Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held for five months, fulfilling the terms of a ceasefire agreement the two countries signed to end bitter fighting along their border. The release was stipulated in the ceasefire agreement signed Saturday by the defense ministers of the »»»

Zohran Mamdani, young upstart of the US left, was readying Wednesday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. After the clocks strike midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani will take his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop, taking the h»»»

Europe is no longer sleepwalking into disaster. It is marching toward it with wide-open eyes, clenched fists, and a disturbing sense of moral self-satisfaction. At the very moment when the United States, under Donald Trump’s leadership, is returning to diplomacy, restraint, and strategic realism, t»»»

Nearly 12 years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished with 239 people on board, a renewed search has begun in the remote southern Indian Ocean, as investigators deploy advanced deep-sea technology in a fresh bid to solve one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries. Nearly 12 years after Malay»»»

As the UAE prepare to celebrate New Year’s Eve tonight, Brite Aravindhakshan will once again be on duty – ready to respond to emergencies while the nation welcomes 2026 with lights, fireworks and joy. The Indian expat, an ambulance driver with Aster Cedars Hospital in Jebel Ali, knows what it means»»»

The US military said Tuesday that nearly 25 operatives of the ISIS group were killed or captured in Syria this month following an ambush that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter. The US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement on X that 11 missions »»»

The Dubai Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court ruling sentencing two Asian men to three months in prison and ordering them to jointly repay Dh1.098 million, after convicting them of defrauding a European investor in a sham cryptocurrency transaction. The court also ordered their deportation aft»»»

Dubai: FIFA President Gianni Infantino (pictured) yesterday defended controversial ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, revealing that organisers had received a record 150 million requests for tickets in the past two weeks. Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino stressed that all »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Al Ahli FC will face Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan FC of Iran in the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two following the conclusion of the knockout stage draw yesterday. The draw set the path for the 16 remaining teams, with all eight Round of 16 ties offering intriguing»»»

Rabat, Morocco: Tanzania reached the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, 45 years after their maiden appearance, by coming from behind to draw 1-1 with fellow qualifiers Tunisia in Rabat. Ismael Gharbi converted a penalty just before half-time for Tunisia and Feisal Salu»»»

As Bulgaria adopts the euro, small settlements lacking post offices, ATMs, and other essential services face a particularly difficult transition. One such place is the village of Emen in Veliko Tarnovo region, home to roughly twenty elderly residents. Emen lacks public transport, a post office, and»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatari athletes endured mixed fortunes in the passing year, marked by historic achievements, extraordinary individual performances and moments of heartbreak. Al Annabi experienced a roller-coaster 2025, but their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup on merit saved the blushe»»»

Ajay Kumar waited nearly eight years for that life-changing call and when it finally came, it was from the unmistakable voice of Big Ticket host Richard. Kumar, a finance analyst from Kerala who has called Dubai home for 17 years, won Dh100,000 in the Big Ticket e-draw, sending his excitement soari»»»

Somalia is weighing options to defend its unity and sovereignty and is consulting strategic allies and partners in the region and beyond to determine the best course of action, its ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union said on Tuesday. Abdullahi Warfa told Asharq Al-Awsat that the consultati»»»

Dubai: Emirates is warning passengers of a major rush at Dubai International Airport from January 2 to 5, with high volumes of departures and arrivals expected to create gridlock on roads, packed car parks and longer queues inside the terminal. The airline recommends arriving four hours before depa»»»

Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus program. Globally, the last 12 months are expected to be the third hottest ever recorded after 2024 and 2023, according to the pr»»»

As the Lebanese army presses ahead with efforts to seize weapons inside Palestinian refugee camps across the country, a key question remains unresolved: what will become of Hamas’s arsenal in Lebanon, as the group continues to defy a government decision and a Lebanese-Palestinian agreement requirin»»»

A growing body of evidence from Lebanese security and judicial investigations is strengthening suspicions that Israel’s Mossad intelligence service orchestrated the luring and abduction of retired General Security captain Ahmed Shukr, whose disappearance nearly two weeks ago has raised alarm within»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Society of Engineers (QSE) yesterday launched the ‘Engineers Without Borders’ programme, the first of its kind in Qatar, and inaugurated its official website. Chairperson of the Board of Directors of QSE, Eng. Amna Mohammed Al Naama, said the programme is one of QSE’s flagshi»»»

Doha, Qatar: In the Arabian Gulf, some of the region’s richest pockets of marine life are forming in unexpected places: around the steel legs of offshore oil platforms. And according to Director of Research and Policy Development at Qatar Foundation’s Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future, Dr. Ra»»»

Engineer Badr Basalmah, an adviser to the Yemeni president, said Yemen is entering a decisive phase in which the state is attempting to reclaim control of the political landscape through what he described as a process of “reverse engineering,” backed by close regional support and aimed at restoring»»»

Japan’s sustainable finance agenda moved from vision to execution in 2025, marking a year in which policy intent, market standards and capital mobilisation began to align at scale, Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) writes. What had previously been framed as aspiration increasingly took on the cha»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai were unchanged on Wednesday, holding firm after a volatile December that saw prices surge to record highs before easing toward month-end. As of 8.40 am, 24-karat gold was priced at Dh525 per gram, while the 22-karat variety stood at Dh486.25. (Check latest UAE gold price»»»

AMMAN — Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Jordan reached approximately $1.525 billion during the first three quarters of 2025, up from $1.194 billion in the same period of 2024, marking a 27.7 per cent increase, according to a preliminary balance of payments data.Arab countries accounted f»»»

AMMAN — Nearly 57 per cent of investors in Jordan expect economic conditions to improve over the coming year, while 23.2 per cent believe the current economic situation in 2025 is better than a year earlier, according to the thirteenth round of the Investor Confidence Survey conducted in early Dece»»»

A group of 10 countries, including France, warned on Tuesday that the situation in Gaza was "catastrophic" due to the "renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian enclave. They called on Israel to allow greater access for NGOs and to lift restrictions on import»»»

The UAE said Tuesday it would withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia led an airstrike on a southern Yemeni port targeting what it said was a UAE-linked weapons shipment. Following the strike, Saudi Arabia backed calls for UAE forces to leave the country within 24 hours. Th»»»

The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial and Administrative Claims has ordered a medical clinic to pay a doctor Dh236,282, representing his share of net income for a four-month period, ruling that commissions were due in line with the established practice between the two parties. The court heard that»»»

The Channel Tunnel operator said traffic should return to normal overnight on Tuesday after Eurostar was forced to suspend trains between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels due to a power supply issue. Some journeys were able to resume in the late afternoon, but many passengers were left strande»»»

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it could not prove its claim that Ukrainian drones targeted one of President Vladimir Putin's residences because the drones were all "shot down". Moscow accused Ukraine of launching 91 long-range drones at Putin's home in the Novgorod region in what it called a»»»

Manila: Picture this: crooked officials stuffing suitcases with crisp ₱1,000 bills from the flood scam — poof, gone like rain in a drought. Should the Philippines demonetise ₱1,000 and ₱500 bills to flush out corruption amid the widespread tongpats (kickbacks) and ghost flood control projects? The »»»

Saudi Arabia expressed regret over United Arab Emirates pressure on Southern Transitional Council forces to conduct military operations near the kingdom's southern border in Yemen's Hadhramaut and Mahra provinces, describing the actions as a threat to national security, the Foreign Ministry stated »»»

Saudi Arabia expressed regret over United Arab Emirates pressure on Southern Transitional Council forces to conduct military operations near the kingdom's southern border in Yemen's Hadhramaut and Mahra provinces, describing the actions as a threat to national security, the Foreign Ministry stated »»»

Saudi Arabia expressed regret over United Arab Emirates pressure on Southern Transitional Council forces to conduct military operations near the kingdom's southern border in Yemen's Hadhramaut and Mahra provinces, describing the actions as a threat to national security, the Foreign Ministry stated »»»

Following the failure to make a breakthrough in the Mar-a-Lago peace talks Russia accused Ukraine of firing 91 drones at president Vladimir Putin’s official residence and vowed a retaliation and to toughen its conditions for a ceasefire. »»»

Former Ukrainian commander-in-chief and current London ambassador, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, will reportedly quit his job and return to Kyiv in January in time for possible presidential elections, , NV.ua reports. A peace deal to»»»

Kosovo’s acting prime minister Albin Kurti said a new government would be formed swiftly after the certification of results, following what he described as a historic victory for his Vetëvendosje Movement in December 28’s snap parliamentary elections. »»»

Dubai: The countdown has officially begun across the Arab and Islamic world to welcome the holy month of Ramadan 2026, with around 50 days remaining until its anticipated start. According to specialised astronomical calculations, Wednesday, 18 February 2026, is expected to mark the first day of Ram»»»

Manila: Picture this: crooked officials stuffing suitcases with crisp ₱1,000 bills from the flood scam — poof, gone like rain in a drought. Should the Philippines demonetise ₱1,000 and ₱500 bills to flush out corruption amid the widespread tongpats (kickbacks) and ghost flood control projects? The »»»

Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of resuming the production of ballistic missiles and the development of nuclear program. "They're going back to production [of missiles]. As far as the nuclear program, I think they're trying to do that. I'm not sure they decided to cross t»»»

For decades, engineering education around the world, and in the UAE, has been built on a clear foundation: mastering the mathematical and conceptual foundations that allow us to design safe and reliable technological systems across a wide range of physical applications, encompassing such diverse ar»»»

Dec. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials have frozen federal child care funding to Minnesota amid accusations of fraud in that state and others. HHS officials announced the action on Tuesday and credited a viral video that suggests rampant fraud is occurring at Minnes»»»

Dubai: Ras Al Khaimah is preparing to stage its most spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks display to date, with a main show that will run for 15 minutes and feature one of the largest fireworks displays in the world. As the clock strikes midnight, the show will reach a dramatic finale with the laun»»»

A train driver has died and at least 40 people have been injured in a head-on rail collision near Peru's most popular tourist attraction, Machu Picchu. Two trains collided on the single track leading to the ancient Inca town on 30 December, according to a statement from the local government. It sai»»»

The United Arab Emirates has said it will withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike targeted a shipment at a southern Yemeni port. Riyadh said the shipment included weapons intended for a separatist group, a claim the UAE denied. In a statement on Tuesday, the Emirati Min»»»

On a small boat in the Atlantic, about 27 nautical miles (50km) away from South Africa's Cape Point, a group of bird watchers are calling out seabird names: "Atlantic Yellow-nosed! Black-browed Albatross!" The tour boat takes bird watchers from Cape Town to see endangered seabirds, including albatr»»»

With millions of posts uploaded every day, India's social media churns out a viral moment almost on cue. If you've lost track of what thrilled - and infuriated - users in 2025, here's a handy recall: a round-up of the year's moments that made the country pause, laugh, or even scoff. In May, Bollywo»»»

Prime Minister Edi Rama has commented on the meeting of the Parliamentary Council on Mandates, which is set to review SPAK’s request to lift the immunity of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, criticizing both the size and nature of the file submitted by prosecutors. Rama stated that if he had b»»»

Tribune News Networks Doha Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), has announced the release of the 16th issue of ‘Career Guide,’ the first Qatar-based magazine dedicated to career guidance and development. The publication is designed to help students explore their»»»

QNA Doha The Qatar Society of Engineers (QSE) on Tuesday launched the “Engineers Without Borders” programme, the first of its kind in Qatar, and inaugurated its official website. Chairperson of the Board of Directors of QSE Engineer Amna Mohammed Al Naama said the programme is one of QSE’s flagship»»»