Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The former CEO of a healthcare software company in Arizona was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $452 million in restitution for conspiring to defraud Medicare for $1 billion, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday. Gary Cox, 79, of Maricopa County, w»»»

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (L) is pictured with U.S. President Donald Trump in October after the signing the failed cease-fire agreement between Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (2ndR) and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (R) on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeas»»»

EU politicians, weapons manufacturers, and bankers are the three main groups pushing for the Ukraine conflict to continue, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed. Speaking at an election campaign event in Szeged on Sunday, Orban reiterated his opposition to the EU’s approach to the confl»»»

QNA Doha Gold and silver prices recorded unprecedented historic skyrocketing in Monday’s trading, with the yellow metal breaking the $4,400 per ounce barrier, driven by US economic data showing weakness in the labor market and a decline in inflation rates, further bolstering market bets on a Federa»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Ooredoo, Qatar’s leading telecommunications and ICT provider, has announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Darktrace, a global leader in AI-driven cybersecurity. The agreement was formalised during a dedicated signing ceremony attended by Thani Ali I»»»

Sofia Municipality Monday reported a notable improvement in air quality following recent measures prompted by spiking air pollution, including the discounted Green Tickets” for public transport, that were launched for the first time in response to forecasts of high air pollution. Also, stricter enf»»»

The Justice Department has sued Washington, DC, over its law banning residents from registering ownership of semi-automatic guns. Under DC law, all gun owners must register their weapons with local police. The nation's capital, though, bars the registration of AR-15 and other fast-loading guns, whi»»»

Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway Donald Trump's and her husband George Conway arrive for the Candlelight Dinner at Union Station in honor of the president-elect in Washington, D.C., on January 19, 2017. They divorced in 2023, and Conway filed paperwork to run for the U.S. House seat»»»

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he will initiate action against the Department of Justice for only releasing a portion of the Jeffrey Epstein files. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he will create legislation to "init»»»

London: A British man was charged on Monday with drugging and raping his ex-wife and five other men were charged with sexual offences against her over a 13-year period, UK police said. Philip Young, 49, will appear on Tuesday at a court in Swindon, west of London, charged with dozens of offences ag»»»

Bulgarian broadcaster bTV announced on Monday that it has decided to part ways with one of the best-known personalities, journalist Maria Tsantsarova, a host of the channel’s morning show. bTV cited multiple reasons for her dismissal, including alleged on-air political bias, accusations against her»»»

Election officials in the US state of Georgia have admitted to major violations of vote certification procedures during the 2020 presidential race. US President Donald Trump, who lost to Joe Biden, has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” and marred by widespread fraud and irregulariti»»»

Sofia Municipality Monday reported a notable improvement in air quality following recent measures prompted by spiking air pollution, including the discounted Green Tickets” for public transport, that were launched for the first time in response to forecasts of high air pollution. Also, stricter enf»»»

In el-Fasher, the sky seemed to collapse upon the weary shoulders of a city long strangled by siege, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) flung open the gates of hell on 26 October, unleashing terror on those clinging to life like. The level of violence has reshaped the civil war in Sudan. Many now wo»»»

A group of Salvadorans asks the Supreme Court in November to declare unconstitutional the decree that allows the state of emergency in El Salvador to end a measure that, they claim, has led to arbitrary arrests of thousands of people and 'multiple human rights violations' as part of the fight again»»»

A tragic traffic accident occurred this afternoon in central Varna, claiming the lives of two pedestrians. The victims, women aged 52 and 79, were struck when a car lost control after passing a traffic light and veered onto the sidewalk, later crashing into a commercial building. The incident happe»»»

Russia on Monday expressed "full support" for Venezuela as the South American country confronts a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers by US forces deployed in the Caribbean, the two governments said. In a phone call, the foreign ministers of the two allied countries blasted the US actions, which hav»»»

Visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday urged Kurdish-led forces to integrate into Syria's army and not obstruct the country's stability, as the deadline for implementing a deal between Damascus and the Kurds approaches. Türkiye and Syria have developed close ties since the toppling»»»

MUSCAT, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's national shooting team on Monday won two more medals in the Arab Pistol and Rifle Shooting Championship.The shooters won two bronze medals in the 50m 3 Position Men and Women, lifting number of the bagged trophies to three -- one silver and two bronze.Head of the K»»»

Washington, United States: Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, deepening a bidding war with Netflix, a statement said on Monday. The amended proposal, worth a total $108 billion from the company »»»

Washington is recalling more than two-dozen career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts worldwide, AP reported on Monday, citing US State Department sources. The move comes as part of a sweeping reshuffle under President Donald Trump’s revamped foreign policy. Since returning»»»

Doha: Gold and silver prices recorded unprecedented historic skyrocketing in Monday's trading, with the yellow metal breaking the USD 4,400‑per‑ounce barrier, driven by US economic data showing weakness in the labor market and a decline in inflation rates, further bolstering market bets on a Federa»»»

Larry Ellison added his backing to the hostile bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Paramount Skydance amended its hostile bid to take over Warner Bros. Discovery, guaranteeing the backing of Larry Ellison. "Larry Ellison has agreed to»»»

The leaders of Denmark and Greenland insisted Monday that the United States won’t take over Greenland and demanded respect for their territorial integrity after President Donald Trump ‍​announced ​the appointment of a ‌special envoy to the semi-autonomous territory. Trump’s announcement on Sunday t»»»

Türkiye's top diplomat and military and intelligence chiefs visited Syria on Monday as a deadline to implement a deal between authorities in Damascus and Kurdish-led forces in the country’s northeast looms. Appearing alongside his Syrian counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the ta»»»

A Norwegian-Iranian dual citizen has been arrested in Iran, Norway's foreign ministry told AFP on Monday. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware that a Norwegian citizen has been arrested in Iran, but due to our obligation to respect confidentiality we cannot provide further details," ministry s»»»

Several major US tech companies – including Google, Apple, and Microsoft – have warned foreign-national employees holding H-1B visas against traveling outside the country amid President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown, which could leave them stranded abroad for months, Business Insider reports»»»

bTV reported on Monday that it has decided to part ways with journalist Maria Tsantsarova, a host of the TV channel’s morning show. Tensions between the two sides escalated after, on the day of the large-scale anti-government protest on December 10, Tsantsarova placed in front of her on air a cup b»»»

A British woman jailed in Iran for almost a year has spoken of the pain of separation from her family in a poignant Christmas message written in her cell. "At a time when we should be connected, we find ourselves alone, down, dejected," Lindsay Foreman wrote in a poem entitled A Sad Voice From Evin»»»

A total of 262 DUI violations were recorded by police between 18 and 22 December during a large-scale operation carried out on major roadways across Attica, involving 19,712 breathalyzer checks. In addition, seven drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol with breathalyzer re»»»

President Rumen Radev and the leadership of the Association of Banks in Bulgaria discussed here on Monday the banking sector's readiness for the introduction of the euro as of January 1, 2026, the President’s press secretariat said. Vice President Iliana Iotova also took part in the meeting. The he»»»

BRUSSELS, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- The European Union condemned on Monday the tariffs announced by China on certain European dairy products.European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters that the new Chinese measures are "unjustified and not based on sound grounds." According to the Chinese Mini»»»

The Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) issued a statement on Monday, saying it will organise a new protest outside the bTV headquarters in Sofia, after the media outlet announced its decision to terminate the contract of journalist Maria Tsantsarova, a host of the TV chan»»»

Oil prices rose on Monday after the US intercepted ​an oil tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela and tensions in Russia's war against Ukraine remained high, with both developments raising fears of supply disruption. Brent crude futures gained $1.31, or 2.17%, to $61.78 a barrel »»»

PALERMO, Sicily - When in doubt, Europeans should always re-read Tacitus. As a true Roman, he considered that sacrifice was only worthy if conducted at the service of the motherland. In his time, the Roman Empire. In our time, that would be civilization-state Italy. Tacitus was a keen student of Re»»»

Dubai. Gold prices in Dubai rocketed to a fresh all-time high for the second time Monday, reaching Dh531.50 per gram for 24-karat by 4:15 pm after touching Dh526.50 at 7:45 am. The 22-karat variety climbed to Dh492.25 from Dh487.50, mirroring a global surge that puts both metals on track for their »»»

Dubai: A Dubai misdemeanour court has acquitted a 49-year-old Gulf national accused of unlawfully entering a private villa in Arabian Ranches, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The verdict was delivered by the Dubai Court of First Instance – Eighth Mis»»»

Most companies and bosses would squirm at the idea of being called "woke" and may even regard it as an insult. But not Mark Constantine. Lush's outspoken co-founder and chief executive wears it like a badge of honour and is not ashamed of turning it into a business philosophy. The firm is renowned »»»

bTV reported on Monday that it has decided to part ways with journalist Maria Tsansarova, a host of the TV channel’s morning show. Tensions between the two sides escalated after, on the day of the large-scale anti-government protest on December 10, Tsansarova placed in front of her on air a cup bea»»»

Political factions in Iraq have been maneuvering since the parliamentary election more than a month ago to form alliances that will shape the next government. The November election didn't produce a bloc with a decisive majority, opening the door to a prolonged period of negotiations. The government»»»

Mumbai, India: From fleets of private trailers to personal chefs and sprawling entourages, Bollywood stars' "obnoxious" demands are driving up production costs and putting a strain on the Indian film industry's finances, insiders say. Bollywood has long been unpredictable at the box office and the »»»

German prosecutors have charged a suspected former member of Syrian intelligence with crimes against humanity and the torture and murder of dozens of prisoners held in a Damascus prison under Bashar al-Assad, a statement said on Monday. The accused, who was arrested in May and identified only as Fa»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron “betrayed” Friedrich Merz by failing to back the German chancellor’s push to steal Russian assets frozen in the EU to fund Ukraine, the Financial Times has claimed. Earlier this week, EU leaders failed to agree on the European Commission’s controversial proposal to »»»

A high-level Turkish delegation is set to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus Monday, Turkey's foreign ministry announced. Both countries have developed close ties since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, and the visit by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and De»»»

India and New Zealand announced Monday they have reached a free trade deal, seeking to deepen economic ties and shore up growth at a time of mounting global trade uncertainties. The move comes as New Delhi accelerates efforts to diversify export destinations as part of a broader strategy to offset »»»

A pair of US lawmakers have threatened legal action against US Attorney General Pam Bondi, after her deadline to release all government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was met only in part. The release of the Department of Justice (DoJ) documents was highly anticipa»»»

Members of the Rio de Janeiro Police carry out an operation in Rio de Janeiro in October. The police launched a major operation in two favelas aimed at arresting the leaders of the Red Command, the largest criminal gang in the city, and to halt its territorial expansion. File Photo by Antonio Lacer»»»

The transactions were concluded with companies operating in the business services and IT sectors, against the backdrop of a tightening Bucharest office market, where average vacancy rate has fallen below 12%, while availability in central locations is significantly lower, particularly for large, mo»»»

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has called for renewed military action against Hamas and Hezbollah if they fail to disarm and accused the Palestinian Islamist group of consolidating its power in Gaza. The Republican politician, on a visit to Israel, is a staunch ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. Beg»»»

Rabat: Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Sunday he would continue to be "very careful" with star man Achraf Hakimi at the Africa Cup of Nations as the Paris Saint-Germain full-back recovers from an ankle injury. Regragui suggested on the eve of the tournament's opening game against Comoros that Hak»»»