A motorcycle travels down an unlit street during a power outage in Havana in early March. Widespread power outage are continuing throughout the nation as fuel runs out. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA March 16 (UPI) -- Cuba entered its 10th consecutive day of protests Monday as demonstrations agai»»»

1 of 5 | The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which was recently renamed the Trump Kennedy Center, is seen in Washington, D.C., on December 30. The facility's board of trustees is expected to vote Monday whether to close for two years for renovations. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | »»»

Abu Dhabi: Zayed National Museum will mark Eid Al Fitr with a public programme titled The Joy of Eid, offering cultural performances, workshops and activities designed to bring families and communities together. The initiative reflects the UAE’s Year of Family theme for 2026 and aims to highlight t»»»

GENEVA: The State of Qatar reiterated its strongest condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting Qatari territory and several other brotherly countries with missiles and drones, in a flagrant violation of national sovereignty, a direct threat to the safety and security of civilians, a clear breach»»»

There is “a real threat” that Poland could leave the EU, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said, after the country’s president vetoed a bill that would have allowed Warsaw to tap billions in defense loans from the bloc. President Karol Nawrocki last week vetoed legislation that would have let Warsaw d»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar reiterated its strongest condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting Qatari territory and several other brotherly countries with missiles and drones, in a flagrant violation of national sovereignty, a direct threat to the safety and security of civilians, a clear breach»»»

The XXI International Jazz_Bishkek_Spring Festival will be held on April 24-25. Organizers told 24.kg news agency. According to them, this is the most anticipated calendar event of the spring. «The festival’s motto is «Music Without Borders». Our mission is to build bridges of friendship and unders»»»

Authorities in northern Greece arrested a 26-year-old man accused of transporting over 56 kilos of cannabis on Sunday night. During a car check in the Kastoria region, local police seized fifty packages of cannabis. The suspect was detained and taken to a local prosecutor. [AMNA]»»»

Iran stepped up its targeting of Gulf neighbors, attacking and setting on fire a fuel tank close to Dubai International Airport, forcing flights to be suspended, and the key Fujairah oil export hub on the UAE's east coast, on the supposed "safe" side of Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Stringer/EPA March»»»

The JBS meat processing plant in Greeley, Colo., went on strike Monday demanding higher wages and safer working conditions. File Photo by Bill Greenblat/UPI | License Photo March 16 (UPI) -- Workers at a JBS plant in Greeley, Colo., went on strike Monday morning, demanding higher wages and safer wo»»»

After being forced to flee with his family from Israeli air raids on southern Lebanon, Hussein Fakih searched in vain for an apartment, amid strict measures imposed by hotels and landlords afraid that guests might be targeted by Israel. In two weeks of war, Israel has carried out surprise strikes o»»»

A strike on Monday near Iraq's western border with Syria killed at least four fighters from a former coalition, two security officials said. The fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), now part of Iraq's regular army -- "were killed and three others were wounded" in the late afternoon »»»

A court in Thessaloniki sentenced a 22-year-old driver to 12 months in prison, suspended for three years, after he was caught driving at 179 kilometers per hour (kph) on a provincial road with a 90 kph speed limit. The man was arrested early Sunday and tried under Greece’s summary court procedure f»»»

The Democratic Party of Albania held a meeting of its party headship Monday, where several key decisions were taken regarding the party’s internal organization and upcoming electoral processes within its structures. According to the decisions made during the meeting, the party will convene its Nati»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has announced the operating hours for its services during the upcoming Eid Al Fitr holiday from March 17 to March 23, 2026. Emergency Services The Trauma and Emergency Center will continue to operate as normal, providing services 24 hours a day, seven da»»»

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hertfordshire Zoo (@hertfordshirezoo) March 16 (UPI) -- The Hertfordshire Zoo in England announced the births of two elephant shrew pups -- the very first of their species to be born in Britain. The zoo said the elephant shrews, also known as black and r»»»

March 13 (UPI) -- Police and firefighters responded to a Kansas high school where an escaped bull decided to take advantage of an open field and get some exercise. The Eudora Police Department and Eudora City Fire Department responded to Eudora High School on Thursday when a bull was spotted wander»»»

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Secret Los Angeles (@secret.losangeles) March 13 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Metro revealed some of the most unusual items in its Lost & Found, including a surfboard, a prosthetic leg and a 55-inch TV. Los Angeles Metro Lost & Found office, located off Pasa»»»

1 of 3 | Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a press conference on March 3. Thune and Republican Senators are gearing up for a fight over the Save America Act. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo March 16 (UPI) -- Senate Republicans are trying to pass the SAVE America Act »»»

Italy’s energy giant, Eni, announced today that it has made two new gas discoveries in Libya totalling more than 1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) – thanks to an exploration campaign initiated in the past months. Two adjacent geological structures, Bahr Essalam South 2 (BESS 2) and Bahr Essalam South 3 (»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump is trying to encourage European allies and partners in the Arab world to join the US in its effort to "open" the Strait of Hormuz, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. "The president is speaking with our allies in Europe, and »»»

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was back in court Monday for a retrial on charges he sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election, in a case that last year saw him become France's first modern-day head of state to go to prison. A lower court in September found the right-wing politician -- »»»

Dubai: Amid the routine flow of passengers at Dubai International Airport, a small handwritten note from a young traveller has turned an ordinary moment into a touching reminder of the human connections that travel can create. The note, written by a child on a small piece of yellow paper, was hande»»»

Stefka Kostadinova, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic high jump champion, has agreed to be included on the candidate list of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party for the upcoming parliamentary elections on April 19, she announced in an official statement on Monday. Kostadinova announced her intention »»»

GERB's Executive Committee has approved the top-of-the-list candidates of the GERB-UDF coalition for the April 19 snap parliamentary elections, the GERB party said in a Monday press release. As usual, GERB Chairman Boyko Borissov tops two lists: in Sofia's 25th multi-member constituency and in Plov»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Federal Supreme Court has upheld a ruling sentencing a man to six months in prison and deportation after completing the sentence for forging a passport and residency permit. The court also ordered the confiscation of the forged documents seized in the case. According to court records»»»

Across more than a decade, Michael B Jordan and director Ryan Coogler have built one of Hollywood's most productive creative partnerships. Their collaborations have given audiences Creed and Black Panther, and now their latest film, Sinners, has delivered the biggest moment yet. The vampire horror »»»

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri will visit the Baabda Palace this week and the files of negotiations with Israel and the appointment of a Shiite member to the negotiating delegation will be the focus of his meeting with President Joseph Aoun, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday. Polit»»»

Most people, although not everybody, want this war to end as quickly as possible. But on what terms? That is where positions diverge. President Donald Trump's war aims have been somewhat opaque, appearing to vacillate between a simple curtailment of Iran's nuclear programme, to capitulation to all »»»

French municipal elections on March 15 gave political parties an early test of their electoral machines before next year’s presidential race, with a first round of voting for»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE said its air defence systems intercepted six ballistic missiles and 21 drones launched from Iran on March 16, as tensions in the region continue to escalate. According to the UAE Ministry of Defence, the projectiles were successfully engaged by air defence units, which remain on »»»

Paris, France: The race for Paris mayor looked uncertain on Monday as a right-wing former minister hoping to wrest control of the French capital from the left claimed she had gained key support for second-round mayoral polls. Rachida Dati, until recently culture minister, hopes to become the capita»»»

In the hours leading up to the US attack on Iran, Donald Trump announced that technology company Anthropic would be banned from all work with the federal government. At the same time, Anthropic's artificial intelligence chatbot Claude was reportedly being used by the Pentagon to prepare the attack.»»»

The Israeli aggression against Lebanon enters its third week amidst a continuation of the atrocities committed by the enemy against Lebanese civilians. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 850 martyrs and injuries to thousands more, as well as the displacement of approximately 830,000 »»»

Fears of a global energy crisis rose Monday as the war in the Middle East raged on, with more U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital and Israel's bombardment of Lebanon. An Iranian drone strike temporarily shut Dubai's airport, a crucial global travel hub, underscoring the threats to the world»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Monday a solution defined by Brussels, Belgrade and Pristina had averted the worst-case scenario for Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and all those living and working in the province, and noted that the interests of Serbs had been safeguarded in very difficult cir»»»

Rumen Radev, the former president of Bulgaria, will spearhead the electoral lists of “Progressive Bulgaria” in the 2nd MIR (Multi-member constituency) of Burgas and the 25th MIR in Sofia, as confirmed by the party. Alongside him, the coalition has positioned a mix of prominent athletes, former memb»»»

Israeli forces killed 16 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, health officials said, in one of the heaviest death tolls in a single day in weeks. Medics and the interior ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza said an Israeli airstrike killed a senior police official and eight other officers wh»»»

Dubai: In his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, issued Decree No. (5) of 2026 on the Central Grievances Committee for Dubai Government employees. The Decree aims to strengthen justice, transparency, and »»»

A recent survey by the Sova Harris Agency, conducted between March 7 and 12, 2026 and commissioned by Bulgarian media Trud, indicates a potential surge in voter turnout for Bulgaria’s upcoming parliamentary elections, reversing the downward trend seen in previous years. If the vote were held today,»»»

The emerging strength of the far left and far right is creating awkward choices for mainstream parties after the first round of French mayoral elections. In many big towns and cities, Socialists and centre-right Republicans are tempted to make electoral pacts on their outside flanks in order to bea»»»

Hollywood, United States: "One Battle After Another" triumphed at the Oscars on Sunday, winning six awards, including the coveted best picture statuette, besting "Sinners" in a thrilling finale to one of the most competitive awards seasons in recent years. Director Paul Thomas Anderson personally w»»»

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (QCC) and the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom welcomed the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which condemned in the strongest term»»»

HEADLINES Monday’s print media highlight rising living costs, political developments and economic trends. 24 Chasa leads with a report that food prices are expected to increase ahead of Easter, warning of a more expensive traditional holiday salad followed by broader price pressures in food and tra»»»

Dubai: Families looking for ways to spend the upcoming break in the UAE may have a new option in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, as experiences at Jebel Jais are offering complimentary activities for younger visitors. The UAE’s highest peak has introduced a limited-time initiative aimed at familie»»»

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will mobilize all its resources, supporters, and members of section election commissions to safeguard every vote that is cast honestly and in accordance with the voter’s will, BSP leader Krum Zarkov said after registering the BSP–United Left candidate list for So»»»

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced revised schedules for all its services during Eid Al Fitr from Thursday, 19 March, to Saturday, 21 March. The updates cover public parking, Customer Happiness Centres, Metro and Tram, buses, marine transport, and service provider centres (»»»

France's government is bolstering the country's military presence in the Middle East, dispatching its aircraft carrier and other warships, while President Emmanuel Macron engages with key players in the conflict, including Iran, in a bid to position Paris for future diplomatic talks. Macron said th»»»

A court in Azerbaijan sentenced a French citizen to ten years in prison on Monday after finding him ‌guilty ‌of spying ‌on ⁠behalf of Paris, ⁠Russian state news agency RIA reported. Baku accuses the man, Martin ⁠Ryan, who was ‌arrested ‌in December 2023, ‌of collecting secret ‌information about its»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Brussels of dragging the EU into a direct war with Russia through potential troop deployments to Ukraine. Speaking at the ‘Peace March’ in Budapest on Sunday, which drew tens of thousands of supporters, Orban said Brussels had taken “the war upon it»»»