Habib Siddiqui

  Iran warns Hormuz will stay shut unless US lifts siege on its ports Tehran is threatening to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut unless Washington lifts what it calls a ‘US siege’ on Iranian ports, halting most traffic through one of the world’s key oil chokepoints. Iranian gunboats and IRGC radio warnings have deterred commercial shipping, as overlapping ceasefires with Israel–Lebanon and the US edge towards expiry, raising fears of renewed escalation. Published On 19 Apr 2026 19 Apr 2026 Click:  Iran warns Hormuz will stay shut unless US lifts siege on its ports | US-Israel war on Iran | Al Jazeera

  A crackdown on India’s performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) production – the biggest globally – is key to tackling the doping menace and protecting athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka says. Banka and his team have been in New Delhi as part of their push to build stronger ties with national law and order agencies, including cybercrime cells, to help uphold the credibility of professional sport. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Bangladesh approves shooting team India tour, days after T20 World Cup ban list 2 of 4 Men caught competing as women in prestigious South African marathon list 3 of 4 Italy opposes Paralympics allowing Russia and Belarus to use flags, anthems list 4 of 4 France calls IOC sex testing a ‘step backwards’ while Trump praises move end of list WADA has sought help from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – federal police – to curtail the initial supply chain of racketeers and agents who peddle drugs. “We see the prob...

  The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and rival M23 rebels have agreed to ease aid deliveries and release prisoners, as mediators push to resolve a years-long conflict that has persisted despite multiple peace deals. The two sides announced the measures in a joint statement shared by the US Department of State on Saturday, following five days of  talks in Switzerland . Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 At least 43 people killed in ADF attack in northeast DR Congo, army says list 2 of 3 Celebrations erupt as DR Congo ends over 50-year World Cup wait list 3 of 3 Republic of Congo votes in polls that could extend Nguesso’s 42-year rule end of list “The parties agreed to refrain from any action that would undermine the principled delivery of humanitarian assistance within the territories impacted by the conflict,” said the statement. Both sides also pledged not to target civilians and to facilitate medical care for the wounded and sick as the...

  On March 25, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the United Nations General Assembly passed a landmark   resolution . Proposed by Ghana, it recognised the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations. A total of 123 countries supported the resolution; three opposed it, including the United States and Israel, while 52 abstained, Britain among them, and several European Union countries. The UN’s slavery resolution is a historic moment, but what comes next is even more important. Leading up to the resolution,  the African Union  urged its 55 member states to pursue slavery reparations through formal apologies, the return of stolen artefacts, financial compensation, and guarantees of non-repetition. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Calculated hypocrisy: Why Western powers court Beijing but rely on US list 2 of 4 US counter-terrorism abroad: Fight...

  Iran and the United States have made progress in negotiations but are still a long way from a deal, according to Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator – amplifying concerns about a possible return to war when their ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday. In a nationally televised address on Saturday night, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that despite “progress” with the US, “many gaps and some fundamental points remain… we are still far from the final discussion”. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 As oil prices plunge below $91 after weeks, a new Hormuz crisis emerges list 2 of 3 Pakistan PM, army chief wrap up key trips in push for more US-Iran talks list 3 of 3 Displaced Lebanese return as Israeli shelling violates ceasefire in south end of list On Sunday, Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, said that US ⁠President ⁠Donald Trump cannot justify depriving Tehran of what he called its ‘nuclear rights’. “Trump says Iran ⁠cannot make use of its nuclear ⁠rights...