WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko left the United States on Thursday buoyed by what she called positive talks with top U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, saying she found him to be supportive of her war-torn country. Svyrydenko told Reuters that she used the meeting with Bessent to hammer
Iran’s military planning ahead of the war helped blunt the impact of US-Israeli strikes on its arsenal and leadership, according to Western military intelligence assessments, which say Tehran still retains the ability to respond if the ceasefire breaks down. A man flashes a victory sign as he carries an Iranian flag in front of an
One blockade was bad enough. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up prices for oil, natural gas and fertiliser, among other commodities. On April 13th America initiated a blockade of its own, halting the few vessels Iran had been letting past, which will presumably compound the problem. Abdul Qayoom spreads fertilizer on
WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said Pope Leo was free to say what he wanted but that it was important for him to understand that Iran could never have a nuclear weapon. Trump has repeatedly criticized the religious leader, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli
WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that if a deal with Iran to conclude the war is reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go, and that Iran has agreed to almost everything. Trump struck an optimistic tone about Iran as he spoke with reporters on the White House
A federal agency gave the first approval to President Donald Trump’s design for an ambitious – and controversial – triumphal arch in the U.S. capital, the first step toward building the 250-foot-tall monument celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts – full of Trump allies – voted to advance the president’s
By Andrew Osborn and Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW, April 16 (Reuters) – The Kremlin took the unusual step of publicly acknowledging sharp criticism of the authorities from a celebrity blogger on Thursday, saying work was under way to address a slew of problems identified by social media influencer Viktoria Bonya. Bonya, who is well known inside
The United States warned of a sustained blockade on Iranian ports, and threatened renewing strikes on the country if Tehran refused to make a deal. Pentagon chief Hegseth also warned Tehran that the US was aware of Iran’s alleged movements of its military assets. (AP) US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that the military could
By Michaela Cabrera and Daria Sito-Sucic VILLERS-COTTERETS, France, April 16 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron urged high school pupils on Thursday to switch off their phones and read, pushing for one “no screens day” per month for all, and a blanket social media ban for those under 15 years of age. Following Australia’s groundbreaking
IN THE MAZOWE river valley, 50km north of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, the gold rush is hard to miss. Hillsides have been hewed by excavators that scoop out ore as if it were gelato from a tub. Pipes divert the river to washing stations used by small-scale miners. So much water has been redirected that the
new video loaded: Russia Launches Largest Barrage on Ukrainian Cities in Months 1:07 At least 15 people died after Russia flew more than 700 drones and missiles across Ukrainian cities, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. By Monika Cvorak April 16, 2026 Frenchman Wins $1.2 Million Picasso Painting 1:33 L.G.B.T.Q. Community Expresses Hesitancy About Hungary’s
All the key questions ahead of the 2026 UK local elections, including how to vote, when to register and what ID you need to bring to the polling station. Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google Sir Keir Starmer is not up for election next month, but a
BUDAPEST, April 16 (Reuters) – Over 90 journalists from Hungarian state news agency MTI have demanded the immediate restoration of impartial news coverage following election winner Peter Magyar’s pledge to shake up state media, according to a letter obtained by Reuters. Magyar, whose centre-right TISZA party scored a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections, said his
Explorers have dreamed of harvesting deep-sea metals since the 1870s, when the British scientific ship HMS Challenger pulled up mineral-laden rocks on its round-the-world voyage. Ocean scientists are racing to determine whether marine life can coexist with machines that rake their habitat for undersea treasure. The first commercial effort to exploit these riches failed a
Iranian threats hobbled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the war, moving what little remained north into its own waters. Before war Feb. 18–27 After Iranian retaliation April 3–12 Now the U.S. has mounted a blockade of its own, redrawing the board once again. After the U.S. blockade U.S. ships enforcing blockade in Gulf
YAOUNDE, April 16 (Reuters) – Pope Leo was scheduled to travel to the biggest city in Cameroon’s conflict-hit anglophone region on Thursday, the latest stop on an ambitious four-country Africa tour amid attacks on the pontiff by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump’s attacks on Leo, who has emerged as a vocal critic of the Iran war,
The prowess of America’s armed forces has been on full display in the skies over Iran. During the 38-day air campaign, warplanes flew more than 13,000 combat sorties, smashing Iran’s armed forces, industrial sites and nuclear facilities. The campaign demonstrated careful planning and tactical brilliance. And all this has been carried out while America’s top
HONG KONG (AP) — China’s economy accelerated in the first quarter of this year, expanding 5% from a year earlier as it largely shrugged off impacts from the Iran war so far, according to data released Thursday. The January-March data released by the government, covering a period during which the Iran war began, was better
At a time when Pakistan is in focus in the context of sensitive diplomatic engagements between Iran and the US, a familiar question has come into focus: Who is spearheading the mediation in Islamabad? US President Donald Trump with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and General Asim Munir. (White House/ File photo) Former Information Minister Fawad
Mark Mobius, who put emerging markets on investors’ radar with on-the-ground insights over more than four peripatetic decades, has died. He was 89. FILE PHOTO: Mark Mobius, executive chairman at Templeton Emerging Markets Group, speaks during the SALT conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. May 17, 2017. REUTERS/Richard Brian/File Photo (REUTERS) He died today, according
