Convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sought to cultivate ties with Russia’s political elite and repeatedly pressed for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, according to US Justice Department files released on Tuesday. The documents detail Epstein’s travel to Russia and efforts to recruit y»»»

Two years after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison, five European countries claim they have identified the substance that killed him: epibatidine, an extremely lethal toxin produced by the South American poison dart frog. But why go through the trouble of using such a rare, exo»»»

Russia’s delegation to the latest round of US-brokered peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Geneva is once again being led by ultraconservative historian and presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky – a man who rewrote Russia’s history textbooks to justify Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. Vladimi»»»

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators wrapped up a first day of US-mediated peace talks in Geneva on Tuesday with no sign of a breakthrough. The nearly four-year war, Europe’s deadliest since World War II, grinds on as both sides signalled that they remain far apart on key issues like territory.  »»»

Dubai: Commuters faced significant delays on Wednesday morning as the first day of Ramadan brought heavy traffic and a series of incidents to the main arteries linking Sharjah and Dubai. The shift in traditional working hours and school timings, resulted in a concentrated surge of vehicles during t»»»

Dubai: Today, the UAE marks the first day of Ramadan after the official moon-sighting committee confirmed the holy month will begin on Wednesday, February 18. The arrival of Ramadan brings one of the most significant shifts in daily traffic patterns seen all year. For the next 30 days, roads across»»»

BusinessUnited States of AmericaBayer agrees to pay billions to settle Roundup lawsuitsKate Hairsine with AP, ReutersGerman chemical giant Bayer and cancer patient attorneys have agreed to a proposed $7.25 billion settlement over lawsuits claiming that glyphosate in its Roundup weedkiller causes ca»»»

After the first meeting in Oman this month, about which very little is known, the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi are meeting in Geneva on February 17. »»»

In today’s fast-paced world, where children are exposed to information, opinions, and influences from every direction, one timeless practice remains deeply powerful - meaningful conversations at home. The foundations of character, resilience, and responsibility are not built in teenage years. They »»»

Manila: In a game-changing move, the government has unleashed a major policy tweak allowing a 100% electricity subsidy for poorest Filipino families. Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos recently unveiled the "auto-enrollment" scheme for millions of target beneficiaries -- families unde»»»

An avalanche in California's Lake Tahoe region has left 10 backcountry skiers missing, authorities say, with six more people stranded and awaiting rescue. The avalanche was reported about 11:30PST (19:30GMT) in the Castle Peak area near the town of Truckee, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's »»»

More than a year after a 33-year-old woman froze to death on Austria's highest mountain, her boyfriend goes on trial on Thursday accused of gross negligent manslaughter. Kerstin G died of hypothermia on a mountain climbing trip to the Grossglockner that went horribly wrong. Her boyfriend is accused»»»

Heavily armed Guatemalan troops and military police deployed to the country's capital Tuesday, challenging street gangs blamed for killing 11 officers and sparking a major security crisis. President Bernardo Arevala ordered the "Plan Sentinel" operation to break the stranglehold of Barrio 18 and MS»»»

Late-night host Stephen Colbert has accused his network of refusing to broadcast his interview with a Democratic politician over fears of retaliation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). CBS, the network which hosts the programme, denies that it "prohibited" the interview from being aire»»»

"Life is becoming more expensive," complains Alexander, a Moscow-based advertising specialist who works for a big corporation. In the course of one month his monthly food budget soared by more than 22% - from 35,000 roubles (£330; $450) to 43,000 (£406; $555). With Russia's economy hanging somewher»»»

A water taxi/ferry is escorted through the ice in the Hudson River before docking in Manhattan as seen from "Edge" at Hudson Yards as sub freezing temperatures continue after the weekends major snow storm on January 29 in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Across the United »»»

AMMAN — A total of 11 patents were registered in January, including 10 local patents, according to data from the Industrial Property Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply.The data monitored on Tuesday by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, indicates that 717 trademarks wer»»»

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the US Navy's newest and largest aircraft carrier has recently crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and is en route to the Middle East. The move is widely interpreted as a strategic signal amid escalating regional dynamics, including US responses to Iranian threats and b»»»

Spokeswoman for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Tricia McLaughlin - one of the most prominent figures in the White House crackdown on immigration - plans to leave her post this week. McClaughlin has vigorously promoted and defended President Donald Trump's deportation push across socia»»»

The Next Generation School (TNG) marked its ‘Efforts for Excellence’ team appreciation event, honouring the dedication and impact of educators, researchers, and team members who bring the school’s vision to life each day. The evening brought together distinguished guests from the Ministry of Educat»»»

Tribune News Network Doha The greatest embodimentof Qatar Foundation’s globally unique education ecosystem are its skilled and values-driven students and across its schools and universities. 16 of these students have been recognised through the 19th edition of the Qatar Education Excellence Award. »»»

Tribune News Network Doha As part of its ongoing humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is working with Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee to distribute canned beef to displaced families across the blockade. This food aid is part »»»

Tribune News Network Doha Msheireb Properties, Qatar’s leading sustainable real estate developer, and Qatar Charity (QC), one of the largest humanitarian and development organisations in the world, have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday. This partnership formalises a »»»

Tribune News Network Doha Reaffirming its commitment to supporting communities most in need worldwide, Qatar Charity (QC) has delivered a package of special humanitarian assistance to Burkina Faso, aimed at supporting vulnerable groups and strengthening community resilience. The aid was formally re»»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC), represented by the Wildlife Development Department, in cooperation with the Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), has launched the second phase of the Rawda (meadows) fencing initiative at Rawdat Umm Laqhab in the Umm Birkah area of Al Thakh»»»

He also noted that by the end of 2024, the MoL launched the National Strategy for an Effective and Highly Productive Workforce 2024-2030, setting a clear roadmap for private-sector nationalisation and aiming to raise the proportion of Qataris employed in this sector from 17 percent to 20 percent, s»»»

A report released on the Ministry of Interior's website on Tuesday specified that activities conducted by the NGO National Protected Areas Control Agency (NPACA) have triggered four alerts since the NGO was established in 2022. On February 2, 2026, the bodies of three NPACA members were found with »»»

Why are red and gold so prominent for the Lunar New Year? Why is it the year of the Fire Horse? How, and where, is this holiday celebrated in France? And how big is the Asian diaspora in France? In this edition of Entre Nous, we're taking a deep dive into "Le Nouvel An Chinois" or the Chinese New Y»»»

Narendra Modi has made India a diplomatic swing power, forging ties with both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump while courting Europe and championing the Global South. Refusing to condemn Moscow and continuing to buy Russian oil, New Delhi’s “multi-alignment” strategy boosts its global clout – b»»»

Spanish officials on Tuesday announced they are launching an inquiry into potential criminal violations by X, Meta and TikTok over respective users' creation and distribution of AI-generated child sex abuse materials. Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Spanish authorities plan to investigat»»»

Damascus, Feb.17 (SANA) General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport held talks with Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Ground Services (SGS) on potential cooperation to develop ground handling services at Syrian airports, the Authority said. Authority Chief Omar al-Hosari met with an SGS delegation led»»»

BusinessEuropeShein faces EU investigation over products, design featuresMark Hallam with AP, dpaEU regulators are investigating Shein on suspicion that it has not done enough to limit the sale of illegal products and to protect consumers from allegedly addictive design features on the platform. ht»»»

What a relief, it’s over. This year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) has ended. In reality, the meeting has never had much to do with increasing anyone’s security. Otherwise, its Western participants would, for instance, not have laughed at the warning Russian President Vladimir Putin issued ther»»»

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of failing to deliver on his calls for European “strategic autonomy,” urging Paris to increase its military expenditure at the expense of social spending. Macron has pushed for European defense autonomy since propo»»»

The Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) marked the 20th anniversary of its establishment with an official ceremony attended by senior state officials, institutional representatives, and public figures, highlighting the Commission’s role in protecting human rights, promoting equal»»»

The European Union (EU) has launched a formal investigation into fast fashion giant Shein over possible breaches of digital law, including the sale of childlike sex dolls. The European Commission (EC), the EU's executive arm, said it will examine what systems the Chinese firm has in place to preven»»»

Sharjah: Al Hamriyah has been illuminated with vibrant Ramadan decorations after Al Hamriyah Municipality completed its annual project to adorn streets and public spaces with distinctive light installations reflecting the spirit and values of the holy month. The decorations feature innovative desig»»»

Ajman: Efforts to enhance inmates’ welfare and rehabilitation programmes at Ajman’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Institution have received strong praise from Brigadier Abdullah Saif Al Matrooshi, director general of Police operations at Ajman Police, who highlighted a series of development initi»»»

The Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) presented an award to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) for consistent efforts to build an accessible environment. The award was handed to BTA Director General Kiril Valchev at a special ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the Commission»»»

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly headed to Washington on Tuesday ‌to ‌participate in ‌the inaugural ⁠meeting of a "Board of Peace" established by US President Donald ⁠Trump, the ‌cabinet ‌said. Madbouly is ‌attending ‌on behalf of President Abdel ‌Fattah al-Sisi and is accompanied by ⁠Foreig»»»

Chair of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) Elka Bozhova said at the opening of an event marking the 20th anniversary of the institution’s establishment that the CPD is an example within the family of equality bodies as an authority with broad powers in the field of human ri»»»

Sharjah Charity International has announced full readiness to receive donations for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, unveiling a range of innovative initiatives aimed at making giving easier, faster and more accessible for donors across the emirate. Khalid Al Qassab, Head of the Resources and In»»»

Egypt will implement its largest-ever gas drilling programme in the Mediterranean in 2026, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said on Tuesday during an inspection of Shell’s new offshore operations. The minister visited the STENA ICEMAX drillship to monitor the start of drilli»»»

The Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF) has reached more than 36,000 beneficiaries across Morocco, Mexico and Zanzibar in 2025, expanding its international humanitarian work to strengthen child protection systems and address rising risks of exploitation, violence and harm aff»»»

The European Commission has announced an investigation into online retailer Shein. File Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/EPA Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has opened formal proceedings against online retailer Shein "for its addictive design, the lack of transparency o»»»

The deterioration in Bitcoin’s market price is feeding directly into El Salvador’s sovereign risk profile, exposing the fiscal and institutional trade-offs embedded in President Nayib Bukele’s flagship digital asset strategy.  »»»

After the first meeting in Oman this month, about which very little is known, the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi are meeting in Geneva on February 17. »»»

In the halls of the Bayerischer Hof in Munich, where the 62nd session of the Munich Security Conference convened in February 2026, the atmosphere transcended that of a routine diplomatic gathering addressing scattered global crises. Instead, it felt like a direct confrontation with a profound histo»»»

Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar has issued a ministerial decree replacing the schedules attached to the country’s anti-drug law, implementing a recent constitutional court ruling on the legality of previous amendments. The Health Ministry said Decree No. 44 of 2026 follows a Feb. 16 ru»»»

He emerged from our screens. He’d be nothing without social media, without its ability to transform an absolute nothing into a famous nothing. His improvised videos were considered provocative at first. Provocation then brought attention, and attention brought voter interest. Who is this? Donald Tr»»»