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»»»

A federal jury in New York finds for the plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit against concert giant Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster. We take a closer look. But first: the IMF warns on mounting public debt amid a global energy crisis, and China's economy beats expectations as growth accelerates d»»»

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»»»

Wall Street stocks ended higher Thursday (April 17), adding to records as investors greeted optimistic comments from US President Donald Trump about negotiations with Iran while shrugging off a jump in crude prices. After veering between gains and losses much of the day, all three major US indices »»»

A surge of oil tankers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers is crowding the Panama Canal, as shifting global energy routes driven by conflict in the Middle East push the strategic waterway to near-maximum capacity. Videos circulating online this week show long lines of vessels waiting to transi»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

1 of 4 | White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds an illustration on Wednesday of the proposed Triumphal Arch that President Donald Trump wants to build. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The Commission of Fine Arts voted Thursday to OK President Donald Trump's pla»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war with Israel in early March. Six weeks later, the group, which had suffered setbacks in 2024, is still putting up a fight. But how? And can the Lebanese government succeed in getting the militant group to disarm? In this edition of Middle East Matters, we are »»»

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»»»

Pope Leo XIV condemned "a handful of tyrants" that were ravaging the world with war on Thursday, calling instead for the billions spent every year on weapons to go instead towards healthcare and education. The pontiff's strident comments came during a visit to Cameroon's separatist west, where thou»»»

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - The date for the second round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict, hosted by Pakistan as a mediator, has not yet been determined, Tahir Andrabi, the official spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday. "The dates for the next round o»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe House Speaker Nabih Berri asks residents who were displaced from South Lebanon, Dahieh, and Bekaa to postpone return till ceasefire becomes»»»

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...»»»

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»»»

Cairo is seeing renewed diplomatic momentum on Gaza, with mediators working to narrow gaps between Hamas and Israel, alongside the United States and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza at the Board of Peace. A meeting in Cairo on Tuesday brought together Hamas chief negotiator Khali»»»

1 of 2 | Pope Leo XIV waves to supporters as he leaves after his visit to the Ngul Zamba orphanage in Yaounde, Cameroon, Wednesday. Pool photo by Alberto Pizzoli April 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV spent his second day in Cameroon in the city of Bamenda, the center of separatist fighting, calling for pe»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 17:30 on Thursday 16-04-2026 Ya‘ara settlement with a rocket barrage: statement 34 16-04-2026 20:40»»»

More than three dozen Democrats backed a bid by Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to block US arms sales to Israel, reflecting growing unease over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and conflicts in Gaza and Iran. The measures failed, opposed by Republicans, but underscored rising dissent within t»»»

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that would come into effect at 5pm EST. Trump said he had earlier spoken with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Follow our liveblog for the latest upd»»»

François Picard welcomes Dallia Abdelmoniem, Political / Media Analyst and Commentator on African and Middle Eastern affairs. Sudan is a war-torn nation unraveling in real time, warns Abdelmoniem. She says that we are not just witnessing a conflict between rival armed factions; it is a systematic w»»»

Share: Here is the latest on Lebanon and the Iran war today: President Trump said on social media that he spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that they agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to begin at 5 p.m. ET Thursday. Israel’s ongoing assault »»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, April 16: We take a look at the latest coverage from the Russian independent papers. Next: a story about how new technologies are helping the elderly to combat loneliness. Also: a baby elephant has a similar story to that of Punch the monkey. Finally, why did a British»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire on Thursday evening in order to achieve peace, US President Donald Trump said. "I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph A»»»

US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting on Thursday. Trump said the truce followed "excellent" conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, taking place two days after Israel and Leban»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US measures to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz are unilateral, illegal and a liberal interpretation of the rules of international law by US, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. "The illegal nature of the US actions does not mean »»»

1 of 2 | Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz since in began on Monday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. bloc»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Navy is enforcing a blockade of Iran's coastline and ports rather than of the Strait of Hormuz, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said on Thursday. "Let me be clear. This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian por»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for a UN reform to give it the power to restore peace, warning that a new world war would be a tragedy 10 times worse than World War II. The world is witnessing an unprecedented number of simultaneous conflicts not seen sin»»»

Europe has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” the head of the International Energy Agency said Thursday in a wide-ranging Associated Press interview, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a»»»

A US lawmaker has introduced six articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over actions tied to the war on Iran. The resolution, submitted earlier this week by Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari and backed by eight Democratic co-sponsors and several anti-war groups, outli»»»

Frankfurt, Germany: German airline group Lufthansa said Thursday that it would shut down its CityLine regional subsidiary, saying higher jet fuel prices and a series of labour strikes had forced an acceleration of its strategic plans. "As a first immediately effective step, the 27 operational aircr»»»

Canberra: Australia has brokered a deal for Indonesia to supply 250,000 tonnes of fertiliser to Australian farmers facing shortfalls, officials said Thursday, as the Middle East crisis disrupts supply. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the deal, which fills 20 percent of the fertilise»»»

Dubai: The CBSE Class 10 board examination results for 2026 (Phase 1) have delivered a historic moment for Indian schools across the UAE, with multiple students scoring a perfect 100% and almost all institutions recording a 100% pass rate. What makes the results even more extraordinary is the backd»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized US President Donald Trump, saying the US leader has "no right" to threaten other nations, in an interview published in Spain on Thursday. Lula's comments come after Trump this month warned that a "whole civilization will die" in Iran if the c»»»

1 of 3 | The rise in prediction markets and an email to White House staff have lawmakers weighing how to regulate prediction markets and prevent government officials from trading using nonpublic information. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The rise in prediction mark»»»