DOUALA, April 17 (Reuters) - Thousands of people were gathering early on Friday in Douala, Cameroon's largest city and economic hub, for a Mass with Pope Leo that will likely be the biggest event of the pontiff's four-nation Africa tour.

The Vatican is expecting about 600,000 to fill streets around Japoma Stadium to be part of the celebration and hear an address from the pope, who has become outspoken on war and inequality and drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump.

A 10-day ceasefire deal struck between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday, sending displaced residents streaming south towards their homes, even as the Lebanese army warned of "a number of violations" in the area.

Shortly after the truce went into effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT), the army told residents of the south -- many of whom had to flee their homes following sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings -- not to return, citing "several Israeli acts of aggression".

A 10-day ceasefire deal struck between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday, sending displaced residents streaming south towards their homes, even as the Lebanese army warned of "a number of violations" in the area.

Shortly after the truce went into effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT), the army told residents of the south -- many of whom had to flee their homes following sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings -- not to return, citing "several Israeli acts of aggression".

By Humeyra Pamuk, Ariba Shahid and Asif Shahzad

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war and urged the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group to hold its fire as a 10-day truce went in to effect between Lebanon and Israel.

Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran could take place at the weekend and an extension of a two-week ceasefire was possible, but may not be needed as Tehran wanted a deal.

Turkey on Friday hosted a high‑stakes diplomatic forum bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open and Islamabad steps up efforts to help end the Middle East war.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the shortest route to peace lay in dialogue and diplomacy.

"I believe the window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire should be used in the most effective way to establish lasting peace," he told the opening of the three‑day Antalya Diplomacy Forum at the Mediterranean resort.

SYDNEY, April 17 (Reuters) - An Australian court ordered bail with travel restrictions on Friday for the country's most decorated soldier, following his arrest on accusations of war crimes while deployed in Afghanistan more than a decade ago.

Police arrested and charged Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, with five counts of war crimes last week over the murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum term of jail for life.

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko left the United States on Thursday buoyed by what she called positive talks with top U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, saying she found him to be supportive of her war-torn country.

Svyrydenko told Reuters that she used the meeting with Bessent to hammer home Ukraine's position that sanctions imposed against Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago should not be weakened, waived or postponed.

Oil prices tumbled Friday after Iranian officials said they would allow commercial traffic to resume in the Strait of Hormuz, lifting equity markets in Europe and New York, where major indices hit new records.

Citing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would lift its blockade on shipping through the key Gulf energy trade route.

"In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire," Araghchi said.

By Mei Mei Chu, Greg Torode and Antoni Slodkowski

BEIJING/HONG KONG, April 17 (Reuters) - China is accelerating its efforts to end the Iran war, walking a diplomatic tightrope as it prepares for a summit next month with U.S. President Donald Trump while trying not to alienate Tehran.

President Xi Jinping's mid-May meeting with Trump is shaping Beijing's approach to the Middle East conflict even as the world's top crude oil importer, reliant on the Middle East for half its fuel, seeks to safeguard its energy supplies, analysts say.

By John Irish

PARIS, April 17 (Reuters) - France and Britain will chair a meeting on Friday of around 40 countries aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its closest allies are ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow.

Iran has largely closed the strait to ships other than its own since the start of U.S.-Israeli air strikes on February 28. On Monday, Washington imposed a blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.