Romania’s central bank slightly revised its inflation forecast (chart) in the Inflation Outlook published on February 18, maintaining the overall projected trajectory while raising the year-end inflation estimate to 3.9%, from 3.7% previously. »»»

A Chinese fisherman prepares to move his fishing nets onto his boat and go to sea in the East China Sea in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, southeast China. File Photo by Wu hong/EPA Feb. 19 (UPI) -- For decades, China's maritime identity has been defined by scale: It produces and consumes the most sea»»»

Former Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu has announced his early resignation as a member of Parliament. He published the statement on Facebook. In his address, the ex-speaker congratulated Kyrgyzstanis on the beginning of the fasting month and wished the country p»»»

Dubai: The controversial trailer of Hindi-language film The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond has dropped and it's as provocative and polarising as its first instalment. The movie, which deals with forced religious conversions, has understandably set social media on fire and activated the meme/troll army»»»

Abu Dhabi: UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has dismissed allegations that the UAE supplied weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), citing verified data from international review and compliance mechanisms designed to ensure that arms do not reach parties involved in the Sudan conflict. Speaki»»»

Senior Egyptian and Turkish air force commanders met in Cairo on Wednesday for talks focused on strengthening military partnership and expanding bilateral cooperation, in the latest sign of warming defense ties between the two countries. The meeting brought together the Commander of the Egyptian Ai»»»

China almost certainly shook neighbouring Kazakhstan with an underground nuclear weapons test, according to a senior American official. Seismic activity detected in Kazakhstan on June 22, 2020 appeared to stem from such a »»»

A court in Seoul has determined that Yoon Suk Yeol's failed effort to implement martial law in 2024 while president constituted incitement of an insurrection. According to Yonhap News Agency, the ruling was issued by the Seoul Central District Court, which is the first judicial ruling in the case. »»»

China almost certainly shook neighbouring Kazakhstan with an underground nuclear weapons test, according to a senior American official. Seismic activity detected in Kazakhstan on June 22, 2020 appeared to stem from such a »»»

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in a dramatic culmination to the country’s biggest political crisis in decades. Yoon was ousted from office after a baffling attempt to overcome an opposition-controlled legislature b»»»

British foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Thursday condemned as "totally unjustifiable" the 10-year sentence given to a British couple in Iran for spying, saying the government would continue to press for their release. Craig and Lindsay Foreman had been charged with espionage after Iran accused th»»»

1 of 7 | Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment on insurrection charges Thursday. In this September 26 photo, Yoon attends the first hearing of his second trial on martial law-related charges. File Pool Photo by Yonhap/EPA SEOUL, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A South Korean court on T»»»

A notable presence of US military aircraft has been observed at Terminal 1 of Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, according to former Deputy Foreign Minister and security analyst Milen Keremedchiev. In a post on Facebook, he reported that seven US Air Force tanker aircraft, used for aerial refueling of comb»»»

Former Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and eleven ministers from his cabinet have returned to the National Assembly as Members of Parliament. They were part of the 51st National Assembly before being appointed to executive office. National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan announced on Thursday that, fo»»»

Iran and the United States leaned into gunboat diplomacy Thursday as nuclear talks between the nations hung in the balance, with Tehran holding drills with Russia and the Americans bringing another aircraft carrier closer to the Mideast. The Iranian drill and the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford a»»»

The caretaker government headed by Andrey Gyurov officially entered office after taking the oath before the National Assembly in the presence of President Iliana Yotova. Gyurov and the ministers pledged to observe the Constitution and the law, declaring that all their actions would be guided by the»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a battery of huge nuclear-capable rocket launchers ahead of a key congress of the nation's ruling party, state media said Thursday. Kim is expected to detail the next phase in North Korea's nuclear weapons program when he opens a rare congress of the rul»»»

Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said no country can deprive the Iranian republic of its right to nuclear enrichment, after US President Donald Trump again hinted at military action following talks in Geneva. "The basis of the nuclear industry is enrichment. Whatever you want to do in the»»»

Mass killings of non-Arab communities when the Rapid Support Forces captured the Sudanese city of el-Fasher bears hallmarks that point to genocide, an independent UN probe said in a new report on Thursday. At the end of October last year, the RSF took over the city - which had been the last remaini»»»

"Do not give away Diego Garcia," US President Donald Trump has said as he criticised the UK's plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back an important military base. Trump said "this land should not be taken away from the UK" and if it did it would be "a blight on our Great All»»»

Australian police said on Thursday they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country’s largest mosque, the third such incident in the lead-up to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The letter sent to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west on Wednesday contained a drawi»»»

Turkish crime baron Cetin Goren was the owner of a record European haul of almost 10 tonnes of cocaine seized last month by the Spanish police, Turkey’s newly-appointed justice minister Akin Gurlek said on February 13 in remarks made during his first televised interview as minister. »»»

Turkish crime baron Cetin Goren was the owner of a record European haul of almost 10 tonnes of cocaine seized last month by the Spanish police, Turkey’s newly-appointed justice minister Akin Gurlek said on February 13 in remarks made during his first televised interview as minister. »»»

The Middle East is used to conflict, but the current moment is fundamentally different. Wars overlap, alliances are in flux, and long-standing assumptions about external protection and the regional order are eroding. For the Arab world, this is not simply another phase of instability; it is a strat»»»

Vice President Iliana Yotova has formalized the appointment of a caretaker government headed by Andrey Gyurov, the presidency announced on Thursday. With a separate decree, Yotova also set the date for early parliamentary elections, which will take place on April 19, 2026. A further decree determin»»»

Seoul, South Korea: A South Korean court sentenced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison on Thursday after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection with his martial law declaration in 2024. Yoon abruptly declared martial law in a televised address in December 2024, saying drastic measur»»»

Speaking at the Security Council session on Libya yesterday, Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the US President on African Affairs said the US is, ‘‘working on concrete steps for economic and military integration by bringing together senior officials from eastern and western Libya.” He said US Afric»»»

A broad coalition of Sudanese political and civil forces has made an urgent appeal to the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), calling for a “comprehensive humanitarian truce” during the holy month of Ramadan. The initiative calls for a temporary cessation of »»»

Hungary will halt fuel supplies to Ukraine and will only resume delivery once Ukraine restarts oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of service since the end of January, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced after a cabinet meeting on February 18. »»»

Hungary will halt fuel supplies to Ukraine and will only resume delivery once Ukraine restarts oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of service since the end of January, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced after a cabinet meeting on February 18. »»»

Hungary will halt fuel supplies to Ukraine and will only resume delivery once Ukraine restarts oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of service since the end of January, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced after a cabinet meeting on February 18. »»»

Hungary will halt fuel supplies to Ukraine and will only resume delivery once Ukraine restarts oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of service since the end of January, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced after a cabinet meeting on February 18. »»»

Hungary will halt fuel supplies to Ukraine and will only resume delivery once Ukraine restarts oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of service since the end of January, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced after a cabinet meeting on February 18. »»»

The government-critical portal atlatszo.hu has presented an “Election Monitor” which, based on a complex methodology, promises a suspenseful outcome for the elections on 12 April. The “Election Monitor” was developed by local politician Venczel Varjasi. The map of the 106 constituencies shows Fides»»»

Skopje, 18 February 2026 (MIA) – The Ministry of Transport has begun a procedure to sign an air transport agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which, as announced on Wednesday, will establish a legal framework for launching regular flights between the two countries. Until now, there has been»»»

Baghdad - A promotional video produced by a local platform and sponsored by several companies has sparked widespread criticism in Iraq over content described as “irresponsible,” according to the Iraqi Writers and Authors Union, for allegedly insulting the “Greatest Arab Poet,” Muhammad Mahdi al-Jaw»»»

The minister of foreign affairs of Romania through the Political Directorate, ambassador Mihnea Motoc hosted on 18th February 2026 in Bucharest the trilateral dialogue between Romania-France-Germany, dedicated to the region of the Black Sea and the implementation of the Strategic Approach of the Eu»»»

Ottawa, Feb. 19 (SANA) Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said Wednesday that Canada had introduced substantial amendments to the “Syrian Economic Measures Regulations,” including lifting the comprehensive economic embargo in place since May 2011. In a statement, Anand said the amendm»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a large array of nuclear-capable rocket launchers ahead of a rare congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, signalling the next stage of the country’s nuclear weapons programme. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a battery of large nuclear-capable»»»

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 (»»»

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»»»

In a statement (published last Tuesday 17 February) commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of the 17 February Revolution, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, Major General Abdel Salam Zoubi, affirmed that Libyans, in a historic moment, chose dignity and overthrew a regime, recalling the sac»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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,»»»

Small-scale protests broke out across Serbia on February 18, as students and farmers demonstrated over political and economic grievances. The demonstrations followed two nights of clashes with police in Belgrade and Novi S»»»

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday sharply criticized the UK over a lease deal concerning Diego Garcia island, the site of a major US military base, saying it may be needed to counter a "potential attack" by Iran if nuclear talks collapse. "I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of th»»»