US special envoy Steve Witkoff said talks between Ukraine and Russia had "brought about meaningful progress" to end the war, as both sides prepared for a second day of negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday. "President Trump's success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meani»»»

Kyrgyzstan is preparing for the possible importation of various infectious diseases into the country, Deputy Minister of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor, Ryspek Sydygaliev, said on Birinchi Radio. According to Sydygaliev, the Republican Center for the Prevention and Control of Especially Dan»»»

President Iliana Iotova will receive caretaker prime minister designate Andrey Gurov at the President's Administration on Wednesday, the President’s press secretariat said. He is expected to propose a caretaker cabinet lineup. On February 12, Iotova designated Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Deputy G»»»

Vice President JD Vance pushed back against claims that the Trump administration harbors hostility toward Europe. In an interview with Fox News, he insisted instead that Washington's criticism is aimed at making the continent a "true" partner. Vance claimed the administration's calls for stronger b»»»

February 19 has been declared the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in most Muslim countries, the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to moon sighting results and astronomical calculations for the year 1447 AH, February 18, 2026, is considered the thirtieth day o»»»

New Delhi: President of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon arrived in India to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 and was greeted by Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Singh. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X wrote, "Welcome, Pr»»»

EU member states have approved Poland’s participation in the €150 billion SAFE defense program, concluding the bloc’s review of Warsaw’s plan. Poland will receive €43.7 billion in low-interest loans to finance 139 military procurement projects, largely sourced from European manufacturers. The loans»»»

The European Union’s attempt to introduce measures against foreign ports and banks allegedly used by Russia to sell oil is facing resistance from several member states, which could weaken the EU’s new package of anti-Russian sanctions, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. According to the media outle»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up the first day of a state visit to India on February 17, 2026, elevating defence cooperation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting out an expanded industrial and military roadmap. »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up the first day of a state visit to India on February 17, 2026, elevating defence cooperation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting out an expanded industrial and military roadmap. »»»

Two years after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison, five European countries claim they have identified the substance that killed him: epibatidine, an extremely lethal toxin produced by the South American poison dart frog. But why go through the trouble of using such a rare, exo»»»

India has kicked off the fourth edition of the annual artificial intelligence (AI) summit, the first such event in the Global South. The five-day event will draw world leaders including the French and Brazilian presidents, as well as tech bosses like Google's Sundar Pichai and OpenAI's Sam Altman, »»»

NEW YORK: An immigration judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian graduate student who led protests at Columbia University against Israel and the war in Gaza. Also Read: US expands visa curbs: 39 countries affected under new immigration policyIn a ruli»»»

Dubai: Today, the UAE marks the first day of Ramadan after the official moon-sighting committee confirmed the holy month will begin on Wednesday, February 18. The arrival of Ramadan brings one of the most significant shifts in daily traffic patterns seen all year. For the next 30 days, roads across»»»

Hundreds of people in Tajikistan who faced criminal charges for posting “likes” have been acquitted. Habibullo Vohidzoda, the country’s prosecutor general, told a press conference – as reported by Asia-Plus – that the move»»»

Millions of dual nationals worldwide are suddenly facing a rush to obtain or renew British passports after the UK government tightened entry rules for people holding more than one citizenship. Many have been caught out by upcoming changes to passport rules for dual nationals, which are due to kick »»»

In today’s fast-paced world, where children are exposed to information, opinions, and influences from every direction, one timeless practice remains deeply powerful - meaningful conversations at home. The foundations of character, resilience, and responsibility are not built in teenage years. They »»»

Manila: In a game-changing move, the government has unleashed a major policy tweak allowing a 100% electricity subsidy for poorest Filipino families. Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos recently unveiled the "auto-enrollment" scheme for millions of target beneficiaries -- families unde»»»

Washington: India’s ambitious rooftop solar expansion plan on Tuesday secured a $197.67 million guarantee from the World Bank Group’s arm. ​ The five-year backing supports refinancing of a $500 million World Bank loan to the State Bank of India for grid-connected solar systems serving commercial an»»»

Bayer subsidiary Monsanto on Tuesday said it would pay $7.25 billion over 21 years to settle class action lawsuits filed by those claiming its Roundup weedkiller caused cancer. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Officials for Germany-based Bayer have agreed to pay $7»»»

Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday extended greetings to Tibetans worldwide on the occasion of Losar and announced the designation of a senior official as the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.​ “I extend my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Losar, the»»»

"Life is becoming more expensive," complains Alexander, a Moscow-based advertising specialist who works for a big corporation. In the course of one month his monthly food budget soared by more than 22% - from 35,000 roubles (£330; $450) to 43,000 (£406; $555). With Russia's economy hanging somewher»»»

Shares vacillated and oil prices dropped back down Tuesday as Tehran gave an encouraging response during talks with US officials in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme, after days of escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump. Also Read: Iran-US talks in Geneva advance on 'guiding principles'Oi»»»

Officials for Fulton County, Georgia, on Tuesday accused the FBI of lying to obtain a warrant that authorized a raid on the county's elections office on Jan. 18. File Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Officials for Fulton County, Ga., said in a filing Tuesday that the Department of J»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Fifty One East, ‘Qatar’s favourite department store’, has officially launched the 6th edition of its annual Jalabiyas & Kaftans Private Exhibition, displaying the latest collections by prominent local and regional designers. The opening, hosted on Level 1 of Fifty One East»»»

Why are red and gold so prominent for the Lunar New Year? Why is it the year of the Fire Horse? How, and where, is this holiday celebrated in France? And how big is the Asian diaspora in France? In this edition of Entre Nous, we're taking a deep dive into "Le Nouvel An Chinois" or the Chinese New Y»»»

Watch French President Emmanuel Macron's speech in Mumbai, India. »»»

Iran and the United States reached an understanding Tuesday on "a set of guiding principles" laying the groundwork for a broader deal during talks in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday. This came as the US ramps up military forces in the region and Iran said it»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised growing ties as they met in Mumbai on Tuesday, balancing economic uncertainty upended by tariff policies under US President Donald Trump. FRANCE 24's Navodita Kumari reports from Mumbai.»»»

Narendra Modi has made India a diplomatic swing power, forging ties with both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump while courting Europe and championing the Global South. Refusing to condemn Moscow and continuing to buy Russian oil, New Delhi’s “multi-alignment” strategy boosts its global clout – b»»»

Fireworks lit the skies and incense smoke filled the air as millions rang in the Lunar New Year on Tuesday. From bustling temple fairs in Beijing to a high-tech Spring Festival gala, the Year of the Horse began in a swirl of prayer, pageantry and cutting-edge spectacle. Traditional prayers, firewor»»»

Evanan Romero, who was detained for four days, is part of a committee of about 400 former state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela technicians and executives dedicated to developing proposals for rebuilding the energy sector under a future government. File Photo by Henry Chirinos/EPA Feb. 17 »»»

Spanish officials on Tuesday announced they are launching an inquiry into potential criminal violations by X, Meta and TikTok over respective users' creation and distribution of AI-generated child sex abuse materials. Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Spanish authorities plan to investigat»»»

BusinessEuropeShein faces EU investigation over products, design featuresMark Hallam with AP, dpaEU regulators are investigating Shein on suspicion that it has not done enough to limit the sale of illegal products and to protect consumers from allegedly addictive design features on the platform. ht»»»

Even if there is someone from BSP in the caretaker cabinet, they will serve in a personal capacity, BSP Chair Krum Zarkov said on bTV in response to a question whether members of the party would be included in the caretaker government. "I am not aware of anything like that," Zarkov added, noting th»»»

Two new investigations have been announced in the EU into Elon Musk’s social media platform X amid reports that its AI chatbot Grok produced sexualized images of real people, including children. Grok, developed by Musk’s AI venture xAI and integrated into X, has come under global scrutiny since its»»»

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of failing to deliver on his calls for European “strategic autonomy,” urging Paris to increase its military expenditure at the expense of social spending. Macron has pushed for European defense autonomy since propo»»»

Ukrainian service members will train German troops in drone warfare as well as the use of modern command and control technologies as part of a new program, several German media outlets have reported. The Ukraine conflict has seen the mass deployment of strike and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehi»»»

The European Union (EU) has launched a formal investigation into fast fashion giant Shein over possible breaches of digital law, including the sale of childlike sex dolls. The European Commission (EC), the EU's executive arm, said it will examine what systems the Chinese firm has in place to preven»»»

Sharjah: Al Hamriyah has been illuminated with vibrant Ramadan decorations after Al Hamriyah Municipality completed its annual project to adorn streets and public spaces with distinctive light installations reflecting the spirit and values of the holy month. The decorations feature innovative desig»»»

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly headed to Washington on Tuesday ‌to ‌participate in ‌the inaugural ⁠meeting of a "Board of Peace" established by US President Donald ⁠Trump, the ‌cabinet ‌said. Madbouly is ‌attending ‌on behalf of President Abdel ‌Fattah al-Sisi and is accompanied by ⁠Foreig»»»

A new terminal station will begin operating on T7 tram line in Athens on Wednesday, with the long-delayed opening of the Akti Poseidonos tram stop more than five years after its construction was completed. The addition of the new stop brings the tram network within a five-minute walk of Piraeus’ ma»»»

The Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF) has reached more than 36,000 beneficiaries across Morocco, Mexico and Zanzibar in 2025, expanding its international humanitarian work to strengthen child protection systems and address rising risks of exploitation, violence and harm aff»»»

Abu Dhabi: The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) has issued a weather warning regarding potential fog formation and significantly reduced horizontal visibility across several western regions of the UAE. According to the NCM statement released on Tuesday, visibility is expected to deteriorate, a»»»

Eleven people were killed in multiple strikes on three alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, the US military says. Officials said that of the 11 "male narco-terrorists" killed, four died on the first vessel in the Eastern Pacific, four on a second vessel also in the E»»»

Peru's interim president, Jose Jeri, appears before the Congressional Oversight and Accountability Committee in Lima, Peru, in January. Jeri denounced a plot against him and a clear intention to destabilize the country, after a series of videos were revealed showing semi-clandestine meetings and en»»»

Hezbollah rejected on Tuesday the Lebanese government's decision to grant the army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, saying it would not accept what it sees as a move serving Israel. Lebanon's cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up an»»»

The European Commission has announced an investigation into online retailer Shein. File Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/EPA Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has opened formal proceedings against online retailer Shein "for its addictive design, the lack of transparency o»»»

American, Russian, and Ukrainian delegations have arrived in Geneva for a crucial round of peace talks. After narrowly focused discussions in Abu Dhabi, several key moves from the Russians and Americans suggest that things will be more serious this time around, and that the time to strike a deal is»»»

1 of 3 | Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he will not allow Australians who moved to Syria to join an ISIS caliphate repatriate to Australia, even though they are mostly women and children and didn't choose to travel there. File Photo by Bianca De Marchi/EPA Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A group »»»