World Echo

Multiple users across social media platforms were sharing a video on Friday claiming it shows United States President Donald Trump falling asleep and hitting his head on his desk in the White House. However, the clip is doctored. On Thursday, Trump held a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office at the White House. During the event, he announced a deal with pharma giant Regeneron to lower drug prices. After the announcement, Trump took questions from reporters on numerous topics, including the firing of former navy secretary John Phelan, the timeline for the Iran conflict, and the upcoming state visit from King Charles. Questions have been raised about Trump’s health since last year, with him repeatedly dozing off during live events. The focus on Trump’s health sharpened in late November 2025 after a New York Times article said he had sharply reduced his public events, domestic travel, and working hours compared to his first term. He is due to turn 80 in June. How it started O...

Britain and France have agreed to a nearly $900 million deal aimed at reducing small-boat migrant crossings across the English Channel, with the two countries expected to sign the deal on Thursday. Riot-trained police will be sent to beaches in France as part of a new £662 million ($893 million) deal with the UK to stop illegal migrants from crossing the English Channel, BBC reported. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is due to sign the three-year agreement with France on Thursday, which will see at least 50 police officers, trained in "riot and crowd control tactics," drafted in to tackle violence and "hostile crowds." The deal will see France deploying millions of pounds worth of drones, two helicopters, and a camera system to intercept people smugglers and illegal migrants. Also Read: Britain to make refugee status temporary under asylum overhaul Ahead of the signing, Mahmood said joint work with France has stopped tens of thousands of illegal migrants from board...

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed Tehran’s readiness to play a constructive role in reducing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, stressing dialogue and regional cooperation as the only viable path toward stability, Tasnim News Agency reported. According to the report, Araghchi said Iran is prepared to assist both neighbouring countries in resolving their differences and urged continued diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. He underscored that stability between Pakistan and Afghanistan is crucial for broader regional peace and security. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist in easing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.https://t.co/yoFUYkv7IX pic.twitter.com/PlHQQv8fNQ — Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 23, 2026 Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated into sustained cross-border hostilities following a series of militant attacks and retaliatory strikes, prompting a sharp deterior...

US defence officials briefed lawmakers this week on an intelligence assessment that it could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Furthermore, any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the US-Israeli war with Iran comes to an end, members of the House Armed Services Committee were told on Tuesday, according to the report. This means gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated through the US midterm elections. Iran may have emplaced 20 or more mines in and around the strait. Some were floated remotely using GPS technology, which has made it difficult for US forces to detect the mines as they are deployed, a senior defence official told lawmakers. Others are believed to have been laid by Iranian forces using small boats. Also Read: US told Israel ceasefire with Iran will expire on Sunday: Israeli media The disclosure was made in a classified briefing for lawmakers, Pentagon...

Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy police protection on Wednesday as tensions continue to simmer across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities said. The Jerusalem Governorate said the settlers moved through the compound’s courtyards and carried out provocative religious rituals, including what is referred to as “epic prostration”, near Bab al-Rahma gate and the Dome of the Rock inside the complex. Groups affiliated with the so-called Temple movement circulated calls encouraging more settlers to storm the flashpoint site and raise Israeli flags inside its courtyards, the governorate added in a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa. Also Read: Pakistan condemns Israeli minister's Al-Aqsa raid The incursion came as Israeli police continued to tighten restrictions across East Jerusalem by setting up checkpoints, closing roads and limiting access for worshippers to the mosque. Since early April, the...

Iran has accused the United States of carrying out an unlawful attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman on April 19, warning the United Nations Security Council that the incident amounts to piracy and a serious breach of international law. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Security Council President Jamal Fares Alrowaiei on April 21, Saeed Iravani said US action against the vessel “Touska” requires UN action and accountability, Iranian media reported. Iravani said US forces targeted the vessel “Toska”, alleging the use of "coercion, intimidation, and the reckless endangerment of the vessel’s crew and their families," describing it as a “grave violation” of international law, including the prohibition on aggression. Read: Iran says no talks with US until blockade lifted despite ceasefire extension He said it constituted a breach of a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month. Tehran also argued the attack qualifies as an act of aggr...