. The 122.3-trillion-yen ($782 billion) budget for the fiscal year from April 2026 will include»»»

The Ministry of Education has announced a new opportunity for high school graduates in Kyrgyzstan. According to the ministry, the international educational project In Vision U, aimed at training young leaders, is being implemented with the support of Satbayev University (Kazakhstan). Instruction is»»»

Conservative businessman Nasry Asfura, backed by Donald Trump, was declared the winner of Honduras' presidential election on Wednesday, three weeks after a vote marked by a very narrow margin and allegations of fraud, signaling a return to conservatism for the country. The US president had given hi»»»

California declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and several other locations in the southern part of the state on Wednesday as one of the worst Christmas storms in recent memory brought heavy rain and fears of flashing flooding. Rain from a powerful winter storm that swept across Southern Ca»»»

The joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command headquartered in Colorado tracked Santa's Yuletide sleigh ride overnight for a 70th year.   Santa Claus drove his reindeer-powered sleigh over ⁠rooftops around the world beginning on Wednesday, delivering gifts to mi»»»

A powerful Christmas-week storm battered California this holiday season, bringing life-threatening rain, flash flooding. Amid intense rainfall and severe weather conditions, residents were urged to stay alert as weather agencies continued to issue strong warnings. Also Read: Southern California soa»»»

Somalis queued in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday to vote in local elections by universal suffrage for the first time in nearly 60 years, a historic test for democracy in a country grappling with insecurity and political tensions. Somalis turned out in droves on Thursday to vote in local election»»»

France's internal intelligence services are investigating a cyberattack on the country's national postal service that has disrupted deliveries during the busy Christmas season. The attack was claimed by Noname057(16), a pro-Russian group of hackers that has previously targeted Ukrainian media websi»»»

Turkish authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a private jet crash near Ankara that killed Libya’s armed forces chief Mohammed al-Haddad and four aides. The devices will be analysed in a neutral country, the transport minister said, as inve»»»

Bangladesh opposition leader Tarique Rahman returned home on Thursday after 17 years in exile, welcomed by huge crowds. The aspiring prime minister positioned himself for February’s elections, promising safety, justice and unity after months of political unrest. Aspiring prime minister and politica»»»

The Trump administration took its fight with the EU over tech regulation to a new level this week, denying visas to five Europeans and accusing them of seeking to censor "American viewpoints". All five have been instrumental in EU efforts to counter hate speech and disinformation online.&»»»

Ukraine launched British-made Storm Shadow missiles and domestically produced drones to strike Russian energy facilities, hitting the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery and setting ablaze two oil storage tanks at the southern port of Temryuk, where flames spread over about 2,000 square metres, officials s»»»

Christmas in France would not be complete without free-flowing champagne, oysters or a bûche de Noël. And the French holiday season is longer than most – stretching into the New Year with Epiphany (January 6) and its traditional galettes des rois (king cake) into February with Chande»»»

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” blessing from Vatican City on Thursday, at the end of a year overshadowed by conflict around the world, urging Ukraine and Russia to find the 'courage' to hold direct peace talks and speaking of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Pope »»»

Share: Posters of Hezbollah’s slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah (L) and Hashem Safieddine are placed amid destruction caused by Israeli strikes against the Iran backed- group in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on December 4, 2024. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP) By: Naji Al Boustani After a long period of»»»

Turkish security forces have detained more than 100 people suspected of links to Islamic State, saying they had foiled plans to carry out attacks during the Christmas and New Year period. According to the BBC, prosecutors »»»

Dubai: From the tiniest hatchling to the planet’s largest predators, 2025 delivered some of the most powerful images ever captured of animals and the natural world. These photographs go beyond visual beauty, offering quiet but urgent reminders of how fragile life on Earth has become — and how resil»»»

Dubai A Dubai Civil Court has ordered an insurance company to pay Dh93,450, plus 5 per cent legal interest until full settlement, following a traffic accident that caused significant damage to a vehicle. The dispute arose between two insurance companies after a collision in which liability was esta»»»

A 20-year-old Indian doctoral student, Shivank Avasthi, was shot dead near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus on Tuesday. Police say the incident marks Toronto’s 41st homicide of the year. According to authorities, officers responded at around 3:34 pm (local time) to reports of a person»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said weather conditions across the UAE on Friday will be partly cloudy to cloudy at times, with a chance of rainfall over islands and some northern and eastern areas as a weak low-pressure system affects the region. Also Read: Gulf countries face bitt»»»

Palm Beach: President Donald Trump said US forces conducted "powerful and deadly" strikes Thursday against ISIS militants in northwestern Nigeria, after he warned the group to stop killing Christians in the country. The Department of Defense said "multiple terrorists" were killed in an attack condu»»»

A winter storm bearing down on New York City and the Tri-State area could make road travel dangerous for those returning from holiday destinations on Friday and Saturday. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A winter storm could make road travel dangerous and disrupt a»»»

A Russian archaeologist detained in Poland is at the centre of an intense debate over the role of museums and experts and the role they play in Kremlin war propaganda. Alexander Butyagin is under arrest in Warsaw, awaiting a Polish court decision on a request to extradite him to Ukraine. Until now,»»»

Dubai: Fuel prices in the UAE for January 2026 will be announced in the coming days. Global oil markets have moved slightly higher at the end of December, and this could influence what drivers pay in the new month. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Super 98 rose from Dh2»»»

Dubai: With the New Year just days away, the UAE is slipping into full celebration mode. From landmark countdowns in Dubai to record-breaking displays in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, the country is preparing for one of its busiest festive weeks of the year. Sign up for our daily business newslette»»»

President Donald Trump said the U.S. military carried out deadly strikes on ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria on Thursday in retaliation for deadly attacks on Christians in the West African nation. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. military carried out several st»»»

As spring turned to summer, Mark Carney led Canada's Liberal Party to an unlikely victory, Prince Harry told the BBC he wanted to reconcile with the Royal Family, and David Beckham got a knighthood. But how much attention did you pay to what else happened in the world? Test your memory of April to »»»

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, left, is deploying up to 350 Louisiana National Guard members to New Orleans through February to ensure safety and assist the Trump administration's federal immigration law enforcement efforts there. File Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Up to 3»»»

India's rapid solar energy expansion is widely hailed as a success. But without a plan to manage the waste it will generate, how clean is the transition? In just over a decade, India has become the world's third-largest solar producer, with renewables now central to its climate strategy. Solar pane»»»

For weeks now, angry and distressed residents in Indonesia's westernmost province have been raising white flags over, the state's slow response to a series of deadly floods. Triggered by a rare cyclone in November, the deluge killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands across »»»

Acting Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman, center, speaks to members and supporters in Dhaka, Bangladesh, after ending 17 years of exile by returning from London on Thursday. Photo by Monirul Alam/EPA Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka o»»»

Atmospheric rivers dumped heavy rains on large parts of California, causing floods and mudslides and leaving three dead as of Christmas night, according to local officials. The storms - which were expected to continue through Friday - brought 11 inches (27 cms) of rainfall to some parts of Los Ange»»»

Hamas has denied responsibility for a bomb blast that struck an Israeli armored vehicle in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, and has asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to comply with a ceasefire agreement. The US-brokered ceasefire, which took effect in Gaza on October 10, ca»»»

The National Capital Planning Commission will review the Trump administration's plans to modernize the White House's East Wing, including ballroom construction, during a Jan. 8 meeting. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The National Capital Planning Commission has added»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Msheireb Properties and U Events have announced a cultural partnership that will bring the acclaimed Al Jazeera Orchestra & Choir to Barahat Msheireb for a two-night musical premiere. Scheduled for January 15 and 16, 2026, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, the Baraha Musical Conce»»»

QNA Doha The Public Cleanliness Department at the Ministry of Municipality organised the first National Forum on Public Cleanliness on Thursday, under the slogan ‘Towards a Clean, Smart and Sustainable City,’ with broad participation from government agencies, private sector partners, universities, »»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Municipality (MoM), represented by the Public Hygiene Department, on Thursday announced the launch of the “National Smart Hygiene Award,” the first of its kind this year, as part of its efforts to promote innovation and develop the public hygiene sector using modern technol»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Ooredoo Qatar, the nation’s leading telecommunications provider, has announced the launch of its new eSIM solution for Internet of Things (IoT) Devices, developed to support enterprises in simplifying device management, enhancing security, and scaling IoT operations across»»»

The Polish Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept a Russian military reconnaissance aircraft near Polish airspace over the Baltic Sea on Thursday amid heightened tensions in Eastern Europe. Photo by Jakub Karczmarczyk/EPA Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Polish Air Force fighters intercepted a Russian milit»»»

Dubai: Oil prices barely moved in Christmas Eve trading as thin holiday volumes and mixed supply signals kept markets cautious, even as geopolitical friction rose between the United States and Venezuela. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped three cents to trade near $58 a barrel, ending a five-day»»»

Torrential rains and stormy weather caused two deaths in Southern California on Wednesday and triggered a state of emergency and evacuations as the storm continues through Friday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Two have died as stormy weather enveloped Southern Califo»»»

The Christmas holiday exodus from cities is continuing, with traffic conditions showing marked improvement after widespread disruption caused by farmers’ road blockades earlier in the week. According to police, negotiations between farmers and traffic authorities helped ease congestion at several k»»»

Dubai: Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai, has praised Dubai Airports for ensuring a smooth and efficient arrival experience for visitors, following an inspection tour on Thursday. In a statement, »»»

Turkiye’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, will transfer ownership of an Airbus A319?115J, a government-configured jet valued at $11.9 million, to the Albanian government under a bilateral grant agreement as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries. Accord»»»