The International Monetary Fund has said that economic activity in Kuwait is “rebounding,” adding that real GDP will expand by 3.8 percent in 2026. In concluding the 2025 Article IV consultation with Kuwait, IMF Executive Directors endorsed staff’s appraisal, as follows: “An economic recovery is un»»»

Iran has arrested the Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, according to media reports. The reports named him as Shinnosuke Kawashima and said he had been transferred to the notorious Evin Prison. "We at NHK always act with the safety of our staff as our top priority. At this time»»»

A Russian professor specializing in Korean studies and teaching at a South Korean university, Andrey Lankov, was detained by police in Latvia, where he was giving a lecture on North Korea, Russian media reported Wednesday. Lankov is seen here at a 2015 symposium on Korean unification held in Seoul.»»»

The GS4 Max stands out with its eye-catching presence and bold design, highlighted by the criss-cross matrix front grille, Morning Star LED headlights and Rainbow taillights. DOMASCO GAC Motor have just launched the all-new GS4 Max SUV in Qatar, offering consumers a new blend of advanced technology»»»

Ornate packaging paired with enticing advertisements that claim expensive shampoos are elixirs to all hair woes can leave one wondering: Are the higher prices really worth it? Should I abandon my $8 drugstore mainstay for a $42 premium brand? Experts say affordable shampoos and conditioners found i»»»

Iran's foreign ministry on Wednesday dismissed US claims about its missile program as "big lies", after President Donald Trump claimed Tehran was developing missiles that can strike the United States. "Whatever they're alleging in regards to Iran's nuclear program, Iran's ballistic missiles, and th»»»

Paris, France: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of the Louvre Museum's Director Laurence des Cars, according to a statement released by the Elysee Palace. According to the statement, Macron accepted her resignation as "an act of responsibility" when the world's l»»»

Ankara: A Turkish military pilot was killed on Wednesday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed shortly after take-off during a mission flight, local authorities said. Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said the aircraft went down shortly after takeoff during a mission flight. Turkish media reported that the crash»»»

At the close of 2025, Bulgarian citizens showed a slight increase in travel activity, with approximately 1.1 million individuals aged 15 and above undertaking tourism trips in the fourth quarter, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). This marks a 1.5% rise com»»»

February 24 marked four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the most severe and destructive armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The attack in 2022 sent shockwaves globally and set off a prolonged war that continues to reshape the continent’s s»»»

New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Pekka Haavisto of Finland as his new Personal Envoy for Sudan. Haavisto brings over forty years of experience in politics and international affairs, having held several ministerial positions in the Government o»»»

Two of five suspects charged in a 7-kilogram cocaine trafficking case have been remanded in custody following a unanimous decision by a Rhodes investigator and prosecutor. The case was cracked last Wednesday by officers from the Internal Affairs Service. The two remanded suspects are a 40-year-old »»»

Residents along the banks of the Evros River in northeastern Greece endured a difficult night as water levels rose far above the 6.4-meter alert threshold, reaching about 7 meters, authorities said. An emergency alert was sent shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday to residents of Lavara, located on the r»»»

Around 17 international humanitarian organizations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an imminent order that would force 37 NGOs to cease operations in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, warning of catastrophic consequences for civilians. Organizations, including Doctors Without B»»»

Japan’s government said Wednesday that a Japanese national has been detained in Tehran since January and demanded the Iranian authorities release them swiftly. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki, asked about foreign media reports about the case, only confirmed that the Japanese citizen wa»»»

Iraq's transport ministry said Wednesday a temporary shutdown of Baghdad International Airport was caused by an "emergency technical problem,” denying reports of any security threat. The closure prompted speculation on social media, but officials stressed that the halt in operations was purely tech»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday of a "turnaround for the ages" in his State of the Union speech, seeking to reverse dismal polls and see off mounting challenges at home and abroad ahead of crucial midterm elections. Trump sought to paint a rosy picture of his ac»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Poland, the Baltic states, and Ukraine, using the Belarusian opposition, planned to disrupt the deployment of the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus, a source familiar with the Belarusian opposition's plans told Sputnik. On December 18, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko a»»»

A Turkish fighter jet crashed near a highway shortly after takeoff early Wednesday, killing the pilot, state media reported, citing the defense ministry. Radio and tracking information with the aircraft, which took off from Balikesir at 12:56 am (2156 GMT Tuesday), was lost soon after departure, th»»»

Bill Gates "took responsibility for his actions" over ties ‌to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, a spokesperson for the philanthropic group told Reuters in a written statement on Tuesday. The spokesperson's comments came i»»»

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the war in Ukraine was the result of the West's failure to support Ukraine after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, as well as its inability to punish Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people in Syria and the debacle o»»»

Kanatbek Mamatov has been appointed Director of the Bishkek City Hall’s Department of Physical Culture and Sports, Tourism, and Youth Affairs. The City Hall’s press service announced. Previously, Mamatov served as head of the department’s division for educational, sports, and mass physical culture »»»

Doha, Qatar: The twelfth season of the Ramadan program “Wa Aamanahum Min Khawf” (And He Secured Them from Fear) commenced with a thought-provoking session titled “Unity of the Ummah in a Changing World: A Study in Contemporary Challenges.” The opening episode brought together prominent scholars to »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) launched the Digital Auditor Card to enhance service efficiency and support digital transformation. In post on its X platform, the Ministry stated that the launch of Digital Auditor Card is part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s eff»»»

Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of State for Defense Affairs H E Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, met with Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan H E Shehbaz Sharif, and his accompanying delegation at his residence during his visit to the country. During the meeting, th»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued yesterday government bonds on behalf of the Ministry of Finance worth QR2.5bn. A statement from QCB said that the issuance varied in maturities as follows: QR1.25bn tap issuance due on September 3, 2028 with a 4.1 percent yield, and another QR1.25bn tap »»»

Doha, Qatar: Thirty-one students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) spent two weeks of their winter break shadowing physicians at affiliate hospitals as part of the Step into Medicine Observership Program’s winter 2025-2026 session. The program introduces foundation and pre-medical students »»»

Doha, Qatar: QNB Group, a leading financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, emerged as the most highly decorated regional bank at the annual Global Finance Sustainable Finance Awards. The bank secured five awards in total, including Overall Best Bank for Sustainable Finance in the Middle»»»

Geneva: Qatar participated in the high-level segment of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), currently convening in Geneva. Qatar was represented at the event by Minister of State for International Cooperation H E Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad. In her address, t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Student Activities Department at Qatar University (QU) held a press conference to announce the details of the 13th edition of the Cultural Village under the theme ‘Heritage Worn with Pride.’ The event will take place at the Student Affairs Building (I11) from March 30-31, 2026 for »»»

Doha, Qatar: Dukhan Bank has launched its new personal finance campaign, offering customers the best profit rate in Qatar at 2.99% annually and a cash bonus of up to 1%. This campaign comes in line with the Bank’s ongoing commitment to delivering accessible, Shari’a-compliant financial solutions ta»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been alerted anew against dealing with unscrupulous cargo forwarders after reports of mishandled and abandoned balikbayan boxes in the Philippines. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has issued the warning in coordination with the Nationa»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The plans of London and Paris to help Ukraine with nuclear weapons is a manipulation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "The UK and France are preparing and are already in the process of manipulating, not rhetorically, but practically, the is»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The administration of US President Donald Trump warned the Ukrainian government that Ukraine's strikes on a Russian oil facility in the Black Sea late last year impacted US investments in Kazakhstan, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olga Stefanishyna said. In late Novemb»»»

Paris is pinning high hopes on a preparatory meeting held in Cairo on Tuesday under Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, seen as a key step toward the conference France will host in Paris on March 5, to rally support for the Lebanese army and the Internal Security Forces. French diplomatic sou»»»

Doha, Qatar: Strong defensive performances marked matches in the third edition of the Al Thumama Ramadan Tournament on Monday night at Al Furjan Stadium in Al Thumama. The tournament is being held in cooperation with the Qatar Sports for All Federation. Only three goals were scored across three mat»»»

Los Angeles: Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will meet in a long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing clash in boxing history this September at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Netflix announced on Monday. The bout between two of boxing’s biggest names -- who famously fought a blockbuster clash in 2»»»

Doha, Qatar: Apex Group Ltd. (“Apex Group”), a leading global financial services provider with over $3.5 trillion in assets serviced, announces the successful licensing and opening of its new office in Qatar at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a top-tier onshore financial and business hub in the r»»»

The Hamas movement denied an Israeli media report alleging it had taken steps to reactivate its rocket system, calling the claims a “pretext” Israel was promoting to justify a return to war and the occupation of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said on Monday that vital m»»»

Concern is mounting in Lebanon as tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, stoking fears that any direct military clash could spill onto Lebanese soil. The evacuation of non-essential staff from the US embassy in Beirut has deepened unease, especially as it coincided with official Leb»»»

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, seen here in November 2025, gave the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union on Tuesday night. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Feb. 25 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump is not working for the American people but enriching hims»»»

Doha, Qatar: Despite his extensive experience in international football with Spain, Julen Lopetegui (pictured) has never coached at a FIFA World Cup. He came close to leading La Roja in Russia in 2018, only for fate to deny him that moment at the final hurdle. Now, the opportunity returns – this ti»»»

Mayor of Shopokov Radzhu Noruzbaev has resigned. He submitted a letter of resignation. The municipality’s office confirmed this information. Radzhu Noruzbaev was appointed to this position in the summer of 2025. He previously served as the chief of staff at Kara-Balta City Hall.»»»

Former Deputy Prosecutor General of Kyrgyzstan Kuban Adyl uulu has been sentenced to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. He was found guilty of preparing mass riots with the aim of overthrowing the government. The verdict was handed down by the Alamedin District Court. Eight other def»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aspetar has launched a series of initiatives under the 16th edition of its annual Ramadan campaign, “Healthy Ramadan”, as part of the hospital’s ongoing efforts to enhance health and fitness awareness throughout the holy month. The yearly campaign aims to provide the community with rel»»»

President of Sri Lanka H E Anura Kumara Dissanayake received the credentials of H E Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Dosari as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to Sri Lanka. The Ambassador conveyed the greetings of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to His Excellency th»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is continuing the Baraim Category (Far‘ Al-Baraim) examinations as part of the 31st edition of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Qur’an Competition, reinforcing the competition’s role as a leading educational platform that encourages chi»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Gharafa have been one of the standout sides for much of the ongoing Qatar Stars League (QSL) season, but a recent dip in form has complicated their pursuit of the title. The Pedro Martins-coached side had been sitting at the top of the standings before a costly three-match losing st»»»

Dubai: South Indian actor and beloved celebrity couple Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna are all set to tie the knot tomorrow, February 26, 2026 at a plush hotel in Udaipur. Unlike many high-profile celebrity couples, the actors confirmed their wedding just days ahead, giving fans the “happil»»»

Ajman: Authorities in Ajman have intensified efforts to enhance building safety and sustainability with the rollout of the second phase of the Building Compliance Package, a key initiative aligned with Ajman Vision 2030 and aimed at improving overall quality of life across the emirate. The Departme»»»