Russia’s Vladimir Putin has announced a 32-hour Easter ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalling support for the temporary pause. The truce is expected to begin Saturday evening and last until Sunday midnight during Orthodox Easter. The ceasefire comes even as intense fighting continues across the front lines. Ukraine claims Russian forces lost more than 1,100 troops in just 24 hours, while Moscow says it captured two villages in eastern Ukraine. Both sides previously accused each other of violating a similar Easter truce last year, raising doubts about whether this pause will hold.

A high-stakes US military rescue mission to recover a missing F-15 crew member has unfolded alongside a wave of deadly strikes inside Iran, dramatically escalating tensions across the West Asia. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has confirmed the deaths of five fighters in Ardabil following overnight attacks, reportedly linked to US and Israeli operations. The strikes coincided with an intense American rescue effort involving dozens of aircraft, an operation that officials are calling one of the most complex in recent times. Meanwhile, the conflict spilled beyond Iran’s borders. A suspected Iranian drone strike targeted a major energy facility in Bahrain, igniting a storage tank fire at Bapco Energies. Authorities later confirmed the situation was brought under control with no reported injuries, but the message was clear, the confrontation is widening.