Damascus, Feb. 18 (SANA) The governor of Syria’s central bank met with representatives of global investment bank Lazard to discuss potential reforms to the country’s banking sector and explore opportunities for expanding investment banking activity in Syria. Central Bank Governor Abdulkader Husarie»»»

A new study by Reveal Marketing Research analysed the meaning of loyalty for Romanian consumers across product and service categories, highlighting shifts in attitudes and behaviours compared with similar research conducted in 2021. According to the study, Romanian consumer loyalty rests on three m»»»

Little Ramadan lanterns and string lights appeared on streets lined with collapsed buildings and piles of rubble in Gaza City, bringing joy and respite as Islam's holiest month began -- the first since October's ceasefire. In the Omari mosque, dozens of worshippers performed the first Ramadan morni»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Tourism and Hamad Medical Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to raise awareness about off-road safety among Qatar’s adventurist residents, families, and high-risk groups. The MoU seeks to enhance collaboration and coordination between the two entities, wi»»»

Moody’s Corporation announced that it has established its regional headquarters in Riyadh, reflecting ongoing commitment to support the development of the Kingdom’s capital markets and economy. “This investment aligns to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 initiative and underscores its dynamism and growth,”»»»

Iran has indicated that it may send some of its enriched uranium to a third country, such as Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US, Iranian, and regional diplomats. Iranian officials also suggested that they might pause enrichment for up to three years and floated a proposa»»»

UNESCO welcomed Wednesday the completion of parliamentary committee deliberations on Lebanon’s draft Media Law, describing it as a major milestone in a reform process that has spanned nearly 15 years. The draft law, submitted in late 2025 by the Minister of Information with sustained technical supp»»»

Recognising the achievements of women is about more than acknowledgement, it sets direction. In the UAE, gender balance has moved beyond policy statements to board mandates, executive appointments and measurable participation across government and industry. Female representation in leadership is no»»»

Sharjah: Paid public parking in Sharjah will operate from 8am until midnight throughout the holy month of Ramadan, Sharjah City Municipality announced on Wednesday, as part of wider preparations that include intensified inspections of food establishments and public facilities across the emirate. Th»»»

EY Romania today released the study Migration at a crossroads: The evolution of emigration and immigration in Romania within the global system, analysing the impact of migration on the country’s economy, as well as on its social and cultural structures, unveiling a complex reality around the phenom»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces open fire at pickup truck in the outskirts of Al-Wazzani in south Lebanon: Al-Manar correspondent 18-02-2026 11:5»»»

Dubai: As Ramadan brings unique traffic patterns and heightened road activity across the UAE, motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists are urged to exercise extra caution to prevent accidents, particularly during the rush hours before iftar. Most road accidents during Ramadan occur just before sunset, »»»

Dubai: Dubai South has opened a new aviation support facility designed to help airlines repair and service aircraft equipment more quickly. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The new centre, launched at the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH), will be operated by RH»»»

Dubai: Emirates NBD has approved a draft plan to merge its Indian branches with RBL Bank, subject to the acquisition of a majority stake, marking a key regulatory step in what would be the UAE lender’s largest international banking expansion. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Bal»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Pezeshkian: Nuclear Talks Under Leader’s Supervision, Not Just For Show 18-02-2026 11:31 AM President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized the »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Starmer and Trump held call on Iran, Gaza and Ukraine: Downing Street 18-02-2026 10:42 AM Latest News Urgent News Starmer and Trump held ca»»»

The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan announced measures to improve air quality, develop climate policy, and implement waste management systems. According to the ministry, as part of efforts to improve air quality, Cabinet of Ministers’ Decree No. 221 a»»»

Retail schemes are maintaining a strong pace of expansion, with more than 750,000 sqm of projects currently under construction or in planning across Romania, with delivery by 2029. If all planned projects are completed, the country’s total retail stock will exceed 5.6 million sqm by the end of 2029»»»

Saudi Arabia has launched its first endowment fund dedicated to advancing environmental, water and agricultural sustainability, reinforcing efforts to strengthen the Kingdom’s non-profit sector and long-term development. Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli on T»»»

TradeGermanyChina shock: Will Merz take on Germany's top rival?Nik MartinChancellor Friedrich Merz is scrambling to defend German industry from the economic upheaval caused by intense rivalry from China. Momentum is building for fresh trade barriers to stop unfair trade practices. https://p.dw.com/»»»

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. »»»

Manila: At a raucous 2022 campaign rally, the two most formidable names in Philippine politics stood side by side, sealing an alliance that seemed unstoppable. Before a sea of roaring supporters, then–vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte turned to her running mate, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and dec»»»

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. »»»

A luminous outline of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores loomed over Caracas against the night sky in January. The steady light of hundreds of drones in a show put on by the government in Venezuela, suspended their image in front of the clouds, before rearranging to call for their return: "El»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has raised the readiness of Makkah’s hospitality sector to its highest level ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, stressing that serving pilgrims and visitors remains a top national priority. Makkah is preparing to receive worshippers and visitors amid a marked exp»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran, Russia to hold combined naval drill on Thursday 18-02-2026 10:16 AM Latest News Urgent News Israeli soldier killed in so-called frien»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli soldier killed in so-called friendly fire incident in south Gaza: Israeli media 18-02-2026 10:38 AM Latest News Urgent News Israeli»»»

Jhajjar: A chartered accountant from Hisar has been arrested for the brutal killing of his 27-year-old wife, a bank employee whose body was found with her throat slit near Bahadurgarh in Haryana’s Jhajjar district. Police said the accused attempted to stage the crime as a robbery-cum-murder, but in»»»

School bus driver Ali al-Dorr averts his gaze every time he passes the rubble of his son's home -- destroyed by an Israeli strike in south Lebanon despite a year-old ceasefire. Though his son managed to evacuate in time, the attack left notebooks, papers and furniture strewn among the debris of the»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to add around 390,000 new homes by 2030, marking one of the largest residential expansion cycles in recent years, according to a new industry report. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The first-ever Alpen GCC Real Estate 2026 report by Alpen Capital»»»

The report from the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on the elections in Romania is "erroneous" and "partisan", Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen told a Monday's press conference in Bucharest."The report is an ideological, partisan document that no one is paying any attentio»»»

Al-Bunyan Engineering Consulting Company reported last Monday (16 February) that over the past few months it had completed the first phase of a technical study assessing existing damage at the Zumurrud (Emerald) Shopping Mall Investment Project. The project is part of the Tripoli Gate (Bab Trabulus»»»

Dubai: eNovate, a subsidiary of eFinance Investment Group, and Cobi, a UAE-headquartered AI-native customer intelligence platform, today announced the integration of Cobi’s AI-powered intelligence infrastructure across its digital payment ecosystem to redefine how young people across Egypt engage w»»»

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»»»

Britain's annual ‌rate of consumer price inflation fell to 3.0% in January from 3.4% in December, official figures showed on Wednesday. A Reuters poll of economists had shown a median forecast of 3.0% in January and the Bank of England projected earlier this month that the headline measure of infla»»»

Doha, Qatar: Weather inshore until 6pm on Wednesday will be misty to foggy at first, moderate in temperature daytime, and cold by night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report, warning of expected poor horizontal visibility at first. Offshore, the weather will be misty to fo»»»

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. »»»

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. »»»

The Saudi Aviation Club announced that it will organize the AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 in Riyadh from November 24 to 28, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. The event is set to be the largest of its kind for general aviation in the Middle East, combining international business, inve»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums has announced revised operating hours for the Holy Month of Ramadan, introducing a split schedule across its network of museums, galleries, and cultural institutions. Under the updated timetable, all its museums, galleries, and institutions will open from Saturday to Thur»»»

Minister of Public Health H E Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud met with Ambassador of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the State of Qatar H R H Prince Saad bin Mansour bin Saad bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The meeting reviewed cooperations between the two countries and ways to support and e»»»

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»»»

Deputy Kamila Talieva stated in Parliament that the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and speech delays is rapidly increasing in Kyrgyzstan, calling the situation a tragedy not only for individual families but for the entire state. According to Talieva, the main concern is the»»»

The Ministry of Interior has published a report detailing its investigation into the activities of the association linked to Ivaylo Kalushev. The document is now publicly available on the Ministry’s website. The publication follows an order from Interior Minister Daniel Mitov dated February 5, 2026»»»

Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan agreed to establish a Saudi-Kazakh Coordination Council, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received in Riyadh Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev. Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan »»»

North Korea was designated a "high-risk jurisdiction" for money laundering and terrorism financing for the 16th consecutive year, Seoul's Financial Action Task Force said Wednesday. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo North Korea has been designated a "high-risk jurisdiction" for money»»»

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»»»

With the background of price rises in basic commodities, shortages of cooking oil, LC fraud and attempts to preserve Libya’s hard currency reserves, the Minister of Planning, Mohamed Al-Zaidani, met last Monday (16 February) with the Executive Director of the Libyan Industry Union (LIU) to discuss »»»

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»»»