Netherlands will host International Claims Commission for Ukraine, minister says
THE HAGUE, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will be the home of an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, aimed at validating claims of war damages to be repaid at some stage by Russia, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Tues...
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Japan's fiscal 2026 budget to include record spending, sources say
TOKYO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Total spending in Japan's draft budget for fiscal 2026 will likely exceed 120 trillion yen ($775 billion) to hit a new record, two government sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. It would top the 115-trillion-y...
53m ago
UK firms see some relief after Reeves' budget, PMIs show
By William Schomberg LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - British businesses have reported some renewed momentum after months of worry about possible tax increases in finance minister Rachel Reeves' budget in late November, a closely watched survey of the privat...
56m ago
Plan to build church for war dead in city park sparks rare protest in Russia
By Mark Trevelyan LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Plans to build a church in honour of Russia's war dead in a riverside park in the southern city of Krasnodar have sparked a rare protest by local people, who publicly appealed to President Vladimir Putin to...
1h ago
Rising chip costs to push global smartphone shipments down in 2026, Counterpoint says
Dec 16 (Reuters) - Global smartphone shipments are expected to decline 2.1% next year as rising chip costs are likely to impact demand, technology-focused market research firm Counterpoint said on Tuesday. Electronics supply chains around the world ha...
1h ago
Polish student detained over suspected Christmas market attack plot
WARSAW, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Polish security services have detained a student suspected of preparing a "mass attack" at a Christmas market, Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesperson for Poland's special services, said on Tuesday. Mateusz W., a student at the Cat...
1h ago
Global insured catastrophe losses set to hit $107 billion in 2025, report shows
Dec 16 (Reuters) - Annual global insured losses from natural catastrophes are expected to hit $107 billion in 2025, driven by the Los Angeles wildfires and severe convective storms in parts of the United States, a Swiss Re Institute study showed on Tu...
1h ago
Euro zone business activity ends 2025 weaker than expected, PMI shows
By Indradip Ghosh BENGALURU, Dec 16 - Euro zone business activity growth slowed more than expected at the end of 2025 as a contraction in manufacturing deepened while the expansion in the dominant services industry eased, a survey showed. The common c...
1h ago
UN envoy hopeful on Cyprus, says multi-party summit premature
NICOSIA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The key U.N. envoy seeking to break a deadlock in Cyprus's long-running division said she was cautiously optimistic about a breakthrough but that it would be premature to convene a multi-nation summit on the conflict. In an...
1h ago
Rwanda-backed M23 group says it will withdraw from seized Congo town after US request
Dec 16 (Reuters) - Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have said they would withdraw from the eastern Congo town of Uvira at the request of the U.S. administration, which had criticised seizure of the town last week as a threat to mediation efforts. The rebels e...
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