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Starmer says NATO in US's 'interests' as Gulf tour ends
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Friday that NATO was "in America's interests", at the end of a three-day visit to the Gulf to discuss bolstering the "fragile" Middle East truce.
Djibouti counts votes as leader seeks sixth term
Djibouti began counting votes Friday in a presidential election expected to hand a sixth term to 78-year-old Ismail Omar Guelleh, who faces just one little-known opponent in the small but highly strategic Horn of Africa nation.
Iran sets conditions as Vance warns Tehran not to 'play' US at talks
Iran demanded a truce in Lebanon and the release of its blocked assets on Friday as US Vice President JD Vance warned Tehran not to "play" Washington, casting doubt on planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan.
Trump says Iran has 'no cards' beyond Hormuz control
President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has "no cards" in upcoming talks with the United States -- apart from Tehran's effective stranglehold on the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.
Israeli strike in south Lebanon kills 13 security personnel
An Israeli strike, one of multiple on the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh on Friday, killed 13 State Security personnel, the agency said, as Lebanon prepared to start ceasefire talks with Israel.
Thais fete new year with family despite fuel price spike
Soaring fuel prices are driving up costs for Thais travelling home for the holidays, but the chance to spend the new year with loved ones is a price worth paying, they say.
On Iran truce, all sides want bigger China role, but does China?
For decades, the United States has cast itself as the guarantor of stability in the Middle East, allying militarily with Gulf Arab states as well as Israel and brushing aside global rival China's aspirations for a greater role.
Ukrainians sceptical as Kremlin orders Easter truce
Ukrainians on Friday were wary of Russia's pledge to pause fighting for an Orthodox Easter ceasefire -- first proposed by Kyiv -- this weekend.
Hungary rivals rally crowds in closing strait of election campaign
Crowds of flag-waving Hungarians have been cheering on their candidates for an election on Sunday, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban and challenger Peter Magyar hold frantic last-minute rallies.
Vance warns Iran not to 'play' US at talks in Pakistan
US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran on Friday against trying to "play" Washington, as he set off for talks in Islamabad aimed at transforming a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace deal.
Stocks mixed, oil steadies on guarded optimism for Iran ceasefire
Stock markets were mixed and oil prices were steady Friday with investors cautiously optimistic about the US-Iran ceasefire holding, and as a US inflation report was not as bad as feared.
France's Macron talks war, peace and basketball with Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first meeting Friday, a private audience at the Vatican where discussions ranged from the Iran war to basketball.
US-Iran talks in Pakistan uncertain as sides trade accusations
A cloud of uncertainty hung Friday over the scheduled start of talks in Pakistan between the United States and Iran, with no announcement yet on the arrival of negotiators and both sides accusing the other of failing to properly implement a fragile ceasefire.
Giving birth in a shelter in Israel
Inside an underground shelter at a hospital in the Israeli city of Haifa, a television screen flickers with images of Iranian missiles as doctors and midwives deliver Sarah Bird's third child.
Five things to know about the planned Iran-US talks in Islamabad
Pakistan is due to host talks between Iran and the United States in a bid to turn a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting end to a war that has roiled global energy markets.
Kyiv books tentative diplomatic coup with Iran war forays
When the US-Israeli war with Iran began at the end of February, it was widely assumed that Moscow would be one of the conflict's key winners.
Chinese, Taiwanese will unite, Xi tells Taiwan opposition leader
China's President Xi Jinping met Taiwan's opposition party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, telling the visiting delegation he had "full confidence" that Taiwanese and Chinese people would be united.
Fish furore fuels fierce election in India's West Bengal
In India's West Bengal state, the beloved fish has leapt from the kitchen table to the campaign trail, becoming an unexpected flashpoint in a fiercely contested election.
Myanmar junta chief sworn in as president
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president on Friday, continuing his rule from a civilian post five years after snatching power in a military coup.
In Pakistan's mediation to end Mideast war, China may hold the key
As Iranian and US envoys prepare to hold talks in Islamabad to end the Middle East war, official sources and experts say Beijing helped pave the way for the negotiations and will be a crucial component in securing a permanent truce.
Lego-style memes troll Trump after fragile US-Iran truce
Shortly after news of a US-Iran ceasefire, an Iranian group released a new Lego-style video lampooning President Donald Trump and declaring "Iran won," the latest in a wave of war-themed AI-generated propaganda flooding the internet.
After oil, Venezuela opens up mining to private investors
Venezuela on Thursday threw open the country's vast mineral reserves to private investment, less than three months after rolling back state control over the oil sector, in line with US demands.
Ukraine and Russia will cease fire for Orthodox Easter
Ukraine and Russia will cease fire for the Orthodox Easter holidays, the warring countries' leaders said on Thursday, announcing a rare 32-hour halt in fighting.
Pentagon denies giving Vatican envoy 'bitter lecture'
The Pentagon on Thursday denied a report that the Vatican's US envoy was summoned in January for a "bitter" dressing down over remarks by Pope Leo that were seen as criticizing the Trump administration’s use of military force.
Israel and Lebanon set for ceasefire talks next week, says US official
Israel and Lebanon will hold talks next week in Washington, a State Department official said Thursday, as concerns grow that fighting involving Hezbollah could cause the fragile US-Iran truce to unravel.
US stocks extend gains, shrugging off ceasefire worries
Wall Street stocks finished higher Thursday after a shaky start, adopting an optimistic view of the Middle East ceasefire despite largely stalled traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which boosted oil prices.
Russian police raid independent Novaya Gazeta outlet, reporter detained
Russian law enforcement agents on Thursday raided the offices of the Novaya Gazeta independent media outlet, the paper said, adding that a reporter was detained by the police.
Strait of Hormuz traffic remains becalmed despite ceasefire
Just 10 vessels have passed through Strait of Hormuz since the Middle East war ceasefire took effect, according to maritime tracking data, amid lingering fears about using the strategic waterway.
France's Macron in Rome for first meeting with Pope Leo
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Thursday in Rome on the eve of his first meeting with Pope Leo XIV, almost one year after the election of the US pontiff.
US Democrats fail in bid to curb Trump's Iran war powers
US President Donald Trump's Republicans on Thursday blocked an attempt by the opposition Democrats to curb his authority to wage war in Iran, amid mounting frustration in Congress over his handling of the Middle East conflict.
Israel seeks Lebanon talks as its strikes threaten US-Iran truce
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his ministers on Thursday to seek direct talks with Lebanon, pushing for Hezbollah's disarmament amid mounting concern that its ongoing strikes could cause the fragile US-Iran truce to unravel and plunge the region back into all-out war.
Russian police raid independent Novaya Gazeta media outlet
Russian law enforcement agents on Thursday raided the offices of the Novaya Gazeta independent media outlet, the paper said, adding that a reporter was being questioned by the police.