Paris will choose a new mayor on Sunday, with one unlikely issue dominating campaigns alongside all the partisan acrimony - dogs. Candidates from socialists to conservatives have set out policies to deal with an issue which voters have regularly ranked among their top concerns, a lack of space for »»»

One Lebanese soldier was killed and four were wounded in an Israeli air strike in the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Tuesday, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah. The soldiers were ‌struck while ‌travelling by car and mot»»»

Albania on Tuesday designated Iran's Revolutionary Guards a "terrorist organization" and Iran as a state "supporting terrorism" as the Middle East war raged on. The Balkan nation's ruling Socialist party used its parliamentary majority to adopt a resolution to designate the ideological arm of the I»»»

Dubai: When Israeli and US strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the outset of the Middle East war, one man quickly stepped into the vacuum: Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani — more powerful, and more visible, than at any point in his decades-long career. Now, even that figure may be gone.»»»

The UAE reaffirmed its categorical rejection of any justifications put forward by the Iranian government regarding the hostile escalation against countries in the region, stressing that such claims are merely attempts to mislead the international community in an effort to justify its unprovoked and»»»

A Three-Member Misdemeanor Court of Thessaloniki imposed on Tuesday a two-year suspended prison sentence on a 23-year-old woman who was the passenger in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Thessaloniki, ​​in November 2022. The Court found her guilty of harboring a criminal after she failed to report th»»»

AKCEL Holding, a Dubai-based diversified conglomerate, has signed a strategic development agreement with XRange Golf Entertainment to develop a network of next-generation golf entertainment venues across the UAE, in a project valued at more than Dh1 billion. The initiative will introduce technology»»»

Bad weather with winds and a heavy rainstorm over northwestern Libya, including the Greater Tripoli area, has led to today being announced a public holiday by the Greater Tripoli Municipalities. Many roads, including main roads, crossings, intersections and the Second Ring Road were briefly closed »»»

When Israeli and US strikes killed Ali Khamenei at the start of the Middle East war, Iran's security chief Ali Larijani became even more powerful than he had been for decades. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Larijani had been killed, though Iran's authorities have not con»»»

Civilians are paying a heavy price as the war in Lebanon continues to expand, driving death, injuries and displacement the United Nations said on Tuesday. "Displacement is increasing incredibly quickly. Right ‌now, hundreds of ‌thousands of people ‌left ⁠their homes. Many ⁠leaving with very little,»»»

POLITICS Capital: The Progressive Bulgaria coalition, associated with former president Rumen Radev, announced the leaders of its parliamentary candidate lists one day before the registration deadline for the upcoming elections, confirming expectations that many nominees would come from his former c»»»

Israel carried out new strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and again ordered residents of vast parts of southern Lebanon to evacuate, as more than a million people have been displaced across the country. Early Tuesday morning Israeli aircraft bombed two neighborhoods of Beirut's southern suburbs, »»»

Social work is a living form of protecting human rights, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva said during the IV World Social Work Day Forum here on Tuesday. Every conversation, every consultation or home visit is a defence of the right to a dignified life, health, education and social security, she noted.»»»

The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) detained a citizen of Kyrgyzstan suspected of involvement in the international terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIS). The SCNS press service reported. According to the SCNS, the detainee, T.M.Sh., lived in Aravan district of Osh r»»»

The Israeli defense minister said Tuesday that the Israeli military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike. Israel Katz made the announcement. The Israeli military also announced it killed Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer B»»»

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel issues orders the elimination of Iranian military officials, according to his office. Photo courtesy of Office of Prime Minister of Israel/X March 17 (UPI) -- Israel said Tuesday it killed Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani in an over»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a museum under construction to honor troops sent to fight for Russia, state media reported Tuesday. In this August photo, Kim meets with bereaved family members at a memorial ceremony in Pyongyang. File photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, March 17 (UPI) -- North Korea»»»

Israel said Tuesday it had killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' all-volunteer Basij force, a key force used to suppress demonstrations in the Islamic Republic, as Gulf Arab nations came under renewed missile and drone fire from Iran. Dubai, a major transit hub for international trav»»»

Dubai: The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has launched a fully digital apostille system for Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) electronic certificates and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) electronic certification, authentication, and verification (eCAV) documents. With the n»»»

Israel said Tuesday it had killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ all-volunteer Basij force, a key force used to suppress demonstrations in the Iranian Republic, as Gulf Arab nations came under renewed missile and drone fire Tuesday from Iran. Dubai, a major transit hub for internatio»»»

A major tournament in the national sport of kok boru, timed to Nooruz holiday, has officially begun in Cholpon-Ata city. The federation’s press service reported. According to it, 24 teams are participating in the competition, competing in the group stages of the Major and First Leagues. Teams are c»»»

Questions over who bears responsibility for the killing of over 160 schoolgirls in an airstrike in Iran are irrelevant, former CENTCOM commander Admiral William Fallon has suggested in a heated exchange with Afshin Rattansi on Going Underground. The February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh eleme»»»

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and a widening capital gap, EU leadership has unveiled a multi-pronged offensive to reclaim technological and financial independence, which could impact the future of startup investments in Romania. By Ovidiu Posirca The urgency is underscored by a stark fundin»»»

The office of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who is seen here outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2026, confirmed Monday that a member of her security team was shot dead by police last week. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo March 17 (UPI) -- The 39-year-old man killed in a »»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the UK on Tuesday to agree a new defence partnership aimed at tackling cheap attack drones. Downing Street said the deal would bring together "Ukrainian expertise and the UK's industrial base" to manufacture a»»»

On February 26, 2026, the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Bishkek received a report of a citizen using obscene language and making statements inciting interethnic and religious hatred. The Department of Internal Affairs of Sverdlovsky district reported. On the same day, officers from the Dep»»»

Dubai: TheBlock., the capital of virtual assets, today announced a major milestone driven by the continued expansion of its ecosystem: the ability to support turnkey real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation, including crowd lending and co-ownership structures, for global distribution. Traditionally, man»»»

Syria’s capital is witnessing an unprecedented cultural development as preparations got underway for official and popular celebrations of Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year, marking the arrival of spring on March 21. For the first time in modern Syrian history, festivities will take place openly in Damas»»»

Romania exports over EUR 10 billion euros in the IT services area every year, and the area's contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product is 8%, Chairman of the Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (ARICE), Daniel Constantin, said on Tuesday at the Digital Innovation Summit Buch»»»

Israel's military says its troops have begun "limited and targeted ground operations" against the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The military said operations had targeted "key Hezbollah strongholds" in recent days with the aim of strengthening the defence of Israeli border c»»»

In the third week of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, Donald Trump faces decisions that could define the rest of his presidency. But if the American commander-in-chief is grappling with a war of choice that seems in danger of spiralling in ways he can't control, those concerns are not playing»»»

Kabul: Azmat Ali Momand had just finished his rounds, checking patients at the "Camp Omid" drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital, Kabul, when the explosion erupted. "The room collapsed on me," the 30-year-old doctor, who has worked at the centre for two years, told AFP on Tuesday. "I got»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public Prosecution has announced the official working hours for its offices during the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr holidays for the year 2026. From Tuesday, March 17, 2026, until the end of the month of Ramadan, the Public Prosecution building (Public Service»»»

Launching a new European fund providing loans for defense, modeled after SAFE is possible as there is political support and a decision may be taken rapidly with the agreement of the member states, stated on Monday, in Bucharest, the MEP Siegfried Muresan, EP rapporteur for the EU’s multiannual budg»»»

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday that it had taken note of the remarks made by the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasizing that Romania is not a party to the conflict in the Middle East and that the priority of the authorities in Bucharest is t»»»

Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday, buoyed by easing fears of prolonged disruptions to oil shipments, while investors assessed the economic impact of the Middle East conflict ahead of a slew of central bank policy decisions this week. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $5,013.71 per ounce as of 0644 GMT. US»»»

Western diplomatic sources have outlined to Asharq Al-Awsat the tight inner circle surrounding Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, shedding light on the key figures shaping decision-making at a critical moment for the country. According to these sources, any serious discussion of a compreh»»»

Doha, Qatar: At a time when students are spending most of their time at home in compliance with state guidelines, student-led initiatives have emerged that seek to use this time in positive and meaningful ways. A fourth-grade student at Qatar Academy Msheireb (QAM), part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-U»»»

On March 17, 1776, the Continental Army under Gen. George Washington forced British troops to evacuate Boston. 1 of 8 | On March 17, 1776, the Continental Army under Gen. George Washington forced British troops to evacuate Boston. The historic moment was depicted in the 1911 painting The Evacuation»»»

A Palestinian woman who was the last person still in immigration detention after the Trump administration's 2025 crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses was freed Monday after a year in custody. Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old from the West Bank who has lived in New Jersey since 2016,»»»

A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted a former Syrian government official, who headed the Damascus Central Prison under the government of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, of torture, the US Justice Department said on Monday. Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 73, was convicted on one count of conspir»»»

Doha, Qatar: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari affirmed that stopping the Iranian attacks on countries in the region does not require investigative committees or the formation of joint teams, but rather a cle»»»

Dubai: The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has announced their office closures on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, in observance of Eid Al Fitr. In an advisory, the embassy has noted that its assistance-to-nationals section will remain operatio»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd coach Roberto Mancini has urged his players to bounce back strongly from their shock defeat to Umm Salal as the Qatar Stars League (QSL) title race tightens heading into the final rounds. Al Sadd’s stunning 5-2 loss to Umm Salal allowed closest challengers Al Shamal and Al Ghar»»»

A drone and rocket attack targeted the US embassy in Baghdad early Tuesday, while a strike killed four people at a house reportedly hosting Iranian advisors, security officials said, pulling Iraq deeper into the Middle East war. An AFP journalist reported seeing black smoke rising after an explosio»»»

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio speak during a roundtable in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 6. On Monday, Rubio designated Iranian-American Kamran Hekmati as wrongfully detained by Iran. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Pho»»»

Is the world on the brink of a global conflagration? The US-Israel attack on Iran has sparked panic in some quarters. A Telegraph headline on 7 March feared “how Britain could get sucked into World War III,” while Richard Shirreff, a former deputy supreme allied commander of NATO, has warned that t»»»

Dressed in military fatigues, with a personal weapon slung at her side, Afsana Rahimi greeted us with poise and calm assurance at the main gate of Topzawa camp, a settlement for Iranian Kurds north-east of Mosul, a big and ethnically diverse city in northern Iraq. Her short hair was neatly drawn ba»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Abdullah Mohtadi, secretary-general of the Iranian Kurdish opposition Komala party, said Kurds "can play a very significant role in making a breakthrough" in Iran. He pointed to "serious signs of weakness" among security forces in Kurdish regions of Iran and said "te»»»

Reporting from Doha in Qatar for FRANCE 24, Hoda Abdel-Hamid explains that Iran has been able to keep striking Gulf countries, despite claims made by US President Donald Trump that its arsenal had been decimated, because most of its weapons may be underground and the country has decentralised its m»»»