1 of 2 | Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on his nomination to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Ca»»»

While a number of countries are getting ready to sight the moon and declare the first day of Eid Al Fitr on Wednesday (Mar 18, 2026), some nations will hold their moon-sighting moments a day later, on Mar 19. In many countries, the 29th of Ramadan will fall tomorrow and so Eid will fall on Friday o»»»

On March 19, drinking water supply will be temporarily stopped in one district of the city. The press service of the City Hall reported. According to it, the area bounded by the following streets will be left without water: The water outage will last from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Residential buildings, edu»»»

Law enforcement officers in Osh detained individuals involved in pawnshop activities who are suspected of illegally re-registering real estate in their own names, the press service of the Internal Affairs Department of Osh city reported. According to investigators, a criminal case has been opened a»»»

Starting the new academic year, branches of the Akylman Presidential Lyceum will be opened in the cities of Manas and Talas. Kubanychbek Narynbekov, Deputy Director for Educational Affairs at the school, announced at a press conference. According to him, construction of the lyceums in the two citie»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the village of Alexandrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "As a result of active and decisive actions, Battlegroup Zapad liberated the settlement of Alexandrovka in the Donets»»»

A judge in the US has ruled that the effective closure of the Voice of America (VOA) last year was "illegal" and that hundreds of its journalists should be reinstated. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air. The VOA was se»»»

Damascus, March 17 (SANA) – The “blue economy” is gaining increasing importance as a strategic pathway for sustainable growth in Syria, leveraging the country’s Mediterranean coastline and maritime resources to support economic recovery and long-term development. The concept refers to the sustainab»»»

Tunis, March 18 (TAP) - Tunindex closed Wednesday's session up 0.28% to 15,432.03 points with a modest traded volume of TND 4.6 million, said broker Tunisie Valeurs. ASSURANCES MAGHREBIA shares were the best performers after rising by 5.8% to TND...»»»

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»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump angrily suggested Wednesday that he could leave U.S. allies to secure the Hormuz strait on their own since they have refused to fight alongside U.S. forces against Iran in the crucial shipping lane. Saying the United States doesn't need the strait -- a major global oil s»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran struck all US military bases located in the Middle East during the latest attack, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday. "Over the past few hours, a series of powerful attacks have been carried out by the armed forces as part of the 62nd phase of »»»

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»»»

Dubai has taken a major step in advancing police education with the issuance of Dubai Police Academy Law No. (7) of 2026 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The new law reflects Dubai’s forward-looking vision to ele»»»

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»»»

U.S.-Israeli strikes hit Iranian facilities at a major Gulf gas field on Wednesday causing a fire, Iranian state television reported. "Moments ago, parts of the gas facilities located in the South Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in Asaluyeh were struck by projectiles fired by the American-Zionist»»»

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»»»

Dubai: This Eid, ANAX Holding, a Dubai-based investment firm, supported the noble initiatives carried out by the Emirates Red Crescent benefiting vulnerable families and individuals across the UAE. During a visit to the Emirates Red Crescent Dubai Center, Satish Sanpal, Founder and Chairperson of A»»»

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»»»

Gold prices fell to a one-month low on Wednesday as investors weighed the risk of a more hawkish US Federal Reserve policy stance, with high oil prices fuelling concerns about inflation. Spot gold fell 2% to $4,903.19 per ounce as of 1216 GMT, its lowest level since February 18. US gold futures for»»»

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»»»

President Iliana Iotova said that she expects a more comprehensive compensation package due to rising prices. “This is only the first step. I expect a more comprehensive package if the war continues,” she told journalists regarding the caretaker government’s aid porposal. She participated in a foru»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Interior Minister of Interior Emil Dechev on Wednesday conferred with Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Sait Uyanık. During the meeting, the sides discussed countering illegal migration, combating smuggling and drug trafficking, easing passenger and cargo traffic across the shared border, as well as measur»»»

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»»»