Paris, France: Unusually strong winds and warm ocean water likely drove a rapid plunge in Antarctic sea ice in recent years, scientists said on Wednesday, shedding new light on a puzzling event. While the Arctic sea ice area has been steadily declining, the story has been very different in Antarcti»»»

The activities paid for by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is a matter of political decision, said NHIF Governor Petko Stefanovski on Wednesday. He participated in the discussion on "Priority: Health - from public attitudes to political decisions," organized by the Bulgarian Medical Assoc»»»

In order for innovations and a higher level of prevention to enter, investments are required, said Dr. Nikolay Branzalov, Chair of the Bulgarian Medical Union, at the "Priority: Health - from public attitudes to political decisions" discussion on Wednesday, organized by the Bulgarian Medical Union »»»

The National Assembly unanimously voted, 145-0 with no abstentions, to mandate the caretaker government to state Bulgaria's position at the March 19-20 European Council on the need to temporarily suspend the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) until its ongoing review at EU level is co»»»

1 of 5 | Emergency response and command vehicles surround the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 16, 2016. Pulse Nightclub, the site of a mass shooting that killed 49 people in Orlando in 2016, was demolished on Wednesday. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo March 18 (UPI) »»»

Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has been killed, the country's president has confirmed. Masoud Pezeshkian said the "cowardly assassination" had left Iran "in deep mourning", after Israel said on Wednesday it had killed Khatib in an air strike. It comes a day after Israel announced it had»»»

Ten European Union member states, including Greece, have called on the bloc to keep handing out free carbon permits to industry to ‌help curb costs as the US-Israeli war on Iran sends energy prices soaring. European Union leaders, who meet for a summit in Brussels on Thursday, are debating proposal»»»

Bulgaria’s Fiscal Council Wednesday issued a statement to the media regarding the amendment proposals submitted by three parliamentary groups between the first and second readings of the 2025 Budget Extension Act. According to the Fiscal Council, the amendments proposed by GERB-UDF, MRF - New Begin»»»

An international media association on Wednesday criticized an "unprovoked assault" by Israeli police on journalists in Jerusalem, which it said left a CNN producer with a fractured wrist. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) said police officers on Tuesday night "unnecessarily and aggressively repel»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe At 16:15 on Wednesday, 18/03/2026, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers in the Kiryat Shmona set»»»

Tunis, March 18 (TAP) – Anouar Ben Youssef, the newly appointed Tunisian ambassador to Rwanda with residence in Nairobi, Kenya, presented his credentials to Rwandan President Paul Kagame, marking the official start of his diplomatic mission. This...»»»

Israel's defense minister said the Israeli military had destroyed two bridges spanning the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, alleging they were being used by Hezbollah. "The IDF (Israeli army) today struck and destroyed two additional bridges over the Litani River that were used for sm»»»

A judge in Poland has ruled that Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin can be extradited to Ukraine, although his defence says he will appeal. Butyagin is being held in a Warsaw prison for allegedly conducting illegal excavations and plundering artefacts from the ancient city of Myrmekion in Cri»»»

The Lebanese state has no option left but to seek a humanitarian truce for Eid al-Fitr, after the failure of efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel is insistsling on Hezbollah's complete "surrender" before halting its operations in Lebanon, while the »»»

Used primarily in the aerospace, energy and petrochemical industries, rhenium plays a key role in high-performance applications. Photo by cottonbro studio/pexels SANTIAGO, Chile, March 18 (UPI) -- The United States is continuing efforts to secure supplies of critical minerals deemed vital to nation»»»

A 23-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a 20-year-old in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, was remanded in custody after his testimony, authorities said Wednesday. He faces charges of intentional homicide and illegal weapon possession and use. During his testimony, he allegedly said he stabbed the vic»»»

Gas prices were up in Walnut Creek, Calif., on March 10. To help ease the surge of gas prices in the United States, President Donald Trump temporarily waived the Jones Act, allowing more foreign shipments of oil to travel between U.S. ports. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo March 18 (UPI)»»»

It was late at night when an Iranian cluster bomb flew through the ceiling of an elderly couple's apartment in central Israel and exploded in their tiny living room, killing them both. The path of the bomb was still clearly mapped onto the ash-covered debris left behind. A large hole in the ceiling»»»

Minister Enea Karakaçi said Albania’s fuel supply has not been impacted by tensions in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, despite concerns over global energy disruptions. Karakaçi outlined the government’s long-term strategy to strengthen energy security. He announced that a new law on strat»»»

Prime Minister, Edi Rama held a meeting with with fuel suppliers on Wednesday, calling for cooperation to reduce the impact of the ongoing global crisis while protecting consumers from rising prices. Rama emphasized that the government will not establish a fuel monitoring board for now, signaling a»»»

By Wade SheridanIranians gather at Enqelab Square in Tehran to commemorate the victims of the warship Dina and to protest the United States and Israel on Tuesday. Israel said Tuesday it had killed a second top Iranian military commander, security chief Ali Larijani, in an airstrike on Tehran hours »»»

Caretaker Health Minister Michail Okoliyski announced the launch of expanded neonatal screening in Bulgaria, the Health Ministry said on Facebook on Wednesday. Together with Deputy Minister Petar Gribnev, he visited the specialized obstetrics and gynaecology hospital Maichin Dom in Sofia, where one»»»

Dubai: It’s official. Saudi Arabia announced today (March 18, 2026) that the first day of Eid al Fitr will fall on March 20, after the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted. The moon-sighting committee convened and verified the sighting of the new moon, marking the end of Ramadan after 30 days of f»»»

Israel's military said Wednesday it had struck gas stations in south Lebanon belonging to a company owned by the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah. "Overnight, the 'Israeli army' struck Al-Amana Fuel Company gas stations in southern Lebanon", the military said. A map shared with the statement sh»»»

A strike near Iraq's western border with Syria killed three fighters from former coalition Hashed al-Shaabi on Wednesday, the alliance said. The fighters from the alliance -- also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), now part of Iraq's regular armed forces -- were hit in an US or Israeli»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev introduced the new Chairman, Almaz Baketaev, to the National Bank staff. The Cabinet Chairman outlined the bank’s priority areas of work and expressed confidence that under the new chairman’s leadership, the National Bank will fo»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Wednesday the death of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib. "The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Esmaeil Khatib, (Secretary of the Iranian Security Council) Ali Larijani and (Defense Minister) Aziz Nasirzadeh,»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Russia possesses advanced systems, including counterspace weapons, hypersonic missiles and undersea capabilities, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment published on Wednesday. “Russia has advanced systems, including counters»»»

Americans increasingly view artificial intelligence as a threat to their livelihoods and believe the government should prioritize protecting workers over maximizing tech industry profits, polling data published by Blue Rose Research has indicated. The survey, conducted earlier this month with 2,716»»»

Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib (C) attending a session of the Iranian Parliament in August 2024 for the presentation of newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet picks. Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA March 18 (UPI) -- Israel said Wednesday that it had killed Iranian Intelli»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Trade Representative in China, Zhusubali Toromamatov, met with the leadership of Chengdu International Trade Group to discuss the possibility of supplying domestic eco-friendly products, developing logistics, and expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation, confirming the partie»»»

Russia on Wednesday condemned the killing of Iranian security chief Ali Larijani, after ally Tehran vowed retaliation for his death in an Israeli airstrike. Larijani had met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in January, at a time when US navy ships were heading towards Iran ahead of t»»»

The US sent Ukraine $26 billion in aid without adequate oversight of how the funds would be used, a government auditor has told lawmakers. The flaws in a program managed by the now-defunct US Agency for International Development (USAID) were highlighted by the office of the inspector general, which»»»

One person was killed and another injured in a shooting on Tuesday evening at a US Air Force Base in New Mexico, according to military officials cited by AP. The Holloman base near Alamogordo was placed on a temporary lockdown at around 5:30 PM after reports of an active shooter near the facility’s»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev held a meeting with representatives of the international consulting firm Boston Consulting Group. During the talks, the parties discussed promising areas for further cooperation and new opportunities for joint work to promote sus»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance fighters targeted Israeli gatherings in Adaisseh’s Uwaida hill and Khiam border town: Military Media stateme»»»

An Israeli strike on Wednesday hit a car in the center of Sidon, southern Lebanon's largest city, killing two people, including a civil defense rescuer, and wounding another. An AFP correspondent at the scene said the strike hit near the city's civil defense headquarters and the seaside road, where»»»

The line of cars stretched as far as the eye could see along the coast of southern Lebanon, as residents of areas bombarded in the Israel-Hezbollah war poured into the ancient city of Sidon in search of safety. At war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, Israel has called on everyone living south of the Zah»»»

Details have emerged regarding the situation in Kyrgyzstan’s oil industry and the activities of the state-owned enterprise Kyrgyzneftegaz. Daiyrbek Orunbekov, head of the Information Policy Service of the Presidential Administration, reported. According to him, the enterprise was established in the»»»

Starting the new academic year, branches of the Akylman Presidential Lyceum will be opened in the cities of Manas and Talas. Kubanychbek Narynbekov, Deputy Director for Educational Affairs at the school, announced at a press conference. According to him, construction of the lyceums in the two citie»»»

Iran's military said it would target energy infrastructure across the Gulf following a U.S.-Israeli attack on its facilities at a major gas field, state television reported on Wednesday. The military's operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement that it would "severely strike the sourc»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the village of Alexandrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "As a result of active and decisive actions, Battlegroup Zapad liberated the settlement of Alexandrovka in the Donets»»»

Damascus, March 17 (SANA) – The “blue economy” is gaining increasing importance as a strategic pathway for sustainable growth in Syria, leveraging the country’s Mediterranean coastline and maritime resources to support economic recovery and long-term development. The concept refers to the sustainab»»»

DOHA: Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari has said that “the Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars field, an extension of Qatar’s North Field, is a dangerous and irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region”. “Targeting energy infrast»»»

A small French town has won instant internet fame because its mayor – running for re-election in Sunday's municipal elections – goes by the name of Hittler. Not just that. One of his two opponents is called Zielinski. "It has gone completely crazy," lamented Charles Hittler, mayor of Arcis-sur-Aube»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump angrily suggested Wednesday that he could leave U.S. allies to secure the Hormuz strait on their own since they have refused to fight alongside U.S. forces against Iran in the crucial shipping lane. Saying the United States doesn't need the strait -- a major global oil s»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is unlikely to end its military operation against Iran in the near future due to the instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing officials. The US and Israel are currently working very closely in terms of Iran campaign, »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called the choice of Crimea, Sevastopol, and Donbass to be with Russia historic and decisive. "First of all, I would like to congratulate you and all citizens of the country on the Day of Crimea's Reunification with Russia. For this d»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia condemns the irresponsible attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP) and Israel and the United States must abandon reckless attacks that carry security risks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "We strongly condemn the irresponsib»»»

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier and a central pillar of US naval operations in the war against Iran, is expected to head for repairs after a major fire onboard. The nuclear-powered carrier, deployed for nearly nine months and involved in more than two weeks of strikes l»»»