Share: Arriving in Phoenix, Ariz. for a Turning Point USA event, President Trump told reporters that the American blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz will end when the United States reaches a peace deal with Iran. Here is the latest about the war in Iran and Lebanon today: Strait of H»»»

Share: Israel asked the White House for clarifications about President Trump’s post that Israel was “prohibited” from conducting airstrikes in Lebanon, a U.S. source and another source familiar tell Axios. Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers were shocked by Tr»»»

Share: Residents of southern Beirut fly the Hezbollah flag as they ride past buildings that were destroyed by Israel after Hezbollah entered the war in support of Iran on March 2 . © Fadel Itani, AFP Beirut- Lebanon- People uprooted by the war in Lebanon began returning to devastated towns and neig»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office for failing to disclose that former ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson failed his security check. Pool Photo by Betty Laura Zapata/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer fir»»»

US President Donald Trump’s war of words with Pope Leo XIV appears to have split his own MAGA movement. While a number of prominent Republicans have distanced themselves from the exchange, others have stepped in to reassure him of their continued support. Read more Trump casts himself as Jesus afte»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 U.S. State Department said Friday that President Donald Trump’s announced prohibition on Israeli strikes inside Lebanon applies only to offensive attacks and not to actions taken in self-defense, and referred to the third point of Wednesday’s agreement by Israel and Lebanon. That point says “Is»»»

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 »»»

Hassan Abu Khalil's family miraculously survived six weeks of war in southern Lebanon, but tragedy struck in the final minutes before a ceasefire came into force. An Israeli strike late on Thursday killed 13 of his relatives, leaving him the sole survivor. Abu Khalil, 36, stepped out to see friends»»»

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»»»

One of Thessaloniki’s last Holocaust survivors, Heinz Kounio, has died aged 98, an association representing Greece’s Jewish communities said Friday. The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, or KIS, described Kounio as an “emblematic figure” who was among the first Greek Jews to write abou»»»

WASHINGTON - Serbian First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali announced on Friday US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers would visit Belgrade in May to sign a contract on her country's participation in EXPO 2027, and noted that this would turn a new page in Serbia-US »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will reopen to shipping, but said a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal is signed. "THANK YOU!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that Iran had announced »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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,»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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.»»»

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»»»

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reaffirmed its deepening programmatic engagement with Egypt, stating that the $8.1 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) remains the cornerstone of the nation’s macroeconomic stability. In its latest assessment, the Fund emphasized that the program continues»»»

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»»»

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah praised Friday Iran as he spoke to reporters in the battered Beirut southern suburb of Haret Hreik. “Yesterday, before the ceasefire, Hezbollah’s leadership was formally informed around 4am from the Iranian ambassador that there will be a ceasefire at nigh»»»

Milan: Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has encountered some jet fuel shortages at three airports in Italy, its chief executive said Friday, following warnings about supplies because of the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. "We had problems because of a shortage of jet fuel in three Italian airp»»»

US President Donald Trump’s policy has ended up creating problems for Americans, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said, citing soaring energy prices linked to the war on Iran. Lula made the remarks in an interview with El Pais published on Thursday. “[Trump] is playing a very dange»»»

Share: The Lebanese army started reconstruction of some of the bridges bombed by Israel during its war with Hezbollah Here is the latest on Middle East war Hezbollah and Iran have indicated backing for the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, but both say they’re poised with their “fingers on the »»»

The leaders of France and the U.K. gathered dozens of countries — but not the United States — on Friday to push forward plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The Paris meeting is part of attempts by sidelined nations to ease the impact of »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters regarding Iran on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday before departing on Marine One to travel to Las Vegas for a Republican Party event. Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump an»»»

Bulgaria’s healthcare system faces a risk of destabilization due to chronic underfunding, the Bulgarian Medical Association (BMA) warned on Friday, reiterating its demand for a 25% increase in the prices of all medical activities paid for by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Speaking along»»»

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»»»

WASHINGTON - At a reception in Washington, Serbian First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali urged international companies to become a part of EXPO 2027 Belgrade and Serbia's accelerated growth. "The EXPO in Belgrade is the biggest event in our history, but it is also the biggest event that »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Global oil prices will fluctuate between $95 and $120 per barrel in the near future due to the Middle East conflict, Kyle Shostak, director of Navigator Principal Investors, told RIA Novosti. "My reading of the situation is that the Trump administration is hopeful that the bl»»»

Dubai: In a move to address the growing concerns over global energy security, Japan has announced a major regional initiative aimed at protecting Asian economies from supply disruptions, particularly those linked to key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. During an online meeting held on »»»

Cairo — Egypt expects its economy to grow between 4.8% and 5% in the third quarter of the current 2025/2026 fiscal year, reflecting continued resilience despite global uncertainty, according to Ahmed Kouchouk in statements reported by Asharq Bloomberg. Speaking on the sidelines of the Spring Meetin»»»

Paris: Executive Director of International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, said restoring energy production in the Middle East following the recent regional tension could take around two years. In press remarks on Friday, Birol noted that recovery timelines would vary from country to country, wit»»»

“We are not fighting for power. We want to govern because we have shown what happens during our governance - construction, construction, construction, including in Haskovo,” said GERB leader Boyko Borissov during a meeting with mayors, municipal councilors, activists, and supporters from the Haskov»»»

Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons is to resign at the end of May, the Trump administration announced Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- Todd Lyons is to resign as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according»»»

Skopje, 14 April 2026 (MIA) - The Ministry of Economy and Labour announces that, in cooperation with the State Market Inspectorate, it has prepared a comparative analysis of the prices of basic food and non-food products, which shows a minimal increase in retail prices from February 1 to April 1 th»»»

The upcoming April 19 early parliamentary elections and the anticipated results is a major topic for Bulgarian media on Friday. POSSIBLE OUTCOMES – ANALYSIS Capital: “At this stage, we do not have a clear political partner, because all of them, in one way or another, have entered into harmful allia»»»