The Israeli military announced that one of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Gaza on Wednesday, but a security source said the death appeared to have been caused by "friendly fire". "Staff Sergeant Ofri Yafe, aged 21, from HaYogev, a soldier in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit,»»»

Retail schemes are maintaining a strong pace of expansion, with more than 750,000 sqm of projects currently under construction or in planning across Romania, with delivery by 2029. If all planned projects are completed, the country’s total retail stock will exceed 5.6 million sqm by the end of 2029»»»

Saudi Arabia has launched its first endowment fund dedicated to advancing environmental, water and agricultural sustainability, reinforcing efforts to strengthen the Kingdom’s non-profit sector and long-term development. Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli on T»»»

At a meeting of the Environmental Council, Bishkek Mayor Aibek Dzhunushaliev commented on the situation with ash from the capital’s heating and power plant (HPP). The city is facing an environmental problem: ash dumps, previously located far from populated areas, are now located within the city lim»»»

TradeGermanyChina shock: Will Merz take on Germany's top rival?Nik MartinChancellor Friedrich Merz is scrambling to defend German industry from the economic upheaval caused by intense rivalry from China. Momentum is building for fresh trade barriers to stop unfair trade practices. https://p.dw.com/»»»

Dubai: Javed Akhtar, who worked with veteran screenwriter Salim Khan during their celebrated partnership in the 1970s, visited him at Lilavati Hospital late Tuesday night. He was joined by Aryan Khan, who also came to see the ailing writer. Salim Khan was admitted to the hospital after suffering a »»»

Due to overnight snowfall, road conditions in parts of the country are complicated, and some municipalities have declared Wednesday a non-school day. Because of heavy snowdrifts and reduced visibility, traffic for all motor vehicles has been temporarily restricted on the Trakia Motorway between Bur»»»

Nine skiers were missing after an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada mountains on Tuesday, but six others, who had been stranded, have since been rescued, authorities said. The avalanche swept the Castle Peak area of Truckee, California, about 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe, at about 11:30 a.m. »»»

The Israeli military announced that one of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Gaza on Wednesday, but a security source said the death appeared to have been caused by "friendly fire". "Staff Sergeant Ofri Yafe, aged 21, from HaYogev, a soldier in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit,»»»

Turkey could “lose its industry” unless structural problems, high borrowing costs and persistent inflation are tackled. That’s the warning from Burhan Ozdemir, head of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Assoc»»»

Turkey could “lose its industry” unless structural problems, high borrowing costs and persistent inflation are tackled. That’s the warning from Burhan Ozdemir, head of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Assoc»»»

Rescuers have found the body of a 59-year-old man who was buried under a snow avalanche in Suusamyr, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. On the instructions of the head of the ministry, Major General Urmatbek Shamyrkanov, the search operation w»»»

Manila: At a raucous 2022 campaign rally, the two most formidable names in Philippine politics stood side by side, sealing an alliance that seemed unstoppable. Before a sea of roaring supporters, then–vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte turned to her running mate, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and dec»»»

Romanian engineering company Piaxo has announced the opening of a new research and development center in Timisoara, developed in strategic collaboration with Clarios, a firm specialized in battery technology. The opening will create over 120 highly skilled jobs across all engineering disciplines — »»»

In a declaration delivered on behalf of the parliamentary group Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, MP Elisaveta Belobradova said from the parliamentary rostrum on Wednesday that February 18, 2026 marks 153 years since the hanging of Vasil Levski, one of the most powerful symbols of Bulgaria»»»

A luminous outline of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores loomed over Caracas against the night sky in January. The steady light of hundreds of drones in a show put on by the government in Venezuela, suspended their image in front of the clouds, before rearranging to call for their return: "El»»»

It was May 1999, and US Army sergeant Andrew Ramirez had been held captive for over a month by Yugoslav forces, enduring days of dark confinement and interrogations. Just a few weeks earlier, Ramirez and two other soldiers had been on a routine patrol near the Macedonian-Yugoslav border during the »»»

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has raised the readiness of Makkah’s hospitality sector to its highest level ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, stressing that serving pilgrims and visitors remains a top national priority. Makkah is preparing to receive worshippers and visitors amid a marked exp»»»

A man who tried to rob an Athens supermarket at gunpoint has been foiled, first by a cashier who routed him brandishing a pair of scissors and then by an off-duty policeman who gave chase and detained him, police said Wednesday. The attempted robbery in the Athens district of Tavros went awry from »»»

Dubai: After 20 years of discovering singing talent across India, Indian Idol, the iconic music reality show has finally packed its bags and gone international, and Gulf News was given exclusive access to it. The reality show cast and crew landed in Abu Dhabi earlier this week to film special episo»»»

Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the process of merging the SDF with Syrian government forces “may take some time,” despite expressing confidence in the eventual success of the agreement. His remarks came after earlier comments in which he acknowledged differences with »»»

Jhajjar: A chartered accountant from Hisar has been arrested for the brutal killing of his 27-year-old wife, a bank employee whose body was found with her throat slit near Bahadurgarh in Haryana’s Jhajjar district. Police said the accused attempted to stage the crime as a robbery-cum-murder, but in»»»

Gale-force winds blowing across Greece have disrupted air and sea transport. Overnight, nine domestic and international flights to and from Thessaloniki were diverted to other airports because the wind was too strong for them to land safely. Later Wednesday the winds dropped but several flights wer»»»

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would pursue a policy of "encouraging the migration" of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported Wednesday. "We will eliminate the idea of an Arab terror state," said Smotrich, speaking at an event o»»»

School bus driver Ali al-Dorr averts his gaze every time he passes the rubble of his son's home -- destroyed by an Israeli strike in south Lebanon despite a year-old ceasefire. Though his son managed to evacuate in time, the attack left notebooks, papers and furniture strewn among the debris of the»»»

Damascus, Feb. 18 (SANA) Syria’s Investment Authority met with representatives of the Syrian-British Business Council on Tuesday to discuss expanding cooperation and organizing a future investment forum aimed at attracting international companies. Talal Hilali, head of the Syrian Investment Authori»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to add around 390,000 new homes by 2030, marking one of the largest residential expansion cycles in recent years, according to a new industry report. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The first-ever Alpen GCC Real Estate 2026 report by Alpen Capital»»»

Iraqi Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declined at the last minute to attend a meeting of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework on Monday night that was aimed at settling the crisis over his nomination as prime minister. Instead of declaring that he was pulling out as candidate, as had been expe»»»

The annual inflation rate will extend its slow drop in quarter 1, 2026, while in quarter 2 it will register an increase, on the background of influences coming from basic effects, and from the evolution of the quotation of goods and the eliminaton of VAT level for basic goods. Later on, the annual »»»

The minister of defense, Radu Miruta, received on Monday a delegation of the Congress of the United States of America led by senator Jeanne Shaheen with whom he visited the Training Centre for F’16.’The main moment of the meeting was the visit to the F-16 Training Centre, inaugurated in 2023 at the»»»

The report from the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on the elections in Romania is "erroneous" and "partisan", Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen told a Monday's press conference in Bucharest."The report is an ideological, partisan document that no one is paying any attentio»»»

Romania's ambassadors to Lebanon, the Philippines and Turkey have been recalled to the country, the Presidential Administration announced on Tuesday.According to the cited source, President Nicusor Dan signed the decrees regarding:* the recall of Radu-Catalin Mardare from the capacity of Romania's »»»

Deputy Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu, Minister of Internal Affairs, had a bilateral meeting in Washington on Tuesday with a delegation of the FBI leadership, consisting of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, the Deputy Director of the FBI, Christopher Raia, and the Ass»»»

Tunis, Feb. 18 (TAP) – The weather, on Wednesday, will be cloudy across most regions.Winds will blow from the south. They will be light to moderate from the south, gradually becoming fairly strong near the coasts, the National Institute of...»»»

On Feb. 18, 1979, snow fell in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the first known time. It fell a second time in 2016 and a third time in 2018. 1 of 7 | On February 18, 1979, snow fell in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the first known time. It fell a second time in 2016 and a thir»»»

Al-Bunyan Engineering Consulting Company reported last Monday (16 February) that over the past few months it had completed the first phase of a technical study assessing existing damage at the Zumurrud (Emerald) Shopping Mall Investment Project. The project is part of the Tripoli Gate (Bab Trabulus»»»

This Ramadan, ibis Doha invites families, friends, and corporate groups to gather for a thoughtfully curated Iftar Buffet at Charlie’s Corner, a tradition that has become a familiar part of the city’s Ramadan dining scene over the past four years. Priced at QR99 per person, with children aged 4 to »»»

Thousands of Muslim worshipers performed the Isha and Tarawih prayers on Tuesday at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem, marking the first night of the holy month of Ramadan. According to local sources, thousands of Palestinian citizens managed to reach the Mosque despite Israeli restrictions »»»

This Ramadan, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl–Doha invites guests to discover Sultana, A Royal Ramadan Experience, an opulent sanctuary where revered traditions are gracefully reinterpreted through contemporary sophistication, in harmony with the hotel’s distinguished identity as The Palace of Exp»»»

As the new moon is sighted and nights grow quieter, Ramadan gently unfolds as a season of reflection, connection, and shared rituals. This year, Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas invites guests to experience Ramadan Under the Same Moon, a soulful journey where distance fades, time slows, and toget»»»

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Search-and-rescue personnel working through dangerous weather conditions recovered six skiers who were stranded in Northern California's backcountry following an avalanche on Tuesday, according to authorities, who said rescue efforts were ongoing to locate nine more people unaccoun»»»

Dubai: Emirates Skywards is marking Ramadan with a major rewards campaign, giving members the chance to win a share of 2 million Skywards Miles. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.In a statement issued on February 18, a day after Ramadan was announced in the UAE, the loya»»»

Dubai: eNovate, a subsidiary of eFinance Investment Group, and Cobi, a UAE-headquartered AI-native customer intelligence platform, today announced the integration of Cobi’s AI-powered intelligence infrastructure across its digital payment ecosystem to redefine how young people across Egypt engage w»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Next Generation School (TNG) marked its “Efforts for Excellence” team appreciation event, honouring the dedication and impact of educators, researchers, and team members who bring the school’s vision to life each day. The evening brought together distinguished guests from the Minis»»»

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde plans to leave her job before next year's French presidential election to allow Emmanuel Macron to have an input into picking her successor, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Lagarde's term is due to end in October 2027 but some fear that t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The organising committee of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Qur’an Competition at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has announced the registration of 2,848 male and female contestants for the Junior category (Baraim) in 2026 edition, marking the 31st edition of th»»»

Nando’s is marking the season with specially curated Ramadan sharing platters, bringing together its signature flame-grilled PERi-PERi flavours and generous portions designed for gatherings across Doha. Known for its bold Afro-Portuguese chicken and vibrant dining atmosphere, the popular restaurant»»»

Doha, Qatar: The sports competitions organised by Safari Group in connection with Qatar National Sports Day concluded with enthusiastic public participation. Hundreds of sports lovers took part in the events held across various Safari outlets on February 10th. The main attraction, the arm wrestling»»»

The 2026 SABIS STEAM Competition brought together the largest gathering of young innovators from across the SABIS Network, transforming an ordinary weekend into a vibrant showcase of creativity and future‑ready skills. With record participation, the event welcomed over 500 students from 21 schools »»»

Authorities have scrapped plans to lease the two main sand beaches on the tiny island of Ano Koufonissi to businesses that planned to set up sun loungers and umbrellas there, ending their free and unrestricted use by the public. The Finance Ministry, which is responsible for leasing Greece’s once p»»»