In an unusual development, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Iraqi government and influential political actors received two extraordinary warning messages over the past two weeks — one from an Arab country and another from a Western intelligence service — containing what were described»»»

Johannesburg: Nine people were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire at a cafe outside Johannesburg early Sunday, police said, in the second such shooting in South Africa this month. Ten more were wounded when around a dozen men attacked in Bekkersdal, in a gold mining area around 40 kilometres (2»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened two new bridges under the Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project, marking a significant milestone in efforts to ease congestion at one of the city’s most critical transport nodes. The bridges, which opened ahead of the planned mid-J»»»

The United States was joined Saturday by Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in urging parties in the Gaza ceasefire to uphold their obligations and exercise restraint, the chief US envoy said after talks in Miami. Top officials from each nation met with Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy, »»»

Unit 6 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) will be shut down on Sunday, one day earlier than previously announced, the plant said late on Saturday. The shutdown had originally been scheduled for Monday. The decision to shut down the unit earlier was made after an additional defect was discove»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chess Association (QCA) yesterday underlined its readiness to stage the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025, bringing the world’s top chess players to the ‘global sport capital’ from December 26 to 30. QCA President and Chairman of the Organising Committee Mohammed Ahme»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aeon’s Aegis confirmed his class with a second consecutive victory in QA Gr1 Qatar Derby for 3YO Thoroughbreds, following up his Derby Trial success with a dominant performance in the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC staged Qatar International Derby Day at the Al Rayyan Racecourse »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Organizing Committee of the 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026 unveiled the official logo of the Games during a ceremony held at Old Doha Port, in the presence of a number of officials, representatives of sports federations, and members of the media, yesterday. The official logo of the 4th »»»

Damascus, Dec. 21 (SANA) Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport said it is close to completing the installation of an advanced air navigation system at Damascus International Airport, aimed at reducing disruptions caused by poor weather, particularly dense fog. In a statement»»»

Doha, Qatar: The competitions of the second round of Qatar Freestyle Championship (QFC) in its new 2025/2026 season concluded on Friday evening at Qatar Racing Club (QRC). The round was held under the generous patronage of QRC Chairman H E Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, and witnessed a large cro»»»

Doha: Qatar National Bank (QNB) confirmed that copper is currently entering a clearly defined phase of structural transformation in global commodity markets. In its weekly commentary, QNB noted that despite cyclical volatility and macroeconomic pressures, the metal remains attractively valued in re»»»

Doha, Qatar: Oil prices edged up on Friday on possible disruptions from a US blockade of Venezuelan tankers as the market waits for news about a possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal. Brent crude futures settled at $60.47, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude finished at $56.66. For the week, »»»

Dubai: Motor insurance policies in the UAE classified as comprehensive will cover damage caused by heavy rain and flooding, provided the weather event is not officially declared a natural disaster, a senior insurance official has confirmed. Mohammed Mazhar Hamadeh, Vice Chairman of the Higher Techn»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is committed to advance innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies by promoting collaboration between government and private sector and positioning the country as a regional hub, for AI development. Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the recently held Wor»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Trade H E Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment H E Jacob Helberg chaired the Economic Session held as part of the Seventh Qatar–United States Strategic Dialogue, which was convened»»»

US intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources familiar with US intelligence said, even as negotiators seek an end to the war »»»

Johannesburg: Nine people were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire at a tavern outside Johannesburg early Sunday, police said, marking the second such shooting in South Africa this month. Ten more people were injured when around a dozen men attacked the tavern in Bekkersdal, a gold mining area a»»»

Doha, Qatar: Reyada Medical Centre is proud to announce the expansion of its Ophthalmology Department, reinforcing its commitment to delivering comprehensive, patient-centred eye care to a multi- faceted audience. This expansion marks a significant step in strengthening Reyada’s multidisciplinary h»»»

Doha, Qatar: The third edition of the “Beyond Reality” International Circus kicked off yesterday at Souq Al Wakra, organised by the Celebrations Organising Committee of the Private Engineering Office, amid strong public turnout from the very first day. Khaled Al Suwaidi, General Supervisor of the I»»»

The United States "apprehended" an oil tanker off Venezuela on Saturday, a move Caracas deemed a "theft and kidnapping," in the latest salvo of a pressure campaign by Washington, the US government said. It was the second time in two weeks that US forces have interdicted a tanker in the region, and »»»

Doha, Qatar: Registration for the 17th Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) begins today, Sunday, December 21, at the Qatar Falconry Association headquarters in Katara Cultural Village. Registration will continue until December 23, from 4pm to 8pm. The Marmi Festival is he»»»

Doha, Qatar: Health professionals shared their career journeys with foundation and pre-medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) during the fall edition of the college’s Medical Career Seminar series. The series featured presentations and talks from dean and professor of psychiatry a»»»

In late October, Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev and US Rep. Anna Paulina Luna met in Florida to discuss continuing Russia-US dialogue. Following the meeting, Luna said that it was productive and that they were able to identify comm»»»

More than half a million people in Cambodia have been displaced from their homes by two weeks of deadly border clashes with neighboring Thailand, Phnom Penh's interior ministry said Sunday. The renewed fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbors this month, including with tanks, drones and artil»»»

Doha, Qatar: Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies have been identified as critical tools in the global fight against corruption, as world leaders concluded the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (COSP11) with the adoption of the Doha Declaratio»»»

Dubai: If 2025 had a shopping basket, it would contain burgers, bananas, laban, fidget toys and at least one inflatable cooler. Data released by the UAE’s biggest delivery platforms offers a snapshot of what residents ordered online this year, capturing habits that range from routine essentials to »»»