Explainer-US-Iran ceasefire: what we know
WASHINGTON, April 8 - Here is what we know following Tuesday evening's dramatic reversal by U.S. President Donald Trump of his threats to attack Iran's civilian infrastructure.
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Middle East ceasefire may have made Iran stronger
Ceasefires are often presented as moments of relief – pauses in violence that open the door to diplomacy. But sometimes they reveal something more consequential: who has actually gained from the war. The emerging ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran may be one of those
Bangladesh seeks more fuel from India as neighbours repair ties
DHAKA/NEW DELHI, April 8 - Bangladesh on Wednesday sought to increase fuel purchases from India, as foreign minister Khalilur Rahman made the new government's first ministerial visit to New Delhi, a further sign that strained relations between the two countries may be easing.
Trump announces 50% tariffs on nations supplying Iran with weapons
WASHINGTON, April 8 - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that imports from countries supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50% tariffs with no exemptions, announcing the threatened duty in a social media post just hours after agreeing to a two-week
Tourists warned after moon jellyfish found on Phuket beach
Officials urged visitors not to panic, but said direct contact should be avoided for safety reasons.
UN says its envoy is in Iran to support 'durable' end to conflict
WASHINGTON, April 8 - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's personal envoy has arrived in Iran as part of a regional tour aimed at backing \"a comprehensive and durable resolution\" to the Iran war, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Iran to approach peace talks with US with caution, Iranian ambassador to UN says
GENEVA, April 8 - Iran will approach peace talks with the U.S. with far more caution than in previous negotiations due to a big gap in trust, and the war will affect the future legal regime of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Hegseth claims decisive US military victory over Iran
April 8 - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the United States has had a decisive military victory over Iran and that Tehran's missile program has been functionally destroyed.
Turkish intelligence played a role securing U.S.-Iran ceasefire, media says
ANKARA, April 8 - Turkey’s intelligence agency played a key role in diplomatic efforts leading to a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, Turkish media reported on Wednesday, citing security sources.
Explainer-What the US, Iran, Israel and Pakistan have said about the ceasefire
April 8 - The United States, Israel and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, reached with Pakistani mediation, and U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to hold talks on Friday to discuss a long-term settlement.
Man fined $400 for entering hippo Moo Deng’s pen: Thai zoo
Footage of the incident shows a man inside the enclosure and recording Moo Deng with a tablet.
Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to avoid escalation: China
Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants responsible for cross-border attacks.
Vance hits out at 'scandalous' Zelenskiy comments about Hungary's Orban
BUDAPEST, April 8 - U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that Ukraine's president had made \"scandalous\" comments about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as he echoed Budapest's accusations that Kyiv was using energy supplies to try to influence elections there.
A war Trump couldn’t win and a peace he can’t afford to lose
President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a Pakistani proposal for a two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran brings a sigh of relief to the international community. Just hours before, many had been alarmed by Trump’s threats to bomb Iran back to “the stone age” and destroy its
Norwegian Nobel Committee condemns Russia's treatment of rights group Memorial
OSLO, April 8 - The Norwegian Nobel Committee said on Wednesday it was condemning \"Russia's attempt to criminalise Memorial\" and to designate the human rights group, a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, as an extremist organisation.
Man fined after breaking into viral hippo Moo Deng's enclosure
The director of the Thai zoo where Moo Deng lives said security would be upped after the incident.
Bombs, poetry and paradise: Why Trump can’t erase Iran
The parties to the Iran war have agreed to a ceasefire. Thus, Donald Trump loses, for now, an opportunity to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age. He must also postpone the destruction of the mausoleum of the incomparable Ferdowsi, the national poet who a thousand years ago wrote
Vance says Trump is 'impatient' about progress on Iran
BUDAPEST, April 8 - U.S. President Donald Trump is \"impatient\" about making progress toward ending the Iran war and has instructed his negotiating team to engage the Iranians in good faith, Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday.
Thailand confirms three deaths from vessel attacked in Strait of Hormuz
BANGKOK, April 8 - The three crewmen on the Thai-flagged vessel that was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz last month have died, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Dispute over Chinese EV giant’s plant exposes Malaysia’s auto hub dilemma
A reported standoff between BYD and Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) over strict manufacturing conditions has left the Chinese automaker’s RM1.3 billion Tanjung Malim assembly plant in limbo.
India mulls over reptile river guards on Bangladesh border
The matter was discussed in a February meeting with the Home Ministry.
Deal or no deal, Iran war has birthed a new world order
The Iran war may have paused, if not finally ended. Iran has lost its leaders, half of its missile and drone stocks, and a substantial part of its military and civil infrastructure. Thousands of Iranians, a majority of them combatants, have been killed or injured. The US has
Turkey detains 10 suspects over Istanbul gun attack outside Israeli consulate, media reports
ISTANBUL, April 8 - Turkish authorities have detained 10 people in connection with Tuesday's gun attack near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul as the investigation widened, Turkish media reported on Wednesday.
Zelenskiy, welcoming Iran de-escalation, says Ukraine ready for ceasefire with Russia
KYIV, April 8 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he welcomed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, adding that Kyiv was ready to \"respond in kind\" if Moscow ceased strikes.
China says it ‘welcomes’ Middle East ceasefire agreement
President Trump believes China had a hand in bringing Iran to the negotiating table.
Major reaction to news of Iran ceasefire
April 8 - The U.S. and Iran have confirmed a two-week ceasefire following mediation by Pakistan.
Cambodia resumes detained opposition leader Kem Sokha’s appeal process: Lawyer
More than 18 months have passed since the last hearing for the politician convicted of treason.
Indonesia proposes vape ban as narcotics agency points to alarming drug-laced liquid findings
Laboratory findings reported by the National Narcotics Agency in February this year showed that at least 35 of 341 vape liquid samples tested positive for illicit substances, including cannabis-linked compounds, methamphetamine and etomidate, a narcotic under Indonesia's health
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit North Korea from April 9 to 10
Wang Yi's last publicly known visit to North Korea as China’s Foreign Minister was in late 2019.
China's foreign minister to visit North Korea over April 9-10
BEIJING, April 8 - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea over April 9-10, his ministry said on Wednesday, signalling efforts by the East Asian neighbours to revitalise ties that chilled after the COVID‑19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
South Korea to push for the release of ships in the Strait of Hormuz
SEOUL, April 8 - South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Wednesday that the government would do its best to ensure the country's ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible based on conditions created under a two-week ceasefire agreed between the U.S.
Greece to ban social media for under-15s from 2027, PM says
April 8 - Greece will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 from January 1, 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
What the US-Iran ceasefire does and doesn’t mean
The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, the details of which have not been confirmed by both sides, averting Trump’s threat to destroy Iran. The purported statement by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council that CNN and others reported was dismissed as fake by Trump,
Trump says he believes China got Iran to negotiate, AFP reports
WASHINGTON, April 7 - U.S. President Donald Trump told AFP on Tuesday that he believes China got Iran to negotiate a ceasefire in the war against Israel and the United States.
EU welcomes US-Iran ceasefire, urges efforts to create lasting agreement
BRUSSELS, April 8 - EU leaders on Wednesday welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran.
Spanish prime minister to make fourth trip to China in as many years
BEIJING, April 8 - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will make his fourth trip to China in as many years this month, as had been widely expected, as Madrid seeks to build on its commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy.
UN probe: Israeli fire, Hezbollah IED killed Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon
An Indonesian peacekeeper was killed on Mar 29 when a projectile exploded near a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) position. The next day, two other soldiers were killed in an explosion that destroyed their vehicle.
Malaysians are again up in arms over drink-driving. But this time, it’s for a different reason
Drink-drive deaths are rare – just under 0.5 per cent of fatalities – but outrage is anything but.
China goes beyond bystander role in brokering Mid-East ceasefire
US President Donald Trump said he believes China got Iran to negotiate the ceasefire.
‘We are loved’: Family of Indonesian girl killed in Chinatown accident thanks Singapore public
The girl's parents described her as “a child of incandescent vitality; joyful, spirited and deeply loved”.
Heartburn in New Delhi over Pakistan’s role in brokering Middle East ceasefire
Pakistan's ties with the US have complicated New Delhi’s efforts to manage relations with Washington.
Malaysia PM Anwar welcomes Iran 10-point plan, but warns against ‘deception and double-dealing’
Putrajaya stressed that diplomacy is the only viable path to resolving conflicts.
UK's Starmer heads to the Gulf to discuss Strait of Hormuz reopening
LONDON, April 8 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to the Gulf on Wednesday to hold talks with regional leaders to try to ensure the Strait of Hormuz opens permanently after a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, his office said.