Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the results of more than 1,400 on-site inspections of driving training providers, stating more than 550 must close. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Feb. 19 (UPI) -- More than 550 commercial driver's license schools were cited for safety»»»

Dubai: Abu Dhabi developer Modon reported Dh3.9 billion in net profit for 2025 after revenue rose to Dh13.8 billion, supported by record property sales and a sharp rise in its project pipeline. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The group’s revenue backlog reached Dh46 bi»»»

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»»»

On Feb. 19, 1878, Thomas Edison patented the first gramophone. 1 of 6 | Thomas Edison poses in his laboratory in Orange, N.J., on June 16, 1888, amidst his first gramophone invention. The first gramophone was patented on February 19, 1878. UPI File Photo | License Photo Feb. 19 (UPI) -- On this dat»»»

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 »»»

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, has toured hospitality facilities and visitor services in Madinah as part of the “Spirit of Ramadan” inspection tour, which also included Jeddah and Makkah. New data show visitor numbers exceeded 21 million over the past year, a 12 percent incre»»»

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»»»

Vast stretches of a once-verdant acacia forest south of Sudan's capital Khartoum have been reduced to little more than fields of stumps as nearly three years of conflict have fueled deforestation. What was once a 1,500-hectare natural reserve has been "completely wiped out", Boushra Hamed, head of »»»

Plane maker Airbus aims to deliver a record number of commercial aircraft this year, the company said Thursday, capitalizing on "strong demand" and a jump in profit in 2025. "2025 was a landmark year, characterized by very strong demand for our products and services across all businesses," CEO Guil»»»

The National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has approved renewable electricity generation capacities totalling 849.36 MW and storage capacities of 596 MW, according to a press release sent by the institution on Wednesday.At the meeting of the Regulatory Committee held on Tuesday, 17 February, i»»»

Discussions on a deadline for Romania's joining the eurozone could start in five years' time if the below 3% deficit reduction programme works, governor of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) Mugur Isarescu, said on Wednesday."When we manage to bring the government deficit to 3% and you see that it »»»

Public debt does not rise overnight and is not the result of a single decision, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.Exceeding the 60% threshold is the effect of past accumulations rather than a consequence of any specific decision in recent months, he added.'Roman»»»

Premier Ilie Bolojan stated on Wednesday night, at Digi 24 that special pensions for the employees of the Ministry of Interior, Defense and National Security will be regulated in March, after the Constitutional Court decided that the Law on magistrates’ pensions is ...»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Wednesday welcomed the decision of Romania's Constitutional Court regarding the special pensions of magistrates, stressing that it confirms the correctness of the Government's approach.'The reform of special pensions has been persistently demanded by Romanian society,»»»

Misrata Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday that it is holding an important workshop for members on the implementation of the registration project on Saturday, 21 February at its headquarters. The ACI project is being implemented directly by the “Libya Trade Network,” the legally authorized ent»»»

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»»»

Lyubomir Datsov, a member of Bulgaria’s Fiscal Council, has warned that the country faces a growing problem due to the lack of an anti-inflationary policy, despite the current inflation not being overly high. He made the remarks on NOVA NEWS, noting that while some inflation is normal as the econom»»»

Doha, Qatar: The greatest embodiments of Qatar Foundation’s globally unique education ecosystem are its skilled and values-driven students – and across its schools and universities, 16 of these students have been recognised through the 19th edition of the Qatar Education Excellence Award. The stude»»»

US President Donald Trump will preside over the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday with unresolved questions on the future of Gaza hanging over an event expected to include representatives from more than 45 nations. The disarmament of Hamas militants, the size of the reconstruction fun»»»

After Zhanar Akayev left Parliament, the mandate in the Zhogorku Kenesh for electoral district No. 8 has been transferred to Taalaibek Sarybashov, who won nearly 9,000 votes (6.18 percent) in the elections. The decision was adopted by the Central Election Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic. As it wa»»»

Dubai: NutraONE, a nutraceutical and wellness distribution company, has announced an exclusive strategic distribution partnership with Nutrifactor Laboratories, one of the region's largest dietary supplement and nutraceutical manufacturer, to expand access to science led health and wellness supplem»»»

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»»»

A South Korean court on Thursday found ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of leading an insurrection for his short-lived attempt to impose martial law in December 2024, sentencing the former leader to life imprisonment. A South Korean court found ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of insurrectio»»»

The White House has warned Iran would be "very wise" to make a deal with the US, amid reports that President Donald Trump is weighing fresh military action against the Islamic Republic. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a news briefing that Trump was still hoping for a diplomatic resolution ove»»»

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Several victims of an avalanche that hit Northern California's backcountry on Tuesday were connected to a private school for competitive skiers, the institution said. Officials with Sugar Bowl Academy in Norden, Calif., confirmed Wednesday that multiple victims were either members »»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Hidaya School for Students with Special Needs (Primary, Preparatory and Secondary – Dafna Branch) organised the fourth annual “Ibda’a Bi Anamili” (I Create with My Fingertips) competition for the 2025–2026 academic year under the theme “Through the Eyes of Our Students, We See Qatar»»»

Doha, Qatar: Population health experts at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have published a perspective article, which outlines the need to rethink global statin guidelines for older adults in resource-diverse settings. The paper highlights that guidelines for statin medications – used to contr»»»

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 (»»»

Doha, Qatar: Rawabi Wholesale Division, a leading FMCG distribution network under Al Rawabi Group of Companies, successfully distributed the grand prizes of its much-anticipated “Silver Jubilee Bonanza” campaign on February 16, 2026, at Wholesale Plus – Al Nayef Square, Al Rayyan. The campaign was »»»

Saudi Arabia's artificial intelligence firm Humain said Wednesday it had invested $3 billion in US billionaire Elon Musk's xAI. The investment made Humain a "significant minority shareholder,” the company said in a statement. It added that its xAI holdings would be "converted into SpaceX shares" af»»»

The United States is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, according to US media reports. Washington will end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the country and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once k»»»

The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic issued an official comment regarding the detention of a nephrologist. The ministry stated that the investigation is being conducted by authorized law enforcement agencies within the framework of the current legislation. «The Ministry of Health consisten»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education organised an extensive introductory session on the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, attended by Maha Zayed Al-Qaqqa Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs. The session aimed to explore ways to invest»»»

Rice remains a staple in most UAE homes, making a dependable rice cooker an everyday necessity. Rice is also a popular part of iftar and suhoor meals. Whether you live alone or you're part of a large family household, modern rice cookers are designed to deliver consistent results with minimal effor»»»

Dubai: European regulators have approved a stronger maintenance dose of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, giving doctors across the European Union a new option to support patients struggling to achieve sufficient results on existing treatment levels. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & »»»

MRF - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski Thursday congratulated Muslims on the start of Ramadan. "May the holy month of Ramadan inspire everyone to do good deeds," he said, as quoted by the party's press centre. In his greeting to Muslims, Peevski wished health, peace, and spiritual strength»»»

The President of the Kyrgyz Republic signed a decree appointing Zhumgalbek Shabdanbekov Chairman of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS). The document entered into force upon signing. The new head of the security services will oversee national security, countering terrorism and extremis»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has issued a new circular outlining procedures for student registration and transfers in government schools for the 2026–2027 academic year, aiming to streamline processes for parents and ensure schools are fully prepared to receive studen»»»

Minister of Education of Kyrgyzstan Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva, together with First Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation Gulnur Mamyrova, held a meeting with members of the European Parliament, led by Giuseppina Princi, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Central Asian Cou»»»

Doha, Qatar: TotalEnergies is pleased to announce the appointment of Antoine Delafargue (pictured) as Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Qatar and Country Chair, effective January 2026. In this role, Antoine will lead the affiliate’s Exploration and Production activities in Qatar and contribute »»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices moved back above the Dh600 mark on Thursday morning, keeping the local market on edge after weeks of sharp swings that have tested buyer sentiment across jewellery stores. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, an»»»