Washington: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met in Washington D.C. with Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States of America HE Brian Mast, and Member of the Committee HE Grego»»»

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»»»

Freedom Bank Kazakhstan will establish a subsidiary in Kyrgyzstan, which will subsequently become a bank, Forbes Kazakhstan reports. Photo Forbes Kazakhstan . Timur Turlov The bank will operate as a closed joint-stock company called Freedom Bank KG. Its authorized capital will be 1 billion soms, co»»»

Candidates who have been approved to participate in the Hajj in 2026 and have fully paid for the trip have been reminded of the requirement to undergo mandatory vaccination. The Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (SDMK) reported. According to it, vaccination of pilgrims will be carr»»»

Dubai: The Central Bank of Oman launched a partial payment system for cheques effective December 15, covering all types regardless of value. Beneficiaries must now accept whatever funds sit in the drawer's account if it's less than the cheque amount, rather than seeing the payment bounce entirely. »»»

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»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday plans to recent the military's Chaplain Corps on ministry. File Photo/Sgt. Jim Goodwin | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday he would restore the role of the Chaplain Corps, saying political correctness ha»»»

President Rumen Radev will hold meetings with representatives of the parliamentary groups of BSP–United Left and There Is Such a People (TISP). The meetings are part of the consultation procedure with representatives of the parliamentary groups in the 51st National Assembly following the resignatio»»»

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»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Labour Court has ordered a contracting company to pay Dh195,000 to a site supervisor, covering end-of-service benefits, unpaid salaries and unused annual leave, after finding no evidence that the company had settled the worker’s entitlements. In its ruling, the court said t»»»

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»»»

The number of victims of VML_KG pyramid scheme fraud may reach up to 12,000 people. Police Lieutenant Colonel Cholpon Nazarkulova, an officer at the Main Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, announced on Birinchi Radio. She noted that more than 230 complaints from »»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court has ordered a young man to pay Dh87,383 to a car rental company after finding that he failed to meet his financial obligations under a long-term vehicle lease agreement. In its ruling, the Court of First Instance also ordered the termination of the lease co»»»

Venezuela has expressed outrage at US President Donald Trump's announcement of a naval oil blockade “with the aim of stealing the riches” that belong to the republic. Any attempts by the US to block oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela constitute a violation of international law, stated Venezu»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Ukraine could cease to exist if the conflict continues and a more dangerous global conflict could erupt if peace is not achieved, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned. "If the escalation continues, the consequences could be very grave for Europe and the entire wor»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan held a discussion of the Bishkek General Plan until 2050. According to the press service, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev held a meeting to discuss the draft City General Plan. He emphasized that the document is a key strategic document»»»

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»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said he designated the incumbent Venezuelan government as a foreign terrorist organization and ordered a "complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever ass»»»

Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked a racism firestorm over a viral photo that showed her pulling the corners of her eyes. Sarah Dzafce, who has been dethroned, uploaded the photo with the caption "eating with a Chinese". The slanted-eyes pose is of»»»

The team of Kyrgyzstan became the champions of Asia in gymkhana for the 2025 season, taking the first place in the overall team standings at the Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship. The Federation of Motorsport and Road Safety reported. According to it, the Kyrgyz team scored 114 points at the end of t»»»

The 5th Asian Youth Para Games were held in Dubai, UAE. According to the Armwrestling Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic, para-arm wrestling athletes won seven gold medals and took second place in the team standings. In addition to their seven gold medals, the Kyrgyz team also won three bronze medal»»»

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»»»

UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will finish 2025 as the pound-for-pound ranking leader, the promotion’s official website says. As a reminder, in November the Kyrgyz fighter defeated China’s Weili Zhang at UFC 322 in New York. The men’s pound-for-pound rankings are topped by Russ»»»

Dubai: Commuters traveling between Dubai and Sharjah are facing severe delays this morning, Wednesday, December 17, with heavy traffic reported on several major roads. Google Maps indicates significant congestion, urging drivers to plan their routes carefully and consider alternatives. Also Read: A»»»

The European Union has proposed changes to a 2023 law that effectively banned the sale of new internal combustion engine cars from 2035.  Instead of cutting CO2 emissions by 100% from 2021 levels, carmakers would be required to reduce them by 90%, meaning a small-scale production of petrol or »»»

A number of videos and images created by artificial intelligence that claim to accurately depict ancient Rome have been circulating online. However, these images are far from historically accurate, says one historian. "A Journey Through Time with Artificial Intelligence,” reads the caption on a vid»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev took part in ceremonies to lay time capsules marking the start of construction of a number of residential complexes in Bishkek, the Cabinet’s press service reported. According to it, the residential complexes are being built by t»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan x 2080 Accelerator, powered by US-based venture capital firm 2080 Ventures in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and the Youth, Technology and Jobs (YTJ) Project, hosted its inaugural Demo Day on Monday in Amman.The event opened with a keynote»»»

AMMAN — In celebration of an exceptional year marked by milestones across the economic, investment, and sports sectors, CFI Jordan hosted a “flagship” event titled “Pioneers of Success” in Amman.The event brought together key partners, top media figures, and economic experts to highlight the compan»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.The agreement, signed during the Jordan-India Busin»»»

AMMAN — Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Shadi Majali inaugurated the JIFEX 2025 Conference on Tuesday.The opening was attended by Chairman of the Greater Amman Municipality Committee Yousef Shawarbeh, Aqaba Governor Ayman Awaisheh, CEO of Aqaba Development Corporation »»»

The award-winning director of a new film that delves into the seedy world of sexual predators and paedophilia has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the ethics of making it. David Osit is a three-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary film director. His latest project is the film "Predators", which»»»

Los Angeles prosecutors say Nick Reiner, the son of famed actor-director Rob Reiner, will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder following the deaths of his parents. The case has shocked Hollywood and Democratic political circles, where the couple were widely admired. Los Angeles prosecu»»»

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday added Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders to a full travel ban. The decision to include Syria, a country Trump has moved to rehabilitate internationally, came days after thr»»»

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»»»

Benin on Tuesday jailed around 30 people, most of whom were soldiers, linked to an attempt to oust President Patrice Talon, legal sources said. The attempted coup was defeated by loyalist army forces with the help of the Nigerian air force and French special forces. Benin jailed on Tuesday aro»»»

One month after the stunning assassination of the brother of an anti-gangland activist, French president Emmanuel Macron returning to the Mediterranean port for an update on the government’s xx-euro plan to win back the streets and offer hope to fed-up citizens of France’s second largest city. The »»»

French lawmakers on Tuesday adopted the 2026 social security budget, which includes the suspension of President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform, as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu races to finalise a 2026 spending plan by year's end.  France's lower house of parliament, the Nationa»»»

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy's legal woes looked set to continue as prosecutors on Tuesday said they would seek indictments against him, his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and nine others for alleged witness tampering in the Libya campaign funding case. French prosecutors on Tuesday said »»»

A meeting between cadets and officers of the Academy of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of the Kyrgyz Republic and Eduard Kubatov, President of the Mountaineering and Climbing Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic, Honorary Consul of Indonesia in the Kyrgyz Republic, and veteran of the»»»

After 15 years of persistence, an Indian expat in Dubai has finally struck gold with Big Ticket proving that patience really does pay off.Ritesh Dhanak, a 52-year-old computer teacher from Gujarat, has been living in Dubai with his family for three decades. And for the past 15 years, he has regular»»»

Law enforcement released new images on Tuesday of a person of interest in the Brown University shooting. Screen capture courtesy of Providence Police Department/Facebook Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Authorities on Tuesday released images of the person of interest in the Brown University shooting as law enforce»»»

Tajikistan has begun receiving electricity from Uzbekistan, which has somewhat improved the country’s energy supply situation. Asia-Plus reports, citing the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan. According to the ministry, up to 2 million kilowatt-hours are currently being supplied p»»»

A seminar on the implementation of international nuclear safeguards for representatives of the Kyrgyz Republic was held in Vienna, Austria. The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources reported. According to the ministry, the event was organized at the initiative of the Department of Stat»»»

Canada has officially expanded who can claim citizenship, rolling out a major update to its nationality laws under Bill C-3, which kicked in on December 15, 2025. The new law modernises Canada’s approach to "citizenship by descent", opening a clear pathway for many people previously shut out by old»»»

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 »»»

1/20A woman reacts during a sack race as she celebrates Eid Al Fitr at a park in Quezon City, Philippines, on March 31.AP2/20Schoolgirls and cadets dance as they attend a rehearsal of a ceremony on the first day at school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv on September 1.AP3/20Visitors, wearing stuffed cost»»»

Heavy rains on Hormuz Island in southern Iran transformed parts of the island’s shoreline — known locally as Red Beach — into a vivid crimson tide, captivating visitors and viewers across social media. Videos and images shared online show rainwater washing rich red mineral soils from the slopes int»»»

Fasten your seatbelts — and maybe your snacks. A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight got an unexpected dose of wildlife when a rat turned up mid-journey, earning its place in aviation folklore as the latest “rat on a plane.” The uninvited guest was spotted aboard a KLM flight travelling from Amsterdam »»»