After accepting a job near Montreal, Mansef Aloui packed up his life in Tunisia, hopeful his children would thrive in Canada -- but his pathway to settle in the country has been shut down. "I'm broken. My life has been upended. My daughter is in her room, she cries day and night," the 50-year-old t»»»

Paris will host a four party meeting on Thursday bringing together representatives of France, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Lebanon, amid fears that an Israeli escalation could upend a ceasefire agreement in place for more than a year. French officials say Paris senses an imminent threat faci»»»

The Department of Justice says U.S. Army helicopter pilot decisions were a "proximate cause" of the collision between the helicopter and American Eagle Flight 5342 on January 29, which killed 67. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Government officials admitted errors by p»»»

The new Syrian government is stepping up an aggressive campaign to seal its border with Lebanon, seeking to dismantle smuggling routes that under Bashar al-Assad’s rule served as a critical lifeline for Hezbollah, channeling weapons and money from Iran. In this context, the Interior Ministry announ»»»

Dubai: Walk into a high-end watch auction in Dubai today and one thing becomes clear almost immediately. Buyers are calm. Phones stay down. Bidding starts late. No one looks surprised when prices climb into seven figures. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.These rooms no »»»

European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs. Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by B»»»

For years, scientists have warned that bird flu - better known as H5N1 - could one day make the dangerous leap from birds to humans and trigger a global health crisis. Avian flu - a type of influenza - is entrenched across South and South-East Asia and has occasionally infected humans since emergin»»»

Concerns over toys that use artificial intelligence spurred two U.S. senators to seek answers from toymakers on Tuesday. Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Fears of risks to children's mental health and development have two U.S. senators sounding an alarm and seeking informati»»»

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks before the U.N. General Assembly on September 23. On Wednesday he called on Houthis in Yemen to release 59 U.N. and other NGO personnel. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres»»»

President Donald Trump has said the United States is seeking to reclaim oil, land, and other assets from Venezuela, arguing that previous administrations allowed Caracas to strip Washington of its economic interests in the country. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Trump said Venezuela had take»»»

QNA Doha The State of Qatar highlighted the National Strategy to Promote Integrity, Transparency and Corruption Prevention 2025–2030, at a side event held as part of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (COSP11). The session was chaired by»»»

QNA Doha President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) and President of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad, stressed that anti-corruption agencies cannot confront transn»»»

Police have arrested two people "for racially aggravated public order offences" after they allegedly "shouted slogans involving calls for intifada" at a pro-Palestinian protest in central London. Five people in total were arrested, including one for obstructing the arrests of people shouting slogan»»»

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz completed what likely was its final deployment on Tuesday and is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2026. File Photo by Yonhap Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz docked at Naval Base Kitsap on Tuesday after completing a 270-day deployment that likely was»»»

1 of 4 | FCC Chairman Brendan Carr testified during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation oversight hearing on the Federal Communications Commission at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Chairman Brendan Carr said t»»»

Fitch Ratings has placed Euroclear Bank, the Belgium-based depository holding frozen Russian assets, on notice for a possible downgrade, citing legal and liquidity risks linked to the EU’s attempt to use the funds to finance a “reparations loan” to Ukraine. The move on Tuesday to place Euroclear on»»»

Hurricanes are a weather phenomenon studied by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. The Trump administration announced it will dismantle it. File Photo by Lt. Col. Mark Withee/U.S. Air Force/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The President Donald Trump administration ann»»»

France is investigating whether an organised group linked to a “foreign power” may have been involved in the malware infection of a passenger ship that would allow it to be controlled remotely. The malware discovery onboard the Italian-owned Fantastic was made when the ship was docked in the southe»»»

Fifa will finally release its much-anticipated return to video games in 2026, several years after its acrimonious split with developer EA. But it is Netflix, rather than a major game studio, which has secured the rights to the upcoming football game. Once one of the most profitable brands in gaming»»»

U.K. and E.U. officials on Wednesday announced the United Kingdom's return to the Erasmus+ educational and training program in 2027 after holding talks in May that were aimed at resetting relations between the two. Photo by Jason Alden/EPA/Pool Dec. 17 (UPI) -- U.K. students and others can learn an»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said he won't release video of Caribbean boat strikes to Congress. The Senate just passed a funding bill that will reduce his travel budget if he doesn't. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The Senate on Wednesday passed the National Defe»»»

The European Union and the UK on Wednesday agreed to let British students rejoin the Erasmus+ programme in a symbolic step toward improving relations after Brexit.  The UK and the European Union agreed on Wednesday to allow British students to rejoin the bloc's popular student exchange program»»»

1 of 4 | Former special counsel Jack Smith is seen during a break while testifying during in a closed-door deposition before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Former special counse»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he approved on Wednesday a major gas deal with Egypt worth nearly $35 billion. "Today, I approved the largest gas deal in Israel's history. The deal is worth 112 billion shekels ($34.7 billion). Of this total, 58 billion shekels ($18 billion) will go t»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar highlighted the National Strategy to Promote Integrity, Transparency and Corruption Prevention 2025–2030, at a side event held as part of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (COSP11). The session was chaired by Pu»»»

Russia-Iran cooperation is vital to ensuring regional security and connectivity, Tehran University associate professor Foad Izadi tells Sputnik. The West is seeking to Balkanize Iran to exert additional pressure on Russia's southern frontier in the Caspian region and the Caucasus, according to Foad»»»

Protests against the planned euro changeover in Bulgaria were held in several cities across the country on Wednesday. In Sofia, demonstrators gathered outside the Bulgarian National Bank building. The protest was organized by the Doyran 2025 Association and was registered with the Sofia Municipalit»»»

Dubai: Oil prices climbed sharply on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of oil tankers heading to and departing from Venezuela that are deemed to be in breach of US sanctions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Both Brent crude and West Texas Int»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, talking to journalists in the parliamentary lobby on Wednesday, said that the best solution for the country is to adopt a completely new state budget. According to him, the current situation in parliament is absurd and unprecedented, as an attempt is being ma»»»

Speaking from Brussels, Prime Minister Orbán announced the results of one of the most successful national consultations in Hungary’s history, stressing that the clearly expressed will of Hungarian voters must serve as the guiding point for both domestic policy and Hungary’s stance in European decis»»»

Dubai: Joby Aviation said it plans to double its manufacturing capacity in the US as it prepares to scale production of its electric air taxi aircraft, targeting output of up to four aircraft per month by 2027. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The California-based compa»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday voted, 149-38 with 12 abstentions, to pass on first reading a 2025-to-2026 Budget Extension Bill. No debate was held on the draft legislation. The votes in favour came from GERB-UDF, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, MRF - New Beginning, There Is Such a P»»»

Parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading the 2025-to-2026 Revenue Collection and Expenditures Bill, the so-called 2026 Budget Extension Bill. Earlier in the day, the bill was approved on first reading. Lawmakers adopted a proposal by Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Assen V»»»

Billionaire investor Jared Isaacman has been confirmed to be Nasa’s next chief, capping an unusual nomination process where President Donald Trump put his name forward, withdrew it, and then renominated him. Isaacman, a 42-year-old amateur jet pilot who became the first non-professional astronaut t»»»

The Prime Minister Edi Rama is in Brussels today to take part in the EU–Western Balkans Summit, bringing together leaders from the Western Balkans and senior representatives of the European Union. Rama was received in a meeting by the President of the European Council, António Costa. The Albanian p»»»

A woman shows coca leaves during an event for the National Day of Acullico (chewing of the plant) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in January. Then-Bolivian President Luis Arce said his countrymen have shown the world that the coca leaf 'is not cocaine, File Photo by Juan Carlos Torrejon/EPA Dec. 17 (UPI) -»»»

The National Assembly voted on Wednesday at second reading to amend the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act. The changes regulate the conditions for applying special VAT schemes for small enterprises, both for entities established in Bulgaria and for those established in another EU Member State. The Assembly»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have urged motorists to adhere to safe driving practices as rainfall and unstable weather conditions are expected over the coming days, warning that hazardous road conditions could pose risks on both internal and external roads. In a statement, the police called on drive»»»

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., speaks during a press conference after a weekly House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in March. He announced Wednesday that he won't seek re-election. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., announced Wedne»»»

Private medical establishments are not bodies governed by public law and therefore should not be included within the scope of the Public Procurement Act, says the Bulgarian Hospital Association (BHA) in an open letter sent to the European Commission, the European Parliament, the National Assembly, »»»

Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar headed to Bulgaria on Wednesday to question a shipowner wanted in connection with a catastrophic 2020 Beirut port blast, a judicial official told AFP. The long-awaited questioning comes after a court this month refused Lebanon's request to extradite Igor Grechushkin, a 48»»»

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters pictured in February in Washington, D.C. The CDC's new policy change Tuesday allows parents of infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus to decide whether their newborns receive the vaccine, including the birth dose. »»»

In Sofia, citizens gathered in front of the Bulgarian National Bank to protest against the adoption of the euro. The demonstration is organized by the civil association Doyran 2025 and has been officially registered with the Sofia Municipality. Participants carried banners reading slogans such as “»»»

A protest against the euro changeover was held outside the Bulgarian National Bank building in Sofia on Wednesday. The protest was organized by the Doyran 2025 Association and was registered with the Sofia Municipality. Protesters carried banners reading "No to the euro," "It is time to be heard, n»»»

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is testifying before a Georgia state Senate committee Wednesday about her case against President Donald Trump. File Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing a Georgia state Senate committee over he»»»

Currently, with intense diplomacy taking place to – perhaps – end the Ukraine conflict, questions surrounding Kiev’s domestic politics may seem secondary. However, in reality, they are as important as the search for peace. There are two reasons: First, Ukrainians have a right to finally be released»»»