The EU’s failure to grab frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine will reinforce Washington’s view of the bloc as an irrelevant and “impotent force,” British outlet The Economist reported on Friday. EU leaders had long debated providing cash-strapped Kiev a so-called ‘reparations loan’ backed by Ru»»»

Agadir: Mohamed Salah has shown no signs of being distracted by the uncertainty surrounding his future at Liverpool as he prepares to lead Egypt into the Africa Cup of Nations, Pharaohs coach Hossam Hassan said on Sunday. "Salah's morale in training is very high, as if he were just starting out wit»»»

Tunis, Tunisia: The 36th Carthage Film Festival was capped off on Saturday evening at the Opera Theatre of the City of Culture in Tunis. The feature film The Stories was crowned winner of the Golden Tanit for feature-length fiction films, while the Silver Tanit went to the Nigerian film My Father's»»»

Share: The PM says the part of the plan on south of the Litani River is ‘only days away from completion’. Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah in the south of the Litani River before a year-end deadline as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, according to Prime Minister Nawa»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Aid Agency has signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support the delivery of urgent humanitarian and relief aid to the Sudanese people impacted by the repercussions of the ongoing conflict in the country. According to the»»»

Saudi Arabia has surpassed its record for the number of executions carried out annually for a second year in a row. At least 347 people have now been put to death this year, up from a total of 345 in 2024, according to the UK-based campaign group Reprieve, which tracks executions in Saudi Arabia an»»»

Farmers have planned new roadblocks on Sunday in western Greece, while ongoing blockades in the country’s north continue to disrupt traffic. Some farmers’ groups have announced they will unblock highways from Tuesday through Friday to facilitate Christmas travel, before reassessing their actions ah»»»

US President Donald Trump is preparing for a more aggressive immigration crackdown in 2026 with billions in new funding, including by raiding more workplaces — even as backlash builds ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Trump has already surged immigration agents into major US cities, where the»»»

Mourners in Australia have fallen silent in honour of the victims of the Bondi beach attack. The memorial was part of a national day of reflection to mark a week since the shooting in which two gunmen opened fire on an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hannukah. A 10-year-old girl, a British»»»

The National Assembly building in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- A South Korean civic group said most retired National Assembly officials subject to post-employment screening were cleared to take private-sector jobs, calling the results evidence of a serious revolving-door probl»»»

Beijing: Chinese tennis player, Pang Renlong has been suspended from the sport for a period of 12 years and fined 110,000 US dollars, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Saturday. The decision comes after Pang was found to have fixed or attempted to fix 22 matches between »»»

Dubai: Looking for a government job in 2026? Expat professionals have a growing range of opportunities in Dubai and across the UAE as the government expands roles in healthcare, technology, infrastructure, and education. Check out the latest jobs in the UAEWith federal vacancies set to rise and sev»»»

Evergreen 58-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura is set to join a Japanese third-division team to begin his 41th season as a professional footballer, local media reported Sunday. Miura, known as "King Kazu", will join Fukushima United on a year-long loan after spending last season with fourth-tier Atl»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- His Highness Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics Award announced on Sunday five winners of the prize in its 25th edition, recognizing leadership and excellence in digital transformation at local and international levels. In a statement to KUNA, Kuwait received two awar»»»

A Kremlin envoy reported that peace talks in Florida on a US-proposed plan to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine are progressing "constructively" as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing diplomatic efforts. The talks, involving both Ukrainian and European officials, come amid sharply dive»»»

At least 16 Jeffrey Epstein–related files abruptly disappeared from the Justice Department’s public website within a day of their release. The unexplained missing files, including an image with a photo of President Donald Trump, fuelled speculation online about what was taken down and why the publi»»»

Rabat: Morocco carry a huge weight of expectation into their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as the hosts, with star man Achraf Hakimi returning from injury, aim to see off stiff competition to claim continental glory. Senegal, reigning champions Ivory Coast, Mohamed Salah's Egy»»»

Dubai: Pakistan continues to face shortage of US dollars in the open market, with many currency exchanges “only selling what they buy,” creating difficulties for travellers and students alike. Multiple exchange outlets in major cities of Pakistan revealed a dearth of greenbacks, with some dealers s»»»

Tokyo: Evergreen 58-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura is set to join a Japanese third-division team to begin his 41th season as a professional footballer, local media reported Sunday. Miura, known as "King Kazu", will join Fukushima United on a year-long loan after spending last season with fourth-t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The “Hour and Hour” program organized a Qatar National Day celebration on Friday, December 19, 2025, at Lusail Boulevard, under the slogan “Our Identity Lies in Our Heritage.” The event highlighted Qatari heritage and culture, embodied the spirit of national identity, and included seve»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- The fifth Gulf Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition kicked off in Kuwait on Sunday, with representatives from all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and the GCC Secretariat General attending. In opening remarks, Kuwait National Cybersecurity Center Head, Engine»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have struck Ukrainian defense industry facilities as well as energy, transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, missile troops, and a»»»

At least 16 files disappeared from the Justice Department’s public webpage for documents related to Jeffrey Epstein — including a photograph showing President Donald Trump — less than a day after they were posted, with no explanation from the government and no notice to the public. The missing file»»»

Australians held a moment of silence on Sunday in tribute to the 15 Bondi Beach shooting victims, marking one week since gunmen fired into Jewish crowds on one of the nation's darkest days. A father and son are accused of targeting the family-thronged Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach, a touris»»»

Donald Trump has claimed that he could pay himself $1 billion in US government money as damages for a raid carried out at his Mar-a-Lago estate by the FBI. Federal agents searched Trump’s property in Palm Beach, Florida in August 2022 as part of an investigation into his alleged mishandling of clas»»»

News report by Fawaz Al-Otaibi BEIRUT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- Amid growing indications of recovery, commercial and tourism activity in Lebanon is witnessing noticeable momentum as the New Year holiday season approaches, traditionally one of the most economically active periods of the year. Preliminary in»»»

DOHA: Msheireb Properties announced the launch of the third edition of Baraha Cinema, which will run from December25-January 3, which will include an outdoor cinema experience featuring family films, seasonal activities, and a movie-themed culinary programme. Baraha Cinema is part of Msheireb Downt»»»

Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan police on Sunday ruled out "terrorism" in a metro stabbing in the capital Taipei, where an attacker killed three and wounded 11. A 27-year-old man, identified by police by his family name Chang, set off smoke bombs at Taipei Main Station metro on Friday afternoon before launc»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide said on Sunday that he was sure the chances of peace in Ukraine were not improved by changes to US proposals made by the Europeans and Ukraine, ‌Interfax news agency ‌reported. "This is ‌not ⁠a forecast," ‌Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri U»»»

The Kremlin on Sunday denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as diplomats gathered in Miami for talks on ending the conflict. "At present, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and to my knowledge, it is not in preparation," Russian Pr»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's schedule does not yet include a phone call with US President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "It is not yet scheduled, but it can be arranged quickly if necessary," Peskov told reporters.When asked whether Putin planned to wi»»»

Washington, United States: 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»»»

Dubai: Ras Al Khaimah’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Police, Brigadier Jamal Ahmed Al Tair, conducted field inspections of several vital areas and dams across the emirate following the recent weather conditions that brought heavy rainfall over the past two days. He was accompanied by Ali Rashid Al »»»

The head of Iraq's highest judicial body said Saturday that the leaders of armed factions have agreed to cooperate on the sensitive issue of the state's monopoly on weapons. However, the powerful Kataib Hezbollah group said that it would only discuss giving up its arms when foreign troops leave the»»»

Sydney: Australians fell silent in flickering candlelight Sunday to honour the Bondi Beach shooting victims, marking one week since gunmen fired into crowds at a Jewish festival. A father and son are accused of targeting the beachside Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people including children and H»»»

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said he is confident that provisions that Europeans and Ukrainians are trying to introduce into the draft peace plan will not bring about long-term stability. "I am more than confident that the provisions that Europeans and Ukrainians have introduced and are trying to impl»»»

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced Professor Badi Baltagi as the winner of the Great Arab Minds Award 2025 in the Economics category, recognising a career that has reshaped modern economic analysis and s»»»

Bulgaria has received close to 70 billion leva, or roughly 35.8 billion euro, in grant funding from the start of the transition period (1990s) up to 2024, according to an analysis by the Institute for Market Economy. The volume of grants has grown steadily over time, with more than half of all fund»»»

A senior Japanese government official recently stated that his country should possess nuclear weapons. A Japanese attempt to go nuclear must be prevented at any cost, as it would bring mankind a great disaster,” the director of the Institute for Japan Studies at the North Korean Foreign Ministry wa»»»

US forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks, following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade on sanctioned vessels. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the operation, carried out with the Defense Department»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia will begin enforcing a mandatory system for paying the salaries of all domestic workers through official electronic channels starting January 1, 2026, a move aimed at strengthening wage protection and increasing transparency in employment relationships. The decision, announced b»»»

The civic movement Third March (Treti Mart) has formally launched procedures to register as a political party, announcing its intentions at a meeting in Nessebar, Bulgaria. The decision was presented by the chairman of the movement, Tihomir Atanasov, who said an initiative committee has already bee»»»

Australia on Sunday was honoring victims of a gun attack a week earlier on a seaside Hanukkah celebration, as the prime minister announced a review of the country's law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The nation was marking a day of reflection to honor the 15 people killed and the dozens wou»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said Washington's immediate goal on Sudan is a cessation of hostilities going into the new year that allows humanitarian organizations to deliver assistance. Rubio, speaking to reporters at a news conference, said that Washington was engaging with the par»»»

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a review into the police and national intelligence agencies after the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney. "The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation," Albanese said, using an acronym »»»

Abu Dhabi: A parliamentary report approved by the Federal National Council has revealed that the number of vacant positions across the UAE’s federal government will rise to 7,842 in 2026, stressing the need for new federal initiatives to fill critical roles as government restructuring accelerates. »»»

Dubai: Saudi security authorities have arrested 17,880 people residing illegally in the Kingdom over the past week, following a series of coordinated inspection campaigns, the Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday. Also Read: Saudi authorities detain thousands in nationwide inspectionsOperatio»»»

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»»»

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»»»