Israel and Lebanon agreed to direct negotiations following talks in Washington on April 14 that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had hailed as a “historic opportunity” for peace.
The two countries have technically been at war for decades, and the April 14 talks have been vehemently opposed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which announced that it had fired rockets at more than a dozen northern Israeli towns just as the meeting was getting under way.
The United States is pressing for a halt to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, fearing it could derail the two-week ceasefire in Washington’s war with Iran after talks with Tehran in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Lebanon was pulled into the broader conflict when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of its backer Iran, sparking an Israeli ground invasion and strikes that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over a million.
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PHOTO: AFP
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on April 14 said China had been an unreliable global partner during the Middle East war by hoarding oil supplies and limiting exports of some goods, mirroring its actions with medical goods during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Bessent told reporters he had spoken with Chinese officials about the issue.
He dodged a question about whether the dispute would derail US President Donald Trump’s plan to visit Beijing in mid-May, but said Mr Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a very good working relationship.
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A fifth woman accused US Representative Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct on April 14, after the embattled Democratic congressman announced his resignation from the House of Representatives and said he was suspending his campaign for governor of California.
At a press conference at her lawyer’s offices in Beverly Hills, California, Ms Lonna Drewes described a 2018 alleged encounter with Mr Swalwell, accusing him of drugging her drink and raping her.
Ms Drewes said the lawmaker had previously invited her to two public events. The third time they met, she had a glass of wine that she believes he drugged. Ms Drewes claimed that when they stopped at his hotel room, she was already incapacitated and he raped her. At one point, she said, he choked her and she lost consciousness.
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PHOTO: EPA
An art-loving engineer from Paris was the lucky winner of an original Picasso painting worth over a million euros at a charity raffle in Paris on April 14.
Mr Ari Hodara, 58, who only bought his ticket at the weekend, was picked at a ceremony in Paris that was livestreamed from auction house Christie’s, with the funds raised from the event to be donated to research into Alzheimer’s disease.
A total of 120,000 tickets were sold at €100 (S$150) apiece, with a portrait of Dora Maar, one of Picasso’s muses, up for grabs.
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Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter final, second-leg football match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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Ousmane Dembele struck twice to confirm Paris St Germain’s place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool on April 14, sealing a 4-0 aggregate win in their quarter-final tie at a rain-soaked Anfield.
The holders soaked up sustained second-half pressure from Liverpool, who were roared on by a raucous home crowd, but built on the advantage they established in the first leg in Paris last week to book their fifth semi-final berth in seven seasons.
Dembele scored at Anfield for a second successive campaign when he latched onto a ball from Bradley Barcola in the 72nd minute and curled a shot into the bottom corner past Giorgi Mamardashvili from 20 yards out. He completed his double early in stoppage time, slotting home a cross from Barcola.
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