Manila: Every day, thousands of Filipinos with loved ones stuck in hospital limbo perform a familiar ritual: they line up outside a congressman’s or senator’s office, clutching folders, medical abstracts — and hope. What are they hoping for? A guarantee letter. So what is this magical paper? Also I»»»

Tunis, Dec. 15 (TAP)- Watani project was launched Monday in Tunis. The project is designed to stimulate entrepreneurship, increase innovation and support economic ienclusion by drawing on the capacities and dynamics of Tunisian expatriates.An...»»»

Dubai: Mubadala Investment Company and Barings have launched a $500 million global real estate debt partnership aimed at expanding private credit investments across major international markets. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The partnership brings together Mubadala, t»»»

European leaders seeking to finance Ukraine using frozen Russian funds are eroding the international financial system, which was built around US interests, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The EU wants to issue Kiev a so-called “reparation loan” backed by the Russian asse»»»

Dubai: Air Arabia has launched daily non-stop flights between Sharjah and Munich, opening its first direct connection to Germany from its home hub in the UAE. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The service began on December 15 and is operated using the airline’s Airbus A3»»»

Authorities in Gaza warned on Monday that more war-damaged buildings may collapse because of heavy rain in the devastated Palestinian enclave and said the weather was making it hard to recover bodies still under the rubble. Two buildings collapsed in Gaza on Friday, killing at least 12 people accor»»»

Afghanistan's neighbors met in Iran and agreed to deepen regional coordination to address political, economic and security challenges, as well as calling for sanctions on Afghanistan to be lifted. The only absent party? Afghanistan itself. China, Pakistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkm»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Monday with a senior World Bank delegation headed by Regional Director for Infrastructure for Europe and Central Asia Charles Cormier, and noted that the discussions had focused on Serbia's energy security. "An exceptionally productive meeting wi»»»

The 14-year-old student who was stabbed in an Athens high school on Monday suffered wounds to her fingers and slight injuries to her abdomen, the head of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) has said. “The knife was directed at the abdomen and fortunately the girl put up»»»

The presidential candidate of the Chilean Republican Party presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast, pictured at an election event in 2021, was leading in polls as Chile conducted its presidential election on Sunday. Photo by Elvis Gonzalez/EPA-EFE Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Chileans elected a hard-right can»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s foreign trade turnover totaled $12,803.5 billion in January—October 2025, down 9.6 percent compared to the same period in 2024. The National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. In January—September, the decline stood at 8.3 percent. According to the Committee, the de»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi (ADCMC) announced that Abu Dhabi will host the 9th edition of the Understanding Risk Global Forum 2026 (#UR26), organised in collaboration with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) of the World B»»»

The latest round of talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoys ended Monday as they and European allies seek an end to Russia's nearly four-year war. Ukraine faces Washington’s pressure to swiftly accept a US-brokered peace deal in the face of an increasingly assertive Mosc»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the credentials of new Lebanese Ambassador to Belgrade Youssef Jabr on Monday. In an Instagram post, Vucic wrote that he had informed the ambassador in more detail of the situation in the region, highlighting the gratitude to Lebanon for its re»»»

Paris, Dec.15 (SANA) France strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Palmyra, Homs countryside, which resulted in casualties among US and Syrian security forces. “France expresses its condolences to families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded. It also affirms solidarity wi»»»

In Botticelli’s masterpiece Pallas and the Centaur (1482-83), to be seen at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, the Firenze-Athena parallel is unmistakable, with Florence depicted as the new Athens. Pallas Athena (or Minerva), after all is the Goddess of Knowledge. Here a flowery Firenze – or Fi»»»

The Ministry of Planning reported yesterday that its Minister, Mohamed Al-Zeidani, inaugurated in Misrata yesterday the work of the twentieth meeting of the Libyan-Tunisian Task Force for the Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Quality and Conformity Marks, being held from 13 to 16 December in th»»»

Tunis: Aid workers accused of assisting irregular migration to Tunisia went on trial on Monday, as Amnesty International criticised what it called “the relentless criminalisation of civil society” in the country. Six staff members of the Tunisian branch of the France Terre d’Asile aid group, along »»»

Doha: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Monday called upon maritime vessel owners, be they individuals or companies, to suspend maritime navigation as well as maritime vessel leasing (tourist, recreational, fishing, jet skis, and similar vessels) in the Doha area, specifically from Hamad Internati»»»

President Rumen Radev held consultations with parliamentary forces GERB and "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) as part of the constitutional procedure to form a second regular government within the 51st National Assembly. The meetings took place at the presidency on Dondukov 2 st»»»

STARA PAZOVA - The Serbia men's national football team will be in Pot 3 of the draw for the 2026–2027 UEFA Nations League A, the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) has announced. The Nations League Division A is comprised of 16 European national teams divided into four pots with four teams each. »»»

Amazon has apologised after an error meant it showed a child a 15-rated film by mistake when they had tried to watch a PG movie. The child's parent had paid to rent Diary of a Wimpy Kid from the firm's Prime Video service, but they soon realised it was incorrectly streaming Love & Other Drugs - whi»»»

Iran’s rial slid further Monday to a new record low of more than 1.3 million to the US dollar, deepening the currency’s collapse less than two weeks after it first breached the 1.2-million mark amid sanctions pressure and regional tensions. Currency traders in Tehran quoted the dollar above 1.3 mil»»»

Seven individuals, among them three serving police officers, have been formally charged for involvement in an organized crime group linked to arson, bribery and narcotics trafficking in Sofia and the Lovech region. Those accused include the head of Sofia’s Fifth Regional Police Department, an exper»»»

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research reported that the President of the Libyan Academy for Graduate Studies, Prof. Dr. Ramadan Al-Madani, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Faisal Abdel Azim Al-Abdali, President of the Libyan Commission for Scientific Research, Mr. Fathi Al-Mansouri, Vice»»»

Volodymyr Zelensky and his European handlers have finally recognized a glaring truth that US President Donald Trump was long aware of: “There's no way for Ukraine to join NATO,” says ex-German army officer Major Florian Pfaff. This belated realization explains why Zelensky is now saying that Ukrain»»»

Riyadh: GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi has met with Austria's special envoy, Herbert Scheibner, to discuss ways of enhancing relations between the GCC and Austria. The meeting also reviewed Gulf-European relations more broadly, with the two sides exchanging views on the latest regio»»»

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates »»»

Kuwait, Dec. 15 (SANA) Syria’s Minister of Energy, Mohammad al-Bashir, met with Abdallah al-Mutairi, Chief Executive Officer of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), on Monday in Kuwait to discuss cooperation and investment opportunities in Syria’s energy sector, as well as ways to strengthen the »»»

Crypto.com and LuLu Financial Holdings (LuLuFin) have announced a strategic partnership to develop regulated digital asset capabilities across multiple markets, beginning in the UAE. The collaboration will integrate Crypto.com’s trading infrastructure, institutional-grade custody, and payment techn»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the credentials of new Cuban Ambassador to Belgrade Pavel Orencio Diaz Hernandez on Monday, noting that Serbia was committed to developing further the friendly relations between the two countries. "With Ambassador Hernandez, I exchanged views o»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to see more rain this week, particularly across northern parts of the country and offshore areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). Also Read: More rain ahead: NCM tracks new weather wave across the UAELight to moderate rainfall is forecast for Tuesday and»»»

Sharjah: Step into Sharjah's newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site and you are not just walking through desert wadis and limestone caves. You are also traversing an ancient seabed where marine creatures thrived during the age of dinosaurs, now transformed into fossil-rich mountains thanks to t»»»

Chile is perceived by many of its neighbours in the Latin American region as a safer, more stable haven. But inside the country, that perception has unravelled as voters worried about security, immigration and crime chose José Antonio Kast to be their next president. Kast is a hardline conservative»»»

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Monday ahead of three way talks between European, American and Ukrainian delegations on efforts to hammer out a peace deal that is acceptable to all sides. Photo by Hanni»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia could play a very important role in helping to resolve the situation around Iran's nuclear program, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told Sputnik. "A very important one. Is something I had the honor to discuss with [Russian] Presiden»»»

Riyadh, Dec. 15 (SANA) Minister of Industry and Economy Nidal al-Shaar participated on Monday in the “Made in Saudi 2025” exhibition in Riyadh, alongside Saudi Minister of Industry Bandar bin Ibrahim al-Khorayef. The exhibition is considered the Kingdom’s most prominent industrial event, reflecting»»»

Rob Reiner, the son of the legendary comedian Carl Reiner, was one of Hollywood's best known filmmakers. As an actor, he became a household name on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family and later appeared as the father of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in The Wolf of Wall Street. But it was as a direct»»»

Phnom Penh: Cambodia accused Thailand on Monday of striking deep inside its territory, bombing the province that is home to the centuries-old Angkor temples - the country’s top tourist draw - for the first time in a reignited border conflict. Five days of fighting in July killed dozens of people be»»»

When Brown University junior Mia Tretta’s phone began buzzing with an emergency alert during finals week, she tried to convince herself it couldn’t be happening again. In 2019, Tretta had been shot in the abdomen during a mass shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California. Two student»»»

Sofia Municipality is set to expand its parking capacity with the construction of nine new parking facilities, adding more than 2,000 spaces across the city over the next 12 to 18 months. The projects will be carried out through public-private partnerships, ensuring municipal land ownership remains»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has opened the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (COSP11) in Doha. The conference, which runs from December 15 to 19, br»»»

BusinessChinaWhy China's property crash must be kept be top secretNik MartinAs home sales continue to plummet, Beijing has curbed independent reporting of real estate figures. The gag order masks a deepening property slump that continues to erode household wealth and strain China's banks. https://p»»»

Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority has launched its dedicated camp as part of the Liwa International Festival 2026, held in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region, from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026. This participation comes within the framework of the Authority’s ongoing efforts to enhance preventive awa»»»

Iran's rial slid further Monday to a new record low of more than 1.3 million to the U.S. dollar, deepening the currency's collapse less than two weeks after it first breached the 1.2-million mark amid sanctions pressure and regional tensions. Currency traders in Tehran quoted the dollar above 1.3 m»»»

Shares opened higher in Europe after a retreat Monday in Asia following Wall Street's worst day in three weeks. The price of bitcoin sank as traders braced for an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan, expected later in the week. Germany's DAX gained 0.3% to 24,254.58 and the CAC 40 in Paris was »»»

Since he started growing cannabis at 14, Mohamed Makhlouf has lived in the shadows, losing sleep while bracing for a knock on his door from authorities that could mean prison or his entire harvest confiscated. But after decades of operating in secret, Makhlouf finally has gained peace of mind as Mo»»»

A quarterly survey of major Japanese manufacturers released Monday shows business sentiment improving to its best level in four years, even after President Trump raised tariffs on goods from the U.S. ally to a baseline level of 15%. The Bank of Japan is bound to take the results of its quarterly "t»»»

Paris, France: The Louvre closed its doors to thousands of disappointed visitors on Monday as staff launched a rolling strike to protest working conditions at the Paris landmark, two months after a shocking robbery. Staff assembled outside the museum's world-famous glass pyramid, blocking the main »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the credentials of new Bulgarian Ambassador to Belgrade Angel Angelov on Monday and said Serbia was committed to boosting economic cooperation with Bulgaria. "With the newly-appointed ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria, I discussed strength»»»