The parliamentary labour and social policy committee adopted at first reading a bill amending and supplementing the Social Assistance Act, submitted by MP Denitsa Sacheva of GERB-UDF and a group of MPs on March 12. The bill was adopted with 13 votes in favor, with no against votes or abstentions. T»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Zionist Channel 12: 20 missiles were fired from Lebanon at Galilee, air defenses activated 17-03-2026 18:38 PM Latest News Urgent News Zion»»»

An extra 45 million people could face acute hunger if the Middle East war rages on beyond June, swelling the number worldwide to a "terrible" high, the United Nations warned Tuesday. The war, now in its third week, and its shockwaves on food and fuel costs could price families out of staple foods f»»»

Lebanon transferred more than 130 Syrian detainees to their home country on Tuesday, a Lebanese judicial official and Syrian state media said, as part of an agreement the two sides signed last month. Overcrowded Lebanese prisons host more than 2,200 Syrians held on various charges. Many are still a»»»

President Joseph Aoun made two phone calls Tuesday to Minister of National Defense Michel Menassa and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal, offering his condolences for the death of three soldiers in the South as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the Zibdine-Nabatieh road. Aoun strongly condemn»»»

Dubai: Residents across the UAE should expect wet weather during Eid Al Fitr 2026. The National Centre of Meteorology has forecast cloudy skies and rainfall across different areas of the country from Saturday 21 March through Tuesday 24 March. Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the »»»

Dubai: If confirmed, the killing of Ali Larijani would mark one of the most consequential blows to Iran’s ruling system since the start of the war — and arguably even more destabilising than the loss of its supreme leader. Unlike Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose authority was ultimately rooted in his »»»

Drivers buy gas at a Shell station in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday. California has the highest average gas and diesel prices in the United States as oil prices surge amid the war in Iran. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo March 17 (UPI) -- U.S. gasoline prices have surged by 27% and diesel»»»

In the final decades of the Cold War, South America briefly appeared poised to join the ranks of regions developing indigenous missile technology. Argentina and Brazil pursued ambitious programs that combined domestic research with extensive international cooperation, aiming to establish strategic »»»

US-German billionaire Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, is holding a controversial series of lectures on the Antichrist in Rome this week, prompting criticism from Vatican-linked officials and institutions, according to multiple media reports. Thiel continues to face sc»»»

On 12 February in the French city of Lyon, a young man was killed in a political street brawl that escalated very badly. While terrible every time it happens, his death was, unfortunately, not unprecedented. Usually, it would result in grief among the victim’s family and friends as well as a crimin»»»

1 of 2 | Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent, left, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Operations Director of the National Security Branch at the FBI Michael Glasheen are sworn-in during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Dec. 11. Kent posted hi»»»

The UAE has strongly condemned the destabilising terrorist plot that targeted the State of Kuwait, commending the vigilance and effectiveness of its security services, which successfully dismantled a Hezbollah-affiliated terrorist cell that was planning to undermine security and stability and recru»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States no longer needs nor desires the assistance of NATO member states to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict with Iran, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, claiming that Washington never required help. "The United States has been informed by most of»»»

BusinessGlobal issuesIran war: Why gold prices are not soaringDirk KaufmannGold is typically seen as a safe haven, especially in times of war and other crises. Notwithstanding the ongoing war in Iran, the price is steady. What's driving the stability? https://p.dw.com/p/5AULKGold is likely to remai»»»

Nairobi: Two men appeared in a Nairobi court on Tuesday accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of ants to China, a lucrative trade exposed last year in the east African country. Chinese national Zhang Kequn was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last week with more than 2»»»

The Trump administration's top official on counterterrorism has resigned from his position, citing opposition to the war in Iran, and urged the president to "reverse course". In a letter posted on Tuesday to his X account, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent said that Iran posed "no »»»

The Varna Appellate Court has upheld a refusal by the Varna District Court to grant a request from the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Korea for the extradition of a foreign national, the Appellate Court said in a press release on Tuesday. The 23-year-old woman is criminally prosecuted for traf»»»

The director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, which advises both US President Donald Trump and the director of national intelligence on “terror” threats, has resigned over the war with Iran. In a resignation letter posted on X, Joe Kent said he could not “in good conscience” support the »»»

Students are being offered vaccines as two people have died and 13 others are ill from a meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent, England. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo March 17 (UPI) -- Two people have died out of 15 cases of bacterial meningitis at the University of Kent in »»»

Women chat in Havana on Monday. Cuba's national electrical grid has suffered a total collapse after a three-month halt in foreign oil shipments. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA March 17 (UPI) -- A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck eastern Cuba early Tuesday, hours after the island's national power g»»»

The Ajman Government Human Resources Department announced that the Eid Al Fitr holiday for all public entities, departments, and institutions will commence on Thursday, 19 March, and continue until Sunday, 22 March, with official work resuming on Monday, 23 March. Khitam Al AmirChief News EditorWit»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The surplus of Russia's foreign trade in goods in January decreased to $6.6 billion, compared to $7.4 billion a year earlier, the Russian Central Bank said on Tuesday. "The surplus in the balance of foreign trade in goods amounted to $6.6 billion (the revised figure for December »»»

In practice, investment screening has become a nearly unavoidable phase in the structure of transactions in strategic sectors. Romania’s foreign direct investments (FDI) screening regime is entering a stage of maturation following the amendments introduced by the Romanian Government on 13 March. By»»»

BusinessGlobal issuesWho holds the biggest strategic oil reserves?Nik MartinIran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed dozens of countries to tap their emergency oil stockpiles. But what exactly are strategic reserves, and who holds the world's biggest crisis-ready supplies? https»»»

Washington: Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war. Kent said on social media that Ir»»»

Israel says Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and the head of the paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, have been killed in Israeli air strikes. "Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation programme, along w»»»

Dubai: Flights across the UAE resumed almost immediately after a brief airspace closure earlier in the day, as authorities moved swiftly to restore operations following heightened regional tensions. Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app - it's completely free. Click h»»»

The IV World Social Work Day Forum took place here on Tuesday for World Social Work Day, bringing together representatives of the social system, state institutions, municipalities, civic organizations, and companies providing social services to discuss the significance of social work and opportunit»»»

Vienna, March 17 (SANA) Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Abdulkader Husrieh met President of the Arab-Austrian Chamber of Commerce Werner Fasslabend in Vienna to discuss strengthening economic and financial cooperation. The meeting, held at the chamber’s headquarters, focused on expanding trad»»»

During a meeting in Brussels as part of the Foreign Affairs Council, Minister Nadezhda Neynsky held talks with the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, focusing on the escalating situation in Iran and condemning Tehran’s attacks across the Middle East. Both sides underlined the im»»»

Hezbollah on Tuesday denied it had any members in Kuwait a day after the Gulf country announced the arrest of 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals allegedly affiliated with the group over a "sabotage plot". "Hezbollah categorically denies the allegations and accusations issued by the Kuwaiti inte»»»

Children's book author Kouri Richins was found guilty of murdering her husband, Eric Richins. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo March 17 (UPI) -- Kouri Darden Richins, the Utah woman who published a children's book about grief, has been found guilty of his murder. Richins, 35, was foun»»»

Discussion around the admission of third-country workers to the Bulgarian labor market has intensified, often with emotions running high. To make informed decisions, however, it is necessary to rely on data rather than rhetoric. Understanding the approximate size of this workforce provides a founda»»»

Youssef Assaf was in a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance when it was targeted by an Israeli strike near Tyre, in southern Lebanon. The 35-year-old paramedic died of his wounds two days later. "I was called around 10:30 pm and told that he was wounded and in the hospital," his wife, Jeanne d'Arc Boutros,»»»

When war forces people to flee their homes, the world rightly focuses on human suffering. Evacuation flights, border crossings, and displaced families dominate the headlines. Yet amid this chaos, another tragedy unfolds quietly and painfully: pets are being abandoned. These loyal companions, who on»»»

Brussels, March 17 (SANA) The European Union is preparing measures to ease the impact of rising energy prices linked to tensions in the Middle East, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of an EU summit. In a message to EU leaders, von der Leyen outlined proposals including »»»

Lebanon transferred more than 130 Syrian detainees to their home country on Tuesday, a Lebanese judicial official told AFP, as part of an agreement the two sides signed in February. Overcrowded Lebanese prisons host more than 2,200 Syrians held on various charges. Many of them are still awaiting tr»»»

The head of Norwegian NGO Aegean Boat Report has been arrested in Norway following a warrant issued by Greek authorities accusing him of facilitating illegal immigration and participating in a criminal organization. Tommy Olsen was detained by police in Troms, northern Norway, on a warrant issued b»»»

A significant and unusually early heatwave is building across the south-western US this week, bringing temperatures more typical of early summer than mid-March. In Phoenix, Arizona, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts temperatures could exceed 100F (38C) as soon as Wednesday, the earliest »»»

With airstrikes rocking Beirut and Israeli troops trying to advance against Hezbollah, Lebanon's government has broken a taboo by proposing the first direct talks with Israel in decades. But Lebanese officials say they want the fighting to end first — and it might be too late for that. Hezbollah's »»»

Amman: Jordan's Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah said on Tuesday that the Kingdom's wheat reserves are sufficient to cover consumption for 5.5 months, with an additional four-month supply already contracted and en route. Speaking during a meeting of the Parliamentary Economy and I»»»

Berlin: Germany said Tuesday its competition watchdog will soon get more powers to target energy firms over concerns they are unfairly hiking petrol prices to profit from the wartime oil shock. Global oil prices have surged as the Middle East conflict has led to the near total closure of the Strait»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The Iranian military attacked production facilities belonging to the Israeli arms manufacturer Rafael on Tuesday, the Iranian army said. "Since this morning, the Iranian army has been attacking Israeli cybertechnology centers, as well as Rafael's weapon production centers," the I»»»

Other countries have either pushed back or remained cautious on President Donald Trump's request for countries to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial oil route under near-blockade by Iran during the war in the Middle East. Trump has said the US will keep bombing the shoreline and Irania»»»

Tunis, March 17 (TAP) – Tunisia’s food trade balance recorded a surplus of 489.7 million dinars (MD) at the end of February 2026, compared to 391.1 MD during the same period in 2025, achieving a coverage rate of 136.5%, up from 129.9% a year...»»»

Africa Working Group, which was formed upon decision of the Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade, has laid out the main features of Egypt’s strategic and action plan for promoting its export to African countries in the next five years. The plan was announced at the meeting of the working group ch»»»

A 43-year-old police officer was sent to pretrial detention on Tuesday after testifying over a fatal accident outside the Greek Parliament in central Athens last week. The officer was charged with dangerous driving leading to death and negligent homicide. The crash occurred on March 12, when the of»»»

An aging workforce and limited adaptability in the labour market are the findings of a survey conducted by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) among those directly and indirectly affected by the climate transition in Pernik, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora. The results of »»»

The Afghan government said on Tuesday that about 400 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in the capital, Kabul, in the deadliest attack in the recent violence between the two neighbours. Hundreds more were said to have been wounded at the facility, which was»»»