Iraqi Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declined at the last minute to attend a meeting of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework on Monday night that was aimed at settling the crisis over his nomination as prime minister. Instead of declaring that he was pulling out as candidate, as had been expe»»»

President Nicusor Dan on Tuesday said that economy has an increasingly important weight in international affairs, and Romania must stick to its international commitments, but at the same time pursue its national interest."Issues that seemed stable once and for all are being questioned. Obviously, t»»»

The meeting between President Nicusor Dan and the leaders of the governing coalition, which took place on Tuesday at Cotroceni Palace, has ended.The meeting was called for 3:00 p.m., a day after the coalition leaders established several budgetary measures.Furthermore, the meeting at Cotroceni Palac»»»

Romania's ambassadors to Lebanon, the Philippines and Turkey have been recalled to the country, the Presidential Administration announced on Tuesday.According to the cited source, President Nicusor Dan signed the decrees regarding:* the recall of Radu-Catalin Mardare from the capacity of Romania's »»»

President Nicusor Dan believes it is in Romania's interest to take part in the Board of Peace as an observer.The head of state told Radio Romania Actualitati that the organisation has a Charter already signed by member states, which contains provisions that conflict with international commitments u»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of The Gambia HE Adama Barrow, on the anniversary of his country's Independence Day.»»»

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde plans to leave her job before next year's French presidential election to allow Emmanuel Macron to have an input into picking her successor, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Lagarde's term is due to end in October 2027 but some fear that t»»»

The European Commission said it is closely following a proposed amendment to Albania’s Criminal Procedure Code that would bar courts from suspending senior government officials from office. The draft changes, presented Feb. 16 by the ruling majority led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, seek to amend Art»»»

US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington had made “meaningful progress” in negotiations on a potential Ukrainian settlement after a first day of trilateral talks in Geneva on February 17 involving US, Ukrainian and Russian representatives. »»»

New York: Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani met with President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly H E Annalena Baerbock at the UN headquarters in New York. During the meeting, the President of the General Assemb»»»

US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington had made “meaningful progress” in negotiations on a potential Ukrainian settlement after a first day of trilateral talks in Geneva on February 17 involving US, Ukrainian and Russian representatives. »»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China and the United States' commitment to exchanges and cooperation will endure no matter the shifting circumstances, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a message to friends from the US state of Iowa. Earlier in the day, China Central Television reported that Xi sent congratu»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) hosted the Sustainable Mobility Symposium, bringing together experts, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to explore pathways toward decarbonising transportation and advancing sustainable mobility solutions in Qatar a»»»

Ermek Omuraliev has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to Italy. The decree was signed by the President of Kyrgyzstan. He will also serve as Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), t»»»

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) and Qatar Ports Management Company signed on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at boosting maritime and logistics cooperation between the two sides. The agreement will contribute to the development of the ports sector, raising operational efficienc»»»

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap South Korea will seek to reinstate a no-fly zone over the border with North Korea under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact aimed at easing tensions, Unification Minister Chung Dong»»»

Doha, Qatar: The 18th Qatar Robotics & AI Competition 2026 concluded at Lusail Hall in Doha yesterday. The three-day tournament was organized by the Ministry of Sports and Youth (MSY), represented by the Qatar Scientific Club (QSC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Educati»»»

Under the patronage of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Qatar Olympic Academy President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, and in the presence of QOC First Vice President Mohamed bin Yousef Al Mana, Second Vice President Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari and QOC Secretary General and Vice Pres»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai moved higher on Wednesday morning, though they remained below the closely watched Dh600 mark that continues to shape buying decisions across the local market. At 9:50 am, 24K gold stood at Dh594.50 a gram compared with Dh590.75 on Tuesday, while 22K rose to Dh550.50 from»»»

Commercial "air taxi" service has been pushed back. Again. Reason: It's not because the technology doesn't work or is unproven. It's because US certification timeline for the next-generation electric vertical-landing-and-takeoff (eVTOL) aircraft — a new mode for human flight — poses complex challen»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mwani Qatar and Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday to strengthen maritime and logistics cooperation, aiming to develop the ports sector, boost operational efficiency, and support regional and international trade flows. The MoU was signed»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, H E Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, hosted a special farewell reception in honour of Abdulrahman Ahmad Al-Shaibi, the retiring Executive Vice President for Finance and Planning at QatarEnergy. In remarks at the rece»»»

A new round of negotiations between Russia, the United States and Ukraine on the Ukrainian settlement is taking place in Geneva on February 17-18 at the InterContinental Geneva Hotel. US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff shared the outcome of the first day of talks, involving Rus»»»

1 of 2 | U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested an 18-year-old accused of running toward the Capitol with a loaded shotgun. Photo courtesy of U.S Capitol Police/Release Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Police have arrested an armed teenager who was running toward the U.S. Capitol building, authorities said. The s»»»

Doha, Qatar: Registration has officially opened for the Senyar Festival 2026, offering marine enthusiasts and traditional fishing communities an opportunity to participate in one of Qatar’s most distinctive heritage-inspired sporting events. According to a post on the official X account of Katara C»»»

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said talks between Ukraine and Russia had "brought about meaningful progress" to end the war, as both sides prepared for a second day of negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday. "President Trump's success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meani»»»

Sergei Tsivilev met with Kyrgyzstan’s energy officials to discuss current cooperation in the fuel and energy sector. The meeting was attended by First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Daniyar Amangeldiev, Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev, and representatives of PJS»»»

President Iliana Iotova will receive caretaker prime minister designate Andrey Gurov at the President's Administration on Wednesday, the President’s press secretariat said. He is expected to propose a caretaker cabinet lineup. On February 12, Iotova designated Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Deputy G»»»

Nissan Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa has singled out Saudi Arabia as a cornerstone of the automaker’s global ambitions, calling the kingdom and the wider Middle East a “golden jewel” in the company’s international portfolio, driven by strong brand equity, steady profitability, and a deep, loyal cus»»»

Vice President JD Vance pushed back against claims that the Trump administration harbors hostility toward Europe. In an interview with Fox News, he insisted instead that Washington's criticism is aimed at making the continent a "true" partner. Vance claimed the administration's calls for stronger b»»»

A British national was among at least three people killed in two avalanches in the French Alps on Tuesday. The man in his 30s and another Polish citizen were part of a group of five people who were skiing off-piste near the resort town of La Grave when the avalanche struck. Several hikers were also»»»

The Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan (CEC) has handed a parliamentary mandate to a new lawmaker. The decision was made at its meeting. Following the revocation of the mandate of Eldar Sulaimanov, the next candidate on the list in the Aravan multimandate constituency No. 5 has become a depu»»»

Vice President JD Vance said the US has established a number of “red lines” in negotiations with Iran, stressing that the primary goal is to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “Our primary interest here is we don't want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. We don't want nuclear proliferation,»»»

New Delhi: President of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon arrived in India to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 and was greeted by Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Singh. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X wrote, "Welcome, Pr»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States launched three massive projects with Japan on oil and gas production, power generation, and critical minerals, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. “Today, I am pleased to announce three TREMENDOUS Projects in the Strategic Areas of Oil & Gas in the Gr»»»

Graduates of driving schools in Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to immediately obtain a permanent driver’s license. Instead, a «provisional national driver’s license» valid for one year is being introduced, a draft government resolution says. Under the document, standard training lasts 10 months.»»»

EU member states have approved Poland’s participation in the €150 billion SAFE defense program, concluding the bloc’s review of Warsaw’s plan. Poland will receive €43.7 billion in low-interest loans to finance 139 military procurement projects, largely sourced from European manufacturers. The loans»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up the first day of a state visit to India on February 17, 2026, elevating defence cooperation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting out an expanded industrial and military roadmap. »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up the first day of a state visit to India on February 17, 2026, elevating defence cooperation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting out an expanded industrial and military roadmap. »»»

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»»»

The revelation that a high-profile member of the British government had close historic ties with the disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein has entrenched British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the worst political crisis he has faced since taking office. Questions about his ability to sur»»»

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»»»

Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete under their own national flags at the 2026 Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, the Games' governing body confirmed to AFP on Tuesday. Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, denounced the move, saying "I am very, very»»»

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators concluded the first of two days of US-mediated peace talks in Geneva on Tuesday, though neither side signalled they were any closer to ending Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, John Lough, Head of Foreign Policy at »»»

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.  »»»

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday formally declared that she will seek the presidency in 2028, ending years of speculation about her political ambitions. “I am Sara Duterte. I will run for president of the Philippines,” she said during a press conference, delivering a direct and unequivocal »»»

NEW YORK: An immigration judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian graduate student who led protests at Columbia University against Israel and the war in Gaza. Also Read: US expands visa curbs: 39 countries affected under new immigration policyIn a ruli»»»