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»»»

Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri denied on Saturday that the appointment of civilian negotiators between Lebanon and Israel means that political negotiations have been launched between the two neighbors. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the negotiating team is primarily tasked with ensuring »»»

Doha, Qatar: Aeon’s Aegis confirmed his class with a second consecutive victory in QA Gr1 Qatar Derby for 3YO Thoroughbreds, following up his Derby Trial success with a dominant performance in the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC staged Qatar International Derby Day at the Al Rayyan Racecourse »»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is moving at an accelerated pace toward developing one of the region’s most intelligent and integrated transport systems, with the implementation of a real-time smart traffic safety management system that represents a qualitative leap in monitoring, analysis, and decision-makin»»»

US intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources familiar with US intelligence said, even as negotiators seek an end to the war »»»

Johannesburg: Nine people were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire at a tavern outside Johannesburg early Sunday, police said, marking the second such shooting in South Africa this month. Ten more people were injured when around a dozen men attacked the tavern in Bekkersdal, a gold mining area a»»»

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 tanker in the region, and »»»

South African police say a manhunt is under way after a shooting at a tavern left nine people dead and another 10 injured in a township near Johannesburg. They say about 12 unidentified gunmen arrived in two cars in Bekkersdal, "opened fire at tavern patrons and continued to shoot randomly as they »»»

In late October, Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev and US Rep. Anna Paulina Luna met in Florida to discuss continuing Russia-US dialogue. Following the meeting, Luna said that it was productive and that they were able to identify comm»»»

More than half a million people in Cambodia have been displaced from their homes by two weeks of deadly border clashes with neighboring Thailand, Phnom Penh's interior ministry said Sunday. The renewed fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbors this month, including with tanks, drones and artil»»»

Doha, Qatar: Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies have been identified as critical tools in the global fight against corruption, as world leaders concluded the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (COSP11) with the adoption of the Doha Declaratio»»»

Dubai: If 2025 had a shopping basket, it would contain burgers, bananas, laban, fidget toys and at least one inflatable cooler. Data released by the UAE’s biggest delivery platforms offers a snapshot of what residents ordered online this year, capturing habits that range from routine essentials to »»»

In central Tel Aviv, the main stage has now been dismantled in Hostages Square, the focal point for the campaign over the past two years to bring back Israelis held in Gaza. Nearby, signs and posters have been taken down, and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has vacated the offices that serv»»»

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) has launched community participation in the Zero Bureaucracy initiative, part of the government’s pioneering “Community Participation in Zero Bureaucracy” program. The initiative allows members of society to evaluate government procedures an»»»

Dubai: Residents across the UAE woke up to early morning chilly winds this Sunday, December 21, 2025. These cool gusts, sweeping in from the Arabian Gulf and down from the Hajar Mountains, signal the official arrival of the Winter Solstice. It marks a significant astronomical turning point for the »»»

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev, who is also the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, called his talks with US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and the US leader's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, constructive»»»

Dubai: The UAE is expected to see partly cloudy conditions today, with a continued chance of rainfall over coastal, island and western areas, as a low-pressure system remains in place across the country, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Also Read: Rain in UAE: Can you catch cold fro»»»

Finally, after four long years, elections to Asia’s richest civic body, the BMC or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation have been announced for January 15, 2026, along with civic polls for 28 other cities in the state of Maharastra. These are not ordinary civic elections. The political fallout, e»»»

Dubai: A spectacular video showing Emirates airline's proposed “Dubai Air Hotel” featuring a full-scale Airbus A380 mounted atop a 580m, 125-storey tower has taken the internet by storm, amassing over 36 million views and sparking widespread excitement and news reports. The video shows a futuristic»»»

Seven wild Asian elephants, including calves, were killed when a high-speed train collided with a herd crossing the tracks in north-eastern India, local officials say. They say another calf was injured in the incident early on Saturday in Hojai district, Assam state. The Northeast Frontier Railway »»»

Three Rochester (N.Y.) Police Department officers and another man were shot by an assailant while responding to a domestic disturbance call that ended with the suspect's shooting death on Friday night. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Three officers with the Rochester »»»

Dubai: AI is no longer a future promise in the UAE. It is already shaping how people work, how companies invest, and how residents think about their careers. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Two recent reports — from enterprise technology firm Kyndryl and consulting gia»»»

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused European NATO states of trying to pull Washington into a direct confrontation with Russia and slammed Reuters for “fomenting hysteria” in order to sell war. Russia has consistently rejected claims that it plans to attack EU countries, d»»»

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»»»

Comedian Bowen Yang is leaving the cast of Saturday Night Live, and will no longer be part of the long-running sketch programme after the latest episode airs. In a post on Instagram, Yang declined the share the reason for his departure, which comes in the middle of the season, but said he is "grate»»»

Several files released on Friday by the Justice Department and regarding the federal sex-trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019, were not available a day later. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Some Jeffrey Epstein case files released on Friday by t»»»

An engineer from Germany has become the world's first wheelchair user to go into space. Michaela Benthaus, who suffered a spinal cord injury in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, had reached out to a retired space engineer online to see if her dream of being an astronaut was still possible. »»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

Darlene Regis The British Council, in partnership with Years of Culture and Qatar Museums, hosted Tashkilat, the closing event of this landmark edition, on December 10, 2025, at the Central Courtyard of the Museum of Islamic Art. The event celebrated the creativity of Qatari designers, blending her»»»

QNA Jeddah Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and a member of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, has affirmed that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the»»»

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»»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) on Saturday organised the closing workshop for the preliminary assessment project of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in the State of Qatar. This was done in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global»»»

The three final matches of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025, the Americas Derby, the Challenge Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup Final, were all held at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, which is directly connected to Al Riffa Mall of Qatar Station, on December 10, 13, and 17, respectively. In terms o»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Nearly five million passengers used the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025, held from December 1 to 18, according to Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail). In a statement on Saturday, Qatar Rai»»»

3266623 KUWAIT -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs applauds the US decision to repeal the sanctions on Syria and lauds President Donlad Trump's role in this regard. 3266658 WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump signs a law repealing a final batch of crippling economic sanctions imposed on Syria un»»»

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 »»»

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»»»