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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Antalya: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended today the opening of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026, at the invitation of his brother President of the Republic of Turkiye HE Recep Tayyip Erdoğan . The opening ceremony was also attended by a number of Their Excellencies and Highnesse»»»

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»»»

An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to figures published by UN Women on Friday, and the agency warned that deaths have continued six months into a fragile ceasefire. More than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza between October 202»»»

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»»»

Manila: A state witness told the an ati-graft court (known as "Sandiganbayan") that for every ₱100 million allocated to flood control projects under the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO), only about ₱35 million was actually used for implementation. Henry Alcantara, former district engin»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Bangkok: The Thai government is strengthening wildfire response efforts by using satellite technology to detect and contain fires more quickly, as wildfires intensified across northern and western Thailand. According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Periswiwatana, the approach was recently »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Paris: Sotheby's Paris announced the sale of two rare paintings by French artist Claude Monet for over €16 million at a major auction attended by international collectors. One work, Vetheuil, Morning Effect (1901), valued between €6-8 million, reflects key elements of Impressionism, particularly th»»»

London: Global oil prices have dropped by more than 10 percent following the announcement of the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns over supply disruptions. The price of Brent crude for June delivery fell by 10.42 percent to USD 89.03 per barrel. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermedi»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Trump administration is considering unfreezing $20 billion worth of Iranian financial assets in exchange for the Islamic Republic abandoning its stockpile of enriched uranium, Axios reported on Friday, citing four sources. As part of the ongoing negotiations, Washington a»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia has had special relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries for decades. "We have always had, and I am sure will continue to have, a special attitude toward this, if only for historical reasons,»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Geneva: Over 38,000 women and girls were killed in the Gaza war by the end of 2025, the UN estimated Friday, amounting to over half of the 71,000 deaths recorded by the territory's health ministry. "Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza -- the »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Dubai: At a time when headlines feel heavy, South African comedian Robby Collins (read the full interview here) chose laughter over fear. In Dubai with The Laughter Factory, he found packed rooms, warm audiences, and a city that feels incredibly safe, despite uncertainty due to ongoing regional ten»»»

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»»»

Montreal: The head of the International Air Transport Association has warned that parts of Europe could begin canceling flights from late May due to potential jet fuel shortages, raising concerns about disruption during the busy summer travel season. Speaking on Friday, Director General Willie Wals»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»