Relatives of Venezuelan political prisoners staged a fifth day of hunger strike Wednesday on the eve of a parliament sitting they hope will result in passage of a long-awaited amnesty law. Outside the "Zona 7" prison in the capital Caracas, five women from an initial group of about a dozen lay on m»»»

Air passenger traffic is expected to be high during the upcoming Clean Monday long weekend. According to Aegean Airlines, occupancy rates for the three-day holiday from both Athens and Thessaloniki exceed 80%. In the international network from Aegean’s largest base in Athens, occupancy rates exceed»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui The Russian Cultural Week concluded on a high note at Darb Al Saai, offering residents and visitors in Qatar a vibrant celebration of heritage, art, and friendship. The event was inaugurated last Thursday by HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Culture, alon»»»

ATP/TNN Doha Carlos Alcaraz roused a big finish to secure progress in straight sets while Jannik Sinner got the better of Alexi Popyrin in top two matches of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex on Wednesday under lights. World number one Alcaraz overcame V»»»

One of Donald Trump's most senior economic advisers has said a group of economists should be "disciplined" for a Federal Reserve study which argued that US firms and consumers have borne the brunt of the president's tariffs. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett said the report, publishe»»»

1 of 5 | Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, speaks outside the White House in December. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (UPI) -- White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Wednesday said that employees at the New York Federal Reserve should face punis»»»

Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman whose husband was convicted of inviting dozens of men to rape her unconscious body, has released her memoir, recounting the horrors she endured and why she chose to go public in a trial that shocked the world. Released in 22 languages worldwide, "A ​H»»»

Agencies India hopes to attract as much as $200 billion in data center investment over the next few years as it boosts its ambitions to become a hub for artificial intelligence, the country’s top electronics and information technology official said Tuesday. The investments underscore the reliance o»»»

Rescue teams combing through the backcountry of California's Lake Tahoe region say they have found the bodies of eight skiers who went missing in an avalanche on Tuesday. The search for a final missing skier continues but that person is presumed dead, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a ne»»»

Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he does not agree with an elected member of his party who claimed that Canada was harming its relationship with the US by throwing an "anti-American hissy fit". Jamil Jivani, a Conservative MP from Ontario, made the remark in an interview with righ»»»

Doha, Qatar: The first weekend of the holy month of Ramadan has arrived, carrying with it a pleasant mix of activities. Old Souq Bazaar Until April 30, 2026 10am - 10pm Tawar Mall Tawar Mall invites you to enjoy the From Our Homeland Productive Families Markets Exhibition hosted at the Old Souq Baz»»»

Doha, Qatar: The second edition of the Ramadan Blitz Chess Championship, organized by the Qatar Chess Association and the Doha Youth Center, will begin Thursday, with the participation of 70 players. The internationally rated tournament aims to promote chess in Qatar and provide a strong competitiv»»»

China carried out an underground “nuclear explosive test” in June 2020, a senior US State Department official has claimed, citing “fresh intelligence” on the matter. Beijing has repeatedly dismissed such allegations as “entirely unfounded,” while independent observers say the evidence is inconclusi»»»

1 of 2 | Traffic moves down Seventh Avenue in Times Square in New York City on December 26. On Wednesday, a coalition of environmental groups sued the EPA, saying its new emissions rules go against decades of government policy and science. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (U»»»

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Shein over suspicions that the online retail giant has violated the EU's Digital Services Act. The probe comes months after the online retail giant came under fire for allowing child-like sex dolls to be sold on its site. But first, Fra»»»

Authorities have scrapped plans to lease the two main sand beaches on the tiny island of Ano Koufonissi to businesses that planned to set up sun loungers and umbrellas there, ending their free and unrestricted use by the public. The Finance Ministry, which is responsible for leasing Greece’s once p»»»

Poland is preparing a lawsuit against Russia for what it describes as “reparations” for the legacy of “Soviet influence,” mirroring its earlier demand for €1.3 trillion ($1.36 trillion) in compensation from Germany over crimes committed during World War II, the Financial Times has reported. In Sept»»»

Doha, Qatar: World number two Jannik Sinner booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open with a straight-set victory over Australia's Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday. Playing at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, the 24-year-old Italian secured a 6-3 7-5»»»

Climate Central's researchers found in a new analysis that heat threatens coffee harvests and coincides with recent record highs in prices. File Photo by Fully Handoko/EPA Feb. 18 (UPI) -- An analysis by Climate Central found that the world's five largest coffee-producing countries, which account f»»»

Satellite images show that Iran has recently built a concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covered it in soil, experts say, advancing work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024 amid tensions with the US. Images also show that Iran has buried tunnel entranc»»»

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will review Moderna's mRNA 1010 flu vaccine for older adults, which could make it available ahead of the traditional cold and flu season at the end of 2026, the drugmaker announced on Wednesday. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Mod»»»

Iranians have returned to the streets this week to mourn those killed by security forces during last month's anti-government demonstrations, sparking some new crackdowns in an echo of the 1979 revolution that brought down the US-backed Shah. The anti-Shah revolutionaries turned Shiite Muslim memori»»»

Some fruit industry analysts say the boom in Chilean cherries may have peaked and that weaker demand in China, the main export market for the fruit, could force producers to rethink supply levels. File Photo by Benjamin Hernandez/EPA SANTIAGO, Chile, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Chile's cherry industry faces a»»»

Dubai: Morocco’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has announced that Thursday, February 19, will mark the first day of Ramadan, following the confirmed sighting of the crescent moon. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the ministry said it had observed the Ramadan crescent after s»»»

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was "drafting" a framework for future talks with the United States, as the US energy secretary said Washington would stop Iran's nuclear ambitions "one way or another". Diplomatic efforts are underway to avert the possibility of US mi»»»

Crowds of mourners appear to have been fired on by a security official at a cemetery in Iran. The incident happened in Abdanan, in west Iran, on Tuesday as people gathered to commemorate those killed during the government's brutal crackdown on protesters last month. Iranians usually hold commemorat»»»

Supporters of Hezbollah shout slogans during a protest organized by the group under the slogan "The entire country is resistance" outside the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, on February 4. The demonstrators condemned the ongoing Israel»»»

It's unclear if an unruly passenger on board a Delta Air Lines will face charges after allegedly trying to enter the cockpit and possibly injuring another passenger. File Photo by John Dickerson/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Atlanta was forced to turn aro»»»

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman vowed on Wednesday to uphold the rule of law in Bangladesh and overhaul the battered economy in his first speech to the nation since taking office. Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was sworn into office on Tuesday after a landslide election vict»»»

Politicians shared their views on the Cabinet line-up that caretaker prime minister–designate Andrey Gurov presented to President Iliana Iotova on Wednesday. Reactions ranged from claims of “nods” to political forces to criticism labelling the proposed Cabinet as “the result of bargaining and backr»»»

Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook co-founder, arrived at a California court on Wednesday where he is due to testify in a landmark legal case over whether social media is addictive to children. It will mark Zuckerberg's first appearance before a jury after years of backlash against his company, Meta Pla»»»

A Conservative member of parliament from Alberta has defected to the Liberal Party bringing Prime Minister Mark Carney closer to a majority in the House of Commons. In a post on social media, Carney announced that Matt Jeneroux, who represents a constituency in Edmonton, has joined the Liberal cauc»»»

Romania’s 2024 presidential election was already one of the most controversial political episodes in the European Union in recent years. A candidate who won the first round was prevented from contesting the second. The vote was annulled. Claims of Russian interference were advanced without public e»»»

Sharjah Police have urged motorists to remain calm and patient on the roads during Ramadan, warning that rushing to reach destinations — particularly in the minutes before iftar — significantly increases the risk of serious traffic accidents. The call comes as part of the force’s Ramadan awareness »»»

Istanbul: In the heart of the historic Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkiye, where daily life intersects with the features of Ottoman history, stories lie hidden among the old alleyways, reaching beyond the walls of mosques and the bustle of markets. Among these stories stands a mosque, small in siz»»»

In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to develop Dubai’s countryside and rural areas into some of the most beautiful and distinctive in the world, and as part of ongoing efforts to enhance »»»

New York: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed concern over reports that more than 50 civilians were killed in four Sudanese states as a result of drone attacks, urging an end to the violence and renewed engagement in dialogue toward a ceasefire. In a press statement, Turk sa»»»

Peru will again swear in a head of state chosen by Congress rather than by direct vote, after legislators removed José Jerí from office barely 130 days into his interim presidency.  The decision, approved on February »»»

The Lebanese Cabinet's decision to increase gasoline prices and raise the value-added tax has sparked widespread protests and political opposition, with demonstrators blocking major roads in Beirut and other cities. In res»»»

Another sign yet that Georgia’s worsening elations with the West is not deterring investment came in February, when the first phase of Eagle Hills Georgia’s Tbilisi Waterfront residential project sold out on its opening day. »»»

President Sadyr Japarov’s sudden dismissal of his friend and security service chief Kamchybek Tashiyev on February 10 sent shockwaves through Kyrgyzstan. Japarov offered up reasons for the decision and said it will not aff»»»

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček has offered to supply Slovakia with oil via the Druzhba pipeline reverse flow. The Czech side could also enhance the transportation capacities from Germany, Slovak state broadcaster STVR reported, referring to Havlíček. »»»

Renewables accounted for more than 50% of Poland’s installed electricity capacity at the end of 2025, and for the first time ever their share in annual power generation surpassed 30%, the Ministry of Climate and Environment said on February 17. »»»

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček has offered to supply Slovakia with oil via the Druzhba pipeline reverse flow. The Czech side could also enhance the transportation capacities from Germany, Slovak state broadcaster STVR reported, referring to Havlíček. »»»

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček has offered to supply Slovakia with oil via the Druzhba pipeline reverse flow. The Czech side could also enhance the transportation capacities from Germany, Slovak state broadcaster STVR reported, referring to Havlíček. »»»

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček has offered to supply Slovakia with oil via the Druzhba pipeline reverse flow. The Czech side could also enhance the transportation capacities from Germany, Slovak state broadcaster STVR reported, referring to Havlíček. »»»

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček has offered to supply Slovakia with oil via the Druzhba pipeline reverse flow. The Czech side could also enhance the transportation capacities from Germany, Slovak state broadcaster STVR reported, referring to Havlíček. »»»

In the second installment of his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, former Jordanian prime minister and intelligence chief Ahmad Obeidat recounts details of a missile plot to assassinate King Hussein, which he says was backed by Muammar Gaddafi and carried out through operatives linked to Wadie Haddad»»»

There were no other people present at the Petrohan mountain lodge on the night when three people died there, Deputy Appellate Prosecutor of the Sofia Appellate Prosecution Office Natalia Nikolova said during a joint briefing by the prosecution service and the police. Three men were found shot dead »»»

The owners of Polish mobile payment system BLIK have held preliminary discussions regarding a potential initial public offering in Warsaw that could value the company at up to $2bn, Bloomberg reported on February 17. Accor»»»