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»»»

Dubai: A Dubai civil court has ordered the cancellation of a holiday package contract, directing a company to refund a client Dh8,268.20 and pay an additional Dh5,000 in compensation, after ruling that it breached its contractual obligations and misled the client with false promises. The judgment, »»»

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»»»

The confrontation between the United States and Iran is no longer a conventional political dispute; it has evolved into a multidimensional crisis with military, economic, security, and environmental ramifications that threaten not only the stability of the Arabian Gulf but also the broader internat»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Chevron on Friday in a case dating to World War II that could see the fossil fuels company have to pay three-quarters of a billion dollars to help restore wetlands that were damaged during aviation fuel production for the war. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI. »»»

Share: Photo- Blackened buildings and burned-out cars… scenes from Beirut’s southern suburbs. © Fadel Itani, AFP Residents on Friday began to return to their homes in Beirut’s southern suburbs after a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon came into effect. For many, Israel’s relentless bombing ca»»»

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»»»

The Cuban government attempted to open a direct back-channel with US President Donald Trump last week, tapping a private businessman to hand-deliver a sealed letter to the White House, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing sources. The reported message, which was ultimately intercept»»»

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 US has expanded its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, telling its military to pursue Iran-linked vessels everywhere around the globe, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, has said. Washington announced it would stop ships from accessing Iranian ports on Monday after talks with »»»

Armed police patrol near the Israeli embassy as counter terrorism police investigate discarded items found in Kensington Gardens in London, Britain, on Friday. Photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- London police closed down Kensington Gardens Friday after a video was shared online by a group m»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that any future deal reached by the government would not cede any ‌territory or ‌undermine Lebanon's national ‌rights, ⁠without saying whether ⁠he was referring to prospective talks with Israel. The televised address was ⁠his first speech ‌since ‌the US»»»

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 »»»

New York: Air Canada will suspend service to New York's JFK International airport over the summer as the war in Iran creates jet fuel shortages that have sent prices soaring. Canada's flag carrier said Friday that service from Toronto and Montreal to JFK will cease June 1 and resume Oct. 25. Servic»»»

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»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Iran may conclude a deal within the next day or two, US President Donald Trump said on Friday. "The Iranians want to meet. They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend. I think we will get a deal in the next day o»»»

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, adding that an agreement was "very close." Trump's comments came after a series of social media posts in which he touted progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's nuclear»»»

Drone and rocket strikes in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region on Friday killed three Iranian Kurds, including two women fighters, an exiled opposition group said, blaming the attack on Iran. "Iran launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes today targeting... civilian camps of the PDKI," killin»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, adding that an agreement was "very close." Trump's comments came after a series of social media posts in which he touted progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's nucle»»»

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 »»»

Sharjah: Air Arabia said it is operating a limited number of flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, subject to regulatory and operational approvals, as services gradually resume following recent disruptions. The airline said passengers can book available flights through its website, mobile a»»»

Continue the Change (CC) is the only party offering concrete measures to support families with children and young people in its election programme, Assen Vassilev, CC chair and top-of-the-list candidate of the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition for Haskovo’s 29th and Plovdiv City’s»»»

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has once again attacked the press, accusing journalists of producing an “endless stream of garbage” in their coverage of the Iran conflict and comparing the Pentagon media pool to the Pharisees, a Jewish group in the Bible who often clashed with Jesus. Hegseth, a fo»»»

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»»»

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»»»

ANTALYA - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Friday in Antalya, Turkey, where he is attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, that Serbia was a part of the solution in the Balkans - rather than a part of the problem - and noted that the goal of Serbia's participation in the forum was to present the regio»»»

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»»»

The Association of Importers of Unregistered Medicinal Products for Rare Diseases Treatment has issued a statement objecting to what it describes as a misinterpretation of data on the supply of unregistered medicines. The statement was sent to the media in response to information presented by Deput»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday the United States had "prohibited" Israel from bombing Lebanon following a ceasefire deal, adding that Washington would work with Lebanon to "deal with" Hezbollah. "Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A.»»»

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 »»»

Dubai: Court of Cassation in Dubai has ruled that WhatsApp messages must be carefully examined in divorce disputes when presented as evidence, underscoring their potential legal weight in family law proceedings. Appeal overturned over unexamined digital evidenceIn a significant judgment, the Dubai »»»

Iran has announced that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial shipping, marking a significant shift after weeks of disruption during the ongoing Middle East conflict. The move comes as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon appears to be holding, raising cautious hop»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Residents of Beirut's heavily populated southern suburb were returning to their homes on Friday following the entry into force of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a Sputnik correspondent said. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun a»»»

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi welcoming Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir upon his arrival at the airport in Tehran, on Wednesday. Araghchi announced Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is open. Photo by Iranian Foreign Ministry/UPI. | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- Iranian Foreign Mini»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Israel will end its bombardment campaign against Lebanon after being prohibited from doing so by the United States, President Donald Trump said on Friday. "Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!! Thank»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Trump administration is considering unfreezing $20 billion worth of Iranian financial assets in exchange for the Islamic Republic abandoning its stockpile of enriched uranium, Axios reported on Friday, citing four sources. As part of the ongoing negotiations, Washington a»»»

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri stressed Friday that "national unity and civil peace are red lines that will not be crossed under any circumstances." He emphasized that "any attack on these two pillars, from any side, is an attack on Lebanon's very existence and a free gift to the Israeli enemy a»»»

Geneva: Over 38,000 women and girls were killed in the Gaza war by the end of 2025, the UN estimated Friday, amounting to over half of the 71,000 deaths recorded by the territory's health ministry. "Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza -- the »»»

Oil futures tanked on Friday following a statement by Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reflecting trader relief that the immediate risk of a supply shock had receded. The move marks a notable de-escalation by Tehran. Brent crude fell (down 11.26% to $84.03 as of 9.50 Beijing time); US West Tex»»»

Ben Roberts-Smith pictured in March 2022 outside federal court in Sydney during a defamation trial in which he unsuccessfully sued three former Fairfax group newspapers for carrying articles implicating him in war crimes in the Afghanistan war. File photo by Dan Himbrechts/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- Aus»»»

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»»»

Oil futures tanked on Friday following a statement by Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reflecting trader relief that the immediate risk of a supply shock had receded. The move marks a notable de-escalation by Tehran. Brent crude fell (down 11.26% to $84.03 as of 9.50 Beijing time); US West Tex»»»

A South Korean oil tanker has transited the Red Sea for the first time since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul's oceans ministry said on Friday. Import-dependent South Korea has taken steps to mitigate the risks to its energy supplies since US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late Febr»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanon: Speaker Berri Says Civil Peace Red Line, Rejects Direct Talks with ‘Israel’ 17-04-2026 16:06 PM Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri in an»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will be open to shipping for the duration of a ceasefire. "THANK YOU!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that Iran had announced the narrow waterway was "FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL»»»

Oil prices plunged Friday after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the vital Strait of Hormuz was "completely open" for commercial tankers and cargo ships during the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. International benchmark Brent North Sea crude plunged 10 percent to $89.11 a barrel, after earlier fall»»»