The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) welcomes the recent decision of the Constitutional Court of the Kyrgyz Republic that the death penalty cannot be reintroduced under the Constitution of Kyrgyzstan, and that proposed constitutional amendments to that effect are impermissible. In its deci»»»

Outlook for next year’s business operations among South Korean small business owners, Dec. 16, 2025. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI. Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- Nearly half of South Korea's small business owners say policies to boost domestic demand and consumer spending are the most urgen»»»

Doha, Qatar: Highlighting the importance of international partnerships in tackling corruption, a senior United Nations (UN) official praised Qatar’s sustained support for global anti-corruption efforts and its close cooperation with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Speaking to The Peninsul»»»

The US has signed off on a record-breaking $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, further militarizing the island that China sees as an inalienable part of its territory. Announcing the weapons deal, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency claimed that the arms sales serve US national, e»»»

On the way to Brussels for the European Council summit, Prime Minister Orbán warned that despite a long and diverse agenda, the coming days will be defined by a single, decisive question: war or peace. At the center of the discussions is whether the European Union should provide further support to »»»

Dubai: India's Reserve Bank launched aggressive dollar sales to arrest the rupee's plunge, delivering its biggest one-day gain in seven months. The currency climbed as much as 1% to 90.0963 per dollar on Wednesday after closing at a record low of 91.0837 the previous day. By 8 am Dubai time Thursda»»»

Trigon Dom Maklerski expects the WIG index to reach a new record of around 130,000 points in 2026, despite a roughly 40% rise in 2025. The brokerage argues that the rally is supported by fundamentals: a growing economy, falling interest rates and low valuations, with the Polish market trading at an»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Local Organising Committee (LOC) is offering a comprehensive suite of media services to support journalists and media professionals covering the tournament, ensuring seamless access to high-quality production facilities across all venues. Through a strategi»»»

In a stark setback to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signalled that Moscow will not soften its stance on the war, openly rejecting meaningful concessions despite renewed peace proposals backed by Donald Trump and Wes»»»

WASHINGTON: The Trump 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, a move that is sure to infuriate China. The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally»»»

Whiz Consulting, a global accounting and bookkeeping outsourcing firm, is ramping up its finance and accounting services for UAE businesses that are gearing up for major regulatory shifts set to hit in 2026. VAT, corporate tax, and digital reporting are turning to be more demanding, and with that, »»»

US President Donald Trump has added partisan and subjective plaques to his White House presidential "Walk of Fame", taking personal swipes at his predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama and repeating false claims about his 2020 election defeat. US President Donald Trump, who has made no mystery of »»»

Brazil’s Senate has approved legislation that could sharply reduce the prison sentence of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, convicted over an alleged coup plot after his 2022 election defeat, in a move that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has vowed to veto. Brazil’s Senate on Wednesday»»»

The family of the Bondi shooting's youngest victim Matilda urged the community to not let her death fuel anger, as they said a final goodbye to the 10-year-old on Thursday. Matilda was among 15 people who were shot dead when two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the start of Hannukah at Sydney»»»

After accepting a job near Montreal, Mansef Aloui packed up his life in Tunisia, hopeful his children would thrive in Canada -- but his pathway to settle in the country has been shut down. "I'm broken. My life has been upended. My daughter is in her room, she cries day and night," the 50-year-old t»»»

Paris will host a four party meeting on Thursday bringing together representatives of France, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Lebanon, amid fears that an Israeli escalation could upend a ceasefire agreement in place for more than a year. French officials say Paris senses an imminent threat faci»»»

Al Ain: He is not a wealthy businessman. Neither is he a celebrity with deep pockets. Yet, he has been honoured by the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for making modest contributions to support patients with chronic illnesses. Meet Sheikh Shakil, an Indian expat in the»»»

Dubai: Walk into a high-end watch auction in Dubai today and one thing becomes clear almost immediately. Buyers are calm. Phones stay down. Bidding starts late. No one looks surprised when prices climb into seven figures. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.These rooms no »»»

When Oracle Corp. announced a multi-hundred-billion-dollar computing deal with OpenAI last September, its stock jumped 30-40 percent in a single day. The $330 billion leap in market value was larger than Oracle’s total revenue for the previous decade. The company later admitted it would lose money »»»

European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs. Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by B»»»

We're driven blindfolded to a secret location where Ukraine is making one of its latest weapons. We're told to turn off our phones - such is the secrecy around the production of Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile. For Ukraine, dispersing and hiding the production of weapons like this is key to survi»»»

The phrase "ghost jobs" might sound like something from Halloween, but it refers to the practice of employers advertising vacancies that don't exist. In some cases the positions may have already been filled, but in others the job might not have ever been available. It's a real and continuing proble»»»

For years, scientists have warned that bird flu - better known as H5N1 - could one day make the dangerous leap from birds to humans and trigger a global health crisis. Avian flu - a type of influenza - is entrenched across South and South-East Asia and has occasionally infected humans since emergin»»»

Tribune News Network Washington Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced on Wednesday that Qatar and the United States have agreed to redouble efforts to advance the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Speaking during »»»

QNA Doha The State of Qatar highlighted the National Strategy to Promote Integrity, Transparency and Corruption Prevention 2025–2030, at a side event held as part of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (COSP11). The session was chaired by»»»

QNA Doha President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) and President of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad, stressed that anti-corruption agencies cannot confront transn»»»

QNA Doha A new group of experts was sworn in on Wednesday at the Ministry of Justice, a step that allows them to be registered on the official roster of experts authorised to appear before the country’s judicial authorities, in accordance with Law No. 16 of 2017 regulating expert work. The new coho»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Doha Design District successfully hosted the InStudio Fashion Pop-Up, in partnership with InStudio Club, a dynamic activation which brought together emerging designers and local brands in a collaborative space to dedicated to creativity, collaboration, and artistry. Held f»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Opportunity to contribute to society – from civic responsibility to advancing inclusion and accessibility and fostering a sense of national identity – is at the heart of a nation’s development. Every day across its 30-year lifespan, Qatar Foundation (QF) has been providing»»»

QNA Washington Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held talks with a number of the United States of America’s Senators and members of the House of Representative in Washington D.C. The prime minister met with US Senate Minority Leade»»»

Police have arrested two people "for racially aggravated public order offences" after they allegedly "shouted slogans involving calls for intifada" at a pro-Palestinian protest in central London. Five people in total were arrested, including one for obstructing the arrests of people shouting slogan»»»

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz completed what likely was its final deployment on Tuesday and is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2026. File Photo by Yonhap Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz docked at Naval Base Kitsap on Tuesday after completing a 270-day deployment that likely was»»»

France is investigating whether an organised group linked to a “foreign power” may have been involved in the malware infection of a passenger ship that would allow it to be controlled remotely. The malware discovery onboard the Italian-owned Fantastic was made when the ship was docked in the southe»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said he won't release video of Caribbean boat strikes to Congress. The Senate just passed a funding bill that will reduce his travel budget if he doesn't. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The Senate on Wednesday passed the National Defe»»»

The Rasht-Astara railway line enables uninterrupted freight transport from Russia to the Persian Gulf, avoiding Western-controlled maritime chokepoints, Mohammad Khatibi, a Tehran-based political analyst, tells Sputnik. "Unlike maritime routes, land corridors through Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia ca»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar highlighted the National Strategy to Promote Integrity, Transparency and Corruption Prevention 2025–2030, at a side event held as part of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (COSP11). The session was chaired by Pu»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday adopted a 2025-to-2026 Budget Extension Bill on second reading. It was approved on first reading earlier in the day. The adopted bill regulates expenditure and revenue collection in the coming year until the adoption of a State Budget Act and the budgets of the Na»»»

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said he had agreed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to redouble efforts to reach the second phase of the Gaza agreement, stressing that a meeting would soon be held between mediat»»»

Gaza: The UAE’s humanitarian Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 continues to implement urgent relief interventions in the Gaza Strip in response to the crisis caused by a winter storm and severe cold, which have exacerbated the suffering of displaced families. Field teams have moved swiftly to deliver a»»»

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Wednesday that Cairo plans to establish an investment hospital in Banjul staffed by Egyptian medical professionals as part of a broader effort to deepen economic and infrastructure ties with Gambia. Speaking during a meeting with his Gambian counterpa»»»

The Egyptian Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, approved a package of major decisions during its 71st meeting, underscoring efforts to localise industry, attract foreign investment, expand clean energy, and support regional development. Chief among the approvals was the granting o»»»

Tailoring breast cancer screening to a woman's individual cancer risk might work better than annual mammograms, researchers reported in a new study. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News Tailoring breast cancer screening to a woman's individual cancer risk might work better than annual mammograms, a »»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, talking to journalists in the parliamentary lobby on Wednesday, said that the best solution for the country is to adopt a completely new state budget. According to him, the current situation in parliament is absurd and unprecedented, as an attempt is being ma»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, met today in Washington with a number of members of the US Senate and House of Representatives: HE Senator Steve Daines, HE Senator Roger Wayne Marshall, HE Senator Markwayne Mullin, »»»

Speaking from Brussels, Prime Minister Orbán announced the results of one of the most successful national consultations in Hungary’s history, stressing that the clearly expressed will of Hungarian voters must serve as the guiding point for both domestic policy and Hungary’s stance in European decis»»»

Dubai: Joby Aviation said it plans to double its manufacturing capacity in the US as it prepares to scale production of its electric air taxi aircraft, targeting output of up to four aircraft per month by 2027. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The California-based compa»»»

Parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading the 2025-to-2026 Revenue Collection and Expenditures Bill, the so-called 2026 Budget Extension Bill. Earlier in the day, the bill was approved on first reading. Lawmakers adopted a proposal by Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Assen V»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday adopted a 2025-to-2026 Budget Extension Bill on second reading. It was approved on first reading earlier in the day. The adopted bill regulates expenditure and revenue collection in the coming year until the adoption of a State Budget Act and the budgets of the Na»»»

The Lebanese army has uncovered a tunnel built by Hezbollah in the southern town of Touline after carrying out an excavation at the request of the ceasefire oversight committee known as the Mechanism, Lebanese media reported. The site had previously been struck by an Israeli attack, according to th»»»

DOHA:The 2025 National Day events continued on Wednesday at Darb Al Saai in the Umm Salal area, under the slogan 'With you it rises and from you it awaits', organized by the Ministry of Culture, from December 10 to 20. Darb Al Saai witnessed a large public turnout from citizens and residents, who c»»»