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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

Russian officials are set to arrive in Florida on Saturday to meet with US negotiators for the latest round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as talks between US, Ukrainian and European negotiators on Friday ended with all sides saying progress had been made on agreeing»»»

Democrats on Friday voiced frustration that the long-awaited release of the Epstein files included many heavily redacted pages, claming it fell far short of what was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The latest release includes photos of noted public figures in Epstein's social c»»»

The US military has carried out a wave of air strikes against dozens of Islamic State group targets across central Syria, US officials said, in retaliation for a deadly attack on American personnel. The strikes follow President Donald Trump’s pledge to respond after two US soldiers and a civilian i»»»

Russian missile strikes on port infrastructure in Odesa, southern Ukraine, killed eight people and left 27 wounded, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Saturday morning. The strikes came as Russian envoys are set to travel to Miami to hold talks with US negotiators aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. »»»

US President Donald Trump refused to rule out going to war with Venezuela in an NBC interview published on Friday, days after he ordered a naval blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela. The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on family members and associates of Ni»»»

The French government held talks with farmers' unions on Friday and warned against staging further blockades during the Christmas holiday season after days of angry protests over a mass cull of cows ordered in response to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease. The French government on Friday warne»»»

The US Justice Department began releasing several hundred thousand documents Friday from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with more files to be published over the coming weeks. The publication marks the clearest opportunity yet to shed light on a politically explo»»»

The WHO and its partners have evacuated more than 10,600 patients from Gaza with severe health conditions, including more than 5,600 children, since the start of the war, the head of the UN health agency said Friday, adding that 1,092 patients are known to have died while awaiting medical evac»»»

Farmers in the EU have protested on many occasions over unfair foreign competition and the viability of their businesses. They gathered again in Brussels on December 18, while an EU summit was going on, this time focusing their ire on the Mercosur free trade agreement between the EU and Latin Ameri»»»

Doha: The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) announced today that it will stage the Qatar Oaks race on Sunday, at Al Rayyan Racecourse. In a statement, the club said that the Qatar International Derby will be held as scheduled tomorrow, Saturday, while the Qatar Oaks has been confirmed for Sun»»»

There is no longer famine in Gaza thanks to improved aid access, but the war-ravaged territory still faces emergency conditions, a UN-backed global hunger monitor said on Friday, with around 1.6 million people forecast to face "crisis" levels of food insecurity over the coming months. A famine decl»»»

A court in the German city of Aachen has sentenced a man to eight-and-a-half years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, filming the acts and then posting them online. The man, named only as Fernando P in line with German privacy laws, was found guilty of aggravated rape, grievous »»»

Police in Australia are investigating a trip made by the suspects of the Bondi Beach anti-Semitic terrorist attack to the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, just weeks before they shot and killed 15 people and wounded dozens more. The region has long grappled with Islamist militancy, but Pres»»»

A major step away from naivety – that's how EU officials describe moves to crack down on cheap Chinese parcels flooding the European market. The EU is edging closer to abolishing the customs exemption on packages valued at under €150. For now, the EU has agreed to impose a temporary €3 customs fee »»»

TikTok said on Thursday it had agreed to a joint venture with investors to keep operating in the United States, averting a potential ban tied to its Chinese ownership, US media reported. CEO Shou Chew said ByteDance approved the deal, with Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX as major invest»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 19: A new batch of Epstein files includes photos of famous men, chat screenshots and "Lolita" quotes written on a woman's body. Next, Kristin Cabot, the HR boss caught on the Coldplay kiss cam, speaks out in an exclusive interview. Finally, we bring you some Christma»»»

In tonight's edition, Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebels say they have begun pulling out from the strategic town of Uvira in eastern DR Congo. Also, 11 detained Nigerian Air Force personnel have been released in Burkina Faso. Plus Sudanese football finds an unexpected new home in Rwanda.»»»

The Louvre reopened as normal on Friday after the museum’s staff voted against continuing their strike over working conditions. The former royal palace was shut to visitors all day on Monday and then reopened only partially on Wednesday and Thursday. Staff at the Louvre voted against continuing the»»»

A French court on Thursday sentenced a woman repatriated from Syrian camps holding Islamic State group members to 10 years in prison for terrorist conspiracy. Carole Sun, 30, left France for Syria in 2014 and was arrested by Kurdish forces in 2017 as the Islamic State group collapsed. The seco»»»

Beijing again lashed out at a planned US arms sales package to Taiwan on Friday, with the Chinese defence ministry threatening to take "forceful measures" over the $11 billion weapons package approved by US State Department and awaiting congressional approval. China's military will s»»»

Australia has announced a major gun buyback program and a national day of remembrance following the anti-Semitic shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 people dead. On Friday, hundreds of surfers and swimmers plunged into the ocean to honour the victims. Australia will mark one week »»»

Despite being a neutral country, Switzerland counts hundreds of thousands of fallout shelters – enough to accommodate its entire population in the event of armed conflict. This culture of civil protection is a legacy of the Cold War. Now the war in Ukraine has revived interest in&nbs»»»

At his annual press conference on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the ball was in Kyiv and its allies' court to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin chief also said he was certain that Moscow would take more cities and towns in eastern Ukraine before the end of the year. »»»

Ships operating for Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 shadowed the Russian spy ship Yantar and the Northern Fleet destroyer Severomorsk along the North Norwegian coast. The NATO Maritime Command has shared photos of how allied naval vessels followed the Yantar along the north Norwegian coast. Several »»»

BusinessChinaWhy China's property crash must be kept top secretNik MartinAs home sales continue to plummet, Beijing has curbed independent reporting of real estate figures. The gag order masks a deepening property slump that continues to erode household wealth and strain China's banks. https://p.dw»»»

European leaders on Friday decided to finance Ukraine's war effort for at least two years through a joint loan of €90 billion, without resorting to Russian assets due to a lack of agreement. Kyiv was at risk of running out of money as early as the first quarter of 2026. EU leaders struck »»»

The man suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Brown University that killed two people and wounded several others has been found dead, officials said on Thursday. Authorities believe the 48-year-old Portuguese national, a Brown student, was also responsible for the fatal shooting of a physici»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ambitions for Israel hold a major key to what will occur in the Middle East in 2026. Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The conflict-ridden Middle East will stand at a critical juncture in 2026 after power shifts and unresolved war»»»

TradeEuropeEU delays signing Mercosur free trade deal, againJon SheltonEU leaders have once again delayed signing a comprehensive trade deal with South America. Now 25 years in the making, lawmakers expect an agreement to be signed in January. https://p.dw.com/p/55ggHAfter a quarter century, the EU»»»

EU leaders agreed on Friday to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years, but they failed to bridge differences with Belgium that would have allowed them to use frozen Russian assets to raise the funds. Follow our liveblog for the»»»

1/26Heavy rains have left several streets across Dubai waterlogged, causing travel disruptions and prompting authorities to urge motorists to drive carefully and avoid flood-prone areas. Ahmad Alotbi/Gulf News2/26Emergency teams remain on standby as showers continue across the city.Ahmad Alotbi/Gul»»»

Dubai: On December 19, 1975, Dubai marked a defining moment in its infrastructure journey with the opening of the Shindagha Tunnel — the emirate’s first fixed underwater road crossing beneath Dubai Creek. Fifty years on, the tunnel stands as a lasting symbol of Dubai’s early ambition to modernise c»»»

The International Criminal Court slammed a "flagrant attack" on its independence on Thursday after the United States imposed sanctions on two more judges over their role in investigating Israeli officials for possible war crimes in Gaza. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC »»»

An alleged leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang was charged in New York with racketeering and drug and firearms offences, US officials said on Thursday. Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, 42, whose whereabouts are unknown, faces a $5 million US reward for information leading to his arrest or »»»

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday approved former Iraqi President Barham Salih as the next head of the UN refugee agency, the first from the Middle East since the late 1970s. The 193-member body elected the 65-year-old by consensus. The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday appr»»»

Hundreds of members of Nigeria's main labour union take to the streets, demanding urgent government action against worsening insecurity, including kidnappings and killings that they say affects their safety and livelihoods. Also, Sierra Leone declares its Mpox epidemic over, signalling the end of a»»»

President Donald Trump's administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis speaks with Rex Li, Professor of International R»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday his country needed a decision this year on a plan to use frozen Russian assets to plug Kyiv's yawning budget gap, telling European leaders gathered at a summit in Brussels that the use of Russian assets to defend against Russian aggression was "m»»»

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told EU leaders at a summit in Brussels that the signing of a free trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur would be postponed to January, diplomatic sources said, amid French-led opposition to the mammoth transatlantic pact that sparked angry prot»»»

Some brand it 'the most crucial EU summit' since the financial crisis of 2008. A last chance to stave off bankruptcy for a Ukraine government that might run out of money by the end of spring. To stare down increased hybrid attacks from Russia. But with Vladimir Putin insisting that it's not 'Europe»»»

London-based energy giant BP announced on Wednesday it was appointing Meg O'Neill as CEO starting on April 1. The executive, who has been at the head of Australian group Woodside Energy for the past four years, is expected to focus her efforts on the company's core oil and gas activities »»»

BusinessUnited States of AmericaTikTok signs deal to sell US unit in joint venture dealSean Sinico with AP, AFP, ReutersTikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, agreed to sell a majority of its US assets to a group of investors. https://p.dw.com/p/55fz1The deal will ensure TikTok stays online for users i»»»

French police searched Culture Minister Rachida Dati's private home and offices on Thursday as part of a corruption investigation involving her European Parliament mandate, the French Financial Prosecutor has said. Dati, who is running for mayor of Paris in upcoming municipal electio»»»

For more than a decade, the Greek island of Lesbos has been a symbol of Europe's migration crisis. Located close to Turkey, the island was a major entry point to the European Union back in 2015. But since then, arrivals have sharply decreased as Europe has tightened its border controls and outsourc»»»