The caretaker Government has appointed Andrey Yankulov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, as Chair of the National Council for the Prevention and Protection against Domestic Violence, Cabinet said in a press release here on Wednesday. The National Council is a specialized, permanent, c»»»

The Council of Ministers has appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European Funds Maria Nedina as Chair of the Council for Economic Analyses, the caretaker Government said in a press release here on Wednesday. The Council of Ministers also appointed Nedina as Chair of the Council for the Development »»»

In a declaration on behalf of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), read out from the parliamentary rostrum by MP Stela Nikolova, insist that the Regional Development and Public Works Minister disclose all data and amounts paid to date for the provision of roadside assistance, which is»»»

Kathmandu, Nepal: Highly skilled mountaineers known in Nepal as "icefall doctors" have begun fixing ropes and ladders on Mount Everest to prepare for the coming spring climbing season, officials said Wednesday. The team has reached the base camp before starting work on the treacherous Khumbu Icefal»»»

British health authorities are scrambling to contain what officials have described as an “unprecedented” meningitis outbreak centred around a university and linked to a popular nightclub in southeastern England. The outbreak in Kent has claimed the lives of two young people — a 21-year-old universi»»»

The Central Commission for Elections and Referendums of the Kyrgyz Republic (CEC) will hand over four mandates to new members of Parliament at its meeting today. Thus, Ulukbek Ormonov will receive a mandate in place of Kurmankul Zulushev, Mavlyuda Kalberdieva will replace Shairbek Tashiev, Baktybek»»»

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israeli forces had killed Iran's Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib. "Last night Iran's Intelligence Minister Khatib was also eliminated," Katz said in a statement. He added that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day »»»

OVERVIEW The upcoming early parliamentary elections are the topic present in all media outlets. POLITICS According to a poll commissioned by bTV, conducted by Market Links and published by Trud, the Bulgarian Nartional Radio (BNR), and Dnevnik.bg, five political formations will gain the necessary 4»»»

Manila: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday put the brakes on a public transportation fare hike announced just a day earlier, promising the country's commuters free rides instead. The archipelago nation, which imports nearly all of its crude oil from the Middle East, has been scrambl»»»

Dubai: Several Muslim-majority countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, are going to attempt to sight the Shawwal crescent today (Wednesday) evening, as they mark the 29th day of Ramadan. Other countries expected to conduct moon sightings on Wednesday include Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Pa»»»

Kyrgyz ethno-musicals are staged in Astana on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of birth of writer Chingiz Aitmatov. The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy reported. Theatrical venues showcase several productions, including the ethno-musical Raimaly and Begimai, based on »»»

Police in Bishkek detained a suspect in a series of fraud cases. The press service of the Department of Internal Affairs of Leninsky district reported. According to the police, a citizen D.A. filed a complaint stating that on July 20, 2025, an unknown individual gained his trust and, under the pret»»»

Chairman of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic Melis Turgunbaev has submitted his resignation letter, Speaker of Parliament Marlen Mamataliev announced during a session of the Zhogorku Kenesh. According to him, the statement on voluntary resignation has been received by Parliament. The speake»»»

Credit rating agency S&P Global has reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s sovereign credit rating at A+ with a stable outlook, citing the Kingdom’s strong policy flexibility, fiscal buffers and ongoing economic diversification. In its latest assessment, S&P highlighted Saudi Arabia’s ability to redirect crude »»»

Volkswagen has regained the top position in China’s auto market, overtaking domestic electric-vehicle champion BYD as changing policy incentives reshape the world’s largest car market. According to industry data for early 2026, the German automaker captured roughly 13.9% market share, placing it ah»»»

Egypt is accelerating its privatisation programme, with authorities preparing to list stakes in state-owned banks as part of a renewed effort to attract foreign investment and deepen capital markets. A potential initial public offering of Banque du Caire could take place as early as the second quar»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.4286 dinars for one euro on Wednesday, which is a slight change relative to Tuesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative »»»

BELGRADE - In a reaction to a statement by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese in which she criticised the Serbian authorities over their cooperation with Israel, the Serbian MFA said on Tuesday Serbia pursued an "independent and sovereign foreign policy, grounded in its national interests and»»»

CAIRO — Paradise Textiles, part of Alpine Group, has announced plans to invest $102m in an integrated fabric manufacturing facility in Amreya Free Zone, positioning Egypt as a growing hub for sustainable textile production. The project, company-announced, is expected to create around 1,200 jobs and»»»

Egypt is accelerating the development of fully serviced industrial clusters within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), as part of a broader strategy to attract foreign investment and deepen industrialisation, according to official statements following a high-level government review. During a mee»»»

Israel’s defense minister said on Wednesday that the Israeli military killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib. Israel Katz announced Khatib’s killing and said that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts,” without elaborating. Khatib’s killing follows Is»»»

When a male bullfinch smashed into Marcin Jarzębski’s apartment window, he took it in but realized it needed expert treatment. So the next morning he brought it to Warsaw’s new emergency room for wild birds. He placed the tiny, plump bird with a black head, gray back and reddish chest feathers into»»»

Tunis, March 18 (TAP)- A business mission to Brazil will be organised by the Agricutural Investment Promotion Agency (APIA), in collaboration with the Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONTECT) and export consultancy firm EOC...»»»

Ireland's Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin prides himself on his boxing skills from the years he spent as an amateur in the ring and those skills came in handy in Washington on Tuesday. His opponent? President Donald Trump. The venue? The Oval Office, home territory for the US leader. And »»»

Central Bank of Egypt The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and the Egyptian Cabinet have officially declared a five-day paid holiday in observance of Eid al-Fitr 2026. According to an official statement released by the Central Bank of Egypt, the banking sector will observe the holiday starting Thursday,»»»

Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk witnessed, Tuesday, March 17, the signing of a memorandum of understanding to promote agricultural innovation and translate research into scalable solutions. The MoU was inked between the Agricultural Research Center and the Alliance of Biove»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Transport urged all ships and marine vessels to stay away from hydrographic survey operations area, which will take place from March 18 to April 18, 2026, at the specific coordinates marked in the map. It added that this is to ensure the safety of operations and to prot»»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has confirmed that the UAE labour market continues to operate with stability and efficiency, despite ongoing regional developments. Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app now - it's completely free. Click here fo»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev gave an exclusive interview to the Interstate Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (ITRC) Mir. It was timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In a conversation with Iri»»»

Personnel changes have occurred at the Bishkek City Hall. The municipality’s press service announced. First Deputy Mayor Mirlan Baigonchokov has been relieved of his post due to transfer to another position. He has assumed the post of Deputy Minister of Labor. Kubanychbek Imanaliev has been appoint»»»

The Kremlin on Wednesday condemned what it called "the murder" of Iran's leaders in US-Israeli airstrikes, a day after Iran's semi-official Fars news ‌agency confirmed that ‌Ali Larijani, ‌a ⁠senior adviser to Iran's ⁠late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had been killed in Tehran. "We unequivocally ⁠c»»»

Dozens were martyred or injured on Wednesday as the Israeli enemy intensified attacks on civilians in several areas across Lebanon including the capital, Beirut. Al-Manar correspondent reported drone strikes on a car in the southern coastal city of Sidon. “Around 9:15, a series of explosions were h»»»

The supply of drinking water will be suspended in one of the central districts of the capital on March 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The press service of the Bishkek City Hall reported. Residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, healthcare facilities, as well as other social, and industrial facilit»»»

A memorial plaque honoring renowned Hungarian Turkologist and linguist István Kongur Mandoki will be unveiled on March 19 at 10 a.m. The press service of the Hungarian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan reported. According to the embassy, the plaque will be installed at the National Innovation Technological Sch»»»

Senator Markwayne Mullin, who has been tapped by US President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security, will appear on Wednesday in front of a congressional committee. The Republican lawmaker from Oklahoma will testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Com»»»

Dubai: ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited (ICICI Prudential AMC), one of India’s largest asset management company, today inaugurated its branch in Dubai International Financial Centre (‘DIFC’), marking a significant step in its overseas expansion strategy and reinforcing its commitme»»»

Doha, Qatar: His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, met today with His Excellency Mr. Ryosei Akazawa, the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan. Discussions during the meeting, which was held virtually, dealt with the impact of the ongoing region»»»

Aigul Ryskulova has been appointed head of the Department of Labor Migration and Social Protection of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The EEC reported. Aigul Ryskulova was born in Frunze (now Bishkek) in 1964. She is married and has a son. In 1983, she graduated from the Law Faculty of the »»»

The Chairman of the State Tax Service of Kyrgyzstan, Almambet Shykmamatov, met with entrepreneurs in Osh, the State Tax Service reported. According to the agency, the meeting was held in a question-and-answer format. «The business community was briefed on the modern tools being introduced to identi»»»

The Department of Specially Protected Natural Areas is strengthening research efforts to preserve the country’s ecosystems. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan reported. Specialists continuously monitor the state of flora and fauna, recording data in »»»

A capsule-laying ceremony for the construction of Umut Chyragy kindergarten took place in Bishkek, attended by Cabinet Chairman Adylbek Kasymaliev and Mayor of the capital Aibek Dzhunushaliev. The City Hall announced. «The modern, two-story kindergarten will be located at the intersection of Akhunb»»»

The freestyle wrestling team of Kyrgyzstan will participate in an international tournament in Armenia. The Wrestling Federation reported. According to the federation, the tournament, dedicated to the memory of Lyova Vardanyan, will be held on March 17-18 in Yerevan. Athletes in the 20 and under age»»»

Dubai: As the war with Iran intensifies, US President Donald Trump is increasingly focused on what may be the most dangerous decision of the conflict — whether to launch a ground operation to seize or destroy Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Repeatedly over recent days, Trump has argued»»»

War in Lebanon has wounded or killed the equivalent of one classroom of children daily and robbed the remainder of their sense of normalcy since it began two weeks ago, a top official of the UN children's agency said. According to Lebanese health ministry figures, at least 111 children have been ki»»»

2025 brought massive consolidation in the media industry through Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG). Following the mega-merger, Omnicom became the world’s largest advertising holding company, leading to significant restructuring, the retirement of legacy agency networks DDB, FCB, and »»»

Dubai: Dubai Airports has facilitated the journeys of over one million passengers in the past 17 days, even as airspace closures and regional tensions disrupted operations, CEO Paul Griffiths told CNN’s Becky Anderson. Griffiths said Dubai International Airport (DXB) has handled over one million pa»»»

The caretaker government has approved a decision to provide additional funding to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria to introduce a temporary programme compensating households for rising fuel prices, caretaker Labour and Social Policy Minister Hasan Ademov and caretaker Finance Mi»»»

Dubai: The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has successfully concluded its Ramadan programme for 2026. As part of the "Ramadan in Dubai" campaign, the CDA has focused on strengthening family ties, supporting the needy, and empowering individuals throughout the Holy Month. The initiati»»»

Highly skilled mountaineers known in Nepal as "icefall doctors" have begun fixing ropes and ladders on Mount Everest to prepare for the coming spring climbing season, officials said Wednesday. The team has reached the base camp before starting work on the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, a constantly sh»»»

Tunis, March 18 (TAP)- The Tunisia-Niger Business Forum is slated to be held next April 1 in Tunis, on the initiative of the Exports Promotion Centre (CEPEX).Stronger economic and trade relations with Niger are sought in addition to long-term...»»»