Publishers fight back against US book bans
Frankfurt, Germany -- Escalating attempts to remove works featuring themes such as LGBTQ lifestyles and race relations from US bookshelves...Geostrategy
US envoy Witkoff felt ‘betrayed’ by Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar
Washington, United States - US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Middle East, has said that...Geostrategy
China’s Xi in Kazakhstan to cement Central Asia ties
Astana, Kazakhstan - Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Central Asian leaders at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, his...The summit in the Kazakh capital brings together Xi - who arrived in Astana on Monday - and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan
Under Russia's orbit until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the five countries of Central Asia have courted interest from major powers including China and the United States
Israel, Iran trade missile fire as Trump warns Tehran to ‘evacuate’
The United States and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks,...Despite growing calls for the longtime foes to end hostilities, neither Israel nor Iran showed any signs of cutting short the missile blitz kicked off Friday
The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv warned its citizens to leave the country immediately, as the United States said it was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East
G7 urges Iran de-escalation as Trump makes hasty summit exit as ally Israel pounds Iran
The G7 statement said that Israel "has a right to defend itself" and stressed "the importance of the protection of...After a day of statements backing diplomacy, Trump ominously took to social media to sound a warning to the people of the Iranian capital Tehran
But after hesitating at backing a joint statement on the crisis, Trump relented during a dinner at the forested lodge under the snow-capped mountains in Kananaskis
Day 4: Tehran residents flee Israeli attacks as casualties mount
Images verified by AFP, shot by a social media user from an overpass, showed near immobile traffic on a Tehran...Iran's health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.
Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the strike on state TV a "war crime".
France shuts Israeli weapons industry booths at Paris Air Show
The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already under the shadow of last week's deadly...The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza -- in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP.
The companies -- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics -- make drones and guided bombs and missiles.
Netanyahu sees Gaza hostage release ‘opening’, orders talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he ordered negotiators to "advance" talks on releasing hostages held in Gaza, after...Speaking on US news channel Fox News, Netanyahu said that US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff "made an offer to begin a 60-day ceasefire
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, 52 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead
Iran tells mediators it won’t negotiate ‘while under attack’: official
Mediators Qatar and Oman were told by Iran that Tehran "will not negotiate while under attack", an official briefed on...Israel unleashed a punishing fresh barrage of strikes across Iran in a third day of exchanges Sunday
The latest conflict marked the first time the two sides have traded fire with such intensity
Trump due in Canada as G7 confronts Israel-Iran crisis, may consider joint stance
Trump has praised Israel's strikes, noting it used US weapons, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied his public calls...The three-day gathering in the mountain town of Kananaskis marks the return to the international diplomatic calendar of Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had designed an agenda aimed at minimizing disagreements within the club of wealthy industrial democracies
Israel pounds Iran from west to east in deepest strikes yet, Tehran police headquarters hit
Israel's military said its air force hit Mashhad airport in Iran's far east, making it the longest-range strike of the...With no let-up in sight, Iran said it would begin opening mosques, metro stations and schools to serve as makeshift bomb shelters for civilians.
As Israel targeted sites across the Islamic republic, Iran launched a barrage of missiles aimed at Israel in the afternoon, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and elsewhere.
Trump pocketed over $57 mn from crypto coin sales
New York, United States -- US President Donald Trump pocketed more than $57 million from token sales by the crypto...Federal financial disclosure forms released by the White House list the US president's holdings including stocks, dividends, real estate and investment portfolios.
Once hostile to the crypto industry, Trump has since returning to power enthusiastically embraced the sector, taking significant steps to clear regulatory hurdles.
