Saturday, April 18, 2026
US extends waiver allowing countries to buy Russian oil – as it happened
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In case you’re just joining us, here are the latest developments in the Middle East to bring you up to speed. It’s 9am in Beirut and Jerusalem, 9.30am in Tehran and 2am in Washington DC.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect, pausing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has killed more than 2,100 Lebanese people and displaced more than 2.1 million. The agreement was announced earlier by Donald Trump, who said he had spoken with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, and invited both leaders “for meaningful talks” at the White House. Both leaders welcomed the agreement.
Israel and Hezbollah both maintained their right to defend themselves if the truce is broken – here’s our full report.
Netanyahu called the ceasefire a “historic” opportunity for peace but refused to withdraw his troops from southern Lebanon during the pause in fighting. “We are remaining in Lebanon in an expanded security zone,” he said, due to the “danger of an invasion” and to prevent fire into Israel. “That is where we are, and we are not leaving.”
UN chief António Guterres welcomed the ceasefire, which took effect at midnight on Thursday (2100 GMT) in Lebanon, and urged “all actors” to fully respect it. He hoped the halt in fighting would “pave the way for negotiations”.
The Lebanese army warned people displaced from southern Lebanon about returning home because of intermittent shelling that was reported after the ceasefire came into effect.
The Israeli military warned residents of southern Lebanon not to return south of the Litani River despite the truce.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson welcomed the ceasefire and stressed it was already part of the original Iran-US agreement brokered by Pakistan.
Israel and Hezbollah continued to exchange fire in the hours before the truce took effect.
Continue reading...source https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/17/middle-east-crisis-live-news-israel-lebanon-ceasefire-iran-war-us-latest-updates
Friday, April 17, 2026
California coffee chain reinstates policy on Pride flags after swift backlash
Petition started by workers gained more than 7,300 signatures after CEO said flags would be removed
A San Francisco-based coffee chain that sparked backlash with a policy to remove Pride flags from their stores has reversed its decision over a week later.
“I made a mistake and I am sincerely sorry,” said Mahesh Sadarangani, the chief executive of Philz Coffee, in a statement on Friday. “The Pride flag is a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world, and that is not something I want to take away from anyone who walks into a Philz.”
Continue reading...source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/17/philz-coffee-pride-flags-california
Lead prosecutor on investigation into former CIA director no longer on case
Maria Medetis Long had expressed doubts over case of John Brennan, whose agency said Russia boosted Trump in 2016
A federal prosecutor leading the investigation into former CIA director John Brennan is no longer working on the case after expressing reservations about it, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The prosecutor, Maria Medetis Long, informed attorneys involved in the case she was no longer handling it, according to CNN, which first reported she was leaving the case. Medetis Long is a career attorney serving as the chief of the national security division in the US attorney’s office for the southern district of Florida. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Continue reading...source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/17/cia-john-brennan-russia-trump-investigation
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Senate Democrats move to stall Trump’s ‘absurd’ bid to install new Fed chair
Democratic lawmakers urged Republican leaders to postpone the confirmation hearing of Kevin Warsh
Democrats have moved to stall Donald Trump’s effort to exert greater control over the US Federal Reserve, condemning the president’s “absurd” bid to install a new leader of the central bank while it is targeted with criminal investigations.
Democratic lawmakers on the Senate banking committee urged its Republican leadership on Thursday to postpone the planned confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, the financial executive and former Fed governor Trump has nominated to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair.
Continue reading...source https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/16/senate-democrats-trump-new-federal-reserve-chair
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