Dubai: Hollywood star Keanu Reeves made an unexpected appearance at the Bahrain International Circuit this week during Formula 1 pre-season testing. Known for his roles in The Matrix and John Wick, Reeves is also a longtime motorsport fan, and his visit gave fans a rare glimpse of him off the big s»»»

Financier Levon Hampartzumyan has forecast a gradual rise in loan interest rates in Bulgaria, noting that current levels are historically very low and cannot be sustained indefinitely. Speaking on bTV, he stressed that such an increase is a natural development rather than a cause for alarm. Hampart»»»

President Iliana Iotova will receive caretaker prime minister Andrey Gurov at the President's Administration on Wednesday, the President’s press secretariat said on Tuesday. On February 12, Iotova appointed Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Deputy Governor Andrey Gurov as caretaker prime minister and t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has announced the working hours for kindergartens and government schools during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The Ministry announced that the schedule for students will be three and a half hours. School hours for students in Kindergar»»»

Israeli occupation forces carried out a new wave of bombing and demolition operations early Tuesday, targeting multiple areas across the Gaza Strip in what marked a renewed field escalation in both the north and south. Israeli artillery shelled eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, while w»»»

New Mexico lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to launch what they said was the first full investigation into what happened at Zorro Ranch, where the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women. A bipartisan committee will seek testimony»»»

China has long ago overtaken the US when it comes to the navy, but now Beijing has also overhauled the US in submarines. China has rapidly expanded its nuclear-powered submarine production, surpassing US launch numbers and»»»

“No conditions exist for a coup” in Kyrgyzstan, the country’s president Sadyr Japarov said on February 16, following his abrupt firing last week of national security chief Kamchybek Tashiyev, a man who was widely seen as his “co-ruler”. »»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has amended Government Resolution No. 519 of September 23, 2013 «On Approval of the Rules for Organizing Passenger Transportation by Road in the Kyrgyz Republic.» The decision was made to create conditions for taxi drivers to obtain licenses. According to the »»»

The withdrawal of lev banknotes and coins is continuing in line with the approved schedule, although the pace of the process is expected to ease in the coming period, according to data published by the Bulgarian National Bank. The central bank reports that 4.5 percent of the lev cash that was in ci»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani led well-wishers to welcome HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, upon his arrival at Doha International Airport on Tuesday morning, along with his accompanying deleg»»»

The Chairman of the Libyan Foreign Bank (LFB), Mohamed Ali Addarrat, affirmed that “protecting its assets and recovering its receivables abroad has been among the bank’s top priorities in recent years.” He claimed that “significant efforts have been made, resulting in the recovery of funds in sever»»»

Five young people have died in a fire that broke out in a storage space in a residential block of flats in north-east Spain. Catalonia's fire brigade said residents raised the alarm about the fire in a five-storey building in Manlleu, about 80km (50 miles) north of Barcelona, shortly after 21:00 lo»»»

At the end of last year, remittances to the Kyrgyz Republic totaled $3.5 billion, equivalent to 15.4 percent of the country’s GDP. The Eurasian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reported. According to the bank, this figure increased by 16.8 percent compared to 2024. The main inflow cam»»»

The Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic has developed a specialized agroportal for the agricultural sector. The platform is designed to provide open access to information on available digital services and offerings in agriculture. It allows users »»»

Dubai: Takaful Emarat Insurance PSC, the UAE’s first dedicated Shariah-compliant life and health Takaful provider, has announced the appointment of Hisham Hammoud as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Hammoud, who has served as a Board Member for the past eleven months, assumes the new role i»»»

Dubai: The crescent marking the start of the Islamic month is not expected to be visible across most Arab and Islamic countries on Tuesday evening, February 17, according to calculations released by the International Astronomical Centre. Astronomers traditionally calculate sunset based on the upper»»»

Fifteen years ago, Beijing's Liangma riverbanks would have been smog-choked and deserted in winter, but these days they are dotted with families and exercising pensioners most mornings. The turnaround is the result of a years-long campaign that threw China's state power behind policies like moving »»»

President Donald Trump on Monday said Cuba was a "failed nation" and called on Havana to make a deal with the United States, though he dismissed mounting a regime change operation. "Cuba is right now, a failed nation," the US leader told reporters aboard Air Force One. However, when asked if the Un»»»

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be involved "indirectly" in high-stakes talks between Iran and the US over Tehran's nuclear program set for Tuesday in Geneva, adding he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal. "I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they'll be very im»»»

Amman, Feb. 17 (SANA) Syrian and Jordanian industry representatives met in Amman to discuss expanding cooperation aimed at strengthening women’s participation in the industrial sector and promoting bilateral economic ties. The talks brought together Wafaa Abu Labdeh, a board member of the Damascus »»»

Dubai: The UAE on Tuesday announced a three-year extension of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) until 2028, as the country's landmark Hope Probe marked five years since its historic launch. The milestone that has redefined the Arab world's place in space exploration was announced by Ahmad Belhoul Al »»»

The emerging outlines of Andrey Gyurov’s caretaker cabinet suggest a strong emphasis on technical expertise rather than political weight, according to sociologist Elena Darieva, speaking on bTV. She said the approach appears focused on bringing in professionals capable of stepping into ministries i»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, calling his leadership vital to America’s national interests. Orban’s personal relationship with US President Donald Trump has translated into a “golden era” of relations »»»

Tartous, Feb. 17 (SANA) The “Ramadan Brings Us Together” shopping festival opened on Monday evening at the Old Hall on Tartous’ seaside corniche, bringing together more than 40 companies and attracting large crowds. Organizers said the event, held ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, offers a wide r»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Plane carrying Russian delegation arrives in Geneva for trilateral talks on Ukraine 17-02-2026 09:26 AM Latest News Urgent News Plane carry»»»

Electronic music artist and tech creator Look Mum No Computer has been chosen to represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, the BBC has announced. Look Mum No Computer is a solo artist and songwriter and is also described as "an inventor of unique musical machines." The sing»»»

Otkurbek Rakhmanov, director of Region TV channel, announced on social media that former head of the State Committee for National Security, Kamchybek Tashiev, has temporarily left Kyrgyzstan. According to Rakhmanov, the departure is temporary. No further details, including the purpose and duration »»»

Doha, Qatar: As the holy month of Ramadan approaches and heralds a time for prayer and reflection, expat families in Doha have begun preparations that binds mindfulness with flavours of home. In hospitable homes and warm kitchens of these families, meal preparations for the holy month of Ramadan ha»»»

In May 2007, three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished while on holiday with her parents and twin siblings in Praia da Luz, Portugal. On the night she disappeared, her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were dining with friends at a tapas restaurant approximately 55 meters from their ground-floor apart»»»

A 36-year-old motorist damaged five cars before she was taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol in the downtown Athens district of Kolonaki early on Tuesday. According to the police, the woman was arrested at the intersection of Kleomenous and Xanthippou streets after she smas»»»

Dubai: Gulf News’ brand new video podcast Dine With The Stars with Manjusha Radhakrishnan returns for another banger following our inaugural emotionally charged debut with Malayalam actress and survivor Bhavana Menon. In our second episode of DWTS, we break bread with Bollywood actor Ahaan Shetty, »»»

The Philippines is putting safe and ethical labour migration at the forefront after taking over as chair of the 9th Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), a key platform connecting labor-sending and labour-receiving countries in Asia. In a statement, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) secretary Hans Cacdac sai»»»

Dubai: Money sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has reached new heights in 2025, underscoring the contribution of Filipinos working abroad, including millions based in the UAE. Cash remittances reached an all-time high of $3.52 billion in December 2025, pushing up the total to $35.63 bil»»»

Romania's market for electrified cars (fully electric, plug-in hybrids and full hybrids) is expected to reach 110,000 registrations in 2026, up 28 percent from the previous year, when 85,961 units were recorded, President of the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers (APIA) Dan Vardi»»»

Over half (56.3%) of Romanian used car dealers rely on reports on vehicle history, according to a survey conducted by a specialised company, which highlights the fact that the used car market in Romania has become more mature, more professional and more quality-oriented.According to research conduc»»»

A Romanian out of two has chosen to drink beer during romantic dates, a habit ‘frequently’ practiced by 18% of them and ‘occasionally’ by 32%, according to a specialty study published on last Wednesday.In a world of online dating and pressure to make a perfect first impression, Romanians still opt »»»

The coworking space market in Romania is entering a new stage of growth, as more and more companies rethink their cost structure, and Bucharest is becoming more attractive for investors, reveals a specialized analysis, given to the public on last Wednesday.In Romania, the market is in a development»»»

Bucharest has the most extensive offer, while Constanta ranks last when it comes to the total number of newly completed homes available to those who want to make a real estate purchase, according to a report by a real estate website.According to the cited source, new apartments and houses put up fo»»»

Approximately 99% of Romanian adolescents use artificial intelligence, 80.96% have encountered fake content generated by AI, and 37.25% have learned about the safe use of artificial intelligence exclusively online and on social networks, according to a survey conducted by World Vision Romania.The q»»»

Last year, 63.8% of young people in EU, aged between 16 and 24 years used generative AI instruments almost double compared the general population (aged between 16 and 74 years), where the share was 32.7%, according to data released by Eurostat on Tuesday, on the Day of safer Internet. At the opposi»»»

The number of slaughters and the carcass weight increased for pigs, sheep, goats and poultry while for cattle and decreased in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) provisional data published on Tuesday.In December 2025 compared to December 2024, the number »»»

TUI Group, one of the world's leading tourism companies, announced on Friday its official entry into the Romanian market, where it had previously operated through franchises, offering Romanian travellers access to more than 1,500 holiday packages across over 30 European and long-haul destinations.T»»»

Romanian tourism is in a technical recession after declining in ten of the twelve months of 2025, the vice president of the National Travel Agencies Association (ANAT), Adrian Voican said on last Thursday."At government level, there is concern that Romania risks being officially recognized as in a »»»

A day after an unprecedented Israeli decision allowing the seizure of land in the occupied West Bank, Hebrew-language reports revealed a settlement plan that would, in effect, extend Jerusalem’s boundaries beyond the pre–1967 lines. According to a report published by Yedioth Ahronoth, a housing pla»»»

The Australian government will not repatriate from Syria a group of 34 women and children with alleged ties to the ISIS group, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday. The women and children from 11 families were supposed to fly from the Syrian capital Damascus to Australia but Syrian authorit»»»

On Feb. 17, 2014, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" made its debut on NBC with the Roots as the house band. 1 of 5 | Jimmy Fallon arrives on the red carpet for the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 2, 2022. On February 17, 2014, "The Tonight Show Starring Jim»»»

457 km of roads to be repaired, 22 bridges to be built in Kyrgyzstan in 2026 The Ministry of Transport and Communications’ budget for 2026 is planned to be 39,100 billion soms. Deputy Minister Beknazar Bazaraliev announced at a meeting of the Committee on Industrial Policy, Transport, Fuel and Ener»»»

Each year during the holy month of Ramadan, incidents of so-called “online begging” re-emerge, as fraudsters exploit the prevailing atmosphere of compassion and generosity to solicit financial assistance from donors through internet platforms and social media. Authorities have warned the public aga»»»

An unofficial outline of the expected caretaker cabinet headed by Andrey Gyurov has begun to circulate, with multiple familiar political figures likely to return to government. According to information reported by bTV, the proposed lineup must be formally submitted to President Iliana Yotova no lat»»»