Türkiye's central bank held its key interest rate at 37% as expected on Wednesday, deciding not to hike but warning that fallout from the Iran war could yet change the inflation outlook. It was the second straight policy meeting at which the bank held steady despite some expectations that it could »»»

ISTANBUL: Sadri Haghshenas spends her days selling borek — a layered, savory pastry — at a shop in Istanbul, but her mind is on her daughter in Tehran. The family had to send her home to Iran after they ran into difficulties renewing her visa, despite fears that a shaky ceasefire could soon collaps»»»

Lebanon will request a one-month extension of the ceasefire during its meeting with Israel in Washington on Thursday, a Lebanese official told AFP. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the topic, said "Lebanon will request an extension of the truce for one»»»

Share: A woman walks past an anti-US and anti-Israel mural, in Tehran on April 21 2026, amid a ceasefire in the region. © Atta Kenare, AFP Lebanon will ask for a one-month ceasefire extension in its talks with Israel in Washington on Thursday, according to an official. Earlier, Iran seized two ship»»»

Oil prices edged higher Wednesday while Europe's main stock markets eased on uncertainty surrounding the prospect of resumed Mideast peace talks following an extension to the US-Iran ceasefire. Asian equities had a mixed trading day as investors wait for clarity but broadly expect that both US Pres»»»

BAGHDAD/DUBAI: The United States has halted a shipment of about $500 million in cash bound for Iraq and suspended parts of its security cooperation with Baghdad, in a move aimed at pressuring the Iraqi government over the actions of Iran-backed militias, Iraqi sources told Reuters. The measures wer»»»

THE HAGUE: International Criminal Court judges Wednesday threw out a challenge against the court’s jurisdiction by Rodrigo Duterte, meaning the former Philippines president could still stand trial over his war on drugs. The 81-year-old faces three counts of crimes against humanity at the internatio»»»

BusinessRussia to block Kazakh oil flows to Germany via key pipelineArthur SullivanGermany has confirmed that Russia will block flows of Kazakh oil to a vital refinery that supplies much of Berlin's energy needs from May 1. https://p.dw.com/p/5Ce5vThe PCK refinery is a vital energy hub for BerlinIm»»»

Athens: Greece's conservative government on Wednesday announced special payments to seniors and families with children, and the extension of a fuel subsidy for farmers, to help counter a cost-of-living crisis. The aid worth hundreds of millions of dollars came as the country's parliament voted on w»»»

Trump has given no indication of how long the extension will last. The US leader's ceasefire is therefore considered indefinite, ex-ambassador to Iran Asif Durrani points out. The second round of US–Iran talks in Islamabad did not take place, as the two sides failed to agree on preliminary conditio»»»

The upper age limit for military reservists in Germany should be raised to 70 given that people stay fit longer, Bastian Ernst, the newly elected president of the country’s Reservists’ Association, has said. Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Germany has pursued a major recru»»»

Khartoum: For nearly two years, Al-Shubbak watched through ancient grey eyes as Tuti, the crescent-shaped island in the heart of the Sudanese capital she calls home, emptied of its inhabitants under a punishing paramilitary siege. She refused to leave. "I didn't even move for the English when they »»»

London: Israel could lose its observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe over a new death penalty law, the assembly president has warned. The law could see Palestinians face execution for offenses including murder and terrorism if convicted in military courts in occupied»»»

Riyadh: The mobile clinics of Saudi aid agency KSrelief in Hairan district of Yemen’s Hajjah governorate provided medical services to 472 beneficiaries in one week. The facilities handled infectious disease cases and provided emergency, internal medicine, and reproductive health services, the Saudi»»»

Washington: The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed militant groups. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to I»»»

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Kyrgyzstan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ’B’ with a stable outlook, website of the agency says. The ratings reflect Kyrgyzstan’s modest fiscal deficits, low government debt burden, and strong growth prospects, driven by investments in the ene»»»

Israel’s latest land grab is dashing Lebanon’s hope of tapping offshore gas to solve its persistent energy shortage. Maritime energy prospects were the focus of a 2022 deal on a disputed border between the two nations. On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a map of a “forward defense»»»

RIYADH: The UAE’s real estate sector remained resilient in the first quarter of 2026 despite conflict in the Middle East, while office markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi remained tight due to limited new supply, according to CBRE. In its latest report, the real estate consultancy said that average offi»»»

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that the military remained on high alert and was ready to return to fighting on all fronts, amid the fragile truces in Iran and Lebanon. “Since the inferno of October 7, we have been working to reestablish our military strength through conti»»»

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard attacked a third ship Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported. Nour News, Fars and Mehr all reported the attack by the Guard on a vessel called the Euphoria. They said the vessel had become “stranded” on the Iranian coas»»»

Berlin, April 22 (SANA) Lufthansa announced it will cancel around 20,000 flights from its schedule amid a sharp rise in fuel costs and growing concerns over jet fuel (kerosene) supplies, highlighting mounting pressure on Europe’s aviation sector. According to Germany’s Bild magazine, the airline sa»»»

In an era marked by ecological challenges, development dilemmas and geopolitical dynamics are increasingly intertwined. Through a series of innovative practices, Chinese modernization offers a "green solution" to some of humanity's pressing questions of survival and development. Rooted in the wisdo»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran's military has detained two unauthorized vessels that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the naval forces of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday. "The IRGC naval forces detained and escorted to the coast of Iran two violating vesse»»»

BEIJING: China on Wednesday denied again that a ship intercepted by the United States contained a “gift” from Beijing for Iran, a day after US President Donald Trump made the accusation. Trump had said that an Iranian-flagged ship seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday contained “a gift »»»

Vasile Țiple, Board Member of TechAngels and Defence Angels European Network (DAEN), talked to BR about Romanian investors’ strategic transition into the pan-European defence sector. He mentioned that AI-driven technologies are redefining security resilience and highlighted the critical importance »»»

TradeGlobal issuesWill Iran war reshape global trade more than COVID?Nik MartinAs the Iran war simmers, trade experts wonder if this conflict will reshape supply chains more than the pandemic. Companies are already rethinking strategies to future-proof revenues from other geopolitical risks. https:»»»

The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed armed factions. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to Iraq and froze»»»

US President Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire with Iran. The move happened just hours before the fragile two-week truce had been set to expire on Wednesday. However, he has vowed to maintain the naval blockade, touting it as leverage to force Tehran to make a deal. “I have directed our Milit»»»

The United States has not moved its THAAD missile defense system to the Middle East, USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Tuesday. In this March photo, Brunson speaks to reporters during a combined military exercise in Yeoncheon. File Photo by Yonhap The United States has not moved its THAAD mis»»»

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan's capital was still locked in gear on Wednesday to host high-stakes US-Iran talks that were pushed back at the last minute overnight, but many residents began to tire of the heavy personal and economic toll of tight security restrictions. Markets were quiet, government»»»

Dubai: Lufthansa Group has slashed 20,000 flights from its summer schedule in a bid to cut jet fuel costs as the Iran conflict pushes jet fuel prices sharply higher, the airline announced late Tuesday. The move by the German aviation giant is now setting the tone for what could be a turbulent seaso»»»

The topic of how the new parliament will look like after the elections dominates Wednesday’s news media. POLITICS 24 Chasa’s front-page article presents the governance programme of Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria, which won the April 19 elections under the headline, “Life according to Radev: Sta»»»

The United States’ decision to extend its ceasefire with Iran is less a sign of breakthrough than a reflection of a complex moment — one where diplomacy, pressure and uncertainty are all unfolding at once. President Donald Trump pushed back the end of the two-week truce to allow more time for negot»»»

The war in the Middle East has boosted demand to move vital cargo through the Panama Canal to such an extent that one vessel carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) paid $4 million to skip the line and avoid a wait that can take up to five days, according to an official report. A surge in such payment»»»

RIYADH: “This is a multidimensional shock.” That is how Jihad Azour, director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund, summed up the bleak outlook gripping the region, describing the current war as an earthquake not seen in geopolitics and economics for fiv»»»

China warned on Wednesday that the situation in the Middle East was at a "critical juncture" after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire to allow Iran more time to negotiate. Trump indefinitely pushed back the end of the two-week truce on Tuesday with Tehran yet to respond but he said a US»»»

Manila: The global race for microchips and AI hardware is reshaping Southeast Asia. Manila’s move to join "Pax Silica" and help build a 16.2-km2 "free zone" in the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) forms part of a catch-up industrial strategy. The plan: Align the country towards advanced supply chains »»»

Nature and EnvironmentGlobal issuesHow farmers are rising to a fertilizer shortfallJosh AxelrodThe war in Iran has sparked a global fertilizer shortage and is threatening food security. What are farmers around the world doing to save their crops? https://p.dw.com/p/5BqbIWhat can farmers do when fer»»»

ConflictsJapanHormuz crisis forces Japan, South Korea to rethink strategyJulian Ryall in TokyoThe Strait of Hormuz blockade has shaken Tokyo and Seoul, highlighting their dependence on maritime trade for essential goods including food and fuel. https://p.dw.com/p/5CaNZJapan gets more than 90% of it»»»

At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the US-Israeli bombardment of the count»»»

BEIJING: China warned on Wednesday that the situation in the Middle East was at a “critical juncture” after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire to allow Iran more time to negotiate. Trump indefinitely pushed back the end of the two-week truce on Tuesday with Tehran yet to respond but he »»»

KYIV: Ukraine has asked Turkiye to host a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and ​Russian President Vladimir Putin, its top diplomat said, as Kyiv seeks to reinvigorate stalling peace talks.“We asked the Turks about it, we asked some other capitals,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in»»»

According to a study by the Cato Institute, the US war with Iran—despite demonstrating overwhelming firepower during Operation Epic Fury—resulted in significant strategic and material losses that exposed the fragility of Washington’s military posture in the region. The Cato Institute notes that whi»»»

Inflation in the U.K. climbed in March after a sharp jump in prices at the pump in the wake of the disruption to energy supplies caused by the Iran war, official figures showed Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said the annual consumer price inflation rate increased to a three-month hig»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent in south Lebanon reports Israeli artillery shelling on the outskirts of Houla border town 22-04-2026 10:53 AM Latest»»»

Hezbollah held a mass funeral in south Lebanon's Kfar Sir on Tuesday for more than a dozen fighters killed during more than six weeks of war with Israel. The ceremony came after Israel and Lebanon entered into a 10-day ceasefire on Friday announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. Iran-backed Hezbol»»»

An Israeli strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy dr»»»

Moscow: Four people, including a child, were injured when part of a residential building collapsed in a Ukrainian attack on the Samara region of Russia. Russian news channel (Russia Today) reported that Ukrainian forces launched a drone strike at dawn today, causing part of a residential building i»»»

Britain's annual inflation rate jumped to 3.3 percent in March as the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices surging, official data showed Wednesday. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) increased from 3.0 percent in the 12 months to February, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. "In»»»

An Israeli drone strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and injured two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at daw»»»