Israel-Lebanon talks could save ceasefire

Web Desk April 9, 2026

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Israel-Lebanon talks could save ceasefire

In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors.

There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities. But Israel-Lebanon negotiations were expected to begin next week at the State Department in Washington, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plans who both spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicacy of the matter.

The prospect of talks appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether planned peace talks can find common ground. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was “very optimistic” about the prospects of reaching a peace deal, saying Iranian leaders are more amenable in private conversations than in their public statements.

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—The Associated Press

House Republicans block Democrats’ latest bid for war powers resolution

House Republicans on Thursday blocked Democratic lawmakers’ attempt to pass a war powers resolution aimed at bringing a permanent end to the United States’ conflict in Iran amid a shaky, temporary ceasefire.

Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., who presided as speaker pro tempore, did not recognize Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey when he tried to force a vote on the resolution. As Democrats yelled, Smith gaveled the pro forma session to a close.

Senate Democrats also say they will introduce a war powers resolution next week, when U.S. lawmakers in both chambers return from a two-week recess.

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—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter

First lady Melania Trump speaks to reporters Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Melania Trump says ‘lies’ linking her to Epstein ‘need to end’

First lady Melania Trump said Thursday that she was not a victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. During a brief news conference at the White House, the first lady said she never had knowledge of Epstein’s abuse and also disputed claims she was introduced to her husband, now President Donald Trump, by the late financier.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said in a five-minute statement.

The first lady said she met Donald Trump by chance at a New York City party in 1998 — a detail she said she also included in her eponymous memoir published in late 2024.

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—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter

Rutte disputes ‘early drafts of NATO’s obituary’ as Trump criticizes trans-Atlantic alliance

Hours after President Donald Trump referred to NATO as “very disappointing,” the coalition’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, touted on Thursday a “period of profound change” that would strengthen the trans-Atlantic alliance while speaking at the Reagan Institute in Washington.

“Why when we turn on our televisions or scroll on our phones, do we see eager, early drafts of NATO’s obituary?” Rutte asked attendees. “Let me be clear: This alliance is not whistling past the graveyard as you would say in the United States.”

The secretary general applauded Trump for his “bold leadership and vision” in pushing the other 31 members toward contributing “a greater and fairer share of the task of providing for its conventional defense,” and said NATO was shifting away from “unhealthy co-dependence” between Europe and the U.S.

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—Spectrum News’ Christina Santucci

“Mission Specialist Christina Koch, left, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home,” NASA stated. (NASA)