April 17, 2026 5:06 am
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is marking the halfway point in his four-nation tour of Africa with a day focused on encouraging Cameroon’s young people. Leo was travelling Friday to Douala, Cameroon’s main port city, to celebrate Mass. The Vatican predicted some 600,000 people would turn out for the liturgy, the biggest crowd Leo is expected to draw on his 11-day, four-nation trip through Africa. Later Friday back in the capital Youande, Leo had an appointment with students, professors and administrators at the Catholic University of Central Africa. Popes have often used such encounters, especially in the developing world, to rally young people to persevere in the face of poverty, corruption and other challenges.
April 16, 2026 4:48 pm
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Israel has agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon. The truce announced Thursday could pause fighting with the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. However, Israel has not been fighting with Lebanon itself, but rather with the Iranian-backed militants inside the country. Hezbollah said in a statement that any truce must apply across all Lebanese territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon.
April 16, 2026 4:47 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining in the range of the past few years even as the war in Iran continues to threaten the global economy. The number of Americans applying for jobless aid for the week ending April 11 fell by 11,000 to 207,000 from the previous week’s 218,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s less than the 217,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting but within the range of the past several years. Filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.
April 16, 2026 4:44 am
East Washington Borough will host a Town Hall meeting Thursday evening to discuss a new dormitory planned by Washington & Jefferson College. The proposed location includes East Pine Street, Forrest Avenue and Penn Street. The community is being invited to attend to learn more about the project and share feedback. The Town Hall will be held at Burnett Center-Yost Hall at 292 E. Wheeling Street. It will begin at 7 p.m.
April 15, 2026 2:43 am
The Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency (WCTPA) on Wednesday, released its 2025 Annual Report, showcasing a year of significant economic impact, strong visitor growth, and strategic investments that continue to position Washington County as a premier regional destination. Tourism officials say the report underscores the importance of the visitor economy in Washington County and demonstrates how tourism continues to be an important economic driver in the overall economy. According to the most recent data available from Tourism Economics, Washington County’s tourism industry generated $1.3 billion in total business sales and $764.9 million in direct visitor spending. This report compiled for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also highlights how the tourism industry supported 8,663 jobs and delivered $429.5 million in labor income in the county, showcasing tourism’s importance to the county’s workforce and overall economic stability.
April 16, 2026 4:53 am
The old Pittsburgh International Airport terminal could be getting a second act. The Pittsburgh Film Office is pitching the massive space to Hollywood as a one-of-a-kind production location. “We’re calling it ‘Terminal P’ for Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh Film Office Executive Director Dawn Keezer said. A new website touts the old airport terminal, which just closed six months ago, as something far more valuable than a relic. They see a Hollywood studio hiding in plain sight. The website includes endorsements from Governor Shapiro and actor, singer, writer, director and Pittsburgh native Billy Porter. Productions would also have an adjacent hotel and direct flights to Los Angeles right next door.
April 15, 2026 4:56 am
CAIRO (AP) — Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports continued as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would ramp up economic pain on Iran with new economic sanctions on countries doing business with it, calling the move the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign. Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator after it hosted direct talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad that authorities said helped narrow differences between the two sides. Mediators are seeking a new round before the ceasefire expires next week.
April 16, 2026 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate has rejected the latest Democratic attempt to halt President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. The Senate on Wednesday turned aside a resolution that would require the U.S. to withdraw forces from the conflict until Congress authorizes further action. It was the fourth time this year the Senate has voted to cede its war powers to Trump in a conflict that Democrats say is illegal and unjustified. Republicans say they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the high stakes of withdrawal. But GOP lawmakers are also anxious for the conflict to end.
April 16, 2026 4:50 pm
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) — Court records show that former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax was facing a court-ordered deadline to move out of his family’s home before police say he killed his wife and then himself. Police say officers found the bodies of Fairfax and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, at the home early Thursday in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Annandale. A Virginia judge in March told Justin Fairfax he had to move out by the end of April amid what police say was a messy divorce. Justin Fairfax was a rising star in the Democratic Party several years ago before his chances of becoming Virginia’s second Black governor were derailed by sexual assault allegations. He called the encounters consensual.
April 15, 2026 4:58 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Donald Trump heads to Las Vegas to promote the tax cuts he signed into law last year, part of a push to focus on economic issues ahead of this year’s elections. But Thursday’s effort to highlight the fact that workers who earn tips and overtime will get bigger returns this tax season is getting eclipsed by higher gas prices driven by the Iran war. The president’s trip out West is paired with a stop in Phoenix on Friday for an event with conservative political group Turning Point USA. The trip comes as Trump faces growing political pressure to wrap up the war and focus on a message that helps his party as they try to defend their majorities in November’s midterm elections.
