Paris : Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney were granted French citizenship because “they contribute, through their distinguished actions, to France’s international influence and cultural outreach,” the French government said Wednesday, defending their naturalization that was questioned by a junior French minister. The naturalizations of the Kentucky-born star of the “Ocean’s” series of …
Sofia: On New Year's Day, Bulgaria will achieve its decades-old goal of joining the euro currency union and deepening ties with the more prosperous countries of Western Europe. Membership is expected to promote cross-border trade and investment, and the Bulgarian government pressed for years to get in. Yet polls show the changeover is taking place …
Dhaka: Hundreds of thousands of people on Wednesday bid an emotional farewell to former prime minister and BNP patriarch Khaleda Zia as she was laid to rest near the parliament building amid tight security. Zia, the three-time prime minister and a towering political figure, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged …
Sydney : New Year's Eve revelers will toast the end of 2025 on Wednesday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a Gaza truce and vain hopes for peace in Ukraine. It was one of the warmest years on record, the stifling heat stoking wildfires in Europe, droughts in Africa and deadly rains …
Doha: Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen's port city of Mukalla on Tuesday, targeting a shipment of weapons from the United Arab Emirates for separatist forces – a significant move in a country located along a key international trade route that threatens to bring new risks to the Persian Gulf region. The UAE later said it would …
Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said his country’s answer to an attack would be harsh, which appeared to be in response to a warning by U.S. President Donald Trump over reconstruction of Iran’s nuclear program. “Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging,” Pezeshkian said on …
Seoul: South Korea said it will formally end its dwindling yet much-criticized bear bile farming industry this week, though about 200 bears are still kept in pens and bred for their gall bladders. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced Tuesday it will ban breeding and possession of bears and extraction of their bile …
New Delhi : Climate change fuelled extreme weather across the world in 2025, worsening heatwaves, droughts, storms and wildfires and pushing millions close to the "limits of adaptation", according to the World Weather Attribution's annual report. Scientists have called for a rapid reduction of fossil fuel consumption to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, …
Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Ukraine had tried to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence in northern Russia and so Moscow's negotiating position would be reviewed, but Ukraine said it was a lie. Russia said Ukraine attacked the presidential residence in the Novgorod region overnight with 91 long-range drones, which were …
Baghdad: Iraq's parliament on Monday elected a new speaker following overnight talks to break a political deadlock. Haibet Al-Halbousi received 208 votes from the 309 legislators who attended. He is a member of the Takadum, or Progress, party led by ousted speaker and relative Mohammed al-Halbousi . Twenty legislators did not attend the session. Iraq …
