ROME – Italy’s foreign minister said Thursday he had called for a “humanitarian corridor” for fertiliser and other essentials through the Strait of Hormuz to avoid a food disaster in Africa. Antonio Tajani, who participated by video in a meeting on Iran coordinated by Britain, said in a statement that “ensuring the transport of fertilisers and other humanitarian goods through the Strait of Hormuz is vital.

“Tajani, together with colleagues such as the Dutch Minister and the Deputy Minister of the United Arab Emirates, advocated for the need to work with the UN to establish a ‘humanitarian corridor’ as soon as possible, primarily for fertilisers and all other goods necessary to prevent a new food crisis, particularly in African nations,” the statement said.

JERUSALEM – Air raid sirens sounded and explosions rang out in several areas of Israel on Thursday as Iran launched multiple missiles, the military said, adding that the projectiles had been intercepted. Falling shrapnel has wounded seven people since the first missile attack was detected in the morning, according to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom.

The military said it had detected seven waves of incoming missiles over the course of the day, triggering sirens in central Israel, Jerusalem, Haifa and some areas of the occupied West Bank. “Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” it said as it announced each salvo.

AFP journalists in Tel Aviv reported hearing several blasts from the morning, with the first missile fire detected at 6:49 am (0449 GMT). AFP footage showed a residential building in the Tel Aviv area struck by debris from an intercepted missile.Images showed damage to an apartment, with metal fragments scattered across the scene. Rescue services and medics were deployed to assess the damage.

Earlier, a spokesperson for Magen David Adom told public radio that several houses were damaged in the central city of Kafr Qassem. Mayor Haitham Taha said the damage was caused by cluster munitions. Magen David Adom said six people were wounded in Kafr Qassem and one in Tel Aviv. AFP footage showed a large crater at the impact site in Kafr Qassem, as well as several cars overturned by the blast.

The first morning attack came more than 14 hours after the military last reported incoming missiles from Iran. Central Israel also came under fire overnight from Lebanon, after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group said it had targeted military sites in the area. Israeli media reported that six rockets were intercepted.

In a separate statement, the military said a soldier was killed in fighting in south Lebanon on Thursday. Since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, the Israeli military has lost three soldiers in combat in southern Lebanon, where ground operations have expanded.

A judicial appointee of former President Ronald Reagan on Tuesday ordered Voice of America (VOA) to rehire its employees and resume international broadcasting. The ruling from District Judge Royce C. Lamberth comes more than a year after President Trump significantly downsized the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and directed Voice of America to dismiss all but 68 employees. Lamberth said the Trump administration was in a “flagrant and nearly year-long” refusal to uphold congressional mandates by dwindling its staff and resources.

Two weeks ago, he ruled that Kari Lake was unlawfully serving as the head of USAGM. USAGM is overseen by six bipartisan House and Senate committees. Lawmakers provide funding for the independent agency which focuses on countering misinformation abroad, according to its website.

The two rulings have been celebrated by both plaintiffs, including VOA Director Michael Abramowitz who brought one of the cases against the administration. A separate lawsuit was filed by VOA’s White House bureau chief, Patsy Widakuswara, Press Freedom Editor Jessica Jerreat and USAGM’s Director of Strategy and Performance Assessment, Kate Neeper.

The latter group said it was eager to “rebuild the trust of the global audience” that the broadcaster has been unable to serve for the past year, according to the Washington Post. Officials from USAGM and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

TEHRAN – President Donald Trump said Monday the United States and Iran had held “very good” talks towards ending the three-week Middle East war, putting threatened US attacks on Iran’s power plants on hold in a stunning about-turn. In a social media post that immediately sent oil prices tumbling, Trump said Washington and Tehran had held “productive conversations” over the last two days towards “a complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.

In Iran, media outlets quoted the foreign ministry denying any such talks and suggesting Trump was angling to bring down energy prices sent soaring by the war — with no mention of his claim on state television’s latest news bulletin.

But Trump asserted he had told the Pentagon, on the basis of talks to date, to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings.”

He said the US-Iranian sides would keep talking “throughout the week.”

The bombshell announcement came ahead of a Monday night ultimatum for the Islamic republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane — or see Trump “obliterate” its power plants.

In response, Iran had threatened to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target power plants across the region — ramping up its rhetoric after warnings the world faced an energy crisis of historic proportions if the US-Israeli war with Iran drags on.

Tehran has retaliated against US-Israeli attacks by throttling traffic through Hormuz, conduit for a fifth of global crude, hitting energy sites and US embassies across the Gulf as well as targets in Israel. Israel hit Tehran with fresh strikes on Monday, with the latest wave reported by the military minutes after Trump’s announcement.

The head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol warned overnight that, in the event of a protracted war, daily oil losses put the world on track for a crisis worse than the combined impact of both 1970s oil shocks and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Oil prices have been driven above $100 a barrel by the conflict — and they tumbled sharply after Trump’s announcement, while and European stocks rebounded. International benchmark Brent North Sea crude plunged more than 14 percent to $96.00 per barrel, while the main US oil contract West Texas Intermediate shed more than 14 percent to $84.37 per barrel.

Sign of the conflict’s tentacular impact, the world’s second economy China had said earlier Monday it was capping domestic fuel cost increases to mitigate the effect of surging oil prices.

Weighing in before Trump’s post, China’s foreign ministry had warned of an “uncontrollable situation” should the war expand further. Key Iran ally Russia meanwhile called after Trump’s announcement for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”.

In a call with Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov called for “a political settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of all parties involved, above all Iran,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

The US president had offered varying timelines and objectives for the war, saying Friday he was considering “winding down” the operation — only to later threaten Iran’s power plants, of which it has more than 90.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement, has spoken of a long-term campaign against Iran’s government, a state sponsor of Hamas, which launched the October 7, 2023 attack triggering the Gaza war.

In Lebanon, Israel has also expanded its ground campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah, warning of “weeks of fighting” there. The Lebanon violence has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than a million, according to the health ministry.

On Monday Israel’s military said it was working to intercept a new salvo of missiles from Iran — while confirming its own artillery fire had killed an Israeli civilian a day earlier near the Lebanese border.

In Iran, at least 3,230 people have died in the war, including 1,406 civilians, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. AFP is not able to access the sites of strikes nor independently verify tolls in Iran.

Dubai: It’s official. Saudi Arabia announced today (March 18, 2026) that the first day of Eid al Fitr will fall on March 20, after the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted. The moon-sighting committee convened and verified the sighting of the new moon, marking the end of Ramadan after 30 days of fasting. This aligns with the Islamic tradition of determining the start of a new month through lunar observation.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that holidays for Eid for employees in the private and non-profit sectors will begin tonight, Wednesday, Mar 18, and last for four days, in accordance with the provisions of the Saudi Labour Law.

Mohammed Al Ruzaiqi, the ministry’s spokesperson, said at the time that the announcement aimed to provide clarity for employers and employees ahead of the holiday period, allowing organisations to organise work schedules and ensure operational continuity in essential sectors while safeguarding workers’ rights to the festive break.

Dubai: The UAE has announced Eid Al Fitr prayer timings across the seven emirates, with prayers set to take place early in the morning on the first day of the holiday. According to official guidance, prayer timings will be 6:20am in Abu Dhabi, 6:18am in Dubai, 6:16am in Sharjah and Ajman, 6:12am in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah, and 6:10am in Fujairah.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat said that Eid prayers will be held exclusively in approved mosques across the UAE, confirming that no prayers will take place in traditional open-air Eid prayer grounds.

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The measure is part of the country’s efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of worshippers and to facilitate the smooth organisation of prayers nationwide.

The first day of Eid Al Fitr is expected to fall on Thursday or Friday, subject to confirmation by the moon-sighting committee, which will convene after Maghreb prayer today. Officials said preparations are under way to ensure the holiday is marked safely and without disruption across the country.

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran had shown it was ready to take the war with Israel and the United States as far as necessary. “I think by now they have learned a good lesson and understood what kind of nation they are dealing with, one that does not hesitate to defend itself and is ready to continue the war wherever it may lead, and take it as far as necessary,” said Araghchi during a weekly foreign ministry briefing.

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has been “totally defeated” in the US-Israeli military campaign against the country and wanted a deal he would not accept, despite Iranian officials pledging to continue the fight.

“The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States Military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal – But not a deal that I would accept!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating.

Trump’s comments came after he said that Washington had heavily bombed military targets on Iran’s oil hub Kharg Island and the US Navy would soon begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

But as the US strikes on Iran persisted, Tehran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Israel and its Gulf neighbours.

Meanwhile, several top Iranian officials joined a defiant pro-government rally in Tehran on Friday, marching alongside demonstrators waving banners reading “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

Iran’s top diplomat said this week that talks remain off the table and attacks would continue for as long as necessary.

“I don’t think talking with the Americans would be on our agenda anymore,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told PBS News this week, adding Tehran had a “very bitter experience” during previous negotiations with the US.

The 51st Annual Convention of the Atlantic County Democratic Party was held on Sunday afternoon, March 8. The convention took place at a hall in Egg Harbor City, where leaders, activists, and supporters from various levels of the party gathered to participate in the event. The program began with the performance of the United States national anthem, followed by speeches from several Democratic Party leaders.

Chairman Michael Suleiman welcomed and congratulated the party leaders, activists, and supporters attending the convention. He also presented awards to several leaders in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the progress of the party.

During the convention, party candidates running for various positions, including congressional seats in the upcoming New Jersey Primary Election, delivered their remarks.

Among those present at the convention were South Asian American Democratic leaders Subrata Chowdhury, Syed Shahid, and Nasir Sheikh. Other notable attendees included Aaron Randolph, Councilman of Atlantic City; Kalim Shabazz, also a councilman of Atlantic City; Constant Mendy Days Chapman, Chairwoman of the Atlantic City Democratic Committee; and Jeff Dorsey, among other party leaders.

At the conclusion of the program, Chairman Michael Suleiman thanked everyone involved for their efforts in making the convention a success.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, describing him as “one of the most evil people in history” in a post on Truth Social. Trump said Khamenei had been unable to evade US intelligence and “highly sophisticated tracking systems”, adding that the operation had been carried out in close coordination with Israel.

Trump said the development represented “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country”. He also claimed Washington had received indications that many within Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, military and security forces no longer wished to continue fighting, suggesting the United States could offer them “immunity”.

The US president also warned that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue “uninterrupted throughout the week, or as long as necessary to achieve our objective”. There has been no independent verification of Khamenei’s reported death, and Trump did not provide evidence to support the claim.