live Strait of Hormuz closed again, Iran's military HQ says
Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to ships again, citing a...
Italy will not join U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace because of constitutional constraints, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday, confirming Rome’s decision to stay out of the initiative.
Speaking to Sky TG24, Tajani said a “constitutional barrier” prevents Italy from signing the charter. He added that Italy remains ready to contribute to reconstruction efforts in the Middle East, including support for Gaza.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously signalled the government’s position. In comments to Rai News last month, she referred to a “constitutional incompatibility” between the board’s statute and Article 11 of the Italian Constitution.
Article 11 allows Italy to limit its sovereignty only under conditions of equality with other states and within organisations designed to ensure peace and justice. Meloni argued that the current structure of the Board of Peace does not meet those criteria.
The Board of Peace is an international body established by U.S. President Donald Trump in late 2025 and formally constituted with the signing of its charter on 22 January 2026 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The initiative was created under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 to support the Gaza peace plan, oversee implementation of a ceasefire, assist governance arrangements in the Gaza Strip and coordinate reconstruction efforts. Its mandate also extends more broadly to international peacebuilding. Trump serves as chairman of the board.
According to available membership information, over 20 countries have accepted invitations and signed the charter. Founding members span the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. They include Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, among others.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also formally joined the board ahead of its first scheduled leader level meeting in Washington, DC, making Israel one of the latest states to sign on.
Several major Western democracies have not joined the initiative. These include France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Poland and Italy. India is also expected to skip the first meeting.
Some governments have cited legal or constitutional constraints, while others have raised concerns about the board’s structure, potential overlap with the United Nations and questions surrounding financial commitments linked to membership. A number of European Union states have adopted a cautious stance.
The U.S. administration maintains that the Board of Peace is intended to complement existing mechanisms and remains open to further members as discussions over Gaza’s post war future continue.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought a deal with Iran "out of deperation," Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said, in a statement on social media. Khamenei added that he himself "held a different view," to Trump, but allowed the agreement after receiving assurances from Iran's President.
A 46-year-old Italian tourist has died after a major fire tore through a beachfront hotel in the Dominican Republic, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,700 guests and staff.
The wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez must stand trial on corruption charges and has been banned from leaving the country, a judge has ruled.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
One person has died after two freight trains collided on a bridge in Munich in the early hours of Saturday, causing two carriages to derail and crash onto the street below, German police said.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
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