A SpaceX rocket lifted off from Florida early on Friday with a crew of two US NASA astronauts, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut headed to the International Space Station for an eight-month science mission in Earth orbit. The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, topped with an autonomously operated »»»

Almost one year after he was jailed, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has told Reuters that Tayyip Erdogan should call elections "now" and predicted that the president would lose if he ran again. Imamoglu has emerged in recent years as Erdogan’s main rival, with polls suggesting he could indeed defeat»»»

Romania has entered a technical recession after the economy contracted for a second consecutive quarter, according to data released on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Gross domestic product fell by 1.9% in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the previous qua»»»

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri kicked off his political activity in Lebanon by meeting U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa at the Center House. Hariri had arrived Thursday in Lebanon and will on Saturday deliver a speech marking the 21st anniversary of the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Harir»»»

It's been billed by the White House as the "largest deregulatory action in US history". US President Donald Trump has formally revoked a landmark scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health by driving climate change – a determination that underpins regulations aimed at curb»»»

NASA and SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station on Friday, replacing a crew that left early in the first medical evacuation in the station's history. Sophie Adenot is only the second French woman to travel into space. Watch the launch live on FRANCE 24. The pre-dawn laun»»»

Sophie Adenot is preparing for a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station, aiming to set a new record for a French astronaut in orbit. She will carry out more than 200 scientific and medical experiments in microgravity while completing intensive training and maintenance work in spa»»»

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s hitherto refusal to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “shameful.” “You have a president who refuses to give him a pardon. I think that man should be ashamed of himself, a pardon over this trial that’s going on. »»»

Dubai: Each year, the start of Ramadan in the UAE is determined not by a fixed calendar date, but by the sighting of the crescent moon. But how does the process work and what is expected for 2026? The UAE’s moon-sighting committee is expected to meet on Tuesday evening, February 17, 2026, which cor»»»

MUNICH - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has arrived in Munich, where he will attend the Munich Security Conference. While in Munich, Vucic will hold a series of bilateral meetings with world and European officials, including Chinese FM Wang Yi, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU En»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The next round of negotiations on Ukraine is scheduled to take place next week, and Moscow will inform about the exact date and timing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. "There is an agreement that it [the round of negotiations] will indeed take place next week. We »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - No one refused to use the dollar, it was the United States that restricted a number of countries in this right, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. "As for the dollar, in fact, no one refused to use the dollar. This is an issuing country - that is, the United States, »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The deployment of joint NASA and Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos crews helps ensure maximum safety for the International Space Station, Josh Finch, a spokesperson for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate, told Sputnik. "The International Space Station, of course»»»

North Korea on Friday warned of a “terrible response” if more drones cross its border from the South, escalating tensions despite Seoul’s efforts to improve ties. Pyongyang said it shot down a surveillance drone last month. Kim Yo Jong cautioned that further incursions would trigger severe conseque»»»

The British government's ban on pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization is unlawful, London's High Court ‌ruled on Friday ‌after a ‌legal ⁠challenge by the ⁠group's co-founder. Palestine Action was proscribed in July, having increasingly targeted Israel-linked ⁠d»»»

The Iranian government announced on Friday the establishment of a commission of enquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into anti-government rallies that left thousands dead. "A fact-finding committee has been formed with representatives from relevant institutions »»»

The FBI has released the first physical description of the man believed to have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, the mother of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared in the middle of night from her Tucson, Arizona, home and was last seen two weeks ago. The authorities believe she w»»»

Can Europe man the ramparts on its own? As the US war secretary snubbed a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels, EU leaders converged on the 16th-century Alden Biesen castle in Belgium's Limburg province to answer former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi's call for a "big baz»»»

The Commissioner for Children’s Rights of the Kyrgyz Republic, Asel Chynbaeva, took part in events marking the launch of the second stage of an information caravan aimed at preventing violence against children. According to the Cabinet’s press service, the events were held in four secondary schools»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken of a defining moment and a "new era" as he travels to Europe for a major speech to the Munich Security Conference. Rubio will lead the US delegation at the first major global event since President Donald Trump threatened Danish sovereignty with a pledge »»»

The aftermath of a deadly storm continued to disrupt parts of France on Friday, with flooding concerns persisting in the southwest even as wind alerts were lifted, according to weather service Météo-France. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on TF1 that France had recorded two deaths linked »»»

On Friday, the National Assembly adopted at first and second reading in a single sitting, the bill for the ratification of the Agreement on the preparation, construction, and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Repu»»»

Skopje, 12 February 2026 (MIA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Aleksandar Nikoloski, met Thursday with Nicole Varnes, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Skopje, and discussed the implementation of capital projects, with a special focus on the construction of the Bitola-Prilep»»»

The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority, in partnership with the Green Dahna Association, has launched an initiative to plant 10,000 Arta trees in the Al-Dahna sands. The project engaged 300 volunteers from government agencies and educational institutions to rehabilitate local ecosys»»»

The city of St. Paul, Minn., has joined more than a dozen other state and local jurisdictions in seeking to enact legislation banning the wearing of masks by law enforcement agencies such as the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo S»»»

Digital WorldGlobal issuesAI-fueled chip shortage drives up smartphone pricesAstrid Prange de OliveiraThe era of cheap data storage is ending. Artificial intelligence is pushing chip prices higher and exacerbating supply shortages. Anyone buying a new smartphone in 2026 should brace for higher pric»»»

President Joseph Aoun said Friday, a day ahead of the anniversary of former PM Rafik Hariri's assassination, that "a man who dedicated his life to the project of the state" is missed, as Lebanon moves to disarm Hezbollah and extend the state's authority to all territories. Aoun described Hariri as »»»

Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A North Atlantic right whale washed ashore on a Virginia barrier island, according to federal scientists, marking the second whale of the endangered species to be found dead off the U.S. East Coast this year and the 43rd confirmed death under an ongoing unusual mortality event. The»»»

The involvement of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the reasons why the Interior Ministry did not report a signal submitted in 2022, as well as what action was taken on it, must be established, said Bozhidar Bozhanov, Co-Chair of Yes, Bulgaria, speaking to journalists in Parliament»»»

The big question is always: "What to get him for Valentine's Day?" This Valentine’s Day, make him feel truly special with gifts that blend thoughtfulness and sometimes even practicality. From engraved keepsakes to special fashion accessories and wellness gifts, there are plenty of options to create»»»

A recent Eurobarometer survey indicates that Bulgarians show relatively low confidence in the European Union’s ability to strengthen security and defense. Conducted between January 5 and 12, 2026, the survey collected responses from 27,292 citizens across EU member states. In Bulgaria, only 44% of »»»

KUWAIT, Feb 13 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's embassies in Japan, Consulate General in Milan, along with its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, celebrated the 65th National Day and 35th Liberation Day with official receptions attended by senior officials, diplomats and public figures.In Tokyo»»»

NEW DELHI, Feb 13 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Embassy in India held celebrations on Thursday evening to mark Kuwait's 65th National Day and 35th Liberation Day.The ceremony was attended by Indian Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, heads of Arab and foreign missions accredited in New Delhi, apart fr»»»

AQABA: A flying Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and British rider Alex McInnes topped the times in the car and motorcycle categories on the 12.78km Aseza Prologue stage that kickstarted the weekend’s off-road action at the Jordan Baja yesterday. The short desert stage was held near the village of Rahmeh to»»»

There Is Such a People (TISP) MP Aleksandar Rashev said here on Friday his party's will be tabling a bill to supplement the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act. "It became unequivocally clear from the horrifying Petrohan-Okolchitsa case that in 2022 the government had delegated its control and public fun»»»

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov today, February 13, received Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda as part of his working visit to the country. The parties discussed issues related to the comprehensive development of bilateral relations. Welcoming the high-lev»»»

A metal detectorist has uncovered a coin that may have been used to pay a soldier who fought at the Battle of Culloden, 280 years ago. Ian Deveney uncovered the French 4 sols coin earlier this month on land between Inverness and the battlefield on the outskirts of the city. Deveney, a tour guide wh»»»

Anthropic has injected $20 million into a political advocacy group that backs candidates favoring AI regulation, thrusting the safety-focused company into the center of a high-stakes election spending war with its archrival OpenAI. The donation to Public First Action – a ‘dark money’ nonprofit that»»»

France has said it will call for the resignation of UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese over her comments regarding Israel's military actions in Gaza. Albanese, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2022, has repeatedly labeled Israel»»»

Lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill have demanded answers from the US Department of Justice over its monitoring of congressional investigators’ search activity while they reviewed sensitive, unredacted documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy erupted af»»»

Dubai: The wait is almost over. Dubai Sexbomb (SB) fans can finally grab their tickets next week for the much-anticipated reunion concert of the Filipino girl group. "Ticket sales for the Dubai show are scheduled to be released next week. Further announcements will be made soon and fans are encoura»»»

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, has long been highly critical of Israel. Last weekend, she was accused of calling Israel the "common enemy of humanity" at a forum in Qatar. But as the transcript of her speech shows, she never made that s»»»

As India strides confidently towards its destiny as one of the world’s largest economies, the United Arab Emirates stands out not merely as a partner, but as a pivotal force multiplier. More than a destination market, the UAE is India’s strategic gateway to the wider region — a role forged by centu»»»

Skopje, 12 February 2026 (MIA) – Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski expects that annual inflation will stabilize below three percent, accompanied by a negative monthly trend. He notes that this is the result of policies aimed at safeguarding citizens’ living standards and consolidating the country’s»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is setting a task of building up the combat potential and weapons, taking into account current challenges and conflicts, within the framework of its chairmanship in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said on»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump plans to cut certain tariffs on steel and aluminum products as economists warn American consumers are suffering from them, a newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources. The US Department of Commerce and US Trade Representative officials agree consumers»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The African Union called on Israel to withdraw its recognition of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland, according to a communique published following a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council. "Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council ... »»»

Six people died in Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight that targeted the southern port city of Odesa and energy infrastructure, officials announced on Friday. Moscow has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure in recent weeks despite pressure by the United States to reach a»»»

By Ahmad Al-Mazyad WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Al-Sadu Society, in cooperation with the Middle East Institute, opened the Beyond the Textile exhibition in Washington to mark Kuwait-US relations during Kuwait's National Day celebrations.In her speech at the opening ceremony held on Thursday,»»»