MPs re-voted and rejected the proposal to include the draft budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the budget bill for 2026 on the agenda. Fourteen MPs from BSP–United Left voted in favour of debating the two bills at first reading, 97 voted against, and 77 abstained. Before the se»»»

Doha, Qatar: The latest weather indicates a chance of moderate to heavy rain from tomorrow afternoon until early Friday, December 19, 2025. Cloudy weather conditions can be observed during this period as well as occasional thunderstorms, sudden strong winds, and hail at times. In an earlier report,»»»

Doha, Qatar: Temperatures across the country are expected to drop further from Thursday evening, December 18, 2025, according to the latest update from the Qatar Meteorology Department. The Department attributed the cooler conditions to northwesterly winds affecting the region. Earlier today, the A»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced Professor Majed Chergui as the winner of the 2025 Great Arab Minds Award in Natural Sciences. Sheikh Mohammed shared the news through his X account: “Civilisatio»»»

It is premature to introduce online voting in Kyrgyzstan’s elections, President Sadyr Japarov stated today at the first session of the new Zhogorku Kenesh. The head of state noted that after the snap parliamentary elections, he met with representatives of international missions to discuss the possi»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov announced the possibility of allocating official apartments to members of the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) through the State Mortgage Company. He made this announcement at a parliamentary session today. Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram Публикация от НОВОСТ»»»

1 of 8 | A statue of Barbara Rose Johns is unveiled during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A statue of Barbara Rose Johns, a Black teenage girl who protested segregation, has been unveiled a»»»

The defense of the EU eastern flank must be a priority because of the Russian threat, leaders of eight northern and eastern European countries, Romania included, declared at a Helsinki summit on Tuesday. “Russia remains a threat today, tomorrow and in the predictable future”, said Finnish premier P»»»

Doha, Qatar: As the holiday season approaches, a new resource is helping to shed light on why religion matters today, and it comes from Georgetown University in Qatar Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, Dr. Patrick Laude. In his new book, The Esoteric in Religious and Spiritual Tradition -»»»

Thae Yong-ho, former North Korea's deputy ambassador to Britain, speaks during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, 19 February 2019. Thae defected with his family to South Korea in August 2016. File Photo by JEON HEON-KYUN /EPA Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- The World North Korean Diaspora Council, »»»

US President Donald Trump has said he is ordering a "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela. In a post on Truth Social, he said Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's government had been designated a foreign terrorist organisation and accused it of »»»

Doha, Qatar: Ambassador of India to Qatar H E Vipul has said that Qatar’s role in promoting regional peace and stability is widely acknowledged and appreciated by all. “On behalf of India, and the entire Indian community in Qatar, I wish to extend hearty congratulations to the leadership and people»»»

Festive Christmas trains are once again rolling through the heart of Sofia, bringing a holiday atmosphere to the capital’s streets. From today, the seasonal attraction sets off from the city center, offering residents and visitors a cheerful ride designed to turn an ordinary walk into a Christmas-t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ambassador of Japan to Qatar H E Naoto Hisajima has extended warm congratulations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the government and people of Qatar on the occasion of Qatar National Day, praising the country’s remarkable progress under the Amir’s leadership, its a»»»

Song Eun-seok, floor leader of South Korea’s People Power Party, presides over a parliamentary strategy meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 16. Photo by Asia Today Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's People Power Party said Tuesday its number of dues-paying members is nearing 1 mill»»»

Dubai: The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has issued a yellow dust alert for Wednesday morning, covering key areas of the UAE and warning residents to take precautions. The alert highlights the risk of blowing dust and significantly reduced visibility, which the NCM forecasts may drop to less»»»

Citizens browse the Christmas market during the 2nd Nowon Christmas Festival along the Gyeongchun Line Gongneung Forest Path in Nowon-gu, Seoul, on Dec. 14. The district hosted the market to help boost the local economy, featuring a large Christmas tree, a lighting ceremony, performances and a “Sur»»»

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (left) and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun attend a National Assembly committee session in Seoul on Nov. 28. File Photo by Yonhap News Agency Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's National Security Office, Unification Ministry and Foreign Ministry sought to project u»»»

Dubai: The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has issued a yellow dust alert for Wednesday morning, covering key areas of the UAE and warning residents to take precautions. The alert highlights the risk of blowing dust and significantly reduced visibility, which the NCM forecasts may drop to less»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has said that implementation is underway to strengthen Qatar’s education system, with ongoing construction and development set to deliver more than 40 new schools of high global standards by 2030. Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and H»»»

With growing demand for energy at home, Egypt is diversifying its global partners to secure additional natural gas supplies, to maintain power generation and industrial productivity. In recent years, one of its key gas partners has been Israel, but negotiations over a supply deal recently hit the r»»»

Washington: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met today in Washington D.C. with several members of the US Senate and the House of Representatives. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Senator Steve Daines,»»»

Doha, Qatar: When you think about the names to have worn the colours of Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain over the years, not many will stand out more than that of Ronaldinho. The Brazilian legend – a football icon all around the globe – spoke to FIFA about his time at the two clubs, who are set to »»»

Ai Chip startup Rebellion aim to challenge Nvidia as unicorn. Computer chips circuits boards. File Photo by Jon Sullivan/Wikimedia Commons Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- Rebellion Chief Executive Park Sung-hyun said Tuesday the South Korean AI semiconductor startup wants to "compete head-to-head" with Nvi»»»

US President Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income. It is unclear how Trump will impose the move against the sanc»»»

President Donald Trump and President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, August 25, 2025. File Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korea and the United States could use closer co»»»

1 of 2 | A South Korean flag patch is seen on an ROK soldier's uniform, South Korea, February 10, 2025. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's military authorities are reportedly considering a complete replacement of combat uniforms after the military»»»

An event marking the 30th anniversary of the General Assembly resolution on the millennium anniversary of the Manas epic, a key monument of Turkic cultural heritage, was held at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN News Service reported. Photo UN. Event marking the 30th anniversary of the Genera»»»

President Donald Trump participates in a Hanukkah reception in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 16, 2025. Later that day, he ordered a naval blockade of Venezuela. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered "a»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices are hovering just below their all-time highs, tracking a powerful global rally in bullion. Local buyers face some of the highest rates on record, with further moves hinging on US inflation data and fast-escalating geopolitical tensions. Sign up for our daily business newsle»»»

President Donald Trump participates in a Hanukkah reception in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 16, 2025. Later that day, he ordered a naval blockade of Venezuela. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered "a»»»

Hybrid work is not about where employees work from anymore; it is about how they thrive in this ecosystem. Since 2020, the way we work and live has been fundamentally reshaped, driven by a confluence of factors. Organisations around the world have had to rethink every aspect of their operations, in»»»

The first session of the new Zhogorku Kenesh will take place today in Kyrgyzstan. President Sadyr Japarov will attend it. The first session will begin with performing the National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the regulations, the newly elected deputies of the eighth convocation will »»»

Dubai: The UAE is expected to see continued rainfall and strong winds through Friday, 19 December, as an active weather system continues to affect large parts of the country, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Rain of varying intensity has fallen since Saturday night, 13 December, thr»»»

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a naval blockade of "sanctioned oil vessels" leaving and heading to Venezuela, sharply escalating his pressure campaign against Caracas. The United States has for months been building a major military deployment in the Caribbean -- with the stated goal of»»»

Tribune News Network Doha As the holiday season approaches, a new resource is helping to shed light on why religion matters today, and it comes from Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, Dr. Patrick Laude. In his new book, ‘The Esoteric in Religious and »»»

Meta will test an Instagram TV app on Amazon Fire TV in the United States aiming to expand the platform beyond phones and compete with rivals like TikTok and YouTube. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Meta-owned Instagram will now let users view Reels on larger screen»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) 1973 -- The Industrial Bank of Kuwait was established with a capital amounting to KD 10 million. It is the first bank of its kind to be founded in the Arabian Gulf. 1978 -- The National Cleaning Company (NCC) was founded for public cleaning tasks. 1986 -- The Scientific Publis»»»

Members and supporters of the Vazrazhdane party talked about Europe’s demographic challenges during a discussion held on Tuesday in Sofia under the title European Demography Roundtable: Dialogue on Europe’s Demographic Challenges and Opportunities. The forum was organized by the European party Euro»»»

Across desert, coastlines and historic cities, Saudi Arabia is undertaking one of the most ambitious infrastructure transformations of the 21st century. Think boldness. And think vision, one that looks beyond years, into decades and scores Also In This Package Saudi Arabia partners with Archer to l»»»

The Bulgarian Socialist Party is facing a deep internal crisis after the entire Executive Bureau submitted its resignation, while party chairman Atanas Zafirov chose to remain in office. The move affects the party’s closest leadership circle but does not include the chairman himself. The developmen»»»

Dubai: In a social media landscape often dominated by stories of toxic bosses and burnout, a Reddit post highlighting an empathetic manager in India has struck a chord with users, sparking widespread discussion about workplace culture and leadership. The post, shared on Reddit under the title “In a»»»

Kigali: During the official visit of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Rwanda in November 2025, President Paul Kagame welcomed the Amir to his private farm in Kibugabuga and gifted him with Inyambo, Rwanda’s legendary long-horned royal cattle. This gesture was far more than a customar»»»

An Israeli settler shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian in Tuqu' on Tuesday after the funeral of another teenager, the town's mayor said. Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank »»»

Nepal has launched a nationwide census to track the recovery of Himalayan tigers that were once on the verge of extinction. The country has been widely praised for its conservation efforts, with an earlier survey finding that the tiger population had tripled to 355 between 2010 and 2022. Nepal laun»»»

Protesting French farmers blocked roads across France Tuesday over a mass cull to prevent the spread of a bovine disease. Anger over the sanitary measure combined with farmers’ concerns about a planned Mercosur trade deal has forced France to seek a delay in the EU vote, which officials say is»»»

BEIRUT: The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Transport, donated 30 buses to the sisterly Republic of Lebanon in support of the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works and Transport's efforts to develop the country's public transport infrastructure. Qatar's Ambassador to Lebanon HESheikh Sao»»»

The Tripoli based Libyan government reported today that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has adopted a new cooperation strategy with Libya for the period 2025–2028, aimed at supporting economic recovery, reconstruction, and diversification. The Bank explained that the strategy, approved by the G»»»

Libya’s state National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported today that Akakus Oil Operations successfully drilled and commissioned well A-46 with a production capacity of 3,750 barrels of oil per day. This, the NOC added, marks a new milestone within its planned 2025 drilling programme. On a wider outloo»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut opened the 3rd Serbia - Our Family conference on Tuesday, noting that demography was the most important issue and that, in a first for the country, Serbia had established a Family and Demography Council, the highest coordinating mechanism for demography. "The task »»»