The Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic is testing a comprehensive software-based monitoring system for convicts (as part of the probation system) that integrates modern digital monitoring tools into a single ecosystem. The new platform provides a flexible approach to security and includes t»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov received CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov on April 17, the presidential press service reported. During the meeting, the parties discussed strengthening collective security, countering modern threats, including extremism and terrorism, and increasing t»»»

Hassan Abu Khalil's family miraculously survived six weeks of war in southern Lebanon, but tragedy struck in the final minutes before a ceasefire came into force. An Israeli strike late on Thursday killed 13 of his relatives, leaving him the sole survivor. Abu Khalil, 36, stepped out to see friends»»»

Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike on a motorcycle in the south killed one person on Friday, despite the start of a 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. The truce, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, went into force at midnight (Thursday 2100 GMT), seeking to end more than s»»»

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, adding that an agreement was "very close." Trump's comments came after a series of social media posts in which he touted progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's nuclear»»»

Minister of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ruslan Suinaliev, met with representatives of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development in Washington, D.C. to discuss the provision of budget support and the implementation of priority infrastructure projects, including the reconstruction of Ar»»»

Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bakyt Sydykov, met in Washington, D.C. with Brendan Lynch, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Expressing gratitu»»»

The draft of a new Bolivian hydrocarbons law prioritizes the reactivation of mature fields and traditional wells to maximize recovery of remaining reserves. File Photo by Martin Alipaz/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- The government of Rodrigo Paz has finalized the draft of a new hydrocarbons law, marking a k»»»

One of Thessaloniki’s last Holocaust survivors, Heinz Kounio, has died aged 98, an association representing Greece’s Jewish communities said Friday. The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, or KIS, described Kounio as an “emblematic figure” who was among the first Greek Jews to write abou»»»

WASHINGTON - Serbian First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali announced on Friday US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers would visit Belgrade in May to sign a contract on her country's participation in EXPO 2027, and noted that this would turn a new page in Serbia-US »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, adding that an agreement was "very close." Trump's comments came after a series of social media posts in which he touted progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's nucle»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will reopen to shipping, but said a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal is signed. "THANK YOU!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that Iran had announced »»»

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has once again attacked the press, accusing journalists of producing an “endless stream of garbage” in their coverage of the Iran conflict and comparing the Pentagon media pool to the Pharisees, a Jewish group in the Bible who often clashed with Jesus. Hegseth, a fo»»»

Kosovo's parliament on Friday passed a law authorizing the potential deployment of a small number of troops to Gaza as part of a peacekeeping force proposed by US President Donald Trump. According to local media, the government intends to send 22 members of the Kosovo Security Force if the plan goe»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The European Union said Friday that it was updating an age verification app unveiled this week after independent developers pointed to vulnerabilities. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the app, which aims to better protect children from online harm, was "technica»»»

For the first time in its history, Kyrgyzstan has awarded state-issued diplomas conferring the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Innovation reported. According to the ministry, PhD training programs in the country began in 2013 as part of a»»»

The United States is building trade relations with Central Asia as a single, unified region with a population of 80 million people. Altynai Asanova, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce, said, speaking on Birinchi Radio. She noted that the priority for cooperation is the region as»»»

Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike on a motorcycle in the south killed one person on Friday, despite the start of a 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. The truce, announced by US President Donald Trump, went into force at midnight (Thursday 2100 GMT), seeking to end more than six»»»

1 of 2 | A handout picture provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV and Cameroonian President Paul Biya shaking hands during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Wednesday. Pope Leo XIV held a mass Friday in Douala, Cameroon in a stadium with an estimated 120,000 pe»»»

Iran said Friday it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, but President Donald Trump said the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragh»»»

The Association of Importers of Unregistered Medicinal Products for Rare Diseases Treatment has issued a statement objecting to what it describes as a misinterpretation of data on the supply of unregistered medicines. The statement was sent to the media in response to information presented by Deput»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday the United States had "prohibited" Israel from bombing Lebanon following a ceasefire deal, adding that Washington would work with Lebanon to "deal with" Hezbollah. "Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A.»»»

Dubai: Court of Cassation in Dubai has ruled that WhatsApp messages must be carefully examined in divorce disputes when presented as evidence, underscoring their potential legal weight in family law proceedings. Appeal overturned over unexamined digital evidenceIn a significant judgment, the Dubai »»»

The government will partially lift a ban on the sale of cheese from the foot-and-mouth disease-hit island of Lesvos, Rural Development Minister Margaritis Schinas promised Friday following a meeting with local livestock breeders. Schinas also stressed the need for strict adherence to other restrict»»»

SPA Complex Alexander in Zlatograd, Southern Bulgaria, is expanding its spa and tourism services by combining balneotherapy, signature treatments, and cultural-historical tourism, the owner and manager Alexander Mitushev told BTA. The complex is located in the heart of the Zlatograd Ethnographic Co»»»

During the presentation of the company’s annual results, Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH, stated: “As a global technology leader, we are committed to shaping trends in the fields of automation, digitalization, electrification, and artificial intelligence, as»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Thursday with Milorad Dodik, leader of the Republika Srpska party Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, to discuss strategic issues important for Belgrade and Banjaluka. "A meeting with Milorad Dodik - far from Belgrade this time. Serbia and »»»

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi welcoming Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir upon his arrival at the airport in Tehran, on Wednesday. Araghchi announced Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is open. Photo by Iranian Foreign Ministry/UPI. | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- Iranian Foreign Mini»»»

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slightly lowered its growth forecast for the Bulgarian economy by 0.3 percentage points to 2.8% amid the crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East, which in this regard has no greater impact than in other countries. However, the Fund has expressed conc»»»

First published in Denik N Former Bulgarian president (2017 to January 2026) Rumen Radev appears to be on his way back — but this time, to the prime minister’s office. The former air force commander with pro-Russian views, who in January stepped down from the presidency in order to run in Sunday’s »»»

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri stressed Friday that "national unity and civil peace are red lines that will not be crossed under any circumstances." He emphasized that "any attack on these two pillars, from any side, is an attack on Lebanon's very existence and a free gift to the Israeli enemy a»»»

Gaza: A Palestinian has been killed and several others injured following Israeli fire in the north of the Gaza Strip, according to local media reports on Friday, April 17, 2026. The Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli forces opened machine-gun fire towards tents sheltering displaced people in»»»

1 of 2 | Analilia Mejia won the vacant U.S. House seat in New Jersey in a special election on Thursday, maintaining control of the seat for the Democratic Party. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- Analilia Mejia won the vacant U.S. House seat in New Jersey in a special »»»

Dubai: The Philippines has formally raised concerns with the Omani embassy in Manila over a requirement for a negative HIV medical certificate imposed on certain Filipino travellers heading to Oman. In a statement, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has noted that it made “strong re»»»

Oil futures tanked on Friday following a statement by Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reflecting trader relief that the immediate risk of a supply shock had receded. The move marks a notable de-escalation by Tehran. Brent crude fell (down 11.26% to $84.03 as of 9.50 Beijing time); US West Tex»»»

Ben Roberts-Smith pictured in March 2022 outside federal court in Sydney during a defamation trial in which he unsuccessfully sued three former Fairfax group newspapers for carrying articles implicating him in war crimes in the Afghanistan war. File photo by Dan Himbrechts/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- Aus»»»

House Speaker Mike Johnson failed to shepherd an 18-month reauthorization of a key part of FISA through Congress after struggling to find enough votes early Friday, but managed to secure a 10-day extension to allow more time for negotiations. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) »»»

Bulgarians at home and abroad are going to the polls on Sunday to elect their new lawmakers. These will be the country's eighteenth parliamentary elections since the start of democratic changes in 1989 and the seventh snap ones in a row since 2021. The Election Code that regulates the process was a»»»

Oil futures tanked on Friday following a statement by Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reflecting trader relief that the immediate risk of a supply shock had receded. The move marks a notable de-escalation by Tehran. Brent crude fell (down 11.26% to $84.03 as of 9.50 Beijing time); US West Tex»»»

Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, walked free on bail from a Sydney prison on Friday, 10 days after he was charged with war crimes in the killings of five people while serving in Afghanistan. Judge Greg Grogin granted Roberts-Smith bail in a Sydney court around five hour»»»

A South Korean oil tanker has transited the Red Sea for the first time since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul's oceans ministry said on Friday. Import-dependent South Korea has taken steps to mitigate the risks to its energy supplies since US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late Febr»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) held a virtual meeting to consider a package of strategic reports outlining the Kingdom’s economic and development trajectory. The council issued the 2025 annual report on Saudi Vision 2030, showing clear progress across its three pi»»»

Russia has sent an important message to the world by sending a ship with oil to Cuba last month as the US blockades the island, Havana’s envoy to New Delhi has said. Moscow shipped 100,000 tons of oil required for Cuba’s normal functioning after the US imposed restrictions, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguil»»»

Berlin: A private rescue attempt for a whale stranded off Germany's Baltic coast has entered a "decisive phase", officials said Friday, with the sea mammal showing more activity than in recent days. The 13.5-metre (44-foot) humpback whale's ordeal first began in late March when it was spotted stuck»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanon: Speaker Berri Says Civil Peace Red Line, Rejects Direct Talks with ‘Israel’ 17-04-2026 16:06 PM Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri in an»»»

WASHINGTON - Serbian First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa, Mali, who is in Washington for the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, met with representatives of the Fitch credit agency on Friday. In January, Fitch affirmed Serbia's BB+ long-term credit rating with a positive outlook, confirming the»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will be open to shipping for the duration of a ceasefire. "THANK YOU!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that Iran had announced the narrow waterway was "FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL»»»

Belchinski Izvor SPA Complex, located near the village of Belchin, hosted 39,486 guests in 2025. Some 93% were from Bulgaria, while the rest were foreigners, the complex told BTA. The Gala Placidia spa centre features a large indoor mineral pool, an indoor children’s pool, outdoor hot tubs and jacu»»»

An international tourist train operated by Golden Eagle Trains arrived in Bishkek today from Balykchy. The train brought visitors from Western Europe, North America, and East Asia, the state enterprise Kyrgyz Temir Zholu reported. At the railway station, a traditional crafts exhibition was organize»»»

Dubai: Most schools across the UAE are set to welcome students back to classrooms from Monday, ending more than 40 days of distance learning introduced in response to regional conflict linked to the US-Israel Iran war. However, while campuses reopen, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said school tran»»»