MADRID — The boss of Spanish energy giant Repsol said Thursday that his company could boost oil production in Venezuela by more than half over the next year after Washington reauthorised its operations there.A new bonanza from the South American country's vast oil reserves has been touted after the»»»

HONG KONG — Tech firms led gains across Asian equities Thursday following a positive lead from Wall Street, where traders also welcomed strong US data that suggested the world's top economy remained in rude health.The advances came even as the figures tempered expectations for more interest rate cu»»»

NEW DELHI — The world urgently needs to regulate artificial intelligence, OpenAI head Sam Altman said on Thursday at a summit in New Delhi on the risks and opportunities posed by the fast-evolving technology.Frenzied demand for generative AI has turbocharged profits for companies while fuelling anx»»»

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said its board ​would review a staff-level agreement for a new $8.1 billion lending program for Ukraine in coming days. IMF spokeswoman Jule Kozack told reporters that Ukrainian authorities had completed the prior actions needed to move forward with the r»»»

US goods imports continued to outpace its exports last year, sending the country's trade deficit to a new high despite sweeping tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump. The gap between the value of goods imported into the US and American products sold to other countries widened by 2.1% comp»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Media report suggesting that Russia is offering the United States projects worth $12 trillion in exchange for the lifting of sanctions is fake, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with »»»

The United States announced sanctions on Thursday on three Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders over their roles in the "horrific campaign" of the siege and capture of El-Fasher. The US Treasury said the RSF carried out "ethnic killings, torture, starvation, and sexual violence" in the op»»»

Spain’s national police chief has resigned after being accused of raping a subordinate at an official residence, El Pais has reported. Jose Angel Gonzalez, the force’s top operational commander and second most senior officer, resigned on Tuesday after a Madrid judge accepted a criminal complaint ag»»»

Tunis, Feb. 19 (TAP) – The weather will be cloudy, on Thursday night, over the northern regions, accompanied by scattered rainfall, the National Institute of Meteorology (INM) said.Winds will blow from the northwest. They will be strong along the...»»»

Tunis, Feb. 19 (TAP) - Dividends distributed for the 2024 fiscal year by companies listed on the Tunis Stock Exchange rose by 13.4% to TND 1,580 million, according to the report on dividend distribution by listed companies for the 2022–2024 period,...»»»

When part of a SpaceX rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere exactly a year ago, it created a spectacular fireball that streaked across Europe's skies, delighting stargazers and sending a team of scientists rushing towards their instruments. The German team managed to measure the pollution the rocket»»»

President Donald Trump says the world will find out "over the next, probably, ten days" whether the US will reach a deal with Iran or take military action. At the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington DC, Trump said "we have some work to do" in coming to an agreement with the Islami»»»

Kindness should extend beyond the boundaries of Ramadan, because people must support one another throughout the entire year, Mehmed Alya, the regional mufti of Razgrad, told BTA on the occasion of the start of the holy month for Muslims. He stressed that Ramadan is not only a time of fasting, but a»»»

The Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved design plans for President Donald Trump's ballroom project at the White House. The seven-member panel made up of Trump appointees signed off on the design after architects made changes in response to commission concerns. "We have to protect the count»»»

Bill Gates has canceled his keynote address at the AI Impact Summit in India at the last minute as his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has garnered increased scrutiny. File Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Bill Gates canceled his keynote address at the AI Impact Summit in»»»

1 of 5 | Republicans stand to applaud, and Democrats sit as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address in 2020. This year, several Democratic lawmakers will boycott the State of the Union. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo Feb. 19 (UPI) -- At least 12 Democrat members »»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday there would be no reconstruction of war-shattered Gaza before the disarmament of Hamas, as the "Board of Peace" convened for its inaugural meeting in Washington. Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials met for the first meeting »»»

US President Donald Trump told the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday that $7 billion has been contributed to a Gaza reconstruction fund that aims to rebuild the enclave once Hamas disarms, an objective that is far from becoming a reality. The disarmament of Hamas militants and accompa»»»

Eric Trump, the second of US President Donald Trump’s three sons, is investing in Israeli drone producer Xtend, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The funding reportedly comes as part of a $1.5 billion deal expected to take the company public through a merger with a Florida-based construction fi»»»

WASHINGTON, United States, Feb 19, 2026 (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Thursday promised $10 billion for a new "Board of Peace," an amorphous new institution focused first on Gaza that is being launched just as he threatens Iran with war. While US warplanes and aircraft carriers headed toward Ir»»»

Following the swearing-in ceremony of caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and his cabinet before the National Assembly on Thursday, political reactions from the parliamentary forces ensued. President Iliana Iotova, who attended the ceremony, also commented to the media. “I have no way of raising »»»

The killing of 23-year-old French nationalist Quentin Deranque, on the sidelines of a protest in Lyon, has heightened tensions between far-right and far-left groups ahead of next month's municipal elections. Before any arrests were made, online users claimed to have identified five suspects, leadin»»»

Fewer than 1,000 families remain at a camp where relatives of suspected ISIS militants had been held in Syria's northeast, the camp's former director said on Wednesday, with thousands having fled last month as government forces seized control of the area from Kurdish-led fighters. Al-Hol, near the »»»

Long considered a transit route, Pakistan is now emerging as a major hub for both drug production and consumption. This shift follows the upheaval triggered by the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. A year later, the new Afghan authorities abruptly banned the cultivation of poppy, th»»»

Ivan Hristanov took over the post of Agriculture Minister, stating clearly his priorities: providing adequate support for the sector, ensuring proper conditions for fair elections, combating corruption and theft, closing all channels for the misuse of public resources, and building sustainable poli»»»

Handing over his post to his successor on Thursday, Health Minister Silvi Kirilov said: "Over this past year, my team and I worked with the confidence that everything we achieved together was for the sake of Bulgarian citizens." He expressed satisfaction with the implemented projects but admitted t»»»

1 of 3 | The United States has put military forces in place in the Middle East for a potential strike on Iran but President Donald Trump has not decided whether to attack or continue negotiations on Thursday. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The United States has put milit»»»

Gaza: Amid the rubble of destroyed homes and between worn-out tents, residents of the Gaza Strip are welcoming the holy month of Ramadan for the third consecutive time since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023. This year, however, they hold onto hope that goodness and peace wi»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States will likely be getting more clarity around the negotiations on Iran's nuclear program in the next ten days, President Donald Trump said on Thursday. "Maybe we're going to make a deal [with Iran] ... you're going to be finding out over the next, probably 10 d»»»

A notable presence of US military aircraft has been observed at Terminal 1 of Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, according to former Deputy Foreign Minister and security analyst Milen Keremedchiev. In a post on Facebook, he reported that seven US Air Force tanker aircraft, used for aerial refueling of comb»»»

As he stepped in office Thursday, the caretaker Minister of Health, Michail Okoliyski, highlighted prevention and better communication of health risks as his priorities. "I will focus my efforts on prevention, early diagnosis, prophylaxis and better communication of health risks," Okoliyski said as»»»

Wall Street stocks retreated early Thursday as worries over US-Iran tensions lifted oil prices while markets digested mixed results from Walmart. US oil futures rose to a six-month high as Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said no country can deprive the Islamic republic of its right to nu»»»

Doha, Qatar: Weather inshore until 6am on Friday will be hazy, becoming misty to foggy in some places later, and cold, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report, warning of expected poor horizontal visibility. Offshore, conditions will be hazy to misty at times, with some cloud»»»

An Israeli surveillance firm inadvertently laid bare the operational architecture of a global spyware apparatus after publishing what appeared to be an ordinary photo on LinkedIn—only to hastily delete it once the damaging implications became clear. Paragon Solutions failed to realize that an image»»»

US President Donald Trump presided in Washington Thursday morning over the first Board of Peace meeting, where officials discussed Phase 2 of his Gaza plan. More than 40 countries, as well as the European Union, have confirmed their attendance at Thursday’s inaugural meeting, an unnamed senior offi»»»

UK police on Thursday arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to Jeffrey Epstein, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. King Charles III expressed "deepest concern" over his younger brother's arrest, adding that "the la»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov met with ministers from the outgoing “Zhelyazkov” cabinet after they formally handed over power to the caretaker government, using the gathering to review the work of the administration and outline the party’s next political steps. At GERB headquarters, Borissov was joine»»»

The interior minister in Bulgaria's new caretaker government has vowed to do his best to ensure that the early parliamentary elections on April 19 are fair. “We, as the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, will do everything to give the ministry’s staff the opportunity to fulfil their share of t»»»

Klass Wagen announces the launch of its Mobility Services division, offering flexible solutions for medium- and long-term car usage. In line with its strategic goal of becoming a comprehensive provider of mobility solutions, Klass Wagen is launching the new division to develop and expand the mobili»»»

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has launched the practical phase of preparations for Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections, scheduled for April 19, 2026 under Presidential Decree No. 58. The process is moving forward in line with the timelines and responsibilities set out in the Electoral »»»

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Authorities in North Carolina entered a resident's home to apprehend an unusual "bacon and entering suspect" -- a trespassing pig in search of snacks. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said on social media that deputies responded Monday to an Ellenboro-area home on a report of»»»

An emergency landing and evacuation of a JetBlue flight Wednesday evening after it was forced to turn back closed Newark Airport for more than an hour. File Photo by Todd Bomser/UPI | License Photo Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Newark Liberty International Airport was temporarily closed after the evacuation of »»»

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term expired in 2024, essentially just parrots cues coming from European and British globalist circles, Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries, tells Sputnik. That's why he is emboldened to throw around public jabs — like openly»»»

Türkiye said on Thursday it opposed Greece's "unilateral activities" in energy fields south of Crete with a consortium led by US major Chevron as a violation of international law and good neighbourly relations. Athens responded that its policies abide international law. The Chevron-led consortium s»»»

Ukraine’s decision to block the delivery of Russian oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline is “blatant political blackmail,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. The transit of oil via the pipeline has remained on hold since late January, with Kiev blaming Russia and accusing it of dama»»»

The U.S. trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries. The gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them narrowed to just over»»»

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday expressed hopes of deepening her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and strengthen cooperation between the two countries in rare earths development and other areas of economic security when she visits Washington next month. Takaichi, at»»»

Eileen Gu and all the other freestyle skiers wait for their scores by a large Powerade-branded cooler, then glide away without taking a drink. Bottles of the blue sports drink are stacked in hockey penalty boxes. Even the tissues in figure skating's drama-packed "Kiss and Cry" area are branded. One»»»

Clashes in the Israeli-occupied West Bank killed a 19-year-old Palestinian-American man late Wednesday night, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The ministry said Nasrallah Muhammad Jamal Abu Siyam was shot by settlers in the village of Mukhmas, north of Jerusalem. The Israeli military said sold»»»

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company’s policies on children and platform design during a landmark US trial examining whether social media firms knowingly harmed young users, as internal documents and testimony highlighted tensions between safety claims and growth s»»»