Saudi Arabia has surpassed its record for the number of executions carried out annually for a second year in a row. At least 347 people have now been put to death this year, up from a total of 345 in 2024, according to the UK-based campaign group Reprieve, which tracks executions in Saudi Arabia an»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that the first phase of the weapons monopolization plan related to the area south of the Litani River is "only days away from completion." “The state is ready to move on to the second ‌phase, namely (confiscating weapons) north of the ‍Litani River, based on the »»»

Sharjah Charity International has launched a fundraising drive to build a new school in Kenya at a cost of Dh1.1 million, aiming to improve access to education for children in remote rural communities. The appeal was made during an episode of the charity’s radio and television programme Al Reeh Al »»»

Jerusalem, Dec. 21 (SANA) Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s Shuja’iyya neighborhood killed three Palestinians on Sunday, in a continued violations of the ceasefire agreement in place since October. Medical officials said one man was killed in a drone strike targeting a gathering of civilians, while two »»»

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday welcomed Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, who is on a working visit to the country. The meeting was held at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, where Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the French President. Th»»»

Iraq's state oil company, SOMO, reiterated on Sunday its commitment to its oil export deal with the Kurdish regional government ‌which obliges ‌global ‌oil companies ⁠operating in ‌the region to hand over their production of crude oil to the company. SOMO ⁠made the remarks ‌in response to ‍a ‍Reute»»»

Israel's security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the country's far-right finance minister said on Sunday was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over th»»»

Cairo, Egypt: The State of Qatar took part in the 136th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Union of Arab Chambers (UAC) in Cairo, Egypt. Qatar Chamber Chairman, HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired the QC's delegation in the meeting. The UAC meeting discussed a number of topics relat»»»

Farmers have planned new roadblocks on Sunday in western Greece, while ongoing blockades in the country’s north continue to disrupt traffic. Some farmers’ groups have announced they will unblock highways from Tuesday through Friday to facilitate Christmas travel, before reassessing their actions ah»»»

US President Donald Trump is preparing for a more aggressive immigration crackdown in 2026 with billions in new funding, including by raiding more workplaces — even as backlash builds ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Trump has already surged immigration agents into major US cities, where the»»»

Mourners in Australia have fallen silent in honour of the victims of the Bondi beach attack. The memorial was part of a national day of reflection to mark a week since the shooting in which two gunmen opened fire on an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hannukah. A 10-year-old girl, a British»»»

London: From school and university canteens to football stadiums and theatres, venison is muscling in on beef as UK chefs hunt for greener options. As climate change concerns mount, some catering services are turning to deer meat as a low-carbon alternative to farmed livestock like beef. Since the »»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), through Qatar Digital Academy and in collaboration with Microsoft, organized two awareness sessions under the SMEs Go Digital Program at the Digital Center of Excellence. The sessions aimed to support SMEs in adopting modern di»»»

The National Assembly building in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- A South Korean civic group said most retired National Assembly officials subject to post-employment screening were cleared to take private-sector jobs, calling the results evidence of a serious revolving-door probl»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, MCIT, through Qatar Digital Academy and in collaboration with Microsoft, organized two awareness sessions under the SMEs Go Digital Program at the Digital Center of Excellence. The sessions aimed to support SMEs in adopting mod»»»

Beijing: Chinese tennis player, Pang Renlong has been suspended from the sport for a period of 12 years and fined 110,000 US dollars, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Saturday. The decision comes after Pang was found to have fixed or attempted to fix 22 matches between »»»

Dubai: Winter in the UAE began on Sunday and will continue until March 20, bringing a season defined by shorter days, cooler temperatures and shifting weather patterns, according to astronomers. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Board Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union fo»»»

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 77th Armed Forces Day in Gyeryong, South Korea, 01 October 2025. File Photo by KIM HONG-JI /EPA Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- President Lee Jae-myung said Friday that while North Korea's "hostile two-state" line may refl»»»

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung takes questions during a news conference to mark 100 days in office at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, 11 September 2025. File Photo by EPA/KIM HONG-JI / REUTERS POOL Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- President Lee Jae-myung on Friday questioned South Korea's restri»»»

Madrid: Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo's club record for goals in a calendar year and Jude Bellingham also scored as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga. French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo's tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham s»»»

Dubai: More than 9,200 workers across five areas in Dubai benefited from a joint awareness campaign by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and Dubai Police, aimed at strengthening legal, digital and security awareness among the workforce. Launched in October, the initiative fo»»»

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on 14 October 2025. File Photo by EPA/YONHAP Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- President Lee Jae-myung on Friday told the Unification Ministry to take the lead in easing inter-Korean hostili»»»

Dubai: Looking for a government job in 2026? Expat professionals have a growing range of opportunities in Dubai and across the UAE as the government expands roles in healthcare, technology, infrastructure, and education. Check out the latest jobs in the UAEWith federal vacancies set to rise and sev»»»

Evergreen 58-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura is set to join a Japanese third-division team to begin his 41th season as a professional footballer, local media reported Sunday. Miura, known as "King Kazu", will join Fukushima United on a year-long loan after spending last season with fourth-tier Atl»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- His Highness Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics Award announced on Sunday five winners of the prize in its 25th edition, recognizing leadership and excellence in digital transformation at local and international levels. In a statement to KUNA, Kuwait received two awar»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Chief Dr. Hamad Al-Mekrad on Sunday congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the second anniversary of his accession to power. In remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Al-Mekrad commended the »»»

A Kremlin envoy reported that peace talks in Florida on a US-proposed plan to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine are progressing "constructively" as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing diplomatic efforts. The talks, involving both Ukrainian and European officials, come amid sharply dive»»»

At least 16 Jeffrey Epstein–related files abruptly disappeared from the Justice Department’s public website within a day of their release. The unexplained missing files, including an image with a photo of President Donald Trump, fuelled speculation online about what was taken down and why the publi»»»

Rabat: Morocco carry a huge weight of expectation into their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as the hosts, with star man Achraf Hakimi returning from injury, aim to see off stiff competition to claim continental glory. Senegal, reigning champions Ivory Coast, Mohamed Salah's Egy»»»

Dubai: Pakistan continues to face shortage of US dollars in the open market, with many currency exchanges “only selling what they buy,” creating difficulties for travellers and students alike. Multiple exchange outlets in major cities of Pakistan revealed a dearth of greenbacks, with some dealers s»»»

Tokyo: Evergreen 58-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura is set to join a Japanese third-division team to begin his 41th season as a professional footballer, local media reported Sunday. Miura, known as "King Kazu", will join Fukushima United on a year-long loan after spending last season with fourth-t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The “Hour and Hour” program organized a Qatar National Day celebration on Friday, December 19, 2025, at Lusail Boulevard, under the slogan “Our Identity Lies in Our Heritage.” The event highlighted Qatari heritage and culture, embodied the spirit of national identity, and included seve»»»

Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor's office said. The Elysee Palace’s head steward reporte»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Speaker of the Shura Council, HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim met separately on Sunday with HE Ambassador of the Republic of India to the State of Qatar HE Vipul and Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the State of Qatar, HE Igor Marara Kayinamura.During the two meetings, bila»»»

CAIRO, Dec 21 (MENA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty discussed with Equatorial Guinea’s Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono ways to strengthen bilateral relations and step up coordination and consultation on issues of mutual interest. Abdelatty prai»»»

Peoples offer flowers and prays during the 2nd anniversary of late former President Shinzo Abe's assassinated at the site where he was shot near Yamato-Saidaiji station in Nara-Prefecture, Japan on Monday, July 8, 2024. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- Japanese p»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- The fifth Gulf Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition kicked off in Kuwait on Sunday, with representatives from all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and the GCC Secretariat General attending. In opening remarks, Kuwait National Cybersecurity Center Head, Engine»»»

New York: The UN Security Council welcomed the efforts of the State of Qatar in mediating between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance (M23 Movement), which led to the signing of the Doha Framework for Peace on November 15, 2025, in Doha. This came in »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have struck Ukrainian defense industry facilities as well as energy, transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, missile troops, and a»»»

At least 16 files disappeared from the Justice Department’s public webpage for documents related to Jeffrey Epstein — including a photograph showing President Donald Trump — less than a day after they were posted, with no explanation from the government and no notice to the public. The missing file»»»

Australians held a moment of silence on Sunday in tribute to the 15 Bondi Beach shooting victims, marking one week since gunmen fired into Jewish crowds on one of the nation's darkest days. A father and son are accused of targeting the family-thronged Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach, a touris»»»

Donald Trump has claimed that he could pay himself $1 billion in US government money as damages for a raid carried out at his Mar-a-Lago estate by the FBI. Federal agents searched Trump’s property in Palm Beach, Florida in August 2022 as part of an investigation into his alleged mishandling of clas»»»

News report by Fawaz Al-Otaibi BEIRUT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- Amid growing indications of recovery, commercial and tourism activity in Lebanon is witnessing noticeable momentum as the New Year holiday season approaches, traditionally one of the most economically active periods of the year. Preliminary in»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- Head of the Prime Minister's Diwan Abdulaziz Al-Dakhil extended his highest congratulations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the second anniversary of assuming power. In a press statement on Sunday, he expressed deep pride in the Amir's l»»»

Doha, Qatar: The National Command Center (NCC) received the Federal Minister of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany, HE Alexander Dobrindt, and the accompanying delegation. HE Dobrindt was received by Brigadier Ali Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Head of the National Command Center (NCC), along »»»

Manila, Philippines: The Philippines' Department of Agriculture on Sunday said the ban on sugar importation will remain in place until December next year, extending protection for local producers amid improving supply conditions. "Based on the current outlook for sugar production and demand, a long»»»

DOHA: Msheireb Properties announced the launch of the third edition of Baraha Cinema, which will run from December25-January 3, which will include an outdoor cinema experience featuring family films, seasonal activities, and a movie-themed culinary programme. Baraha Cinema is part of Msheireb Downt»»»

Egypt has approved a $300 million tyre manufacturing plant by Prometeon Tyre Group, marking another major step in the country’s drive to localise automotive manufacturing and expand export-oriented industry. The project received formal approval in mid-December 2025 during a session of the Ministeri»»»

Total net wealth across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) exceeded $7.5 trillion in 2024, underscoring the region’s growing financial depth and asset accumulation, according to data from Boston Consulting Group. Saudi Arabia ranked as the region’s wealthiest economy, with total net wealth reaching»»»