From roaring cricket stadiums to the sweet allure of Dubai Chocolate, 2025 revealed what captured the UAE’s attention online. Google’s Year in Search shows a fascinating mix of passions — sports, AI, movies, gadgets, and indulgent treats — that dominated search queries across the nation. Also Read:»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 6 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent on Saturday a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb on the occasion of his country's Independence Day.In the cable, His Highness the Amir wished the President Stubb»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 6 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah congratulated in a cable on Saturday President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb on the occasion of his country's Independence Day.In the cable, His Highness the Crown Prince wished President Stubb »»»

KUWAIT, Dec 6 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah sent Saturday a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb on the occasion of his country's Independence Day. (pickup previous) mt»»»

Yurt restaurant was opened in Hong Kong in early December. The founding team is from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The Kazakh portal Kursiv.media reports. The restaurant’s signature dish is beshbarmak. According to the chefs, Yurt will offer both tasting menus and à la carte dishes, allow»»»

On December 5, World Soil Day, a scientific-practical conference was held at the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University named after Skryabin. The press service of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported. «Soil provides more than 95 percent of our food but faces serio»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 6 (KUNA) -- 1964 -- Kuwait Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah signed a decree approving the formation of the third cabinet. It grouped 14 ministers and was headed by Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. 1990 -- UN General Assembly condemned the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and blatant viol»»»

Cabinet sources said Lebanon’s three top leaders remain aligned as negotiations with Israel move into a new phase, marked by the appointment of a civilian envoy, former ambassador to Washington and lawyer Simon Karam, to lead Lebanon’s delegation to the Mechanism Committee. The move is intended to »»»

The Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, and the Speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, discussed preparations for the meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, which will be held in Moscow, in a telephone conversation. The State Duma press service reported. «»»»

Asman Airlines has launched a direct regular Almaty—Karakol flight, Airports of Kyrgyzstan JSC reported. The flight will be operated twice a week — on Fridays and Sundays. The first flight took place on December 5. Flight time is 35 minutes. Airports of Kyrgyzstan noted that regular flights on this»»»

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is organizing a forum entitled "BG TOURISM – WINTER 2025/2026," which will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Perelik Hotel in the resort town of Pamporovo. The discussion will be opened by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev. The forum is organized in partnership»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality announced Friday that 'Al Khor and Al Thakhira Municipality' has joined the UNESCO Learning Cities Network, thus completing the membership of all Qatari municipalities in this global network. The step is considered a national achievement that enhances the c»»»

Cabinet sources said Lebanon’s three top leaders remain aligned as negotiations with Israel move into a new phase, marked by the appointment of a civilian envoy, former ambassador to Washington and lawyer Simon Karam, to lead Lebanon’s delegation to the Mechanism Committee. The move is intended to »»»

Bangkok: A few dozen early voters in Myanmar's widely criticised elections cast their ballots at the country's embassy in Bangkok on Saturday as polls opened for citizens abroad. Myanmar's junta snatched power in a 2021 coup which plunged the country into a many-sided civil war, but it promises tha»»»

Iran launched massive missiles in the Sea of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz during the second day of a naval drill, state TV reported Friday. The report said the Revolutionary Guard launched the missiles from the depth of Iran's mainland, hitting targets in the Oman Sea and neighborin»»»

In the wake of Israeli and Iranian attacks on Qatar, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have pledged to deepen their nations’ integration and boost security. The pledge was made at the conclusion of the 46th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Manama, where security and the economy we»»»

A 58-year-old man and his 55-year-old wife were found dead in their home in Alexandroupoli, northern Greece, Friday, after relatives, unable to reach them for several days, alerted police late Thursday. Officers went to the residence and called the Fire Department to gain entry, where the couple we»»»

Swiss companies plan to relocate some of their operations and production abroad to deal with the impact of US tariffs, according to a study by business association economiesuisse. It surveyed more than 400 companies before and after Switzerland last month agreed a deal to reduce US tariffs from 39%»»»

Tension rippled through Iraq’s ruling Shiite alliance after authorities briefly listed Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi group as terrorist organizations, then swiftly reversed the move, at a time when debate over the next government is intensifying. The decision and the rapid retreat from it »»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India may have sealed dozens of strategic partnerships, but its core purpose transcends trade: Moscow is using its Soviet-era ally to send a defiant message to the West that it will not be isolated over the conflict in Ukraine, US academic Ramesh Mohan sa»»»

Fresh border clashes have broken out between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban forces, with both sides accusing each other of breaking a fragile ceasefire. Residents fled the Afghan city of Spin Boldak overnight, which lies along the 1,600-mile (2,574 km) border the two countries share. A medical »»»

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's choice of a Toyota Fortuner SUV to ride with Russian President Vladimir Putin on their way to a ceremonial dinner after the Russian leader had just landed drew attention across Indian society. During the Russian leader's December 4-5 state visit there were many»»»

Back in October, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the shock resignation of the commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, who will be stepping down on December 12. As that date approaches, there is much speculation over the reason for the admiral's departure.»»»

The US military on Thursday carried out another strike on a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean – its first in nearly three weeks – as congressional concern deepens over the legality and conduct of President Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-drug campaign at sea. US Southern Command announced»»»

Some 68 percent of the world's cocaine production comes from Colombia, fuelling all-powerful criminal gangs. European drug trafficking has its roots in Colombia's poor rural areas. From the Pacific coast to the isolated southern areas of Putumayo, this report explores cocaine's decades-lo»»»

FIFA on Friday awarded its first peace prize to US President Donald Trump, who described it as "one of the great honours" of his life. Trump received the prize during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC.  US President Donald Trump was awarded the new FIFA Peace Prize on Friday »»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Blue Holes — a chain of deep-sea sinkholes stretching along the southwestern coastline between Makkah and Jazan — are quickly gaining recognition as one of the Kingdom’s most remarkable natural features. These striking circular depressions, visible as dark blue pools against t»»»

In tonight's edition: A "great day for Africa", says US President Donald Trump, as DR Congo's Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame sign a precarious peace deal in Washington aimed at ending the M23 conflict. Also, Somalis criticise Trump's remarks calling them "garbage" as racist. Plus, in ant»»»

Every year, hundreds of rhinos are killed for their horns, which are trafficked mainly to Asia for use in traditional medicine. As part of the "G20 Heritage Projects", a large-scale campaign was launched in mid-July in South Africa to help save the rhino from extinction. The "Rhino Renaissance»»»

Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin clan chief and leader of an armed Palestinian militia opposed to Hamas, was killed in Gaza while trying to resolve a family dispute, his group said. The Israeli-backed Popular Forces in Gaza on Thursday denied "misleading" reports that Hamas was behind Abu Shabab's kill»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a UN Security Council delegation on Friday that his country does not want war with Israel and asked for support from the international community in disarming non-government groups. Israel has continued strikes in southern Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire»»»

A video compilation claiming to show new footage of Iranian command centres destroyed during the June 2025 war with Israel has been circulating online. Disseminated by accounts supportive of Israel and opposed to the Iranian regime, most of these clips were actually generated by artificial intellig»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire from the political right for suggesting that news outlets be labelled to distinguish those that comply with journalistic ethics from those that do not. Right-wing parties and media outlets owned by billionaire tycoon Vincent Bolloré are lead»»»

Lawmakers in the lower house of the French parliament approved the taxation part of the country's overall 2026 social security budget on Friday. Debates on the rest of the highly-contested budget are ongoing in parliament, with a final vote taking place next Tuesday. Lawmakers in the lower house of»»»

An anti-drone and search operation was launched after five drones were detected over a base that houses France's nuclear deterrent submarines off its northwestern coast on Thursday evening. The French military used anti-drone measures after five unmanned vehicles flew over a closely guarded base ho»»»

France on Friday called for Shein to put controls in place on its website, including age verification and filtering, but backed off from its earlier push for a three-month full suspension. This comes after childlike sex dolls and banned weapons were found on its online platform.  Fra»»»

Four people have been arrested over the hacking of 120,000 home security cameras in South Korea, whose footage was used to make sexually exploitative material. It's the latest episode in an ongoing battle by authorities to end illicit electronic spying on women and girls. In Pakistan, a spate of Ti»»»

TikTok on Friday said it will comply with Australia's ban on social media for under-16s which comes into effect December 10. The ByteDance-owned social media company said the measures "may be upsetting" for some of its young users but it was necessary to comply with Australian law. The company's st»»»

The Indian government has scrapped an order which gave manufacturers 90 days to pre-install a state-backed security app on all new smartphones. The move came following a huge public outcry and resistance from tech firms. Yuka Royer speaks with Nikhil Pahwa, a digital policy analyst in New Delhi, ab»»»

A prayer asking for snow was recited during Friday prayers in all mosques in Kyrgyzstan. The Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of the Kyrgyz Republic (SDMK) reported. It was noted that the instruction was given by Supreme Mufti Abdylaziz Zakirov. He addressed the faithful, calling on them to pra»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to the southwestern city of Chengdu in a gesture highlighting Beijing's focus on Paris as it seeks more economic engagement with the EU. The French president ended his state visit on a lighter note by meeting univer»»»

US and Ukrainian officials are holding a second day of talks in Florida on Friday about President Donald Trump's proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to two US officials. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 5: The European Broadcasting Union votes to keep Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, sparking a boycott from Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland. We look at reactions from the front pages. Also: the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw will be unveiled in Washin»»»

A ceasefire in Ukraine remains a distant prospect, to say nothing of an actual peace settlement. US diplomatic efforts in Moscow have become bogged down, with no compromise in sight on the fundamental issues, especially the territorial ones. Meanwhile, the EU seems to be relegated to a relatively m»»»

With France going through major government instability and facing an alarmingly high public debt, and with Europe struggling to find its diplomatic feet as the US pursues talks to end the war in Ukraine, we speak to a seasoned political figure at the French and European level. Pierre Moscovici is t»»»

France's Ukraine Season (December 1, 2025-March 31, 2026) is an invitation to “travel” to a country which is fighting for its freedom while creating new cultural horizons. More than 50 cultural events will take place during the festival in 20 cities across France.  When Russia launched its ful»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine. The visit aims at strengthening economic ties between Moscow and New Delhi. Also, Italian police visit the headquarters of 13 major fashion bran»»»

A brief and cryptic remark by US President Donald Trump about modifying phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, offered without any details, has stirred questions over how the accord will be executed. Analysts say the comment points to a possible change in implementing the deal’s provisions rath»»»

The second meeting of the Board of Governors of the Turkic Investment Fund was held in Bishkek, the Ministry of Economy reported. According to the ministry, it was decided that the fund’s project activities will officially begin in the first quarter of 2026. This will mark an important milestone in»»»

An overnight earthquake in Uzbekistan was felt across parts of Kyrgyzstan, the Seismology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. The tremors, measuring around magnitude 5 at the epicenter, were recorded at 3:04 a.m. The epicenter was located in Uzbekistan, 40»»»