470kg WWII bomb safely removed from Belgrade site
Dubai: A 470-kilogram unexploded World War II bomb has been safely removed from a construction site in the wider central area of Belgrade, Serbian authorities confirmed. The bomb, identified as a US-made AN-M44 aerial device, dates back to Allied air raids carried out over the city in 1944. Special»»»
LuLu Hypermarket launches ‘Qatari Products Our First Choice’ campaign
Doha, Qatar: Reinforcing its commitment to supporting local production and food security, LuLu Hypermarket Qatar, in cooperation with the Agricultural Affairs Department under the Ministry of Municipality, officially launched the ‘Made in Qatar – Qatari Products Our First Choice’ campaign at LuLu H»»»
Silos, Supply Company posts JD2.4m net profit in 2024
AMMAN — Jordan Silos and Supply General Company (JSSGC) recorded net profits of approximately JD2.4 million in 2024, according to the Audit Bureau’s latest report.The report, based on the company’s audited budget and financial statements, described the results as positive.In a statement carried by »»»
Arab food, beverage sector attracts $22 billion in foreign investment over two decades — report
AMMAN — The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) said the food and beverage sector in the Arab region attracted 516 foreign direct investment projects with a total value of nearly $22 billion between 2003 and 2024, generating approximately 93,000 jobs.In its third sector»»»
Investor confidence in Jordan rises amid economic optimism — JSF
- Over 23% of investors believe economy is better than last year- 57% of investors expect the economy to improve in 2026- Around 47% of investors believe country is moving in right directionAMMAN — Amid growing regional and global uncertainty, investor confidence in Jordan has shown a “notable” inc»»»
ASE index breaks 3,600 points for first time since 2008
AMMAN — The Amman Stock Exchange’s general index surpassed the 3,600-point threshold, reaching its highest level since 2008, marking a significant milestone for the market.The historic rise reflects improved market performance and increased trading activity, supported by higher trading volumes and »»»
Deadly clashes break out in Syria after Alawite mosque bombing
At least four people were killed and dozens more injured during demonstrations staged by members of the Alawite minority in Syria on Sunday. The rare protests followed Friday’s deadly bombing at an Alawite mosque in the city of Homs. Clashes broke out on Syria’s coast between protesters from the Al»»»
Niger junta orders 'general mobilisation' in fight against jihadists
Niger's military junta has declared a general mobilisation and requisition of people and resources to combat jihadist insurgents, a government statement said Saturday. The measure requires citizens to comply with call-up orders to contribute to national defense as the junta faces growing militant a»»»
French cinema legend Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
French film legend Brigitte Bardot has died at 91, the Bardot foundation announced on Sunday. Bardot starred in more than 50 movies during her career before leaving the film industry to concentrate on animal rights activism. Bardot became a controversial figure in her later decades, with publi»»»
Bardot leaves controversial legacy of activism for France’s far right
French cinema legend Brigitte Bardot, whose death at 91 was announced on Sunday, was well known for her status as a 1960s sex symbol. In later decades, Bardot became a militant animal rights activist and then veered to the far right, making disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ+ community, Musli»»»
Myanmar junta stages first election since seizing power
Voters headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of Myanmar's heavily restricted election that campaigners, Western diplomats and the UN's rights chief have all condemned. The Southeast Asian nation is riven by civil war, and residents were not able to cast ballots in areas controlled by »»»
China conducts large-scale Taiwan drills amid rising tensions
China mobilised army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises. Taipei responded by deploying troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack, underscoring the island's commitment to defending democracy amid escalating regional te»»»
Trump hails ‘terrific’ meeting with Zelensky on peace talks at Mar-a-Lago
US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida as “terrific”. Trump said that although “one or two” thorny issues still remain in getting a peace deal in place, Russia and Ukraine are getting closer on Donbas territory status.&nbs»»»
Russia’s hybrid-warfare attacks in Europe dropped this year, but could they pick up in 2026?
Hybrid-warfare operations dominated European headlines in 2025 – be it sabotage, drone incursions or assassination attempts – even though the number of incidents fell compared to the previous year. Does the drop signal that the Kremlin is taking a tactical pause or just changing strategy ahead of 2»»»
Iran deploys three indigenous satellites via Russian Soyuz launch
Iran successfully launched three domestically built satellites, Paya (Tolou‑3), Zafar 2, and an upgraded Kowsar, into low Earth orbit at roughly 500 kilometres on December 28 from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome, using a Russian Soyuz rocket, IRIB News reported. »»»
Iran deploys three indigenous satellites via Russian Soyuz launch
Iran successfully launched three domestically built satellites, Paya (Tolou‑3), Zafar 2, and an upgraded Kowsar, into low Earth orbit at roughly 500 kilometres on December 28 from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome, using a Russian Soyuz rocket, IRIB News reported. »»»
Tech billionaire Durov’s claim of fathering “hundreds” is a genetic time bomb experts warn
Russian tech billionaire and Telegram messaging service founder, Pavel Durov, claims to have fathered “hundreds of children” through sperm donation. He now plans to fund in-vitro fertilisation for single women using his own genetic material in a move that geneticists is a potential “gene pool timeb»»»
Fresh corruption scandal erupts in Kyiv, as NABU targets Zelenskiy's MPs and friends in vote-selling corruption
A fresh major corruption scandal has erupted in Kyiv, putting more pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, just as he arrives in Mar-a-Lago for crucial peace deal negotiations with US President Donald Trump on December 28. »»»
Vetevendosje leads Kosovo snap election with over 50% of the vote
Kosovo’s left-wing Self-Determination Movement (Vetevendosje) led by acting PM Albin Kurti is leading in the snap parliamentary election held on December 28, securing 50.2% of the vote after 87.5% of polling stations had been counted, according to preliminary data from the state election commission»»»
Fresh corruption scandal erupts in Kyiv, as NABU targets Zelenskiy's MPs and friends in vote-selling corruption
A fresh major corruption scandal has erupted in Kyiv, putting more pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, just as he arrives in Mar-a-Lago for crucial peace deal negotiations with US President Donald Trump on December 28. »»»
Part of Bishkek to have no cold water on December 29 - | 24.KG
Drinking water supply to residential buildings, schools, preschools, healthcare, and other social and industrial facilities in Altyn Ordo residential complex will be stopped from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on December 29. The Bishkek City Hall’s press service reported. The water outage is due to pipeline re»»»
7 viral meme trends that took over the internet in 2025
Doha, Qatar: From Labubus to 6-7 memes, internet has been abuzz with various viral trends and memes in 2025. The Peninsula lists a few of the memorable ones that defined 2025. The 6-7 mania Dictionary.com named "67" its Word of the Year - pronounced six-seven, not sixty seven. The two-digit number »»»
German company to sell more refurbished appliances – DW – 12/28/2025
BusinessEuropeGerman company to sell more refurbished appliancesMathilda Jordanova-DudaThe second-hand smartphone market has grown significantly in recent years, but other, bulkier items like washing machines are less frequently refurbished and resold. That could soon be changing. https://p.dw.com/»»»
COMMENT: Myanmar’s 2025 vote - an election with the ending already written
Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»
COMMENT: Myanmar’s 2025 vote - an election with the ending already written
Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»
COMMENT: Myanmar’s 2025 vote - an election with the ending already written
Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»
COMMENT: Myanmar’s 2025 vote - an election with the ending already written
Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»
COMMENT: Myanmar’s 2025 vote - an election with the ending already written
Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»
COMMENT: Myanmar’s 2025 vote - an election with the ending already written
Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»
UPDATE – Taiwan, southwestern Japan hit by M7.0 earthquake
Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by a major earthquake, initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a»»»
UPDATE – Taiwan, southwestern Japan hit by M7.0 earthquake
Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by a major earthquake, initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a»»»
Exodus fear in Greece's north as brown coal plants close
PTOLEMAIDA, Greece — Mayor Panagiotis Plakentas fears what will happen to the town of Ptolemaida and the surrounding region when the last of the brown coal power plants in northern Greece close next year.He told AFP that eight out of 10 young people who leave the region to study never come back and»»»
Fertilisers, mining drive growth as Jordan’s export performance remains mixed
AMMAN — Foreign trade data for the first ten months of 2025 showed mixed performance among Jordan’s key exported commodities, with several major production sectors recording notable increases in export values.Garments and related items topped the list of exported goods during the ten-month period i»»»
Exports to EU countries increase ‘notably’ by nearly 46% in 10 months - DoS
AMMAN — National exports to the European Union countries recorded a notable increase of 45.7 per cent during the first ten months of 2025, according to foreign trade data issued by the Department of Statistics (DoS).Official figures monitored by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, showed that the Kingdo»»»
Lebanon's cabinet approves draft law on financial crisis losses
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon's government on Friday approved a draft law to distribute financial losses from the 2019 economic crisis that deprived many Lebanese of their deposits despite strong opposition from political and banking officials.The draft law is a key demand from the international commun»»»
Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's government, urges separatists to withdraw from seized provinces
Saudi Arabia on Saturday said it would back Sanaa's government in any military confrontation with separatist forces in a statement that came a day after reported Saudi air strikes in Yemen's Hadramawt province.The Southern Transition Council (STC) separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates have»»»
US air strikes in Nigeria targeted IS group fighters trying to enter from Sahel, govt says
US-backed air strikes in Nigeria targeted Islamic State group fighters who were attempting to enter the country from the Sahel region, according to the Nigerian government. US President Donald Trump said on his social media platform that the strikes were carried out on Thursday »»»
Ukraine's anti-corruption agency attempts raid of parliament in new graft probe
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency said on Saturday that security services were blocking its attempt to raid parliament, as investigators alleged that sitting MPs were implicated in a new graft probe. The probe comes at a delicate time for President Volodymyr Zelensky, as he seeks better terms for Uk»»»
Live: EU leaders pledge unfaltering support for Ukraine before Trump talks
EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa on Saturday promised the European Union's unfaltering support for Ukraine ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's talks with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The Ukrainian president first spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney d»»»
BREAKING – Taiwan, southwestern Japan hit by M7.0 earthquake
Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by an earthquake initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a M6.7 quake»»»
BREAKING – Taiwan, southwestern Japan hit by M7.0 earthquake
Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by an earthquake initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a M6.7 quake»»»
Euroclear unblocks over $600mn in EDB funds
The international clearing house Euroclear has released more than $600mn in frozen assets belonging to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), on the condition that the funds be used exclusively for projects in Kazakhstan, Kommersant reported on December 25. »»»
Gold surpasses $4,500 per ounce for first time as geopolitical tensions rise
Gold prices on the spot market exceeded $4,500 per ounce for the first time on December 24, setting a new record as investors sought safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions, Interfax reported on December 24. Sp»»»
Russia’s CBR outlines phased cryptocurrency regulation with limits for retail investors
The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has published a formal concept for regulating cryptocurrency within the domestic market, proposing differentiated access for retail and professional investors while reaffirming its stance that digital assets are high-risk financial instruments. »»»
Cable car launched in test mode at Ala-Archa Nature Park - | 24.KG
A cable car has been launched in test mode at Ala-Archa Nature Park. A video of the launch appeared on social media the day before. As it was previously reported, the cable car is being built by the Austrian-Swiss Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group. The company is implementing cable car construction projec»»»
Looking back at Israel and Iran's ‘12-day war’: Direct conflict breaks out between arch-enemies
When Israel launched a lightening attack on Iran’s military and nuclear sites on June 13, it kickstarted a conflict dubbed the “12-day war” by US President Donald Trump. Although the whirlwind clash lasted less than two weeks, it caused unprecedented destruction in Israel and considerably weakened »»»
African Union and Somalia denounce Israel's recognition of Somaliland
The African Union and Somalia denounced Israel's announcement on Friday that it viewed Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state". Israel is the first country to recognise Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Somalia and the African Union reacted angrily on Fr»»»
French police arrest suspect after three women stabbed on Paris metro
French police on Friday arrested a 25-year-old man suspected of stabbing three women at different stations on a central Paris metro line during the busy end-of-year period. The attacks, which left the victims injured but not in critical condition, triggered a rapid manhunt and heightened security o»»»
Fax and furious: Why Germany struggles to go digital – DW – 12/27/2025
BusinessGermanyFax and furious: Why Germany struggles to go digitalNicolas Martin | Andreas BeckerGermany, the land of tech pioneers, still relies on fax and paper for basic public services. Why is digital government stuck in the slow lane while Denmark and India race ahead? https://p.dw.com/p/55Yd»»»
Peak Oil: Why the world can't break its fossil fuel habit – DW – 12/27/2025
TradeGlobal issuesPeak Oil: Why the world can't break its fossil fuel habitNik MartinClimate change shifted the oil production debate from scarcity to demand. But without delivering on ambitious green pledges, one expert predicts production may peak within two years, forcing a chaotic decline. http»»»