Trump says peace talks with Iran possible within next 36 to 72 hours: report

US President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, as the current two-week truce is due to expire on Wednesday night. The move was described by The New York Times as striking a "starkly different tone" from his remarks earlier Tuesday, when he threatened military action if Iran did not agree to US demands.

A cross-party group of 126 Japanese lawmakers on Wednesday visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, on the occasion of its spring festival, local media reported.

Trump says if U.S. opens Strait of Hormuz, there can never be a deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of Iran, leaders included

Mexican authorities on Tuesday said the mass shooting at the Teotihuacan archaeological site a day earlier was not connected to organized crime, but rather the consequence of a disturbed mind influenced by mass shootings abroad.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the ceasefire with Iran as the current two-week truce is set to expire on Wednesday night.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he expects the United States to "end up with a great deal" with Iran, adding that he does not anticipate extending the ceasefire due to expire on Wednesday.

The Japanese government on Tuesday officially revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and their implementation guidelines, allowing overseas sales of weapons, including those with lethal capabilities, according to media reports.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, on the occasion of its spring festival, according to media reports. Related topics have drawn widespread attention on Chinese social media, with more than 11 million views as of press time on Tuesday morning. Some netizens expressed anger and alarm over what they see as rising neo-militarism in Japan.

US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for Iran talks, Axios reported on Monday citing US sources.

The Japanese government revised limits on defense equipment exports Tuesday to enable the sale of weapons overseas, Kyodo News reported.

A nationwide mobilization against U.S. sanctions continued on Monday in Venezuela, with National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez leading a rally calling for political and social unity.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday exchanged views on the latest regional developments and issues pertaining to the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Iran reopened two main airports in capital Tehran on Monday, the country's ISNA News Agency reported, citing Iran's Civil Aviation Organization.

Vance, US delegation to arrive in Pakistan's Islamabad within hours for talks with Iran -- report

An earthquake with its epicenter off the Sanriku coast struck Japan at around 4:52 pm on Monday, recording a maximum seismic intensity of lower 5. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake had an estimated preliminary magnitude of 7.7 and a focal depth of 19 kilometers, the Asahi Shimbun reported on Monday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is fragile and complex.” We are concerned over the US's forcible interception of the vessel." Guo's remarks came after a media inquiry that US intercepted a cargo ship sailing toward Iran, which Iran vowed retaliation and called it a "piracy" act, and that Tehran said it will not participate in a second round of talks.

The Progressive Bulgaria coalition, led by former President Rumen Radev, won 44.594 percent of the vote in the country's parliamentary elections, according to data from 100 percent of precinct election commission protocols released on Monday.

Israeli and Lebanese officials will meet on Thursday for a second round of talks over a peace agreement, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported on Monday.

Tsunami waves have been observed off Iwate and Aomori prefectures in the Pacific Ocean after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the Sanriku coast in northeastern Japan on Monday afternoon.

Japanese media have revealed more details in recent days about the case of an 11-year-old boy in Kyoto Prefecture who was allegedly murdered by his stepfather, after false claims that the suspect was a Chinese national spread rapidly across Japanese social media and were later amplified by a Taiwan media report before being publicly denied by Japanese police.

A man was found carrying a knife about 17 cm long while passing through security at the Members' Office Building of the House of Councillors in Tokyo on Monday morning, according to Japanese police.

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reportedly forced U.S. troops to retreat on Sunday after they opened fire on an Iranian commercial ship near the Gulf of Oman, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Iran's official news agency IRNA said on Sunday the country has rejected taking part in the second round of the peace talks with the United States.

Iran's top joint military command said on Monday that Iran will soon respond to "armed maritime piracy" by the U.S. military, according to media reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that U.S. forces have intercepted and taken custody of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to bypass its blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

In light of recent developments in Cuba and the dire situation the Cuban people face, the governments of Brazil, Mexico and Spain on Saturday expressed deep concern over the grave humanitarian crisis facing the Cuban people and urged necessary measures to ease the situation, according to a joint statement published on the Spanish Foreign Ministry's website. The statement came as US President has recently indicated to shift his focus from the war in Iran to Cuba.

Large numbers of Japanese protesters on Sunday local time gathered outside the National Diet building as well as multiple other locations including Osaka, staging large-scale rallies against moves to revise Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, as well as expressing opposition to war, Japanese media outlet Asahi Shimbun reported on Sunday.

Iranian president to have phone call with Pakistani prime minister on Sunday -- report

Scientists from South Ural State University have developed an innovative artificial intelligence system capable of analyzing human creativity levels within minutes. The breakthrough is based on two patented databases that, for the first time in Russia, include comprehensive assessments of both children and adults using the internationally recognized Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, emphasising the need for continued dialogue and engagement as essential to resolving the current issues for promoting the peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Dubai International Airport has ranked among the world's busiest airports for international passenger traffic, handling 95.2 million passengers in 2025, reaffirming its position as a key global aviation hub.

Iran and the United States on Sunday accused each other of ceasefire breach.

Iran's FM says U.S. so-called "blockade" of Iran's ports, coastlines violates ceasefire

Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran is pursuing diplomatic efforts while remaining prepared for military confrontation, stressing that Iran does not trust its adversaries and stands ready to respond to further escalation.

Trump threatens to "knock out every power plant and every bridge" in Iran if his deal is rejected

Iran's Civil Aviation Authority said Sunday that it has approved the resumption of international flights from Mashhad International Airport in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi starting Monday.

Trump says US envoys to arrive in Islamabad on Monday for talks

In a volatile and dizzying 24-hour reversal, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has announced, again, to close the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement via Telegram on Saturday evening, the IRGC warned that any vessel attempting to navigate the vital global chokepoint will be treated as a military target until Washington lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports. The sudden escalation prompted an immediate pushback from US President Donald Trump, who declared that the US would not be “blackmailed” and insisted the American maritime siege will “remain in full force.”

Six people were killed and another 14 injured on Saturday after a man opened fire on the streets of the Ukrainian capital, according to media reports.

Seventeen people have died in US immigration custody this year, according to the detainee death reports released by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday strongly condemned the attack that killed one French peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and injured three others earlier in the day, his spokesperson said in a statement.

The US Central Command said on Saturday that dock landing ship USS Rushmore is conducting blockade operations in the Arabian Sea.

Iran has made progress in negotiations with the United States, but the two sides are still far from reaching an agreement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Saturday.

Final results released by Hungary's National Election Office (NEO) on Saturday confirmed the Tisza Party won a two-thirds majority in the parliamentary elections held on April 12.

Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said on Saturday the ceasefire with Israel must mean a complete halt to aggression, warning the group will retaliate against Israeli violations in southern Lebanon.

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked since Saturday evening and will not reopen until the United States lifts its naval blockade on the waterway.

Tokyo signed a contract on Saturday with Canberra to supply the first three of a planned fleet of 11 upgraded Mogami-class frigates to the Australian Navy, the largest defense export contract in Japan's postwar history, Japan Times reported, and the was described by Reuters as “Tokyo's most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014,” which signals Japan's push away from postwar pacifism and a move “to counter China.”

Hormuz will remain under strict Iranian control if U.S. does not ensure freedom of navigation for vessels travelling from and to Iran -- IRGC

Iran has partially reopened its airspace and some airports, local media reported on Saturday, citing its aviation authority.

The UK and France will lead a multinational mission to protect commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, with more details to be announced next week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said, after attending a meeting with many European leaders regarding the situation in the critical waterway, according to media reports.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that, in line with the truce in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared "completely open" for the remaining period of the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Iran for the announcement of a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

“Morale is going to be at an all-time low.” A report by US media outlet USA Today has shed light on food shortages and suspended military mail services affecting US forces deployed in the Middle East, while a Chinese expert said the situation suggests the US military was not adequately prepared before launching operations against Iran.

Former Myanmar President U Win Myint was released under amnesty on Friday, state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television reported.

Russia on Thursday said that the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz violates the UN Charter and international law and only serves to escalate tensions.

Pakistan is ramping up mediation efforts regarding US-Iran conflict. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Qatar's Emir Thursday to call for de-escalation, while a Pakistani delegation is having talks in Iran to pave the way for a second round US-Iran negotiation in Islamabad.

Trump, Lebanese president talk over phone: reports

Although the US President has repeatedly criticized UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to join the US-Israel war against Iran, Starmer once again expressed opposition, saying in his latest response that he is "not going to yield" to pressure following President Trump's warning over a US-UK trade deal, according to media reports on Wednesday. A Chinese expert said the move by the US, which seeks to tightly link economic relations with geopolitical alignment, has deepened the trust deficit across the transatlantic alliance as UK refused to bear the costs of Washington's strategic gamble.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday an extension of the current U.S. ceasefire with Iran is "not true at this moment."

Israel rejects Washington's request for a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon -- Al Jazeera

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is "very close to being over."

U.S. and Iranian officials have reached an "in principle agreement" to extend the ceasefire to allow more time for diplomatic efforts, U.S. media reported Wednesday.

French lawmakers in the National Assembly on Monday passed a bill to simplify the return of artworks and other prized artefacts looted during the country's colonial era to their countries of origin, France 24 reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he wasn't thinking about extending the ceasefire with Iran.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake official visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye from April 15 to April 18, according to an official statement.

US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that the war against Iran is "very close" to completion.

Israel and Lebanon laid out different expectations on a peace deal during talks here on Tuesday, with Israel insisting on Hezbollah's disarmament and Lebanon calling for a ceasefire and concrete measures to ease the severe humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing conflict, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan within the next two days, according to media reports.

Amid a severe energy crisis, the Philippines faces some tough questions: Is solving the energy crisis its top priority, or just for show? How much longer are its foreign policy, coast guard, and military going to pulling in completely opposite directions? Will Manila put the suffering of its own people first, or keep prioritizing the agendas of politicians and outside powers?

US military executing mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports -- CENTCOM

Israel-Lebanon talks begin in US

The International Monetary Fund has lowered its global economic growth forecasts for 2026 to 3.1 percent in the World Economic Outlook report published on Tuesday, while keeping its projection for 2027 at 3.2 percent.

"Anybody who understands economics will want to build relationship with China," a representative from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) told the Global Times at the UAE-China Business Promotion Conference in Beijing on Monday, which was held on the sidelines of the official visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, UAE. At the event, many business players from UAE told the Global Times that this trip to China is aimed at further strengthening ties between business partners amid a volatile global trade environment.

Japanese police on Tuesday rearrested Kodai Murata, second lieutenant in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (SDF), who is suspected of violating Japan's Firearms and Swords Control Law by forcibly breaking into the Chinese Embassy in Japan on March 24, according to Japanese media reports. Previously, he had been arrested on suspicion of trespassing at the Chinese Embassy in Japan.

South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has not been accredited by the United States to attend the upcoming Group of Twenty (G20) finance chiefs meeting, local media reported on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened again on Monday that Cuba would be Washington's next target following attacks on Venezuela and Iran.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on U.S.-Iranian negotiations to continue, said his spokesman on Monday.

As the US blockade of Strait of Hormuz came into effect on Monday 10:00 A.M. ET., the US military said it will block all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, according to Al Jazeera.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday expressed optimism about the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the United States, saying a new round of dialogue is expected soon after recent talks held in Islamabad.

"The election result is painful for us, but clear," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the Fidesz party campaign offices, conceding defeat on local time Sunday in a major election loss - signaling the imminent end of his 16 consecutive years in power, as the Xinhua News Agency reported - as results showed Peter Magyar's center-right Tisza party winning a majority, per media reports. This election has received wide attention as it will not only affect the future of Hungary, but also carries implications for the European country's relations with the US, Russia and the EU, with influence on wider geopolitical scope, Chinese observers said. But no matter how policy adjustment is made, the core issues of security, energy and economic development remain unchanged and shall be the priority of the new government, they said.

US blockade of Strait of Hormuz in effect -- media

The U.S. military will impose a blockade covering parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz starting from 1400 GMT, Reuters reported, citing a notice to mariners issued by U.S. Central Command.

Britain will not be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, British media reported on Sunday.

After peace talks between the United States and Iran concluded in Islamabad without an agreement, regional mediators are racing to secure a second round of negotiations within days to prevent the collapse of a fragile, two-week ceasefire, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing officials familiar with the matter.

Iran's military warns that no Gulf ports will be safe if its own threatened: report

The spokesperson of Unified Command of Iranian Armed Forces said Monday that US restrictions on vessels in international waters is "illegal and constitutes piracy."

Trump says US to blockade ship entering or exiting Iran's ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET

US President Donald Trump is looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz "as a way to break a stalemate in peace talks," The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in Sunday's parliamentary elections, as partial results showed the opposition Tisza party securing a majority.

U.S. forces will begin implementing a blockade of "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" on Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Sunday.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Sunday that Israeli forces rammed UNIFIL vehicles and damaged monitoring equipment in southern Lebanon, calling the incidents a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday any "erroneous" move by the "enemy" in the Strait of Hormuz will have deadly consequences.

The UK government has been forced to shelve its legislation to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after the US dropped its support for the agreement, the Guardian reported on Saturday, describing the setback as “a sign of the worsening US-UK relations.”

Expressing her intention on constitutional revision, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi claimed on Sunday that “Voluntary constitutional revision crafted by the Japanese people is a core party principle. The time has come,” the Asahi Shimbun reported on Sunday. A Chinese expert said the move reflects an attempt by Takaichi and Japanese right-wing forces to set a clearer timetable for amending the pacifist Constitution and loosening legal constraints on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

After 21 hours of intense negotiations in Islamabad, the US-Iran talks, which multiple news outlets said to be the highest-level face-to-face meeting between US and Iranian officials since 1979, ended on Sunday without an agreement to halt the monthlong war. Despite the marathon talks, deep-seated mistrust - shaped by decades of hostilities and sharpened by the latest conflict - continues to weigh heavily on both sides. Disputes over critical issues, including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program, have further complicated the path forward, making any breakthrough far from swift or straightforward, Chinese analysts said.

Iran's IRGC Navy warns that "any wrong move will trap the enemy in deadly whirlpools" in Strait of Hormuz -- report

Trump says to destroy Iranian energy infrastructure if no deal reached -- media

Trump says U.S. Navy to immediately blockade all ships attempting to enter or leave Hormuz Strait