Oil prices plunged by about 13% on Friday after Iran's foreign minister said passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was open for the remaining ceasefire period and US President Donald Trump said Iran has agreed to never close the strait again. Brent crude futures fell $12.8»»»

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»»»

Fujairah: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today met with His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah. During the meeting, Their Highnesses discussed a number of national issues in light of the UAE’s continued developme»»»

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»»»

Law enforcement authorities are operating nationwide and will not allow vote-buyers to distort the free choice of citizens, the Interior Ministry's acting Secretary General Georgi Kandev said on Friday on Facebook. “Across the country, large-scale police operations are being carried out. Police off»»»

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»»»

For Pakistan, it's critically important not only to serve as a peacemaker, but also to succeed as a peacemaker, economic policy analyst Syed Ali Ehsan told Sputnik. As the world watches the US-Iran conflict de-escalate, Pakistan finds itself trapped in a paradox. It is both one of the crisis' most »»»

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»»»

Israel has not yet finished dealing with Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday, vowing to press on with the Lebanese militant group's "dismantling" just hours after a 10-day ceasefire came into effect. "Today’s Hezbollah is a shadow of its former self compared to the heyd»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar participated on Friday in a meeting on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, hosted by President of the French Republic HE Emmanuel Macron and the United Kingdom's Prime Minister HE Keir Starmer via video conference. The State of Qatar was represented by Min»»»

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»»»

Iran has announced that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial shipping, marking a significant shift after weeks of disruption during the ongoing Middle East conflict. The move comes as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon appears to be holding, raising cautious hop»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Residents of Beirut's heavily populated southern suburb were returning to their homes on Friday following the entry into force of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a Sputnik correspondent said. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun a»»»

TUNIS, April 17 (TAP) – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti attended, on Thursday, a ceremony held at the Residence of the Swiss Ambassador in Tunis, Josef Renggli, on the occasion of the presentation of the...»»»

European Commission officials are due to meet Friday with Peter Magyar, whose Tisza party won a supermajority in Hungary's elections on Sunday. Photo by Tibor Illyes/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- Officials from the European Commission arrived in Budapest for Friday talks with Péter Magyar, who will take of»»»

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»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Israel will end its bombardment campaign against Lebanon after being prohibited from doing so by the United States, President Donald Trump said on Friday. "Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!! Thank»»»

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 »»»

The prosecution service has opened a probe against the Prime Minister, government ministers and the Interior Ministry Secretary General. That was announced by caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov in a Facebook post. He said the prosecutors "have acted on tipoffs from the bludgeons" without providi»»»

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen can ignore voters’ opinions as she essentially cannot be voted out like recently defeated Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has said. The AfD is the most popular par»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Beirut MPs representing most of Lebanon’s political parties met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free,” following recent security incidents and Israeli strikes. The conference brought together most factions, except MPs from Hezbollah, the Amal Movemen»»»

Israel's defense minister said on Friday that the campaign against Hezbollah was not yet complete, just hours after a 10-day ceasefire came into force in Lebanon. He also warned that if the fighting resumed, displaced residents returning to the country's war-torn south would have to evacuate again.»»»

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»»»

Washington, April 17 (SANA) Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh and Central Bank Governor Abdulkader Husrieh discussed investment opportunities in Syria during a visit to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, on the sidelines of the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings. The meeting included repr»»»

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»»»

Oil prices plunged Friday after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the vital Strait of Hormuz was "completely open" for commercial tankers and cargo ships during the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. International benchmark Brent North Sea crude plunged 10 percent to $89.11 a barrel, after earlier fall»»»

Beirut, Leabnon: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has described ongoing direct negotiations with Israel as "delicate and pivotal", urging national unity as Lebanon navigates a crucial phase under international scrutiny on Friday, April 17, 2026. In remarks released by the Lebanese presidency on Frida»»»

Passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is now completely open, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared on Friday. He added that the waterway will remain open for the remainder of the ceasefire in Lebanon. Araghchi’s announcement came shortly after a 10-day tr»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Channel 14: Six Israeli soldiers were injured, two seriously, by an IED explosion in southern Lebanon 17-04-2026 15:32 PM Latest Ne»»»

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi struck a light-hearted note in the Lok Sabha on Friday during a debate on the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill and delimitation, drawing laughter when he remarked that both he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not have “wife issues”. The Leader of the Opposit»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that, in connection with the Lebanon ceasefire, passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for the duration of the truce. "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of »»»

Dubai: St. Regis, The Palm in Dubai confirmed Friday that parts of the property will be unavailable from mid-April as it begins refurbishment works. “As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering an exceptional luxury experience, we have embarked on a refurbishment project,” the hotel said in a m»»»

New Bulgarian University (NBU) is hosting a two-day international conference in Sofia marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, bringing together leading scholars from Europe, the United States and Bulgaria to reassess the political, social and health impacts of one of the wor»»»

After 17 years in journalism, spanning local newsrooms, radio, and national television, Teodora Tompea is stepping into a new rhythm at Observator 16, where speed meets meaning and news reporting blends with storytelling. On March 16, she also hosted the 21st edition of the Business Review Awards G»»»

Washington: The UAE maintained security and continuity in the face of unprecedented and unprovoked attacks, a senior minister said, underscoring the country’s ability to respond swiftly while keeping daily life and institutions functioning without disruption. Speaking yesterday at the Semafor World»»»

Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas is expected to urge livestock farmers of Lesvos on Friday to comply with biosecurity measures aimed at containing foot-and-mouth disease, as authorities seek to curb its spread quickly. A delegation from the island has been invited to meet at 11 a.m. at the a»»»

ANTALYA - Serbian PM Djuro Macut said at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday that global governance mechanisms had an irreplaceable role but that regional cooperation was becoming increasingly important amid growing global uncertainty. Speaking at a panel titled The Role of Regional Ownership in »»»

Washington, April 17 (SANA) Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh met with Bert Kroese, Director of the Statistics Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to discuss support for developing Syria’s statistical system on the sidelines of the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington.»»»

Israel's defense minister said on Friday that the campaign against the militant group Hezbollah was not yet complete, just hours after a 10-day ceasefire came into force in Lebanon. "The ground maneuver into Lebanon and the strikes on Hezbollah have achieved many gains, but they are still not compl»»»

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah praised Friday Iran as he spoke to reporters in the battered Beirut southern suburb of Haret Hreik. “Yesterday, before the ceasefire, Hezbollah’s leadership was formally informed around 4am from the Iranian ambassador that there will be a ceasefire at nigh»»»

A 10-dy ceasefire agreement came after a meeting between Israel's and Lebanon’s ambassadors in Washington and a flurry of subsequent phone calls from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a White House official. They were the first direct diplomatic talks between the two countries »»»

London: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he was "furious" after it emerged his sacked US ambassador Peter Mandelson was appointed despite failing security vetting, as the scandal again threatens his hold on power. The beleaguered British leader, who has been dogged for months by the contr»»»

Borislav Duganov, MP candidate from the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) in Smolyan, told voters in his hometown of Nedelino, Smolyan Region, that "with our vote on April 19, we have the chance to change the government and put an end to this oligarchic state," the coalition announced in a sta»»»

Macquarie invested in Evryo Group in 2021. Evryo Group is the owner of Distributie Energie Oltenia (DEO), a regulated electricity distribution network active in the south-western Romanian region of Oltenia. DEO develops, maintains, and operates the grid to safely supply electricity across 80,000 ki»»»

President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that direct negotiations with Israel were crucial, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and an upcoming meeting between their leaders. "Direct negotiations are crucial... and a ceasefire is the gateway to proce»»»