A fragile calm settled over parts of Lebanon on Friday as a 10-day ceasefire brokered by the United States took hold between Israel and Hezbollah, prompting thousands of displaced families to begin the journey home — even as uncertainty, destruction and Israeli warnings against going back to parts »»»

Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, told a diplomacy conference Friday that the “brilliance” of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon was that it ended “senseless killing.” “The brilliance of what happened yesterday is it stopped senseless killing and Presiden»»»

British police said on Friday they had charged three people over an attempted arson attack on offices linked to television station Iran International in northwest London earlier this week. The three, two men and a teenager and all British, are accused of arson with intent to endanger life after an »»»

US President Donald Trump’s true religion is “Israelism” rather than Christianity, conservative journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson has claimed, criticizing the president’s Middle East policies. Carlson made the remarks in response to controversial statements Trump made over the past week, incl»»»

London: UK police said Friday they had charged two young men and a teenage boy, following an attempted arson attack on the offices of Persian-language outlet Iran International. London's Met police said Oisin McGuinness, 21, and Nathan Dunn, 19, both of Watford, northwest of London, and a 16-year-o»»»

Hezbollah said Friday that it was keeping its "finger on the trigger" in case of any Israeli violations of a ceasefire that went into effect overnight. In a statement, the Iran-backed movement said it had carried out "2,184 military operations" against Israel and its troops inside Lebanon, adding: »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US House of Representatives has approved an extension of a controversial provision in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until April 30. "We were very close tonight. There is some nuances with the language, and some questions that need to be answered, and we»»»

Throughout this conflict, one of the biggest impacts on many of our lives has been the forced and necessary closure of schools. The education establishments have done a commendable job of switching to online learning, especially in such challenging circumstances. However, we all know how important »»»

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»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Alfred Kammer, head of the International Monetary Fund's European Department, warned on Friday that the European Union could be on the brink of recession with inflation approaching 5% amid the Middle East conflict. "In a more severe scenario as described in the World Economic Out»»»

A fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to be holding early Friday, raising cautious hopes of a broader de-escalation across the Middle East after weeks of intense fighting. The truce, announced by US President Donald Trump and agreed by Israel and Lebanon, took effect overni»»»

Gold held largely steady on Friday and was on track for a fourth straight weekly gain, as hopes for a US-Iran peace deal eased fears of higher inflation and elevated interest rates. Spot gold eased 0.1% to $4,784.72 per ounce by 0646 GMT, but was up about 1% so far this week. US gold futures for Ju»»»

The US decision not to extend the New START treaty's limits after it expired — combined with attacks on Venezuela and Iran “create a strong incentive to acquire nuclear weapons as a tool of last resort for self-defense,” Russian economist Professor Alexander Dynkin tells Sputnik. The economist note»»»

Türkiye hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan's powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fr»»»

Iran's foreign ministry welcomed on Thursday the truce agreed between Israel and Lebanon, calling it part of the earlier two-week ceasefire deal struck between the Islamic republic and the United States to pause the Middle East war, state media reported. Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei "welcomed»»»

A ten-day ceasefire deal agreed between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday, as US President Donald Trump said he was trying to set up the first-ever face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two countries. The truce, which Trump said would begin at midnight local time in Lebanon and Isr»»»

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war and urged the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group to hold its fire as a 10-day truce went into effect between Lebanon and Israel. Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran coul»»»

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) threatens government collapse, demands Ilie Bolojan resignation amid ultimatum claims. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan paid a late-night visit to the National Liberal Party (PNL) headquarters in Bucharest, where some party members had gathered for their “traditional Ea»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday chair a meeting of allies to consider sending a multinational force to ensure security and free-flowing trade in the Strait of Hormuz once the current conflict between Iran and the US and Israel ends. Iran imposed the blo»»»

Washington: Robert Jimison, Megan Mineiro Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to curb President Trump’s authority to wage war on Iran, as a fragile ceasefire frays, dueling blockades choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and failed talks leave the next phas»»»

Doha, Qatar: beIN Media Group (‘beIN’) has secured a multi-year deal to broadcast all races of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 35 territories across the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and Asia Pacific (APAC). Fans will be able to watch all races live via beIN’s flagship sports netw»»»

With the geopolitical architecture of Southeast Asia going through a shift of late, Indonesia and the US have taken a further, and important step in their security relationship by way of a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) signed at the Pentagon on April 13, Antara News reports. For Pres»»»

With the geopolitical architecture of Southeast Asia going through a shift of late, Indonesia and the US have taken a further, and important step in their security relationship by way of a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) signed at the Pentagon on April 13, Antara News reports. For Pres»»»

With the geopolitical architecture of Southeast Asia going through a shift of late, Indonesia and the US have taken a further, and important step in their security relationship by way of a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) signed at the Pentagon on April 13, Antara News reports. For Pres»»»

With the geopolitical architecture of Southeast Asia going through a shift of late, Indonesia and the US have taken a further, and important step in their security relationship by way of a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) signed at the Pentagon on April 13, Antara News reports. For Pres»»»

Doha, Qatar: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) has reached a new level of selectivity for the Class of 2030, with applications rising 92 percent. The surge marks the most competitive admissions cycle in the university’s history and brings the admit rate to a record low. The admitted class refle»»»

White House budget director Russell Vought declined to provide lawmakers with an estimate of the cost of US aggression against Iran, saying the figures “fluctuate” and are difficult to assess, American media reported. “I wouldn’t [want] to make a characterization of that at this point,” he said whe»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s armed forces are on constant readiness to defend the country under all circumstances, a senior defence official said, pointing to the military’s performance during recent attacks as evidence of a system built for sustained resilience rather than short-term response. Get updated»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is emerging as a critical stabilising force in global supply chains amid geopolitical tensions, with helium and sulphur helping to underpin the semiconductor and electric vehicle (EV) sectors, according to a recent report by Fitch Solutions. As concerns grow over potential disrup»»»

Singapore: Oil prices edged lower in early trading on Friday amid cautious optimism that the United States and Iran may be nearing an agreement, a development that could help ease regional tensions. Brent crude futures fell $1.34, or 1.35%, to $98.05 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude»»»

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor for oil and gas exports, has shown signs of increased vessel movement in recent days despite ongoing military tensions and a US naval blockade targeting Iranian ports. Maritime tracking data and reporting indicate that a growi»»»

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sparked discussion after delivering remarks at a Pentagon prayer service that closely echoed dialogue from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, blending military ceremony with language widely recognised from the film. Pentagon prayer service remarksDuring the serv»»»

Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan Marlen Mamataliev met with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, in Istanbul. The parties discussed bilateral cooperation and the development of interparliamentary ties. The Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh praised the deve»»»

A 10-day truce began in Lebanon on Friday that could pause fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war. US President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire »»»

The US says its maritime enforcement operation targeting Iranian ports remains in place, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) reporting that multiple vessels have been diverted in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said on Friday that a US Navy destroyer redirected a merchant vessel as part of ongoing measures»»»

The Department of State under Secretary Marco Rubio (L) announced an expansion to an existing policy to restrict visas to anyone in the Western Hemisphere it accuses of working to forward the interests of U.S. adversaries. File Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The Trump ad»»»

A looming jet fuel shortage across Europe and Asia, triggered by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, could disrupt global travel within weeks if oil flows are not restored soon. The pressure on supplies risks higher airfares and potential flight cancellations as the peak»»»

Share: Israeli soldiers next to artillery vehicles ( SIGMA 155) deployed in the Upper Galilee near the Israel-Lebanon border on April 16, 2026. © Jalaa Marey, AFP A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the US, went into effect at 5pm EST on Thursday. Lebanon’s army soon after re»»»

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»»»

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»»»

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres welcomed the 10-day ceasefire announced Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, and urged "all actors" to fully respect the truce, his spokesman said. "The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and commends t»»»

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 »»»

Share: President Joseph Aoun refused to call Israeli PM Netanyahu to ask for a truce in Lebanon. US President Donald Trump pressured Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon During a security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu was asked what led to the sudden change and Israel’s decision to agree to a cea»»»

The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon entered into force on Friday, with US President Donald Trump insisting that Hezbollah is part of the agreement, although the armed group had boycotted peace talks with Israel as futile. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) renewed their operation in Lebano»»»

QNA Berlin Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi held a series of high-level talks in Berlin on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments. Dr. Al Khulaifi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul. He also met sepa»»»

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, and commended the diplomatic efforts led by President Trump in facilitating this agreement. Also Read: UAE President accepts US invitation to Board o»»»