Albania’s parliamentary Committee on Mandates began discused Monday a request from the Special Prosecution Office to lift the immunity of suspended official Belinda Balluku, as prosecutors presented additional alleged criminal findings against her. The session, focused on a request filed by SPAK. D»»»

Until 2025, the fund was managed by BT Asset Management, and since October last year, the new manager is INNO Investments, which specializes in managing alternative investment funds. INNO Investments is the former OTP Asset Management Romania SAI SA, which joined the Banca Transilvania Group follow»»»

The UAE’s Ministry of Education has announced the approved academic calendar for the next three school years, covering 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and 2028-2029, for both public and private schools. The move comes as part of the ministry’s efforts to strengthen stability across the country’s education sys»»»

1 of 5 | Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith testifies at a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on January 22. A federal judge on Monday blocked Smith's report on his investigation into President Donald Trump's handling of classified doc»»»

FBI Director Kash Patel has defended his trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy after footage of him celebrating with the USA hockey team drew online criticism. In a post on X, Patel told "very concerned media" he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team after their victory over Canada in Mi»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has launched 36 new electronic services through its official website, as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline procedures, improve service efficiency, and enhance the overall customer experience. In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry sa»»»

The Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) and the Baku City Executive Power have signed a Twin City agreement to deepen cooperation across urban planning, mobility, public transport and green infrastructure initiatives. The partnership was signed during an official trip to Baku»»»

The Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PRBCC) highlighted, during the “Business Breakfast” event held in Bucharest, the strategic role of modern infrastructure in accelerating cooperation between the two largest economies in Central and Eastern Europe – Romania and Poland. »»»

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother who authored a children's book about grief after her husband's death, is on trial for his murder on Monday. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three who authored a children's book about grief after her husband»»»

With this paradigm shift, Bucharest has significant potential to develop a strong niche events market and become increasingly visible on the European map of corporate event destinations. The city may not have many large-scale venues with full infrastructure for major conferences, but it compensates»»»

In a regional context marked by geopolitical shifts, infrastructure development has the potential to reshape existing trade routes by creating a corridor linking the Port of Gdańsk (Poland) and the Port of Constanța (Romania). This strategic axis could facilitate bilateral trade between the two cou»»»

There are mechanisms of pressure within the judiciary that undermine justice and the rule of law. Countering them requires institutional measures, but also support for the resilience of magistrates. These are the conclusions of a conference on the “Mechanisms of Pressure on Judges and Judicial Inde»»»

Poland is seeking to host one of the EU’s planned AI gigafactories, a flagship digital project costing an estimated €3 billion (around PLN 8.45 billion). Under the funding model, 35% would come from public sources, with half provided by the European Commission. Poland would need to contribute over »»»

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Palestinian Islamist group Hamas may soon be given a deadline to lay down its weapons. "We estimate that in the coming days, Hamas will be given an ultimatum to disarm and completely demilitarise Gaza," Smotrich said in an intervi»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked US President Donald Trump to lift the sanctions he imposed on several European officials, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and International Criminal Court (ICC) judge Nicolas Guillou. Breton, a French citizen who oversaw the EU’s tech regul»»»

There are mechanisms of pressure within the judiciary that undermine justice and the rule of law. Countering them requires institutional measures, but also support for the resilience of magistrates. These are the conclusions of a conference on the “Mechanisms of Pressure on Judges and Judicial Inde»»»

Now in its sixth consecutive edition, SkyLove Day has become a cherished tradition at SkyTower, with the release of biodegradable balloons symbolizing a declaration of love and positive energy shared with the world. The biodegradable red balloons will be released from the esplanade in front of the »»»

Four Syrian security personnel were killed in ISIS terrorist group attack in the northern city of Raqa, which was recently taken by Damascus from Kurdish forces, state media reported on Monday. Syria's interior ministry said in a statement that the "terrorist attack" targeted a checkpoint in the ar»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MOI) has called on the public to report cases of begging, describing it as an uncivilised behaviour, and urging community participation in addressing the issue. In a message shared through its official platforms, the ministry encouraged residents to contribute»»»

Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Monday, spray-painting offensive phrases and setting a fire, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Religious Affairs. Worshippers arriving for the day's first prayers found the damage and a smoldering fire t»»»

Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Monday, spray-painting offensive phrases and setting a fire, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs. Worshippers arriving for the day's first prayers found the damage and a smoldering fire t»»»

Sharjah: An Indian expat woman, who was nabbed in Sharjah for overstaying the UAE visa, has flown home after legal intervention, according to a legal firm that provided support to her. Yab Legal Services said the woman hailing from the south Indian state of Kerala had secured a visa through an agen»»»

Idlib, Feb. 23 (SANA) Governor of Idlib, Mohammad Abdul Rahman, inaugurated the Idlib branch of the Commercial Bank of Syria on Monday, marking a strategic step toward strengthening the provincial banking sector and alleviating financial burdens on citizens. In a statement to SANA, Abdul Rahman emp»»»

Tunis, Feb. 23 (TAP) - The current global crises underscore the imperative of adhering to international legitimacy and multilateral action, in order to protect the will of states and prevent domination and polarisation policies that undermine...»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the State Guest House in Tokyo, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. File. Photo via Prime Minister's Office of Japan/UPI | License Photo Feb. 22 (Asia Today) -- Major Japanese newspapers welcomed a U.S. »»»

Doha, Qatar: The holy month of Ramadan represents an opportunity to promote values of moderation, balance, solidarity, and self-discipline. However, the month also witnesses a noticeable rise in consumption levels across several sectors, particularly food, energy, and water. Instead of being a mont»»»

Dubai: The UAE Council For FATWA has issued a new religious ruling clarifying the status, virtues and number of rak’ahs for Taraweeh prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, encouraging worshippers to maintain the practice as much as possible. In its statement, the Council said Taraweeh is a highl»»»

In a proactive move to strengthen workplace safety standards, the Director General of the Sharjah Civil Defence Authority conducted an extensive inspection tour across several industrial areas in the emirate, visiting factories, warehouses and commercial establishments to assess compliance with app»»»

Ajman Police have stepped up road safety awareness efforts by organising a series of educational lectures for delivery motorcycle riders working with several private companies across the emirate. The initiative forms part of the main traffic campaign, “Towards a safe road for all its users,” and co»»»

The EU’s €650bn pandemic era fund remains wide open to fraud with weak accountability and oversight, according to financial watchdogs. “This vast sum of money offers huge potential scope for fraudulent activity,” says Katarína Kaszasová of the Luxembourg-based European Court of Auditors (ECA). Spea»»»

In our ongoing weekly digest, award-winning journalist Veronika Munk summarises and explains the most important political developments in Hungary. We guide readers on the route to the key April 2026 election — a poll without precedent in the region over the past 15 years. This week, we cover: An in»»»

Europe’s national leaders are meeting in a medieval castle in Belgium on Thursday (12 February) to discuss how to modernise. Europe’s economic and political system is predicated on openness and rules, built over decades, that are meant to ensure companies compete on a ‘level playing field’. But wit»»»

Greek authorities have issued a European arrest warrant against Norwegian human rights activist Tommy Olsen, who leads an organisation supporting migrants. Olsen runs the Aegean Boat Report, a Norwegian non-governmental organisation (NGO) set up in 2018 to monitor and share data on people seeking r»»»

MEPs raised concerns about the weakening of democratic standards in Slovakia at a plenary debate on Wednesday (11 February) — while representatives of Slovak governing coalition parties called it a deliberate humiliation of the country. “No corruption, no problems with the rule of law. These are yo»»»

When EU leaders met at a medieval castle this week to discuss how to ramp up Europe’s economic power, they were confronting a stark reality: Europe is lagging behind the innovation race with China and the US. In its 2026 competitiveness report, the European Commission admitted that Europe “risks lo»»»

“At the beginning of the full-scale war, we were most afraid of artillery,” says Vasyl Barninets, a manager at a large grain farm in the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine. “Now, the biggest fear is the drones.” “If we work close to the frontline, the staff have to put on bulletproof vests,” h»»»

The Spanish government asked its public prosecutor on Tuesday (17 February) to investigate TikTok, X, and Meta for potentially spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on their platforms.The move is an escalation in tension after the EU and national regulators stepped up scrutiny o»»»

Hailed as a “new gateway to European justice”, the redesign of the main portal to access EU case law, InfoCuria, has drawn the ire of legal scholars from around Europe. “It’s a disaster,” one law professor wrote to EUobserver. A letter seen by EUobserver, dated 9 February, and signed by law practit»»»

Negotiations and divisions on the EU’s deportation bill remain entrenched among European lawmakers, ahead of a committee-level vote scheduled for 9 March. Malik Azmani, a Dutch liberal from the Renew Europe faction, is the lead MEP on the so-called returns regulation that seeks to make it easier to»»»

Teenagers’ access to social media has emerged as a topic of concern among politicians, not just parents, as more and more countries in Europe (and beyond) consider social media bans. Spain, France, Denmark, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Austria, and others have either initiated or announced plans, or »»»

Sensational claims that Ukraine blew up a German gas pipeline are being thrown around by Hungary’s populist prime minister Viktor Orbán ahead of upcoming elections. “Ukraine is trying to ensure that Russian energy reaches Europe only on its terms. Nord Stream bypassed Ukraine, so it was destroyed,”»»»

Bulgaria has a constitution, a parliament, and a president. What it has struggled to maintain, with remarkable consistency over the past decade, is an actual functioning government. Since 2021 alone, the country has cycled through five caretaker cabinets, two of them led by the same man. By the tim»»»

On the first anniversary of the solemn funeral of former Hezbollah secretary generals Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, the Lebanese group leader Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed that the “resistance endures, through its leadership, its fighters, and its people.” Sheikh Qassem’s remar»»»

Dubai: A schoolboy refused to return to class after classmates circulated a fabricated explicit image of him online. Aisha Al Kendi, social worker and head of activities at the Awareness and Juvenile Care Association, said the incident reflects a troubling shift in youth behaviour driven by revenge»»»

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrives for a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday. She vowed to find a solution to a threat by Hungary to veto the bloc's latest round of sanctions against Russia. Photo by Olivier Matthys/EPA F»»»

Dubai: As more Filipinos move to Europe for work and permanent residence, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has stepped up its efforts to deepen engagement with the diaspora, not just as remittance senders, but as long-term partners in nation-building. During a recent forum titled “The Eur»»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Finance has issued the UAE’s official Electronic Invoicing Guidelines, providing businesses with a detailed framework to prepare for the country’s upcoming national e-invoicing system. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The guidelines serve as a com»»»

Islamabad: Pakistan has approved measures to simplify documentation requirements for thousands of its citizens residing in Spain, enabling eligible applicants to obtain one-year Spanish residency cards, according to Geo News. The policy direction was finalised during a high-level meeting jointly ch»»»

By order of Prime Minister Andrey Gurov, effective February 23, 2026, Victor Stoyanov has been appointed Deputy Minister of Culture. He is taking up the post for the third time, having previously served in 2014 and again in 2023 and 2024, the press centre of the Ministry of Culture said here on Mon»»»

Diseases, lack of natural pasture and high mortality among bees are among the main problems facing beekeepers, Assoc. Prof. Julian Stanchev, President of the Balkan Federation of Apicultural Associations (BFAA), told BTA on Monday. Stanchev, who is also the chair of the Regional Beekeepers' Union i»»»