South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Col. Lee Sung-jun speaks at a press briefing held at Seoul's Defense Ministry on Thursday, August 7, 2025, to announce the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 joint military exercise. The exercise will take place from Aug. 18-28. File Photo by Thomas Maresca»»»

Belgrade: A delegation from the Permanent Web Summit Qatar Organizing Committee paid an official visit to Belgrade ti strengthen strategic partnerships between the two countries and reinforce Qatar’s position as a leading destination for technology and innovation regionally and internationally. The»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Transport, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani visited the headquarters of Qatar Rail, where he reviewed the company’s key operational achievements for 2025 and its 2026 business plan with senior and executive management. The visit also covered future plan»»»

The gunmen who allegedly carried out a deadly attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach last week threw four undetonated explosives at the start of the attack, including a "tennis ball bomb", according to newly released court documents. Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with dozens of offences in»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) unveiled yesterday the details of the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work. This came during a press conference attended by a contingent of national leaders, representatives of public agencies, civil society institutions, and me»»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of strengthening community partnership and unifying efforts to serve the targeted groups, the Orphan Care Centre (Dreama), one of the centres under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work, and the Qatar Red Crescent signed a strategic cooperation protocol. This pro»»»

Doha, Qatar: Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a significant public health concern among children and adolescents in Qatar, with adolescents, particularly girls bearing the highest burden, according to a large new study published in the latest issue of the Qatar Medical Journal. The cross-section»»»

Over 600 new service vehicles were delivered to Ministry of Internal Affairs units in 2025, the ministry’s press service reported. According to it, important steps have been taken to equip the internal affairs agencies with modern technology, bringing the renewal of the police’s material and techni»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has nearly achieved the level of water self-sufficiency it requires, while continuing to advance plans to expand production plants and increase storage hours to meet future needs. The country also ranks among the best globally in minimising water loss, recording one of the lowest»»»

The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Cases Court has ordered the guardian of a student to pay Dh4,669 in overdue tuition fees to his daughter’s private school, along with Dh500 in compensation, after ruling he failed to settle fees from the previous academic year. Also Read: Abu Dhabi co»»»

Traffic routes of 11 buses have been changed in Bishkek. The press service of the City Hall reported. The adjustments were made in connection with the opening of a section of Chui Avenue from Shopokov Street to Tynystanov Street. Starting from December 22, 2025, partial changes have been introduced»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is emerging not only as a major international transit hub but also as a leading force in global aviation policy and logistics, driven by liberalised air services agreements, active engagement with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) frameworks, and closer alignment b»»»

The Dubai Civil Court has ordered an Arab man to repay Dh1.5 million to another individual after ruling that the sum was taken as a loan and remained unpaid, despite a signed acknowledgment of debt. Also Read: Dubai court orders man to repay Dh1.47 million after loan defaultLoan and acknowledgment »»»

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev, who is also the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, departed from Miami, where he had held a series of talks with the US delegation on the Ukrainian settlement, a RIA No»»»

Israeli officials warned the administration of US President Donald Trump over the weekend that missile exercises by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could be a preparation for a strike on Israel, Axios reported citing sources. According to the publication, Israeli Chief of General St»»»

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov has been awarded the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize. The award ceremony took place at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in the presence of the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and observer countries. In September, followi»»»

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has been forced by a court to publicly retract false claims she made about an Estonian opposition politician. In a social media post on February 17, 2022, Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister at the time, claimed police were attacked at a protest organized by Varro V»»»

At a rally of the Digital Civic Circles in Szeged, Prime Minister Orbán made clear that Hungary’s future hinges not just on political continuity, but on national sovereignty and peace. Expanding on this, Prime Minister Orbán listed the consequences Hungary would face without the Fidesz-KDNP allianc»»»

A South Korean dealer works in front of monitors at the KEB Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, 09 March 2018. File Photo by JEON HEON-KYUN/ EPA Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- The Bank of Korea said Thursday it will temporarily ease regulations and offer incentives to financial institutions in a bid to stabi»»»

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, left, and Song Eon-seok, the party’s floor leader, attend a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Asia Today Dec. 21 (Asia Today) -- People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized President Lee Jae-myun»»»

Chinese men play a game of checkers on a sidewalk in Beijing on February 6, 2017. China made its first major change to its "one-child policy" in nearly 30 years to wrestle with a massive shift in its population toward the elderly, who cannot work and need support. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI |»»»

US and Ukrainian envoys say "productive and constructive" talks have taken place in Miami, but there still appears to be no major breakthrough in efforts to end Ukraine's war with Russia. Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, issued a joint statement with the top Ukrainian negotiator, Rustem»»»

A high school teacher from the town of Serres is northern Greece is expected to appear before an investigative magistrate on Monday to respond to accusations that he molested a pupil, police said. The 17-year-old pupil told police the 62-year-old man called her into the class when it was empty and »»»

Dubai: This morning, motorists in Dubai can expect significant traffic delays on several major roads. Real-time traffic data from Google Maps and Waze shows heavy congestion on both Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), particularly for those heading into the city. Key »»»

The President of Kyrgyzstan addressed the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in St. Petersburg. Key issues related to the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) were discussed, and further guidelines for deepening integration were outlined. Sadyr Japarov emphasized that through joi»»»

Vice President JD Vance framed the Trump administration’s domestic priorities at a Turning Point USA event this week, declaring that helping older Americans retire with dignity outweighs spending on foreign aid to Ukraine. "We help older Americans in retirement, including by ending taxes on Social »»»

US special envoy Steve Witkoff called weekend talks in Florida “productive and constructive” as officials from the US, Europe, and Ukraine worked to align positions. President Donald Trump pushes for a quick end to the nearly four-year conflict, but Russia wants to keep seized Ukrainian land. Talks»»»

Almaz Turgunbaev, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan, met with Abdul Haidari, Deputy Minister of Road Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan, in Kabul. According to the Ministry of Transport’s press service, the parties discussed developing transport cooperation and »»»

South East Asia's top diplomats are set to meet Monday in Malaysia to end deadly border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia that have killed at least 41 people and displaced close to one million others. They will seek to revive a ceasefire that was brokered in July by Malaysia as chair of the Ass»»»

Indian expat Rakesh Kumar Kodwani has struck luck in a Big Ticket draw, winning Dh100,000 consolation prize after years of hopeful attempts. Also Read: First-time lucky: Indian tailor in Dubai buys Big Ticket in his name, wins Dh100,000Kodwani, 37, has been living in Dubai with his family since 201»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai surged to a new all-time high on Monday morning, tracking the global rally that has pushed the precious metal to its strongest levels in more than four decades. At 7:45 am in Dubai, the 24-karat variety stood at Dh526.50 a gram, while 22-karat gold was priced at Dh487.50»»»

The US Coast Guard is pursuing an oil ⁠tanker in international waters near Venezuela in what would be the third in less than a week, officials said Sunday, as US President Donald Trump increases pressure on the South American nation. The move comes a week after Trump announced a "blockade" of all o»»»

Welcome to France 24's AFCON roundup, where we dive into all the action from the opening match of the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco. We're here to break it all down with football experts Thando Sibiya and Andreas Evagora. We are also joined by our reporter on the ground, Selina Sykes. Prod»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Liwa International Festival 2026 kicked off in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region, opening 23 days of high-octane sport, cultural celebrations, and family entertainment set against the dramatic backdrop of Liwa’s golden dunes. The festival’s sporting programme began with a thr»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov participated in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which was held at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in St. Petersburg, Russia. According to the press service of the head of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov was greeted by Russian President Vlad»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg as part of his working visit to Russia. The two sides discussed key bilateral issues and noted the high level of strategic partnership and alliance between the two countries. The press service of the Pres»»»

Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak lost a bid Monday to have his jail term changed to house arrest, a setback ahead of a separate verdict this week tied to the country's 1MDB scandal. Najib, 72, is serving a six-year jail term for corruption linked to the plunder of Malaysia's sovereign wealth fun»»»

President Sadyr Japarov arrived in Russia on a working visit. The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to it, the president arrived in Russia to attend a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and an informal meeting of the Heads of State of t»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Construction, Nurdan Oruntaev, participated in an event in Urumqi, China, dedicated to establishing direct supplies of construction materials between companies in the two countries. More than 30 major construction companies from Kyrgyzstan and over 70 manufacturers from Uru»»»

The maker of the popular Jim Beam bourbon whiskey says it will halt production at its main site in Kentucky for all of next year. The distillery will stay closed while the firm takes "the opportunity to invest in site enhancements," it told to the BBC in a statement on Sunday. "We are always assess»»»

He's played on some of the biggest stages in the world in the Premier League, but Alex Iwobi believes the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is a "special" experience. The tournament will see 24 teams battling for the continental crown across the next couple of weeks. Fulham midfielder Iwobi will repres»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to experience generally stable but variable weather conditions until Thursday, with partly cloudy skies, increasing humidity at night, and a growing chance of fog or mist in internal areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. On Monday, skies will be partly cloudy»»»

Gold prices shot to a record high on Monday as investors grow increasingly optimistic the US Federal Reserve will continue to cut interest rates through next year. The precious metal hit a peak of $4,383.76 in early trade as a string of data last week pointing to further weakness in the US labour m»»»

The US Coast Guard was pursuing another allegedly sanctioned tanker on Sunday, a US official told AFP, as Washington ramps up its pressure campaign targeting Venezuela's vital oil sector. The "active pursuit" in the Caribbean Sea was happening a day after the Coast Guard seized its second vessel of»»»

Nigerian authorities say they have secured the release of the remaining 130 schoolchildren kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school in the country's central Niger state. Nigeria's federal government described the latest release as a "moment of triumph and relief", after one of the country's worst »»»

Even as the United States is embarked on a bitter rivalry with China over the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), Chinese technology is quietly making inroads into the US market. Despite considerable geopolitical tensions, Chinese open-source AI models are winning over a growing number of p»»»

The French presidency said Sunday that it welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to speak with President Emmanuel Macron over the war in Ukraine, adding that the conditions for such talks would be determined in coming days. In an interview published earlier Sunday, a Kremin spokesm»»»

The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history, Powerball officials said Sunday. No ticket matched all six winning numbers on Saturday — white balls 4, 5, 28, 52, 69 and red Powerball 20. That sets up the fifth-largest U.S.»»»

The Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) foreign ministers are set to meet Monday in Malaysia for crisis talks aimed at halting deadly border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, which pressed on despite regional and international diplomacy. Renewed fighting between the two neighbours this mont»»»

Dubai: Indian property developers are expanding their presence in the UAE at a faster pace, drawn by regulatory clarity, strong demand from global buyers and a market structure that rewards execution over scale. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Executives from Indian re»»»