While some West African nations are choosing to cement old ties with France and others cultivate a new relationship with Russia, one country is trying to have the best of both worlds. As the 7 December attempted military coup in Benin collapsed, the rebels' leader, Lt Col Pascal Tigri, made his dis»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joked on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to overshadow him after learning that his briefing was staged almost simultaneously with the latter’s end-of-year press conference. During the annual Direct Line Q&A session in Moscow, the Russian pre»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Arab and foreign ambassadors to Kuwait congratulated on Saturday His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the second anniversary of assumption of power.In separate statements, the ambassadors extolled His Highness the Amir's wisdom, leading vision a»»»

The US has seized an oil tanker that had recently departed from Venezuela, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. It is the second time this month that the US has seized an oil-carrying ship off the country's coast. The move comes after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was»»»

On a winter morning in 2022 Raphael Wong and Figo Chan walked into Hong Kong's Stanley prison to meet Jimmy Lai, the media billionaire who had been arrested two years before and was awaiting trial charged with national security offences. They had all been part of the turbulent protests that had roc»»»

TOKYO — Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totalling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo vies for influence in the resource-rich region.The announcement came after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted an inaugural summit with the leaders of five Central Asia nations »»»

WASHINGTON, United States — For a reading of Wall Street's shifting mood on the artificial intelligence investment boom, take a look at the daily fluctuations of Oracle stock, analysts say.Shares of the software giant slumped more than five per cent Wednesday following a news report of financing tr»»»

AMMAN — Arab Potash Company (APC) on Monday announced the signing of a long-term strategic supply agreement with Norway’s Yara International, one of the world’s leading fertiliser producers and distributors, aimed at strengthening APC’s presence in international markets.The agreement was signed in »»»

A U.S. military helicopter hovers over an oil tanker seized early Saturday morning in international waters near Venezuela. Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard led another seizure of an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela on Saturday after Presi»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has cast himself and other opponents of the ‘reparations loan’ scheme for Ukraine as ‘EU Ghostbusters’ in a video posted on X on Friday. In the video, released a day after he and his allies blocked the loan scheme at a Brussels summit, the veteran politician mo»»»

The US Justice Department on Friday released a tranche of files related to convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein in accordance with a congressional mandate. The partial disclosure has already drawn criticism from lawmakers and victims’ advocates, who cite the wholesale redaction of some pages and »»»

AmericaFest, the first major Turning Point USA conference since the murder of its founder Charlie Kirk, took place in Phoenix on Thursday – but instead of showing unity, it exposed sharp rifts within the MAGA movement over anti-Semitism, leadership, and its post-Trump future. The first major g»»»

Tunis, Dec. 20 (TAP) - Speaker of the Assembly of People’s Representatives, Brahim Bouderbala, accompanied by a parliamentary delegation, on Saturday attended the closing events of the second edition of the Investment Days in Medenine Governorate,...»»»

The United States has seized another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, escalating pressure on Caracas just days after President Donald Trump announced a “total and complete” blockade of unilaterally sanctioned oil shipments. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the raid on Satu»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Exports, powered by Qatar Development Bank (QDB), has announced the strong outcomes of the Qatar–Kuwait Trade Mission, held from 9–10 December 2025 at The St Regis Kuwait. The mission saw the participation of more than 35 Qatari companies spanning a wide spectrum of »»»

PA Media/DPA London Erling Haaland scored two goals and made another as Manchester City underlined their growing Premier League title credentials with a comfortable 3-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday. The prolific Norwegian was on target after just five minutes of a one-sided encounter at the Et»»»

Continued from page 1 This builds upon the over $240 billion in economic deals secured during President Trump’s visit to Qatar in May. The PM affirmed that as Qatar charts a path to a diversified economy driven by technology, innovation, and knowledge, its deep investment partnership with the US ha»»»

Darlene Regis The 19th General Assembly and 2026 Board Election of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Qatar marked a historic milestone for Filipino engineers, as the chapter was inducted into the PICE Hall of Fame — a rare distinction that recognizes exceptional excellence, innovat»»»

Darlene Regis IAM Filipina, a women’s empowerment organisation in Qatar, concluded another successful year with a Year-End Breakfast held on December 5, 2025, at Namaa’s Garden in West Bay, bringing together Filipina professionals for a morning of reflection, recognition, and celebration. The gathe»»»

Continued from page 1  Maritime heritage was highlighted through the Al Bidda zone, which depicted traditional sea life with councils for pearl divers, captains, and merchants, along with maritime games and special museums documenting Qatar’s seafaring past. Children’s activities were a key focus,»»»

Satyendra Pathak Doha The Skills Development Centre (SDC), established in 2002 with the vision of making fine arts and performing arts accessible to all in Qatar, celebrated its 23rd anniversary with a weeklong festival titled Spectrum – 2025, starting December 1. Over more than two decades, SDC ha»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Ooredoo, Qatar’s leading telecommunications provider, has announced that it successfully delivered uninterrupted, high-capacity connectivity across a series of major international sporting championships and conferences hosted in Qatar throughout this year. Ooredoo successf»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said a $105 billion loan from the European Union puts Ukrainian officials in a stronger position for negotiating a peace agreement with Russia. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Officials for the European Union have agr»»»

Rome will charge a fee for most tourists who want to visit the city's popular Trevi Fountain on February 1, city officials announced. File Photo by G20/UPI | License Photo Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Most tourists visiting Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain will have to pay a modest fee starting Feb. 1, but locals »»»

Cairo: Egypt has reaffirmed its full support for Sudan during its continued ordeal, stressing its enduring commitment to protecting Sudan's unity and territorial integrity. Egypt further affirmed that it backs Sudan's national institutions and pushes back against any attempts that would undermine S»»»

The release of thousands of pages of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's abuse has left some who were anxiously awaiting the files disappointed. The documents' release was prompted by an act of Congress that directed the US Justice Department (DOJ) to make materials related»»»

Several areas of Oregon and Washington state have gone in and out of flood watches as the Pacific Northwest has been pounded with rain, including the Willamette Valley, where the Willamette River, pictured, is located. File Photo by Eitenne Laurent/EPA Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A flood watch is in effect in»»»

The Swedish Academy said Saturday its permanent secretary, Mats Malm, is stepping down after seven years of heading the prestigious institution that awards the annual Nobel literature prize. As of June 1, 2026, Academy member Ingrid Carlberg, an author and journalist, will take over as permanent se»»»

Colombo: Sri Lanka has entered the public phase of 5G mobile connectivity with the launch of commercial 5G services by Dialog Axiata PLC and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel (SLT-Mobitel), the country's two major telecommunications providers. SLT-Mobitel launched the service on Friday at One Galle Face Ma»»»

The Israeli military said on Saturday its forces had arrested a suspected ISIS militant in Syria earlier this week and taken him back to Israel. In a statement, the military said that on Wednesday "soldiers completed an operation in the area of Rafid in southern Syria to apprehend a suspected terro»»»

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, pictured in 2021, and his wife have been sentenced to 17 years in prison for corruption. File Photo by Chamila Karunarathne/EPA-EFE Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, and his wife have been sentenced to 17 additional year»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Volodymyr Zelensky is contradicting himself and giving inconsistent statements when commenting on the issue of a possible presidential election in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday. "Zelensky is actively commenting [on the issue of the possible election], »»»

DOHA:This evening, the events organised by the Ministry of Culture to celebrate the country's National Day concluded after 11 days at the Darb Al Saai site in Umm Salal. The National Day events organising committee announced that Darb Al Saai witnessed a large public turnout, reaching approximately»»»

Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chair of Yes, Bulgaria, one of the partners in the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition, has said that if any change in this country is to happen, it will only occur when they secure an absolute majority. "Anything short of 121 MPs implies compromises and a»»»

An exclusive investigation by UK’s The Guardian has found companies hiring hundreds of Colombian fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. A one-bedroom flat off north London’s Creighton Road in Tottenham is, according to UK government records, tied to a transnational network of companies involved»»»

Tunis, Dec 20 (TAP) — Although flat-rate taxpayers account for 38.9% of all registered contributors, their share of total tax revenues has not exceeded 0.5% over the last five years, the Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies (ITES) stated in...»»»

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday reiterated calls for structural changes in the UN Security Council to grant Africa a larger role in shaping global decisions. El-Sisi made the plea for a “more pluralistic” world order at a conference of the Russia-Africa partnership held in Cairo,»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE on Saturday welcomed renewed calls by the United States for an immediate halt to fighting in Sudan, stressing the urgency of easing a conflict that has pushed millions into displacement and deepened one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al »»»

A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison after it found them guilty of corruption over the selling of expensive gifts they were given while in office. Khan has been in prison since 2023 on multiple corruption convictions»»»

DOHA: The Qatar Meteorology Department has announced that Sunday marks the start of the Winter solstice, signalling the astronomical beginning of winter. Winter solstice marks the end of Autumn and the beginning of winter astronomically. This happens every year because of the 23.5° tilt of the Eart»»»

It may be getting tougher to spot conmen, especially in the digital era, but Dubai Police is quick to point out ways to be vigilant. Its most recent advice has been to be wary of people claiming to be from banks or official entities and asking for an OTP. “Remember that banks and official entities »»»

A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first w»»»

Doha, Dec 20 (SANA) The head of Syria’s Central Authority for Control and Inspection(CACI), Amer al-Ali, affirmed that combating corruption is a strategic and irreversible choice, and a fundamental basis for rebuilding the state on the principles of good governance and the rule of law in Syria. In »»»

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»»»

Current developments regarding the Ukraine conflict are “clearly conducive to the cessation of hostilities,” Chinese political analyst Zhou Chengyang told Sputnik. “Choosing a peaceful path and bringing the conflict to an end at the negotiating table as soon as possible is the best outcome” for Rus»»»

Abu Dhabi: The National Centre of Meteorology has forecast generally partly cloudy conditions across the UAE tomorrow, with low clouds expected to form over islands and parts of the coastal and western regions, alongside a chance of light rainfall. In its daily weather bulletin, the centre said tem»»»

A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said. The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last y»»»

The drama over the EU’s efforts to seize Russian Central Bank assets trapped in the bloc’s jurisdiction continues to intensify, with President Putin characterizing the plans as “robbery” in broad daylight, and Viktor Orban calling the move to deprive Hungary of a voice on the matter a “crossing the»»»

Elon Musk's 2018 pay package from Tesla, once worth $56 billion, was restored by the Delaware ​Supreme Court on Friday, nearly two years after a lower court struck down the compensation deal as "unfathomable." The ruling overturns a decision that had prompted a furious backlash from Musk and damage»»»

Danish shipping company Maersk said that one of its vessels had successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the first time in nearly two years, as shipping companies weigh returning to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor. The company stated that while it had no firm plans to»»»