Melania Trump’s surprise Epstein statement prompts bafflement

• US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8, 2026, ending 38 days of intense conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran involving major military exchanges. • Iran maintained leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, while the US pushed Iran to negotiations based on Tehran's 10-point framework against Washington's 15-point demands on nuclear activity and regional influence. • Israel rejected parts of the ceasefire scope and continued operations in Lebanon, prompting Iran to warn of withdrawal if attacks persist, highlighting the truce's precarious nature amid high regional tensions.

• Pakistan has positioned itself as a primary mediator between the United States and Iran following the recent Middle East war, leading efforts to end hostilities after Trump's threats prompted a White House reversal. • Peace talks are set to begin in Pakistan on April 10, welcomed by India, as the two-week ceasefire takes hold amid reshaping West Asian strategic landscape. • China supports Pakistan's role, having jointly submitted a five-point truce plan with Islamabad to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before escalation.

In Pakistan’s capital, the army has been deployed, a public holiday has been declared and the streets are eerily emptyMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe streets of Islamabad were on strict lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepared to play host to historic negotiations between Iran and the US that have dangled the promise of an end to war that has devastated the Middle East.Even as the US-Iran ceasefire looked increasingly precarious, amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon and disputes over the terms of the talks, Pakistani officials insisted that the make-or-break peace negotiations would be going ahead over the weekend as planned. Continue reading...

Call comes on same day former prime minister Tony Abbott said Australia should send troops to fight alongside US forces in the Middle EastFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Greens want the federal government to put direct pressure on Israel to stop its deadly strikes on Lebanon, including cancelling weapons contracts to protest against the “disastrous, illegal, immoral war”.Prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, have insisted southern Lebanon should be included in the fledgling ceasefire agreement negotiated between the US and Iran in recent days. Continue reading...

Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade strikes as Trump tells US media he has asked Netanyahu to be more ‘low-key’ in Lebanon. Follow live newsNetanyahu says there is no ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel launches fresh strikesJapan plans to release 20 days’ worth of oil reserves from May, prime minister Sanae Takaichi told a cabinet meeting on Friday, to ensure stable domestic supply as conflict in the region continues disrupts global supply.Japan is dependent on the Middle East for around 95% of its oil. It began releasing reserves on March 16 unilaterally and in coordination with other nations under a plan to make available enough oil to last 50 days. The new release of 20 days worth is additional. Continue reading...

Lanre Bakare on the UK government’s decision to revoke Kanye West’s visa after Wireless festival booked him as a headlinerWhen Kanye West was announced as the headliner for Wireless festival in London this summer, the backlash was immediate.“He’d been on a campaign of four or five years of antisemitic trolling,” Lanre Bakare, the Guardian’s arts and culture correspondent, tells Nosheen Iqbal. “Embracing neo-Nazi imagery, pushing out far-right conspiracy theories about Jewish people.” Continue reading...

Hyundai issues local recall due to a fault with its battery management software that could cause a fire while the car is recharging or parkedThousands of Australian drivers will be asked to check their electric vehicle batteries as part of a global recall involving more than 100,000 cars.Hyundai issued a local recall for almost 5,000 vehicles on Friday due to a fault with its battery management software that could cause a fire while the car is recharging or while it is parked. Continue reading...

Hawaii Volcanoes national park closed due to eruption of one of world’s most active volcanoes, located on Big IslandAmber lava exploded over 200 meters into the air as Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, erupted on Thursday.Lava fountains began to erupt from the volcano after 11 am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). On Thursday evening, plumes of smoke and lava pouring downslope were observable on a livestream camera. So far, the episode has produced 3.6 million cubic yards of lava, USGS said. Continue reading...

Company claims law regulating AI systems, set to go into effect in June, infringes on its first amendment rightsElon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has filed a lawsuit against the state of Colorado over a new AI law set to take effect in June.The suit seeks to block the state from enforcing the law, which would impose new requirements on AI systems to protect state residents from “algorithmic discrimination” in sectors such as education, employment, healthcare, housing and financial services. Continue reading...

Independent MP elected to the seat of Stafford in Brisbane’s northern suburbs in 2020 and disendorsed by Labor in 2025Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Queensland state politician has been found dead at his home.Jimmy Sullivan, 44, was the independent MP for the Queensland electorate of Stafford in Brisbane’s north. Continue reading...

Melissa Chiu, 54, director of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, led the institution for 12 years A museum director at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington has announced that she is leaving to take over at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.Melissa Chiu has been director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on the National Mall for 12 years. In an interview on Thursday, she insisted that her departure is not related to Donald Trump’s efforts to interfere with the Smithsonian. Continue reading...