Skip next section Israeli leaders vow 'harsh action' over Jesus statue damage April 20, 2026 Israeli leaders vow 'harsh action' over Jesus statue damage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he was "stunned and saddened" about reports an Israeli soldier had damaged a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.
Skip next section Oil prices up, stocks down amid Strait of Hormuz standoff April 20, 2026 Oil prices up, stocks down amid Strait of Hormuz standoff Crude prices jumped and the US dollar rose but equity futures fell in early Asian trading on Monday.
On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country was prepared to supply mine clearance and maritime reconnaissance to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. "We could provide mine-clearance vessels — we are good at that," Merz said, adding that a "sound legal basis" would be needed for such an intervention.
Commuters drive past a giant billboard referring to the 'Strait of Hormuz' along a busy street in Tehran on April 19, 2026. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images A U.S.
Trump announces planned Iran war peace talks, Tehran signals it may boycott negotiations amid ongoing U.S. naval pressure, businesses can now apply for Trump tariff refunds.
Skip next section Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Germany for talks April 19, 2026 Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Germany for talks Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Germany from April 21 to 23 to shore up the defense strategic partnership between the two nations.
Skip next section Houthis threaten to close key waterway April 19, 2026 Houthis threaten to close key waterway Yemen's Houthi rebels have threatened to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, amid escalating rhetoric between Tehran and Washington. The Yemeni militia is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, a network of pro-Iran regional armed groups.
Skip next section Iran's sudden Hormuz reversal: What it signals now April 19, 2026 Iran's sudden Hormuz reversal: What it signals now Marianna Evenstein Tehran has reimposed its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, just a day after saying it would reopen the critical waterway.
A French soldier with the multinational United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was killed on Friday in an ambush. Three others were wounded, two of whom severely, in what UNIFIL and French officials called a "deliberate attack."
The sun rises behind a tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026.
It was the shelling that drove Syrian man Imad Omar Qashit from his home again. Fourteen years ago, he fled from Syria to Lebanon. This time, it was the other way round.
Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says the Iran war has so far not triggered a wave of migration to Europe Antisemitism commissioner Felix Klein has called on festivals to make a stand against what he says is rising antisemitic rhetoric in the cultural sector