Doha, Qatar: In the rapidly evolving global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, Qatar is emerging as a regional frontrunner in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), securing the 54th position out of 195 nations in Oxford Insights’ 2025 Government AI Readiness Index. Regionally, Qatar sits in»»»

Approximately 150 delegates are scheduled to speak on the first day of the People’s Kurultai. It was announced at a forum meeting. It was reported that today, December 25, delegates will work until 7 p.m. with a lunch break. The meetings will continue tomorrow, December 26. Furthermore, it was anno»»»

Doha: Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC), a leading national innovation entity established by Qatar University (QU), announced the successful deployment of its Smart Parking Solution (pictured) for the Supreme Committee during the recently concluded Arab Cup. This accomplishment highlights QM»»»

Doha: Qatar Museums is inviting the public to experience the final weeks of its exhibitions at M7, offering a last opportunity to explore a dynamic season of fashion, design, and cultural storytelling. Visitors can see FTA: Threads of Impact. Celebrating 7 Years of Fashion Trust Arabia before it cl»»»

Dubai: A Dubai court has ordered a former manager to repay a $20,000 loan he received from an employee more than a decade ago, ruling that the debt remains outstanding despite repeated promises to settle it. In its judgment, the civil misdemeanours court ordered the defendant to return the loan’s v»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Cancer Society (QCS), in collaboration with Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH)—the leading wellness group in the Middle East and North Africa—has announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement to support the Society’s awareness campaigns held last November, dedicated to rais»»»

The supply of drinking water has been suspended from 10 a.m. till midnight in Archa-Beshik and Selektsiya residential areas in Bishkek. The water outage affects residential buildings, schools, preschool institutions, healthcare, as well as other social and industrial facilities. The press service o»»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of the efforts of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to promote Islamic values and firmly establish Prophetic guidance in everyday life, the Women Section of the Da‘wah and Religious Guidance Department organised an exhibition of the Prophetic Sunnah Campaign murals for »»»

Dubai: Gold grabbed the headlines in 2025, but the bigger percentage shocks came from silver and platinum. Both metals have surged more than 150% year to date, forcing investors, jewellers, and industrial buyers to reprice what “expensive” looks like and to rethink what 2026 could bring if supply s»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has introduced new measures to streamline the application process for licensing private schools and kindergartens, as part of its efforts to encourage investment in the private education sector and meet growing demand across the co»»»

Dubai: A Dubai court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an electronics company seeking more than Dh1.2 million in damages from its former CEO, ruling that the case was brought through the wrong legal channel. The Dubai Civil Court (Court of First Instance) found that the dispute was, in substance, an»»»

Kyrgyzstan will launch a digital pension assignment system. Social Fund Chairman Baktiyar Aliev said this to members of the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament). According to him, the new system should be operational by July 1, 2026, and will free people from the mandatory visit to the Social Fund, as pens»»»

Tegucigalpa: Nasry Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by US President Donald Trump, was declared winner of the Honduran presidential vote Wednesday, weeks after a razor-thin election marred by delays and allegations of fraud. The national electoral council CNE said the 67-year-old son of Pal»»»

Participants in an equity construction project by Alliance Kurulush Plus LLC have appealed to the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) regarding a multi-storey residential building in microdistrict No. 3 of Bishkek. In a collective complaint, they are asking authorities to tak»»»

Abu Dhabi: A man in Abu Dhabi has been ordered to repay more than Dh811,000 to a bank after a court found that he had defaulted on two financing facilities and a credit card, failing to meet his agreed repayment obligations. The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court (Court of First Instance) ruled that the de»»»

As of December 25, Kyrgyzstan’s roads and mountain passes are open and traffic is operating as normal. There are no restrictions for heavy-duty vehicles. The press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported. According to it, road maintenance personnel are constantly clearing t»»»

Dubai: Dubai concluded 2025 with wide-ranging changes to public parking charges across 17 key areas, as Parkin, the emirate’s largest provider of paid public parking facilities and services, completed the rollout of new and revised tariffs aimed at improving parking management and easing traffic fl»»»

A Russian citizen M.E., 26, was brought to the Main Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek. In an interview conducted with a native of Kyrgyzstan, she made inappropriate statements. According to the department’s press service, a video featuring the blogger was shared on social media, and her statem»»»

NEW YORK — The S&P 500 powered to a fresh record on Tuesday following data showing surprisingly robust third-quarter US economic growth as markets hope for a year-end "Santa Claus Rally."All three major Wall Street indices advanced, shaking off early choppiness after the strong US gross domesti»»»

AMMAN — National exports rose by 7.6 per cent during the first ten months of 2025, while re-exports increased by 9.1 per cent, pushing total exports up by 7.7 per cent compared with the same period in 2024.According to the Department of Statistics (DoS) monthly foreign trade report, issued on Wedne»»»

HONG KONG — Most Asian stocks rose Wednesday and gold topped $4,500 for the first time as investors tracked a record on Wall Street following forecast-beating US economic growth data.Markets looked set to go into the Christmas break on a broadly positive note amid optimism for 2026, which has offse»»»

Venezuela accused Washington of “the greatest extortion" known in the country's history at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, during a meeting in which Russia and China sharply criticized the US for putting military and economic pressure on Venezuela as tensions over sanctions and a naval blockade»»»

One of the photos released from the files of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein shows US President Donald Trump with six women whose faces have been censored to protect their anonymity. Recently, however, online users shared an image that shows the women’s faces, claiming that it was the uncens»»»

US President Donald Trump confirmed the upcoming start of ground strikes against drug cartel targets in Latin America. "Now we’re going after the land," Trump said during his Christmas greetings to the military, referring to the fight against drug cartel targets. AnalysisVenezuela’s Oil Wealth: Lin»»»

Head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) Kamchybek Tashiev has made a strong statement regarding the murder of a woman, a mother of three children, that has shocked the country. According to him, what happened cannot be justified by a «family conflict,» emotions, or a state of alcoh»»»

The non-observed economy in Kyrgyzstan in 2024 amounted to 308 billion soms, or 19.5 percent of the gross domestic product. The National Statistical Committee reported. According to the committee, the share of the shadow, informal, and illegal economy increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to »»»

Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian homes, businesses and farmland are on the rise across the West Bank. The Observers team spoke with a Palestinian olive farmer whose land is frequently targeted, and an Israeli activist who helps protect West Bank farmers from settler violence. Palestinian vill»»»

Scouts marched and crowds gathered under clear skies in Bethlehem on Wednesday as the Palestinian city celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years. The return of public celebrations followed a fragile truce in Gaza, after previous Christmases were subdued by the war that started i»»»

In tonight's edition, Sudan's prime minister urged members of the United Nations Security Council to stand "on the right side of history" as he laid out his plan to end the war in Sudan. Also, voters gear up to head to the polls in the Central African Republic for historic elections. And in Kenya, »»»

Algeria’s parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to declare France’s 130-year colonisation of the country a crime, calling for a formal apology and reparations from Paris. The largely symbolic move comes amid a widening diplomatic rift between the two countries and underscores the enduring sensi»»»

Four Nobel laureates and several former heads of state are among the more than 400 prominent women who have signed a letter demanding the immediate release of Zahra Tabari, an Iranian engineer facing execution. The letter, organised by a London-based association, stated that Tabari faced "execution»»»

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sees no signs of nuclear powers preparing to resume nuclear testing, IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said in an interview with Sputnik. "Well, what I see is, of course, the leaders of the great powers from time to time exchange statements, and some are in r»»»

Kim Jong Un guided the construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated the submarine is a core component of the country's "nuclear war deterrent," designed to deliver a "merciless »»»

The national futsal team of Kyrgyzstan defeated Moldova in a friendly tournament in Yerevan. The Futsal Association reported on social media. The match ended 4-2. The Kyrgyz team had previously lost to Armenia 1-5. The match with Georgia, scheduled for December 21, did not take place because the Ky»»»

Ukraine said on Tuesday it had pulled its forces out of the hard-fought eastern town of Siversk as Russia stepped up air strikes that killed civilians, knocked out power supplies and underlined the lack of progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war ahead of Christmas. Ukraine pulled out tro»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday revealed details of the latest US-backed 20-point plan to end the war in Ukraine, saying it has been sent to Moscow for feedback. Zelensky gave a point-by-point briefing to journalists in Kyiv, including details on the creation of demilitaris»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled on Wednesday a new 20-point peace plan drafted by US and Ukrainian negotiators and are awaiting Russia's response. In southern Moscow, three people including two police officers were killed by an overnight explosion. Read our liveblog to see how »»»

Christmas dinner in France makes good on a promise to dine very well, offering everything from extravagant seafood platters to sweet treats such as the traditional Yule log cake (or bûche de Noël). Here are some of the delicacies you might find at a traditional French holiday feast. »»»

US visa sanctions will not stop the EU from enforcing its rules on online platforms, the bloc’s internal market commissioner said on Wednesday, after Washington imposed visa bans on individuals linked to the Digital Services Act, the EU law governing content moderation on social media. The move und»»»

The women’s volleyball team of Kyrgyzstan is participating in an International Tournament in the Maldives. The Volleyball Federation announced on social media. Yesterday, the Kyrgyz team defeated Afghanistan 3-1 in the semifinals. In the final match, they will face the Maldives, who defeated Bangla»»»

The 4th People’s Kurultai started in Bishkek. President Sadyr Japarov and 700 delegates from all regions of Kyrgyzstan are participating in the event. The kurultai will take place on December 25 and December 26. The day before, delegates held meetings with representatives of ministries and agencies»»»

Croatia’s parliament on December 15 approved legislation paving the way for the construction of a radioactive waste disposal facility near the border with Bosnia & Herzegovina, documents on the parliament website said.  »»»

The new head of the Czech environmental portfolio and leader of the anti-green and eurosceptic Motorists for Themselves party Petr Macinka declared the climate crisis to be “over” during his press conference after the populist new Czech cabinet was signed in.  »»»

The Europeans are preparing for a possible war. But how do they plan to fight? Amid all the talk of a possible war, Nato launched its largest exercise in decades, Steadfast Defender 2024, on January 24. It involved 90,000 troops. »»»

Cool Carriers, the world’s largest  operator of specialised refrigerated cargo vessels, known as reefers, has rejected allegations broadcast by Danish TV2 linking the group to a cocaine-smuggling scheme off Denmark’s coast, insisting it had no operational control over the ships or the crew inv»»»

EU leaders meet on December 18-19  to vote on rules that would allow the seizure of billions of euros of Russian money frozen in EU accounts that will be used to back €210bn worth of Reparation Loans for Ukraine that is bound to trigger a significant retaliation by Russia if the vote succeeds.»»»

Slovenian industrial production declined by 2.0% year on year in October (chart), after dropping by 1.3% y/y in the previous month, the statistics office reported on December 10, marking continued weakness across key sectors. »»»

Czech industrial output increased in real terms by 1.1% year-on-year and dropped by 0.1% month-on-month. The output was slightly above the 0.8% registered in September, but remains unconvincing amid the struggling German i»»»

Bad loan levels across Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe (CESEE) remain close to historic lows despite mounting economic and geopolitical headwinds, but early warning indicators point to rising stress in commercial real estate, small businesses and household credit, according to a new report pu»»»

Pre-Christmas shopping could boost Poland’s GDP growth in the fourth quarter by about 0.5pp, or roughly PLN5.6bn (€1.33bn), analysts at VeloBank said, PAP reported on December 17. The impact reflects a seasonal surge in co»»»