Gabon’s main opposition leader and former prime minister Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze was placed in pre-trial detention Thursday night following his arrest over allegations of fraud and breach of trust linked to a 2008 cultural festival. The case has sparked criticism from his party, which says the mo»»»

The proliferation of artificial intelligence could spread “polarisation, conflict, fear and violence”, Pope Leo XIV told students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé on Friday. The pope has slammed tyrants, corruption and neocolonial world powers over the cour»»»

Singer and actor Patrick Bruel has been a household name in France for decades, but in the past few weeks he has hit the headlines facing shock charges of sexual assault and rape. As accusations against the former teen heartthrob multiply, members of his loyal female fanbase are defending the »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday hosted a video conference with their European allies to discuss the possible deployment of a multinational force to the Strait of Hormuz once the war in Iran is over. Macron welcomed Iran's announcement that the wate»»»

An 85-year-old Frenchwoman who was arrested by ICE after her American veteran husband died has returned to France, the French foreign ministry announced Friday. The detention of Marie-Thérèse Ross – who had moved to the US to marry her long-lost love and was still waiting for her Green Card applica»»»

Turkish police have ordered the arrest of scores of people accused of either praising or spreading fake news about the country's recent school shootings online. At least nine people died in a school shooting in the southern province of Kahramanmaras on Wednesday, and on Tuesday, a former student op»»»

Min Aung Hlaing, leader of Myanmar’s junta and last week installed as the country’s “civilian president”, has issued a blanket order to commute all death sentences, and reduce all prison sentences under 40 years by one-sixth. The military junta resumed executions after ousting the since imprisoned »»»

China's President Xi Jinping has broken a six-week silence about the war in Iran, vowing to take a "constructive" role in efforts to end the conflict. Beijing is wary of being drawn into a war it took no part in, and faces a delicate balancing act between its long-term partnership with Iran and its»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Irfan Nooruddin, the Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor of Indian Politics in the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University. As a scholar of Indian politics, he approaches institutional reform not as a question of isolated policy change, but as a re»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Irfan Nooruddin, the Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor of Indian Politics in the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University. As a scholar of Indian politics, he approaches institutional reform not as a question of isolated policy change, but as a re»»»

Iran has said it has fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, but vessel movement remains tightly controlled, with Tehran retaining oversight of transit routes and limiting passage to designated corridors. The strategic waterway, which carries around 20% of global oil trade, has »»»

The official visit of Marlen Mamataliev, Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan, to Germany began on April 17. The parliament’s press service reported. During his visit, Mamataliev met with Julia Klöckner, President of the Bundestag. The parties discussed strengthening political, economic, cu»»»

A suspect in the 1982 Paris Jewish restaurant attack that killed six people was extradited to France on Thursday by the Palestinian Authority. Hicham Harb, now 72, was detained on arrival in Paris and is due to face formal proceedings over one of the country’s deadliest post-war antisemitic attacks»»»

Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome Hugh WILLIAMSON. As Human Rights Watch Director for Europe and Central Asia, he views Russia’s restrictions on VPNs as part of an architecture of censorship that has expanded significantly since the 2022 Ukraine invasion began. He argues that these policies»»»

With its mountains, hills and fragile cliffs, Italy is one of the European countries most susceptible to hydrogeological disasters: landslides, sinkholes, erosion and floods. The situation is causing concern for the country's local authorities. Over 500,000 buildings are situated in areas exposed t»»»

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is managing the repercussions of a public rebuke from US President Donald Trump this week over the pope, Iran and a defence deal with Israel. It's a rupture that had been building since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran and may ultimately serve her po»»»

They are known as "forever chemicals": synthetic compounds that resist breakdown in the human body and the environment. Also known as PFAS, there are thousands of them, and you might not even realise that you are being exposed to them while doing simple everyday tasks like cooking. The EU does have»»»

Our guest in this show is known for crossing swords with the Trump administration on the regulation of big tech and, more recently, for actually coming under a US travel ban. Thierry Breton was the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024, when he had a major role in driving forwar»»»

On April 17, the opening ceremony of the exhibition «Kyrgyz Saimasy — Mezgil Izi» (Kyrgyz Embroidery — Echo of Time) took place in the Budapest Conference Hall of the Hungarian Embassy in Bishkek. The diplomatic mission reported. The exhibition was organized with the support of the Hungarian Embass»»»

Modon has announced the release of the final phase of its Tara Park development on Reem Island, marking the completion of a residential project that has already demonstrated strong market demand following its initial launch. Strategically located near two of the island’s main access bridges, the fi»»»

Dubai-based airline flydubai has announced new recruitment for its cabin crew team, inviting applications from candidates ready to build a career in aviation and customer service. The airline, which operates a growing network across more than 100 destinations, said the role offers an opportunity to»»»

Share: Arriving in Phoenix, Ariz. for a Turning Point USA event, President Trump told reporters that the American blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz will end when the United States reaches a peace deal with Iran. Here is the latest about the war in Iran and Lebanon today: Strait of H»»»

Dubai: A Dubai civil court has ordered the cancellation of a holiday package contract, directing a company to refund a client Dh8,268.20 and pay an additional Dh5,000 in compensation, after ruling that it breached its contractual obligations and misled the client with false promises. The judgment, »»»

Abu Dhabi: Light rain is expected over some coastal areas and islands on Tuesday, as weather conditions across the UAE are influenced by a surface low-pressure system from the east and a high-pressure system from the west, the National Centre of Meteorology said. The centre said the coming days wil»»»

Share: Israel asked the White House for clarifications about President Trump’s post that Israel was “prohibited” from conducting airstrikes in Lebanon, a U.S. source and another source familiar tell Axios. Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers were shocked by Tr»»»

Share: Residents of southern Beirut fly the Hezbollah flag as they ride past buildings that were destroyed by Israel after Hezbollah entered the war in support of Iran on March 2 . © Fadel Itani, AFP Beirut- Lebanon- People uprooted by the war in Lebanon began returning to devastated towns and neig»»»

The confrontation between the United States and Iran is no longer a conventional political dispute; it has evolved into a multidimensional crisis with military, economic, security, and environmental ramifications that threaten not only the stability of the Arabian Gulf but also the broader internat»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Chevron on Friday in a case dating to World War II that could see the fossil fuels company have to pay three-quarters of a billion dollars to help restore wetlands that were damaged during aviation fuel production for the war. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI. »»»

Share: Photo- Blackened buildings and burned-out cars… scenes from Beirut’s southern suburbs. © Fadel Itani, AFP Residents on Friday began to return to their homes in Beirut’s southern suburbs after a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon came into effect. For many, Israel’s relentless bombing ca»»»

Forecasts suggest that tonight's Aurora Borealis may be visible in as many as 18 states across the country. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- Nearly one-third of the United States -- the northern-most third of the country -- could be among areas the National Oceanic and »»»

Ankara , April 17 (SANA) Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the latest regional and international developments. The Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported that the trilateral meeting, held on the side»»»

US President Donald Trump’s war of words with Pope Leo XIV appears to have split his own MAGA movement. While a number of prominent Republicans have distanced themselves from the exchange, others have stepped in to reassure him of their continued support. Read more Trump casts himself as Jesus afte»»»

Tunis, April 17 (TAP) – The National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPE) announced on Friday the launch of a new innovative methodological approach called “5.0 – Green ANPE-AI”, as part of its commitment to digital transition, public...»»»

DOHA: Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the State of Qatar HE Yun Hyunsoo and Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar HE Naoto Hisajima visited the ice rink at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, located at Al Sadd Sports Club, to review the facilities dedicated to ice sports. The visit came»»»

Carnival Cruise Line must pay a California woman $300,000 in a lawsuit over serving her 14 shots of tequila before she fell down a stairwell and was injured. File Photo courtesy of Carnival April 17 (UPI) -- Carnival Cruise Line must pay a California woman $300,000 in a lawsuit over serving her 14 »»»

Heavy traffic develops before the Qasmiyeh Bridge as displaced residents return to their homes near Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Friday. Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day cease-fire, Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, April 17 (UPI) -- The Israel-Hezbollah war, temporarily halted by a»»»

The Cuban government attempted to open a direct back-channel with US President Donald Trump last week, tapping a private businessman to hand-deliver a sealed letter to the White House, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing sources. The reported message, which was ultimately intercept»»»

Washington, April 17 (SANA) Syrian Finance Minister Mohamed Yisr Barnieh signed on Friday a project with the Qatar Fund for Development and consulting firm Oliver Wyman to assess Syria’s financial and banking sector. The signing ceremony was attended by the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Ab»»»

Share: Here is the latest about Lebanon and the war in Iran today: Iran’s foreign minister says in light of the ceasefire that has halted fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, “passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open,” via a desi»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Ministry of Health: One martyr and two wounded as a result of an Israeli enemy raid on a bicycle and a motorcycle in the town of K»»»

April 17 (UPI) -- A Chinese car company successfully filed to patent a voice-activated "in-vehicle toilet" that slides out from under a passenger seat. Chongqing-based automaker Seres filed an application under patent number CN224104011U in April 2025, and the patent was officially authorized earli»»»

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy says a new order is now in effect in the Strait of Hormuz following the Lebanon ceasefire and the current battlefield pause Under the new rules:Civilian vessels may transit only through routes designated by IranAll military ships remain banned from passing through th»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said, “Negotiations will never come at the expense of Lebanon’s rights, principles or sovereignty”, adding, “They reflect strength rather than weakness”. In an address to the nation, Aoun noted the ongoing negotiations are “not a sign of weakness, retreat or concessio»»»

The statei had said it planned to sue fossil fuel companies over climate change impacts. A judge on Friday blocked a lawsuit filed last year by former Attorney General Pam Bondi that attempted to prevent the state of Hawaii from filing suit against oil companies for their effects on climate change.»»»

An 85-year-old woman from France whose late husband was a U.S. veteran returned to France Friday after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for 16 days. File Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- An 85-year-old woman from France whose late husband was a U.S. v»»»

People from the industry pose with a copy of the new mining law at Venezuela's National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 9. The law allows foreign investment and was introduced under acting President Delcy Rodriguez after a visit by U.S .Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in early March. Photo »»»

The U.S. State Department said Friday that President Donald Trump’s announced prohibition on Israeli strikes inside Lebanon applies only to offensive attacks and not to actions taken in self-defense, and referred to the third point of Wednesday’s agreement by Israel and Lebanon. That point says “Is»»»

Doha: Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the State of Qatar HE Yun Hyunsoo and Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar HE Naoto Hisajima visited the ice rink at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, located at Al Sadd Sports Club, to review the facilities dedicated to ice sports. The visit came»»»

Armed police patrol near the Israeli embassy as counter terrorism police investigate discarded items found in Kensington Gardens in London, Britain, on Friday. Photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- London police closed down Kensington Gardens Friday after a video was shared online by a group m»»»

President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that Lebanon is on the verge of a "new phase" of "permanent agreements," after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force. "Now, we all stand before a new phase," Aoun said in his first speech to the nation since the truce, adding that "it is the »»»