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»»»

A large number of residents of Istočno Novo Sarajevo welcomed their fellow citizen Aleksandar Ivanović last night, the boxer who won the UBF title in the cruiserweight division. A spectacular reception featuring flares was organized in Gavrilo Princip Park for Ivanović, a professional boxer of Boxi»»»

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»»»

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. military has killed 11 people in recent strikes on three boats allegedly transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea. The boats were attacked late Monday, U.S. Southern Command said in a statement, which alleged that the three boats were operated by des»»»

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/»»»

Police in northern Greece have arrested the driver of a private ambulance for drink driving, reports said. According to the voria.gr website the 41-year-old man was stopped early Wednesday in Thessaloniki’s Kalochori district and taken into custody after he failed a breathalyser test. Greek authori»»»

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 »»»

A GERB–UDF declaration stated that February 18 is a day for monuments, but it must also be a day for merciless reassessment, as read by MP Georgi Krastev on Wednesday on the occasion of the 153rd anniversary of the death of revolutionary Vasil Levski. “If Vasil Ivanov Kunchev were to enter this cha»»»

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»»»

US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington had made “meaningful progress” in negotiations on a potential Ukrainian settlement after a first day of trilateral talks in Geneva on February 17 involving US, Ukrainian and Russian representatives. »»»

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»»»

US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington had made “meaningful progress” in negotiations on a potential Ukrainian settlement after a first day of trilateral talks in Geneva on February 17 involving US, Ukrainian and Russian representatives. »»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran, Russia to hold combined naval drill on Thursday 18-02-2026 10:16 AM Latest News Urgent News Israeli soldier killed in so-called frien»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli soldier killed in so-called friendly fire incident in south Gaza: Israeli media 18-02-2026 10:38 AM Latest News Urgent News Israeli»»»

Damascus, Feb.18 (SANA) Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh discussed priorities for technical support to public finances with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission on Tuesday, alongside talks with the UN Resident Coordinator on strengthening cooperation in recovery and development initia»»»

At today’s session of the Zhogorku Kenesh, deputies unanimously approved the appointments of three new Cabinet Ministers without holding a discussion or posing questions to the candidates. The approved appointments are: Earlier, on February 16, President Sadyr Japarov signed decrees dismissing the »»»

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»»»

Parliament will hear on February 19 representatives of Kozloduy NPP and the competent authorities regarding the emergency shutdowns of Unit 6 at the nuclear power plant, MPs decided on Wednesday with 107 votes in favour, 86 against and 14 abstentions. The proposal was put forward by MP Yordan Todor»»»

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»»»

Meteorologists predict rain in Bishkek during the second half of the week. February 19: Sunny. Nighttime temperatures around +7°C, daytime highs up to +24°C. February 20: Partly cloudy. Night +7°C, daytime +21°C. February 21: Rain expected. Night lows of +5°C, daytime highs up to +11°C. February 22»»»

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»»»

Almost half of Romania, including the Municipality of Bucharest, will come under Code Yellow warnings for cold weather, snowfall and strengthening winds starting Tuesday at 10:00, the National Meteorological Administration (ANM) announced.According to meteorologists, between 17 February, 10:00 and »»»

Bucharest will apply to host the Cities Forum 2027, an event of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission.The event focuses on supporting EU cities, in particular through the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy.The General Council of Bucharest (CGMB)»»»

The number of employees in Bucharest reached, at the end of November 2025 1,113,044 people, dropping by 880 people (minus 0.08%) against the previous month, according to the data centralized by the National Institute for Statistics.Compared to the same period in 2024, the number of employees increa»»»

A number of 4,698,070 pensioners was registered in January 2026 in Romania, 1,489 fewer than in the previous month and the average pension was 2,779 lei, according to the data centralized by the National House for Public Pensions (CNPP).The total value of pension entitlements amounted to 13.055 bil»»»

Romania's population has declined by more than 4.16 million people over the past 35 years, with external migration accounting for 63% of the decrease and negative natural growth for 37%, according to an expert analysis published on Tuesday by the head of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), »»»

The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), meeting on Tuesday, decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 6.50% per year, the BNR informed in a press release.According to the cited source, the Board of Directors also decided to maintain the interest rate for the len»»»

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 state must encourage people to save for the retirement age and, therefore, I supported the European Commission's project on occupational and pan-European personal pension products (PEPP) at the ECOFIN meeting, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said on Tuesday."The future of Romanians' pensions »»»

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»»»