Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent makes remarks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Photo by Shawn Thew./UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The United States blacklisted three people, 17 entities and nine oil tankers accused of aiding Iran»»»

US President Donald Trump said Lebanese and Israeli leaders will speak for the first time in decades on Thursday, while Pakistan said peace in Lebanon was essential for talks it is mediating between Washington and Tehran on ending the Iran war. The Lebanon conflict spiraled out of the US-Israeli wa»»»

London: British no-frills airline EasyJet on Thursday said it expects to post a deeper first-half loss compared with one year earlier after the Middle East war sent jet fuel prices soaring. EasyJet said it expected a headline loss before tax of between GBP540 million and GBP560 million ($733 millio»»»

US House Democrats introduced six articles of impeachment against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing him of "high crimes and misdemeanors" including waging war on Iran without congressional approval. The impeachment resolution is led by Yassamin Ansari, a Democratic Congresswoman fr»»»

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday, reversing earlier declines, on skepticism that peace talks between the US and Iran will reach a deal to end the war that has bottled up oil output from the key Middle East producing region. Brent crude futures were down 26 cents to $94.67 a barrel at 0611»»»

A U.S. official says President Donald Trump would welcome an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict as part of a broader peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon but has not specifically asked for one. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Trump administration’s position d»»»

The United States is discussing a possible second round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan and is optimistic about reaching a deal, U.S. officials said, as Tehran threatened to shut down Red Sea trade unless Washington lifted a naval blockade of its ports. A Pakistani delegation arrived in Tehran»»»

Police in London arrested two people on Wednesday over an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in the north of the city, amid an upsurge in “antisemitic” incidents in Britain. The pair -- a 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man -- were detained in Watford, north of the capital, and are being hel»»»

Turkey: Turkey will hold funerals for nine victims killed in a school shooting by a 14-year-old, an attack that has sent shockwaves across the country, with authorities saying the suspect had referenced a US mass killer in a WhatsApp profile image. The attack in the southern province of Kahramanmar»»»

TotalEnergies expects a significant increase in first-quarter earnings from a strong trading performance, as well as in its upstream production and oil sales due to higher prices caused by the war in Iran, even as the conflict shut down 15% of the French group's overall production, it said on Thurs»»»

Washington: David Pierson For much of the last two decades, China has maintained a delicate balance in its military relationship with Iran, offering often indirect assistance instead of arms sales. That approach is now drawing renewed attention after US officials said intelligence agencies were ass»»»

Dubai: Borrowers and businesses are set to get temporary relief as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) rolls out regulatory support measures following a surge in energy prices tied to geopolitical developments in the Middle East. The measures, approved under Monetary Board Resolution No. 296, has»»»

The fundamental vulnerability of the US Multi-Domain Operations doctrine is “centralization and the idea that the entire battle space can be effectively managed from the top,” retired USAF Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, a former DoD analyst, tells Sputnik. Kwiatkowski calls it “a kind of arrogance and»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices rebounded on Thursday morning as renewed caution over the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict pushed investors back toward bullion. This reversed Wednesday’s softer trend when easing ceasefire hopes had briefly cooled safe-haven demand. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, along»»»

China's economy expanded more than expected in the first three months of the year, with official data Thursday indicating resilience in the face of a Middle East crisis that threatens to hit global growth. The figures came despite a surge in world energy prices caused by the US-Israel war on Iran, »»»

Istanbul, Turkiye: The State of Qatar has reiterated its commitment to diplomacy and regional stability during high-level parliamentary meetings held in Istanbul, as part of the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). A delegation from Qatar’s Shura Council, led by Speaker H »»»

The U.S. military struck a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Wednesday, killing three people. Image courtesy of U.S. Southern Command/X April 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. military killed three people Wednesday in its fifth strike in five days targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats»»»

Doha, Qatar: European Council President António Costa (pictured) yesterday underscored the European Union’s unwavering support for Qatar and other Gulf nations amid regional tensions, stressing the need for a stable ceasefire and the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Spe»»»

The US Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have blocked any further US strikes on Iran without approval from Congress. The initiative was opposed by 52 senators and supported by 47 senators. The vote marks the fourth time this year lawmakers have effectively allowed the US-Israeli war of»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Ami Ayalon, former head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, warned that Israel is "heading to apartheid" unless it divides the land with the Palestinians. He argued that "there is a limit to what we can achieve by the use of military power" in Iran and»»»

Between Tehran and Washington's blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, the number of ships passing through the critical waterway has slowed to a trickle. Here's what marine tracking data tells us about the situation. A trickle of ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday and Wednesday as a US blockade»»»

Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Bilal Y. Saab, Senior Managing Director of TRENDS Research and Advisory. According to Saab, Lebanon is at a crossroads: the government is committed to reform, is fundamentally “pro-Lebanese” and rejects interference from external actors. The central challenge re»»»

Iran proving that missiles don't need to travel thousands of kilometres. Across the Gulf is all it takes to force the world’s mightiest army to the bargaining table. Pressure on the choke point for one-fifth of the planet’s oil and gas exposing the vulnerability of Arabian peninsula monarchies. The»»»

The health of jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is critical after she suffered a heart attack last month, supporters said on Wednesday. Her family and lawyers, allowed a second prison visit, reported a sharp deterioration in her condition, with her physical state now descri»»»

Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war. The White House said any further talks would likely take plac»»»

The administration of US President Donald Trump wants automakers to play a greater role in the production of weapons and military equipment, American media reported. The US is urging major manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford, to expand their role in weapons production as conflicts in U»»»

Sudan’s government on Wednesday slammed a donor conference hosted by Germany as “surprising and unacceptable”, saying the event meddles in the country’s internal affairs and was organised without consulting Khartoum. The conference is being held as the brutal war between the army and the paramilita»»»

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Cameroon Wednesday for the next stop on his 11-day apostolic journey across Africa. Separatist groups in the English-speaking west declared a three-day ceasefire to allow the pontiff to travel to the conflicted region.  Crowds lined the roads to welcome Pope Leo XIV to »»»

Saudi Arabia will provide $3 billion in additional support for Pakistan to help the South Asian nation bridge a multi-billion-dollar gap in its finances linked to an upcoming debt repayment to the United Arab Emirates. The extra funding for Pakistan comes on top of Riyadh extending the rollover arr»»»

Amid uncertainty over the war in Iran, the International Monetary Fund has downgraded its outlook for the global economy under three different scenarios depending on how long the conflict will last. Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme is warning that even if hostilities were to end »»»

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak Thursday, after they held a high-level face-to-face meeting in Washington Tuesday -- the first such negotiation since 1993. "Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long ti»»»

Turkish automaker Tofas has signed an agreement with BBVA (Madrid/BBVA) to obtain a €276mn export credit agency (ECA) loan, including an insurance premium, according to a company stock exchange filing. Tofas expects to uti»»»

Australia and Singapore have agreed to reinforce energy co-operation, pledging to maintain flows of refined fuel and LNG as both nations work to navigate international and regional energy issues on the back of the conflict in the Middle East. »»»

Turkish automaker Tofas has signed an agreement with BBVA (Madrid/BBVA) to obtain a €276mn export credit agency (ECA) loan, including an insurance premium, according to a company stock exchange filing. Tofas expects to uti»»»

US President Donald Trump said China had agreed not to send weapons to Iran in return for Washington's efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, posting on his Truth Social account on April 15. "China is very happy that I am»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on April 15 in Washington that the US is working with Persian Gulf allies to obtain data on bank accounts linked to members of the Iranian government and is contacting international lenders, including in China, to choke off Iran-related transactions. »»»

For most of the first year of the Trump administration, America's so-called western allies spent most of their time flattering, toadying and attempting to manipulate the US President's ego in a vain effort to rescue the fast decaying transatlantic "special relation." They even agreed to more than d»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

US President Donald Trump said China had agreed not to send weapons to Iran in return for Washington's efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, posting on his Truth Social account on April 15. "China is very happy that I am»»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

For most of the first year of the Trump administration, America's so-called western allies spent most of their time flattering, toadying and attempting to manipulate the US President's ego in a vain effort to rescue the fast decaying transatlantic "special relation." They even agreed to more than d»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

For most of the first year of the Trump administration, America's so-called western allies spent most of their time flattering, toadying and attempting to manipulate the US President's ego in a vain effort to rescue the fast decaying transatlantic "special relation." They even agreed to more than d»»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

Iran's intelligence ministry said it had arrested the leader of a separatist group, dismantled two weapons smuggling cells and detained 30 people it accused of links to Israel's Mossad, Etemad Online reported on April 15. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

Iran has a supreme leader on paper. Whether it has one in practice is a different question entirely The Islamic Republic of Iran was built on a single, load-bearing premise: that sovereignty belongs to God, and that God's »»»