A Hezbollah official told AFP on Wednesday that the Lebanese movement would not intervene militarily in the event of "limited" U.S. strikes on its backer Iran, but would consider any attack against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "red line". The U.S. has repeatedly threatened Iran over its »»»

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first serving world leader to cross 100 million followers on Instagram, setting a new global benchmark for political leadership in the digital age. The milestone marks more than just a social media achievement. It reflects a decade-long strategy o»»»

Four businesspeople linked to sanctioned spyware maker Intellexa were found guilty of violating the confidentiality of telephone communications in a major case involving the illegal wiretapping of politicians, journalists, business leaders and senior military officials that was revealed in 2022. Th»»»

Iran and the United States met on Thursday in Geneva for nuclear negotiations viewed as a last chance for diplomacy. US President Donald Trump wants a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwi»»»

In this photo released Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (2-L) shakes hands while his daughter Kim Ju Ae (L) looks on during a military parade in Pyongyang. The event marked the conclusion of the week-long Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. Photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, Feb. 26 (UPI)»»»

Also In This Package Iran-US talks begin in Oman: What’s at stake? Iran-US talks in Geneva advance on 'guiding principles' Iran draws red line on enrichment; shrugs off US threat Iran open to compromise in US nuclear talks: Report Iranian negotiators have reportedly travelled to Geneva on Thursday »»»

There Is Such a People (TISP) are calling for the removal of caretaker Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Hristanov over recruitments he has made. Deputy floor leader Stanislav Balabanov read out a declaration with their demands in Parliament, accusing Hristanov of conflicts of interest, political »»»

Also In This Package Iran draws red line on enrichment; shrugs off US threat Iran open to compromise in US nuclear talks: Report Iran-US talks begin in Oman: What’s at stake? Iran-US talks in Geneva advance on 'guiding principles' Iranian negotiators have reportedly travelled to Geneva on Thursday »»»

In a move seen as breaking Israel’s relative international isolation amid its ongoing war in Gaza, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed 16 agreements with Israel during a two-day visit to the country. Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for talks aimed at strengthening ties in trade and defen»»»

Dubai: Emirates SkyCargo is strengthening its commitment to India with the launch of two new weekly freighter services, one to Mumbai and another to Ahmedabad, building on over four decades of operations in the country. The move aims to support India’s growing trade and connect businesses with supp»»»

Saudi Arabia recorded its highest quarterly level of non-oil exports since 2017 in the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting a significant structural shift in the Kingdom’s trade dynamics. Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that the merchandise trade surplus rose 26.3 per»»»

Iran and the United States are talking in Geneva for a third time on Thursday as President Donald Trump seeks to delay Tehran's nuclear program while threatening it by deploying a massive number of aircraft and warships to the Middle East. U.S. special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, a billionaire rea»»»

Gold prices edged up on Thursday as uncertainty over US tariff policy boosted the metal's safe-haven appeal, while investors awaited further details on US-Iran talks later in the day. Spot gold was up 0.4% at $5,190.01 per ounce, as of 0816 GMT. Bullion had hit a more-than-three-week high on Tuesda»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran's leadership has no plans to obtain nuclear weapons, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday, commenting on the US's remark on the absence of the relevant promise. In his State of the Union address to Congress, US President Donald Trump said that he prefers dipl»»»

Romania charges one of the highest tariffs in Europe for fast charging electric cars, namely EUR 0.43/kWh, the same level as Austria and almost double that of Spain or Croatia, although the wholesale electricity price is not the highest in the EU, according to an analysis by Dumitru Chisalita, pres»»»

Lukoil's wthdrawal from Trident offshore project in the Black Sea represents more than a corporate decision, being an x-ray of strategic vulnerabilities and delays accumulated in the Romanian energy sector, says Dumitru Chisalita, the president of Intelligent Energy Association (IEA). According to »»»

On Feb. 26, 1994, 11 members of the Branch Davidian religious cult were acquitted of murder and conspiracy charges stemming from a federal raid and siege at the compound near Waco, Texas, the year before. 1 of 4 | Special counsel and former U.S. Sen. John C. Danforth points to where shell casings w»»»

Doha, Qatar: In the presence of Minister of Social Development and Family and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, the Centre for Empowerment and Care of the Elderly (Ehsan) organised its annual Ramadan Ghabga for the»»»

Beirut, Feb. 26 (SANA) Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Wednesday that his government is working to recalibrate relations with Syria, signaling a shift toward a relationship based on “mutual trust and respect.” Speaking at an iftar event in Beirut, Salam said the past year had seen notable»»»

Spanish police have arrested the alleged gunman in the 2025 assassination of Andrey Portnov, a former senior aide to ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, in a joint operation with German authorities in the town of Heinsberg. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was detained by Sp»»»

Documents related to a woman’s sexual assault complaint against US President Donald Trump in the Jeffrey Epstein files were not released by the FBI, according to investigative reports. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee called it the "largest government cover-up in modern history". The US J»»»

The IMF on Wednesday called on the United States to work with trading partners and find ways to mutually ease trade curbs, as it issued a review of the world's biggest economy. The International Monetary Fund's findings covered the first year of Donald Trump's second presidency, in which he unleash»»»

Dubai: The Philippine Society for Quality – Middle East (PSQ ME) has been officially launched this month, marking a historic first for the organisation outside the country. PSQ ME is the first international chapter of the Philippine Society for Quality, Inc., an institution established in 1969 that»»»

By Fahad Al-Saeed KUWAIT, Feb 26 (KUNA) -- "Ambassador Al-Sabah .. tonight Kuwait is free." With these historic words echoing through the halls of the US Congress, President George H.W. Bush marked the successful conclusion of Kuwait's liberation, directing a proud glance at Ambassador Sheikh Saud »»»

Cuba said it thwarted the attempt of gunmen trying to infiltrate from the United States as its coastguard opened fire on Wednesday at a Florida-registered speedboat near its shores, killing four people and wounding six. Havana's Interior Ministry said the speedboat's passengers opened fire on a coa»»»

Larry Summers, seen here in 2010, is resigning from teaching at Harvard University due to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. File Photo by Andrew Harrer/UPI | License Photo Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced he is resigning from his professorship at Harvard Unive»»»

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that two Muslim Democratic US Representatives, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, should be "institutionalized" and sent back to "where they came from," a day after they had a heated exchange with him during his State of the Union address. D»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling part»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared the country's military readiness to deliver merciless retaliation in response to any hostile military actions against the country. "Our army will deliver terrible retaliatory attacks to any forces the moment they commit hostile military acts of infringin»»»

On Monday, the UAE Foreign Ministry said Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which he stressed the importance of a successful outcome of US-Iran negotiations. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the situat»»»

A third round of talks between Iran and the United States regarding Tehran's nuclear program is expected to take place in the Swiss city of Geneva on Thursday. A third round of talks between Iran and the United States regarding Tehran's nuclear program is expected to take place in the Swiss city of»»»

The former directors of Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) have been charged for allegedly using Pegasus spyware, the national prosecutor’s office has announced. After Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government took over in late 2023, it launched»»»

Senior advisers to President Donald Trump would prefer Israel strike Iran before the United States launches an assault on the country, according to two people familiar with ongoing discussions. The Trump administration officials are privately arguing that an Israeli attack would trigger Iran to ret»»»

Vice President JD Vance, seen here on January 9, 2026, announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration was suspending Medicaid payments to Minnesota over alleged fraud. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The Trump administration announced Wednesday it is pausing mor»»»

Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Jeenbek Kulubaev met in London with Matteo Patrone, Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. According to the ministry, the parties discussed joint implementation of projects aimed at modern»»»

AMMAN — President of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry (JCI) Fathi Jaghbir announced "large and unprecedented" global participation in the Jordan International Detergents Exhibition and Conference (DETEX 2026).In a statement on Wednesday, Jaghbir said DETEX 2026, organised by the chamber on»»»

The 2026 State of the Union address set a record as the longest in US history. While Donald Trump delivered the first such speech of his second presidential term, there were several moments of high drama as a sharply divided Congress watched before a television audience of millions. Here are five t»»»

President Donald Trump focused on the US ​economy, immigration and other domestic policy issues in his 2026 State of the Union address, telling a divided Congress that he has ushered in "the golden age of America". Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democrat's of»»»

US President Donald Trump used his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday to make truth-bending claims of domestic and foreign policy success but failed to confirm whether the US is planning a military strike on Iran or to mention the unfolding scandal surrounding late sex offender Jeffery Ep»»»

The author of a new book that warns of the breakdown of the nation-state – the system that provides essential pillars such as citizenship, the law, the economy and healthcare – is warning that the current system risks collapsing. On the day that US President Donald Trump delivered his State of»»»

What does a boss who’s built an image as a tough guy from Queens do when naysayers claim he's reached his limits? To dispel doubts, he can for instance hold the floor for an hour and 47 minutes. In the longest ever State of the Union address, Donald Trump proving he can stick to script instead of r»»»

This Wednesday it has emerged that there could be missing information in the Epstein Files, in particular relating to a woman who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault decades ago. Democrat lawmaker Robert Garcia has flagged up the missing links. Garcia is on the House Oversight committee. FRANCE »»»

A confrontation in Cuban waters left four people dead on Wednesday after soldiers opened fire on a Florida-registered speedboat that Havana says attacked first. Washington is investigating whether any victims were US citizens, as the incident threatens to deepen already strained relations between t»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai opened lower on Thursday morning, giving residents a brief respite after a volatile February that has kept jewellery buyers and investors on edge. At 8.30 am, the 24-karat rate stood at Dh624.75 per gram, down from Dh628.25 on Wednesday. The 22-karat variety slipped to D»»»

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday a deal to avert military confrontation with the United States was within reach, ahead of talks set to resume in Geneva. His remarks came as Tehran issued a muted warning to student protesters amid mounting US threats over Iran’s nuclear programme.»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 25, 2026: The prospect of war between the United States and Iran is getting a lot of coverage. But first, French papers discuss the municipal elections, which are taking place in a few weeks' time. Also, a report about the future of AI causes a few wobbles in the »»»

In tonight's edition: President Cyril Ramaphosa thanks his counterpart Vladimir Putin for helping to secure the return of 11 South Africans tricked into joining the Russia-Ukraine war. Also, the military spokesperson for the M23 rebel group is reportedly killed in an army drone strike in easte»»»

Kinshasa's forces launched attacks on several fronts against AFC/M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on Wednesday, with drones striking the armed group near a strategic mining site, local and security sources told AFP on Wednesday. DR Congo government forces launched an at»»»

Sri Lanks authorities on Wednesday arrested the country's former intelligence chief, Suresh Sally, for "conspiracy and aiding and abetting" the 2019 Easter bombings, which killed 279 people, according to an investigating officer. A whistleblower has claimed Sallay allowed the attack to proceed»»»

US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, a day before Ukraine and US envoys are set to meet in Geneva for another round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine triggered by Russia’s invasion. Fresh trilateral talks with Moscow are expecte»»»