A Rio Carnival parade paying tribute to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been relegated after finishing last in the city’s top samba school competition, as critics denounced elements of the performance that mocked conservatives and traditional family values. A Carnival parade honouring Brazi»»»

The Asian Development Bank and Gulf Renewable Energy Company Limited have signed a $350mn financing agreement to support the construction of two solar power projects paired with battery energy storage systems in Thailand, alongside a separate 68-MW solar plant, POWERLINE reports. »»»

A Brussels-based human rights group has filed a criminal complaint in Chile seeking the investigation and prosecution of an Israeli-Ukrainian former military sniper accused of participating in the deadly siege and destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. »»»

A Brussels-based human rights group has filed a criminal complaint in Chile seeking the investigation and prosecution of an Israeli-Ukrainian former military sniper accused of participating in the deadly siege and destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. »»»

A Brussels-based human rights group has filed a criminal complaint in Chile seeking the investigation and prosecution of an Israeli-Ukrainian former military sniper accused of participating in the deadly siege and destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. »»»

Expectations that 2026 could prove decisive in ending the war in Ukraine are premature and risk misreading the logic driving Moscow, argues Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and founder of political analysis firm R.Politik, in a comment for Carnegie Politika. »»»

Expectations that 2026 could prove decisive in ending the war in Ukraine are premature and risk misreading the logic driving Moscow, argues Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and founder of political analysis firm R.Politik, in a comment for Carnegie Politika. »»»

Peru’s Congress on Tuesday voted to remove the interim President Jose Jeri over corruption allegations, deepening political uncertainty just weeks before the nation’s April presidential and congressional elections. Jeri is under preliminary investigation for alleged influence peddling tied to a ser»»»

On the eve of the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace" initiative in Washington, FRANCE 24 spoke to historian and UN expert Alanna O’Malley about how the body reflects the MAGA movement's agenda seeking to further institutionalise US power at a global scale. Dozens of w»»»

UN missions from 85 member states on Tuesday condemned what they described as Israel’s expanding control in the West Bank, warning it could amount to de facto annexation. In a joint statement, they said unilateral measures violated international law and urged Israel to reverse them immediately. A t»»»

The Central Board of Secondary Education will introduce On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 board exams from 2026, shifting from traditional physical evaluation of answer books to a fully digital system – a reform the board said is a step towards “greater accuracy and transparency”. Also Read: CBS»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 18, 2026: The killing of far-right activist Quentin Deranque has plunged France into political chaos, as one of the suspects was revealed to be working for the far-left France Unbowed party. Meanwhile, as tributes for civil rights act»»»

Just after sundown on Tuesday, the new moon began to make the rounds of the earth, setting the starting date for the holy month of Ramadan for either February 18 or 19, depending on the country. But in France, a squabble over when to call the crescent sighting split Muslim leaders, prompting rival »»»

Congratulations were also extended to ministries and government entities that won the Government Excellence Award in its second edition. The Cabinet praised their outstanding institutional performance and the award’s role in elevating the quality of public services since its launch. The Cabinet app»»»

The Sharjah Police General Headquarters has won three awards at the seventh edition of the Minister of Interior Excellence Award 2026, held at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Lt. Gen. Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. Sharjah Police sec»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Lawmakers from Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party on February 17 submitted a draft resolution to parliament opposing Ukraine’s EU membership and calling on the government to reject further support that could draw the bloc deeper into the war, state news agency MTI writes. »»»

Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting held on Wednesday morning at the Amiri Diwan. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H»»»

Meta Platforms CEO and billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is set to be questioned for the first time in a US court on Wednesday about Instagram's effect on the mental health of young users, as a landmark trial over youth social media addiction continues. While Zuckerberg has previously te»»»

TechnologyIndiaIndia AI summit: Brazil's Lula lands, US giants tout plansMark Hallam with AFP, AP, ReutersBrazil's President Lula da Silva has arrived in New Delhi, joining Emmanuel Macron, Pedro Sanchez and other leaders. Meanwhile, Google and Nvidia touted their Indian expansion plans at the AI I»»»

Nikolay Denkov, co-chair of the parliamentary group Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), commented on Wednesday that he does not see any bright political figures in Andrey Gurov's draft cabinet. "I don't see bright political figures, but an attempt for each minister to understand the wo»»»

Before Pakistan commits to sending troops to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force it wants assurances from the United States that it will be a peacekeeping mission rather than tasked with disarming Hamas, three sources told Reuters. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set t»»»

The final report of the Winograd Commission, which investigated the events of the Second Lebanon War, was one of the most prominent probes that addressed the Israeli political and military failures in commanding the July 2006 war. The report’s significance stems from the broad powers granted to the»»»

1 of 5 | White House crypto czar David Sacks and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (R) attend a dinner hosted by President Donald Trump with tech leaders at the White House in September. Zuckerberg is expected to testify today in a trial that will decide if his platforms intentionally addict kids. File Phot»»»

DUBAI - The Serbian-Kazakh duo of Aleksandra Krunic and Anna Danilina is through to the women's doubles quarter-finals at the Dubai WTA tennis tournament after defeating the Indian-Thai pair of Rutuja Bhosale and Peangtarn Plipuech 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) on Wednesday. Krunic and Danilina, who won after an »»»

Dubai: Carrefour is pulling back from more countries as it tries to rebuild profits and simplify its sprawling global business, even as its stores remain a familiar sight for shoppers across the Gulf. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The French supermarket group said on»»»

New Delhi: Google said it would build new subsea cables from India and chip titan Nvidia unveiled tie-ups with computing firms on Wednesday as tech giants rushed to announce deals and investments at a global AI conference in New Delhi. The AI Impact Summit is the fourth annual gathering to discuss »»»

Economic news, the latest developments in the Petrohan criminal case, and the caretaker government's lineup dominate Wednesday's news media. POLITICS On bTV's morning show, Anton Kutev commented on former president Rumen Radev's upcoming political project. Kutev, former caretaker government spokesp»»»

There’s trade deals, there's partnerships and then there's fighter jets. French President Emmanuel Macron is in Mumbai to put the finishing touches on a €30 billion sale of 114 Rafale jets. This third batch comes as France struggles to convince European neighbours to either buy its warplanes, build»»»

Dimitar Iliev is nominated for Minister of Youth and Sports in the Gurov caretaker Cabinet. He held the same position in the Nikolay Denkov government (June 2023 - March 2024). Eight-times rally champion of Bulgaria and the only Bulgaria to have won Rally Bulgaria three times. Puts an end to his sp»»»

Prof. Sergei Ignatov has been proposed as caretaker Minister of Education and Science in the draft cabinet of Andrey Gyurov. Ignatov was born on August 6, 1960 in the city of Vidin, according to information from the Vidin Almanac. Ignatov completed his primary education at the St. Cyril and St. Met»»»

Dimitar Iliev is nominated for Minister of Youth and Sport in the Gurov caretaker Cabinet. He held the same position in the Nikolay Denkov government (June 2023 - March 2024). Eight-times rally champion of Bulgaria and the only Bulgaria to have won Rally Bulgaria three times. Puts an end to his spo»»»

In a declaration delivered on behalf of the parliamentary group of the BSP–United Left, MP Galin Durev said Wednesday that Vasil Levski left not only the idea of liberation but also a moral compass for statehood, for a just, democratic, pure and sacred republic where the law stands above personal i»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Neither Russia, nor China allegedly conducted any nuclear tests in 2020, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Last week, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said that Washington has evidence that China allegedly con»»»

Long known for its olives and seaside charm, the southern Greek city of Kalamata has found itself in the spotlight thanks to a towering mural that reimagines legendary soprano Maria Callas as an allegory for the city itself. The massive artwork on the side of a prominent building in the city center»»»

Eighty-five countries have signed on to a Palestinian-led joint statement condemning the recent Israeli security cabinet decisions aimed at tightening the occupation’s control of the West Bank. “We strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful prese»»»

A large number of residents of Istočno Novo Sarajevo welcomed their fellow citizen Aleksandar Ivanović last night, the boxer who won the UBF title in the cruiserweight division. A spectacular reception featuring flares was organized in Gavrilo Princip Park for Ivanović, a professional boxer of Boxi»»»

Manila: At a raucous 2022 campaign rally, the two most formidable names in Philippine politics stood side by side, sealing an alliance that seemed unstoppable. Before a sea of roaring supporters, then–vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte turned to her running mate, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and dec»»»

A luminous outline of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores loomed over Caracas against the night sky in January. The steady light of hundreds of drones in a show put on by the government in Venezuela, suspended their image in front of the clouds, before rearranging to call for their return: "El»»»

Dubai: After 20 years of discovering singing talent across India, Indian Idol, the iconic music reality show has finally packed its bags and gone international, and Gulf News was given exclusive access to it. The reality show cast and crew landed in Abu Dhabi earlier this week to film special episo»»»

Doha, Qatar: The sports competitions organised by Safari Group in connection with Qatar National Sports Day concluded with enthusiastic public participation. Hundreds of sports lovers took part in the events held across various Safari outlets on February 10th. The main attraction, the arm wrestling»»»

Japan's lower house formally reappointed Sanae Takaichi as prime minister on Wednesday, 10 days after her historic landslide election victory. Takaichi, 64, became Japan's first woman premier in October and won a two-thirds majority for her party in the snap lower house elections on February 8. She»»»

An ungainly barrel of a shark cruising languidly over a barren seabed far too deep for the sun’s rays to illuminate was an unexpected sight. Many experts had thought sharks didn’t exist in the frigid waters of Antarctica before this sleeper shark lumbered warily and briefly into the spotlight of a »»»

Monaco: Paris Saint-Germain recovered from a shambolic start as Desire Doue inspired a comeback from two goals down to beat Monaco 3-2 in the principality in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie yesterday. United States star Folarin Balogun opened the scoring after ju»»»