Doha, Qatar: Minister of Public Health, HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, met separately on Sunday with Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Albania, HE Dr. Evis Sala, Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMR»»»

Prime Minister Edi Rama has reiterated his stance regarding the Constitutional Court appeal he filed over the suspension of Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku. Speaking at the opening of episode nine of his podcast “Flasim”, Rama insisted that the appeal is not a political confrontation nor an»»»

Supervisory boards of the National Health Insurance Fund and the National Social Security Institute are expected to discuss the draft budgets of the Fund and State Social Security for next year, the Finance Ministry said. The move follows a meeting at the Ministry on December 5, where the trade uni»»»

Thousands of anti-government Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night as the movement returned to the center stage after two years of weekly rallies at Hostage Square come to an end. Anti-government protesters at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square mainly called for a state commission of inqu»»»

It was during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East in May that he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, after being urged to by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It was a bold move. But bolder still was Trump’s later invitation for al»»»

Hong Kong began voting on Sunday to choose new lawmakers under Beijing's "patriots only" rules, though government efforts to drive turnout have been overshadowed by the city's deadliest fire in decades. Beijing revamped Hong Kong's electoral system in 2021 following the city's huge and sometimes vi»»»

Doha, Qatar: In a landmark panel discussion titled “Humanity’s Next Chapter: Innovation and Impact from the Global South,” three of the world’s most influential figures — H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Bill Gates, and Aliko Dangote – urged the Global South to seize control of its own n»»»

After a decade of debilitating neck pain that left her mobility restricted, her sleep deteriorated and daily life a struggle, 48-year-old Indian expat Nisha Dennis has finally reclaimed her life, thanks to a complex and unique spine revision surgery. Also Read: Meet the UAE doctor battling Salman K»»»

Tunis, Dec. 7 (TAP) - The National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD) approved the 2026 Finance Bill in its entirety during a plenary session that had been ongoing since Friday afternoon, with 64 deputies voting in favor, two abstaining, and...»»»

She was a woman who appeared to have it all: a privileged upbringing, a good education and a wide circle of friends. But Jasveen Sangha had a dark secret that some of her closest friends say she concealed even from them. The dual British-American national was a dealer to Hollywood's rich and famous»»»

Microsoft Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) Bill Gates emphasized that the strategic partnership between his foundation and the State of Qatar has greatly contributed to supporting programs in health, social development, and global poverty reduction»»»

QNA Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Co-Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025 on Saturday. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the items on the forum’»»»

QNA Doha The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with several heads of state and government from brotherly and friendly nations participating in the Doha Forum 2025 at the Sheraton Doha Hotel on Saturday. HH the Amir met separately with President of Syria Ahmed Al Sharaa, Presiden»»»

Two people who organised a marathon in Iran where a number of women athletes competed without wearing veils have been arrested, the Islamic republic's judiciary said Saturday. While women in Iran are required by law to cover their hair in public, the law's enforcement has become more sporadic since»»»

Tunis, Dec. 6 (TAP) - Members of the National Council of Regions and Districts continued discussing the articles of the 2026 Finance Bill during an evening plenary session.The deputies approved Articles 85 to 109 out of the 110 articles comprising...»»»

The Iranian judiciary says two organisers of a marathon have been arrested for allowing women who were not wearing hijabs to take part. The move comes after images appeared online of unveiled women competing in the race on Friday. Two thousand women and 3,000 men took part separately in the maratho»»»

Doha: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Saturday with co-founder of Microsoft HE Bill Gates, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation relations and exchanged views on the items on »»»

Tunis, Dec. 6 (TAP) - Finance Minister Michket Slama Khaldi requested that the plenary session dedicated to examining the 2026 Finance Bill be suspended, after members of the National Council of Regions and Districts voted down several articles...»»»

Tunis, Dec 6 (TAP) — Deputies of the National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD) on Saturday rejected Article 72 of the 2026 Finance Bill, which proposed cutting to 10% the customs duty rate applicable to the eyewear sector.The CNRD is carrying...»»»

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the financial sector from a back-office support tool into a front-line participant in customer service. AI agents analyze data in real time, respond contextually, and independently handle simple requests, allowing employees to focus on more complex ta»»»

Doha, Qatar: Microsoft Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) HE Bill Gates emphasized that the strategic partnership between his foundation and the State of Qatar has greatly contributed to supporting programs in health, social development, and global p»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, received on Saturday co-founder of Microsoft, HE Bill Gates, on the occasion of his visit to the country to participate in the Doha Forum 2025, currently underway at the Sheraton Doha Hotel. During the meeting, they reviewed prospects for de»»»

Bulgaria’s messages for the new winter season focus on the introduction of the euro, safe holidays and natural conditions, said Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, who Saturday opened the BG TOURISM – WINTER 2025/2026 forum in Pamporovo. The forum is organized by BTA in part»»»

The Scope Ratings European Rating Agency has concluded the monitoring of Bulgaria's credit rating and confirms the country's long-term A-/Stable ratings, the rating agency said on its website. The country's short-term ratings are S-1/Stable. Bulgaria’s A-/Stable ratings are underpinned by the follo»»»

From major economic shifts to life-changing lottery wins, this week’s headlines capture the UAE at its most dynamic. A new federal decree will update VAT rules from January 1, 2026, while a Dh25 million Big Ticket prize has gone to an Indian expat working in Saudi Arabia. Government services contin»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has signed a decree «On Measures to Support Certain Sectors of the Economy». The presidential press service reported. The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to submit to the Zhogorku Kenesh within one month a draft law to support jewelers. In particular, »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani inaugurated the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum 2025, held under the theme ''Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress'' at the Sheraton Doha Hotel on Saturday morning. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of their highnesses and»»»

For the first time in a decade, hunters armed with rifles and crossbows are fanning out across Florida's swamps and flatwoods to legally hunt the Florida black bear, over the vocal opposition of critics. The state-sanctioned hunt began Saturday, after drawing more than 160,000 applications for a fa»»»

There is a joyful chaos this time of year that I’ve finally learned to embrace. A big part of the mayhem is that it’s nearly impossible to predict who will be around for dinner. There is a head-spinning array of holiday gatherings between my daughter’s, my husband’s and my calendars. Plus, I like t»»»

Elon Musk's social media company X was fined 120 million euros ($140 million) by EU tech regulators on Friday for breaching online content rules, the first sanction under landmark legislation that once again drew criticism from the US government. X's rival TikTok staved off a penalty with concessio»»»

On Dec. 6, 1969, the Altamont Speedway Free Festival was held in Northern California. 1 of 4 | A crowd of rock fans, estimated at 300,000 to 500,000, gathered at Altamont Speedway for a rock concert by the Rolling Stones and other musical groups on December 6, 1969. UPI File Photo Dec. 6 (UPI) -- O»»»

The Ministry of Finance published the new draft state budget for 2026 and the Updated Medium-Term Budget Forecast for 2026-2028 on its official website late on Friday, hours after trade unions, businesses, and the government reached agreement on the main parametres of the draft. The initial draft b»»»

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»»»

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»»»

At 6ft tall and plus-size, shop-bought clothes had never fitted Maree O'Connor well. Sewing offered her a solution - allowing her to use beautiful fabrics to make garments that fit just right. One day, while on the lookout for colourful prints to make new dresses, she spotted some "amazing" fabrics»»»

Dubai: The way money moves is changing fast. In its latest report, Mastercard puts it plainly: “The next wave of payments innovation uses tech to put people first, making money movement more secure, smarter and more personal.” Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.UAE consum»»»

Tunis, Dec. 6 (TAP) - Members of the National Council of Regions and Districts approved late Friday, the articles of the 2026 Finance Bill, in its amended version prepared by the Committee on Finance and Budget (62 articles), which were presented to...»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Thousands of school students took to the streets in major German cities on Friday in a show of protest against a new bill on the modernization of military service, German media reported. The bill was adopted by the federal parliament earlier in the day in a 323-272 vote with one »»»

1 of 2 | The Department of Transportation announced it has selected a company to oversee upgrades to the federal air traffic control system and keep it on an ambitious three-year timetable. Photo by Caroline Brehman/EPA Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The Department of Transportation announced it selected an integ»»»

A US judge has ordered the unsealing of grand jury transcripts from the 2005 and 2007 investigation into convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Florida judge granted the justice department's request for the material following Congress' passage last month of a bill ordering the release of all fil»»»

Tunis, Dec. 5 (TAP) - Speaker of the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP), Brahim Bouderbala, affirmed Friday afternoon, during the opening of the joint plenary session dedicated to voting on the provisions of the Finance Bill by members of...»»»

A CDC panel voted on Friday to end a universal recommendation for newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, instead recommending shared decision-making to determine when or if a baby will start the three-shot series. File Photo by BIll Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Dec.»»»

Tunis, Dec. 5 (TAP) - Most of the contentious points regarding the 2026 Finance Bill have been resolved within the joint Finance and Budget Committee, head of the Finance Committee at the National Council of Regions and Districts, Slim Salem, stated...»»»

Tunis, Dec 5 (TAP) – The National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD) on Friday held a joint plenary session with the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) to examine the 2026 Finance Bill, which the ARP had approved on Thursday...»»»

1 of 2 | Flags stand as part of an instillation in support of more research, treatment options and funding for colorectal cancer on the National Mall in Washington, in March 2024. A push in Congress to provide coverage for new multi-cancer early detection tests under Medicare is gaining momentum, b»»»

PoliticsIndiaIndia's elaborate welcome of Putin strains Western tiesMurali Krishnan New DelhiVladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi was heavy with symbolism and carefully calibrated optics, signaling to the US and its allies that India will pursue its own course towards Moscow. https://p.dw.com/p/54ql»»»

Elon Musk's X was just fined $140 million by the European Commission for failing to follow Digital Services Act rules. File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The European Commission on fined X $140 million for not verifying its "verified" users, lack of transparency in adve»»»

A group of 61 MPs from opposition parties "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), "Alliance for Rights and Freedoms" (APS) and "Morality, Unity, Honor" (MECH) filed a vote of no confidence against the Bulgarian government, arguing that its economic policies have failed and triggered »»»

BRUSSELS, Dec 5 (KUNA) -- The European Commission accepted on Friday the commitments submitted by the 'TikTok' platform to ensure the provision of advertising repositories that offer full transparency regarding the ads displayed on its services, in compliance with the requirements of the Digital Se»»»

MADRID, Dec 5 (KUNA) -- Spain declared on Friday withdrawing from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest due in the Austrian capital Vienna in retaliation for allowing the Israeli occupation to partake in it.Spain's Public Radio (RTVE) said Spain pulled out of the contest after the European Broadcasting »»»