WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States is in talks with Iran over "tariff and sanctions relief," while also threatening 50-percent tariffs on any country supplying weapons to Tehran.
"The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!" Trump said on his Truth Social account. (U.S.-Iran-Trump)
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BEIRUT/JERUSALEM -- Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 87 people and injuring 722, officials said, with densely populated neighborhoods in the capital, Beirut, among the hardest hit.
Hospitals across the city and surrounding areas issued urgent calls for blood donations as medical supplies ran low amid mounting casualties. Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine described the situation as catastrophic, with civil defense teams still searching through damaged buildings and assisting the wounded. (Lebanon-Israeli-Airstrike)
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TEHRAN -- The first ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran's "permission" after a U.S.-Iran truce took effect early on Wednesday, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.
Ship-tracking service MarineTraffic also said on X that vessel movements resumed in the Strait of Hormuz following the ceasefire. (Iran-Ship-Hormuz)
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CAPE TOWN -- Nearly 1,000 people were arrested for drunk driving across South Africa over the Easter weekend, marking a 39 percent increase compared to last year, local authorities said.
Arrests related to driving under the influence of alcohol increased by 39 percent as law enforcement officers intensified their efforts to save lives on the roads, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said in a statement on Monday. (South Africa-Drunk Driving) ■
