Rising Tensions as BRICS Nations Consider New Currency Amid U.S. Tariff Threats
President-elect Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates—threatening a 100% tariff on countries attempting to undermine the U.S. dollar by adopting a new currency. This com»»»
'Unprecedented since 1999': Radev secures absolute majority with reformist and eurosceptic coalition
Following the victory of Rumen Radev in Bulgaria's election, Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome Dr. Petia Gueorguieva, Political Science Researcher and Lecturer at the New Bulgarian University. According to Dr. Gueorguieva, there are broader implications for Bulgaria: political instability, econo»»»
Russia Arrests German Woman in Alleged Bomb Plot
Russia said Monday it had arrested a German woman found with a homemade bomb in her backpack in what it alleged was a Ukrainian-hatched plot to blow up a security services facility in the south. Russia has arrested dozens of people throughout the four-year war, mostly its own citizens, on allegatio»»»
EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank
More than 60 nations are sending representatives to Brussels to discuss with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused in the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon»»»
Media Review: April 20
HEADLINES The outcome of Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections dominates coverage across all types of media on Monday, including print, television and online outlets, with a particular focus on the reported performance of former president (2017-2026) and Progressive Bulgaria party leader Rumen Rade»»»
Ceasefire on edge: Uncertainty deepens risk of return to war
Dubai: The fragile Iran ceasefire is rapidly unravelling, with escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz exposing both Washington’s limited control over events and Tehran’s growing leverage over a critical global chokepoint — a dynamic that risks pushing the conflict back toward full-scale war. W»»»
No Plan Yet: Iran’s Spokesman Says No Decision on Next US Talks in Pakistan
Iran has not yet made any decision about participating in a new round of Pakistani-mediated negotiations with the United States in Islamabad, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, citing Washington’s contradictory actions. Speaking to reporters at a weekly press conferen»»»
Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages
The Israeli army is using the ceasefire period to accelerate large-scale destruction in areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, which have been largely emptied of residents displaced by the conflict, according to local accounts. Working around the clock across an area estimated at more than 800 squa»»»
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei: Transfer of Iran’s nuclear stockpiles has never been a negotiation option - Al-Manar TV Lebanon
Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei: Transfer of Iran’s nuclear stockpiles has never been a negotiation option 20-04-2026 11:»»»
Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal
Sources within Hamas said the group’s delegation in Cairo has delivered a “positive response” to a revised proposal from mediators, particularly Egypt, potentially paving the way for an agreement on Gaza soon. Negotiations on the deal remain stalled. Hamas and other factions insist Israel must firs»»»
Iran will ‘stand to the end’ as talks with US stall over Hormuz and nuclear issues
Iran will not yield to US pressure, parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said. He stressed that progress has been made in the negotiations, though fundamental issues are still unresolved. The first round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad took place last weekend in the Paki»»»
Bulgaria's pro-Russian former president takes strong lead
Bulgaria’s ex-president Rumen Radev is on course to win a parliamentary election, according to exit polls, but may fall short of a governing majority. His Progressive Bulgaria coalition leads with, in a vote marked by low turnout and deep political instability, the country’s eighth elect»»»
Why My Children Learn to Speak Chinese
As UN Chinese Language Day is marked around the globe, it is worth reflecting on a broader reality: We have long since moved beyond the strange unipolar moment that followed the Cold War. By Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya SegodnyaPower is no longer c»»»
Counterpoint: Philippines cannot afford romantic anti-development politics
Manila: Fiery attacks or protests against the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) and the idea of “Pax Silica” Initiative (PSI) tap into a familiar reflex in Philippine politics. Last week (April 2026), Manila signed up as the 13th member of PSI, resulting in the planned establishment of a "giant" 16 km²»»»
Israeli soldier photographed smashing Jesus statue in Lebanon, triggering IDF investigation
The Israeli military launched an investigation after a photograph circulated on social media showing an IDF soldier smashing the head of a statue of Jesus. The soldier appeared to hit the statue with a mallet in southern Lebanon. »»»
Israeli soldier photographed smashing Jesus statue in Lebanon, triggering IDF investigation
The Israeli military launched an investigation after a photograph circulated on social media showing an IDF soldier smashing the head of a statue of Jesus. The soldier appeared to hit the statue with a mallet in southern Lebanon. »»»
Israeli Intelligence Reveals Major Fracture in Iran’s Leadership
Tel Aviv has confirmed a major fracture in the Iranian leadership, which implies a partial collapse of the regime in Tehran in wake of the US-Israeli war on Iran, revealed a report by the Military Intelligence Directorate of the Israeli Army (Aman). According to Aman, the absence of Supreme Leader »»»
Caretaker Justice Minister Yankulov Urges Immediate Removal of Acting Prosecutor General, Calls for Swift Judicial Reform
The judicial system should not spend more months with an [acting] Prosecutor General at the head of the prosecution service who is there contrary to the law and morality, said caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov in a Facebook post on Monday. Yesterday’s [Sunday’s] elections have both their c»»»
PM Bolojan: PNL will not work with PSD if PSD generates a political crisis
Romania's Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Sunday evening that the National Liberal Party (PNL) will not work with the Social Democratic Party (PSD) if the latter generates a political crisis."I trust my colleagues, and the National Liberal Party has a resolution that states as clearly as possib»»»
Bolojan:Romania does not need political crisis
Romania does not need a political crisis, because it has complicated problems to solve, related to the deficits accumulated in past years, but also to the absorption of funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan by the end of August, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan warned on Friday.The statem»»»
IPU General Assembly adopts emergency item resolution submitted by Qatar
Istanbul: On its closing day in Istanbul, Turkiye, the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unanimously adopted the resolution on the emergency item submitted by the State of Qatar along with a number of other countries, entitled: “the urgent need for coordinated parliament»»»
British PM Starmer Faces Angry Lawmakers Over Mandelson’s Appointment as Ambassador
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will try on Monday to get a grip on a crisis that has left power slipping from his grasp. Starmer will face a tough barrage of questions in Parliament when he stands up to explain why Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein, »»»
RAGOZIN: Budanov, Ukraine’s president-in-waiting
While president Volodymyr Zelenskiy maintains a show of defiance, Ukraine is being steered towards a difficult postwar period by the new presidential office chief who might also rule the country one day. »»»
RAGOZIN: Presidential office chief Budanov is steering Ukraine towards a difficult postwar period
While President Volodymyr Zelenskiy maintains a show of defiance, Ukraine is being steered towards a difficult postwar period by the new presidential office chief who might also rule the country one day. These days, »»»
SCHEVCHENKO: Money for Ukraine - between speed and control
When Europe finances Ukraine, it does so through a complex web of institutions: the European Commission — via the Ukraine Facility, macro-financial assistance and potentially the new €90bn Ukraine Support Loan for 2026-2027 — the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and other multilateral partn»»»
Taiwan Business Group Urges Beijing, Taipei to Keep Politics Out of Trade
The head of one of Taiwan's top business groups said on Monday both Beijing and Taipei should leave politics out of resuming normal trade and tourism exchanges, after China unveiled new incentives for the island. China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, announced meas»»»
‘Save Humanity’: Four Figures Battling It Out to Lead Embattled UN
Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, and Senegal's Macky Sall will each f»»»
Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Links to Israel’s Spy Agency
Iran executed two men on Monday convicted of having links to Israel's spy agency, the judiciary said, the latest in a string of executions since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States. "The death sentences of Mohammad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out at dawn today," the»»»
Venezuela's transition: privatizing the oil industry
PoliticsVenezuelaVenezuela's transition: privatizing the oil industryTobias KäuferAfter the US ousted Maduro and effectively seized control of Venezuela's oil industry, the country's economy has been transitioning rapidly. The interim government is wooing investors but lacks democratic backing. htt»»»
Final Hungarian election results confirm supermajority for Tisza
Tisza will have 141 representatives in Hungary's 199-seat parliament, giving the party a supermajority of 70.85%, data from the National Election Office released on April 18 show after counting mail-in ballots and transferred votes. »»»
Allies Fear a Rushed US–Iran Framework Deal Could Backfire, Leaving Technical Deadlock
European allies fear an inexperienced US negotiating team is pushing for a swift, headline-grabbing framework deal with Iran that could entrench rather than resolve deeper problems, diplomats with past experience dealing with Tehran said. They worry Washington, eager to claim a diplomatic win for P»»»
Fico Risks Facing Assassination Attempt If Travels to Ukraine - Senior Slovak Lawmaker
There is a risk of an assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico if he travels to Kiev, Slovak Parliament Deputy Speaker Tibor Gaspar told RIA Novosti. Volodymyr Zelensky's office said on February 27 that Zelenskyy had invited Fico to Ukraine to discuss current issues. "Although Zel»»»
DR Congo, AFC/M23 group agree to facilitate aid, release prisoners within 10 days
The DR Congo government and the AFC/M23 group announced Sunday they had reached an agreement to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and release prisoners within 10 days. The Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 group has seized large swaths of territory in the eastern part of DR Congo since 2021. The DR Congo »»»
Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan participates in Antalya Diplomacy Forum - | 24.KG
Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Jeenbek Kulubaev participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which was held in Turkey. According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the panel session «Rising Together: Global Positioning of Central Asian States at Their 35th Anniversary,»»»»
Iran's uranium stockpile: Removal or dilution? Regime may have enough highly-enriched uranium to make about 10 nuclear bombs — report
A recent 60 Minutes report says Iran may have enough highly-enriched uranium to make about 10 nuclear bombs, reviving debate over whether the US could physically seize or neutralise the stockpile. The answer, according to arms-control experts and US policy analysts, is that a “Project Sapphire”-sty»»»
Canadian PM Mark Carney calls close trade ties to U.S. a 'weakness' - UPI.com
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney raises his fist as he is greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump outside the West Wing of the White House on May 6, 2025. Carney on Sunday defending his push to expand his country's economic ties beyond the United States. File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License »»»
Argentina's Milei says US-Israel war against Iran 'right thing to do'
Argentine President Javier Milei declared on Sunday that the joint US-Israel war against Iran was the "right thing to do", as he signed on to the so-called Isaac Accords aimed at deepening bilateral ties between Israel and Latin American countries. Making his third visit to Israel as president, Mil»»»
U.S. Navy fires on Iranian ship as Trump officials head to peace talks in Pakistan - UPI.com
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the U.S. Navy had intercepted and boarded an Iranian-flagged ship attempted to bypass the U.S. blockade of the Gulf of Oman to prevent Iranian ships from transiting out of the region. Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo April 19 (UPI) -- The U.S»»»
Iran-US talks hit snag, as Tehran threatens to boycott 2nd round in Islamabad
The Iran-US talks hosted in Pakistan hit a snag as Tehran refused to attend a second round in Islamabad, protesting Washington's ongoing naval blockade of its ports and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has recently declared the waterway "completely open". Late on Sunday (April 19) Iran rejected the secon»»»
Qatar-moved emergency item resolution adopted by General Assembly of IPU
QNA Istanbul The 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on its closing day in Istanbul, Turkiye, unanimously adopted the resolution on the emergency item submitted by Qatar along with a number of other countries, entitled: “The urgent need for coordinated parliamentary effort»»»
UPDATE: Bulgaria’s Radev wins election, set for parliamentary majority
Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev is on course to secure a parliamentary majority in the country’s snap election, according to parallel vote counts, in what would be the first single-party majority since 1997. With a»»»
UPDATE: Bulgaria’s Radev wins decisive election victory, exit polls show
Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev is on course for a decisive victory in the country’s snap parliamentary elections, with the latest parallel vote counts pointing to an unexpected outright majority that would allow him to form a government without coalition partners. »»»
Iran war: Over $1 billion made from suspiciously timed oil price tips—who's behind them?
Dubai: A string of unusually timed oil trades totalling over $1 billion is drawing scrutiny from U.S. regulators and lawmakers, after they were placed just before major war-related announcements that sent global prices sharply lower. These were not routine trades. They were large, high-risk predict»»»
Rumen Radev: "Victory of Hope" as His Progressive Bulgaria Leads Snap Elections
Rumen Radev delivered a brief statement following exit poll results indicating a strong lead for his Progressive Bulgaria coalition in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections, thanking voters and calling the outcome "a victory of hope". According to exit polls, Progressive Bulgaria gets over 38% of t»»»
IPU General Assembly adopts emergency item resolution submitted by Qatar
Istanbul: On its closing day in Istanbul, Turkiye, the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unanimously adopted the resolution on the emergency item submitted by the State of Qatar along with a number of other countries, entitled: "the urgent need for coordinated parliament»»»
Bulgaria’s Radev set for election win, exit polls show
Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev took a commanding lead in snap parliamentary elections on April 19, exit polls showed, putting him on course to win but likely short of an outright majority. Exit polls from fiv»»»
INTERVIEW: After Orbán, can Hungary reclaim its media?
It took Viktor Orbán 16 years of relentless, meticulous work to morph Hungary's media ecosystem into a formidable organism designed to perpetuate his unchecked power and serve the interests of his associates. Now, incoming»»»
Al-Sisi reaffirms Egypt’s support for Kuwait’s security, calls for deeper economic ties
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for Kuwait’s security and stability, rejecting any violation of its sovereignty and stressing that the security of Kuwait and other Arab states is integral to Egypt’s national security. According to the Egyptian presidency, »»»
Interior Minister Announces Parties Featured in Election Offence Alerts
Shortly after the end of the election say on Sunday, acting Interior Minister Emil Dechev announced what parties were featured in alerts for election-related irregularities, including vote buying and provided detailed data about the results of the Ministry efforts to ensure fair elections. The Move»»»
Argentina’s Milei Says US-Israel War Against Iran ‘Right Thing to Do’
Argentine President Javier Milei declared Sunday that the joint US-Israel war against Iran was the "right thing to do", as he signed on to the so-called Isaac Accords aimed at deepening bilateral ties between Israel and Latin American countries. Making his third visit to Israel as president, Milei »»»