Roman Ivannikov has spent around 30 years pampering orchids, azaleas and figs at Ukraine's National Botanical Garden, but power cuts triggered by Russian strikes are threatening to freeze his cherished collection of tropical plants. Moscow has been pummeling Ukrainian energy sites with drones and m»»»

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A teacher who was among three people injured during a hostage situation at her school in southern Thailand has died, provincial officials announced Thursday. Sasiphat Sinsamosorn was pronounced dead at 2:06 a.m. local Thursday at Hat Yai Hospital, where she was receiving treatment »»»

Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, seen here entering Seoul Central District Court on July 31, was sentenced to seven years in prison Thursday for his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. File Photo by Yonhap Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to se»»»

Al-Manar’s correspondent in the south reported that an enemy force infiltrated the outskirts of the town of Adaysah, near Wadi Hounin, and detonated explosives at two buildings, completely destroying them. An Israeli occupation force also infiltrated the Al-Nouriya neighborhood in the center of Kfa»»»

DOHA: Qatar Media Corporation and Qatar Television organised a launch ceremony for the historical series Heroes of the Sands, considered one of the largest Arab drama productions, featuring more than 70 Arab actors from Qatar, the GCC, the Levant, and North Africa. The event was attended by officia»»»

A series of events dedicated to Dragobete, Romania's traditional celebration of love, will take place on 21 and 22 February at the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum."It has become a tradition to celebrate Dragobete at the museum together with folk artists and craftspeople, who will present, wi»»»

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Ciprian Serban, met on Wednesday with a South Korean delegation of the Hyundai Rotem company, led by General Manager Yong Bae Lee, with whom he discussed the Dacia project, a broad proposal that aims to localize rolling stock production in Romania, deve»»»

European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath will pay a high-level visit to Bucharest on Thursday, focusing on strengthening democracy and the rule of law, the European Commission's Representation announced.The visit coincides with an ongoing»»»

Romania is fully committed to implementing the common European vision for strengthening defense industry readiness by 2030, Defense Minister Radu Miruta said on Wednesday in Brussels during a meeting with European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius.According to the Ministry of Nati»»»

Defense Minister Radu Miruta met on Wednesday in Brussels with his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykhailo Fedorov, reaffirming on this occasion Romania's commitment to supporting Ukraine through bilateral training programs and participation in international initiatives.According to a Ministry of National »»»

Colombia remains one of Romania's key partners in Latin America, Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu said on Wednesday at a joint news conference with visiting Colombia's Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy."Today, together, after more than three decades, we mark the first political con»»»

President Nicusor Dan will attend on Thursday the first informal retreat of the European Council this year, which takes place in Belgium, with competitiveness as the main topic of discussions.According to the European Council, President Antonio Costa invited the EU leaders to participate in an info»»»

American companies are keen to continue investing in Romania, and there are strong grounds for the bilateral economic relationship to strengthen in the coming years, President Nicusor Dan said on Wednesday.In a post on Facebook, he announced that he had held talks on Tuesday with leaders of major A»»»

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government saw its favorability surge 4.0% to 67.3% according to a Kyodo News study, on February 10-11. The uptick comes after LDP and its allies won the recent parliamentary race with dominance. This change indicates a major mandate for Takaichi, indicating that the»»»

Doha, Qatar: Industries Qatar (IQ), yesterday announced a net profit of QR4.3bn for the year ended December 31, 2025 representing a decrease of8% compared to last year. Commenting on the Group’s financial and operational performance for the year ended on 31 December 2025, H E Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi,»»»

Doha: Qatar Tourism has been awarded the Qatar Government Excellence Awards (GEA), recognising its outstanding performance, institutional excellence, and commitment to advancing public-sector governance in line with national priorities. The award is presented under the Qatar Government Excellence P»»»

Doha, Qatar: QNB Group reinforced its commitment to responsible innovation and strong governance through its sponsorship of the 8th National Conference on Internal Auditing in Qatar, organised by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Qatar under the theme ‘Pushing the Value Creation Boundaries’.»»»

Doha: Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) announced that QNB’s bonds will be listed on the Debt Instruments Market of Qatar Stock Exchange, effective 16 February 2026, following the completion of all required technical, regulatory, and administrative procedures. All bonds of this issuance, with a total valu»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber (QC) hosted yesterday a Russian trade delegation headed by HE Evgenii Bogdanov, First Deputy Governor of the Novgorod Region, and his accompanying delegation. The group was received by Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari, First Vice-Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, in the »»»

Doha, Qatar: QIA announced yesterday that it has joined Apptronik’s $520m Series A-X extension round as a new investor, alongside AT&T Ventures and John Deere. The extension follows Apptronik’s $415m oversubscribed initial Series A raised in 2025, bringing total capital raised to nearly $1bn. Exist»»»

Doha: Vodafone Qatar has officially become the first operator in the region to launch the most affordable ZTE U30 Pro MU5358 5G hotspot device, available online and in retail stores. Paired with Vodafone Qatar’s 5G, the ZTE U30 Pro delivers next-generation 5G speeds with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and suppo»»»

Doha, Qatar: QIIB has announced the winner of the first monthly prize for 2026 under its ‘Joud’ Savings Account, valued at QR100,000. This marks the first draw since the account’s rewards were restructured to enhance customer opportunities and increase the value of the offered prizes. The draw was »»»

US forces have withdrawn to Jordan from Syria's Al-Tanf base, where they had been deployed as part of the international coalition against the ISIS group, two Syrian military sources told AFP on Wednesday. One source said "the American forces withdrew entirely from Al-Tanf base today" and decamped t»»»

The CEO of French oil major TotalEnergies said it was “too expensive and too polluting” to return to Venezuela, despite calls from US President Donald Trump for oil giants to invest billions in the country. The company quit Venezuela in 2022 but the Trump administration has urged oil majors to retu»»»

Manila: Investors could grab some of Metro Manila’s most strategically located assets, as the government accelerates its privatisation drive this year. Among the headline offerings: a sprawling 16.9-hectare property in Taguig City, situated near the fast-growing Bonifacio Global City (BGC) district»»»

Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI) has reported a visible deceleration in inflation, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, calculated on the basis of more than 40,000 price observations covering around 8,000 goods and services. Annual inflation has slowed to 3.6%, while food pr»»»

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has outlined seven key reforms introduced by the new Higher Education Law aimed at strengthening the higher education system. These include: establishing a clearer regulatory framework that supports confident institutional planning; shifting »»»

Kufra International Airport (HLKF) announced the issuance of an official NOTAM confirming the resumption of normal airport operations, following the completion of maintenance work on the damaged section of the runway. The airport has resumed receiving flights in accordance with established procedur»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Philippine School and the Lebanese School qualified for the final of the 2025-2026 Mini Basketball World Cup after securing impressive semi-final victories over GEMS American Academy and Universal Academy, respectively, at the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) courts. The first sem»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Duhail will look to secure a place in the quarter-finals when they face Al Waab at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium today as the Round of 16 of the Amir Cup gets under way. In the other match today, Al Wakrah take on Al Sailiya at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium, with the knockout stage set to co»»»

North Korea appears to have begun designating leader Kim Jong-un's (R) daughter Ju-ae (C) as successor, Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers Thursday. In this photo, Ju-ae is seen with her parents at a New Year's event on Dec. 31, 2025. File Photo by KCNA/EPA North Korea appears to have entered the st»»»

Metro services on Athens’ Line 2 were partially suspended on Thursday after an apparent suicide attempt at downtown Syntagma station, transport authorities said. Operator STASY said trains were running only on the sections Anthoupoli–Panepistimio and Acropolis–Elliniko, with no transfers between Li»»»

Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC), in partnership with the Libyan Academy for Graduate Studies and in cooperation with the United Nations Elections Support Team in Libya, held an international scientific conference under the title “Problems of Reluctance to Participate in the Libyan»»»

Doha, Qatar: In a jubilant celebration marked by pride and renewed determination, The Peninsula commemorated its remarkable success of 2025 with a gathering at its office. The event brought together editorial staff, reporters, digital and marketing teams who made the year successful in the newspape»»»

Doha, Qatar: A late Erik Exposito goal saw Al Ahli SC hold Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan SC to a 2-2 draw in their AFC Champions League Round of 16 first leg at Al Thumama Stadium yesterday. The Spaniard’s stoppage-time equaliser came minutes after Sepahan were reduced to 10 men following Omid Norafkan’»»»

Doha, Qatar: Visit Qatar in partnership with the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and the Qatar Triathlon Federation, has announced the opening of registrations for the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final 2026, set to take place in Qatar on December 11–12. Building on the momen»»»

Syria’s president, interior minister and foreign minister were the targets of five foiled assassination attempts last year, the UN chief said in a report on threats posed by ISIS militants released Wednesday. The report said President Ahmad al-Sharaa was targeted in northern Aleppo, the country’s m»»»

A woman in the Philippines has died after consuming a toxic species of crab known locally as the 'devil crab,' prompting renewed warnings from authorities about the dangers of eating unfamiliar marine wildlife. The victim, identified as 51-year-old Emma Amit, reportedly gathered shellfish and devil»»»

BusinessGermanyGermany: Lufthansa strike grounds hundreds of flightsTimothy Jones with dpa, AFP Pilots and flight attendants at Germany's flag carrier are staging an all-day walkout. Lufthansa has called the action "a completely unnecessary" escalation. https://p.dw.com/p/58Z1LScores of Lufthansa f»»»

Lebanon’s ‌government will decide next week how to move to the second phase of a plan to extend its authority and place all arms under state control in areas north of the Litani River, its information minister said on Wednesday. The decision will be based on a presentation by the army outlining its»»»

Dubai: Emirates will deploy refurbished aircraft across more routes this year, extending Premium Economy access and standardising cabin products as part of a network-wide retrofit programme aimed at improving passenger experience. Expansion plans show the airline expects Premium Economy to reach 99»»»

People in County Donegal's largest town have hit out at what they say are chronic traffic problems caused by roadworks, which are due to continue for six months. Jimmy Stafford, president of Letterkenny chamber of commerce, said journeys are being delayed by up to 40 minutes and some traders are re»»»

Doha, Qatar: Shell concluded its participation as principal sponsor of LNG2026, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) conference. The event brought together global energy leaders to explore LNG’s role in delivering affordable, reliable and cleaner energy. During the opening plenary panel »»»

The Saudi Fashion Commission announced the participation of the Saudi 100 Brands program in the Saudi Cup 2026, set to take place on February 13-14 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, marking the initiative’s fourth consecutive presence at the global sporting and cultural event. The participati»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has entrenched his daughter as heir apparent ahead of a landmark party conference, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday after a briefing from Seoul's main intelligence agency. The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of perso»»»

Some 180 military personnel were involved in former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s 2024 martial law declaration, Seoul's Defense Ministry said Thursday. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (R) reported the preliminary results of the investigation at ministry headquarters in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap»»»

Doha, Qatar: The retail sector’s performance in Qatar is expected to remain strong in 2026, driven by higher tourist arrivals and sustained demand for prime retail destinations. Cushman & Wakefield Qatar, a leading global real estate services firm held an event yesterday which discussed Qatar’s rea»»»

Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB) and Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority H E Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al Thani met yesterday with Governor of the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H E Yasir Al-Rumayyan along with the accompanying delegation. During the meeting»»»

Kosovo’s parliament elected Albin Kurti as prime minister on Wednesday, securing his third term and ending a year-long political stalemate. Kurti, who had served in a caretaker role, won 66 votes in the 120-seat assembly after his Vetevendosje party topped December’s snap electi»»»

The Pentagon has reportedly instructed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for deployment to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump ramps up military pressure on Tehran amid stalling nuclear negotiations. Set to sail toward the region is the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Gro»»»