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US and Iran envoys meet Pakistani PM as negotiations get under way
Senior Iranian and American delegations met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Saturday to begin negotiations towards a deal to end the Middle East war unleashed six weeks earlier by US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Iran envoys meet Pakistani PM ahead of US talks
An Iranian government delegation met Pakistan's prime minister on Saturday to discuss the terms of planned "make or break" negotiations to end the Middle East war with a US party led by Vice President JD Vance.
UK to shelve Chagos handover after Trump criticism
Britain is shelving its plan to hand back the Chagos Islands -- which hosts the strategic Diego Garcia US-UK military base -- according to a government spokesperson Saturday, following strong opposition from US President Donald Trump.
Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes ahead of Easter truce
Russia and Ukraine fired waves of drones at each other between late Friday and early Saturday, just hours before a temporary ceasefire between the two was set to take effect for Orthodox Easter, according to officials.
Vance in Islamabad for Iran talks overshadowed by mutual mistrust
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for talks with Iran that the Pakistani premier hosting the warring sides called a "make or break" effort to permanently halt weeks of fighting in the Middle East.
Russia and Ukraine set to begin Easter truce
A temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for Orthodox Easter is set to begin on Saturday afternoon, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war falter.
Trump administration reveals plans for massive Washington arch
US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday revealed renderings for a colossal triumphal arch proposed for construction in Washington near some of the nation's most revered monuments.
Carney poised to win Canada majority but affordability pressure looms
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party is poised to secure a majority in parliament in by-elections Monday, but a year into his tenure, hints of vulnerability may be emerging.
Trump vows to boost Hungary economy if Orban wins vote
US President Donald Trump made a late intervention in Hungary's bitter election campaign on Friday, as nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban battles for votes against a pro-European opponent leading him in polls.
Iranian delegation in Pakistan for talks with US, Vance on his way
Iran's delegation arrived in Pakistan on Friday for ceasefire negotiations with the United States as Tehran insisted on a truce in Lebanon and release of its blocked assets for the talks to go ahead.
Lebanon says Israel talks set for Tuesday in US
Lebanon's presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbours.
Israeli strike in Lebanon kills 13 security forces as war toll rises
Lebanon's State Security agency said an Israeli strike on the southern city of Nabatiyeh on Friday killed 13 of its personnel, as Lebanon prepared to start ceasefire talks with Israel.
Venezuelan opposition demands elections after Maduro ouster
Venezuela's opposition on Friday called for presidential elections, noting that the 90-day legal period for organizing a vote on replacing ousted leader Nicolas Maduro had elapsed.
Starmer says NATO in US's 'interests' as Gulf tour ends
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Friday that NATO was "in America's interests", at the end of a three-day visit to the Gulf to discuss bolstering the "fragile" Middle East truce.
Djibouti counts votes as leader seeks sixth term
Djibouti began counting votes Friday in a presidential election expected to hand a sixth term to 78-year-old Ismail Omar Guelleh, who faces just one little-known opponent in the small but highly strategic Horn of Africa nation.
Iran sets conditions as Vance warns Tehran not to 'play' US at talks
Iran demanded a truce in Lebanon and the release of its blocked assets on Friday as US Vice President JD Vance warned Tehran not to "play" Washington, casting doubt on planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan.
Trump says Iran has 'no cards' beyond Hormuz control
President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has "no cards" in upcoming talks with the United States -- apart from Tehran's effective stranglehold on the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.
Israeli strike in south Lebanon kills 13 security personnel
An Israeli strike, one of multiple on the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh on Friday, killed 13 State Security personnel, the agency said, as Lebanon prepared to start ceasefire talks with Israel.
Thais fete new year with family despite fuel price spike
Soaring fuel prices are driving up costs for Thais travelling home for the holidays, but the chance to spend the new year with loved ones is a price worth paying, they say.
On Iran truce, all sides want bigger China role, but does China?
For decades, the United States has cast itself as the guarantor of stability in the Middle East, allying militarily with Gulf Arab states as well as Israel and brushing aside global rival China's aspirations for a greater role.
Ukrainians sceptical as Kremlin orders Easter truce
Ukrainians on Friday were wary of Russia's pledge to pause fighting for an Orthodox Easter ceasefire -- first proposed by Kyiv -- this weekend.
Hungary rivals rally crowds in closing strait of election campaign
Crowds of flag-waving Hungarians have been cheering on their candidates for an election on Sunday, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban and challenger Peter Magyar hold frantic last-minute rallies.
Vance warns Iran not to 'play' US at talks in Pakistan
US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran on Friday against trying to "play" Washington, as he set off for talks in Islamabad aimed at transforming a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace deal.
Stocks mixed, oil steadies on guarded optimism for Iran ceasefire
Stock markets were mixed and oil prices were steady Friday with investors cautiously optimistic about the US-Iran ceasefire holding, and as a US inflation report was not as bad as feared.
France's Macron talks war, peace and basketball with Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first meeting Friday, a private audience at the Vatican where discussions ranged from the Iran war to basketball.
US-Iran talks in Pakistan uncertain as sides trade accusations
A cloud of uncertainty hung Friday over the scheduled start of talks in Pakistan between the United States and Iran, with no announcement yet on the arrival of negotiators and both sides accusing the other of failing to properly implement a fragile ceasefire.
Giving birth in a shelter in Israel
Inside an underground shelter at a hospital in the Israeli city of Haifa, a television screen flickers with images of Iranian missiles as doctors and midwives deliver Sarah Bird's third child.
Five things to know about the planned Iran-US talks in Islamabad
Pakistan is due to host talks between Iran and the United States in a bid to turn a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting end to a war that has roiled global energy markets.
Kyiv books tentative diplomatic coup with Iran war forays
When the US-Israeli war with Iran began at the end of February, it was widely assumed that Moscow would be one of the conflict's key winners.
Chinese, Taiwanese will unite, Xi tells Taiwan opposition leader
China's President Xi Jinping met Taiwan's opposition party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, telling the visiting delegation he had "full confidence" that Taiwanese and Chinese people would be united.
Fish furore fuels fierce election in India's West Bengal
In India's West Bengal state, the beloved fish has leapt from the kitchen table to the campaign trail, becoming an unexpected flashpoint in a fiercely contested election.
Myanmar junta chief sworn in as president
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president on Friday, continuing his rule from a civilian post five years after snatching power in a military coup.