Foot-and-mouth disease is closing in on the Bulgarian border, and a national operational crisis taskforce has been established, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) reported on Wednesday. According to the agency, the first outbreak in Greece has been confirmed on the island of Lesbos after 40 ou»»»

Doha, Qatar: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) remains prohibited in the country until further notice, the Ministry of Interior affirmed in a post on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. In a statement on X, the Ministry reminded the public to comply with directives issued by the competent authori»»»

A 48.9% increase in prices for fresh and dry vegetables was a big factor in the rising index for foods in February, the U.S. Burea of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. File Phot by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo March 18 (UPI) -- The producer price index for final demand goods had its sharpe»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Tunis, March 18 (TAP) - The Export Promotion Centre (French: CEPEX) is organising a visit by a delegation of Moroccan buyers next March 25 to the Maison de l’Exportateur, in collaboration with the Casablanca Chamber of Commerce, Industry and...»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani exchanged congratulations and felicitations with his brother, HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman, on the occasion of the approaching blessed Eid al-Fitr.»»»

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»»»

Kyrgyzstan will launch a pilot project to develop a meat production cluster in Chui region and Bishkek to increase output and stabilize meat prices. Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Erlist Akunbekov announced. The proj»»»

BRUSSELS - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and the European Commission’s Director-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood Gert Jan Koopman in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss Serbia's EU integration. "A very good and open meeting with »»»

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»»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has wondered whether Hezbollah's ministers "still represent the party in the government after the cabinet declared its military and security wings banned." He emphasized that "the government cannot contradict itself by having illegitimate elements within its stru»»»

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»»»

DOHA: Mwani Qatar announced the activation of an exceptional package of port tariff facilities aimed at supporting the logistics sector and facilitating operational activities across the country, with a focus on strengthening supply chains. In a post on its official X platform, Mwani Qatar said it »»»

Healthcare costs are a very serious burden for about 800,000 people, mainly elderly citizens, said Trend polling agency head Dimitar Ganev on Wednesday. He presented findings from a survey on public attitudes toward the healthcare system in Bulgaria at a forum on health from public attitudes to pol»»»

Doha, Qatar: Weather inshore until 6am on Thursday will be scattered clouds to partly cloudy at times, with a chance of scattered rain, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily report on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Offshore conditions will be partly cloudy to cloudy at times, with a chance of»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi met today with the Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom. Discussions during the meeting, which was held virtually, dealt with the impact of the ongoing regional »»»

Several officials and companies associated with them have been detained in Kyrgyzstan as part of a criminal investigation into corruption at Kyrgyzneftegaz OJSC. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. The case was previously opened based on materials from the State Tax Se»»»

The Bulgarian Central Election Commission (CEC) has completed the lottery to assign numbers to the political parties and coalitions participating in the country's early parliamentary elections on April 19. In total, 24 formations will appear on the ballots, comprising 14 parties and 10 coalitions. »»»

Pakistan is pausing its military operations against Afghanistan temporarily, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X on Wednesday. Earlier, Afghanistan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on Wednesday promised retribution for this week's Pakistani airstrike that killed »»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and caretaker Deputy Prime Minister for European Funding Maria Nedina will not be heard by the National Assembly regarding the national position at the European Council meeting on March 19–20, as previously scheduled. The item had been listed as the third point»»»

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has established the conditions and procedures for setting up polling stations in medical facilities, nursing homes, and other specialized institutions providing social services, in prisons and detention centres, as well as on vessels flying the Bulgarian flag, »»»

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»»»

A man looks out a window in Havana during a nationwide power outage Tuesday. Cuba has been facing a severe energy crisis since mid-2024, and the U.S. oil embargo that began in January has brought the economy near a standstill, fueling growing social unrest. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA March 18»»»

Dubai: Dubai Court of Cassation has issued a landmark ruling clarifying how compensation claims should be handled in divorce cases involving non-Muslim couples, drawing a clear line between personal harm and damages directly arising from divorce. In its latest judgment, the court ruled that claims »»»

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»»»

BELGRADE - Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Belgrade Kamil Khasiyev said on Wednesday Azerbaijan-Serbia bilateral ties had reached the highest level of strategic partnership and that economic cooperation was developing successfully as well, and that Azerbaijan looked forward to a visit by Serbian Preside»»»

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»»»

The caretaker government has approved changes to the composition of the National Council on Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products, replacing Assoc. Prof. Silvia Terezova with Prof. Ilko Getov as Chair, the Government Information Service said Wednesday. Getov is a graduate of the Medical Un»»»

Caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov is establishing a working group within the ministry to review and conduct a legal analysis of documents, submitted by the BOEC Association, the ministry said. Until now, no state institution had been willing to receive these documents, which could help cla»»»

The Central Election Commission is holding a draw to determine the numbers under which the parties and coalitions will appear on the ballot for the early parliamentary elections on April 19. These will be the eighth elections since 2021. The draw is being streamed online. A total of 24 political en»»»

Nairobi: A Chinese national and a Kenyan man were charged Tuesday with unlawfully dealing in wildlife species after they were found in possession of hundreds of live ants stored in specialised tubes. The case was the latest focused on the alleged smuggling of ants in the East African country, where»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah City Municipality has announced full readiness to receive Eid Al Fitr, launching intensive inspection and awareness campaigns targeting a wide range of establishments expected to see high public turnout during the holiday. The campaigns will cover food outlets, barbershops, beauty »»»

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»»»

Police in Bishkek have dismantled an organized group engaged in online fraud, the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the city reported. According to law enforcement, participants acted in pre-assigned roles. The group included «droppers» — individuals whose bank accounts received stolen funds; »»»

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»»»

1 of 2 | Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on his nomination to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Ca»»»

While a number of countries are getting ready to sight the moon and declare the first day of Eid Al Fitr on Wednesday (Mar 18, 2026), some nations will hold their moon-sighting moments a day later, on Mar 19. In many countries, the 29th of Ramadan will fall tomorrow and so Eid will fall on Friday o»»»

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»»»

On March 19, drinking water supply will be temporarily stopped in one district of the city. The press service of the City Hall reported. According to it, the area bounded by the following streets will be left without water: The water outage will last from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Residential buildings, edu»»»

Law enforcement officers in Osh detained individuals involved in pawnshop activities who are suspected of illegally re-registering real estate in their own names, the press service of the Internal Affairs Department of Osh city reported. According to investigators, a criminal case has been opened a»»»

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»»»

China has never demanded that Kyrgyzstan be the first to introduce a visa-free regime, Liu Jiangping, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Kyrgyzstan, said at a briefing. She responded to a 24.kg news agency correspondent’s question about the accuracy of»»»

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»»»

A judge in the US has ruled that the effective closure of the Voice of America (VOA) last year was "illegal" and that hundreds of its journalists should be reinstated. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air. The VOA was se»»»