Israel's defense budget for 2026 has been set at 112 billion shekels ($34.63 billion), the defense minister's office said on Friday, up from 90 billion shekels budgeted in an earlier draft. Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich agreed on the defense spending framework a»»»

Two of Britain’s biggest organizations for women and girls, Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute, have said they will no longer accept transgender members, citing a court ruling on biological sex. Girlguiding, Britain’s equivalent of the Girl Scouts, said in a statement on Tuesday that “trans girl»»»

President Joseph Aoun has said the next round of talks with Israel will begin on December 19, calling the reaction to initial negotiations this week "positive". "It is natural that the first session would not be highly productive, but it paved the way for upcoming sessions that will begin on the 19»»»

DOHA: Doha College announced that alumna and former Head Girl, Arwa (pictured) (Class of 2024), has been elected President of the Oxford Union, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious debating societies. Her appointment places her among an influential group of past presidents, including form»»»

DOHA: DPS Monarch International School hosted its annual production, Raabta – The Ties that Heal, a transformative journey that unfolds across five enchanting realms, narrating a timeless tale of family warmth, sparkling joy of friendship, strength of knowledge, powerful unity of teamwork, and harm»»»

DOHA: Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Qatar held its Annual Gala Dinner recently, uniting leaders and innovators committed to shaping a more sustainable future for the nation. With regional representatives in attendance, the event highlighted Qatar’s remarkable engineering achievements, from w»»»

The World Bank has lifted its growth forecast for the Gulf Council Cooperation (GCC) to 4.5% for 2026, supported by structural reforms and rapid digital innovation. A WB forecast issued in October had projected 4.4% growth for 2026. In its latest edition of the Gulf Economic Update (GEU), the World»»»

The Department of Fishing Industry held a meeting with the leadership of the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) regarding the implementation of National Center for Aquaculture and Fishery Development project in the Kyrgyz Republic, based at the Regional Department of Fish Acclimatization and Breeding (»»»

Dubai: Covoro YouCloud, a strategic joint venture formed to accelerate digital tax transformation across the GCC, announced its participation as a Diamond Sponsor at the Tax Technology Summit, taking place on December 6, in Grand Millennium Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai. As the UAE moves toward its »»»

Severe flooding hit homes, tourist accommodations and camp sites in Foinikounda, a seaside settlement in the southern Peloponnese, early Friday after a river overflowing from the Grizokampos area surged toward the coast during storm Byron. The sudden rise in water left several people trapped. State»»»

President Rumen Radev will award the Presidential Badge of Honour to firefighters and volunteers for their active participation in tackling fires this year, as well as for their contribution to national security, the President’s Press Secretariat said on Friday. The ceremony will take place to mark»»»

Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah Al Hanzab met yesterday with United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan H E Richard Bennett currently visiting the country. During the meeting, they discussed joint efforts bet»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM) is forecasting widespread thunderstorms across much of the country beginning Saturday, December 6, and continuing through Thursday, December 11, with several regions expected to see heavy rainfall and potentially hazardous weather conditio»»»

Dubai: The UAE Lottery has announced new rules after transforming its Lucky Day draw with a new weekly format and refreshed prize structure, bringing players more frequent chances to win. The revamped game, which begins tomorrow, December 6, features a Dh30 million jackpot, an enhanced Dh5 million »»»

As relentless harassment from Israeli settlers drove his brothers from their Bedouin community in the central occupied West Bank, Ahmed Kaabneh remained determined to stay on the land his family had lived on for generations. But when a handful of young settlers constructed a shack around 100 meters»»»

Dubai: SONAX GmbH, the global leader in car care solutions, has recorded consistent double-digit growth across the GCC and wider Middle East region, averaging between 10% and 20% over the past five years. This sustained expansion underscores the company’s strong foothold in the region and its posit»»»

Abu Dhabi: Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank), the UAE’s first fully integrated digital bank, has announced a strategic collaboration with 7X, a leading trade, transport, and logistics group. The collaboration between both entities aims to enable blockchain-powered digital payments using AE Coin, the»»»

A fire broke out early Friday at a recycling plant in Diavata, on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, authorities said. The blaze began around 5 a.m. in the facility’s outdoor area, according to local media. Six fire engines and 12 firefighters were deployed to contain the flames, the Fire Service said.»»»

DOHA: Anandotsav 2025, Loyola International School’s Annual Day, held at the iconic QNCC conference hall, once again showcased why the school continues to earn the admiration of its parent community. Across its three sessions, the event unfolded as an immersive showcase of imagination, culture, and»»»

DOHA: The Second Forum for the Arab World’s International Day for Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development has named H E Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, as the 2025 Personality of the Year for Social Responsibility and Sustainab»»»

DOHA: The national committee tasked with preparing the National Action Plan for Human Rights (2026-2030) held its fourth meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The committee discussed the latest developments in preparing the national action plan, the outcomes of the consult»»»

New York: Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, H E Betsa Mariana at the Permanent Mission headquarters in New York. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations and ways to support and»»»

THE PENINSULA Doha: As the official Technology Sponsor of FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, Vodafone Qatar announced a dynamic lineup of tournament activations that will run across multiple venues, offering fans more than 100 prizes to be won throughout the competition. Renowned presenter Abdulrahman Al As»»»

DOHA: The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has announced that it is continuing to receive new students for the medical checkups required for registration in government schools for the 2025–2026 academic year. The checkups will be available at all PHCC health centers throughout the academic ye»»»

Dubai: A civil court in Dubai has ordered an Arab family to vacate a hotel room they had occupied for two years without settling the full cost of their stay. The court also directed the family to pay Dh155,000 in outstanding dues and fees as of October 1, in addition to daily accommodation charges »»»

Dubai: The Dubai Shopping Festival kicks off today, December 5, 2025, with the much-loved DSF Drones Show returning to the skies between Bluewaters and The Beach, JBR. Visitors can catch two nightly performances at 8pm and 10pm throughout the season. ‘Dubai, City of Dreams’ runs until December 25, »»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had informed Indian Prime Minister Narendra of what Russia and the US were doing regarding possible peaceful settlement in Ukraine. Putin also thanked Modi for inviting him to India."Dear prime minister, dear friends, first of all, thank you very much for th»»»

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Russia and India today jointly defend the principles of equality, cooperation and mutual respect of peoples in the international arena, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. "In his letters to Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, he talked a lot about the future of the world — »»»

A federal grand jury on Thursday turned aside the Trump administration's request to re-indict Letitia James, attorney general of New York. File Photo by Derek French/UPI | License Photo Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A federal grand jury has rejected the Justice Department's bid to re-indict New York Attorney Gen»»»

Bulgaria spent around 2 billion euros on defense in 2024, placing the country 19th among EU member states. Eight nations fall behind Bulgaria in this ranking, including Croatia, Estonia and Latvia, despite the latter two being situated much closer to Russia’s borders, BGNES reported. Across the Eur»»»

The United States and Bulgaria have successfully concluded a dynamic regional workshop, hosted by the Bulgarian Air Force, on military air operations management. This three-day event brought together defense ministries from Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine—countries operating the F-16 fighter»»»

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts Russia's President Vladimir Putin at a summit on Friday, with defense and trade ties taking center stage as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying Moscow's oil. Both leaders will also discuss the geopolitical situation in the wake of the Russian »»»

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa received on Monday a UN Security Council delegation and several UN officials at the People’s Palace in Damascus. “Al-Sharaa and the UN delegation discussed the Israeli aggressions on the country’s territory,” said Syria's permanent representative to the United Natio»»»

The e-commerce Expo will be held at the Tripoli International Fairgrounds from 27 to 29 January. The organisers say the event will include the leading companies and brands in the sector showcasing their latest products and services to thousands of interested parties and investors. These will includ»»»

Qissati, a luxury fragrance brand inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai's book My Story, has officially launched sales at THAT Concept Store, located in the Mall of the Emirates. The launch event was held on N»»»

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met yesterday with Founder and Executive Chairman of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation and relations in the fields of artific»»»

Doha: General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) and Chairman of the Host Committee for the 2025 World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme, Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti announced the launch of the first edition of the championship in Doha at a press conference yesterday. »»»

DOHA: Students at Birla Public School have brought laurels to the institution by winning the runner-up award at the Students Short Film Contest organised by the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) Film Club, Qatar. The short film, titled “The Weights We Carry,” distinguished itself among more than 40 entr»»»

Damascus, Dec. 5 (SANA) Syria and South Korea convened their first bilateral economic forum in Damascus on Thursday, focusing on potential cooperation in Syria’s reconstruction and efforts to expand commercial ties. The event, organized by Syria’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy in collab»»»

The European Commission will invoke “emergency powers” to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets, in a move that could bypass the need for unanimous approval by member states and sidestep vetoes by countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the Financial Times reported on Decemb»»»

The European Commission will invoke “emergency powers” to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets, in a move that could bypass the need for unanimous approval by member states and sidestep vetoes by countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the Financial Times reported on Decemb»»»

The European Commission will invoke “emergency powers” to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets, in a move that could bypass the need for unanimous approval by member states and sidestep vetoes by countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the Financial Times reported on Decemb»»»

Endangered penguins living off South Africa's coast have likely starved en masse due to food shortages, a study said Friday, with some populations dropping by 95 percent in just eight years. Fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs of the small, black and white African Penguin are left globally, according »»»

Saudi Post (SPL), the Kingdom's national postal and logistics provider, has issued a set of commemorative stamps valued at SAR3 to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed annually on December 3. The day is celebrated worldwide, including in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to »»»

The European Commission will invoke “emergency powers” to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets, in a move that could bypass the need for unanimous approval by member states and sidestep vetoes by countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the Financial Times reported on Decemb»»»

The European Commission will invoke “emergency powers” to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets, in a move that could bypass the need for unanimous approval by member states and sidestep vetoes by countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the Financial Times reported on Decemb»»»

Dubai: Companies operating in the UAE and subject to Emiratisation quotas will be required to pay Dh108,000 for every Emirati they fail to hire under their 2025 targets, with financial penalties taking effect in January 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced. The »»»

The Center for Space Futures (CSF) held an international workshop in Riyadh on Thursday, bringing together nearly 40 experts from around the world to explore “The Next Decade of Transformative Space Technologies.” The event forms part of the center's ongoing efforts to advance the global space econ»»»

New Zealand police have recovered a diamond-encrusted green Faberge egg after keeping a six-day watch over the thief accused of swallowing it. The 32-year-old allegedly gulped down the egg late last week from a store in the country's largest city, Auckland, but was arrested before he could flee. "P»»»

Doha: The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has declared the initiation of two emergency humanitarian interventions aimed at assisting communities that have been severely impacted by the recent floods and landslides in both Sri Lanka and Vietnam. These initiatives, executed in collaboration with Qa»»»