Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Several victims of an avalanche that hit Northern California's backcountry on Tuesday were connected to a private school for competitive skiers, the institution said. Officials with Sugar Bowl Academy in Norden, Calif., confirmed Wednesday that multiple victims were either members »»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed decrees appointing three new ministers, whose candidacies were approved by the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) the day before. Urmatbek Shamyrkanov has been appointed Minister of Emergency Situations. He will oversee civil defense, emergency response, and p»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) represented by the Private Associations and Institutions Department, in collaboration with the Excellence Centre for Training and Consulting at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, organised a specialised panel discussion titled »»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Hidaya School for Students with Special Needs (Primary, Preparatory and Secondary – Dafna Branch) organised the fourth annual “Ibda’a Bi Anamili” (I Create with My Fingertips) competition for the 2025–2026 academic year under the theme “Through the Eyes of Our Students, We See Qatar»»»

Doha, Qatar: Population health experts at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have published a perspective article, which outlines the need to rethink global statin guidelines for older adults in resource-diverse settings. The paper highlights that guidelines for statin medications – used to contr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Lebanese-American tennis star Hady Habib inspired students and educators during a special visit to First Assalam School, an initiative of Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global foundation dedicated to advancing education and development. Launched in 2019, the First Assalam Scho»»»

In her remarks on the situation in Libya to the UN Security Council yesterday, UNSMIL head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh said ‘‘Regrettably, there has been no meaningful progress between the House of Representatives (HoR) and the High Council of State (»»»

Doha, Qatar: Rawabi Wholesale Division, a leading FMCG distribution network under Al Rawabi Group of Companies, successfully distributed the grand prizes of its much-anticipated “Silver Jubilee Bonanza” campaign on February 16, 2026, at Wholesale Plus – Al Nayef Square, Al Rayyan. The campaign was »»»

Saudi Arabia's artificial intelligence firm Humain said Wednesday it had invested $3 billion in US billionaire Elon Musk's xAI. The investment made Humain a "significant minority shareholder,” the company said in a statement. It added that its xAI holdings would be "converted into SpaceX shares" af»»»

The United States is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, according to US media reports. Washington will end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the country and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once k»»»

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said on Wednesday that Canada had amended its economic sanctions on Syria ‌to ease ‌restrictions related ‌to the ⁠import and export ⁠of goods, investment activities and the provision of financial and other ⁠services, according to Reuters. "The amendm»»»

The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic issued an official comment regarding the detention of a nephrologist. The ministry stated that the investigation is being conducted by authorized law enforcement agencies within the framework of the current legislation. «The Ministry of Health consisten»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education organised an extensive introductory session on the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, attended by Maha Zayed Al-Qaqqa Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs. The session aimed to explore ways to invest»»»

Dubai: European regulators have approved a stronger maintenance dose of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, giving doctors across the European Union a new option to support patients struggling to achieve sufficient results on existing treatment levels. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & »»»

MRF - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski Thursday congratulated Muslims on the start of Ramadan. "May the holy month of Ramadan inspire everyone to do good deeds," he said, as quoted by the party's press centre. In his greeting to Muslims, Peevski wished health, peace, and spiritual strength»»»

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Lebanon H E Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani participated yesterday in a meeting held between Commander of the Lebanese Army General Rodolphe Haykal and Their Excellencies the Ambassadors of the Quintet Committee. Discussions during the meeting focused on arr»»»

Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri held a meeting yesterday with Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to the State of Qatar H E Mohamed Nur Adan. The discussion focused on bilateral cooperation between Qatar and Kenya in the field of labour, exploring avenues to strengthen and furthe»»»

Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, chaired an expanded meeting with the ministry’s leadership, during which the level of progress in implementing the strategic projects for 2025 was reviewed, along with the achievement rates attained compa»»»

The UN’s top envoy for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, has informed the Security Council that despite active United Nations engagement, the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State have failed to make progress on the first steps of the agreed political roadmap, including establishing a me»»»

The President of the Kyrgyz Republic signed a decree appointing Zhumgalbek Shabdanbekov Chairman of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS). The document entered into force upon signing. The new head of the security services will oversee national security, countering terrorism and extremis»»»

Taxi drivers all over Greece are on strike again Thursday, in the latest of a string of protests over timelines for their obligatory transition to using electric vehicles. Cabbies are also angry at draft legislation that they say would increase unfair competition from other chauffeuring services, a»»»

President Iliana Iotova has signed decrees appointing a caretaker government headed by Andrey Gurov and scheduling parliamentary elections for April 19, the head of State's press secretariat reported on Thursday morning. In a third decree, Iotova determined the numbering, names, and boundaries of t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has issued a new circular outlining procedures for student registration and transfers in government schools for the 2026–2027 academic year, aiming to streamline processes for parents and ensure schools are fully prepared to receive studen»»»

Top national security officials have told President Trump the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday, but the timeline for any action is likely to extend beyond this weekend, sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News. Trump has not yet made a final decision ab»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar (CAAQ) released preliminary air transport statistics for January 2026, revealing a robust start to the year. The data shows significant year-on-year growth in aircraft movements, passenger traffic, and cargo handling, signaling a continued upward t»»»

Doha, Qatar: TotalEnergies is pleased to announce the appointment of Antoine Delafargue (pictured) as Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Qatar and Country Chair, effective January 2026. In this role, Antoine will lead the affiliate’s Exploration and Production activities in Qatar and contribute »»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices moved back above the Dh600 mark on Thursday morning, keeping the local market on edge after weeks of sharp swings that have tested buyer sentiment across jewellery stores. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, an»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2026 returns to Doha for its second year as an ATP500 event, following its debut season’s recognition as the ATP 500 ‘Tournament of the Year.’ This success reflects the strong partnership between ExxonMobil Qatar and the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF), a relati»»»

Doha: The Ministry of Culture is organising this year’s ‘Al Razji’ at the Darb Al Saai from February 25 to March 3. The initiative, organised during Ramadan, is aimed at reviving Qatar’s cultural heritage and celebrating its traditions through an impactful experience in a unique Ramadan atmosphere.»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the State of Qatar recorded 109.90 points in January 2026, marking a decrease of 2.22 percent compared with December 2025, whereas it marked a year-on-year rise of 2.28 percent compared with the same month in 2025. The index, which measures inflation, »»»

Doha, Qatar: The banking sector loans expanded by 6.6 percent in December last year versus financial year 2024, compared to a growth of 4.6 percent in the same period. The loans grew by an average of 4.9 percent over the past five years (2020-2025). The loans remained flat month on month (MoM) in D»»»

Doha, Qatar: The third edition of the Al Thumama Ramadan Tournament kicks off tomorrow evening at Al Furjan Stadium, continuing a community football tradition that has gained momentum over the past two years. Organised in cooperation with the Qatar Sports for All Federation, the tournament targets »»»

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held a press conference on February 18 in which she indicated that a US strike on Iran is an increasing possibility.  With the Iranians threatening to put a chokehold on cr»»»

India’s healthcare sector is drawing increasing investor attention as rising incomes, urbanisation and expanding insurance coverage fuel demand for hospital services, diagnostics and specialised treatment. Private capital »»»

India’s healthcare sector is drawing increasing investor attention as rising incomes, urbanisation and expanding insurance coverage fuel demand for hospital services, diagnostics and specialised treatment. Private capital »»»

India’s healthcare sector is drawing increasing investor attention as rising incomes, urbanisation and expanding insurance coverage fuel demand for hospital services, diagnostics and specialised treatment. Private capital »»»

Syrian authorities said they have thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of drugs out of the country. The Syrian Narcotics Directorate said on Wednesday it seized approximately 400,000 captagon pills, weighing about 65 kilograms, during an operation in Homs province in central Syria. The d»»»

In recent months, cases of teenagers being drawn into extremist and terrorist ideas through social media and messaging apps have been identified in Kyrgyzstan. The press center of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) reported. According to the SCNS, remote radicalization i»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sekou Yansane’s extra-time strike sent Qatar’s Al Ahli into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two as they edged Sepahan 1-0 in the second leg for a 3-2 aggregate victory at Al Thumama Stadium yesterday. Yansane’s decisive goal came in the 91st minute, giving coach Yo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner powered into the Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarter-finals while World No.33 Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked out former champion Daniil Medvedev in an action-packed Round of 16 in Doha yesterday. Playing in the late-night clash against Frenchman Valentin Royer at»»»

Dubai: Pakistan has again extended its airspace closure for Indian-registered aircraft by another month, keeping restrictions in force until March 23 as bilateral tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours persist. According to a fresh Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports»»»

Police on Thursday were investigating a powerful explosion that occurred overnight when unknown individuals hurled a defensive hand grenade in the street in the district of Korydallos, in Piraeus. The blast, which occurred shortly before 3 a.m. at the corner of Peloponnisou and Delfon Streets, dama»»»

British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman have been sentenced in Iran to 10 years in prison for espionage, their family have said. The couple were arrested while on a motorcycle trip on 3 January 2025 and later charged with espionage, which the couple denies. The Foremans previously appeared in a th»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Foundation’s Ability Friendly Program (AP) has evolved significantly since its launch, witnessing steady growth in participation and broadening its range of sports, and building a strong cohort of highly trained coaches committed to inclusive practice. What began in 2018 with»»»

Philippine Vice President and freshly declared presidential candidate Sara Duterte is facing a fourth impeachment case against her, documents seen by AFP on Thursday show. Also Read: Impeachment showdown: One-complaint-one-year rule explained, how removing top officials really works in the Philippi»»»

Dubai: From watching school productions at Dubai’s now-closed DUCTAC theatre in Mall of the Emirates to performing on one of New York’s most politically charged Off-Broadway stages, UAE kid Anuka Sethi has travelled a long, quietly radical road. “I was a very shy kid who used to watch the plays tha»»»

Dubai: The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai), in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the “GDRFA Dubai Nudgeathon”, an innovative programme focused on applying behavioural i»»»

The Ministry of Finance has canceled plans to lease sections of two iconic Koufonisi beaches, Italida and Pori, for umbrellas and sunbeds following local outcry. The decision, signed by general-secretary Antigoni Giannakaki, honors a request from the Naxos municipality to protect the island’s chara»»»

During his pre-recorded video speech aired last night to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 17th of February Revolution, that ended the 42-year Qaddafi regime, Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister, Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba, stated: The country enters the month of Ramadan amidst an economic crisis,»»»

Members of Parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved the implementation of the project «On the ratification of the Financing Agreement and Grant Agreement for the Phase 1 Project for the Kyrgyz Republic under the One Health Program to Prevent Pandemics, Ensure Resilience of Food Systems, and Healthy Ecosys»»»