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»»»

Damascus, Feb.18 (SANA) Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh discussed priorities for technical support to public finances with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission on Tuesday, alongside talks with the UN Resident Coordinator on strengthening cooperation in recovery and development initia»»»

A man who tried to rob an Athens supermarket at gunpoint has been foiled, first by a cashier who routed him brandishing a pair of scissors and then by an off-duty policeman who gave chase and detained him, police said Wednesday. The attempted robbery in the Athens district of Tavros went awry from »»»

Dubai: After 20 years of discovering singing talent across India, Indian Idol, the iconic music reality show has finally packed its bags and gone international, and Gulf News was given exclusive access to it. The reality show cast and crew landed in Abu Dhabi earlier this week to film special episo»»»

Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the process of merging the SDF with Syrian government forces “may take some time,” despite expressing confidence in the eventual success of the agreement. His remarks came after earlier comments in which he acknowledged differences with »»»

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»»»

Parliament will hear on February 19 representatives of Kozloduy NPP and the competent authorities regarding the emergency shutdowns of Unit 6 at the nuclear power plant, MPs decided on Wednesday with 107 votes in favour, 86 against and 14 abstentions. The proposal was put forward by MP Yordan Todor»»»

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would pursue a policy of "encouraging the migration" of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported Wednesday. "We will eliminate the idea of an Arab terror state," said Smotrich, speaking at an event o»»»

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»»»

Damascus, Feb. 18 (SANA) Syria’s Investment Authority met with representatives of the Syrian-British Business Council on Tuesday to discuss expanding cooperation and organizing a future investment forum aimed at attracting international companies. Talal Hilali, head of the Syrian Investment Authori»»»

Meteorologists predict rain in Bishkek during the second half of the week. February 19: Sunny. Nighttime temperatures around +7°C, daytime highs up to +24°C. February 20: Partly cloudy. Night +7°C, daytime +21°C. February 21: Rain expected. Night lows of +5°C, daytime highs up to +11°C. February 22»»»

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»»»

Iraqi Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declined at the last minute to attend a meeting of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework on Monday night that was aimed at settling the crisis over his nomination as prime minister. Instead of declaring that he was pulling out as candidate, as had been expe»»»

Romania's population has declined by more than 4.16 million people over the past 35 years, with external migration accounting for 63% of the decrease and negative natural growth for 37%, according to an expert analysis published on Tuesday by the head of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), »»»

The minister of defense, Radu Miruta, received on Monday a delegation of the Congress of the United States of America led by senator Jeanne Shaheen with whom he visited the Training Centre for F’16.’The main moment of the meeting was the visit to the F-16 Training Centre, inaugurated in 2023 at the»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu, Minister of Internal Affairs, had a bilateral meeting in Washington on Tuesday with a delegation of the FBI leadership, consisting of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, the Deputy Director of the FBI, Christopher Raia, and the Ass»»»

President Nicusor Dan believes it is in Romania's interest to take part in the Board of Peace as an observer.The head of state told Radio Romania Actualitati that the organisation has a Charter already signed by member states, which contains provisions that conflict with international commitments u»»»

Sydyk Duishenbiev, nicknamed Pito, who is associated with the former leadership of the Department of the State Committee for National Security for Bishkek, has been placed in pretrial detention until April 15, 2026. According to the press service of Pervomaisky Court, Sydyk Duishenbiev is charged w»»»

The Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group has begun collecting signatures for the resignation of National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan, Continue the Change (CC) Chair Assen Vassilev said on Bulgarian National Television’s morning show on Wednesday. The reason, he added, is t»»»

Tunis, Feb. 18 (TAP) – The weather, on Wednesday, will be cloudy across most regions.Winds will blow from the south. They will be light to moderate from the south, gradually becoming fairly strong near the coasts, the National Institute of...»»»

On Feb. 18, 1979, snow fell in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the first known time. It fell a second time in 2016 and a third time in 2018. 1 of 7 | On February 18, 1979, snow fell in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the first known time. It fell a second time in 2016 and a thir»»»

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»»»

Damascus, Feb. 18 (SANA) Syria is seeking to expand economic ties with Uzbekistan in a move aimed at opening Central Asian markets to Syrian exports and attracting investment in key sectors as part of efforts to support the country’s economic recovery. A Syrian economic delegation visited Uzbekista»»»

This Ramadan, ibis Doha invites families, friends, and corporate groups to gather for a thoughtfully curated Iftar Buffet at Charlie’s Corner, a tradition that has become a familiar part of the city’s Ramadan dining scene over the past four years. Priced at QR99 per person, with children aged 4 to »»»

This Ramadan, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl–Doha invites guests to discover Sultana, A Royal Ramadan Experience, an opulent sanctuary where revered traditions are gracefully reinterpreted through contemporary sophistication, in harmony with the hotel’s distinguished identity as The Palace of Exp»»»

As the new moon is sighted and nights grow quieter, Ramadan gently unfolds as a season of reflection, connection, and shared rituals. This year, Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas invites guests to experience Ramadan Under the Same Moon, a soulful journey where distance fades, time slows, and toget»»»

Dubai: Emirates Skywards is marking Ramadan with a major rewards campaign, giving members the chance to win a share of 2 million Skywards Miles. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.In a statement issued on February 18, a day after Ramadan was announced in the UAE, the loya»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Next Generation School (TNG) marked its “Efforts for Excellence” team appreciation event, honouring the dedication and impact of educators, researchers, and team members who bring the school’s vision to life each day. The evening brought together distinguished guests from the Minis»»»

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»»»

The EU is facing the deepest crisis in its history, with economic problems compounded by a lack of leadership and long-term vision in Brussels, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned. Fico made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking at a conference on affordable rental housing in country’s cap»»»

Nando’s is marking the season with specially curated Ramadan sharing platters, bringing together its signature flame-grilled PERi-PERi flavours and generous portions designed for gatherings across Doha. Known for its bold Afro-Portuguese chicken and vibrant dining atmosphere, the popular restaurant»»»

Doha, Qatar: The sports competitions organised by Safari Group in connection with Qatar National Sports Day concluded with enthusiastic public participation. Hundreds of sports lovers took part in the events held across various Safari outlets on February 10th. The main attraction, the arm wrestling»»»

The 2026 SABIS STEAM Competition brought together the largest gathering of young innovators from across the SABIS Network, transforming an ordinary weekend into a vibrant showcase of creativity and future‑ready skills. With record participation, the event welcomed over 500 students from 21 schools »»»

Tripoli Port reported yesterday that a joint technical team from the Libyan Ports Company’s head office and its Tripoli Port branch, led by technicians from the Turkish supplier, Portunus, begun assembling and installing the new Kone Crane-type grab, which recently arrived from head office. The por»»»

The European Commission said it is closely following a proposed amendment to Albania’s Criminal Procedure Code that would bar courts from suspending senior government officials from office. The draft changes, presented Feb. 16 by the ruling majority led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, seek to amend Art»»»

Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha, a landmark destination with nearly five decades of heritage, proudly announces its special offerings for the Holy Month of Ramadan. Blending tradition with refreshing new experiences, the hotel invites residents and visitors to celebrate through curated dining, staycations»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Press Center marked 15 years of the State’s National Sport Day with a panel discussion titled “National Sport Day: Results and Legacy,” held as part of its Press Club activities. The session reviewed the achievements of the initiative since its launch in 2011 and examined its»»»

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»»»

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Adverse weather and high winds caused dozens of cars to crash on a southeastern Colorado highway, resulting in four deaths and sending at least 29 people to area hospitals, authorities said. The multi-car pileup occurred at about 10 a.m. MST Tuesday on Interstate 25 near Pueblo, Co»»»

As the Holy Month of Ramadan approaches, The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort and La Marsa Restaurant are preparing to welcome guests to two of Doha’s most refined and memorable Ramadan destinations. Combining timeless hospitality, breathtaking settings, and exceptional culinary experiences, both venues»»»

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 warning for hazardous weather conditions is in effect on Wednesday - an orange code (second degree) and a yellow code (first degree) for snowfall, as well as strong and gale-force winds across most of the country, according to the warning map published on the website of the National Institute of »»»

A message recently circulated among members of Albania’s opposition Democratic Party in the city of Berat describes lawmaker Ervin Salianji as “self-excluded” from the party and accuses him of cooperating with segments of organized crime. The message, shared within internal party groups, calls on l»»»

New York: Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani met with President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly H E Annalena Baerbock at the UN headquarters in New York. During the meeting, the President of the General Assemb»»»

Ambassador of Qatar to Sweden H E Nadia bint Ahmed Al Shaibi, took part in the meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden H E Maria Malmer Stenergard, with Their Excellencies the Ambassadors accredited to Sweden. The meeting discussed challenges facing women’s rights on the global stage, amid»»»

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. »»»

Gaza Strip witnessed a military escalation involving gunfire, artillery shelling, and an airstrike on Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City. Reports indicate that Israeli military vehicles opened fire near the Morag crossing, north of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli enemy warplanes also launc»»»

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»»»

Mandarin Oriental, Doha welcomes guests to embrace the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan with Baraha Ramadan Nights, a refined Iftar and Suhour experience set within the open-air surroundings of Barahat Msheireb. Designed for meaningful gatherings with family and friends, the experience offers a »»»