Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, has decided to leave her position as the EU's top central banker before the end of her mandate in October 2027, according to a report in the Financial Times. The move could allow for her successor to be named ahead of presidential elect»»»

A Rio Carnival parade paying tribute to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been relegated after finishing last in the city’s top samba school competition, as critics denounced elements of the performance that mocked conservatives and traditional family values. A Carnival parade honouring Brazi»»»

South Korea's disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol could be banished to death row on February 19 when he fronts court over his disastrous bid to impose martial law. Seoul's Central District Court will rule on insurrection charges against the 65-year-old, delivering a verdict that will be broadc»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set for generally fair to partly cloudy weather from today through Monday, with humid nights bringing a chance of fog or mist in several areas, according to the latest forecast. According to the National Centre of Metrology (NMC), today’s weather will be fair in general with occas»»»

Russia, China and Iran have deployed naval vessels for joint exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz region under the “Maritime Security Belt 2026” framework, Russian and Iranian state media reported. Global Surveillance, a geopolitics think-tank, described the move as a “surprise”. The Moscow »»»

Mainland Chinese visitor numbers to Japan fell sharply in January, tumbling 60.7% year on year, as the countries’ ongoing diplomatic spat weighed on travel, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization. T»»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

Mainland Chinese visitor numbers to Japan fell sharply in January, tumbling 60.7% year on year, as the countries’ ongoing diplomatic spat weighed on travel, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization. T»»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

Renewable energy is expected to account for 26% of India’s total electricity generation by the end of FY2026, even as demand conditions remain relatively subdued, according to a report by Infomerics Ratings cited by PV Magazine on February 18. »»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

Mainland Chinese visitor numbers to Japan fell sharply in January, tumbling 60.7% year on year, as the countries’ ongoing diplomatic spat weighed on travel, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization. T»»»

Mainland Chinese visitor numbers to Japan fell sharply in January, tumbling 60.7% year on year, as the countries’ ongoing diplomatic spat weighed on travel, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization. T»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been conducting clandestine discussions with the grandson of Cuba's ageing former leader Raúl Castro as Washington explores options for political change on the island, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Axios. »»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been conducting clandestine discussions with the grandson of Cuba's ageing former leader Raúl Castro as Washington explores options for political change on the island, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Axios. »»»

A Brussels-based human rights group has filed a criminal complaint in Chile seeking the investigation and prosecution of an Israeli-Ukrainian former military sniper accused of participating in the deadly siege and destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. »»»

A Brussels-based human rights group has filed a criminal complaint in Chile seeking the investigation and prosecution of an Israeli-Ukrainian former military sniper accused of participating in the deadly siege and destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. »»»

A Brussels-based human rights group has filed a criminal complaint in Chile seeking the investigation and prosecution of an Israeli-Ukrainian former military sniper accused of participating in the deadly siege and destruction of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. »»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

Renewable energy is expected to account for 26% of India’s total electricity generation by the end of FY2026, even as demand conditions remain relatively subdued, according to a report by Infomerics Ratings cited by PV Magazine on February 18. »»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

Bulgaria's President Iliana Yotova approved a caretaker government proposed by prime minister-designate Andrey Gyurov on February 18 and said she would call a snap parliamentary election for April 19. Gyurov, former deputy»»»

As Central Asia is drawn more and more into China’s orbit, Beijing is emerging not as a source of strain but as a critical stabilising factor in the region. As was highlighted in the World Bank’s International Debt Report (IDR) published in December 2025, concentrated borrowing can heighten risk if»»»

Expectations that 2026 could prove decisive in ending the war in Ukraine are premature and risk misreading the logic driving Moscow, argues Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and founder of political analysis firm R.Politik, in a comment for Carnegie Politika. »»»

Expectations that 2026 could prove decisive in ending the war in Ukraine are premature and risk misreading the logic driving Moscow, argues Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and founder of political analysis firm R.Politik, in a comment for Carnegie Politika. »»»

AMMAN — Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hussein Fund for Excellence (HFE), Adel Sharkas, presided over the awards ceremony for the winners of the fourth cycle of the Hussein Fund Economic Research Awards.Speaking on behalf of the Governor, »»»

Peru’s Congress on Tuesday voted to remove the interim President Jose Jeri over corruption allegations, deepening political uncertainty just weeks before the nation’s April presidential and congressional elections. Jeri is under preliminary investigation for alleged influence peddling tied to a ser»»»

Eight skiers have died after an avalanche tore through the slopes of California's Sierra Nevada mountains, authorities said Wednesday, as rescuers continued searching for one other missing person from the group. Eight ⁠people ​are ​dead following ​an avalanche ‌in »»»

On the eve of the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace" initiative in Washington, FRANCE 24 spoke to historian and UN expert Alanna O’Malley about how the body reflects the MAGA movement's agenda seeking to further institutionalise US power at a global scale. Dozens of w»»»

Evidence is mounting that Elon Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to his Starlink satellite-based internet service has blunted Moscow's advance, caused confusion among Russian soldiers and handed an advantage to Ukraine's defenders. But for how long? And what can Ukraine's military achie»»»

US investigators have reportedly been in touch with Mexican authorities about the disappearance of American news anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother, as the search stretches into a third week. The sheriff's department in the US state of Arizona and FBI declined to confirm they had contacted authoritie»»»

Share: Photo- Saad Hariri gestures towards the gathered crowd during an event to mark the 21st anniversary of the assassination of his father and former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, in Beirut, Lebanon, February 14, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir The Saudi newspaper Okaz, in an article by »»»

UN missions from 85 member states on Tuesday condemned what they described as Israel’s expanding control in the West Bank, warning it could amount to de facto annexation. In a joint statement, they said unilateral measures violated international law and urged Israel to reverse them immediately. A t»»»

Washington (United States) (AFP) – The White House warned Iran it would be “wise” to reach a deal with the United States, as President Donald Trump again raised the prospect of military action amid renewed, Oman-mediated talks. The remarks come as tensions remain high following »»»

MOSCOW: Russian top officials hosted the Cuban foreign minister for talks in Moscow on Wednesday and spoke out in support of the island nation as it faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages worsened by a US oil embargo. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met with his Russian counterpart Sergey»»»

Sharjah: An Indian expat in the UAE and his wife living back home say they have pardoned the driver whose car struck their toddler son following which he died in Sharjah last week. As reported by Gulf News last week, 22-month-old Alan Rumi died in the freak accident on Wednesday while visiting his »»»

A Russian drone strike on a five-story residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, shows why a third of Ukrainian children are displaced, as reported by UNICEF on Tuesday. Photo by EPA/Stringer Feb. 18 (UPI) -- As the Ukraine war nears its fifth year, more than a third of Ukrainian children remain displ»»»

Visakhapatnam: Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Dinesh K. Tirpathi had an interaction with chief of Russian Navy at the International Fleet Review here on Wednesday. According to spokesperson of the Indian Navy, the CNS held an interaction with Admiral Aleksandr Alekseevich Moiseev, Commande»»»

When a US-imposed ceasefire halted the Gaza War last October, Hamas's war for survival against Israel switched into a battle for control at home. The war had left the group's disciplined military units shattered into guerrilla forces, and most of its leaders killed; Gaza's buildings and infrastruct»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 18, 2026: The killing of far-right activist Quentin Deranque has plunged France into political chaos, as one of the suspects was revealed to be working for the far-left France Unbowed party. Meanwhile, as tributes for civil rights act»»»

A man has gone missing after his canoe capsized on the swollen Loire River as severe flooding hit western France, officials said Wednesday, while the country marked a record-breaking 35 consecutive days of rainfall. A man has gone missing in the Loire River in the flood hit west of France, an offic»»»

The Paris prosecutor on Wednesday made a public appeal for victims of late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to come forward during an interview on a French radio show. Laure Beccuau said she was ready to receive testimony from any victims and that her office has jurisdiction when a perpetrator »»»

Just after sundown on Tuesday, the new moon began to make the rounds of the earth, setting the starting date for the holy month of Ramadan for either February 18 or 19, depending on the country. But in France, a squabble over when to call the crescent sighting split Muslim leaders, prompting rival »»»

Dubai: Ahead of a job interview, Aisha Mohamed had rehearsed answers about strategy, revenue growth and AI transformation. She was ready to talk about leadership, performance metrics and scaling teams. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Instead, she found herself explaini»»»

Visitors explore the Microsoft pavilion at the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India, where Microsoft on Wednesday announced a $50 billion investment to narrow the global AI divide. Photo by Rajat Gupta/EPA Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Microsoft announced Wednesday it's allocating $50 bi»»»

South Korea's disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol could be banished to death row on February 19 when he fronts court over his disastrous bid to impose martial law. Seoul's Central District Court will rule on insurrection charges against the 65-year-old, delivering a verdict that will be broadc»»»

Bali's picture-postcard image is cracking. On Indonesia's premium tourist resort, the race to build luxury villas and hotels has triggered an unprecedented property frenzy. Farmland is carved up into plots, coastline is privatised and bogus permits issued. Construction sites are springing up everyw»»»