Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including US President Donald Trump saying that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire, Trump threatening to not come to Italy's defense as ties between Washington and Rome continue to fray amid rows over the Iran war and Catholic Pope Leo, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying that Iran’s “motivation” to maintain the ceasefire is “very high."
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US President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire starting at 2100 GMT on Thursday following recent talks in Washington.
“I just had excellent conversations with the highly respected President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel,” Trump said in a statement, adding the two leaders agreed to formally launch the truce in a bid to achieve peace between their countries.
US President Donald Trump threatened to not come to Italy's defense as ties between Washington and Rome continue to fray amid rows over the Iran war and Catholic Pope Leo.
"Italy wasn’t there for us, we won’t be there for them!" Trump exclaimed on his Truth Social platform.
His remarks to the Corriere della Sera newspaper came after Meloni called Trump’s fury over Pope Leo's opposition to the war in Iran “unacceptable.”
"Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable," Trump said.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s “motivation” to maintain the ceasefire is “very high,” while warning that US forces remain “maximally postured” to resume the war if Tehran rejects a deal.
“Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing.
He urged Iran to “choose wisely,” warning its military leadership that Washington is closely “watching” their actions.
Hegseth said Iran’s command and control capabilities are “highly degraded,” limiting its ability to coordinate operations, but noted that its “motivation to want to stay in the ceasefire is very high.”
Annual inflation in the euro area accelerated to 2.6% in March, driven in part by a sharp monthly rise in energy prices that underscored the growing impact of higher fuel costs on consumer prices amid the Middle East conflict, according to Eurostat data.
The figure exceeded the preliminary estimates that had shown a 2.5% increase in consumer prices in March.
Eurostat said energy prices in the 21-country euro area rose 7% on a monthly basis in March, marking a sharp turnaround from the annual declines seen in recent months. On an annual basis, energy prices were up 5.1% in March compared with a 3.1% drop in February.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it has resumed dealings with Venezuela after a suspension of more than six years, marking a significant step toward the country’s reintegration into the global financial system.
In a statement, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the decision was taken “guided by the views” of member countries representing a majority of the Fund’s voting power and in line with long-standing institutional practice.
The IMF said it is now engaging with Venezuela under the administration of Acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
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