A group of 34 Australian women and children who have been held in a camp in northern Syria for nearly seven years due to their links to the Islamic State (IS) group were released on Monday to head home, but then returned to the camp for "technical reasons". The group - thought by authorities to be »»»

Branches of Ukraine’s state postal service, Ukrposhta, have been subjected to frequent arson attacks due to its role in the military draft, according to CEO Igor Smilyansky. Ukraine’s recruitment drive has grown increasingly brutal amid military setbacks and manpower shortages. There are hundreds o»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has opened a new street in Pyongyang named in honor of the soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces to liberate Kursk Region from a Ukrainian incursion, state media in Pyongyang reported on Monday. Kim personally cut the ribbon opening Saebyeol Street in the Hwas»»»

US military forces intercepted and boarded a tanker that was sanctioned for carrying Venezuelan oil in the Indian Ocean overnight on Sunday, the Pentagon has announced. The US launched a military operation to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, and claims to have seized con»»»

1 of 2 | California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new clean energy agreement with Britain on Monday that will bring $1 billion in investments into his state. File Photo by Jonathan Alcorn/UPI | License Photo Feb. 16 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an agreement with Britain on Monday»»»

The British government announced new regulations on AI chatbots Monday. File Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The British government will add new regulations to artificial intelligence chatbots to protect children and other users, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday. "The action »»»

The chairman of a Greek soccer team and another two people have been arrested for assaulting police during a match at a soccer stadium in the Greater Athens region, authorities said Monday. A police statement announcing Sunday’s arrests did not name the suspects or the team they represented. It sai»»»

Doha, Qatar: Old Doha Port has announced its Ramadan lineup of activations and unveiled a new campaign, “Experience Ramadan at the Port,” set to air on Qatar TV throughout the holy month. The campaign takes a calm, observational approach, inspired by the view of seagulls soaring above the harbour. »»»

Abu Dhabi’s transport operator Q Mobility has announced adjusted toll and public parking charges for Ramadan 2026, in an effort aimed at easing mobility and managing traffic flow during the holy month, when commuting patterns typically shift. The company said Darb toll gate charges will apply from »»»

People attend the trade fair of the XXV Habano Festival at the Convention Palace in Havana, Cuba, in February 2025. This year's event has been postponed indefinitely. File Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Cuban authorities indefinitely postponed the Habano Festival, citing a severe»»»

Dubai’s toll gate operator Salik has announced a revised road pricing schedule for Ramadan 2026, introducing new peak and off-peak tariffs aimed at improving traffic flow while accommodating the changing travel patterns associated with the holy month. Under the new structure, motorists travelling f»»»

Sidi Bouzid, Feb. 16 (TAP)- Minister of Environment Habib Abid, during his visit to the governorate of Sidi Bouzid on Monday, reviewed the progress of several planned projects in the region, mainly related to sanitation, waste management, and green...»»»

In an Instagram post on Sunday, former President Barack Obama said he has not seen evidence of the existence of aliens after earlier saying on a podcast that they are real. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Former President Barack Obama readdressed the existence of alie»»»

Cairo: The State of Qatar participated in the celebration of the Arab Sustainability Day 2026, which was held Monday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League in Cairo, under the theme 'path of sustainable development: a decade of achievements.' Representing the Permanent De»»»

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates welcomed United Nations General Assembly’s appointment of Dr. Tuka Alhanai, Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi, to the newly established UN Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Dr. A»»»

Doha, Qatar: The third edition of the “Throwback Food Festival” opened on Monday at Old Doha Port, returning with its largest edition and a stronger focus on nostalgia-driven culinary experiences. Running until the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the festival welcomes visitors daily from 5:30pm t»»»

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced Sunday what he called the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history from a supply ship in the Pacific Ocean. Photo by Podrigo Sura/EPA Feb. 16 (UPI) -- El Salvador said it seized 6.6 tons of cocaine, valued at some $165 million, in the Pa»»»

Khartoum: The Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan, HE Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan met with the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Sudan, HE Mohammed Ibrahim Tajer Al Sada. The meeting discussed cooperation relation between the two countries»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Arab Union of the Blind on the sidelines of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition (AgriteQ 2026). This step reflects the Ministry's commitment to strengthening community partnerships and empowering peopl»»»

The moon rises over Castleton Tower near Moab, Utah, in 2024. On Sunday, the Utah GOP announced it had enough signatures to force a ballot measure on redistricting laws. File Photo by Bob Strong/UPI | License Photo Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The Utah Republican Party announced it has the 200,000 signatures n»»»

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (R) welcomes German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, on Monday. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday his country will continue to support Leba»»»

Beijing: Chinese Alibaba Group unveiled Monday its new artificial intelligence model, Qwen 3.5, designed to perform complex tasks autonomously with significant improvements in performance and cost. In a statement, the company said that Qwen 3.5 was designed "for the era of autonomous AI to help dev»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian delegation will arrive in Geneva for talks on Ukraine on Tuesday morning, a diplomatic source told Sputnik on Monday. The Russian delegation will arrive at around 5:00 GMT, the source said.WorldGeneva Talks to Expand Beyond Abu Dhabi Agenda, Include Territorial Issues»»»

1 of 2 | The Federal Bureau of Investigations has informed Minnesota’s highest investigative agency that it will not share evidence and information related to the killing of Alex Pretti. Photo by Craig Lassig/EPA Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation informed Minnesota's highest inve»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Sports and Youth (MSY) held a closing ceremony of the "Jeel Mubader" (Initiative Generation) program as part of its ongoing efforts to empower Qatari young people and foster their capabilities in fashioning positive initiatives in alignment with Qatar National Vision 20»»»

Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, revealed an ongoing plan to turn the city of Khorfakkan into a city surrounded by forests of trees, characterised by high oxygen levels, low carbon dioxide, and increased positive electrons,»»»

Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, dies aged 95 This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can a»»»

BBC Verify has confirmed the location of US aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln near Iran using satellite imagery, as Washington continues to put pressure on the country over its military program and recent deadly crackdown on protesters. US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Swizerland »»»

Citizens of NATO countries should accept “difficult choices” and “hard” spending decisions in order to divert billions into defense and military spending to deter Russia, top British and German military officials have claimed. In a joint op-ed for The Guardian on Sunday, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richa»»»

Operations at a biscuit factory belonging to the owner of the Violanta factory, in Trikala, central Greece, where five workers were killed in an explosion late last month, were suspended as of Monday due to “scheduled external technical work.” The company said the Vitafree factory, also in Trikala,»»»

Two men have been arrested in Athens for allegedly posing as electricians and charging members of the public large sums for work that they never carried out, police said Monday. The suspects faced charges of fraud and exposing the public to danger as, allegedly, they sometimes did turn up at their »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Organising Committee of the School Olympic Program held a ceremony today to honour promising athletes who joined Qatar's national teams through the program. The event was attended by the First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, HE Mohamed bin Yousef Al Mana; Second Vice»»»

Abu Dhabi: Demand for meat and livestock in the UAE has risen sharply in the run-up to Ramadan, as consumers prepare for family gatherings and traditional meals, with traders reporting a noticeable increase in advance bookings and purchases. Livestock sellers in Abu Dhabi said activity in the marke»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani paid a visit to the 13th edition of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition "AgriteQ 2026" on Monday evening at the Katara Cultural Village. During the visit, His Excellen»»»

Israeli prosecutors said Monday that they plan to charge a settler in the killing of a Palestinian activist during a confrontation that was caught on video, opening a rare prosecution of violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. Attacks from settlers and home demolitions by authorities»»»

Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has announced revised working hours for its services during the holy month of Ramadan, covering customer happiness centres, paid parking zones, public transport, marine services and vehicle testing facilities. The authority said the changes ai»»»

Tunis, Feb. 16 (TAP) - Clouds will be sometimes dense over the north and locally the centre, with scattered and temporarily thundery rain over the far northwest late on Monday night, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INM).Winds...»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has received a telephone call from President of the Federal Republic of Somalia HE Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. During the call, they reviewed the latest developments in Somalia, particularly efforts to consolidate secur»»»

Vazrazhdane MPs Iskra Mihaylova and Daniel Prodanov tabled a bill amending the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act to prohibit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from using names that imitate state institutions, the party’s press service said on Monday. On February 10, Yes, Bulgaria announced on Faceb»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call on Monday from the President of the sisterly Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. During the call, they reviewed the latest developments in Somalia, particularly efforts aimed at consolidating secu»»»

Tunis, Feb. 16 (TAP) - The stock market closed Monday’s session on a negative note. The Tunindex slipped by 0.15% to 14,604.38 points, on a trading volume of TND 6.9 million, according to broker Tunisie Valeurs.SOTIPAPIER topped the session’s...»»»

1 of 2 | Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban looks on during a bilateral lunch wiith President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Feb. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated President»»»

1 of 3 | The Philadelphia Health Department is warning of measles exposure at the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday. File Photo by Annie Rice/EPA Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Health officials in the Philadelphia area are warning of a possible measles exposure in Terminal E of the Philadelphia Inte»»»

Mexican actor, producer and director Salma Hayek speaks at a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on Sunday. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a series of tax incentives to boost film and television production in the country, with Hayek as a special guest. She had asked Sheinb»»»

Hassan Abdalla, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), affirmed that climate change has evolved from an environmental concern into a core financial issue, underscoring the central bank’s leading role in steering Egypt’s banking sector towards sustainability. “Climate change is no longer an en»»»

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Monday oversaw the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed governors and deputy governors at the presidential headquarters in Cairo, according to a presidential statement, in a move aimed at strengthening local administration and governance. The ceremony wa»»»

Egypt is implementing six petroleum refinery development projects with total investments exceeding $4bn, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said. The projects are designed to increase domestic production, boost added value, and reduce the country’s fuel import bill, Badawi sai»»»

Rasha Abdel Aal, Head of the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA), announced that the number of entrepreneurs and small and micro enterprise owners joining the simplified tax system since its launch in February 2025 has exceeded expectations, particularly during the final quarter of the last year. She said»»»

Tehran: Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Dr. Ali Larijani has affirmed that Iran is ready for what it called a fair negotiation on its nuclear program without compromising its security. Tehran positively considers negotiation, provided that it should be fair and rational »»»

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that Germany will extend border controls for another six months from March 15, including on the border with Poland. The measures will remain in place at least until mid September and are part of a broader reorganization of Germany’s migration po»»»