Doha, Qatar: Table-toppers Al Gharafa will look to continue their fine run in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) when they face Al Shahania tomorrow, as the top flight resumes following a break of over a month. Pedro Martins’ side secured a four-point lead at the top of the table before the league pause,»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said the United States launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against what he described as ISIS* targets in northwest Nigeria. "Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terroris»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban the proposal to take part in the first concrete pouring ceremony for the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and generally supported it, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhac»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Ouissal Ikhlef delivered a standout performance on the sixth day of the combined weightlifting championships in Doha, claiming nine gold medals across three events at the Ezdan Palace Hotel yesterday. The competitions include the 10th Qatar International Weightlifting Cup 2025,»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chess maestro Magnus Carlsen made his intentions clear ahead of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships Qatar 2025, noting that he is in Doha to sweep the titles. During a pre-event press conference held in Lusail yesterday, the Norwegian five-time World Chess Champion, five-time »»»

President Donald Trump has said the US launched a "powerful and deadly strike" against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria. The US leader described IS as " terrorist scum", accusing the group of "targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians". Trump said the US m»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia’s Aerospace Forces launched a Soyuz-2.1a medium-class carrier rocket with a Defense Ministry spacecraft from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia’s Arkhangelsk region on December 25, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the launch»»»

In the first 11 months of 2025, key sectors made a significant contribution to budget tax revenues, the State Tax Service of Kyrgyzstan reported. Enterprises in the mining industry accounted for 20.6 percent of all tax revenues. In monetary terms, collections totaled 56.7 billion soms, which is 18.»»»

In 2025, at least 4,315 citizens of Kyrgyzstan applied for consultations for employment in Korea under the EPS program. The Ministry of Labor reported. According to the ministry, a program for the employment of Kyrgyzstanis under this permit system is being implemented in accordance with a memorand»»»

The women’s volleyball team of Kyrgyzstan participated in an international tournament in the Maldives. The Volleyball Federation reported on social media. Yesterday, the team defeated the Maldives team 3-1 in the final. Previously, the Kyrgyz athletes defeated their opponents from Bangladesh and Af»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai rose to fresh all-time highs Friday morning as global precious metals extended their record-breaking rally. The 24-karat variety stood at Dh543.25 per gram at 8:10 am, up from Thursday’s close of Dh539.75. The 22‑karat variety rose to Dh503, up from Dh499.75 the previous»»»

Tokyo: The Japanese government on Friday approved a record budget for the upcoming fiscal year, to pay for everything from bigger defence spending to ballooning social security costs as inflation persists. The 122.3-trillion-yen ($782 billion) budget for the fiscal year from April 2026 will include»»»

Freestyle Wrestling Championship of Kyrgyzstan was held in Bishkek. The State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports reported. The national championship is the main stage in the formation of the national team and the selection of wrestlers to prepare for international competitions. The winners are »»»

The Ministry of Education has announced a new opportunity for high school graduates in Kyrgyzstan. According to the ministry, the international educational project In Vision U, aimed at training young leaders, is being implemented with the support of Satbayev University (Kazakhstan). Instruction is»»»

Conservative businessman Nasry Asfura, backed by Donald Trump, was declared the winner of Honduras' presidential election on Wednesday, three weeks after a vote marked by a very narrow margin and allegations of fraud, signaling a return to conservatism for the country. The US president had given hi»»»

California declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and several other locations in the southern part of the state on Wednesday as one of the worst Christmas storms in recent memory brought heavy rain and fears of flashing flooding. Rain from a powerful winter storm that swept across Southern Ca»»»

The joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command headquartered in Colorado tracked Santa's Yuletide sleigh ride overnight for a 70th year.   Santa Claus drove his reindeer-powered sleigh over ⁠rooftops around the world beginning on Wednesday, delivering gifts to mi»»»

A powerful Christmas-week storm battered California this holiday season, bringing life-threatening rain, flash flooding. Amid intense rainfall and severe weather conditions, residents were urged to stay alert as weather agencies continued to issue strong warnings. Also Read: Southern California soa»»»

The UK, Canada, Germany and several other countries on Wednesday condemned Israel’s decision to approve 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying the move violated international law and risked fuelling further instability, and calling on the Israeli government to reverse the decision. Fo»»»

At least five people were killed on Wednesday when an explosion tore through a crowded mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri during evening prayers, according to witnesses and security sources. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the suspected bombing in a city that has endu»»»

Somalis queued in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday to vote in local elections by universal suffrage for the first time in nearly 60 years, a historic test for democracy in a country grappling with insecurity and political tensions. Somalis turned out in droves on Thursday to vote in local election»»»

France's internal intelligence services are investigating a cyberattack on the country's national postal service that has disrupted deliveries during the busy Christmas season. The attack was claimed by Noname057(16), a pro-Russian group of hackers that has previously targeted Ukrainian media websi»»»

Turkish authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a private jet crash near Ankara that killed Libya’s armed forces chief Mohammed al-Haddad and four aides. The devices will be analysed in a neutral country, the transport minister said, as inve»»»

Bangladesh opposition leader Tarique Rahman returned home on Thursday after 17 years in exile, welcomed by huge crowds. The aspiring prime minister positioned himself for February’s elections, promising safety, justice and unity after months of political unrest. Aspiring prime minister and politica»»»

The Trump administration took its fight with the EU over tech regulation to a new level this week, denying visas to five Europeans and accusing them of seeking to censor "American viewpoints". All five have been instrumental in EU efforts to counter hate speech and disinformation online.&»»»

Ukraine launched British-made Storm Shadow missiles and domestically produced drones to strike Russian energy facilities, hitting the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery and setting ablaze two oil storage tanks at the southern port of Temryuk, where flames spread over about 2,000 square metres, officials s»»»

Christmas in France would not be complete without free-flowing champagne, oysters or a bûche de Noël. And the French holiday season is longer than most – stretching into the New Year with Epiphany (January 6) and its traditional galettes des rois (king cake) into February with Chande»»»

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” blessing from Vatican City on Thursday, at the end of a year overshadowed by conflict around the world, urging Ukraine and Russia to find the 'courage' to hold direct peace talks and speaking of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Pope »»»

Share: Posters of Hezbollah’s slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah (L) and Hashem Safieddine are placed amid destruction caused by Israeli strikes against the Iran backed- group in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on December 4, 2024. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP) By: Naji Al Boustani After a long period of»»»

Kyrgyzstan will begin producing system units for personal computers. Trade Representative of Russia to Kyrgyzstan Ainur Samanov told journalists. According to him, Russian investments are focused on strategic sectors, with energy remaining one of the key areas. He recalled that several projects are»»»

Solar panels are being installed on the roof of the Osh City Hall building, the City Hall’s press service reported. The project was initiated by Osh Mayor Zhenishbek Toktorbaev. As part of the work, 320 solar panels with a total capacity of 100 kilowatts are being installed on the roof of the munic»»»

Turkish security forces have detained more than 100 people suspected of links to Islamic State, saying they had foiled plans to carry out attacks during the Christmas and New Year period. According to the BBC, prosecutors »»»

Three citizens of Kyrgyzstan, including a child, were killed in a traffic accident in Orenburg Oblast of Russia. According to Russian media, three people were killed and five others suffered injuries of varying severity, including a child, as a result of a three-car collision on M-5 Ural highway. A»»»

The Ice Hockey World Junior Championship will be held in Kyrgyzstan. The Hockey Federation of Kyrgyzstan reported. The competition is scheduled for Bishkek for Division 3B junior teams, made up of players under the age of 20. The tournament will be held on the ice rink of the new Bishkek Arena on J»»»

The national futsal team of Kyrgyzstan finished third at a friendly tournament in Yerevan. The Futsal Association reported on social media. The first-round match against Georgia on December 21 was cancelled because the Kyrgyzstanis were unable to arrive in time. It was previously reported that the »»»

Dubai: From the tiniest hatchling to the planet’s largest predators, 2025 delivered some of the most powerful images ever captured of animals and the natural world. These photographs go beyond visual beauty, offering quiet but urgent reminders of how fragile life on Earth has become — and how resil»»»

Kamchybek Tashiev, head of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, awarded athletes who have achieved high results in sports. The Wrestling Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. According to the federation, the awards ceremony took place at the final stage of the national fre»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic has adopted a resolution extending the New Year holidays for employees of state and municipal institutions, organizations, and enterprises funded from the state budget to include January 8 and 9, 2026. The decision was made to strengthen the instituti»»»

A 44-year-old Indian-origin man, Prashant Sreekumar, died of suspected cardiac arrest after reportedly waiting more than eight hours in the emergency room at Grey Nuns Hospital in southeast Edmonton, Canada, media reports said. Sreekumar began experiencing severe chest pain while at work on Decembe»»»

Dubai A Dubai Civil Court has ordered an insurance company to pay Dh93,450, plus 5 per cent legal interest until full settlement, following a traffic accident that caused significant damage to a vehicle. The dispute arose between two insurance companies after a collision in which liability was esta»»»

A 20-year-old Indian doctoral student, Shivank Avasthi, was shot dead near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus on Tuesday. Police say the incident marks Toronto’s 41st homicide of the year. According to authorities, officers responded at around 3:34 pm (local time) to reports of a person»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said weather conditions across the UAE on Friday will be partly cloudy to cloudy at times, with a chance of rainfall over islands and some northern and eastern areas as a weak low-pressure system affects the region. Also Read: Gulf countries face bitt»»»

Palm Beach: President Donald Trump said US forces conducted "powerful and deadly" strikes Thursday against ISIS militants in northwestern Nigeria, after he warned the group to stop killing Christians in the country. The Department of Defense said "multiple terrorists" were killed in an attack condu»»»

A winter storm bearing down on New York City and the Tri-State area could make road travel dangerous for those returning from holiday destinations on Friday and Saturday. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A winter storm could make road travel dangerous and disrupt a»»»

A Russian archaeologist detained in Poland is at the centre of an intense debate over the role of museums and experts and the role they play in Kremlin war propaganda. Alexander Butyagin is under arrest in Warsaw, awaiting a Polish court decision on a request to extradite him to Ukraine. Until now,»»»

Dubai: Fuel prices in the UAE for January 2026 will be announced in the coming days. Global oil markets have moved slightly higher at the end of December, and this could influence what drivers pay in the new month. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Super 98 rose from Dh2»»»

Dubai: With the New Year just days away, the UAE is slipping into full celebration mode. From landmark countdowns in Dubai to record-breaking displays in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, the country is preparing for one of its busiest festive weeks of the year. Sign up for our daily business newslette»»»

President Donald Trump said the U.S. military carried out deadly strikes on ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria on Thursday in retaliation for deadly attacks on Christians in the West African nation. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. military carried out several st»»»