Event: Naftali Bennett

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Conservationists say they have recorded several new adult and cub Asiatic cheetahs, a critically endangered subspecies found only in Iran. A female Asiatic cheetah named Dalbar in the Pardisan Park in Tehran in 2017. The species is under constant threat of hunters, speeding cars and wild dogs.Credit...Atta Kenare/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesApril 28, 2026, 12:01 a.m. ETAmid destruction and devastation in the wake of war, Iranians have found a rare glimmer of hope among one of the nation’s most endangered species.Iran has recorded a jump this year in its official number of Asiatic cheetahs, a subspecies, now found only in Iran, that has been on the brink of extinction for years.Last year, the Iranian authorities were aware of just 17 wild cats. But in 2026, Bagher Nezami, the project manager for the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project, told Iranian state media that conservationists had recorded 21 new adult cheetahs and six cubs.The Asiatic cheetah is one of the world’s fastest land animals. It has a smaller head, shorter legs and a stronger neck than the African cheetah. The Asiatic cheetahs used to roam the Arabian Peninsula, the lands around the Caspian Sea, and South Asia. Now, a species once favored by kings prowls only Iran’s eastern desert and is under the constant threat of hunters, speeding highway drivers and wild dogs.Still, the cheetah’s survival in Iran is a source of national pride. The national soccer team’s jerseys are emblazoned with the spots of the wild cat, while the country’s Meraj Airlines has sought to raise awareness of the critically endangered species by painting cheetahs across its jets.“The Asiatic cheetah is really a symbol in…

Yair Lapid (right) and Naftali Bennett during a weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sept. 18, 2022.The new party they formed, called "BeYachad" meaning "together" in Hebrew, has not released a formal policy platform. | AFP-JIJI Jerusalem – Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top rivals announced they would join forces in an upcoming election to oust his coalition government, with a focus mainly on domestic ⁠issues such as military conscription for the ultra-Orthodox.But on issues like Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, the joint party led by right-leaning Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid is expected to pursue a security posture similar to that of Netanyahu — who heads the most right-leaning government in Israel's history — meaning Israel's foreign policy would remain largely unchanged.The new party, called "BeYachad" meaning "together" in Hebrew, has not released a formal policy platform. But below is what is known about their positions on regional conflicts, based on recent public comments. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Top Iranian Official Meets With Putin to Discuss the Mideast WarAbbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, met with President Vladimir V. Putin in Moscow. Russia has tried to avoid entanglement in the conflict while remaining a key player in the region.Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in St. Petersburg on Monday. Mr. Araghchi’s visit to Russia follows a weekend of talks in Pakistan and Oman.Credit...Pool photo by Dmitri LovetskyApril 27, 2026Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Monday met in Russia with President Vladimir V. Putin to discuss Iran’s war with the United States, as negotiations to end the conflict appear to have stalled.Mr. Araghchi’s visit underscored Russia’s tricky position, as it tries to remain a key player in the Middle East without undermining its other interests, especially its war in Ukraine.In opening remarks before the meeting, Mr. Putin said that he had received a message from Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, and that Russia sees how “courageously and heroically the people of Iran are fighting for their independence and for their sovereignty.” He said Moscow hoped that “guided by their new leader, the people of Iran will endure this challenging period of hardship, and peace will prevail.”“We will do everything in your interests, in the interests of people of the region, so that peace gets achieved as soon as possible,” he said.Mr. Araghchi’s trip follows a weekend of talks in Pakistan and Oman, which have both acted as mediators in the negotiations between Tehran and Washington. He was supposed to have met with Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, in Pakistan over the…

Following high-level mediation efforts in Islamabad over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday.The diplomatic surge comes as US President Donald Trump convened his senior national security team to evaluate a fresh Iranian peace proposal, delivered via Pakistan, aimed at ending the months-long Middle East crisis and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.The White House confirmed the proposal called for reopening the narrow Persian Gulf shipping lane in return for lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports and ending the war, with nuclear talks deferred to a later stage, but didn’t say how the “America first” president viewed the proposition.“I wouldn’t say they’re considering it. I would just say that there was a discussion this morning that I don’t want to get ahead of, and you’ll hear directly from the president, I’m sure, on this topic very soon,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.However, Leavitt asserted that Trump’s “red lines” with respect to Iran have been made “very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them as well”.CNN earlier reported that Araghchi handed over a list of “red lines” to be conveyed to the US through Pakistani officials, including “nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz”.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing the prospect of running against a rightwing-centrist super coalition in elections later this year after two of his most formidable political rivals combined forces in an attempt to oust him, inviting a third party leader to join them.In a move that some analysts compared to the centre-right coalition that removed Viktor Orbán from power in Hungary, the former prime ministers – rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid – issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future).The move came as Netanyahu disclosed he had recently had a malignant tumour removed from his prostate, leading to questions about the timing of a disclosure that was vague on details and his wider health, with the latter now likely to be an election issue.“We are standing here together for the sake of our children. The state of Israel must change direction,” Lapid said standing alongside Bennett at a joint news conference on Sunday.Bennett said the new party would be called Together and that he would be its leader. “After 30 years, it is time to part with Netanyahu and open a new chapter for Israel,” he said.Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid joined forces previously, though their coalition was short-lived. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/APBennet also invited Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff and leader of the Yashar party to join them. Polls suggest that a combination of the three parties would create the largest grouping in the Knesset. On Monday, Eisenkot asked Bennett to coordinate any future moves with him.Although Eisenkot has not formally announced whether he will join the coalition, he quickly welcomed the new grouping.“The goal of winning the critical elections ahead of us is a shared one,” Eisenkot wrote, calling Bennett…

Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint now under strain. The US-Israel war on Iran is exposing deep structural vulnerabilities in the global economy, sending shockwaves through energy markets, driving up fertiliser costs and threatening food security in ways that could linger well beyond the immediate crisis, analysts at the World Resources Institute (WRI) have warned. At a briefing this week, ahead of the First Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (Taff) conference in Santa Marta, Columbia, which got underway on Friday, WRC experts described a cascading crisis unfolding across interconnected systems. What began with disruption in oil and gas flows is quickly transmitting into higher food prices, fiscal strain and rising instability, particularly in vulnerable regions. “There’s a fragility of our systems – energy, food and many others,” said WRI president and chief executive Ani Dasgupta. “Virtually every economy in the world is impacted … The world will grow slower because of this.” That fragility is being laid bare most clearly in global energy markets. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint now under strain. The result is an immediate shock, with countries heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels scrambling to secure supply. Craig Hanson, the WRI’s managing director of programmes, said the crisis is revealing a stark divide between countries. “Many countries that are relying on fossil fuels that transit this strait are now in a precarious energy position,” he said. “While many of these nations are reeling… some others are actually in a better position to withstand this current crisis.” The difference, he argued, lies in prior investment in renewable energy, not just for environmental reasons, but for economic and security ones. “What enables…

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Pakistan has played an important role in mediating talks with the United States, Tasnim News Agency reported. “As for Pakistan, this country plays an important role in mediating Iran-US talks in recent times, and it was necessary to talk about the latest developments,” he said, adding that “wrong approaches and extravagances of the US made the previous rounds of negotiations unable to reach their goals despite the progress”. Araghchi said, “We had good consultations with our friends in Pakistan, which Alhamdulillah was a very successful trip. We had a review of what has passed and we talked about the direction and conditions in which the negotiations can continue.” He added that “forty days of heroic resistance of the Iranian people should make us able to fulfil the rights of the Iranian people and secure the interests of the country.”

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in St Petersburg for talks with senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, saying the visit aims at “continuing close consultations between Tehran and Moscow on regional and international issues”. Speaking to Iranian media, he said the meeting “will be a good opportunity to discuss developments in the war and review the latest situation”. According to IRNA, Araghchi described his recent visit to Pakistan as “very productive”, where officials discussed conditions for possible talks with the United States. He also said discussions in Oman focused on the Strait of Hormuz, noting a “high degree of consensus” and the need for continued coordination to ensure safe passage.

Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals said on Sunday they were joining forces in a bid to oust his coalition government in the coming election expected later this year.The former prime ministers - right-wing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid - issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and There is a Future.“We are standing here together for the sake of our ‌children. The State of Israel must change direction,” Lapid said standing alongside Bennett at a joint news conference.Bennett said the new party will be called Together, and that he will be its leader. “After 30 years it is time to part with Netanyahu and open a new chapter for Israel,” he said.Since his first term in the 1990s, Netanyahu has become a polarising figure at home and abroad.Bennett and Lapid have joined forces before, putting an end to Netanyahu’s successive 12-year tenure in a 2021 election, only to form a coalition government that with a thin majority and deeply divided over major issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, survived barely 18 months.

Maritime analytics firm TankerTrackers said Iran has loaded the equivalent of 4.6 million barrels of crude oil at export terminals, suggesting continued activity despite a US naval blockade. The data is based on satellite imagery tracking tanker movements and port operations. The firm added that the loading process provides Iran with several additional days of storage capacity, easing immediate pressure on its export system. The findings come amid ongoing efforts by the United States to restrict Iranian oil shipments and tighten maritime controls in the region.

Axios reported that Iran has offered the United States a new proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, "with nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage". The offer was conveyed through Pakistani mediators, according to the report, which cited US and regional sources. The report said reaching a deal on the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports will leave Trump “with no real leverage to get Tehran to give up on its stockpile of enriched uranium, and commit to a suspension of uranium enrichment for at least a decade” 

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Sunday killed 14 people, the deadliest day since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war came into force over a week ago.It came as Israel and the Iran-backed group traded fresh accusations of breaching the fragile truce, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the military was “vigorously” targeting Hezbollah and the group vowing to keep responding to “violations”.Israel’s military has carried out repeated strikes in Lebanon since the April 17 ceasefire, which on Thursday was extended for three weeks, after six weeks of war in which Israel also invaded the country’s south.Israeli troops are operating inside an Israeli-announced “yellow line”, which demarcates a ribbon of Lebanese territory around 10km deep along the length of the border, where residents have been warned not to return.Lebanon’s health ministry said the dead on Sunday included two women and two children, adding that 37 other people were wounded.Israeli strikes have killed at least 36 people since the truce began, according to an Agence France-Presse tally of health ministry figures.

Russia’s envoy to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said the United States should abandon what he described as “ultimatums” and “blackmail” in negotiations with Iran if progress is to be made. “The US is accustomed to conduct negotiations from the position of strength, threatening to use military force or tighten sanctions. It is obvious that this scheme doesn’t work with Iran,” he wrote on X. Ulyanov said Washington’s approach of applying pressure through threats of military action or additional sanctions has proven ineffective, urging a shift toward more constructive diplomacy. “The best way ahead for the US under the current circumstances is to drop all those elements of its position which look like blackmailing, ultimatums and deadlines.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (left) and Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid gesture as they announce their political union ahead of this year's general election, in Herzliya, Israel, on Sunday. | REUTERS Jerusalem – Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most formidable political rivals said on Sunday they were joining forces in a bid to oust his coalition government in the upcoming election expected later this year.The former prime ministers — right-leaning Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid — issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, ​Bennett 2026 and There is a Future."We are standing here together for the sake of our children. The State of Israel ‌must change ‌direction," Lapid said, standing alongside Bennett at a joint news conference. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW

Sidebar Menu Mobile En Now Follow us Live Blog Update| War on Iran 27 April 2026 01:31 BST Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, according to IRNA. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also expected to take part in the discussions, which will focus on the status of negotiations to end the war, the report said. 

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Naftali Bennett, a right-wing politician, and Yair Lapid, a centrist, will merge parties for a vote later this year.Naftali Bennett, left, and Yair Lapid on Sunday in Herzliya, Israel, where they said they would unite in a party to be called Yachad, Hebrew for “together.” Credit...Ariel Schalit/Associated PressApril 26, 2026The centrist leader of Israel’s opposition, Yair Lapid, and a right-wing former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, announced on Sunday that they would combine forces in elections later this year. The merger is an apparent bid to reconstitute a partnership that temporarily unseated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu five years ago.Mr. Bennett and Mr. Lapid said their two parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid, would unite into a party to be called Yachad, Hebrew for “together,” under Mr. Bennett’s leadership.They described the move as “the first step in the process of uniting and repairing the state of Israel.”In a joint news conference broadcast live on Sunday evening, the pair presented their political and ideological differences as an advantage and an example for a deeply fractured nation.“The unity we share is a message to all the people of Israel,” Mr. Bennett said, declaring that “the era of polarization is over.”Mr. Lapid described Mr. Bennett as “a man of the right, but a man of the liberal, decent, law-abiding right.”Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.Related ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT

The two politicians’ alliance is aimed at uniting a fragmented opposition against current PM Benjamin Netanyahu.Two ⁠of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu’s biggest political rivals say they are joining forces in a bid to oust his coalition government in the upcoming election expected later this year.The former prime ministers – right-wing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair ⁠Lapid – issued statements on Sunday announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and There is a Future.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel says established a ‘yellow line’ in Lebanon, as it has in Gazalist 2 of 4Israeli ministers celebrate re-establishment of Sa-Nur West Bank settlementlist 3 of 4‘Israel never talked me into the war with Iran,’ Trump sayslist 4 of 4Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says he received treatment for prostate cancerend of listTheir alliance is aimed at uniting a fragmented opposition that appears to have little in common beyond their shared hostility toward Netanyahu.Bennett’s office said the new party will be called Together, and that he will be its leader.“I am pleased to announce that tonight, together with my friend Yair Lapid, I am taking the most Zionist and patriotic step we have ever taken for our country,” Bennett said in a joint televised statement with Lapid.During the televised statement, Lapid said: “Bennett is a right-wing politician, but an honest one, and there is trust between us.”“This move is intended to unite the bloc, put an end to internal divisions, and focus all efforts on winning the critical upcoming elections – and leading Israel ⁠forward into the future,” Lapid also said.Bennett said that if elected, he would establish a national commission of inquiry into what he calls failures leading up to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack – something the current Netanyahu government has rejected.Lapid and Bennett have been outspoken…

Hezbollah rejects allegations from Benjamin Netanyahu that it is undermining the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.Israel has issued new forced evacuation notices for areas in southern Lebanon, ordering residents of seven towns that lie beyond its so-called “buffer zone” to leave, ramping up the conflict with Hezbollah despite a US-brokered ceasefire.An Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement on X on Sunday that the Lebanese armed group was violating the ceasefire ⁠and that Israel would act against it, telling residents to head north and west.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel feared Amal Khalil, just as it did Shireen Abu Aklehlist 2 of 3Iran shifts economic focus to essentials during war uncertaintylist 3 of 3‘State of war’: Why Israel has escalated attacks in Gazaend of listThe towns are north of the Litani River, in an area where Israeli troops have continued military operations despite the ceasefire. They lie outside of what Israel has declared a “buffer zone”, an area stretching roughly 10km (6 miles) north of the border inside southern Lebanon where Israeli forces remain.Hezbollah rejected allegations that it is undermining the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, saying its continued attacks are a “legitimate response to the enemy’s persistent violations of the ceasefire”, which it claims have exceeded 500 incidents.The Iran-aligned group said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday that it shouldn’t be linked to a ceasefire that it didn’t approve, as it had “no say or position”, adding that the group will not “place out bets on a failed diplomacy that has proven its ineffectiveness.”“It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting.The US-mediated ceasefire, which started on April 16 and has been extended to mid-May, has brought a significant reduction in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah,…

Tehran, Iran – Across Iran’s capital, life has returned to a kind of normal.Markets, cafes and shops are opening their doors, and some highways are buzzing with traffic once again as a fragile ceasefire with the United States largely holds after weeks of devastating US-Israeli attacks.Yet customers are cautious.“Standing in a shop, most things are still available, but a lot of times now, it’s a question of whether you want something or need it,” said a young resident of western Tehran who asked not to be named.“Many people are resorting to buying just the basics now.”As worries about the future rise and purchasing habits change, the government is moving to ensure the availability of food and medicines in an effort to ease the mounting pressure the war is placing on the Iranian people.On Sunday, the cabinet added a clause to implementation guidelines for the annual budget to restart a preferential exchange rate for imports of essentials like wheat, medicines, medical equipment and baby formula.This means the government plans to give up to $3.5bn from its share of oil and gas proceeds to a network of trustees to import essential goods. These imports will be bought at an official exchange rate of 285,000 rials per US dollar – much lower than the open-market rate of 1.55 million rials per dollar, and also below the budget rate of 1.23 million rials, according to state media.The move signals a partial policy reversal for the government from the budget it proposed in late December, when demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran that developed into nationwide antigovernment protests.That budget sought to eliminate the cheapest currency rate. The rationale at the time was that the subsidised rate virtually created a nontransparent system that for years propagated corruption without meaningfully reducing prices for average Iranians.But on Sunday, a…

United States President Donald Trump has cancelled a planned visit to Pakistan by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had been expected to explore indirect talks, which remain deadlocked over issues that include the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, signalling that Washington for now would not send negotiators to Pakistan, the country that is mediating between the longtime adversaries.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran FM Abbas Araghchi and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif meet in Pakistanlist 2 of 3Flights resume at Tehran airport as US-Iran ceasefire holdslist 3 of 3Israel kills four in Lebanon as it escalates ceasefire breachesend of listWith neither Washington nor Tehran showing much willingness to soften their positions, prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough in the US-Israeli war on Iran and securing a lasting ceasefire remain stalled.The conflict spilled into the larger Middle East region, including Lebanon, causing the worst global energy crisis since the 1970s and risking a global recession.So what do we know about the talks and where they stand as of now?What has the US said?The US president on Saturday told reporters in Florida that he scrapped his envoys’ visit because the talks involved too much travel and expense to consider an inadequate offer from the Iranians.After the diplomatic trip was called off, Iran “offered a lot, but not enough”, Trump said.On Truth Social, he wrote that there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership.“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” he posted. “Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!”What has Iran said?In Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that his…

The US-Israel war on Iran is exposing deep structural vulnerabilities in the global economy, sending shockwaves through energy markets, driving up fertiliser costs and threatening food security in ways that could linger well beyond the immediate crisis, analysts at the World Resources Institute (WRI) have warned. At a briefing this week, ahead of the First Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (Taff) conference in Santa Marta, Columbia, which got underway on Friday, WRC experts described a cascading crisis unfolding across interconnected systems. What began with disruption in oil and gas flows is quickly transmitting into higher food prices, fiscal strain and rising instability, particularly in vulnerable regions. “There’s a fragility of our systems – energy, food and many others,” said WRI president and chief executive Ani Dasgupta. “Virtually every economy in the world is impacted … The world will grow slower because of this.” That fragility is being laid bare most clearly in global energy markets. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint now under strain. The result is an immediate shock, with countries heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels scrambling to secure supply. Craig Hanson, the WRI’s managing director of programmes, said the crisis is revealing a stark divide between countries. “Many countries that are relying on fossil fuels that transit this strait are now in a precarious energy position,” he said. “While many of these nations are reeling… some others are actually in a better position to withstand this current crisis.” The difference, he argued, lies in prior investment in renewable energy, not just for environmental reasons, but for economic and security ones. “What enables these energy systems to meet this moment of crisis is not their environmental credentials… it’s their economic and security features – security…