Ramadan weather in Mecca and Medina expected to be hotter than average
Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology has issued its preliminary climate outlook for the holy month of Ramadan 2026, forecasting above-average temperatures and below-normal rainfall in Mecca and Medina. The centre said expected rainfall in both cities would likely be lower than usua»»»
Beko Smart Living Index highlights rising demand for energy-efficient, AI-enabled appliances in Egypt
Beko, an international home appliance company, has released Egypt-specific results from its global Smart Living Index (SLI), indicating increasing consumer interest in smart and energy-efficient home appliances amid growing awareness of operating costs and resource management. The Smart Living Inde»»»
Qatar Chamber participates in 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour
Marrakesh: Qatar Chamber recently participated in the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held from 11 to 13 February 2026 in Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco. The Chamber was represented by Eng. Nasser Ahmed Mohamed Al-Meer, Advisor to the Chairman for Labour Affairs. During the»»»
Qatar Chamber discusses enhancing cooperation with Türkiye’s Sivas Chamber
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber recently hosted a trade delegation from the Republic of Türkiye, led by H E Zeki Ozdemir, Chairman of the Board of the Sivas Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The delegation was received by H E Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari, First Vice-Chairman of the Qatar Chamber. Also pre»»»
Rubio: US Satisfied with Overall ‘Trajectory’ in Syria
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Washington is pleased with the "trajectory" in Syria, which has launched talks with Kurdish minority groups, despite troubles. "There's been some days that have been very concerning, but we like the trajectory," Rubio said on a brief visit to Br»»»
Ukraine's ex-energy minister arrested while attempting to leave country
Ukraine's former energy minister has been detained while attempting to leave the country, after being among officials named in a corruption scandal, authorities have said. German Galushchenko, who was forced out of his government role last year, was arrested on a train leaving Ukraine, one of the c»»»
Gaza health authorities say restricted Rafah crossing threatens patients
GAZA: Gaza health authorities said Sunday that the Rafah Crossing with Egypt is operating under strict limits that endanger thousands of patients needing medical treatment abroad. In a statement, officials said the partial reopening of the crossing on Feb. 2 allows only a small number of travelers,»»»
One dead, three injured in Egypt train collision
Cairo: One person has been killed and three others injured after a passenger train collided with a truck in Egypt, authorities said. A statement from the Egyptian National Railways said the incident occurred as a passenger service traveling between Moharram Bek and Marsa Matrouh in the country's no»»»
Indonesia Says 8,000 Troops Ready for Possible Peacekeeping Mission in Gaza by June
Indonesia's military said Sunday that up to 8,000 troops are expected to be ready by the end of June for a potential deployment to Gaza as part of a humanitarian and peace mission, the first firm commitment to a critical element of US President Donald Trump’s postwar reconstruction plan. The Indone»»»
Trump Tells Hamas to Proceed with ‘Full and Immediate’ Disarmament
US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Hamas to move forward with disarmament under his plan for postwar Gaza, and said members of his so-called "Board of Peace" had pledged $5 billion to the Palestinian territory's reconstruction. "Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and »»»
Singapore commemorates civilians killed during Japanese occupation
Singapore: Singapore held a memorial ceremony on Sunday to commemorate civilians who died during the Japanese occupation in World War II, with about 500 people attending the annual observance in the city center. The event, organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the »»»
French 'Free Jazz' pioneer Portal dies aged 90
Paris: Michel Portal, a French pioneer of European modern jazz and a prolific writer of film music, has died aged 90, his agent said Sunday. A multi-instrumentalist at home with the clarinet, saxophone and the Argentine bandoneon or the Hungarian taragot, Portal died on Thursday, said Marion Piras,»»»
UAE’s 'royal photographer' Ramesh Shukla, Indian expat who chronicled country’s history, dies
Dubai: Iconic lensman Ramesh Shukla, who was known as the “royal photographer who chronicled the history of the UAE,” and was famous for the Spirit of the Union photo and Founding Father late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s image on the Dh50 note, died on Sunday, his family said. The renowned I»»»
Rumen Radev to Reveal Coalition Partners and Program by March 4 Ahead of Early Elections
Former president Rumen Radev said he will announce the structure, name and program of the political formation with which he will take part in the upcoming early elections no later than March 4. By that date, the coalition will be officially registered with the Central Election Commission, in line w»»»
Israel Resumes Contentious West Bank Land Registration in New Step to Deepen Control
Israel will begin a contentious land regulation process in a large part of the occupied West Bank, which could result in Israel gaining control over wide swaths of the area for future development, according to a government decision on Sunday. The decision paves the way for the resumption of “settle»»»
Iran’s Top Diplomat to Attend ‘Indirect’ Talks with US in Geneva
Iran’s top diplomat was traveling from Tehran on Sunday to Geneva where the second round of nuclear negotiations with the US will take place, Iranian state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation left for the Swiss city after the first round of indirect talks took place i»»»
Former President Radev: "We Will Register as Coalition at Central Election Commission by March 4"
Meeting with Bulgarians in Berlin on Sunday, former president Rumen Radev (2017-2026) said that his team will submit a registration as a coalition with a clear name at the Central Election Commission by March 4 at the latest. The meeting was broadcast live on YouTube. Radev explained that he would »»»
18th Qatar Robotics & AI competition kicks off in Doha
Doha, Qatar: The 18th Qatar Robotics & AI Competition kicked off Sunday in Doha. The contest is organized by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, represented by the Qatar Scientific Club (QSC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), buoyed by support from the Soc»»»
Marseille sporting director Benatia quits club
Marseille: Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia announced on Sunday that he was leaving his role at the crisis-hit French club, just days after the departure of coach Roberto De Zerbi. "I am leaving with the feeling that I have done my utmost on a professional level, but with regret that I hav»»»
Saudi stock index closes lower
Riyadh: The main Saudi stock index closed lower Sunday, down 23.17 points, ending trading at 11,228.64 points, with a trading value of SR 2.9 billion. The volume of traded shares reached 216 million, with 170 companies seeing their share prices rise, while 82 companies saw their share prices declin»»»
No: 34, 15 February 2026, Regarding the Decision of the Israeli Government on Land Registration in the West Bank
We strongly condemn the latest decision of the Israeli government, which aims to impose its authority over the occupied West Bank and expand settlement activities. This step, which seeks to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land and accelerate Israel’s unlawful annexation efforts,»»»
Palestinian Presidency slams Israeli occupation's "State Lands" decision
RAMALLAH, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- The Palestinian Presidency has warned of the serious consequences of the Israeli occupation's decision allowing it to declare lands in the occupied West Bank as state property, said the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA).In a statement issued Sunday, the Presidency sai»»»
African Union urges full UN membership for Palestine
RABAT, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- The African Union (AU) on Sunday called for granting the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations and for declaring an urgent humanitarian truce in Sudan.This came in the final statement of the African Summit, which began late Saturday in the Ethiopian capita»»»
History-maker Brignone completes Olympic fairy tale as Shiffrin's medal misery continues
Cortina d'Ampezzo: Federica Brignone completed a Winter Olympic fairy tale on Sunday after claiming her second gold of the Milan-Cortina Games, as out-of-sorts Mikaela Shiffrin again missed out on the medals. Italian veteran Brignone started her home Olympics by being one of her country's flag bear»»»
UAE calls on residents to sight Ramadan crescent moon on February 17
Dubai: The UAE Council for Fatwa has called on members of the community, both citizens and residents to sight the crescent moon marking the start of Ramadan on Tuesday evening, February 17, and to report any confirmed sightings. The Ramadan Crescent Moonsighting Committee, falling under the Council»»»
Zelensky’s jab at Orban was ‘childish’ – political consultant
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky’s personal remarks about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Munich Security Conference were “childish” and unbecoming of a head of state, political risk consultant and lawyer Adriel Kasonta has said The controversy stems from remarks made by Zelensky on Saturda»»»
US airlines told to stop DEI-hiring pilots
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a sweeping mandate requiring all commercial airlines to formally commit to merit-based hiring for pilots, explicitly barring the use of race or sex as factors in recruitment. The directive, delivered via a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA»»»
Income Declarations in Leva, Payments in Euros: Bulgaria’s 2026 Tax Season Begins
Bulgaria has officially launched the 2026 tax campaign for income earned in 2025, and early results show strong public engagement. In the first few days, between January 10 and 12, over 40,000 citizens submitted their tax returns. The major change this year is the adoption of the euro: while taxpay»»»
Over 10,000 One-Day Vignettes Sold in Bulgaria’s First Week
Bulgaria has seen strong initial interest in its newly introduced one-day vignette, with over 10,000 sold in the first week of availability. According to the Road Infrastructure Agency (API), from the official launch at midnight on February 3, 2026, a total of 10,018 short-term vignettes were purch»»»
Agricultural, industrial activity show improvement in Q4 (INS)
Tunis, Feb. 15 (TAP)- Agricultural activity continued to improve in Q4 of 2025, bringing about a year-on-increase in value added (+12.3 %) and contributing 1,08 percentage points to the growth in gross domestic product standing at 2.7%, Q4 economic...»»»
Has America scared the EU into talking to Russia?
During the Vietnam War, US National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger concocted the ‘Madman Theory’. The idea was to force the North Vietnamese and the Soviet Union to negotiate with Washington by making them think that then-President Richard Nixon was so crazy that working things out was a better a»»»
Kuwaiti riders dominate second round of Dubai marine sports event
By: Salem Al-Methen DUBAI, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Sea Sports Club athletes achieved distinguished results on Sunday during the second round of the Dubai International Marine Sports Championship.Kuwaiti champion Yousef Al-Abdulrazzaq clinched first place in the (RA GP1) category, reaffirming his st»»»
Sheikh Hamdan crowns Arab Hope Makers winners
Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, crowned the winners of the Arab Hope Makers initiative at a glittering ceremony in Dubai, honouring humanitarian champions whose work has transformed lives acros»»»
Zelensky’s Attack on Orban Cheap Ploy, Won’t Bring Ukraine Closer to EU - Expert
“Zelensky thinks he’s just winning easy points because the elite of the EU will be happy to see him taking swipes at Orban,” prolific commentator Dr. George Szamuely told Sputnik, commenting on Zelensky’s personal attack against Hungary’s PM at the Munich Security Conference, and Orban’s blistering»»»
No handshake between India, Pakistan captains before T20 World Cup clash
Colombo: India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistan opposite number Salman Agha did not shake hands at the coin toss for their T20 World Cup showdown in Colombo on Sunday. Agha won the toss and elected to bowl in the Group A match, which was only confirmed as going ahead six days ago when the »»»
Basic Goods in Bulgaria Now Cost More Than in Germany and France
Recent data indicate that the cost of basic foods in Bulgaria has surpassed that of several Western European countries despite the country’s formal entry into the Eurozone. Analysis by the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions and Industry of the “small consumer basket” highlights that five stapl»»»
Qatar, Egypt discuss enhancing cooperation in civil aviation
Cairo: In Charge of Managing Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) Mohamed Faleh Al Hajri met with HE Minister of Civil Aviation of the Arab Republic of Egypt Pilot Dr. Sameh El Hefny in Cairo. Al Hajri also met with President of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority Sameh Fawzy. During both meetin»»»
Contractor fined Dh10,000 over car damage
Dubai: An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a construction company to pay Dh10,000 in compensation to a woman after finding it liable for damage to her vehicle caused by falling building materials from a neighbouring site. The Abu Dhabi Civil, Family and Administrative Court ruled that the company bore r»»»
QRCS deploys medical convoy to Syria to perform specialized cardiac interventions, enhance healthcare sector capabilities
DAMASCUS: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a specialized medical campaign for Syria, entitled 'Endless Giving', aiming to perform more than 100 specialized cardiac catheterization procedures for adults and children in Syria. A medical convoy comprised of leading consultants and expert»»»
QSE index closes lower
Doha: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index closed Sunday's trading lower by 46.91 points, or 0.41 percent, to settle at 11,468.90 points. During the session, a total of 145,355,644 shares were traded, with a value of QAR 349,114,066.145, through 16,360 transactions across all sectors. Shares of 30 »»»
Estithmar Holding establishes 'Estithmar Capital' for financial investment management
DOHA: Estithmar Holding QPSCannounced the establishment of its fifth group, 'Estithmar Capital', in a strategic step aimed at strengthening the company’s expansion and diversifying the sectors in which it operates. Estithmar Capital will specialize in managing financial investments, strengthening i»»»
Egypt proposes $500bn Africa development initiative as NEPAD chairmanship ends
Egypt has launched a “Team Africa” initiative aimed at mobilising $500bn for approximately 300 developmental projects across the continent, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Sunday. Delivering a speech on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the African Union Development Agency (NEPAD)»»»
Egypt’s Abdelatty pledges technical support for AfCFTA and continental integration
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Sunday pledged continued technical support and capacity-building for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to drive continental economic integration. In a meeting with AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s full suppor»»»
Dubai's RTA inaugurates new bridge
Dubai’s Roads And Transport Authority inaugurated today the Northern Bridge at the intersection of Al Qudra Street with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street. This bridge is approximately 700 metres in length and provides a direct connection that contributes to facilitating traffic movement in b»»»
Qatar, Egypt discuss enhancing cooperation in civil aviation
CAIRO: In Charge of Managing Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) Mohamed Faleh Al Hajri met with Minister of Civil Aviation of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Pilot Dr Sameh El Hefny in Cairo. Al Hajri also met with President of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority Sameh Fawzy. During both meeting»»»
Environment ministry hosts symposium on air quality and sustainability
DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, represented by the Environmental Monitoring and Inspection Department, organized a symposium on Sunday entitled 'Improving Air Quality and Supporting Environmental Sustainability in Qatar', bringing together government officials, industry repres»»»
Hundreds of thousands join Iran protests around the world
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in demonstrations around the world against the Iranian government, following calls from the exiled son of the late shah for a "global day of action". Addressing an estimated 250,000 people in Munich, Reza Pahlavi - who has called for the overthrow of »»»
Egypt launches USD 858 mln social protection package ahead of Ramadan
CAIRO, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- Egypt launched on Sunday a new social protection package worth EGP 40 billion (around USD 858 million) targeting low-income and most vulnerable groups, upon directives from President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.In a statement, the Egyptian Cabinet»»»
Why Zelensky's War of Words With Orban Won’t Boost Ukraine's EU Ambitions
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban earlier wrote on X that “this debate” is not about him and Zelensky, but “the future of Hungary, Ukraine, and Europe,” which is “precisely why [Ukraine] cannot become a member of the European Union.” “There are actually no supporters of Ukraine’s rapid EU membe»»»
900,000 meals planned as Sharjah Charity rolls out Ramadan iftar campaign
In preparation for the holy month of Ramadan, Sharjah Charity International has completed the setup of iftar locations across the emirate, equipping 129 Ramadan tents and meal distribution sites to serve fasting individuals throughout the month. The organisation aims to distribute 900,000 iftar mea»»»