German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is meeting China's top leaders Wednesday at the start of a whirlwind two-day visit to press for a fair economic playing field for German companies, and China's assistance in bringing about an end to Russia's four-year-old war in Ukraine. The German leader's plane to»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums has announced the successful inscription of a further three significant Qatari heritage sites on the Heritage List of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), reflecting Qatar’s sustained commitment to preserving, promoting, and sharin»»»

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri does not seem concerned about a possible spillover of the U.S.-Iran conflict into Lebanon, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. The sources said they sensed from Berri's attitude that Hezbollah will not take any action in the event of a strike on Iran. A report pub»»»

As Lebanon prepares for its parliamentary elections, reports say the country is under pressure to postpone the juncture. A report published Tuesday in pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper said the United States, Saudi Arabia, and France are pressuring Lebanon to postpone the elections for at least one»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov met with Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the Russian President for International Cultural Cooperation. The two sides discussed prospects for developing Kyrgyzstan — Russia relations in the cultural and humanitarian spheres and upcoming joint initiat»»»

A Turkish Air Force F‑16 fighter jet crashed near a highway in western Turkey early Wednesday, killing its pilot, officials and media reports said. Radio and radar contact with the jet was lost shortly after midnight after it took off from the 9th Main Jet Base in Balikesir province, according to a»»»

The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched Wednesday the 21st edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press. The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honors the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The compet»»»

Rene Karabash’s novel She Who Remains has been selected for the longlist of the International Booker Prize, according to information published on the award’s official website and cited by BTA. This marks the second time a Bulgarian novel has reached this stage of the prestigious competition, follow»»»

Tunis, Feb 25 (TAP) - An earth tremor measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale (which ranges up to 9) was recorded on Wednesday at 05:24 (local time) east of Kettana (Gabes Governorate).The tremor was felt by the locals, according to the National...»»»

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and India have formally launched negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), in a move officials described as a new chapter in their strategic partnership. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal signed t»»»

1 of 4 | Naval Capt. Elmer Royce Williams is presented the Congressional Medal of Honor by first lady Melania Trump as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, February»»»

The Ministry of Construction, Architecture, Housing, and Communal Services of Kyrgyzstan announced plans to build six new schools in Manas city. According to the ministry, the following facilities are planned: Minister of Construction Nurdan Oruntaev reviewed the design and estimate documentation f»»»

Late-night prayers, suhoor alarms and shifting sleep routines are already testing residents’ energy levels this Ramadan. Now, doctors told Gulf News that excessive smartphone use after iftar may be quietly worsening fatigue, irritability and poor concentration during fasting hours. Blue light disru»»»

The flooding now unfolding in the Evros region, which has inundated tens of thousands of acres of farmland, had been widely anticipated. Meteorologists had warned of heavy rainfall, while authorities in Bulgaria alerted Greece to the imminent overflow of dams and the arrival of massive water volume»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov joined a videoconference of leaders from the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” marking his first appearance in this format since taking office. The meeting was co-hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. During the tal»»»

Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications sector has reaffirmed the strength of its operating model and growth potential, reporting a solid rise in combined revenues in 2025. The performance reflects continued customer growth and an expanding portfolio of digital solutions, underscoring the sector’s centra»»»

Ellington Properties announced a contribution of Dh5 million in support of the Edge of Life campaign to rescue five million children from hunger, launched in Ramadan by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the aim »»»

Dubai: Etihad Rail has revealed new details on what passengers can expect when services start operating later this year. The passenger experience has been shaped around how people actually live, work and travel across the UAE today, offering a modern, comfortable and reliable alternative to interci»»»

US President Donald Trump has delivered his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, using the primetime speech to defend his administration’s record and outline political and economic priorities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The address on Tuesday, the first State of the U»»»

Resilience is no longer optional, and companies must be able to anticipate risks and integrate cybersecurity measures into their strategies, Italy's ambassador to Romania Laura Aghilarre said on Tuesday at a specialist conference."The international context is characterised by increasing risks relat»»»

The latest economic recovery package does not cover 2026 only, as funding schemes concern Romania's economy until 2032, and there are EUR 5 billion for all schemes, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare announced on Tuesday evening."The recovery package is not a package designed for 2026. As financing »»»

President Nicusor Dan had an applied meeting with premier Ilie Bolojan on Tuesday, before his visit to Brussels and said the topics approached had in view the EastInvest mechanism and PNRR implementation. “I had an applied talk with premier Ilie Bolojan before his visit to Brussels. The Declaration»»»

Ukraine's accession to the European Union, in one form or another, could be the salvation of this country, but also of Europe, historian and political analyst, an expert on the former Soviet sphere, Armand Gosu said."Ukraine's accession, in one form or another, because it can join only under certai»»»

The partnership with the United States in the security and intelligence area is working 'very well,' but the economic pillar needs to be developed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Catalin Predoiu said on Tuesday.'Romania needThe partnership with the United States in the secur»»»

Ukraine will not face difficulties in securing electricity for domestic consumption if Slovakia halts its exports, Serhii Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development,said on Tuesday.The Kyiv government official said that any electricity no longer supplied b»»»

Romania's Government expresses its support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom, sovereignty and peace, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan conveyed on Tuesday."Today, four years have passed since Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked war and large-scale invasion of Ukrai»»»

President Nicusor Dan announced on Tuesday, after participating in Kyiv in the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, that Romania will continue to provide Ukraine all the necessary support."On the fourth anniversary of Russia launching an illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine, I took part,»»»

A commemorative gathering was held in central Sofia to honor the resilience of the Ukrainian people four years after the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The event took place near the Church of St. Sophia and the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, drawing dozens of Bulgarian and Ukrainian citi»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China consistently declares inadmissibility of use of nuclear weapons and nuclear war, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday, commenting on plans to provide Ukraine with nuclear arms. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that »»»

Iran has arrested the Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, according to media reports. The reports named him as Shinnosuke Kawashima and said he had been transferred to the notorious Evin Prison. "We at NHK always act with the safety of our staff as our top priority. At this time»»»

The GS4 Max stands out with its eye-catching presence and bold design, highlighted by the criss-cross matrix front grille, Morning Star LED headlights and Rainbow taillights. DOMASCO GAC Motor have just launched the all-new GS4 Max SUV in Qatar, offering consumers a new blend of advanced technology»»»

Ornate packaging paired with enticing advertisements that claim expensive shampoos are elixirs to all hair woes can leave one wondering: Are the higher prices really worth it? Should I abandon my $8 drugstore mainstay for a $42 premium brand? Experts say affordable shampoos and conditioners found i»»»

Ankara: A Turkish military pilot was killed on Wednesday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed shortly after take-off during a mission flight, local authorities said. Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said the aircraft went down shortly after takeoff during a mission flight. Turkish media reported that the crash»»»

At the close of 2025, Bulgarian citizens showed a slight increase in travel activity, with approximately 1.1 million individuals aged 15 and above undertaking tourism trips in the fourth quarter, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). This marks a 1.5% rise com»»»

February 24 marked four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the most severe and destructive armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The attack in 2022 sent shockwaves globally and set off a prolonged war that continues to reshape the continent’s s»»»

New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Pekka Haavisto of Finland as his new Personal Envoy for Sudan. Haavisto brings over forty years of experience in politics and international affairs, having held several ministerial positions in the Government o»»»

Around 17 international humanitarian organizations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an imminent order that would force 37 NGOs to cease operations in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, warning of catastrophic consequences for civilians. Organizations, including Doctors Without B»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Poland, the Baltic states, and Ukraine, using the Belarusian opposition, planned to disrupt the deployment of the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus, a source familiar with the Belarusian opposition's plans told Sputnik. On December 18, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko a»»»

A Turkish fighter jet crashed near a highway shortly after takeoff early Wednesday, killing the pilot, state media reported, citing the defense ministry. Radio and tracking information with the aircraft, which took off from Balikesir at 12:56 am (2156 GMT Tuesday), was lost soon after departure, th»»»

Bill Gates "took responsibility for his actions" over ties ‌to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, a spokesperson for the philanthropic group told Reuters in a written statement on Tuesday. The spokesperson's comments came i»»»

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the war in Ukraine was the result of the West's failure to support Ukraine after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, as well as its inability to punish Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people in Syria and the debacle o»»»

Doha, Qatar: Thirty-one students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) spent two weeks of their winter break shadowing physicians at affiliate hospitals as part of the Step into Medicine Observership Program’s winter 2025-2026 session. The program introduces foundation and pre-medical students »»»

Doha, Qatar: Dukhan Bank has launched its new personal finance campaign, offering customers the best profit rate in Qatar at 2.99% annually and a cash bonus of up to 1%. This campaign comes in line with the Bank’s ongoing commitment to delivering accessible, Shari’a-compliant financial solutions ta»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been alerted anew against dealing with unscrupulous cargo forwarders after reports of mishandled and abandoned balikbayan boxes in the Philippines. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has issued the warning in coordination with the Nationa»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The plans of London and Paris to help Ukraine with nuclear weapons is a manipulation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "The UK and France are preparing and are already in the process of manipulating, not rhetorically, but practically, the is»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The administration of US President Donald Trump warned the Ukrainian government that Ukraine's strikes on a Russian oil facility in the Black Sea late last year impacted US investments in Kazakhstan, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olga Stefanishyna said. In late Novemb»»»

Doha, Qatar: Strong defensive performances marked matches in the third edition of the Al Thumama Ramadan Tournament on Monday night at Al Furjan Stadium in Al Thumama. The tournament is being held in cooperation with the Qatar Sports for All Federation. Only three goals were scored across three mat»»»

Los Angeles: Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will meet in a long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing clash in boxing history this September at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Netflix announced on Monday. The bout between two of boxing’s biggest names -- who famously fought a blockbuster clash in 2»»»

Doha, Qatar: Apex Group Ltd. (“Apex Group”), a leading global financial services provider with over $3.5 trillion in assets serviced, announces the successful licensing and opening of its new office in Qatar at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a top-tier onshore financial and business hub in the r»»»

The Hamas movement denied an Israeli media report alleging it had taken steps to reactivate its rocket system, calling the claims a “pretext” Israel was promoting to justify a return to war and the occupation of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said on Monday that vital m»»»