Dubai: A 70-year-old man has died and more than 150 passengers narrowly escaped after fire tore through two air-conditioned coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Junction Super-Fast Express near Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Monday. The deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar, a resident»»»

Azat Mirakhimov has been named the best coach of the year 2025 by the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports of Kyrgyzstan. The announcement was made during the Olympic Ball that took place in Bishkek. Azat Mirakhimov has been coaching the Kyrgyz national freestyle wrestling team since the en»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour (MoL), and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), launched yesterday the Winter Edition of its job-shadowing program ‘My Career – My Future,’ at Multa»»»

Doha, Qatar: Childhood obesity in the region, including Qatar, is widely misunderstood as a matter of individual discipline or quick policy solutions, according to a Doha-based health expert. However, it is a long-term challenge shaped by biology, economics, urban design, and social norms, one that»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s aviation sector is set to benefit from a strong regional airline boom, as Middle East carriers are projected to lead global profitability in 2026, reinforcing Doha’s position as a major international aviation hub. Driven by rising passenger demand, expanding route networks and »»»

Valentina Shevchenko has been named by ESPN the best female fighter of 2025. The publication summarized the results and identified the top contenders. Valentina Shevchenko, the current flyweight champion, was named the best athlete in women’s MMA. As a reminder, the native of Kyrgyzstan defeated Ch»»»

Aiperi Medet kyzy has been named Kyrgyzstan’s best female athlete of 2025 by the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports. The announcement was made during the Olympic Ball that took place in Bishkek. Aiperi Medet kyzy was recognized as the top female athlete in Olympic sports. She was the only»»»

A five-year-old boy in Japan has died while on a ski holiday with his family after his arm caught on a travelator. On Sunday morning Hinata Goto was about to step off the travelator at a Hokkaido resort's ski slopes when he fell down and his right arm became trapped in the machinery, Japanese media»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has been at the forefront of digital transformation over the past decade, enhancing its economy and services through significant investments in technology infrastructure and various initiatives that foster the adoption of digital technologies. In 2025, key milestones advanced Qat»»»

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Thirteen people were killed and 98 injured in a train derailment accident in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, Mexico’s Navy Secretariat said. On Sunday, a train carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members derailed near Nissanda. The ministry previously reported 20 injured peo»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged lower on Monday morning, easing back from a record-setting rally that’s been driven by a global surge in precious metals. The 24-karat variety stood at Dh542.75 per gram at 8:45 am, while 22-karat gold was Dh502.50. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside pri»»»

Kamchybek Tashiev, Chairman of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS), presented the keys to a three-room apartment to Elza Tyuregeldieva, a 51-year-old Karakol resident and mother of six. The state committee’s press center reported. Elza Tyuregeldieva, a single mother of si»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that restarting trade with Russia could be highly advantageous for both nations, and he also expressed regret that Washington and Moscow were not able to have normal trade relations before. "We [the US and Russia] weren't»»»

Manila: In a library in the Philippines, a dice rattles on the surface of a board before coming to a stop, putting one of its players straight into the path of a powerful typhoon. The teenagers huddled around the table leap into action, shouting instructions and acting out the correct strategies fo»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump stated that he understood Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance on rejecting a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict as a prerequisite for a peace deal. "That's one of the points that we're working on right now. No, not a ceasefire. He [Putin] feels »»»

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 »»»

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»»»

- 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»»»

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 »»»

Dubai: As of Monday morning, December 29, 2025, motorists traveling between Dubai and Sharjah are experiencing significant congestion across the major arterial networks. Real-time data from Google Maps and Waze highlights a heavily congested morning rush hour, with travel times nearly doubling on s»»»

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'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 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»»»

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»»»

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 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»»»

A fire at a nursing home on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi late Sunday killed more 16 people and injured three, a local official said. "There were 16 deaths; three (people) had burn injuries," local fire and rescue agency head Jimmy Rotinsulu told AFP on Monday. Firefighters received the report »»»

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»»»

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»»»

Mexico City, Mexico: Officials said a train accident in southern Mexico killed at least 13 people and injured dozens, halting traffic along a rail line connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails Sunday as»»»

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 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. »»»

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»»»

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. »»»

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»»»

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. »»»

Dubai: When Natalia Dobrynina moved to Dubai, she found herself navigating a rental process dominated by WhatsApp messages, repeated agent calls and conflicting advice on basic requirements such as Ejari. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.“It took me more than six months»»»

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»»»

A woman is currently awaiting execution in Somalia after being convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl in her care. The murder of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the horrific details that emerged about the circumstances surrounding her death, sparked protests near her home in Galkayo, alon»»»

China has announced it will hold military drills around Taiwan simulating the seizure and blockade of the island's key areas, as a warning against "separatist forces". The army, navy, air force and rocket force would be dispatched for the drills scheduled for Tuesday, which include live-fire exerci»»»

Mirlan Isagaliev, founder of IS-Sabi Holding LLC, who is also the founder of Kyrgyz Zhol Kurulush LLC, has been detained. The press center of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) reported. It is noted that Mirlan Isagaliev was detained on suspicion of abuse of authority during the const»»»

Gelateria La Romana dal 1947 has expanded its UAE footprint with the opening of its newest outlet at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, marking a significant global milestone as the brand celebrates its 90th store worldwide and eighth location in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in Rimini, Italy, in 1947, Gelat»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to experience unsettled weather conditions on Monday, with cloud cover, gusty winds and a chance of rainfall in parts of the country, according to the National Center of Meteorology. In its daily weather bulletin, the centre said conditions are being influenced by an extension»»»

At least 13 people died and almost 100 were injured after a train derailed in Mexico's south-western Oaxaca region, the Mexican navy said. The train, which was travelling between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members. A total of 98 were injured,»»»

Dubai: When Carlo Bacalla laced up his running shoes at the start line of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon in December, it marked far more than another race finish. For the 63-year-old Filipino retiree living in the UAE, it was his first full marathon since beginning hemodialysis treatment and a powerf»»»

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky said progress had been made to end the Ukraine war during Florida talks but the US president admitted the problem of territory remained "unresolved". While both the US and Ukrainian presidents described the talks as "great", Trump said "one or two very thorny iss»»»

Deep fear has long pervaded the arid savannah plains and highlands of north-western Nigeria - even before the US air strikes on the Islamist militants who have made this area their base on Christmas night. The heavily armed jihadists, who dress in camouflage and wear vibrant turbans, have lived in »»»

The much-anticipated talks lasted two-and-a-half hours, and that's an achievement in itself. Presidents Trump and Zelensky had never before spent this long in one room, negotiating. Afterwards, optimism was much on display at Mar-a-Lago. It was a "terrific meeting", according to Donald Trump. Volod»»»

Dubai: Travel patterns are shifting again as UAE residents plan holidays for 2026, guided in part by insights gathered through Bloomberg Pursuits’ Two-Night Minimum city-guide series. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Industry data shows travellers are prioritising immer»»»

The Albanian nationalist Vetevendosje party has won a landslide victory in Kosovo's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results. With 90% of the votes counted, the party, whose name means "self determination", was on 50.8%, meaning a third term in power for its leader, Albin Kurti. Th»»»