live Ceasefire strains as Israel intensifies attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon killing hundreds - Thursday 9 April
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 9 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States is under pressure after Israel launched its heaviest strikes yet on Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting Hezbollah positions. Hundreds have been killed, with Beirut among the hardest-hit areas. The escalation has raised serious doubts over whether the broader ceasefire framework can hold.
Iran says it may withdraw from planned peace negotiations with the United States, calling talks “unreasonable” following Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Tehran argues the ceasefire conditions have already been violated, while Washington maintains that Lebanon was never included in the agreement. The dispute highlights deep divisions ahead of scheduled negotiations on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that American forces will remain deployed around Iran and could resume operations if Tehran fails to comply with the ceasefire terms. He reiterated demands on Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, signalling that the pause in fighting remains conditional and reversible.
Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 250 people in a single day, marking the deadliest escalation since the Lebanon conflict began. Hezbollah has responded with rocket fire into northern Israel, raising fears of a broader regional spillover despite the Iran-related ceasefire. Humanitarian conditions are rapidly deteriorating according to the United Nations, with mass displacement and infrastructure damage reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticised NATO, accusing allies of failing to support Washington during the Iran conflict. The remarks came during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, highlighting growing divisions within the security alliance. European reluctance to engage militarily in the Middle East is adding strain to transatlantic relations.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
A train driver has died and several passengers have been injured after a high-speed train collided with an army lorry carrying military equipment at a level crossing in northern France on Tuesday morning (7 April), the local prefecture and railway operators said in separate statements.
A barrage of Russian drones targeted and damaged a critical power substation in Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
Trade discussions between China and the U.S. are expected to remain virtual for now, with no major investment initiatives planned before a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The Russian T-90M tank is worth an estimated $4.5 million and was designed to dominate the battlefield. Yet this steel giant has repeatedly been destroyed by something far smaller, faster and thousands of times cheaper: the drone.
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards its east coast on Wednesday (8 April), South Korea’s military said, in a fresh show of force that underscored rising tensions despite brief signs of a possible thaw between the two sides.
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