Doha, Qatar: The second edition of the Ramadan Blitz Chess Championship, organized by the Qatar Chess Association and the Doha Youth Center, will begin Thursday, with the participation of 70 players. The internationally rated tournament aims to promote chess in Qatar and provide a strong competitiv»»»

China carried out an underground “nuclear explosive test” in June 2020, a senior US State Department official has claimed, citing “fresh intelligence” on the matter. Beijing has repeatedly dismissed such allegations as “entirely unfounded,” while independent observers say the evidence is inconclusi»»»

Authorities in the German state of Lower Saxony have designated the local chapter of the right-wing AfD party a surveillance priority, citing what they called “extremist” tendencies. Founded in 2013, Alternative for Germany (AfD) espouses a tough stance on migration and opposes Berlin’s support for»»»

NEW YORK: The U.S. dollar increased in late trading on Wednesday. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, went up 0.56 percent to 97.702 at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT). In late New York trading, the euro lost to 1.1788 dollars from 1.1845 dollars in the previous session, and t»»»

1 of 2 | Traffic moves down Seventh Avenue in Times Square in New York City on December 26. On Wednesday, a coalition of environmental groups sued the EPA, saying its new emissions rules go against decades of government policy and science. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (U»»»

At the very least, if we analyze the situation without speculating about intentions or disregarding the overwhelming evidence before us, U.S. President Donald Trump appears determined to continue pursuing a negotiated agreement with Iran rather than resorting to military action at this stage—someth»»»

The Sharjah Police General Headquarters has won three awards at the seventh edition of the Minister of Interior Excellence Award 2026, held at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Lt. Gen. Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. Sharjah Police sec»»»

Sharjah Police has launched its Ramadan awareness programme, “Aman Ya Ramadan”, in cooperation with the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, as part of efforts to promote public safety and encourage positive community behaviour during the Holy Month. The programme will air throughout Ramadan on Sharjah »»»

The government has cleared a key legal hurdle for issuing traffic fines through cameras installed on public transport and major Athens roads, following the publication of two decisions on the transparency platform Diavgeia. The decisions, signed by the head of the Road Surveillance and Safety Syste»»»

Palantir Technologies has been hacked, according to well-known blogger Kim Dotcom. The company develops software for intelligence and big data analysis. Palantir (named after the magical ‘seeing stones’ from ‘The Lord of the Rings’) doesn’t engage in surveillance in the conventional sense using spi»»»

Doha, Qatar: World number two Jannik Sinner booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open with a straight-set victory over Australia's Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday. Playing at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, the 24-year-old Italian secured a 6-3 7-5»»»

Climate Central's researchers found in a new analysis that heat threatens coffee harvests and coincides with recent record highs in prices. File Photo by Fully Handoko/EPA Feb. 18 (UPI) -- An analysis by Climate Central found that the world's five largest coffee-producing countries, which account f»»»

DOG ON THE COURSE AT OLYMPIC SKIING. The late entry closes strong at the cross country finish line! pic.twitter.com/o4mO28tXXW— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2026 Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Skiers competing in the qualifying round of the women's cross-country team sprint at the Winte»»»

Egypt is preparing for the pilot implementation of its universal health insurance system in Minya as part of the second phase of the nationwide initiative aimed at broadening healthcare coverage and enhancing service quality, Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said. The Health Ministry reporte»»»

Satellite images show that Iran has recently built a concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covered it in soil, experts say, advancing work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024 amid tensions with the US. Images also show that Iran has buried tunnel entranc»»»

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will review Moderna's mRNA 1010 flu vaccine for older adults, which could make it available ahead of the traditional cold and flu season at the end of 2026, the drugmaker announced on Wednesday. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Mod»»»

Dubai Police issued a warning for drivers in Dubai headed towards Sharjah. On its X handle, it said: "An accident is causing a traffic disruption on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road opposite City Centre Mirdif, heading towards Sharjah. Please exercise caution." Karishma H. NandkeolyarAssistant Online»»»

CARACAS: Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela HE Delcy Rodriguez has received in Caracas Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The prime minister conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ham»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has received at Lusail Palace a group of well-wishers on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. HH the Amir received Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, sheikhs, ministers, undersecretar»»»

Iranians have returned to the streets this week to mourn those killed by security forces during last month's anti-government demonstrations, sparking some new crackdowns in an echo of the 1979 revolution that brought down the US-backed Shah. The anti-Shah revolutionaries turned Shiite Muslim memori»»»

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Eleven people have been arrested for deadly attack on a far-right student activist at a protest last week in Lyon, France. Quentin Deranque, 23, died Saturday after he sustained a severe brain injury from the attack. Prosecutor Thierry Dran said Deranque had been "thrown to the gro»»»

Some fruit industry analysts say the boom in Chilean cherries may have peaked and that weaker demand in China, the main export market for the fruit, could force producers to rethink supply levels. File Photo by Benjamin Hernandez/EPA SANTIAGO, Chile, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Chile's cherry industry faces a»»»

Olivera Zivkovic | Pablo Foley EliasAs ties with the United States fray under Donald Trump, Canada has unveiled its first industrial defense strategy. The proposal would bring Canada to NATO's 2% defense-spending target five years earlier than planned. https://p.dw.com/p/5903KAdvertisementPablo Fol»»»

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was "drafting" a framework for future talks with the United States, as the US energy secretary said Washington would stop Iran's nuclear ambitions "one way or another". Diplomatic efforts are underway to avert the possibility of US mi»»»

As Hamas moves to strike armed gangs operating in areas of the Gaza Strip under Israeli army control, the groups are responding with defiance, stepping up efforts to recruit young men and expand their ranks. Videos posted on social media show training exercises and other activities, signaling that »»»

Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Qazi-e-Shahr and President of the Markazi Chand Committee, Farangi Mahal, Lucknow, has announced that the moon was sighted, reported ANI. Which means the first day of Ramadan would be Feb 19, Thursday, in India. Karishma H. NandkeolyarAssistant Online EditorKa»»»

Crowds of mourners appear to have been fired on by a security official at a cemetery in Iran. The incident happened in Abdanan, in west Iran, on Tuesday as people gathered to commemorate those killed during the government's brutal crackdown on protesters last month. Iranians usually hold commemorat»»»

Supporters of Hezbollah shout slogans during a protest organized by the group under the slogan "The entire country is resistance" outside the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, on February 4. The demonstrators condemned the ongoing Israel»»»

The Dubai Court of First Instance has ordered an immigration services company to refund Dh92,886 to a client after finding that the firm breached its contractual obligations, in addition to paying Dh10,000 in compensation and annual interest of 5 per cent from the date the judgment becomes final un»»»

Saudi Arabia’s push to localize half of its defense spending under Vision 2030 is drawing deeper commitments from US defense giant Lockheed Martin, which says it will expand local manufacturing, transfer advanced technologies, and further integrate the Kingdom into its global aerospace and defense »»»

It's unclear if an unruly passenger on board a Delta Air Lines will face charges after allegedly trying to enter the cockpit and possibly injuring another passenger. File Photo by John Dickerson/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Atlanta was forced to turn aro»»»

Dubai is constantly updating and upgrading its road arterial system. On Feb 19, Thursday, the lane from Dubai towards Sharjah on Emirates Road will be closed at Bridge No. (7) as part of the Emirates Road enhancement works. Authorities have urged motorists to use alternative routes and adhere to tr»»»

Madrid: The exhibition of winning artworks from the Qatar International Arabic Calligraphy Competition, Al Raqim, organised by the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, attracted a diverse international audience at the Córdoba Conference Palace, reflecting the growing presence of Arab»»»

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman vowed on Wednesday to uphold the rule of law in Bangladesh and overhaul the battered economy in his first speech to the nation since taking office. Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was sworn into office on Tuesday after a landslide election vict»»»

Politicians shared their views on the Cabinet line-up that caretaker prime minister–designate Andrey Gurov presented to President Iliana Iotova on Wednesday. Reactions ranged from claims of “nods” to political forces to criticism labelling the proposed Cabinet as “the result of bargaining and backr»»»

Olivera Zivkovic | Pablo Foley EliasAmid strained ties with the United States under Donald Trump, Canada has unveiled its first defense industrial strategy. The move would bring Canada to NATO's 2% defense-spending target five years earlier than planned. https://p.dw.com/p/5903KAdvertisementPablo F»»»

A shooting in a park in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato left one person dead and eight children wounded, local authorities said Wednesday. The attack late Tuesday in the city of San Francisco del Rincon claimed the life of a 36-year-old man. Guanajuato governor Libia Dennise Garcia on X den»»»

Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook co-founder, arrived at a California court on Wednesday where he is due to testify in a landmark legal case over whether social media is addictive to children. It will mark Zuckerberg's first appearance before a jury after years of backlash against his company, Meta Pla»»»

On behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has arrived in India to attend the AI Impact Summit, taking place in New Delhi until February 20. Upon arrival at the airport, he was received by Jyotira»»»

The US presidential jet is getting a new paint design that will include one of President Donald Trump's preferred colour choices for the White House and his hotels, gold. Air Force One and other planes used by high level US officials, such as First Lady Melania Trump are being repainted gold, deep »»»

A Conservative member of parliament from Alberta has defected to the Liberal Party bringing Prime Minister Mark Carney closer to a majority in the House of Commons. In a post on social media, Carney announced that Matt Jeneroux, who represents a constituency in Edmonton, has joined the Liberal cauc»»»

Romania’s 2024 presidential election was already one of the most controversial political episodes in the European Union in recent years. A candidate who won the first round was prevented from contesting the second. The vote was annulled. Claims of Russian interference were advanced without public e»»»

The son of opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa, Ramon Guanipa, speaks to the press in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on February 10. Juan Pablo Guanipa was at his residence in the city of Maracaibo, where he will serve house arrest after being detained hours after his release from prison, his son, said. Ph»»»

Sharjah Police have urged motorists to remain calm and patient on the roads during Ramadan, warning that rushing to reach destinations — particularly in the minutes before iftar — significantly increases the risk of serious traffic accidents. The call comes as part of the force’s Ramadan awareness »»»

Istanbul: In the heart of the historic Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkiye, where daily life intersects with the features of Ottoman history, stories lie hidden among the old alleyways, reaching beyond the walls of mosques and the bustle of markets. Among these stories stands a mosque, small in siz»»»

1 of 5 | Tesla Cybertruck is on display during the Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba-Prefecture, Japan, in January. Tesla will no longer market its "Autopilot" driver-assistance system in California. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Tesla will stop using »»»

In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to develop Dubai’s countryside and rural areas into some of the most beautiful and distinctive in the world, and as part of ongoing efforts to enhance »»»

Antonis Manitakis, emeritus professor at the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a former government minister, has died at the age of 82. According to reports, he had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit in recent days. In a statement, the university’s rectorate expres»»»

New York: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed concern over reports that more than 50 civilians were killed in four Sudanese states as a result of drone attacks, urging an end to the violence and renewed engagement in dialogue toward a ceasefire. In a press statement, Turk sa»»»

Peru will again swear in a head of state chosen by Congress rather than by direct vote, after legislators removed José Jerí from office barely 130 days into his interim presidency.  The decision, approved on February »»»