Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan Erlist Akunbekov has taken personal control of measures to ensure veterinary safety. During a working trip to the regions, he visited several farms and met with local livestock breeders, farm managers, and representative»»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One)All praise is due to Allah, the Originator and the Restorer, who spreads His mercy over His servants— “And He is the Protecting Friend, the Praiseworthy.” (Qurʾān 42:28). Glory be to Him, the Breaker of every tyrant and stubborn oppressor— “Indeed, the seizure of your Lord»»»

US House lawmakers on Wednesday examined Jeffrey Epstein’s financial empire as a committee questioned his former accountant in a closed-door deposition. Richard Kahn, an executor of Epstein’s estate, told lawmakers he had not seen evidence of abuse but described how the financier accumulated hundre»»»

Right wing hardliner Jose Antonio Kast was sworn in as Chile’s president Wednesday, marking the nation’s most stark shift to the right since since the brutal dictatorship of general Augusto Pinochet, whom Kast greatly admires. Kast vowed in his inaugural address to follow through on sweep»»»

Police shot and killed a man on Thursday after he drove a vehicle into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, where a large-scale law enforcement operation is now under way. The city's county sheriff confirmed the fatality and reported that a security guard had also been inj»»»

Officers from the State Service on Drug Control of the Main Department of Internal of Bishkek detained a suspect in the sale of narcotics during an investigative operation. On February 5, they received information that an unknown individual named Zh. was selling potent substances. A criminal case h»»»

Several Israeli strikes targeted a building in the heart of Beirut on Thursday, with Israel threatening to "do the job on the ground" if Lebanon did not disarm Hezbollah. Since March 2, the war has killed more than 687 people and displaced more than 800,000, according to the latest official Lebanes»»»

Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, has declared in his first public statement read on state television Thursday, that he would keep the Strait of Hormuz shut to pressure the United States and Israel, as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of winding down. Iran's new supreme leader »»»

A new violent escalation in Lebanon – but in reality, the war that began in 2023 never truly stopped. According to the United Nations, the ceasefire signed in November 2024 between Hezbollah and Israel has been violated more than 14,000 times by Israel. Then, in late February, Iran’s supreme l»»»

FRANCE 24’s François Picard is joined by Dr. Rouzbeh Parsi, Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Lund University in Sweden. According to Parsi, the current political situation in Iran should be approached with caution, as too much attention is being paid to the potential rise of Mojtaba Khamenei. The Islamic»»»

Footage from January and February 2026 captures Israeli aircraft spraying herbicides over agricultural land in southern Syria. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to a farmer who described the significant losses resulting from these spraying operations. Videos sent to our team show Israeli planes fl»»»

Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Dr H. A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and International Security Studies in London. The succession process currently unfolding in Iran must be understood within the extraordinary context of wartim»»»

In Beirut, refugees from conflict zones like Sudan and Ethiopia have once again been caught up in war — the very thing they hoped to leave behind in their home countries. FRANCE 24's reporter spoke to families sheltering at a Jesuit church in the Lebanese capital, who »»»

Senegal’s parliament on Wednesday passed a law doubling the maximum prison term for same-sex relations to 10 years, intensifying a crackdown on the LGBTQ community. The bill, which also criminalizes promoting or financing such relationships, now awaits President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s signatu»»»

With France preparing to vote in the first round of municipal elections on Sunday, Paris has become a battleground between left- and right-wing forces fighting to shape the capital’s future. And as Parisians increasingly place public safety at the top of their concerns, candidates from across the s»»»

As Iran’s new supreme leader calls for the Strait of Hormuz to remain closed, France’s Minister of Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs, Catherine Vautrin, says Paris has no plans to send naval vessels to the strategic waterway. In an interview with FRANCE 24, she also stressed that France is not parti»»»

Nerd Alert! This week we focus on France’s contribution to knowledge and ideas. If French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am,” then “we think, therefore we are” could be said of the French. Over the years, France has produced a wide array of world-leading thinkers at»»»

China approved a new "ethnic unity" law on Thursday, which formalises policies to promote Mandarin as the "national common language" in education, official business and public places. China's government has been accused for decades of pursuing policies to force assimilation across the vas»»»

A passenger that departed from Dandong in China arrived in North Korea's capital Pyongyang on Thursday evening, state media said, after a six-year hiatus following strict border closures enforced in 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a »»»

Dubai: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has announced a temporary ban on theatre performances, concerts and wedding celebrations during the upcoming Eid Al Fitr holiday, citing precautionary security measures aimed at limiting large gatherings. In a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry said the »»»

Kyrgyz Pochtasy OJSC has announced an international epistolary essay contest for schoolchildren aged from 9 to 15. According to the company, participants are invited to reflect on the importance of human connections in today’s digital world. Contestants should write a letter to a friend, revealing »»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One)All praise is due to Allah, the Originator and the Restorer, who spreads His mercy over His servants— “And He is the Protecting Friend, the Praiseworthy.” (Qurʾān 42:28). Glory be to Him, the Breaker of every tyrant and stubborn oppressor— “Indeed, the seizure of your Lord»»»

It is difficult to forecast further price dynamics for fuels and lubricants in Kyrgyzstan due to high uncertainty in external markets. Ainura Mambetkul kyzy, head of the Monetary Policy Department of the National Bank, stated on the air of Birinchi Radio. She recalled that fuel prices increased on »»»

Dubai: The Security patrols in Saudi Arabia’s Medina region have arrested a Filipino domestic worker accused of fatally stabbing a child inside his home, authorities said on Friday. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the Public Security Directorate said the suspect was apprehende»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev presented certificates of honor and letters of appreciation from the Cabinet to Kyrgyzstanis who demonstrated outstanding results in their work. The awards were presented to participants of the Government Accelerators program, ci»»»

The UAE announced temporary measures to support residents and maintain public safety amid regional tensions. Expats abroad with expired visas can return without a new entry permit until March 31, while Sharjah issued emergency alert guidelines. UAE air defences intercepted missiles and drones, scho»»»

A United Nations watchdog has warned that "racist hate speech" used by President Donald Trump and other US politicians has fuelled human rights violations. A report by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), a UN-backed panel of independent experts, urged the US to respect»»»

The U.S. Department of State is introducing new requirements for registration in the Diversity Visa program (Green Card lottery), which will take effect on April 10. The changes were published on the department’s official website. The key change will be the requirement to submit digital copies of d»»»

As UAE airlines gradually resume operations amid ongoing regional airspace restrictions, passengers are urged to stay informed about flight schedules, booking options, and potential scams. Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and Air Arabia are all operating limited flights, with updated timetables and safe»»»

Production facilities for reinforced concrete products will be built in Chui and Talas regions, National Electric Network of Kyrgyzstan (NENK) OJSC reported. Energy specialists plan to launch the new sites in August—September 2026 to improve the reliability of electricity supply and modernize infra»»»

Artem Novikov, Chairman of the Board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund (RKDF), has been elected President of the Basketball Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the organization, he thanked the board members for their trust and noted that the development of sports and support for yo»»»

ROME: One of the hottest tickets in the Vatican's backyard these days is for a four-lecture series on the Antichrist being given by Silicon Valley tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The invitation-only conference in Rome, from Sunday to Wednesday, has proven so controversial that the Catholic universiti»»»

The US has authorised countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum that is currently loaded on vessels at sea in an attempt to curb the economic impact of the US-Israel war with Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it was a temporary measure to "promote stability in global energy»»»

Share: People watch a plume of smoke rising following an Israeli missile strike in the neighbourhood of Bashoura in central Beirut on March 12, 2026. © Joseph Eid, AFP Several Israeli strikes targeted a building in the heart of Beirut on Thursday, with Israel threatening to “do the job on the groun»»»

The Senate has approved an amendment to the Act on the National Labor Inspectorate (PIP), with 57 senators voting in favor, one against and 31 abstaining. The bill now awaits the president’s signature. The reform gives labor inspectors the power to convert sham civil law or B2B contracts into emplo»»»

Following President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of the SAFE Act, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced an alternative strategy to secure defense financing. An extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers was scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. to discuss the government’s response. According to Magdale»»»

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday claimed that American negotiators dismissed Iran's proposal aimed at ensuring "no nuclear weapons" because they failed to grasp its technical details. He said that Iran had proposed mechanisms to ensure there would be "no nuclear weapo»»»

Drones, cruise missiles and fighter jets have become a common sight for many sailors stranded on oil tankers and freight ships in the Gulf, after Iran threatened to open fire on any vessels trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz, in response to US-Israeli attacks. In recent days there has been a grow»»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah Government Media Bureau has released a set of safety guidelines outlining how the public should respond when official emergency alerts are issued, stressing the importance of remaining calm and relying only on information from official authorities. The guide highlights precauti»»»

Washington: The United States is “fully prepared” to deploy naval escorts for commercial vessels through the strategic Strait of Hormuz as tensions in the Middle East escalate, with major implications for the flow of global energy supplies. “President Trump is fully prepared to provide US Navy esco»»»

HAVANA: Cuba’s government said Thursday night that it would release 51 people from the island’s prisons in an unexpected move. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the release in the upcoming days stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican. The government did not identify »»»

An attack has killed a French soldier in Erbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region, says President Emmanuel Macron. A member of the armed forces "died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq," Macron posted on X, confirming the first French military death in the Middle East war.»»»

Israel renewed its strikes on Beirut on Thursday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that if the Lebanese government did not disarm Hezbollah, Israel would do the job "on the ground". "You are playing with fire," Benjamin Netanyahu said to Lebanese authorities during a press conference,»»»

US President Donald Trump said Thursday the war against Iran was moving "very rapidly," even as Tehran's new leader vowed defiance in his first public message. "The situation with Iran is moving along very rapidly. It's doing very well, our military is unsurpassed," Trump said at the White House. A»»»

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering waivers to the 106-year-old Jones Act, which requires cargo on all shipping vessels to be owned and operated by 75% U.S. citizens, with the vessels registered in the United States, in order to ease rapidly rising gas and fuel prices. Photo by Bonnie »»»

Brent crude inched further above $100 a barrel and stocks fell in early Asian trade on Friday, after Iran vowed to attack oil resources in the Middle East and keep choking the Strait of Hormuz. Having risen above $100 on Thursday, Brent was up 0.20% at $100.66 at around 0020 GMT, while West Texas I»»»

Oil prices experienced slight declines on Friday (March 13, 2026) following extreme volatility that saw crude rates to skyrockets. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a key US crude oil benchmark, was a trading at around $95.11 per barrel (down -0.62 or -0.65%) and Brent crude at approximately $100.1 pe»»»

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at an extraordinary pace, penetrating multiple fields with machines capable of simulating human abilities, from collecting and analysing information to drawing conclusions and making decisions. This rapid progress is reshaping both civilian and military con»»»

With the US racing to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and stabilise soaring oil prices, a report emerged that Iran has sown an "estimated 10 mines" in the vital chokepoint, where 20% of global oil exports pass through. The Wall Street Journal reported the deployment of marine mines, citing "intelligen»»»

France is preparing to vote in town council elections, whose results will be closely analysed for trends ahead of next year's presidential votes. A strong showing for Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) would be a boost for the nationalist right - even as she awaits a judicial decision on whether s»»»