Farmers resumed nationwide road blockades after most protests were temporarily eased during the Christmas holiday period, escalating pressure ahead of a nationwide farmers’ conference expected in the coming days. The renewed actions have again disrupted key transport routes, even as divisions emerg»»»

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan raised his 2025 economic growth forecast to 3.2% on Sunday, saying the city would bolster its role as a financial center, innovation hub and trade center to maintain the momentum. In February, Chan had forecast growth of between 2% and 3%. Hong Kong, the worl»»»

A media report published in South Korea has revealed traces of financial transactions between Iran’s regime and North Korea, both US-sanctioned states, signaling the two countries’ increasing use of non-traditional financial tools to circumvent restrictions on their banking systems. According to bl»»»

Abu Dhabi: Couples in Abu Dhabi can now complete their marriage contract entirely online, from submitting documents to receiving a legally certified certificate. Launched in October, the electronic marriage contract service is provided by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and is available via the e»»»

Dubai: The Al Ain Court of First Instance has acquitted a 28-year-old Gulf national of reckless endangerment, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish the elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. The verdict was issued by the Third Misdemeanour Circuit at a final hearing on December »»»

Doha, Qatar: Cupping therapy continues to gain attention as a complementary medical practice, particularly during the winter season when many people experience a rise in respiratory and immune-related illnesses. Speaking on this topic, Dr. Maysoun Al-Abbadi, a cupping therapy specialist and a membe»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has announced the launch of a new dedicated category of the Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani Endowment Award, exclusively for imams, preachers, and muezzins working at the ministry, in cooperation with the Department of Mosques. The announcemen»»»

Doha, Qatar : Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the 17th edition of the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) will commence on Thursday, January 1, and continue until the 24th. The festival is supported by the Social and Sports Activitie»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Diabetes Qatar has concluded the activities of the 26th Al Bawasil Camp, which was held at Aspire Academy, with the support of the official sponsor Ooredoo. The camp concluded with a closing ceremony that featured a comprehensive video highlighting the camp’s journey, activities, a»»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of its ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and strengthen engagement with the healthcare sector, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has recently introduced a new “Open Day” initiative aimed at enhancing awareness, transparency, and direct communication in the licensin»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has renewed its call for public vigilance, urging residents to avoid using firewood or charcoal for heating inside enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and prevent avoidable accidents. The Ministry »»»

Dubai: The UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has introduced a sweeping overhaul of its accreditation service for institutions offering professional qualifications, significantly reducing processing times and procedural requirements as part of the government’s “Zero Bureaucr»»»

A growing number of countries are rejecting Israel's recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation, the first by any country in more than 30 years. A joint statement by more than 20 mostly Middle Eastern or African countries and the Organization of Islamic Coopera»»»

London: British number one Jack Draper will miss the Australian Open next month as he continues to recover from an arm injury. The world number 10 has not played since withdrawing at the US Open due to bone bruising in his left arm. “It’s a really, really tough decision, obviously (with) Australia »»»

Tangiers: Sadio Mane’s equaliser earned 2022 champions Senegal a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations clash yesterday. Cedric Bakambu had given the Leopards the lead just after the hour mark in Tangiers but Al Nassr forward Mane replied soon afte»»»

London: Arsenal responded to the pressure applied by Manchester City by beating Brighton 2-1 to retake top spot in the Premier League after Rayan Cherki inspired Pep Guardiola’s side to victory at Nottingham Forest. Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal as the Reds beat Wolves 2-1 on an emo»»»

Melbourne, Australia: A fighting England won their first Test on Australian soil in 15 years yesterday, restoring their battered pride with a gutsy four-wicket victory to clinch a chaotic fourth Ashes clash that was all over inside two days. The pumped-up tourists dismissed Australia for 132 soon a»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mubkhar Al Shahania produced a commanding front-running display to land the Ras Mlaiji Cup, the feature event at Al Uqda Racecourse, stamping his authority in the Local Purebred Arabian Handicap (65–85) for 3YO+ over 2000m. Breaking smartly, the grey colt was quickly into stride and as»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is expanding the utility of its artificial intelligence-powered assistant, Saif, to help residents, inventors, businesses, and intellectual property stakeholders navigate the nation’s patent rights system with greater ease and clarity. The M»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has announced the availability of an electronic version of the book “Banking Tawarruq: A Methodological Treatment of Its Impact on Islamic Financing Instruments” through its official website, as part of its ongoing efforts to disseminate benefi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) organised a specialised training workshop titled “Beneficial Ownership Identification Procedures within the Implementation of Due Diligence Measures” with the participation of a number of trust and company service providers, auditors, and de»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has renewed its call for photographers and visual storytellers to take part in the “Agricultural Lens of Qatar” photography competition, inviting the public to capture the beauty, innovation, and sustainability of local farms through the camera lens. The co»»»

Doha, Qatar: The all-new MG RX9 premium SUV combines elegant design, advanced technology, and powerful driving performance. It represents the next level of luxurious SUV experience, dedicated for modern lifestyle suitable for both city and outdoor use. The MG RX9 and the full line-up of MG cars are»»»

An Al Ain court has ordered two employees of a mobile phone retailer to pay Dh100,000 in damages after using their company’s Snapchat account to defame a competing business, accusing it of deceiving customers and selling counterfeit products. The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial, and Administrati»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has introduced a detailed framework of administrative violations and financial penalties governing private schools and partnership schools, outlining 42 types of offences related to school policies, with fines starting at Dh5,000»»»

Deep in Iraq's southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms. Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the count»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has adopted modern standards and advanced technologies in the development of the new Metrash application, marking a significant step toward enhancing digital government services and improving user experience through smart solutions, including artificial i»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) H E Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, crowned the winners of the final races of the Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Festival for Purebred Arabian Camels for the 2025-2026 season, held»»»

Dubai: A battery company in Dubai has been ordered to pay Dh299,000 in compensation to an insurance firm, after finding it liable for a fire that broke out at its warehouse due to unsafe storage practices. In a judgment delivered in open court, the Dubai Civil Court ruled that the battery company m»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar golf team was crowned champion in both the team and individual Under-16 categories at the Gulf Golf Championship, hosted by Ghala Golf Club in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, from December 21 to 25. Qatar delivered a strong and consistent performance over three days of competition, fi»»»

Doha, Qatar: World No.1 Magnus Carlsen suffered his first loss at the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, while Vladislav Artemiev and Hans Moke Niemann of the US shared the lead at the end of nine games at the Qatar University’s Sports and Events Complex yesterday. Norway’s Carlsen, aiming »»»

The piercing pop-pop of pickleball paddles starts before sunrise and ends after midnight at dozens of newly built courts across Hanoi, as residents relish one of Vietnam's fastest-growing sports -- or rage at the noise it makes. The initial craze saw more people in Vietnam pick up a paddle per capi»»»

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that the conflict between his country and Western powers is not on the nuclear program but opposition to Iranian plans on the international order. He framed the confrontation as resistance to an “unjust global order and the system of domination.” The prob»»»

Doha, Qatar: The volume of mortgage transactions of Qatar’s real estate sector registered 115 transactions worth QR3.760bn in November this year. Doha Municipality registered the highest number of mortgage transactions with 45 (equivalent to 39.1 percent) of the total number of mortgaged properties»»»

Doha, Qatar: Oil prices settled more than 2 percent lower on Friday as investors weighed the prospect of a global supply glut, while also monitoring the possibility of a Ukraine peace deal ahead of talks this weekend between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States. Brent crude futures settl»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mohamed Bader Sayyar scored a brace as Al Shahania resumed the Qatar Stars League (QSL) in emphatic fashion, pulling off a major upset by thrashing table-toppers Al Gharafa 3-0 at Al Khor Stadium yesterday. Al Gharafa came into the match as firm favourites, aiming to extend their four-»»»

In the weeks leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the region stood on the cusp of a historic transformation. The invasion profoundly ruptured the Middle East's structure and fundamentally altered how the West managed its relationship with the region. Recently released British documents detai»»»

Doha: QNB affirmed that the recovery in global growth forecasts for 2025 does not indicate a lack of risks as much as it reflects the ability of major economies to adapt to shocks in a world characterized by rapid change and rising uncertainty. It highlighted that forecasts were no longer on a fixe»»»

Hanoi, Vietnam: The piercing pop-pop of pickleball paddles starts before sunrise and ends after midnight at dozens of newly built courts across Hanoi, as residents relish one of Vietnam's fastest-growing sports -- or rage at the noise it makes. The initial craze saw more people in Vietnam pick up a»»»

Any European troop contingents deployed to Ukraine would become legitimate targets for Russia’s armed forces, Foreign Minister ⁠Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published by state news agency TASS ⁠on Sunday. Lavrov, without providing evidence, also accused European politicians of being driven by “amb»»»

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Iran is fighting a “full-scale war” with the United States, Israel and Europe. “Western pressures aim to prevent Iran from rising, but the unity of the people is capable of thwarting conspiracies,” Pezeshkian said in remarks published on the»»»

The Venezuelan government rejected Israel’s move to recognize Somaliland and backed Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, Foreign Minister Yván Gil said in a statement on Telegram. “Venezuela adheres to and supports the UN Security Council resoluti»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kremlin said on Saturday. The footage shows Putin and Nazarbayev sitting together at a round table decorated with white flowers. The last time the Russian president met with the form»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by a major earthquake, initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a»»»