Iran arrested four suspected Israeli spies, state media reported on Thursday. It came as US officials discuss possible peace talks with Iran after US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 engulfed the Middle East in war. "The four agents linked to the Mossad were apprehended in Gilan governorate»»»

Washington: The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, broke the U.S. record Wednesday for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, a nearly 10-month span that saw it take part in both the military raid in Venezuela and the Iran war. The ship's 295th day at sea surpassed the prev»»»

Dubai: The global aviation industry entered 2026 expecting a year of expansion after a turbulent few years following the 2020 Covid pandemic. Instead, airlines are now heading into a prolonged period of disruption. Experts are saying Middle East carriers are facing the sharpest pressures as geopoli»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced the expansion of its desert vegetation classification project to cover new areas across the emirate this year, reflecting the agency’s commitment to enhancing the sustainability of natural resources and advancing environmental monito»»»

The war in the Arabian Gulf is already being felt far beyond the region, reflected in rising fertiliser prices in rural India and in the shifting planting decisions of farmers across Africa and well beyond. For those working on the front-lines of dryland agriculture, including scientists at the Int»»»

Oil prices slipped Thursday in Asian trading, but the pullback looked more like a pause than a fundamental shift in direction. Brent eased toward the $95 level, WTI traded around $90.63 at 9:38 am in Tokyo (April 16,2026), and Murban was flat at $100.85 as traders weighed fragile cease-fire hopes, »»»

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran may have paused, but it is far from over. Its consequences, however, are already being felt, not just across the Middle East, but globally. Iran’s desperate confrontation with two nuclear powers which have a vast network of allies and cl»»»

The United States announced Wednesday it is tightening sanctions against Iran's oil industry as Tehran keeps up its closure of the Strait of Hormuz as part of the Mideast war. The new sanctions target oil transport infrastructure by slapping restrictions on more than two dozen people, companies and»»»

Share: Secretary of State Marco Rubio smiles during a meeting at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) By Kareem Chehayeb and Abby Sewell BEIRUT— Lebanon and Israel’s first direct talks in decades this week, spurred by the latest war between Israel»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed on Wednesday a Pakistani delegation led by army chief Asim Munir, days after failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad to end the Middle East war. Araghchi's Telegram channel posted several photos of him welcoming the Pakistani official, saying: "Munir arriv»»»

A supertanker heading to Iraq made a second attempt Wednesday (April 15) to pass through the Strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf, even as Iran warned that Red Sea trade could grind to a halt as US naval blockade threatens the fragile ceasefire. The crude carrier Agios Fanourios I, which is not b»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Potential Ceasefire in Lebanon Will Be Result of ‘Great Hezbollah,’ Resistance Axis: Parl. Speaker 16-04-2026 01:50 AM Iran’s Parliament Sp»»»

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post that he thanked Pakistan for its “gracious hosting” of the US-Iran dialogue as he received the country’s Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran on Wednesday. Araghchi received Munir, who is heading a high-level political-security de»»»

South Korea has dispatched a special envoy to Libya in an effort to secure alternative oil sources to replace the blockaded Gulf supplies, South Korean media revealed last Tuesday (14 April). South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said that he has dispatched envoys to Algeria and Libya and plans to»»»

WASHINGTON: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Wednesday that the United States is currently in discussions regarding the possibility of holding a second round of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan. Speaking during a press briefing at the White House late on Wednesday, Leavit»»»

Iran has warned it would "retaliate with force" against a US naval blockade, threatening to halt all trade across key regional waterways as tensions rise despite a fragile ceasefire, and plans for second round of talks. Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s joint military command, said the country would bl»»»

QNA Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with President of the European Council Antonio Costa in Doha on Wednesday. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in the region, particularly those related to the c»»»

QNA Istanbul 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 the Speaker HE Hassan bin Abd»»»

QNA Berlin Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met with State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Dr. Geza Andreas von Geyr in Berlin on Wednesday. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the latest developments»»»

Munich: Late goals from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise earned Bayern Munich a 4-3 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, securing a 6-4 aggregate victory and sending them through to face holders Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. The tie was level at the break after a scintillating opening half, with»»»

1 of 5 | Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing April 8 at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. House Democrats on Wednesday introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth for his handling of the war in Iran as well as the Department of Defense. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | Li»»»

The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the shooting incident at a school in central Türkiye, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reiterated the UAE’s strong condemnation of such criminal acts and its firm rejection of al»»»

US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran on ending the conflict could resume soon and may lead to an agreement, urging the world to watch for “two amazing days,” as regional officials indicated progress in efforts to extend a fragile ceasefire for at least two weeks to allow space for renewed»»»

US author Anne-Marie Slaughter argues in The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World that the world no longer operates or interacts according to the logic of a traditional chessboard. The old model was linear and two-dimensional, centered on a single objective: topplin»»»

The American military depleted its entire stock of untested Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) early in its attack on Iran last month, a US Army official has said. The short-to-medium ballistic missiles developed by Lockheed Martin are slated to replace the aging Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)»»»

1 of 2 | Pope Leo XIV is welcomed at Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport in Yaounde, Cameroon, Wednesday. The pontiff is on the second leg of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. Photo by Luca Zennaro/EPA April 15 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV landed in Cameroon Wednesday, and English-speaking separat»»»

Lebanon’s and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington are preparing for a second meeting after an initial round on Tuesday at the US State Department, hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting is aimed at shaping talks and securing a ceasefire pushed by Washington before launching a negotiat»»»

Pakistan’s army chief arrived Wednesday for talks in Tehran in the latest diplomatic move 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 Pakistani military said the delegation also included the c»»»

Iran can withstand a complete halt in oil exports of up to two months before being forced to curb production, analysts said, after the US began blocking shipping in and out of the country's ports on April 13. The blockade could prevent roughly 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude from r»»»

Lebanese were divided on Wednesday over their government’s decision to pursue rare, direct negotiations with Israel in hopes of ending the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Some forced to flee their homes and communities in southern Lebanon say they believe Israel’s ground invasion can »»»

Washington, United States: The World Bank announced a plan Wednesday that aims to improve secure water access for a billion people within the next four years. The "Water Forward" program will "expand reliable water services and strengthen systems against droughts and floods." The Bank said its own »»»

The World Bank announced a plan Wednesday that aims to improve secure water access for a billion people within the next four years. The new "Water Forward" program aims to "expand reliable water services and strengthen systems against droughts and floods." The Bank said its own funds and technical »»»

Israel hailed on Wednesday the opening of direct talks with Beirut as a "historic opportunity" that could end Hezbollah's "stranglehold" on Lebanon. "This is indeed a genuine historic opportunity to end decades of Hezbollah stranglehold over Lebanon," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told »»»

The initiative to transport enriched uranium from Iran to Russia is not currently under discussion, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to return to it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Other key statements:on Iran:The IAEA has never claimed that Iran attempted to build »»»

Israel's security cabinet will convene on Wednesday to discuss a possible Lebanon ceasefire, a senior Israeli official said, more than five weeks into a war with Hezbollah that spiraled out of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet will meet »»»

Turkish police investigators work at the site of a school shooting that injured 16 people in Turkey Tuesday. On Wednesday, a second school shooting happened in Turkey, and nine people were killed with 13 others injured. Photo by Stringer/EPA April 15 (UPI) -- Nine people are dead after a school sho»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The EU told Meta Wednesday that charging rival AI chatbots for access to its WhatsApp platform runs against the bloc's antitrust rules, rebuffing the measure taken by the US giant in response to a probe. Meta started charging a fee as redress in March after an EU probe found it h»»»

Hajar and Rashid Hathaleen have always walked to school from their neighborhood on the outskirts of Umm al-Khair. But when classes resumed this week for the first time since the Iran war began, coiled barbed wire blocked the Palestinian siblings' path to the village center. Israeli settlers had ins»»»

China's top diplomat told his Iranian counterpart that Beijing "supports maintaining the momentum of the ceasefire and peace talks" in a phone call on Wednesday, as negotiators from Pakistan landed in Tehran to discuss a second round of US-Iran talks. Peace talks are "in the fundamental interests o»»»

Dubai: Amid an uncertain geopolitical climate, expats from Kerala in the UAE on Wednesday marked Vishu, the traditional Hindu New Year of the south Indian state, with rituals, ethnic wear and the elaborate vegetarian feast known as sadhya, expressing gratitude for the safety and stability they cont»»»

Pakistan has been in contact with Moscow regarding the ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran and coordinated its position with Russia, Ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Will the US-Iran talks continue in Islamabad, does Pakistan intend to buy Russian oil, a»»»

Two senior Lebanese officials told Reuters on Wednesday they had been briefed that efforts were underway for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but did not have details on when it would begin or how long it would last. The officials both said it was likely the ceasefire's duration would be linked to how long »»»

Dubai: Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has emerged as the most visible power broker in Tehran, stepping into a central role in both the war effort and high-stakes diplomacy as the Islamic republic navigates a new phase following the US-Israel conflict. A pillar of the Iranian est»»»

Danish Pandit in HaryanaIndia's small farmers are facing fertilizer shortages tied to the war in Iran and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. What could delayed deliveries mean for farmers and their livelihoods? https://p.dw.com/p/5CEKXAdvertisementIndia’s small-scale farmers are facing a growing »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated peace talks with Tehran could resume this week, as the United States turned the screws Wednesday with a naval blockade it said had cut off maritime trade with Iran. Trump's hint came as Israel and Lebanon agreed to open direct negotiations after a rare face»»»

The United Arab Emirates has been elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP) for the 2026–2028 term, at a time of unprecedented global food security challenges and mounting risks linked to the near-total disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—developments that coul»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send weapons to its close partner Iran and that he has received personal assurances from leader Xi Jinping. "They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few week»»»

TYRE, Lebanon: Israeli strikes rocked southern Lebanon overnight and into Wednesday, a day after a first round of historic talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington. Smoke rose over the coastal city of Tyre, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic efforts. Though Israeli strikes i»»»

What began as a disagreement over the Iran war has escalated into a rare and highly public clash between the White House and the Vatican. US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have repeatedly criticised Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of being “weak on crime” and overstepping into politi»»»

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is ready to play a role in resolving the issue of Iranian enriched uranium in a way that is as acceptable as possible to Tehran. "We have good relations with Russia, a very successful experience of cooperation in the nuclear field..»»»