Abu Dhabi: The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate General in Dubai will remain closed for five days during the Christmas period, it was announced on Tuesday. Both diplomatic facilities will be shut from Wednesday, December 24 through Friday, December 26, 2025, in observance of the Christm»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Joint Committee for Security and Safety has launched the National Winter Traffic Safety Campaign, aimed at raising public awareness of safe practices at petrol stations and reducing accidents linked to unsafe refuelling behaviour. The committee is chaired by the Ministry of Energy an»»»

Colombo, Sri Lanka: India has committed $450 million in humanitarian assistance to help Sri Lanka recover from the devastating damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Tuesday on a visit to the country. The cyclone killed more than 640 people when it swept acro»»»

Russia attacked Kyiv and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure early on Tuesday, triggering emergency outages and prompting NATO member Poland to scramble jets to protect its airspace, two days after US-led Miami peace talks ended. The weekend peace talks in Miami brought together US officials with Ukrai»»»

Martin Dimitrov, MP from “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) appeared on Nova TV to discuss the country’s preparedness for the euro, economic risks, budgetary issues, and the relationship between the state and business, as well as Bulgaria’s international obligations. Dimitrov ack»»»

Dubai: Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub at Dubai South expanded its partnership with UUDS AERO, handing over two new Code F plots that can handle three widebody aircraft each for cabin completion and retrofits. The move supports UUDS's scaling to meet regional aerospace demand and bolsters Dubai's»»»

Copenhagen: President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the United States needed Greenland for "national security" after his appointment of a special envoy to the Danish Arctic island triggered a new spat with Copenhagen. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly said»»»

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young adjusts his glasses during a forum on peaceful coexistence and unification at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Seoul, Dec 12. Photo by Asia Today Dec. 22 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's Unification Ministry has outlined a "peace package" for Nort»»»

Dubai: The Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC) has approved a set of recommendations calling for accelerated digital transformation and enhanced institutional integration at the Department of Planning and Survey, as part of efforts to advance sustainable urban development across the emirate. During »»»

Drivers faced widespread traffic disruptions across Greece as farmers continued their protests over delayed EU subsidy payments and other grievances on major highways ahead of the holidays, with authorities enforcing road diversions. Farmers said they intend to facilitate holiday travel by rearrang»»»

President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the United States needed Greenland for "national security" after his appointment of a special envoy to the Danish Arctic island triggered a new spat with Copenhagen. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly said the United »»»

Sao Paulo: Neymar has undergone a successful operation on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus, his club Santos said yesterday. The 33-year-old endured a difficult season with Santos as he played through the injury to help the club avoid relegation from Brazil’s top flight. Brazil’s national »»»

Sofia residents and visitors will be able to park for free during the upcoming holiday period, after the Center for Urban Mobility announced a temporary suspension of paid parking. The blue and green parking zones will not be in operation for a total of 10 days, divided into two separate holiday pe»»»

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young adjusts his glasses during a forum on peaceful coexistence and unification at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Seoul, Dec. 12. Photo by Asia Today Dec. 22 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's Unification Ministry plan to expand public access to North »»»

Pakistani diplomatic missions in the UAE and around the world will remain closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2025, in observance of Christmas day and Quaid-e-Azam Day. The Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced on Monday, December 22, that it will not provide consular services on the day as it is a»»»

Cambodia has asked Thailand to hold bilateral talks in the neutral venue of Kuala Lumpur, according to a letter seen by AFP on Tuesday, with the nations set to negotiate truce terms after two weeks of deadly border clashes. Bangkok's defense chief on Tuesday sought to assuage any fears on the Cambo»»»

Dubai: Aditya Dhar’s polarising spy thriller, Dhurandhar, has been making waves for more than just its high-octane plot. The film, released on December 5 barring the GCC countries, has already crossed Rs2.5 billion at the Indian box office, despite mixed reviews. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, wh»»»

Nine people were detained in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, early Tuesday morning for attacking a police vehicle with Molotov cocktails.Local media reported that the incident happened at around 2.20 a.m. when a group of about 10 people threw an equal number of petrol bombs against a patrol car park»»»

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he will discuss Iran's nuclear activities during his visit next week with US President Donald Trump. Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem, Netanyah»»»

Dubai: A Dubai civil court has ordered two Arab nationals to jointly pay nearly Dh29,000 to a car rental company after abandoning a hired vehicle following a traffic accident and leaving the country, leaving the firm to bear repair costs and unpaid rental fees. The Dubai Court of First Instance rul»»»

Doha, Qatar: For the second consecutive day, registration continued yesterday, for the 17th Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) Championships, at the Qatar Falconry Association headquarters in the Katara Cultural Village Foundation (Building No. 33). The festival is held »»»

Doha, Qatar: Volunteers from the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation were in Cairo last week as part of the Egypt 2025 Volunteer Trip, where they engaged directly with youth beneficiaries from the EAA-supported “Green Visions & Thriving Futures: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Impact” project, im»»»

California: PayPal is seeking a banking charter that would allow it to boost its lending business, offer savings accounts that can earn interest and make customers’ deposits eligible for federal insurance coverage, the payments company said yesterday. PayPal has submitted applications to authoritie»»»

Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and Saudi Boxing Federation President, was named “Promoter of the Year” for 2025 by the Britain-based Boxing News magazine, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The recognition reflects Alalshikh influential contributions»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Middle East is rapidly positioning the region as a rising global nexus for AI data center investment and innovation, according to Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report, ‘AI Data Centers: An Opportunity in the Middle East’. As global demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, with dat»»»

Doha, Qatar: The activities of the third edition of the “Asaneed” Programme for the 2025/2026 academic year were launched December 21. The programme is organised by the Da‘wah Department at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in cooperation with the Mosques Department, with the participation »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Global Institute for Strategic Research (GISR), an interdisciplinary think tank at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), continues to advance its mission of shaping impactful policies through a series of strategic activities, including a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with th»»»

Doha, Qatar: The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) organised a training course for National Data Classification Policy and the National Information Assurance Standard Implementation. In its official X handle, NCSA stated that this course represents the 6th edition of the programmes offered by t»»»

Doha, Qatar: Fourteen students from Qatar Academy Al Khor (QAK), part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education, participated in the Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) Conference in Paris, representing Qatar on a global platform alongside students from countries around the world. Du»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health to become a host site support center for the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (PPCR) distance-learning programme, one »»»

London: Stock markets diverged yesterday and gold hit a record high as the latest round of US data boosted hopes for more interest rate cuts and concerns over AI spending subsided. In the final business days before Christmas, tech firms led a rally in Asia, with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, T»»»

Doha, Qatar: Amid escalating health and humanitarian challenges in the Gaza Strip, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), in partnership with its counterpart the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), has launched a vital project to support Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. The initiative »»»

New York: Gold and silver soared to all-time highs, as escalating geopolitical tensions and bets on further US rate cuts added momentum to the best annual performance in more than four decades. Bullion climbed as much as 2.1% to surpass the previous record of $4,381 an ounce set in October, while s»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation, has concluded the ‘EmpowerAbility’ programme’s 2025 edition, which used Qatar National Day celebrations as a real-life training ground to support the integration of youth with disabilities into the world of work. The »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s education sector is set to welcome Wellington College International Qatar, a K–12 campus opening in Lusail City in September 2028. The announcement follows the signing of a landmark Master License Agreement between Al Faleh Educational Holding and Wellington College Internation»»»

Doha, Qatar: In line with its commitment to supporting work–life balance and strengthening family-friendly workplace practices, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), in cooperation with the Qatar Career Development Center, organised the “Junior Employee” initiative for the»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index gained for the second consecutive day this week, ending 0.79% higher at 10,801.39 points, yesterday. The index concluded Sunday’s trading at 10,716.39 points. During yesterday’s session the volume of shares traded stood at 94,895,985 from 78,183,932»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has adopted a resolution on measures to develop air cargo transportation in Kyrgyzstan. The document aims to stimulate uninterrupted air cargo flows and reduce costs for companies operating scheduled flights. According to the resolution, the state-owned enterp»»»

WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (KUNA) - The President of the United States Donald Trump reasserted that the United States needs Greenland for its "national security".In a recorded speech delivered from Miami alongside three members of his cabinet - the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy and the Se»»»

Cairo: Secretary-General of the Doha-based Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRIs) H E Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali said that the siege and daily suffering endured by the Palestinian people, along with attempts to erase their identity and rights, place a collective responsibilit»»»

Doha, Qatar: Scholars, researchers, and editors who contributed to the completion of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language have expressed deep appreciation to the State of Qatar for its generous and sustained support of the Arabic language, describing the project as a historic cultu»»»

Two Bangladeshi expats living in the UAE have each won Dh100,000 in the Big Ticket Abu Dhabi Series 281 draw. Abu Dhabi resident Amru Miah secured the consolation prize with ticket number 199873. Although he has not yet revealed how he plans to use the prize money, Miah said he was overwhelmed when»»»

A number of families in the Republic of Ireland living in houses made with defective concrete blocks have said they are facing another Christmas in homes that are "unsafe and crumbling around them". Thousands of homes, mostly in counties Donegal, Clare, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo are affected by the »»»

Ukrainian refugees in France are receiving increasingly less state support, particularly in housing programs, according to a report by Franceinfo. The temporary protection status for Ukrainian migrants “no longer provides the same benefits as it did at the start of the conflict in 2022, when they c»»»

The Trump administration has touted grand plans for a new class of surface warships that would carry nuclear-armed cruise missiles — along with an entirely new generation of aircraft carriers. The plan calls for at least 25 battleships, each larger than existing destroyers, bristling with hypersoni»»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of its efforts to make football truly global and enable more clubs, leagues and players from all around the world to compete at the highest level, FIFA has renewed its partnership with the Qatar Stars League (QSL) and the Qatar Football Association (QFA). FIFA President Gianni »»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd SC will be fighting to keep their hopes alive when they host Shabab Al Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite today. The Qatari side ended Matchday Five 11th in the standings with just two points while UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli will confirm their Round of 16 spot with victory. Rober»»»

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged cabinet to swiftly approve a draft law allowing depositors to gradually recover funds frozen in the banking system since a financial collapse in 2019, a move critical to reviving the economy. The collapse - the result of decades of unsustainable financial p»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has approved updated standards for maximum permissible physical loads when manually lifting and moving heavy objects for women and workers under the age of 18. The document was adopted in implementation of Article 139 of the Labor Code and sets the maximum wei»»»

Winter admission to higher education institutions in Kyrgyzstan has officially started today, December 23. According to the automated information system «Abiturient Online», the first admission round will run from December 23 to 25. In total, the campaign will be held in four rounds. Applicants are»»»