The Media Line

Israeli study finds plants absorb nutrients from airborne dust, challenging root-only theory

The study shows that leaves can take in minerals, including iron and phosphorus, from airborne dust, challenging the long-held understanding that plants depend solely on soil for nutrients.

Newly sprouted plants stand out in the soil, reaching for light, as the sun shines down in a garden setting during the spring season.
Kids holding the Hezbollah flags stand in a vehicle as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, at the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, April 17, 2026.

‘Ceasefire on paper’: Conricus warns Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas are using the pause to prepare

Jimmy Kimmel poses on the red carpet at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, September 14, 2025.

National Religious Broadcasters urges FCC to investigate ABC over Kimmel remarks

Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, attends a trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026.

Assad brothers summoned in absentia as Syria opens landmark trial of former security chief


Iran less likely to compromise in US talks as its isolation grows, analyst warns

The collapse of US-Iran talks is casting doubt on the ceasefire, suggesting it may be a fragile pause rather than a path to diplomacy.

A billboard with a graphic design about the Strait of Hormuz on a building in Tehran, Iran, April 13, 2026

Hormuz closure cripples fertilizer trade, causing ripple effect on food security - analysis

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global fertilizer supplies, leading to a 20-30% price increase and threatening food security worldwide.

A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar on April 9, 2026.

International Christian Embassy condemns burning of Netanyahu effigy at Spain Easter ceremony

The group also urged the Vatican to reconsider what it described as one-sided criticism of Israel and to take steps to prevent similar incidents globally. 

People cheer as an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is blown up, in this screengrab from a video obtained from social media, in El Burgo, Spain, April 5, 2026.

France, Spain's anti-Israel bias push Israel-Europe relations to new heights

Relations with Europe began deteriorating when the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in as Israel’s most far-right coalition ever.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Jerusalem, October 24, 2023; file photo.

Bad Israeli history repeats yet again - opinion

Israel and the United States have been pounding Iran from the air for more than a month, leaving Iran’s regime significantly weakened, but not overthrown.

Israeli soldiers patrol along the Israel-Lebanon border on April 10, 2026.

Iran uses its people as live targets, as America values every life - opinion

The juxtaposition of two nations and two ideologies within 24 hours could not be more evident as the clock ticked toward a ceasefire deadline.

A person holds a placard representing a US flag, with an image of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on a billboard in the background, in Tehran, on April 9, 2026.

The moral barometer: Iran uses its people as live targets, as America values every life - opinion

Let’s not forget for one moment that one nation here believes in civilized democracy, while the other tortures its own people.

 L to R: Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump against backdrop of respective flags and missile strikes.

Pakistan Defense Minister deletes anti-Israel post from X after diplomatic backlash

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif briefly posted a message on X accusing Israel of carrying out “genocide” and using language Israeli officials condemned as inflammatory and offensive.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif speaks during an interview with Reuters in Islamabad, Pakistan, October 20, 2025.

US-Iran ceasefire pauses war - nuclear, Hormuz, and Lebanon issues remain

Israelis fear danger, Americans are concerned about exit as a tentative ceasefire takes shape.

Map of Middle East

Voices from the Arab press: Internal Arab fractures amid Iran war

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

A man stands on the rubble as emergency services operate at the site of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026