Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted on social media following a request from the Special Prosecution to the Parliament of Albania to lift the immunity of MP Belinda Balluku and authorize her arrest. In his statement, Rama criticised what he described as a growing trend of arrests without t»»»

Former chancellor George Osborne is joining artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI. He will lead its "OpenAI for Countries" programme, which is aimed at helping governments increase their AI capacity. Announcing his new London-based role, Osborne said it was a privilege to be joining the company»»»

A Massachusetts university professor who was shot at his home has died, campus officials say. Nuno F Gomes Loureiro, 47, a nuclear science and engineering professor from Portugal, was shot "multiple times" on Monday and died on Tuesday morning in hospital, according to Brookline police and Massachu»»»

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met in Washington on Tuesday with members of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The meeting discussed close strategic relations between the State of Qatar and the »»»

The Bulgarian Socialist Party is facing a deep internal crisis after the entire Executive Bureau submitted its resignation, while party chairman Atanas Zafirov chose to remain in office. The move affects the party’s closest leadership circle but does not include the chairman himself. The developmen»»»

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Florida chapter in a federal lawsuit on Tuesday accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of violating their civil rights by designating them as terrorist organizations. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The Council on American»»»

1 of 4 | Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he won't call for an amendment vote to renew enhanced subsidies »»»

1 of 2 | Flowers and messages are seen Rob Reiner's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Monday. His son, Nick Reiner, is accused of the murder of his parents, but was not medically cleared to appear in court Tuesday. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Nick Rei»»»

A court has ordered the pretrial detention of one of three traffic police officers accused of taking bribes in exchange for dropping traffic fines or warning drivers of upcoming checks. The other two officers were released under restrictive conditions and posted bail. The three served in a traffic »»»

The countries of the European Union located along the Eastern Flank are intensifying coordination at a moment described as decisive for the continent’s security. Speaking in Helsinki at the first Eastern Flank Summit, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said the participating states have decl»»»

Paris, France: World Cup organisers on Tuesday announced a cheaper category of tickets after sustained criticism of the prices at the 2026 competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico. FIFA, the governing body of world football, said in a statement that it had created "Supporter Entry Tier t»»»

The United States has designated a notorious drug-trafficking organisation in Colombia as a terrorist group. The US Treasury Department added the group, known as Clan del Golfo or Gulf Clan, to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs). The designation came just hours after US President Do»»»

Doha, Qatar: In a festive atmosphere filled with joy and national pride, Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, celebrating the country’s National Day. The event brought together Qatari citizens, staff, and visitors from diverse nationalities and cultures, creating a vibrant scene that »»»

El Teniente mine in Rancagua, south of Santiago, is the largest underground mine in the world. File Photo by Mario Ruiz/EPA SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Chile's mining investment project pipeline for the 2025-2034 period will total $104.55 billion, according to the latest Chilean Copper Commis»»»

DOHA: A number of heads of anti-corruption bodies and accountability and transparency officials from around the world praised the efforts of the State of Qatar in strengthening its governance and transparency systems. They affirmed that the state has taken advanced steps to develop its national fra»»»

After the U.S. sharply raised tariffs in 2025 – from an average of 2% to 15%, the highest level in a century—most EU countries saw their exports to the American market decline. Sixteen out of twenty-seven member states recorded drops, with Austria, Slovakia, Spain and Germany among the hardest hit.»»»

Polish property developers expect a strong rebound in apartment sales in 2026, but growing pressure from buyers is likely to push prices down and trigger a price war. Analysts note a recent surge in new housing supply at the end of 2025, which should weigh on prices despite earlier interest-rate cu»»»

Polish investor and developer DL Invest Group has completed the acquisition of the Platan Park Warsaw complex, one of the largest commercial real estate transactions of 2025. The fully leased property offers more than 55,000 sq m and is now operating under the name DL Invest Park Platan. Located ne»»»

Hillwood Poland has expanded its logistics portfolio by acquiring two fully leased parks in northern Wrocław from Blackstone-managed funds for around EUR 70 million. The assets, now named Hillwood Wrocław City I and II, add nearly 100,000 sq m, bringing the company’s total Polish portfolio to over »»»

Poland recorded the largest single monthly decline in online job postings in a year in November, according to the Job Offers Barometer. This marked the second consecutive drop and signals a mild cooling of employer activity observed since April. Job vacancies fell across all four surveyed occupatio»»»

Core inflation in Poland, excluding food and energy prices, fell from 3.0% in October to 2.7% in November, according to data from the National Bank of Poland (NBP). This was the lowest reading since November 2019 and in line with analysts’ expectations. November marked the eighth consecutive month »»»

In 2025, Poland’s government announced reforms and launched selected modernization measures in the management of state-owned assets, but key changes – most notably a long-awaited corporate governance law – remain unimplemented. According to BCC expert Grażyna Majcher-Magdziak, the absence of clear »»»

Magdalena Kotlarczyk, head of Google Poland, says the company has rapidly expanded its workforce and strategic role in Europe, with Poland now hosting Google’s largest engineering hub in the EU. Employment has grown to nearly 3,000 people, including engineers developing global technologies such as »»»

Doha, Qatar: Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Doha will host the 2026 edition of the Global Security Forum (GSF), scheduled to take place from April 12-14. The 2026 edition of the forum will be held under t»»»

Outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov welcomed the final two aircraft under the first contract with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets for Bulgaria on December 16, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.»»»

Doha, Qatar: Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), the first edition of the Doha International Music and Marching Festival (Doha Tattoo) made its debut on Tuesday, December 1»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and Chairman of the Security Committee, HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, met with HE Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Valdecy Urquiza. During the »»»

DOHA: The semi-finals of the 11th edition of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 lived up to its promise of high-quality matches and enthusiastic crowds, resulting in the well-deserved qualification of the Jordanian and Moroccan national teams for the final, scheduled for Thursday at Lusail Stadium. The M»»»

The United Kingdom announced it will conduct a review of foreign influence on politicians after Nathan Gill was jailed for accepting Russian bribes. File Photo by Mayor of London Press Office / UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The United Kingdom has commissioned a review of outside political in»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Tuesday the State of Kuwait's solidarity and sympathy with the Kingdom of Morocco following the deadly floods which swept through the coastal city of Safi, killing dozens of people and leaving many others missing.In a statement, the»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minneapolis–St. Paul has a new splash of colour on its skyline, and it comes from halfway around the world. Qatari contemporary artist Mubarak Nasser Al-Thani has completed a large-scale mural in the Twin Cities, offering a fresh take on some of the area’s most familiar landmarks inspi»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Mecca and the Holy Sites has released draft regulations outlining a new framework for governing transportation services during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, a move aimed at tightening oversight of one of the world’s largest and most complex mass-mobility ope»»»

Tunis, Dec 16 (TAP) — A special bulletin issued by the National Institute of Meteorology warns that meteorological conditions are conducive to the formation of local fog overnight and into Wednesday morning across most regions.The fog is expected...»»»

Egyptian billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris said he is interested in managing and operating three Egyptian airports, as the government moves ahead with plans to open airport operations to private-sector participation. Speaking on Tuesday at the Conference on the Competitiveness of the Egyptian »»»

Saudi authorities are investigating a fatal traffic accident that claimed the lives of seven Kuwaiti nationals on a major highway in the Kingdom, according to local media reports. The victims, all members of Kuwait’s Al Rashaida tribe, were pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining severe injur»»»

Skopje, 14 December 2025 (MIA) - Skopje International Airport is becoming the absolute regional leader in growth and the number of newly offered seats, according to the latest analysis by the specialized aviation website exyuaviation.com. As announced by the Ministry of Transport, in the first quar»»»

Motor oil on display and ready to be sold in Nov. 2021 at a gas station in New York City, N.Y. U.S. crude was down about 23% this year at its steepest annual drop since 2018. Meanwhile, AAA reported that U.S. gasoline fell below $3 a gallon to its lowest in four years. File Photo by John Angelillo/»»»

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump’s peace plan has helped reduce large-scale fighting and hunger in the Gaza Strip, though a lasting ceasefire remains elusive, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Tuesday. “There is a need to rec»»»

On Wednesday, early temperatures will be between minus 5°C and 3°C, with the capital starting the day at about minus 3°C. In the first part of the day, fog and low cloud cover will form over plains and basins. Elsewhere across the country, the weather will be predominantly sunny, with occasional pa»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable to King Mohammad VI, of Morocco, to express heartfelt condolences over the victims of the floods in the City of Safi. (pickup previous) hm»»»

Canada will now extend automatic citizenship to children born or adopted abroad to a Canadian parent also born outside the country. There are conditions to the "Lost Canadian" rules that came into effect on Monday - the Canadian parent must show a "substantial connection" to the country by having s»»»

JEDDAH: Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and Member of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah emphasized that one of the most pressing challenges facing youth development is the w»»»

Kairouan, Dec. 16 (TAP) – The 120-MW solar photovoltaic plant in Metbasta, Kairouan costing around TND 250 million was inaugurated on Tuesday by Minister of Industry, Energy, and Mines, Fatma Thabet Chiboub.The project will reduce electricity...»»»

Dubai: In a social media landscape often dominated by stories of toxic bosses and burnout, a Reddit post highlighting an empathetic manager in India has struck a chord with users, sparking widespread discussion about workplace culture and leadership. The post, shared on Reddit under the title “In a»»»

Tunis, Dec 16 (TAP) — On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution, the Fidaa Foundation, established to support victims of terrorist acts, hosted an Information Day on Tuesday at the Tunis International Diplomatic Academy,...»»»

Kigali: During the official visit of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Rwanda in November 2025, President Paul Kagame welcomed the Amir to his private farm in Kibugabuga and gifted him with Inyambo, Rwanda’s legendary long-horned royal cattle. This gesture was far more than a customar»»»

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A fire at a western North Carolina home sparked an explosion, injuring two civilians and 12 firefighters, the Salisbury Fire Department said. The blaze sparked just before 5 p.m. EST Monday at a single-story brick home in Salisbury, a town along Interstate 85 about midway between W»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable of condolences to King Mohammad VI, of Morocco, over the victims of the recent flooding in Safi city.In the cable, His Highness the Amir expressed heartfelt sympathy with the families of »»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable of condolences to King Mohammad VI of Morocco over the victims of the floods that engulfed the City of Safi.His Highness the Crown Prince prayed to Allah, the Almighty, to bestow his»»»

Fans of Jane Austen celebrated the acclaimed author's 250th birthday on Tuesday with a church service in her home village, festive visits to her house — and a virtual party for those paying tribute from afar. Thousands of enthusiasts around the world have already taken part in a yearlong celebratio»»»