The software code of 100% of the installed voting machines will be verified for the upcoming elections, up from the previous 30%, caretaker Electronic Governance Minister George Sharkov, who is also coordinator of the election process, told a briefing here on Wednesday. To carry out the checks, the»»»

When the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on 28 February, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and crippling Tehran’s military infrastructure, the world witnessed a dramatic reshaping of the Middle East’s power structure. Beijing’s public response—measured moral condemnations, an e»»»

This operation is not just about neutralizing militants; it is about compelling Kabul to act responsibly and stop tolerating groups that destabilize the region, Sultan M. Hali said. Earlier cross-border actions were limited to tactical raids against militant hideouts. However, Operation Righteous F»»»

Gold prices fell to a one-month low on Wednesday as investors weighed the risk of a more hawkish US Federal Reserve policy stance, with high oil prices fuelling concerns about inflation. Spot gold fell 2% to $4,903.19 per ounce as of 1216 GMT, its lowest level since February 18. US gold futures for»»»

Sara Saleh and her family fled wearing their pyjamas on Wednesday when Israel's military said it would strike a central Beirut building near the school-turned-shelter where they had been staying. Several other strikes, however, came without warning, jolting terrified residents in the middle of the »»»

Share: PHOTO- A person walks past debris at the site of an Israeli strike, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Zuqaq al-Blat district in central Beirut, Lebanon, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi Beirut- It is unreasonable to ‌expect th»»»

BusinessMiddle EastIran war triggers helium shortage, hits semiconductor supplyTimothy RooksRising tensions in the Middle East are rattling high-end chipmakers. Among all the latest geopolitical uncertainties for the industry is a shortage of helium that could slow global production. https://p.dw.c»»»

Prosecutors in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, have requested a jail term of seven years and seven months, arguing he should be found guilty of 39 of the 40 charges he is accused of. The 29-year-old denies the most serious charges, which include four cou»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov will participate in the regular European Council meeting in Brussels on March 19-20, the Council of Ministers said in a press release. European leaders are set to discuss key international and EU issues, including the military escalation in the Middle East and »»»

President Iliana Iotova said that she expects a more comprehensive compensation package due to rising prices. “This is only the first step. I expect a more comprehensive package if the war continues,” she told journalists regarding the caretaker government’s aid porposal. She participated in a foru»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said in an interview for Radio Free Europe that the state has fuel reserves at quite solid levels, as required by law. Gurov noted that all traders are currently maintaining the required reserve levels, explaining that under the Crude Oil and Petroleum Products»»»

Over 160 manufacturing and trading companies from 16 countries are participating in the 30th International Nature. Hunting. Fishing Exhibition, which opened here on Wednesday, Plovdiv International Fair General Director Prof. Ivan Sokolov said. He emphasized that there is a 30% increase in new exhi»»»

Manama: The General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) said that its air defense systems have intercepted and destroyed 130 missiles and 234 drones since the start of the Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom. In a statement, the General Command stressed that using ballistic missiles and dr»»»

March 17 (UPI) -- A stretch of California highway was closed for nearly nine hours while crews worked to clean up a sticky syrup spill. The California Highway Patrol said a truck overturned Monday in the westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway in Fontana, causing hundreds of gallons of syrup to spill out»»»

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after the signing of a commercial agreement with the Azerbaijani company Azvirt to design and build an expressway that will connect the Backi Breg border crossing with Srbobran via Sombor, Kula and Vrbas, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said its first section, sp»»»

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»»»

Gila Pahima returned to Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel last spring, 18 months after its population had been evacuated because of Hezbollah rocket fire. Now air raid sirens are again sounding around the clock as the boom of missiles and interceptors echoes overhead. "I feel like we're in constant »»»

Share: PHOTO – Flames engulf a building following an Israeli air strike in Beirut, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Lebanon, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Israeli warplanes hit central Beirut in the early hours of Wednesday, destro»»»

Five members of Iran's national women's football team have returned to the country after dropping their bids for Australian asylum. The players were pictured in their team tracksuits as they crossed into Iran from Turkey on Wednesday afternoon, having flown back via Malaysia and Oman. They had init»»»

In 2025, over 4,400 Bulgarian and foreign hunters took part in organised hunting tourism activities, generating nearly EUR 3.8 million in income, Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Nikolay Vassilev said Wednesday during the official opening of the Nature. Hunting. Fishing and Flower Spring exhibi»»»

Interior Minister of Interior Emil Dechev on Wednesday conferred with Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Sait Uyanık. During the meeting, the sides discussed countering illegal migration, combating smuggling and drug trafficking, easing passenger and cargo traffic across the shared border, as well as measur»»»

U.S. forces targeted hardened Iranian missile sites on the Iranian side of the Strait of Hormuz with bunker-buster bombs in an effort to prevent attacks on shipping transiting the strategically key waterway. File photo courtesy Royal Thai Navy/EPA March 18 (UPI) -- U.S. forces successfully deployed»»»

Dubai: As the UAE awaits for Eid Al Fitr, authorities have issued fresh guidance to ensure that residents and visitors alike can celebrate safely and with peace of mind. The Dubai Media Office has released a safety guide explaining what to do if you receive an emergency alert on your phone, which c»»»

The main square of the Hungarian city of Eger was filled on Tuesday (17 March) with people welcoming the prime minister like a star. But it was not only his supporters who turned up. Spontaneous chants of ‘Viktor! Viktor!’ greet me as I arrive at Viktor Orbán campaign rally, a good half-hour before»»»

Dubai: UAE officials conducted an inspection at a Carrefour distribution centre to review food supply, procurement and stock levels, as authorities monitor market stability and ensure continued availability of essential goods nationwide. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances»»»

When the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America on June 11, 2026, it will be the largest sporting event ever staged. Matches will take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, involving millions of spectators and a global television audience expected to exceed five bi»»»

Police officers Wednesday detained four people in Haskovo on suspicion of vote-buying, said Miroslav Hristov, Director of the Haskovo Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry. Police officers found several lists of names of people and amounts of money, which lead to the assumption of vote-buyi»»»

Senior Commissioner Tsvetan Yotsov, National Police General Directorate Deputy Director, said at a briefing on Wednesday, at the Council of Ministers, that 39 reports of election violations and crimes had been received by Tuesday morning. Approximately 12-13 investigations have been launched and in»»»

On the evening of 17 March 2026, Israel announced it had killed Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), in an air strike on Tehran, along with Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. Tehran later confirmed both assassinations. It is a development that has dire impl»»»

Good news, people with cars. ParkinUAE has announced free parking over the Eid Al Fitr period. The parking solutions provider in the UAE tweeted that all public parking will be free, with the exception of multi-storey parking, between Thursday, March 19, and Sunday, March 22. We’ll be back to payin»»»

VRSAC - Serbian PM Djuro Macut visited Vrsac-based pharmaceuticals firm Hemofarm on Wednesday and met with company executives, headed by CEO Ronald Seeliger, to discuss the Hemofarm Group's operations and future plans. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda »»»

Dubai: Gold prices fell below the Dh600 mark on Wednesday afternoon, with the 24K rate dropping to Dh597 per gram at 3.40 pm from Dh601 in the morning, while 22K declined to Dh552.75 from Dh556.50, tracking a broader pullback in global markets. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices i»»»

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is now officially recognized in Bulgaria. This was reported during a news conference to present the results of years of efforts by the medical community and patient organizations to improve the diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease. Hristina Nikolova, Chair»»»

The Council of Ministers Wednesday approved funding for the Foreign Ministry for 2026 amounting to up to EUR 1,750,000 to support projects benefiting Bulgarian communities in Albania, Serbia and Kosovo, as well as citizens of North Macedonia who self-identify as Bulgarian, Ukraine and Moldova. The »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Finland and the European Union as a whole might have to recognize Ukraine's de facto territorial concessions to Russia, Finnish President Alexander Stubb has said. "Finland or any European country will never ever accept a de jure land swap. De facto might be a reality, but de jur»»»

The latest heavy fighting between warring parties along Sudan’s border with Chad has killed 17 people and many wounded, a medical group said. The attacks on Monday in Tina left 66 people in serious condition, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF, said in a post on»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar Mourns Director of Political Programs Martyred in Israeli Bombing of Beirut 18-03-2026 13:49 PM Al-Manar veteran anchor and Direct»»»

Israel Says Killed Iran Intel Chief, Tells Military to Hunt Down Officials Israel said Wednesday its forces had killed another top Iranian official, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, and said its military was authorized to kill any senior figure of the country in its sights. The announcement, th»»»

Dakar: Senegal football fans slammed AFCON'S decision to strip the country of its Africa Cup of Nations title and give it to Morocco, calling the move a "disgrace for Africa" as they woke up to the news Wednesday. Gora Ndiaye, a resident of Dakar who works as a chauffeur, told AFP he felt like he h»»»

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has approved a housing benefits package wor»»»

The Zhogorku Kenesh approved the agreement on the construction of a new campus for the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU) in three readings. It is planned to be located on a plot of approximately 30 hectares in Baytik aiyl aimak of Alamedin district of Chui region. The land will be transferred»»»

Schoolchildren from Kyrgyzstan won two bronze medals at the International Physics Olympiad, held on March 5-12 in Dolgoprudny, Russian Federation. According to the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic, the following schoolchildren were awarded: • Aitegin Emilbekov — bronze medal in the indi»»»

US President Donald Trump has criticized other NATO nations’ unwillingness to join the US-Israeli military operation against Iran, calling the bloc a “one-way street” that America has never really needed. The remarks came a day after US allies, including NATO members, ignored or rejected Trump’s ca»»»

Ali Larijani, the influential head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has been killed in US-Israeli strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced. Larijani’s office said he was killed alongside his son, Mortaza, and his deputy for security, Alireza Bayat. His deat»»»

The killing of senior Iranian officials by the US and Israel will not cripple the government, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said. Araghchi made the comments shortly after Iran confirmed that Ali Larijani, the country’s security chief and one of its most powerful politicians, was kille»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mwani Qatar has activated an exceptional package of facilitations in port tariffs, aimed at supporting the logistics sector and facilitating operational activities in the country. It announced amendments to certain provisions of the port tariffs, in view of the exceptional circumstance»»»

Doha, Qatar: HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs received a phone call today, Wednesday, from HE Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Bin Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Urban Development of Malaysia. Duri»»»

The UAE air defence systems on 18th March 2026 engaged 13 ballistic missiles and 27 UAVs launched from Iran. Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 327 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,699 UAVs. Also Read: US‑Israel war on Iran, Day 19: Israel s»»»

A number of personnel changes have taken place in parliamentary committees, Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh Marlen Mamataliev announced during a session. According to him, several deputies submitted their letters of resignation from leadership positions. MP Bakyt Tentishev resigned as Chairman of th»»»