Strait of Hormuz reopened, Iran and U.S. say - Middle East conflict on 17 April
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-Su...
Pope Francis announced that starting next week, his weekly teachings at the Vatican will be translated into Mandarin, adding to the languages already used. This move coincides with the start of Advent and reflects efforts to improve Vatican-China relations.
Pope Francis announced on Wednesday that his weekly general audience teachings at the Vatican will also be translated into Mandarin starting next week.
At the Wednesday audiences, Pope Francis delivers his teachings in Italian, which are then translated and read out in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic.
"Next week, with the Advent (period starting), the Chinese translation will also be here in the audience," he said, likely referring to Mandarin, the official language of China. Relations between the Vatican and communist China have historically been strained, but Pope Francis has prioritised improving them.
In October, the Vatican and China extended an agreement regarding the appointment of Catholic bishops in the North Asian country for another four years, reflecting a new level of trust between the two parties.
The Vatican stated that the accord, initially established in 2018, addressed a decades-long division between an underground church loyal to the pope and the China-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association, which operates independently of the Holy See. It is estimated that there are 10 to 12 million Catholics in China.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that there was a "good chance" of a peace deal between Lebanon and Israel happening soon, after he announced a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries.
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.
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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