A 10-day truce began in Lebanon on Friday that could pause fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war. US President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire »»»

The US says its maritime enforcement operation targeting Iranian ports remains in place, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) reporting that multiple vessels have been diverted in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said on Friday that a US Navy destroyer redirected a merchant vessel as part of ongoing measures»»»

The Department of State under Secretary Marco Rubio (L) announced an expansion to an existing policy to restrict visas to anyone in the Western Hemisphere it accuses of working to forward the interests of U.S. adversaries. File Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The Trump ad»»»

A looming jet fuel shortage across Europe and Asia, triggered by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, could disrupt global travel within weeks if oil flows are not restored soon. The pressure on supplies risks higher airfares and potential flight cancellations as the peak»»»

Share: Israeli soldiers next to artillery vehicles ( SIGMA 155) deployed in the Upper Galilee near the Israel-Lebanon border on April 16, 2026. © Jalaa Marey, AFP A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the US, went into effect at 5pm EST on Thursday. Lebanon’s army soon after re»»»

A ten-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday as US President Donald Trump pushes for broader regional diplomacy, including a possible first-ever leaders’ meeting. The truce comes amid efforts to end wider conflict involving Iran and follows weeks of intense fighting and heav»»»

The words we hear in our childhood rarely pass through our lives unnoticed. They linger like a cloud in the mind, reminding us — every time the rain of their conversations falls — of the thorns of negativity. For years, that narrative persisted in the minds of many across the region we share in lan»»»

France and Britain will co-host a video conference Friday of countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission" to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Yinka Oyetade, Dr Bamo Nouri, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of West London, says that t»»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One)All praise is for Allah, and again all praise is for Allah. O Allah, to You belongs all praise as befits the majesty of Your Face and the majesty of Your dominion. Glory be to You—we cannot enumerate praise of You; You are as You have praised Yourself. We bear witness that»»»

In the days after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam became engulfed in a scandal over a racist photo on his medical school yearbook in 2019, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax looked poised to ascend to the post and become the state’s second Black governor. That never happened. Soon after, Fairfax dealt with his ow»»»

South Korean government secures alternative oil supplies of 27 million barrels in June, expands support to diversify imports amid Middle East disruptions. Trade, Industry and Resources Minister Kim Jung-kwan attends a press conference at the government complex in Sejong, central South Korea. Photo »»»

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz needs to reopen "but not at any price," adding that G7 leaders stand ready to mitigate the war's economic fallout. Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven advanced economies added i»»»

Share: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked/File Photo Summary A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect»»»

The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against two sons of Nicaragua's presidential couple, both of whom hold government posts, as well as several enterprises involved with gold mining in the Central American country. Washington has branded the government of President Daniel Ortega and h»»»

Share: President Joseph Aoun refused to call Israeli PM Netanyahu to ask for a truce in Lebanon. US President Donald Trump pressured Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon During a security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu was asked what led to the sudden change and Israel’s decision to agree to a cea»»»

QNA Muscat The Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman discussed developments in the region amid rising regional tensions during a meeting at Al Baraka Palace in Muscat on Thursday. They exchanged views on current developments, particularly»»»

QNA Berlin Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi held a series of high-level talks in Berlin on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments. Dr. Al Khulaifi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul. He also met sepa»»»

QNA Doha Qatar’s committee for the admission of lawyers convened on Thursday to review applications and regulatory matters concerning the legal profession, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s judicial framework. Chaired by Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon. In a video statement, Netanyahu said he was taking the step in an attempt “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon.FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson r»»»

France and Britain will co-host a video conference Friday of countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission" to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Yinka Oyetade, Dr Bamo Nouri, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of West London, says that t»»»

A new U-S-born Pope on a first-ever visit to Cameroon’s restive English-speaking northwest, and who’s not turning the other cheek: “Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that »»»

Ankara, April 16 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa received on Thursday US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, at his residence in Antalya, Türkiye, on the sidelines of his official visit to the country to take part in the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, »»»

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a cease-fire for 10 days to allow for talks about ejecting Hezbollah from that country, which Israel said is its primary goal in strikes launched on its neighbor over the last six weeks. File Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- President Do»»»

DOHA: Minister of Public Health HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud has issued a circular replacing health cards with ID cards for residents at public healthcare facilities. A statement from the Ministry of Public Health on Thursday said that under Circular No. (10) of 2026, residents will be require»»»

An Iranian embassy has shared an AI-generated video depicting Jesus casting Donald Trump into hell, following backlash over a social media post in which the US president appeared to portray himself as a Christ-like healer. Trump posted the image on Truth Social on Sunday but deleted it the followin»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the ten-day ceasefire with Lebanon offered an opportunity for a "historic peace agreement" with Lebanon, but insisted that the disarmament of Hezbollah remained a precondition. "We have an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement wi»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he expected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhyahu and President Joseph Aoun to visit the White House in coming days, after the U.S. leader announced a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. "As of two hours from now, we have a ceasefire with Israel and »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium and that the two sides were "close" to a peace deal to end the war that has engulfed the Middle East. The United States had earlier threatened to resume airstrikes on the Islamic republic and m»»»

The UAE has welcomed the announcement by US President Donald Trump of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, commending the diplomatic efforts that led to the breakthrough. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the development would represent a positive step»»»

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting militant group Hezbollah since last month. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's welcome of the announcement by... Trump of a ce»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Public Health HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim bin Saad Al Mahmoud has issued a circular adopting the valid national ID (QID) card for residents in place of the health card when visiting Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, and other government health sector in»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium and that the two sides were "close" to a peace deal to end the war that has engulfed the Middle East. The United States had earlier threatened to resume airstrikes on t»»»

AMMAN — Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jordan marks a "further" step in deepening investment ties between the two countries, as bilateral cooperation shifts toward implementation across key sectors.Investment Minister, Tareq Abu Ghazaleh, said the agreem»»»

AMMAN — Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreissat on Thursday said Jordan’s agricultural sector continues to post strong performance, underpinned by improved supply chains and growing domestic production.Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, Khreissat described the sector as a "success story" despite limited nat»»»

Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said the UAE has the right to seek guarantees to prevent the repetition of cowardly Iranian attacks and to be compensated after the Iranian aggression against GCC countries. “The Iranian regime has attacked everyone in the Gulf, ev»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States and Iran were "very close" to a peace deal and that he would consider going to Pakistan to sign an agreement. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added that Tehran had agreed to hand over its store of»»»

Republicans in the House of Representatives voted down a war powers resolution that would rein in President Trump's ability to wage war in Iran for a second time, although with just a one-vote margin this time. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Republican members of th»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov Thursday expressed concern over what he described as systemic abuses within Bulgaria’s healthcare financing system, where hospitals exploit legal loopholes in order to maximize their profit and not to improve patient care, and demanded changes in the applicable»»»

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to observe a 10-day ceasefire that begins at midnight Beirut time, the United States said. Below is the full text of the statement that was agreed to by the Government of Israel and Government of Lebanon, as published by the U.S. State Department: "Following productiv»»»

Berlin: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi held a series of high-level talks in Berlin on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments. HE Al Khulaifi met separately with senior German officials including HE Dr Guenter Sautter, Foreign »»»

Tunis, April 16 (TAP) - Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ben Ayed, met on Thursday in Tunis Ciprian Mihali, Romanian president's personal representative for Francophonie affairsDuring the...»»»

The International Monetary Fund said the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan were facing a pivotal and exceptionally difficult moment in their modern economic history after the war that broke out on Feb. 28, 2026, describing it as a severe and multifaceted shock to one of the world’s most strat»»»

Plastic sheeting serving as tents and mattresses laid on the ground: in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, the widows of fallen soldiers are struggling to survive in a makeshift camp. They say they fled the capital of North Kivu province, Goma, after it fell to the M23 rebels in January 2025. Left»»»

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast (C) arrives by car at the Metropolitan Cathedral to attend aass and a 'Prayer for the People of Chile and the New Government' in Santiago on Sunday. Photo by Allen Diaz/EPA SANTIAGO-Chile, April 16 (UPI) -- Chilean President José Antonio Kast announced a package »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The protracted Middle East conflict has had significant impact on international energy security and the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. "The US-Israel war against Iran should never have started. The protracted conflic»»»

Washington, April 16 (SANA) US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday an agreement for a ten-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. “I had excellent talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and they agreed that in order to achieve peace betwe»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire Thursday, and said he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries. Following what he called "excellent" phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Leb»»»

Tunis, April 16 (TAP) - Any potential funding raised to address the repercussions of the war must be additional to that previously allocated, so as not to jeopardise the financing of the portfolio of ongoing projects, affirmed Minister of Economy...»»»

MUSCAT: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani left Muscat, after a fraternal visit to the Sultanate of Oman. At the forefront of those bidding farewell to HH the Amir and the accompanying delegation was HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of the sisterly Sultanate of O»»»

In a speech in Riyadh in May 2025, US President Donald Trump appeared to criticise his White House predecessors, including fellow Republican President George W. Bush, for invading Iraq in 2003, bringing down Saddam Hussein’s regime, and trying to rebuild the Iraqi state. Trump’s barb was at “so-cal»»»