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»»»

A former parliamentary police officer has been sentenced to multiple life terms by a court in Athens after being convicted of serious sexual offences against his children. The first-instance Athens Mixed Jury Court imposed four life sentences on the defendant, along with an additional 80 years and »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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.»»»

The US has expanded its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, telling its military to pursue Iran-linked vessels everywhere around the globe, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, has said. Washington announced it would stop ships from accessing Iranian ports on Monday after talks with »»»

Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI company Anthropic, is meeting with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Friday as his company remains in a legal battle with the Trump administration. File Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI company Anthropic, is meet»»»

In an address to the nation regarding the April 19 early parliamentary elections, President Iliana Iotova said: "Let us vote, but let us also think about the day after the elections, when we will live and work together." She added that once the political intrigue has died down, the urgent problems »»»

Hezbollah said its fighters would “keep their fingers on the trigger” hours after a ceasefire took effect between Lebanon and Israel, warning it would not stay silent over any Israeli violations and would not repeat its past restraint under the October 2024 ceasefire, when Israel continued attacks »»»

Velichie leader Ivelin Mihaylov called for a change in politics at the party's campaign closing event at the National Palace of Culture on Friday. "We must change politics. People need to see the change," Mihaylov said, adding that a new generation committed to working responsibly for the public is»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday resisted demands he resign over revelations that his scandal-tainted pick for UK ambassador to Washington was appointed despite failing security checks. Starmer says he was not informed that the Foreign Office had overruled the recommendation of securit»»»

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»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Iran may conclude a deal within the next day or two, US President Donald Trump said on Friday. "The Iranians want to meet. They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend. I think we will get a deal in the next day o»»»

A New York City police officer on horseback nabbed a suspected purse snatcher after chasing her through the streets of Manhattan at full gallop — a wild scene evoking the clip-clopping past of a city where lights, sirens and squad cars are the norm. The late Wednesday morning pursuit began when the»»»

Drone and rocket strikes in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region on Friday killed three Iranian Kurds, including two women fighters, an exiled opposition group said, blaming the attack on Iran. "Iran launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes today targeting... civilian camps of the PDKI," killin»»»

Sharjah: Air Arabia said it is operating a limited number of flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, subject to regulatory and operational approvals, as services gradually resume following recent disruptions. The airline said passengers can book available flights through its website, mobile a»»»

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways today announced a significant expansion of its Africa network, adding new routes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe from Abu Dhabi, as part of its continued global growth strategy. The new services reflect investment in high-growt»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Brussels, April 17 (SANA) – The European Union plans to enhance cooperation with Syria by resuming official political contacts and reactivating a 1978 cooperation agreement, according to a document from the EU’s diplomatic service cited by Reuters. The document indicates that the EU will launch a h»»»

These elections will not resolve the political crisis in Bulgaria; they may even deepen it, Blue Bulgaria Coalition co-founder Vili Lilkov said in Sofia as the coalition closed its election campaign on Friday. "This is why we must be prepared to run in the next elections. If not in early parliament»»»

Closing her election campaign in Haskovo on Friday, the leader of the Defiant Bulgaria National Movement party, Korneliya Ninova, called on all citizens to vote rationally rather than emotionally, and to remain defiant to the end, refusing to surrender or “sell out”. “We have proven over the years »»»

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 »»»

Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc issued on Friday a statement that underlined how the authorities in Lebanon endangered the nation and its integrity by holding direct negotiations with the the Israeli enemy. The Lebanese authority has involved the nation in a stage that endangers its existence as a s»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

MANILA: In Philippine folklore, the agimat or anting-anting is a talisman believed to make its bearer bulletproof, invisible to enemies — or mysteriously protected from harm. In modern Philippine politics, some officials seem to wear a different kind of anting-anting: impunity. Also Read: Flood con»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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.»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said overnight that he hopes Hezbollah "acts nicely and well during this important period of time," shortly after he announced a ten-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. "It will be an GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!" Trum»»»

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»»»

The UAE has called for firm international action to safeguard sovereignty and protect global trade routes, warning that threats to maritime security and regional stability cannot be addressed through rhetoric alone. Speaking at the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Istanbul, Saqr 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»»»

A 53-year-old Indian-origin woman who has lived in the United States for more than three decades has been detained by immigration authorities in Texas, triggering legal challenges and growing concern over her treatment. Meenu Batra, a court interpreter who has spent over 35 years in the US, was arr»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»