South Korea has secured a pledge from the United Arab Emirates to supply 24 million barrels of crude oil, its presidential office said on Wednesday, as authorities roll out measures to cushion the economy from fallout from the Middle East conflict. Kang Hoon-sik, President Lee Jae Myung's chief of »»»

Taiwan said Wednesday it changed South Korea's name in its immigration systems in response to being identified as part of China. In this 2023 photo, a Taiwanese flag flies over Liberty Square Arch in Taipei. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo Taiwan said Wednesday it has changed South»»»

Dubai: As Eid Al Fitr fast approaches, residents and expatriates in the UAE have started their Eid shopping ahead, balancing great anticipation with practical planning to avoid last-minute crowds. From malls to neighbourhood markets, the spirit of the season remains visible amid ongoing development»»»

In the fast-paced world of digital news, we constantly track advancements that impact daily life – from political shifts to technological breakthroughs. One area where innovation and consumer confidence are inextricably linked is online payments, particularly within the real-money casino sector. As»»»

Israel's military on Wednesday acknowledged that its tank fire hit a UN position in southern Lebanon on March 6, wounding Ghanaian peacekeepers, an incident that underscores the growing risks as Israeli operations expand. Initial findings by an internal UN inquiry had suggested Israel was behind th»»»

Iran's stance against the development of nuclear weapons will not significantly change, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera in remarks relayed by Iranian media on Wednesday, cautioning that the new supreme leader is yet to publicly express his view on the matter. Former Supreme Leader Al»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipinos (OFs) have continued to contribute greatly to the Philippine economy, with cash remittances rising to $3.02 billion in January this year, a 3.5 percent increase from $2.92 billion recorded in the same month last year. The growth has highlighted the resilience of Filipinos »»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Municipality HE Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah, and Chairman of the committee for follow-up on the implementation of food security policies, affirmed the efficiency of the production and the stability of supply chains, noting that self-sufficiency has reached 10»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron risks losing his position, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on yesterday’s statement by US President Donald Trump. “I have another question—will the Venezuelan scenario or the Iranian scenario be applied to Macron? In fact, that »»»

Lebanon said Israel struck central Beirut early Wednesday without warning, killing at least six people, as the Israeli military announced it was targeting the country's south. Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said two strikes in the early hours of Wednesday hit an apartment in the cent»»»

Dubai: Plans to bring Disneyland to Abu Dhabi are moving forward, with Miral Group’s chief reaffirming commitment to the project in a public message that signals continued momentum on one of the region’s most closely watched developments. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balance»»»

Over 2,000 jobs in Bulgaria’s coal sector have been lost amid the ongoing shift toward a low-carbon economy, CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov reported at a labor market forum focused on the energy transition. He noted that roughly 1,000 jobs disappeared in the Maritsa Basin alone, while other region»»»

Cuba's leader on Tuesday said the US would face "unbreakable resistance" if it tries to take over the impoverished island nation, as communist authorities scrambled to fix a nationwide electricity blackout. Cuba's government is under increasingly crushing pressure, with Washington enforcing an oil »»»

An Iranian missile barrage killed two people near Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, medics said Wednesday, with the national railway company announcing shrapnel impact disrupted train services. Authorities reported that falling munitions had hit multiple sites in central Israel in the overnight bar»»»

An Israeli strike has destroyed a building in central Beirut, as missiles continue to hit areas far from where the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group has its strongest presence. A BBC team was jolted awake around 05:00 (03:00 GMT) by the sound of the blast. The Israeli military had issued a warning at »»»

The US has emerged as the world's biggest oil supplier months before the war with Iran started. The United States has officially become one of the planet’s top oil exporters, shipping a staggering 3.9 billion barrels of crude and petroleum products in 2025 alone, according to fresh US Energy Inform»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said citizen participation is the strongest safeguard of democracy, speaking before the start of the Council of Ministers’ meeting on Wednesday. He urged Bulgarian citizens to vote in the upcoming elections. “That is why my appeal to all Bulgarians is: ‘Vote!’,»»»

Dubai: A residential building collapsed in central Beirut early Wednesday after an Israeli airstrike struck the densely populated Zuqaq al-Blat neighbourhood, Lebanese officials said. The attack reportedly killed at least six people and caused significant damage in an area located near government o»»»

The United Arab Emirates welcomes the blessed occasion of Eid Al-Fitr with a festive atmosphere filled with artistic shows, cultural festivals, and family-oriented activities across public spaces, shopping malls, and entertainment destinations. These venues have been beautifully adorned with lights»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe In defense of Lebanon and its people, at 00:10 on Wednesday, 03/18/2026, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli en»»»

Iraq announced on Wednesday it had resumed limited oil exports of 250,000 bpd through the Turkish port of Ceyhan after the country's output plunged due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. A founding member of the OPEC cartel, crude oil sales make up 90 percent of Iraq's budget revenues. Before »»»

An explosion was heard in Baghdad early Wednesday, an AFP journalist said, as Iraqi officials reported a drone and rocket attack targeting the US embassy. The latest explosion came hours after multiple blasts were heard across the Iraqi capital, where a witness told AFP he saw detonations likely ca»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) convened yesterday its urgent General Assembly at its headquarters in Doha on the Iranian attacks on the Arab nations: human rights reading in violating the absolute ban on the use of force. The meeting, held virtually, c»»»

Romania has obtained the Formal Opinion of the Economic and Development Review Committee (EDRC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), according to a press release from the Ministry of Finance.According to the cited source, the adoption of the Formal Opinion confirms »»»

The balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 977 million, in the first months of 2026, compared with EUR 1,032 million in the same year-ago period, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) informs in a press release on Tuesday.The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods decl»»»

General government debt rose in December 2025 to 1,138 billion lei, from 1,121 billion lei in the previous month, according to data published by the Finance Ministry (MF).As a percentage of GDP, government debt increased to 59.6%, from 58.7% in November (GDP according to the National Institute of S»»»

Romania's President Nicusor Dan will have a meeting on Thursday with Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Mark Rutte at NATO headquarters in Brussels.The two officials will also hold a joint news conference.According to the Presidential Administration, featuring on the»»»

“No oil. No money.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to take a hard line on dropping his veto on the disbursement of the €90bn EU loan agreed in December, as Brussels comes up with a face saving solution to end the impasse. »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Tehran does not strike civilian targets in neighboring countries, it responds to the United States by attacking its bases in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday. "I can say with confidence that we have not attacked civilian targets in neighb»»»

European NATO members and other US allies do not want to get involved in the war against Iran, Professor Mehran Kamrava from Georgetown University in Qatar tells Sputnik. "America's treatment of NATO has undermined America's standing not just globally, but particularly among America's traditional a»»»

Oil prices sank Wednesday after Iraq said it had resumed exports through Türkiye, avoiding the effectively closed Strait of Hormuz, while equities rose following another tech-led advance on Wall Street. The drop in crude, which saw WTI sink more than four percent, came even as the United States hit»»»

Iran will hold a funeral Wednesday for its security chief Ali Larijani as it vowed revenge, firing off a wave of missiles at Israel after it killed the powerful figure in an air strike. A barrage of Iranian missiles killed two people near Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, while Gulf nations interce»»»

Paris: President of the France-Qatar Friendship Group in the French National Assembly (Parliament) Laurent Mazaury (pictured) affirmed his rejection of Iran’s attacks against the Qatar and the Gulf region, adding that any action that aims to drag the countries of the region into the conflict is a v»»»

Colombo: Sri Lanka has urged electric vehicle owners to stop charging their cars at night, saying the surge in demand is forcing the country to burn more coal and diesel to keep the power grid running. In an address to the nation, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said electric cars were adding an»»»

Gulf News Edufair is back for its 10th edition, bringing together leading universities, education institutions, and career experts. The three-day event will take place from May 8-10 at The H Dubai Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, giving students, parents, and professionals a practical platform to explor»»»

Hamas Holds Consultations in Cairo to Revive Gaza Agreement With Israel preoccupied with the war on Iran, Hamas has kicked off consultations in Cairo to overcome obstacles in implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The second phase was supposed to start in mid-January, but ha»»»

National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan discussed the main areas and results of the Bulgaria-US strategic partnership with chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Sofia H. Martin McDowell, the National Assembly press service said here on Wednesday. The meeting, requested by the US side, also looked at»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani has delivered strong reassurances regarding the availability of goods, stability of markets, and the resilience of Qatar’s food security system amid ongoing regional developments. In an interview aired on»»»

Seoul: South Korea's army said it suspended some trainings nationwide after a bullet hit a child in the neck, prompting a probe. The incident occurred at playground in the southern city of Daegu on Monday when the child, whose identity was withheld, was injured by a suspected stray bullet from a ne»»»

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (R) and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (L) participate in the 52nd Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, June 25, 2023. Stratton won the Democratic Party's nomination Tuesday night. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo March 18 (UPI) -- Il»»»

A Chinese university is urging students to "enjoy the flowers, fall in love" during their mid-term break, an unusual directive in a nation obsessed with getting good grades, as authorities seek new ways to spur marriages and domestic consumption. "See the flowers and enjoy romance" is the theme for»»»

A large-scale police operation is underway in the Bulgarian village of Goren Chiflik, part of a broader effort across the Varna region targeting election-related violations. According to information from Bulgarian media, the increased presence of law enforcement is focused on preventing crimes that»»»

Chinese scientists claim to have created the long theorized hexagonal diamond, stronger than the real thing, and only found until now at sites of meteorite impacts. The commonly found cubic diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth and is used widely as jewellery, precision cutting tools, and high-pe»»»

A Thai man broke into the zoo enclosure of Moo Deng, an endangered baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation, police said Wednesday, as the zoo filed a trespassing complaint. Moo Deng -- whose name translates as "bouncy pork" -- has gained global attention thanks to social media videos showing her ad»»»

At a campaign rally in Eger, Prime Minister Orbán set out a clear message ahead of the election: Hungary’s future depends on preserving peace, supporting families, and maintaining economic stability in a time of growing external pressure. Reflecting on the past four years, the prime minister said t»»»

On March 18, 2014, the U.S. State Department ordered Syria to close its embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates in Michigan and Texas. 1 of 3 | On March 18, 2014, the U.S. State Department ordered Syria to close its embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates in Michigan and Texas. UPI File Pho»»»

Iran's Supreme National Security Council late on Tuesday confirmed Israeli claims that the country's security chief Ali Larijani had been killed. Israel had previously announced that the top Iranian official was killed in an overnight air strike. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfold»»»

Iran will on Wednesday hold a funeral for former security chief Ali Larijani, who died in an Israeli strike on Tuesday, while the Revolutionary Guards said they had launched missiles at central Israel as retaliation for his killing. Two people were killed by Iranian missiles near Isr»»»

Amid Israel's further military escalation and Hezbollah's "illegal armed activities", Lebanon is confronted with an acute humanitarian and political crisis. To better understand the impact the conflict is having all across Lebanese society, FRANCE 24's Mark Owen is pleased to welcome Ghassan Salamé»»»