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NPR News Now

NPR News: 04-18-2026 7PM EDT

18 Apr 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What recent event involving Hezbollah and a French UN peacekeeper is reported?

0.942 - 15.677 Janine Herbst

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. French President Emmanuel Macron today accused the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah of killing a French UN peacekeeper in Lebanon. NPR's Alana Weiss has more.

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15.961 - 44.128 Alana Wise

Florian Montorio was killed in what Macron described as an attack on the UN's peace service. Three additional soldiers had been injured as well. Macron said, quote, The accusation against the group comes just a day into the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Israeli military says it has conducted strikes against a threatening target in Lebanon.

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44.108 - 57.949 Alana Wise

More than a million people in Lebanon have been forced out of the south of the country, where Israel is trying to create a buffer zone to prevent Hezbollah from firing rockets into northern Israel. Alana Wise, NPR News.

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58.452 - 76.174 Janine Herbst

The Treasury Department says it's extending a one-month pause on sanctions against Russian oil to tamp down global energy prices amid the war with Iran. That reverses an announcement earlier this week by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant ruling out such a move. NPR's Charles Means has more.

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76.306 - 92.274 Charles Means

The Trump administration first introduced the sanctions waiver in March, part of an attempt to level out global energy prices amid the war in Iran. The policy's extension effectively allows countries to legally purchase previously sanctioned Russian oil for the second month in a row. The Kremlin's U.S.

92.374 - 106.191 Charles Means

envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said the move amounted to an acknowledgment of the crucial role of Russian energy in maintaining the stability of the global economy. Dmitriev predicted more than 100 million additional barrels of Russian oil would soon reach global markets. Critics of the U.S.

106.211 - 116.303 Charles Means

sanctions waiver say it provides the Kremlin with a windfall for its war in Ukraine in a moment when the Russian economy had otherwise been struggling. Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.

117.886 - 141.413 Janine Herbst

President Trump today signed an executive order loosening restrictions on psychedelic drugs. It's meant to accelerate research into the therapeutic benefits of ibogaine, LSD, ecstasy, and other drugs in treating mental health issues, including severe depression and anxiety. Trump says the move will help dramatically accelerate that access to potential treatments.

141.393 - 154.266 Donald Trump

Today's order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life. Just lead a happier life. They've been through so much.

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