A small French town has won instant internet fame because its mayor – running for re-election in Sunday's municipal elections – goes by the name of Hittler. Not just that. One of his two opponents is called Zielinski. "It has gone completely crazy," lamented Charles Hittler, mayor of Arcis-sur-Aube»»»

Germany and France on Wednesday called for de-escalation of the Middle East war with Germany's top diplomat warning of a "crisis of the gravest order" if global supply chains continue to be disrupted. "We must try to find a point where the military objectives (the United States and Israel) have set»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is unlikely to end its military operation against Iran in the near future due to the instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing officials. The US and Israel are currently working very closely in terms of Iran campaign, »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia condemns the irresponsible attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP) and Israel and the United States must abandon reckless attacks that carry security risks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "We strongly condemn the irresponsib»»»

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier and a central pillar of US naval operations in the war against Iran, is expected to head for repairs after a major fire onboard. The nuclear-powered carrier, deployed for nearly nine months and involved in more than two weeks of strikes l»»»

Sayyed Ragheb was already struggling to keep his family afloat, earning less than $100 a month. Now he fears it will get even worse after Egypt hiked fuel prices because of the Iran war. The father of four school-age children works day-to-day in cafes and sometimes in construction. With prices of m»»»

Britain’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell attended the final US-Iran talks and assessed that Tehran’s offer on its nuclear program was significant enough to avert an immediate rush to war, the Guardian reported on Tuesday. Sources said Powell saw progress in Geneva in late February and de»»»

A new group of 39 migrants who risked the popular but lengthy sea crossing from northern Africa in a small boat has been located on the southern coast of Crete, authorities said Wednesday. One of the men, a 20-year-old from South Sudan, was allegedly identified as the person who had piloted the boa»»»

Authorities on Tuesday fatally shot a gunman accused of wounding one person at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper, Ga. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo March 17 (UPI) -- Police fatally shot a gunman Tuesday at a Veterans Affairs clinic in rural Georgia where the suspect opened fi»»»

Sharjah: Police have announced strict measures against vehicles and motorcycles causing noise and disturbance in residential areas and on public roads, as part of ongoing efforts to maintain public safety and community peace. The General Command of Sharjah Police said it has received multiple compl»»»

Skopje, 18 March 2026 (MIA) — Local farmers have warned of a hike in food prices as conflict in the Middle East drives up the cost of fuel and fertilizer. National Federation of Farmers president Stevanche Jordanoski urged the government Wednesday to activate a "crisis fund" to help producers offse»»»

President Iliana Yotova expressed expectations that the upcoming election campaign in Bulgaria will shift away from its traditionally confrontational tone and instead focus on competing ideas and policy proposals. Speaking to journalists during a healthcare forum organized by the Bulgarian Medical »»»

The current challenges in the healthcare system, in addition to staffing shortages, include ensuring access to quality medical care and timely prevention, caretaker Health Minister Michail Okoliyski said on Wednesday. He was speaking at a forum titled “Priority: Health – from Public Attitudes to Po»»»

A cyberattack by Iran-linked hackers on the medical technology company Stryker last week highlighted the modern threats facing the United States. File Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA March 18 (UPI) -- A cyberattack by Iran-linked hackers on the medical technology company Stryker last week highlighted»»»

Actor, producer and politician Kamal Haasan said he feels a deep connection with Kerala, even as some people see him as an outsider. In a post on X, Haasan wished Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan success in the upcoming elections. “I wish Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan all the very best,” he wrote,»»»

At least four explosions were heard on Wednesday in the city of Erbil in the autonomous Kurdistan region, AFP journalists reported. It was not immediately clear what the target was. From a suburb of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, AFP journalists saw interceptions of projectiles over th»»»

Tunis, March 18, (TAP)-The Confederation of Citizen Enterprises of Tunisia (CONECT) has relaunched “CONECT Agri” as a national platform to coordinate efforts among farmers, investors, and industrial stakeholders, with the goal of improving...»»»

Dubai: Aster DM Healthcare said it has secured overwhelming shareholder and creditor approval for its proposed merger with Quality Care India Limited (QCIL), clearing a key step toward creating one of India’s largest hospital networks. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.T»»»

“I am convinced that, for the first time in many years, there will be an election campaign that is not built solely on conflict and confrontation, but will feature a clash of proposals and ideas," President Iliana Iotova told journalists. She was speaking at a forum on healthcare, organized by the »»»

Healthcare is a topic that should unite Bulgarians and should be a national ambition, said President Iliana Iotova in her address to the participants in a discussion on healthcare from public attitudes to political decisions, organized by the Bulgarian Medical Association on Wednesday. Iotova said »»»

The UAE air defence systems on Mar 18, 2026 (today) 13 ballistic missiles and 27 drones launched from Iran. Since the onset of Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 327 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,699 drones. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of two members of t»»»

The leadership of the EU and NATO is the worst either bloc has had in decades, marked by incompetence, a policy of appeasing the US, and failing to protect European interests, according to a scathing critique by journalist Claudi Perez in Spain’s leading newspaper, El Pais. The opinion piece, publi»»»

Joe Kent, head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned in protest over Washington’s war with Iran, saying that Israel has dragged the US into another “never‑ending” conflict that does not serve American interests. A former military officer who also served in the CIA, Kent was nomin»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»