Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that his country was on the verge of a "new phase" of "permanent agreements", after the 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force.
US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, which he said was "very close" as Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.
Detroit are tuning out the naysayers who tip the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks or even fourth-seeded Cleveland to beat the top-seeded Pistons to the NBA Eastern Conference crown.
Boulevard
Alejandrina Guasorna did not discover until adulthood that she had been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) the day she was born in a remote Indigenous community in Colombia's coffee-growing region.
April 17, 2026
RECENT NEWS
France and Britain said Friday they will lead a multinational mission ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasising the force would be entirely defensive -- and only deployed once a peace in the region was agreed.
April 17, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, said on Friday she was facing a doping investigation after failing to submit a sample during a check last December.
April 17, 2026
When seaman Rex Pereira saw missiles flying above his vessel in the Gulf, it sparked in him one desperate wish: to get back home to India.
April 17, 2026
Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping on Friday, as a ceasefire came into effect in Lebanon, raising hopes that two of the main obstacles to a US-Iran peace deal could have been cleared.
April 17, 2026
Boulevard
Mild-mannered and measured no longer: US President Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iran's centuries-old civilisation was the red line that prompted Pope Leo to show his colours, analysts say.
April 17, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Masters on Friday, increasing concerns over whether he will be able to defend his Roland Garros title.
Mikel Arteta has urged spluttering Arsenal to embrace the "huge privilege" of facing Manchester City in a potentially decisive showdown in the Premier League title race.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has signed a lucrative seven-year contract extension that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2033.
A key Atlantic Ocean current system that helps regulate the planet's climate could weaken more than expected by 2100, with potentially devastating consequences worldwide, a new study has found.
April 17, 2026
Politics
In cars and on motorbikes, people trickled back into Beirut's southern suburbs Friday, passing bombed-out buildings to check on homes and loved ones after a ceasefire began between Israel and Hezbollah.
April 17, 2026
RECENT NEWS
President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will reopen to shipping, but said a US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal is signed.
Oil prices plunged more than 10 percent on Friday after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be "completely open" for the rest of the ceasefire with the United States, and stock markets surged.
International law is more important than ever at a time when even core countries in the global system are calling it into question, the United Nations secretary general said on Friday.
Turkey on Friday hosts a high‑stakes diplomatic forum bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad steps up efforts to help end the Middle East war.
April 17, 2026
- Frenchwoman who married GI sweetheart returns home after ICE ordeal
- Renard sacked as Saudi Arabia coach ahead of World Cup
- If Man City lose 'it's over', says Guardiola ahead of Arsenal title showdown
- First loaded Iranian oil tankers exit Gulf since US blockade: Kpler
- Lebanese civilians head home despite Israel warning on truce
- Jubilant crowds throng giant papal mass in Cameroon
- Oil drops, stocks mixed amid US-Iran peace hopes
- Myanmar ex-president freed from post-coup detention, Suu Kyi's sentence cut