Trump peace plan: Washington, Kyiv say a peace deal must ‘fully uphold’ Ukraine sovereignty
US President Donald Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, which began after Russia launched a full-scale invasion.Kazakhstan to join Abraham Accords as Trump pushes Mideast peace
Washington, United States - Kazakhstan said Thursday it will join the Abraham Accords between Israel and mainly Muslim nations, in a largely symbolic move aimed at boosting US President Donald Trump's push for Middle East peace. The central Asian republic has had diplomatic ties with Israel for decades, unlike the...Iran says no longer bound by ‘restrictions’ on its nuclear programme
Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear programme as a landmark 10-year deal between it and world powers expired, though Tehran reiterated its "commitment to diplomacy".Zelensky returns to site of stunning Oval Office shouting match to talk peace with Russia
European leaders will join Zelensky in Washington on Monday, seeking above all else to prevent another Oval Office meltdown -- but also to coordinate on the path toward peace negotiations.Palestinian mother ‘destroyed’ after image used to deny Gaza starvation
Montreal, Canada - Palestinian-Canadian Faiza Najjar was able to leave Gaza last year, but could not bring her four adult daughters with her. She watched from a distance as food shortages in the territory worsened. From Canada, where she lives with her six other children, Najjar pursued a months-long effort...Trump says to move homeless people ‘far’ from Washington
President Donald Trump said Sunday that homeless people must be moved "far" from Washington, after days of musing about taking federal control of the US capital where he has falsely suggested crime is rising.A day after Hezbollah’s rebuff, Lebanon cabinet meets again on the group’s disarmament
With Washington pressing Lebanon to take action on the matter, US envoy Tom Barrack has made several visits to Beirut in recent weeks, presenting officials with a proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament.Trump’s ‘displeasure’ at prospect of allies recognizing Palestinian state
President Donald Trump has expressed displeasure with leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada for saying they plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.Trump’s MAGA base defies conservative pro-Israel doctrine
Washington, United States - Unconditional support for Israel has long been an entry requirement in US Republican politics, but that orthodoxy is being challenged by Donald Trump's populist base -- where invocations of the "special relationship" are falling on deaf ears. Images of starvation and suffering in Gaza have given...Russia to face new US sanctions unless ends Ukraine war in 10 days: Trump
US President Donald Trump said his deadline for Russia to end the fighting in Ukraine or face new sanctions will be in 10 days from Tuesday.Tehran readies counter-proposal as Iran-US nuclear talks set to resume Sunday in Muscat
Iran has said it will present a counter-proposal to the latest draft from Washington, which it had criticised for failing to offer sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.Israeli embassy staffers shot in Washington: how it unfolded
Elias Rodriguez faces murder and other charges after allegedly gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.US, China to slash tariffs as Trump to speak to Xi
After the first meetings between Washington and Beijing since Trump ratcheted up his trade war, the world's two biggest economies agreed in a joint statement to bring their triple-digit tariffs down to two figures and continue negotiations.Trump’s next 100 days: Now comes the hard part
In a dizzying first three months, Trump wielded executive power like no other modern president, signing more than 140 orders on immigration, culture war issues and slashing the federal bureaucracy.China says on ‘right side of history’ in trade standoff with US
Since returning to the presidency in January, US President Donald Trump has imposed 10 percent tariffs on most US trading partners and a separate 145 percent levy on many products from China.Tariff war: Xi says China must ‘overcome’ AI chip challenges
Beijing, China - President Xi Jinping said China must "overcome" the challenges of developing core AI technologies including high-end chips, state media reported Saturday, as Beijing seeks to become a world leader in the rapidly developing industry. China aims to dominate the artificial intelligence sector, a goal complicated by the...Deadly US strikes hit Yemen fuel port used by Huthis
The US military said it had destroyed a key Yemeni fuel port as it targets the country's Huthi rebels, who said Friday that 20 people had been killed in the strikes.Trump doubles down on Gaza shock plan, says Israel will turn over the territory to US
Trump said that by the time of the handover, Palestinians "would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities". Israel's defense minister meanwhile ordered the army to prepare for "voluntary" departures from Gaza, following Trump's remarks.Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Palestine test Washington’s strategy under Trump leadership
The Trump administration faces a Middle East shaped by shifting alliances, unresolved conflicts, and evolving regional priorities, demanding a measured strategy to balance stability, diplomacy, and U.S. interests.Qatar halts Gaza mediation efforts amid stalled talks on ceasefire and hostage release
The Gulf emirate, which has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with US blessing, has been involved in months of protracted diplomacy aimed at ending the 13-month old war that has killed 43,552 people in Gaza.Updates: Israel hits more targets in Lebanon as Blinken travels to Middle East to push for truce
Lebanon says four people were killed including a child in the latest Israeli strikes as Tehran says the United States will bear "full responsibility" if Israel attacks Iran.Israel’s Gantz says military focus needs to shift to Lebanon
"We have enough forces to deal with Gaza and we should concentrate on what is going on in the north," Gantz said, speaking in Washington at a Middle East forum where he also said Iran and its proxies were "the real issue." "The time of the north has come and...Unnerved and exposed, Trump struggles to regain campaign mojo
Washington, United States - Donald Trump has never lacked for self-confidence, but his presidential campaign has been sent into a tailspin by the extraordinary events of the past month, and suddenly he appears older, more awkward and grasping for direction. An assassination attempt, the shock withdrawal of Joe Biden from the...US defends forcing sale of TikTok app
TikTok's suit argues this violates First Amendment rights of free speech.Defiant Netanyahu to face US Congress amid Biden’s withdrawal
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, using an American football image, said Friday that negotiators were "inside the 10 yard line and driving toward the goal line". Hamas has accused Netanyahu of seeking to block a deal however and Blinken said he wants to "bring the agreement over the finish...Boeing offered 737 MAX plea deal, lawyer of crash victims’ families says
Washington, United States - The US Justice Department is offering Boeing a plea deal that will allow it to avoid a trial related to two deadly 737 MAX crashes, a lawyer for the victims' families said Sunday, expressing outrage. Details of the deal, which requires Boeing to pay a fine and...Trump increasingly ambiguous on Israel amid Gaza war
At the start of Israel's war with Hamas in October, Donald Trump loudly presented himself as the key US ally's ultimate champion. But six months and more than 33,000 deaths in Gaza later, he has become increasingly vague on the intensity of that support. Trump has halfheartedly commented on the...‘Grave step backwards’: Meta shuts monitoring tool in election year
Washington, US - A digital tool considered vital in tracking viral falsehoods, CrowdTangle will be decommissioned by Facebook owner Meta in a major election year, a move researchers fear will disrupt efforts to detect an expected firehose of political misinformation. The tech giant says CrowdTangle will be unavailable after August 14,...US census to include Middle Eastern or North African category
The next US census and federal government forms will include new options for race and ethnicity including a category for people of Middle Eastern or North African origin, officials said. The changes, the first in nearly three decades, were announced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and published...US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge ticks up as fuel costs rise
WASHINGTON, US – The US central bank's favored measure of inflation edged higher last month on the back of rising fuel prices, according to government data published on Friday, but another gauge stripping out volatile food and energy prices continued to ease. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told a conference...White House rolls out ‘concrete safeguard’ policies for federal AI
Washington, US - "Concrete safeguards" for government use of artificial intelligence were announced by the White House on Thursday, as it vowed they would serve as a model for "global action." "When government agencies use AI tools, we will now require them to verify that those tools do not endanger the...US defense chief tells Israeli counterpart that Gaza toll is ‘too high’
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that civilian casualties in Gaza are "too high". A separate Israeli delegation was supposed to visit Washington to discuss US concerns over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to launch an assault Rafah, where much of Gaza's population has sought...Iraqi PM to visit Washington for troop talks
Washington, US – President Joe Biden will welcome Iraq's prime minister on April 15 for talks on the US troop presence, the White House announced on Friday, as tensions subside following US clashes with pro-Iran militias. It will mark the first trip to Washington by Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, who...IMF chief urges countries to strengthen independence of central banks
"Financial stability benefits the whole economy and reduces the risk that the central bank becomes reluctant to raise interest rates for fear of causing a financial meltdown," she added.Federal Reserve begins two-day talk on interest rates
Washington, United States - The US Federal Reserve began two days of discussions on Tuesday at which policymakers are expected to hold firm on interest rates, and continue discussions about when to start cutting them. The meeting got under way in Washington at 9am local time (1300 GMT) on Tuesday, the...S.Africa says Israel war undermining top UN court
South Africa's top diplomat accused Israel of setting a precedent for leaders to defy the top UN court, as she again alleged a campaign of starvation in Gaza. South Africa has hauled Israel before the International Court of Justice to allege genocide in the war triggered by the October 7...G7 vows ‘significant’ new sanctions if Iran sends missiles to Russia
Washington, US - G7 countries warned Iran on Friday that they will impose "significant" new sanctions if Tehran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. "We reiterate our call on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine or...Former US treasury secretary says preparing buyout of TikTok
Washington, US - Former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday said he is putting together a team of investors to buy TikTok from its Chinese owners. On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill that would force TikTok to divest from its parent company or face a...US sanctions five Israeli entities including three settlers in West Bank
Washington, US - The United States sanctioned three Israeli settlers and two farming outposts on Thursday, accusing them of being involved in "undermining stability in the West Bank." The move marks the second time this year that Washington has sanctioned Israeli settlers, as it looks to respond to the rise in...Leader of US Senate calls for election in Israel
The leader of the US Senate called for Israel to hold new elections in the most strident criticism yet by a senior American official of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza. The remarks from Chuck Schumer came amid increased pressure from President Joe Biden over the...US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes TikTok ban bill
The measure requires TikTok's parent company ByteDance to sell the app within 180 days or see it barred from the Apple and Google app stores in the US. The lawmakers voted 352 in favor of the proposed law and 65 against, in a rare moment of bipartisan unity in politically...SpaceX Crew-7 returns after six-month mission on Space Station
Washington, United States - Four astronauts splashed down off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico on their return to Earth early Tuesday, following a more than six-month mission on the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft landed in the waters off Pensacola at 5:47 am (0947 GMT), with a...US consumer inflation in Feb up as Federal Reserve mulls rate cut
The annual consumer price index (CPI) came in at 3.2 percent last month, the Labor Department said, while the "core" measure stripping out volatile food and energy prices edged down slightly to 3.8 percent.Four space station crew members leave for Earth
WASHINGTON, US – Four astronauts left the International Space Station on Monday and were bound for Earth following a more than six month mission. Led by American astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, NASA's Crew-7 arrived at the research platform last August aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. The same spacecraft undocked on Monday morning,...US President orders military to set up a port in Gaza for aid, say officials
President Joe Biden will tell Congress that he has ordered the US military to set up a port in Gaza to get more humanitarian aid by sea, senior US officials said. The announcement will not involve any US boots on the ground in the Palestinian enclave, as military personnel will...US all set for Biden-Trump rematch as Haley bows out of race
Pointedly declining to endorse the man she has portrayed as chaotic and mentally incompetent, former UN ambassador Haley said Trump would have to earn the support of moderates who backed her longshot campaign. Her withdrawal leaves America facing a battle for the White House between two elderly men that many...Diplomacy the ‘only way’ to end Israel-Hizbollah clashes: US envoy
"A diplomatic solution is the only way to end the current hostilities" and achieve "a lasting fair security arrangement between Lebanon and Israel", Washington's envoy Amos Hochstein told reporters in Beirut, adding that "a temporary ceasefire is not enough". "A limited war is not containable," he said after meeting with parliamentary...Hawkish economic approach on China has bipartisan support in US, say analysts
WASHINGTON, US - In a shift from tit-for-tat tariffs and strong-arm tactics to tech restrictions and investment curbs, US policy towards China has become more targeted under President Joe Biden - though still hardline. Despite differences between Democrats and Republicans, analysts expect Washington's approach to Beijing will only become tougher, whether...US lunar landing a ‘historic achievement’, says Biden
Washington, US - President Joe Biden on Saturday hailed the landing of a US spacecraft on the Moon as a historic achievement in space research led by the United States. The uncrewed Odysseus lander, built by a private company and funded by NASA, landed near the lunar south pole Thursday, more...NORAD fighters intercept high-altitude balloon over US
WASHINGTON, US – A small balloon floating at a high altitude over the US state of Utah was intercepted by fighter aircraft on Friday but deemed to pose no national security or flight risk, a US-Canada military agency said, according to US media. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said...



















































