live Iran reopens Hormuz Strait, demands end to U.S. naval blockade- Saturday 18 April
Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (17 April) following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, ra...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday called on Palestinian group Hamas to act swiftly in ongoing hostage release and peace negotiations in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking on Truth Social, Trump said: “I appreciate that Israel has temporarily halted its bombing to give the hostage release and peace deal a chance to be completed. Hamas must move quickly, or all bets are off.”
Hamas had announced a day earlier its willingness to release all Israeli captives, both alive and dead, and to hand over Gaza’s administration to an independent Palestinian authority composed of technocrats. The group emphasised that the enclave’s future and Palestinian rights must be addressed within a broader national Palestinian framework.
Trump added that he would not tolerate delays and that everyone would be treated fairly. On Friday, he gave Hamas until 6 pm Washington time (2200 GMT) on Sunday to approve his plan.
The plan seeks to turn Gaza into a weapons-free zone, with a transitional governance mechanism overseen directly by Trump through a new international body tasked with monitoring implementation. It includes the release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas within 72 hours of approval, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
It also calls for a halt to hostilities, the disarmament of all armed groups in Gaza, and Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the coastal enclave, which would be governed by a technocratic authority under the supervision of the U.S.-led international body.
Despite Trump’s call for an immediate cessation of bombardment, Israel continued air strikes on the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 29 Palestinians, according to sources and medics.
The past 24 hours of the Russia-Ukraine war have seen a drastic escalation in both aerial bombardment and frontline losses.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Russia published addresses of manufacturers allegedly producing drones or components for Ukraine on Wednesday (15 April), warning European countries against plans to step up UAV supplies to Kyiv.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Israeli and Lebanese leaders have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that includes Hezbollah, raising cautious hopes of a pause in hostilities after weeks of escalating tensions.
European leaders have set out plans for a coordinated defensive mission to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, once security conditions allow, following talks involving more than 40 countries.
NeaNearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea off Myanmar in 2025, making it the deadliest year on record, the United Nations Refugee Agency said on Friday.
Tens of thousands of people filled a stadium in Douala on Friday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Leo during what is expected to be the largest event of his African tour.
AmerAmerican businesses are preparing for a major moment next week as the U.S. government launches a long-awaited system to return billions in unlawfully collected tariffs.
More than half of Haiti’s population is facing acute food insecurity, prompting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to warn that recent progress in tackling hunger remains fragile and could quickly be reversed without urgent support.
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