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U.S. stocks rebounded Monday, recovering from Friday’s selloff, as an initial surge in oil prices on renewed Iran-Israel fighting eased after Iran said it had ended its strikes against Israel. The Nasdaq composite rose more than 1% in…
3 MIN READAnalysts offered mixed assessments of the auto and transport sector on Monday, with geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, surging demand related to artificial-intelligence data centers, and shifting airline capacity shaping the…
3 MIN READGermany has withdrawn from the tri-national Future Combat Air System stealth-fighter project, ending a two-decade effort to build a next-generation combat aircraft and dealing a setback to European defense ambitions as the United States…
3 MIN READIsraeli forces struck targets in Iran and Lebanon early Monday, and Iran retaliated with missile attacks that sent sirens sounding across Israel, according to NPR. The exchange threatens to plunge the Middle East back into an all-out war…
3 MIN READChinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday for a two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the first such visit since 2019, as both leaders seek to deepen their alliance against the Western-led international order.
3 MIN READNorth Korea's economy expanded 3.7% in 2024, its fastest growth in eight years, fueled by arms sales to Russia, troop deployment payments, and increased trade with China, according to estimates from South Korea's central bank and analysts…
3 MIN READThe Pentagon on Monday added roughly two dozen Chinese companies — including e-commerce and cloud giant Alibaba, search and AI firm Baidu, and electric vehicle maker BYD — to its annual list of businesses the U.S. identifies as aiding…
4 MIN READSenior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have seized on the killing of a British teenager to attack Europe’s immigration policies and accuse allied governments of lacking…
3 MIN READBolivia's deepening political crisis has exposed the risks of managing foreign investment through opaque agreements and weak oversight, with Chinese-linked infrastructure and mining projects facing complaints over delays, quality problems…
3 MIN READThe Wall Street Journal’s Markets A.M. newsletter on Monday raised the classic question of whether the market has peaked, after a tech stock wipeout on Friday and a spike in oil prices following renewed Middle East conflict. The newsletter…
4 MIN READStock markets across Asia-Pacific fell sharply on Monday, with South Korea's KOSPI index sliding nearly 9% before trading was briefly halted, as investors reacted to a confluence of risks including a flare-up in Middle East hostilities,…
3 MIN READAmericans have not stopped spending since the Iran war drove gasoline prices higher, but many are subtly altering their buying routines — shopping less at clothing and furniture stores, changing how they fill up at the pump — and…
3 MIN READOil prices rose sharply on Monday after Iran fired missiles at Israel for the first time since a fragile ceasefire between the countries and the United States took effect in April. The global benchmark Brent crude jumped 2.6% to $95.50 a…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," dismissed the idea that launching the war with Iran this year contradicted his repeated campaign refrain of "no new wars," saying he "didn't guarantee"…
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A Guardian analysis published June 7 assesses President Donald Trump's diplomatic record as ceasefires in Ukraine, Iran, Lebanon and Gaza have collapsed or frayed since being brokered earlier this year. The commentary, by foreign affairs…
4 MIN READArmenians voted Sunday in a parliamentary election that will help determine whether the country continues loosening ties with Moscow in favor of closer cooperation with the West. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil…
4 MIN READThe South Korean won weakened to its lowest level since March 2009, breaching 1,560 won per dollar in overnight trading, as prolonged foreign selling of domestic stocks, a stronger-than-expected U.S. labor market, and the ongoing Middle…
3 MIN READA long trade war with China is under way, and President Donald Trump's scattershot tariff strategy is the wrong approach to confronting Beijing's export dominance, according to trade analyst Eduardo Porter in an analysis published Saturday…
3 MIN READFORT RECOVERY, Ohio — While President Trump's approval ratings have slipped nationally amid economic concerns and the Iran war, a core group of supporters in deep-red Ohio say they remain firmly in his camp. In interviews with the Wall…
3 MIN READA Guardian columnist said former first lady Jill Biden's new memoir 'rewrites history' and avoids accountability for President Joe Biden's 2024 election loss, drawing criticism from CNN anchor Jake Tapper and a response from her son Hunter…
3 MIN READThe U.S. and Iran have struggled for weeks to finalize a preliminary agreement to end their war, with Tehran's demand for early access to tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets emerging as a central obstacle, according to officials…
3 MIN READMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her allies have reacted furiously to a U.S. indictment of Rubén Rocha, the sitting governor of Sinaloa and a member of her ruling Morena party, accusing Washington of meddling in Mexico's internal…
3 MIN READSouth Korea's presidential office said Friday there has been no major change to its plan to build nuclear-powered submarines domestically, as Seoul and Washington resumed talks on nuclear cooperation and the transfer of wartime operational…
3 MIN READSouth Korean President Lee Jae-myung said Friday that the mutual repatriation of Korean War remains between South Korea and the United States is the strongest evidence of their blood-forged alliance, as the two countries held a historic…
3 MIN READDowning Street on Friday condemned statements by U.S. Vice President JD Vance blaming the fatal stabbing of a British teenager on the "mass invasion of migrants," saying the family does not want the death used to "create further division."…
3 MIN READChinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week, state media in both countries reported Friday, marking his first trip to the isolated state since 2019.
3 MIN READIsrael's military has made its deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than 26 years while striking targets across the region, even as President Donald Trump insisted Iran is "pretty close" to signing a peace agreement. The conflicting…
4 MIN READThe U.S. State Department's official account posted Thursday that 'two-tiered policing' in the UK is a 'glaring symptom of civilizational decline,' according to The Guardian. Vice President JD Vance on Friday linked the fatal stabbing of…
3 MIN READWASHINGTON (MSI) — President Donald Trump on Friday issued a memo directing the U.S. military and national security agencies to accelerate their use of artificial intelligence, while acknowledging the need to protect civil liberties and…
4 MIN READCrude oil futures settled lower Friday as market expectations of a resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict outweighed supply concerns, but analysts warned that the real supply crunch could arrive by early July. West Texas Intermediate fell…
3 MIN READFive of seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered Friday afternoon to take shelter in the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon ‘Freedom’ after an air leak in the Russian segment worsened and NASA objected to the repair…
3 MIN READCrude oil futures fell roughly 3% on June 4 as a tentative ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon raised hopes for U.S.-Iran negotiations that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though analysts cautioned that Iran-backed Hezbollah…
3 MIN READThe United States on Thursday leveled sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, members of former President Raúl Castro's family, the Cuban military, and other organizations, the latest in a series of escalating measures…
3 MIN READAmerican Airlines said it is temporarily suspending service on selected routes in August and September, citing elevated jet fuel costs amid the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. The Texas-based carrier said affected travelers will be offered…
3 MIN READEgypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday urged the United States, South Korea and Japan to pursue dialogue rather than military pressure to resolve North Korea's nuclear program, saying that 'military solutions are not an…
3 MIN READSouth Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Thursday proposed resuming four-way talks among South Korea, North Korea, the United States and China as part of a broader effort to build a 'peace identity' in Northeast Asia.
3 MIN READA new analysis from the nonpartisan Niskanen Center found that President Trump's National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., reduced opportunistic property crimes by 24% but had no measurable effect on violent crime, while costing…
3 MIN READThe U.S. military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing two men, U.S. Southern Command said, bringing the total number of people killed in such strikes since the Trump administration…
3 MIN READAn American journalist who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for state media organizations there pleaded guilty in a U.S. court Thursday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said.
3 MIN READSecretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Tuesday that South Korea's treatment of American companies, including regulatory actions against Meta and Coupang, has hampered Washington's ability to conclude a trade agreement with Seoul.
3 MIN READSomalia's military and opposition militias clashed Thursday in Mogadishu after parliament extended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term by one year, with gunfire and fighting that prompted residents to flee their homes.
3 MIN READThe 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off this week across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by three nations. The unprecedented arrangement comes after months of…
3 MIN READProlonged disruption of energy supplies from the Middle East due to the Iran war would deal a severe blow to the global economy, sending some countries into recession and spreading inflation and higher unemployment, the Organization for…
4 MIN READSpanish hotel chain Meliá will cease operations at 15 of the 34 hotels it manages in Cuba, citing corporate responsibility and external factors that have affected the operation, legality and security of the establishments, according to…
3 MIN READSir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, has died aged 62 after being treated for cancer, his family said. Younger led the Secret Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2020, a career that spanned three decades in British intelligence.
3 MIN READAs the United States prepares to mark its 250th birthday, the historical reputation of the British monarch it revolted against — King George III — is undergoing a quiet rehabilitation. Long portrayed in American popular culture as a…
5 MIN READA museum in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday received 17 cannons from the American Revolution that experts believe sank to the bottom of the Savannah River during the war and remained undiscovered for nearly 240 years. The artifacts, pulled…
4 MIN READPresident Donald Trump said Wednesday that even though he works well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he was 'a little bit perturbed' by Israel's frequent fighting with Lebanon, and acknowledged calling Netanyahu…
3 MIN READIranian missile and drone strikes hit Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, injuring several people and forcing its indefinite closure, as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran escalated across the Persian Gulf region.
3 MIN READUkrainian long-range drones struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, setting it ablaze as the city prepared to host President Vladimir Putin's annual international economic forum. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the drones…
3 MIN READPope Leo XIV released his first encyclical on May 25, warning that unregulated artificial intelligence could weaken democracy by eroding the distinction between fact and fiction. The document, titled 'Magnifica Humanity: On Safeguarding…
3 MIN READChinese intelligence operatives are using legitimate employment websites including LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork to pose as recruiters and trick UK government and military staff into disclosing state secrets, MI5 warned Wednesday in a rare…
3 MIN READDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth stripped nine Navy officers — including all three women and two of four Black service members — from a promotion list last month, according to a person familiar with the matter, resulting in an all-male,…
4 MIN READActing President Delcy Rodríguez is facing open dissent from within the socialist movement that brought her to power, as her efforts to deepen ties with the Trump administration have drawn accusations from longtime Chavistas of…
3 MIN READPeace talks between the United States and Iran collapsed on Monday after Israel's military offensive in Lebanon violated an existing ceasefire, prompting Tehran to suspend all further contacts with Washington through intermediaries. Iran's…
3 MIN READThe United States on Tuesday sanctioned Iran's largest digital asset platform, Nobitex, along with three other exchanges, the Treasury Department announced, accusing the platforms of processing more than half of Iran's digital asset…
3 MIN READSecretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that the U.S. is still negotiating with several countries to resettle more than 1,000 Afghan allies stranded in Qatar, while he defended the Trump administration's decision to…
3 MIN READThe Pentagon has appointed Elias Irizarry, a man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol, to a sensitive counter-terrorism position within the Department of Defense's special operations office, according to…
3 MIN READThe U.S. military said it fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of an unladen oil tanker sailing toward Iran after the vessel's crew ignored repeated warnings over 24 hours, the latest enforcement of the naval blockade on the…
3 MIN READAsian hotel chain Archipelago International has ended its operations in Cuba under the Aston brand, becoming the third international hospitality operator to exit the island in less than a week ahead of a Friday deadline for foreign…
3 MIN READSecretary of State Marco Rubio testified before Congress on Tuesday in his first public appearance since the U.S. war with Iran began, requesting more than $35 billion for the State Department's 2027 budget and fielding questions on peace…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump swore repeatedly at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Monday after Netanyahu threatened to resume bombing Beirut's southern suburbs, according to a report from Axios citing a US official.…
3 MIN READThe United States and South Korea opened the first day of inaugural security talks Tuesday focused on Seoul's push to acquire nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines and revise the bilateral nuclear energy pact, marking the formal…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration has threatened Oman with sanctions and military action, pressing the historically neutral sultanate to cut diplomatic ties with Iran during the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. Washington cited an intelligence assessment…
3 MIN READA U.S. Army soldier and a British servicemember died Sunday during separate military training accidents in northern Iraq, both militaries announced Monday. The U.S. Army said the death occurred at Erbil Air Base; Britain's Ministry of…
3 MIN READA woman in a refugee camp in the Central African Republic gave birth on the roadside, alone and without medical care, after conflict and poverty prevented her from reaching a health facility. Her story is part of a broader crisis in…
3 MIN READSeveral prominent New York Democrats who marched in Sunday's Israel Day parade have condemned the attendance of Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far-right finance minister, saying they were unaware he would be present and denouncing his…
3 MIN READMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday publicly urged U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson to focus on the bilateral agenda and refrain from commenting on Mexico's domestic political affairs, citing constitutional principles of…
3 MIN READThe latest tranche of released Mandelson files includes an email exchange detailing a request from then-US President-elect Donald Trump for a replica ministerial red box during his state visit, Guardian columnist Marina Hyde reported June…
3 MIN READThe European Union has agreed to a major overhaul of its migration policy that would increase deportations of people without legal status and allow member nations to build detention centers in countries outside the bloc, in a deal rights…
3 MIN READUK motorists are facing their highest fuel prices since the US-Israel war with Iran began on 28 February 2026, with Brent crude reaching $126 a barrel and petrol hitting 158.5p a litre on 19 May. The RAC motoring group warned that pump…
5 MIN READGlobal government bond yields rose across major markets Monday as uncertainty over U.S.-Iran peace talks persisted. A retaliatory Iranian attack on a U.S. military base in Kuwait underscored the fragility of negotiations, even as both…
3 MIN READU.S. warplanes attacked Iranian radar sites and drone command-and-control facilities on Qeshm Island and Gorik in Iran's Hormuzgan province over the weekend, according to U.S. Central Command. The strikes came after Iran shot down an…
4 MIN READBBC Verify analysis of satellite imagery indicates Iran has damaged 20 US military facilities across eight Middle Eastern countries since late February, contradicting White House claims that Iranian forces were nearly wiped out.
3 MIN READDefence Secretary John Healey told Parliament on Monday that Prime Minister Keir Starmer remains determined to publish the UK's long-overdue Defence Investment Plan before the July Nato summit, a pledge that comes amid escalating warnings…
3 MIN READDonald Trump dismissed criticism of the war with Iran, posting on Truth Social that critics should "sit back and relax" as the US and Iran exchanged new military strikes over the weekend. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said…
3 MIN READSoaring fuel prices driven by the war with Iran are threatening the peak summer tourism season across Southeast Asia, straining economies in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia that depend heavily on international visitors, the Associated…
3 MIN READRussia sent a sanctioned cargo ship to resupply its air base in Syria in May, the first such mission since Assad's fall from power, according to U.S. officials and satellite images reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
3 MIN READHundreds of residents in central Kenya marched Monday to protest a planned U.S.-run field hospital that would treat and quarantine Americans exposed to the Ebola virus. A Kenyan court blocked the facility's opening ahead of a scheduled…
3 MIN READThe U.S. and Iran exchanged heavy fire on Tuesday after the U.S. disabled an empty oil tanker it said was attempting to breach its blockade and load oil at Iran’s Kharg Island. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, in one of the most intense bouts of fighting since a ceasefire was implemented in April.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday as U.S. forces said they defeated Iranian missiles and drones and conducted self-defense strikes, developments that could complicate U.S.-Iran negotiations and risk reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil waterway. Meanwhile, most Asian equity markets rose after fresh developments in artificial intelligence lifted the S&P 500 to a ninth straight day of gains, with Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average breaking past 68,000 for the first time.
Russia launched its third large-scale aerial assault on Kyiv in less than three weeks early Tuesday, firing 73 missiles and more than 650 drones across Ukraine in an attack that killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 100, according to Ukrainian authorities. The barrage struck residential buildings in the capital, where six people died, and apartment blocks in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where 12 people were killed including two children. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 40 of 73 missiles and 602 of 656 drones, but ballistic and hypersonic weapons largely penetrated, underscoring the country's critical vulnerability in missile defense.
Oil prices pulled back from overnight gains Tuesday after the Lebanese embassy in the U.S. said it received confirmation that Hezbollah has accepted a U.S.-proposed partial ceasefire, easing fears of a broader Middle East conflict. Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures each fell about 0.9% in early European trading, to $94.14 and $91.31 a barrel respectively.
The dollar rose in early Monday trading after the U.S. and Iran exchanged military strikes over the weekend, lifting safe-haven demand for the greenback even as currency markets focused on diverging central-bank policy signals from Europe, Japan and the United Kingdom.
U.S. stock futures pointed higher on Monday, extending May's record-setting rally, as oil prices jumped after the U.S. and Iran exchanged a fresh round of military strikes. Brent crude rose more than 3% after the U.S. said it struck Iranian air-defense sites in retaliation for Tehran's downing of an American drone, while Israel expanded its ground invasion of Lebanon, further complicating cease-fire negotiations.
Gold futures dropped more than 1% on Monday as a firmer U.S. dollar and fresh military strikes between Washington and Tehran over the weekend deepened uncertainty around ongoing negotiations, while oil prices surged more than 3% on renewed supply concerns.
President Trump told the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and Turkey on May 23 that it "should be mandatory" for them to establish diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords as part of a deal to end the war with Iran. The demand has complicated ongoing negotiations, as Gulf states grow increasingly distrustful of both the U.S. and Israel after months of conflict.
The Trump administration is accelerating efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into U.S. military operations, drawing calls for safety guardrails from technology firms and warnings from top uniformed leaders about the delivery of lethal force.
Oil prices rose on June 1 as negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz entered their eighth week without a resolution, with West Texas Intermediate crude climbing 2.1% to $89.20 a barrel and Brent crude gaining 1.7% to $92.66 a barrel.
Japan has decided to join the U.S.-led Genesis Mission as a key international partner, committing $500 million to a joint $1 billion investment in artificial intelligence and related technologies over five years, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Monday.
New military clashes between the U.S. and Iran sent crude oil prices surging Monday, pushing the benchmark U.S. contract up 5.5% to $92.16 a barrel and raising fresh fears about inflation. The spike lifted the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to 4.475%, up from 4.452% on Friday. Despite a broad equity sell-off, technology and energy gains lifted all three major stock indexes to new record closes.
Chilean prosecutors said organized crime groups are opening new maritime trafficking routes through the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of Chile, using the passage as an alternative to the Panama Canal to move weapons, drugs and other contraband between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Oil prices climbed more than 3% on Sunday after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fresh military strikes over the weekend, with both sides still negotiating a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after seven weeks of talks. Brent crude rose 3.1% to $93.95 a barrel while WTI futures gained 3.5% to reach $90.40, bouncing from their lowest levels since mid-April.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's Kuomintang opposition party, began a two-week U.S. tour on Monday carrying a peace message that aligns closely with Beijing's preferred framing on cross-strait relations, arriving at a moment of deepening uncertainty over Washington's security commitments to Taipei.
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority is under growing pressure from lawmakers and digital rights campaigners to demonstrate that its artificial-intelligence partnership with the US company Palantir will not expose sensitive British financial data to the Trump administration. Martin Wrigley, a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Commons science and technology select committee, has written to the regulator demanding it justify its claim that the US Cloud Act — a law that can compel American tech companies to hand data to US authorities — does not apply to the arrangement.
Sky UK is ending its joint venture with United Arab Emirates-backed IMI over the Sky News Arabia channel, transitioning to a brand licensing arrangement that relinquishes operational control amid growing internal concerns over the channel's coverage of the war in Sudan.
The Trump administration is making access to critical minerals and sensitive health data a condition for resuming U.S. foreign health aid in sub-Saharan Africa, prompting several nations to reject or stall negotiations over terms they say compromise national interests and citizen privacy.
The US military said it carried out a second strike on an alleged drug vessel in the eastern Pacific over two days, killing three men in an operation that pushes the death toll from similar attacks to more than 200 since last year.
The U.S. military carried out a strike on a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing three men, according to U.S. Southern Command. The attack is the third in a week and pushes the overall death toll in the monthslong campaign above 200, though the command provided no evidence to support its designation of the vessel.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has revoked the visa of a Chinese national working for the Xinhua state news agency in an apparent reciprocal move after Beijing expelled a New York Times correspondent, a person familiar with the matter and a State Department official confirmed Friday.
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander in Latin America met with Cuban military leaders Friday near the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay for what officials described as a “brief exchange on operational security matters,” the latest in a series of high-level contacts between the two nations as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on the island.
Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, admitting she shared articles favorable to Beijing without notifying the U.S. government as required by law, federal prosecutors said.
The death toll from the Trump administration’s campaign of strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean has risen to at least 199, according to U.S. military data released Wednesday.
The U.S. State Department has launched a review that could lead to the closure of an unspecified number of Mexico’s 53 consulates in the United States, alarming immigrant communities and legal advocates who rely on the diplomatic posts for passport renewals, birth registrations and increasingly, legal help for families navigating President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Iran's foreign ministry condemned the latest U.S. military strikes as a ceasefire violation and a sign of "bad faith" on Tuesday, as negotiators pressed forward with efforts to end the war and the country began restoring internet access following a prolonged nationwide shutdown.
The U.S. military executed strikes on missile launch sites and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran on Monday to protect American troops, even as President Donald Trump indicated that diplomatic negotiations with Tehran were progressing.
The United States will need at least three years to replenish stockpiles of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot and THAAD air-defense interceptors heavily expended during the Iran war, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The CSIS report warns that depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for any potential future conflict with China.
Over 1.5 million pilgrims performed the symbolic stoning of the devil at Mina on Wednesday as temperatures reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42°C), marking the final days of the Hajj and the start of Eid al-Adha. The celebrations carried a subdued tone in parts of the Middle East, where war and displacement dampened the festivities.
U.S. defense contractors will need at least three years to restock heavily depleted inventories of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot and THAAD air defense interceptors. The finding comes from a new analysis released Wednesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Trump administration announced new sanctions on Wednesday targeting an Iranian agency created to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a move first reported by The Associated Press as U.S. forces struck a military facility after downing attack drones.
Travelers holding airline miles and credit card rewards points will find their balances don't stretch as far this summer, as jet fuel prices elevated by the Iran war drive up airfares and baggage fees, according to travel experts and Labor Department data.
The Trump administration has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations into Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials, in the latest sign of warming relations between the White House and the oil-rich nation.
The LEGO Foundation announced a $97 million commitment to the International Rescue Committee on Wednesday, launching a five-year partnership to bring play-based learning to 5 million children in conflict zones across East Africa and the Middle East.
The U.S. military struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas on Wednesday after downing four Iranian one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, said Iran is 'negotiating on fumes' and expressed confidence that a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict is imminent.
The LEGO Foundation said it is committing $97 million over five years to expand International Rescue Committee programs that use play-based learning for children affected by conflicts, including in East Africa and the Middle East. The partnership, announced Wednesday, aims to reach 5 million children and will adapt as crises shift.
Iran denounced U.S. strikes in southern Iran as “bad faith and unreliability” amid negotiations that aim to extend a ceasefire, while the government began restoring internet access after a nationwide shutdown. The U.S. military said Monday’s strikes were defensive and exercised “restraint,” and Iran’s foreign ministry called the attacks a ceasefire violation.
Muslim pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second day of the Hajj, as intense heat and umbrellas marked the climax of the annual pilgrimage. Saudi officials said more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived from abroad, while regional tensions rose after U.S. strikes in Iran.
Memorial Day, observed this year on May 25, is officially a day to honor and mourn the U.S. military service members who died, with a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m., according to the Congressional Research Service. Its origins trace to Civil War-era Decoration Day ceremonies that grew out of efforts to mark graves and remember the dead, the Associated Press reports.
Centerville, Massachusetts, resident Freeman Johnson, who turned 106 in March, survived the Pearl Harbor attack without seeing it. While the Japanese bombing began on Dec. 7, 1941, Johnson was below deck repairing boilers aboard the USS St. Louis and did not witness the fighting as his ship set out to sea.
Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday in May, was built from Civil War-era mourning practices but has shifted over time into a broader remembrance that many Americans also associate with travel and sales. A Texas Iraq War veteran, Edmundo Eugenio Martinez Jr., said the day has lost meaning as some people mix it up with Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day and July Fourth.
President Donald Trump’s emerging proposal to end the Iran war is drawing heavy criticism from some fellow Republicans who want a harder line against Tehran. The proposals’ outline includes ending the war while Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and gives up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, with details and timelines set during a later 60-day window.
U.S. military officials said Monday they carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including at missile launch sites and boats placing mines, while President Donald Trump posted that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely.” The military said the actions were intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces” and were carried out “using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” as U.S.-brokered talks entered a fragile phase.
President Donald Trump and U.S. officials said the United States struck Iranian boats and missile launch sites in southern Iran while talks on a potential agreement with Iran continued under a ceasefire framework. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in New Delhi the United States would “give diplomacy every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives.”
President Trump and U.S. officials are managing expectations about an imminent agreement to end the war in Iran, while Iran has not formally responded to a proposed outline. NPR reports the sides have been discussing reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a phased approach to nuclear talks, with Iran’s foreign ministry linking next steps to a 60-day period after an initial Strait agreement.
Global stocks mostly rose Monday as oil prices fell more than $4 after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks to end the Iran war were progressing. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 2.9%, while trading was closed in the U.S. for Memorial Day and in parts of Asia for holidays. The U.S. is close to a deal that officials said would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and involve Iran giving up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Freeman Johnson, a 106-year-old Centerville, Massachusetts resident and the oldest living survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack, was inside a steam drum repairing a boiler on the USS St. Louis on Dec. 7, 1941, unaware of the Japanese bombing unfolding above him.
President Donald Trump's emerging deal to end the Iran war is drawing heavy criticism from some fellow Republicans who favor a harder line against Tehran, with Sen. Ted Cruz warning the terms as currently known could render the conflict 'for naught.'
Global shares mostly rose and oil prices sank more than $4 a barrel on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the war with Iran were moving forward. Regional officials told The Associated Press the United States is close to reaching a deal that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Freeman Johnson, 106, of Centerville, Massachusetts, has become the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor, preserving the account of the December 1941 attack that propelled the United States into World War II while living in a home filled with mementos of his Navy service. With only 11 Pearl Harbor survivors remaining, Johnson stands as a last link to a conflict that claimed more than 2,400 American lives and changed the course of world history.
Americans marked Memorial Day on Monday, a federal holiday rooted in the aftermath of the Civil War and early commemorations by Black Americans in Charleston, South Carolina, that now blends solemn remembrance with the unofficial start of summer and widespread retail sales, occurring this year amid the U.S. war in Iran and elevated gasoline prices.
President Donald Trump’s emerging plan to end the three-month-old war with Iran has triggered a wave of Republican backlash, with senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham warning it could leave Tehran with nuclear weapons and billions of dollars while securing control of the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Russia launched a massive wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv early Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 77, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. Ukraine’s air force said Russia used 600 drones and 90 missiles, including the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, and that air defenses intercepted most drones and more than half of the missiles.
President Donald Trump said talks with Iran are progressing and that the United States has largely negotiated a “memorandum of understanding pertaining to peace,” including opening the Strait of Hormuz. But NPR senior White House correspondent Mara Liasson said the public details look more like a plan to reach a deal than an agreement, with Iran’s foreign ministry rejecting discussion of its nuclear program.
Global stock markets advanced Monday while oil prices dropped more than $4 a barrel, driven by President Donald Trump's statement that negotiations to end the war with Iran are moving forward.
Attacks on Ebola treatment centers, including the storming of a hospital in Mongbwalu, are complicating the response to an outbreak that has now surpassed 900 suspected cases in eastern Congo, health authorities said Sunday.
Suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo have topped 900, Congolese authorities said Sunday, amid a volatile mix of armed conflict, mass displacement and international aid cuts that continues to hobble the response to an outbreak declared a global health emergency. An attack on a hospital in Mongbwalu late Sunday — the third assault on a health facility in less than a week — underscored the anger and insecurity complicating efforts to stem the disease in Ituri Province, the outbreak’s epicenter.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday ahead of next week’s Quad ministerial meeting, where he will join counterparts from India, Australia and Japan. The trip follows strain in U.S.-India ties tied to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, and includes meetings with Indian officials in New Delhi and visits to other cities.
Trump said on Monday he called off a planned military strike on Iran at the request of Gulf Arab allies, and that “serious negotiations are now taking place.” He also told U.S. military commanders to stay on standby for “a full, large-scale assault of Iran” if an “acceptable Deal” is not reached, keeping pressure on Tehran while talks continue.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that a U.S. deal with Iran—covering an end to the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz—is “largely negotiated,” with final details still being discussed. He said the effort follows calls with Israel and other regional allies and that negotiations still must be finalized by the United States, Iran and other participating countries.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Lisa Murkowski and Jeanne Shaheen will depart Friday on a tour of Arctic nations, leaving the men behind. The eight senators and their staff plan diplomatic visits to government officials in Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Norway’s Svalbard, and they will also meet Arctic military and Indigenous communities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that he saw “slight progress” in talks with Iran, as Pakistan’s army chief traveled to Tehran for a new round of mediation efforts and uncertainty remained over whether the war would resume. Rubio made the comments as NATO foreign ministers met in Helsingborg, Sweden, and he also addressed the United States’ effort to keep commercial shipping moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to act on $600 million in security aid Congress allocated for Ukraine and other eastern European allies, citing Defense Department delays. The senators sent a letter on Friday calling for the funding to be disbursed and warning that further postponements could weaken deterrence against Russia. The push comes as lawmakers seek updates on $400 million for Ukraine and $200 million for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
After nearly a year deployed, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, last weekend, bringing about 3,500 sailors home. Families crowded the pier as the ship’s tour stretched from the coast of Venezuela to the Red Sea, where the carrier launched F/A-18s to support U.S. operations in the war involving Iran.
As the United States marks its 250th year of independence, a new Associated Press reporting trip finds that many people in Britain tie their view of the U.S. to President Donald Trump. In interviews across England and Scotland, residents said they struggle to discuss America now without referencing the Trump era.
In a look at the Trump administration’s escalating pressure on Cuba, Associated Press reports that U.S. strategy is taking cues from its approach to Venezuela—oil-focused coercion, a larger military footprint, federal criminal charges, and repeated threats of intervention. But experts cited by AP said the outcomes may diverge because Cuba’s political and strategic conditions differ from Venezuela’s, including the role of Raúl Castro and the size and posture of U.S. forces.
House Republicans called off a House vote this week on a Democratic bill that would require President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, pushing the planned vote to June. The House had scheduled the war powers measure, but GOP leaders declined to hold it after it became clear Republicans would not have the votes to defeat the bill.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley led a bipartisan push on Friday to force Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release $600 million in congressionally approved security aid for Ukraine and the Baltic states, funds that the Pentagon has left unspent since last year amid growing tensions over U.S. support for Kyiv.
U.S. Muslims like Faisal Rashid and his wife are set to join the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as the ritual begins Monday against a backdrop of Iran war tensions and an uneasy ceasefire. The couple secured their spots in February after a pre-dawn scramble on a digital booking platform — an experience Rashid described through tears as "very, very joyful."
President Donald Trump said the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, a move that left U.S. and European officials trying to reconcile the announcement with recent statements about drawing down forces in Europe. The declaration, made on Truth Social, came after weeks of changing signals from Trump and administration officials about reducing—then halting or delaying—deployments.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to calm NATO allies ahead of Friday’s foreign ministers meeting in Sweden after President Donald Trump’s latest abrupt decision about U.S. troop deployments. Hours after Rubio left for the Helsingborg meeting, Trump announced he would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, drawing new questions from allies who had recently been told they would not get an expected deployment.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to act on delayed security aid for Ukraine and other eastern European allies, sending a letter calling for the funding to be disbursed. The senators cited a missed May 15 deadline for a Pentagon spending plan that had been promised after Hegseth said earlier that the Ukraine money was “released.”
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed warnings Thursday about potential U.S. military intervention against Cuba, with Rubio expressing doubt that diplomacy can resolve differences. The renewed threat came a day after federal prosecutors unveiled criminal charges against Cuba’s former leader, Raúl Castro, accusing him of ordering a 1996 shootdown of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “slight progress” was made during talks with Iran, while Pakistan’s army chief traveled to Tehran to press a renewed effort to mediate a peace deal. Rubio made the remarks days after President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike because “serious negotiations” were underway, as uncertainty persisted over whether the Iran war would resume.
U.S. Treasury announced sanctions on Thursday against Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese parliamentarians, state security officials and allies, accusing them of trying to preserve the Iran-backed group’s influence over Lebanese institutions. The Treasury action also targeted former cabinet minister and senior Hezbollah figure Mohammed Fneish and other lawmakers, and it said it would continue pursuing officials it says infiltrated the Lebanese government.
The Trump administration is employing the same pressure tactics against Cuba that it used against Venezuela — an oil blockade, a growing U.S. military presence, federal indictments and repeated threats of intervention — but analysts warn the countries' differences could produce dramatically different results.
As the United States marks 250 years of independence, a new Associated Press survey of Britons finds that many struggle to discuss the country without quickly bringing up President Donald Trump. In interviews across Britain, those with differing views of Trump nonetheless said the president shapes how they see America now.
Some American Muslims are traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj this week while the region remains unsettled after an Iran war that began in late February and widened before a ceasefire was reached in April. The pilgrimage is a religious obligation for Muslims who are physically and financially able, and for some travelers it is an opportunity to seek forgiveness despite concerns about security and travel disruptions.
The Trump administration’s strategy against Cuba is drawing comparisons to the “Venezuela playbook,” including a focus on pressure campaigns, legal charges and the buildup of U.S. military capacity in the region, according to experts cited by the Associated Press. Experts said the similarities do not guarantee similar outcomes, citing differences in Cuba’s political structure and the scale of U.S. forces.
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to support strong action to limit climate change, endorsing a landmark advisory opinion by the U.N.’s top court issued last year. The 193-member body approved a nonbinding resolution despite recent diplomatic efforts by the United States to have the measure withdrawn.
The U.S. Senate advanced legislation Tuesday that would require President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, drawing fresh Republican opposition. The measure passed 50–47 after Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy—endorsed by Trump’s party in a primary loss—switched his vote for the first time.
House Republicans on Thursday shelved a planned vote on legislation that would force President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, acknowledging they lacked the votes to defeat the measure. The delay pushes action into June and marks the clearest sign yet of eroding Republican support for a conflict the president launched more than two months ago without congressional authorization.
European Union officials said Friday that oil and gas prices in Europe will remain above their pre-Iran-war levels until at least the end of 2027, driving inflation to a revised forecast of 3.1 percent this year and warning that energy-driven price increases will gradually spread to other goods.
US stocks wavered Thursday before rising again as oil prices reversed course, easing some pressure from the bond market. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Dow gained 0.6% and the Nasdaq edged up 0.1% after Brent crude briefly topped $109 a barrel and then settled at $102.58. Oil has been yo-yoing as markets weigh how long Iran’s war has kept the Strait of Hormuz shut, affecting supply flows.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A small but steadily growing group of Republican lawmakers known as the “YOLO caucus” is breaking more often with President Donald Trump, potentially complicating his congressional agenda as the GOP’s majority remains narrow. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, reversed himself on legislation involving the war in Iran and voted with Democrats to rein in U.S. military action, according to AP.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, sowing confusion after the administration had spent weeks signaling it would reduce the American military footprint in Europe.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure NATO allies on Friday that the U.S. remains committed to the alliance, hours after President Donald Trump stunned European diplomats by announcing he would send 5,000 additional troops to Poland — a reversal from an earlier decision to cancel an expected deployment.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported “slight progress” in talks with Iran on Friday, as Pakistan’s army chief flew to Tehran for renewed mediation and uncertainty persisted over whether the war would resume. The comment came days after President Donald Trump said he had held off on a military strike because “serious negotiations” were underway.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions Thursday on a group of Hezbollah-affiliated parliamentarians, a former cabinet minister, and two sitting Lebanese state security officials, accusing them of preserving the Iran-backed militant group’s influence over state institutions and obstructing disarmament efforts.
A bipartisan all-women delegation of eight U.S. senators, led by Republican Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, departed for a tour of Arctic nations on May 22, aiming to reassure allies unsettled by the Trump administration’s confrontational posture in the region.
A bipartisan delegation of eight U.S. senators — all women — departed for a tour of Arctic nations Thursday, seeking to reassure allies unsettled by President Donald Trump’s confrontational stance in the region. Led by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the group will visit four Arctic countries, observe military operations, and travel to the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, where escorts are needed to avoid polar bears.
Many American Muslims say they are weighing whether to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj as the United States and Iran remain at war. An NPR report aired Friday, May 21, described families and clergy in the U.S. discussing travel alerts, costs and safety concerns as the Hajj dates approach.
The U.S. imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than a dozen people, a Mexican restaurant and a security firm it linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and fentanyl trafficking, the State Department and Treasury said. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted several individuals, including a fugitive known as Chuy Gonzalez, and said the sanctions cut them off from the U.S. banking system and blocked any U.S. assets.
Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 downing of civilian aircraft flown by Miami-based exiles, as the Trump administration escalated pressure on Cuba. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case honors “the families of four murdered Americans” killed in what he described as humanitarian flights. Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment, calling it a political stunt.
The U.S. military said it boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of trying to violate the American blockade. The boarding follows President Donald Trump’s Monday decision to call off renewed strikes on Iran, and comes as Republican allies and opponents battle over the war approach at home.
US Treasury announced Thursday sanctions on Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese lawmakers, security officials and allies, accusing them of seeking to preserve Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanese state institutions and to obstruct disarmament efforts. The move targets sitting security officials for the first time, and includes former cabinet minister Mohammed Fneish and Hezbollah-linked parliamentarians. The announcement came amid ongoing low-level talks in Washington aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated pressure on Cuba while it has pursued new diplomacy with Havana and increased sanctions, culminating this week in a U.S. indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro. The indictment was announced May 20 and comes after months of public warnings and threats, as well as talks involving U.S. officials and Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro.
The U.S. Justice Department is seeking an indictment against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, prosecutors say. The case revives tensions between Washington and Havana and turns the spotlight back on an organization founded to aid Cubans fleeing by sea. (Associated Press)
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed threats of potential U.S. military action against Cuba on Thursday, even as Rubio said the administration’s preference remains a “negotiated agreement that’s peaceful.” The renewed language came a day after federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing Raúl Castro of ordering the 1996 shootdown of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden on Friday, the State Department said May 19, as European allies weigh U.S. troop changes and Trump’s past comments about the alliance. Rubio is also scheduled to travel to India after the NATO meeting to meet with officials and counterparts from the Quad.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to calm NATO allies on Friday after President Donald Trump abruptly announced he would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland—an about-face from a recent message that Poland would not get an expected deployment. Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Rubio said the United States remained committed to NATO while adjusting its military footprint in Europe.
President Donald Trump said the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, upending recent signals that Washington would be drawing down in Europe. The announcement has prompted U.S. defense officials to express confusion and has left NATO allies seeking clarity about whether the Pentagon’s shifting troop plans include further reductions.
President Donald Trump said he would be “happy” to order U.S. military intervention in Cuba, telling reporters Thursday that previous presidents had considered such action for decades, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed doubt that diplomacy can succeed with the island nation.
Brits marked the United States’ 250th anniversary with a familiar refrain: many say President Donald Trump defines how they view America. In interviews across Britain, people who admire the U.S. still often begin with Trump when asked what America is like now. (Associated Press)
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to endorse an International Court of Justice climate advisory opinion, despite recent diplomatic efforts by the United States to derail the measure. The nonbinding resolution was approved Wednesday, 141-8 with 28 abstentions, with the United States among those voting against it.
The Associated Press on Saturday republished a 1996 report describing how Cuban fighter jets shot down two small planes flown by members of the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue from Miami in international waters off Havana. The report said U.S. officials, including President Bill Clinton, condemned the shootdown and ordered the U.S. military to protect search-and-rescue efforts. It also said one pilot returned and told his wife he had seen survivors in the water.
The U.S. Justice Department has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 94, charging him in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exiles. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said he expects Castro to face the charges in the United States.
The Senate advanced legislation Tuesday aimed at forcing President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy switched sides following a primary election loss. Democrats pressed for war powers votes that would require congressional approval for further action or a withdrawal of U.S. troops, and the effort gained one more Republican vote in the latest measure. The House is expected to consider a similar resolution Wednesday.
WASHINGTON — A small but steadily growing number of Republican lawmakers are voting against President Donald Trump’s priorities on the Iran war and immigration funding, signaling cracks in the party’s once-unified congressional front at a moment when the GOP holds a tenuous majority on Capitol Hill.
The U.S. military said Wednesday it boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of trying to violate an American blockade. The boarding of the M/T Celestial Sea came after President Donald Trump postponed renewed military strikes on Iran while negotiations proceed. The action also drew attention to mounting political pressure on Trump over shipping disruptions that have contributed to higher gasoline prices.
The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to endorse a landmark international court opinion declaring that countries’ failure to protect the planet from climate change violates international law, brushing aside a U.S. effort to have the measure withdrawn.
The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than a dozen people, a Mexican restaurant and a security firm it links to fentanyl trafficking tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. The Treasury Department said the designations cut targets off from the U.S. banking system and blocked U.S. assets.
Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles, as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Cuba. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said families of four murdered Americans waited “for nearly 30 years” for justice, while Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment as a political stunt.
The U.S. Justice Department sought an indictment against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over a 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The move revives a long-simmering dispute between Washington and Havana, where officials reacted angrily after U.S. prosecutors charged Castro on Wednesday.
In Washington, federal prosecutors announced an indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The move comes as tensions between President Donald Trump’s administration and Cuba’s socialist government have escalated across Trump’s second term, with the U.S. imposing new sanctions and raising talk of possible regime change.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel this week to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden, where U.S. plans to reduce troop levels in Europe have met European anxiety about President Donald Trump’s stance toward the alliance, an Associated Press report said. The State Department said Rubio will attend the meeting in Helsingborg on Friday before traveling to India.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s internal watchdog will examine whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting process when it struck dozens of suspected drug-smuggling boats that have left nearly 200 people dead in Latin American waters since early September, the office announced Tuesday.
The Pentagon inspector general will review whether the U.S. military used an established targeting framework when it attacked dozens of alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin American waters, according to a letter to Defense Department officials. The review will focus on what the Pentagon calls the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and the inspector general’s office said the effort was “self-initiated,” with no completion date given.
The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes flown by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, as the Trump administration escalates a months-long pressure campaign against Cuba’s socialist government.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday it will seek an indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro for the February 1996 downing of two civilian Brothers to the Rescue aircraft flown from Miami. The incident, in which Cuban fighter jets shot down the Cessna 337 Skymaster planes over international waters north of Havana, killed four members of the exile group, prompting condemnation from President Bill Clinton and a demand for an explanation from the U.S. embassy in Cuba. The upcoming case revives a Cold‑War‑era episode that remains a flashpoint in U.S.–Cuba relations.
The United Nations General Assembly voted 141-8 with 28 abstentions on Wednesday to support strong action to limit climate change, endorsing an advisory opinion by the U.N.’s top court issued last July. The vote came despite recent diplomatic efforts by the United States to have the measure withdrawn. <a href='/articles/2026-02-16-us-urges-vanuatu-to-withdraw-un-climate-reparations-draft'>MSI previously reported that the U.S. urged Vanuatu to withdraw a related U.N. climate reparations draft</a>.
An Iranian family detained in U.S. immigration facilities is seeking release after the government moved to deport them, saying their green cards were revoked because of ties to Masoumeh Ebtekar, known during the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis as “Sister Mary.” A federal judge has temporarily barred deportations while the family challenges the legality of their detention.
US prosecutors have indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro on murder and other charges over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, according to an indictment announced by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami on May 20, 2026. The indictment alleges Castro authorized the use of deadly force and that Russian-made fighter jets shot down the planes off the coast of Cuba, killing four men aboard.
The Senate advanced legislation Tuesday forcing President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from the Iran war, marking a significant breach in Republican unity as Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy switched sides to join Democrats. The 50-47 vote gives a growing number of GOP lawmakers their first successful push to end a conflict that has spanned more than two months since Trump ordered the initial strikes.
The United States is suspending its participation on the Permanent Joint Board on Defense with Canada, a bilateral military cooperation body that has operated continuously since 1940, the Pentagon announced Monday. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby accused Canada of failing "to make credible progress on its defense commitments."
The Senate advanced legislation Tuesday aimed at forcing President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, as a small but growing number of Republicans broke with the White House’s position. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, after losing a primary that Trump had backed, supported the measure for the first time in the 50-47 vote.
The Pentagon inspector general will evaluate whether the U.S. military followed the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle when carrying out attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats that have killed nearly 200 people in Latin American waters since early September, according to a May 11 letter from the watchdog's office.
A panel of three federal appellate judges heard oral arguments Tuesday in Anthropic's appeal against the Pentagon's decision to brand the artificial intelligence company a national security supply-chain risk, with one judge calling the Defense Department's action a "spectacular overreach."
The bond market, typically a quiet corner of Wall Street measured in hundredths of a percentage point, is rumbling again. Yields on government bonds have climbed to levels not seen in years or decades, driven by uncertainty over oil prices tied to the U.S.-Iran war and by mounting concerns about large and growing U.S. government debt.
AUSTIN, Texas — Three young people are in custody following at least 10 random weekend shootings that injured four people, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Sunday. The suspects drove around the city in stolen vehicles, firing at two fire stations, apartment buildings and houses during a string of robberies and shootings that stretched from Saturday afternoon to early Sunday morning.
President Donald Trump said Monday he is holding off a military strike on Iran that had been planned for Tuesday, citing “serious negotiations” aimed at ending the war. He said Gulf allies asked the U.S. to wait for two or three days, as Israel and China also figure in recent diplomacy around the conflict.
U.S. stocks bounced back Wednesday, with the S&P 500 rising 1.1% for its first gain in four days after easing yields in the bond market and falling oil prices provided relief from the recent sell-off.
President Donald Trump has paused plans to resume military strikes against Iran at the request of Gulf Arab allies, who told the White House that serious negotiations are underway. The move represents another setback in a pressure campaign that has relied on threats, rhetoric and military action without shifting Tehran from its long-established positions.
President Donald Trump placed more than 3,600 stock trades during the first three months of 2026, according to a federal ethics filing, including as much as $6 million in Nvidia and shares of defense contractors whose profits his administration has directly influenced through policy decisions on chip exports and military spending. The volume of trading — exceeding 100 transactions per week — breaks with the practice of recent presidents who avoided holding individual stocks whose value they could affect.
A new AP-NORC poll finds that Republicans' approval of President Donald Trump's handling of the economy has dropped to about 6 in 10, down from roughly 8 in 10 in February before the war with Iran began, while Republican support for the president's immigration policies remains higher, according to the survey.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Sweden this week for a NATO foreign ministers meeting, as European allies grow increasingly concerned about U.S. plans to cut troop levels in Europe and President Donald Trump's shifting stance on the alliance. The meeting comes against a backdrop of the ongoing Iran war and rising global energy prices.
An Iranian family detained in immigration custody in Texas is seeking release after U.S. authorities arrested them in Los Angeles over their familial ties to Masoumeh Ebtekar, known during the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis as “Sister Mary.” A federal judge temporarily barred deportation after the family filed petitions challenging the legality of their detention.
An Iranian family living in the United States for a decade is demanding release from immigration detention after being arrested because of their relation to Masoumeh Ebtekar, a central figure in the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in April he was revoking the family's green cards over their ties to Ebtekar, and a federal judge has temporarily barred the government from deporting them.
The New York Times filed its second lawsuit in five months against the Defense Department on Monday, arguing that a policy requiring journalists to be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment. The Times called the escort requirement 'an unconstitutional attempt … to prevent independent reporting on military affairs,' while the Pentagon said the suit amounts to 'an attempt to remove the barriers to them getting their hands on classified information.'
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Monday charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in the nonfatal shooting of Venezuelan man Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
The U.S. Justice Department has decided to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue, a person familiar with the investigation told the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump said Monday he is holding off on a planned military strike on Iran that was set for Tuesday, saying “serious negotiations” are underway to end the war. Trump tied the pause to requests from Gulf allies and said he ordered the U.S. military to be prepared to act only if an “acceptable Deal” is not reached.
In January, the Trump administration released a National Defense Strategy that fundamentally shifts U.S. foreign policy priorities, emphasizing control of the Western Hemisphere over decades-long efforts to counter China while directing U.S. allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense. The 34-page document, the Pentagon's first comprehensive defense strategy since 2022, sharply criticizes U.S. allies for relying on American military protection and explicitly seeks to guarantee U.S. access to strategic terrain including Greenland and the Panama Canal. "For too long, the U.S. Government neglected — even rejected — putting Americans and their concrete interests first," states the opening sentence of the document, which calls for "a sharp shift — in approach, focus, and tone."
The U.S. has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro, charging him in the 1996 shootdown of two planes flown by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, as the Trump administration renews pressure on Cuba. The indictment, announced May 20, lands amid months of intensified U.S. rhetoric about regime change and growing tensions with Cuba’s government. The moves have unfolded alongside sensitive U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East and a U.S.-Iran war in which the United States has been in an uneasy ceasefire.
The Trump administration said it will admit up to 17,500 Afrikaners, a group of white South Africans descended mainly from Dutch settlers, as refugees through the U.S. fiscal year ending in September. In an emergency notice to Congress, the State Department said it will admit the group because their status leaves them vulnerable to discrimination and persecution, and it cited “unforeseen developments in South Africa” that created an emergency. The administration’s plans were described by AP as it said it will consult with lawmakers later this week.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with renewed military strikes while negotiations drag on during a fragile ceasefire tied to the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran has not shifted from its long-standing positions, and analysts say the U.S. campaign has reached a stalemate as each side counts on time. The situation also risks economic and political backlash in the United States as energy costs rise.
The Pentagon said the United States is pausing participation in a joint defense board with Canada that dates to World War II, accusing Canada of failing to make credible progress on its defense commitments. The decision was announced Monday by Defense Department officials, as relations between the two neighbors strained further amid disputes over tariffs and NATO spending.
Hungary said it would block the European Union's 20th sanctions package against Russia unless Russian oil shipments resumed through a pipeline crossing Ukraine. The announcement, delivered by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in a video posted to social media, threatened to derail the bloc's coordinated response to Moscow's invasion. Szijjártó declared that Hungary would withhold consent from the sanctions, which require unanimity from all 27 EU member states. Hungary also announced it would block a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) EU loan package intended to help Ukraine meet military and economic needs for the next two years.
Barham Salih, the newly appointed head of the U.N. refugee agency, visited Ukraine's front-line cities in February and called for a diplomatic solution to the war, warning that military options have reached their limit as humanitarian needs overwhelm international aid capacity.
In February, Poland officially withdrew from the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty—also known as the Ottawa Convention—announcing it will manufacture antipersonnel mines to defend its eastern border against Russia. The decision reverses Poland's commitment to the international agreement, which it ratified in 2012 and was in full compliance with until the withdrawal.
The U.S. military struck an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Monday, killing three people, according to U.S. Southern Command. The strike is part of the Trump administration's months-long campaign targeting what it calls "narcoterrorists" in small vessels along known smuggling routes, a campaign that has resulted in at least 151 deaths since early September.
The Trump administration will admit up to 17,500 Afrikaner refugees into the United States by the end of September, expanding an earlier plan and citing an emergency situation in South Africa, the State Department told Congress on Monday.
The Trump administration has informed Congress that it intends to proceed with planning for a potential reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, according to a State Department notification sent to congressional committees on Feb. 10. The embassy was shuttered in 2012 during Syria's civil war. The administration has pursued the initiative since longtime strongman Bashar Assad was ousted in December 2024, with the effort serving as a priority for President Donald Trump's special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack.
The U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment Wednesday charging former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder and conspiracy in connection with the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft flown by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
The U.S. Justice Department is weighing seeking an indictment of Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two aircraft linked to the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, the Associated Press reported on May 18. The case would revive one of the lowest points in U.S.-Cuba relations, which have been shaped for decades by events tied to the group. A person familiar with the investigation told AP on condition of anonymity that Castro’s alleged role is among the factors DOJ is considering.
France's top diplomat moved to bar U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct government access in late February after he failed to attend a summoned meeting called to discuss controversial American comments about a far-right activist's death in Lyon.
Japan's last two giant pandas left Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on Tuesday, ending 50 years of panda presence in the country and marking a symbolic loss amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between Japan and China. The twins, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei—born at the zoo in 2021—returned to China as strained ties between Tokyo and Beijing reach their lowest point in years.
President Donald Trump announced in February that he would deploy a hospital ship to Greenland, saying many people there are sick and not receiving care. Greenlandic and Danish leaders swiftly rejected the offer, defending their free public healthcare system and questioning both its necessity and feasibility.
A drone strike ignited a fire at the edge of the United Arab Emirates' sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in what Emirati authorities called an unprovoked terrorist attack, spotlighting the threat of renewed war as the United States and Iran traded threats.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Saturday that Iran is not ready to resume face-to-face negotiations with the United States, citing Washington's refusal to abandon "maximalist" demands on key issues. Speaking at a diplomacy forum in Antalya, Turkey, Khatibzadeh rejected a Trump administration proposal to secure Iran's enriched uranium, saying "no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States."
In April, Federal Judge Richard Leon ruled that above-ground construction of a $400 million White House ballroom cannot proceed without congressional approval, restricting work to below-ground facilities including a bunker and national security infrastructure planned for the site where the East Wing was demolished.
Asian stocks fell and oil prices surged Monday after President Donald Trump warned Iran that "the Clock is Ticking" on stalled negotiations to end the war, the latest escalation in a conflict that has kept the Strait of Hormuz mostly closed and sent energy costs soaring. The sell-off across Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney and a jump in crude prices reflected investor fears of a wider conflict, as a weekend drone strike on a UAE nuclear plant compounded anxieties.
More than 80 children are missing after a wave of militant attacks on schools in Nigeria over the past week, local officials and Amnesty International said Sunday, the latest in a long series of school abductions in the West African country.
U.S. Justice Department prosecutors are considering seeking an indictment of Cuba’s former defense minister Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, the Associated Press reported. A person familiar with the investigation, speaking anonymously because the matter is ongoing, said the potential indictment is tied to Castro’s alleged role in the deaths of four people when Cuban fighter jets shot down two civilian aircraft.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Sunday that U.S. arms purchases are “the most important deterrent” to prevent regional conflict after President Donald Trump raised doubts about continued U.S. support. Lai said the U.S. has legal obligations to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and said arms sales and security cooperation help sustain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Asian shares mostly retreated Monday while oil prices rose after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that negotiations over a permanent end to the war have stalled. U.S. futures fell more than 0.6%, and the dollar rose against the yen.
Militant attacks on schools in Nigeria over the past week left more than 80 children missing, according to local officials and Amnesty International. The attackers abducted 42 children from a primary school in Borno state between Wednesday and Thursday, Amnesty said.
A photograph from a funeral in Lebanon captures the collision of grief and armed ritual in a conflict zone. The image documents the burial of Pierre Mouawad, a Lebanese Forces party official, and his wife, killed in an Israeli strike on their apartment in a Christian village east of Beirut. Emilio Morenatti, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer, captured the moment: armed mourners firing weapons skyward as the coffins passed through the crowd.
In mid-April, leaders of France and Britain announced plans to assemble a multinational maritime security force in the Strait of Hormuz, seeking to ensure permanent freedom of navigation in a waterway that carries a fifth of the world's oil. The initiative, announced at a Paris gathering of roughly 50 countries and international organizations, would operate independently of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Iran and would deploy 'as soon as conditions allow,' according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain.
Drone strike sparked a fire near the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, as Iran and the United States signaled readiness for further fighting. The UAE’s defense ministry said three drones crossed from its western border with Saudi Arabia and that two were intercepted, while authorities said there were no reported injuries or radiological release.
Eight Republican governors have announced partnerships to establish Turning Point USA chapters in every public high school in their states, an effort they describe as countering the suppression of conservative voices in education. The push has intensified following the assassination of Turning Point co-founder Charlie Kirk and has stirred debate about free speech protections and the proper scope of government backing in schools.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday after an 11-month, 326-day deployment — the longest for any U.S. aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War. The deployment included combat operations against Iran and the January mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
President Donald Trump announced late Friday that a senior leader of the Islamic State group was killed in a joint U.S.-Nigerian military operation in the Lake Chad Basin, describing Abu Bakr al-Mainuki as the terrorist organization’s second-in-command globally.
President Donald Trump said Friday that arms sales to Taiwan are a 'very good negotiating chip' with China, leaving the fate of a $14 billion package unresolved. The comments, in a Fox News interview after Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, raised anxieties on the island that relies on U.S. military support against Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan’s war, with the United Nations human rights chief reporting that armed drones now cause more than 80% of conflict-related deaths. At least 880 civilians were killed by drones between January and April, as both the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces escalate their use of foreign-supplied drone technology in a conflict that has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced 13 million.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, the Kremlin announced Saturday, less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up his own state visit to China. The two-day trip, scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship, will focus on bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and “key international and regional issues,” the Kremlin said, as Moscow deepens its reliance on Beijing amid Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
The death toll from a Russian cruise missile strike that flattened a Kyiv apartment building rose to 24 on Friday, including three teenagers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said as he led the mourning for one of the deadliest attacks on the capital in the four-year war. The strike occurred during what the Ukrainian air force described as Russia’s largest aerial barrage of the full-scale invasion, with more than 1,560 drones launched against population centers since Wednesday.
KYIV, Ukraine (MSI) — Maryna Homeniuk, a 24-year-old English teacher who spoke 10 languages and dreamed of starting a family, was killed alongside her boyfriend Yurii Orlov when a Russian cruise missile struck their Kyiv apartment building Thursday, friends and family said. They were among 24 people killed in what Ukrainian military officials described as the largest single wave of airstrikes of the four-year war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly claimed a quiet wartime visit to the United Arab Emirates this week, drawing a swift denial from Abu Dhabi's state news agency and exposing the strains beneath an alliance both countries have carefully managed since normalizing relations in 2020.
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas' military wing and a key architect of the October 7, 2023 attacks, the Israeli military said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the death, which also claimed the lives of six other people, including al-Haddad's wife and daughter.
U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a joint mission on Friday, President Donald Trump said. Trump identified the target as Abu Bakr al-Mainuki and said the operation was carried out with support from U.S. “sources.” Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed that al-Mainuki was killed during a strike in the Lake Chad Basin.
Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan’s conflict, with drones killing at least 880 civilians between January and April, the U.N. human rights chief said. The fighting has involved both Sudan’s military and the rival Rapid Support Forces, which experts say are drawing on advanced drone technology supplied through regional and outside backers.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that approving a stalled $14 billion arms package for Taiwan is “up to China,” describing Taiwan as “a very good negotiating chip” in U.S. dealings with Beijing. The remarks come after Trump’s high-stakes visit to China, where Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that mishandling Taiwan could lead to “clashes and even conflicts,” and before Xi’s next-day trip plans involving Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing on May 19-20, the Kremlin said Saturday. The announcement came less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump finished his state visit to China, where he also met Xi.
A young Kyiv couple killed in a Russian airstrike were remembered this weekend by friends and family as ambitious and devoted, with the woman planning her life around the hope of starting a family. Maryna Homeniuk, 24, and Yurii Orlov, 30, were among 24 people killed Thursday in what Ukrainian military officials described as the biggest barrage of the war.
TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a leader of Hamas’ military wing, Israel said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the killing, as Israel and Hamas continued trading accusations over violations and the ceasefire remained fragile.
President Donald Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him he would give “serious consideration” to releasing detained pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, but described the case of imprisoned pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai as a “tough one” during their meeting in China. Trump relayed the exchange to reporters while returning from the trip, and the families of both men expressed gratitude for the administration’s intervention.
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s already battered economy is sinking deeper as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and renewed fighting with Hezbollah drive up prices, shutter businesses and displace 1.2 million people, according to government officials and residents.
U.S. consumer prices rose 3.8% in April from a year earlier, driven by surging energy costs linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that the consumer price index climbed 0.6% month-over-month, reflecting a continued squeeze on household budgets despite a slight cooling from March's pace.
Lebanon’s economy is deteriorating as a nominal truce between Israel and Hezbollah reduces fighting but does not stop strikes, Associated Press reported Friday, May 15. Business owners and families in Beirut’s southern suburbs described rising prices, job losses and fuel costs, while Lebanon’s economy minister said the war could mean a loss of about 7% of gross domestic product.
Many Americans are feeling the effects of hotter inflation as a prolonged war with Iran pushes energy prices higher. In weekly and monthly data released this week, the Labor Department reported rising consumer and wholesale inflation, while jobless-claims filings increased but stayed historically low.
President Donald Trump ended a three-day visit to Beijing on May 15 with the future of a major U.S. arms package for Taiwan in question, after Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that mishandling the self-governing island could trigger open conflict. The visit, originally expected to center on the war in Iran and trade, instead saw Xi frame Taiwan as the most urgent flashpoint in U.S.-China relations and declare that Washington and Beijing would adopt a new “constructive” relationship of “strategic stability.” Trump, who refrained from public comment on Taiwan while in China, told reporters aboard Air Force One that Xi’s objections might lead him to rethink the $11 billion weapons package his administration authorized in December.
MADRID — For the first time in seven years, Silvia Díaz won’t gather with friends to watch the Eurovision Song Contest finals Saturday night after Spain’s public broadcaster withdrew from the competition to protest Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza. The boycott, joined by Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland, has split the normally exuberant Spanish fan base and left a noticeable absence in Vienna, where the contest is being held.
Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone attacks on Russia overnight Sunday, killing at least four people in the Moscow region and wounding a dozen others, local authorities said, in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as an “entirely justified” response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities. Russian air defenses shot down 81 drones targeting the capital and destroyed 556 across the country, the Defense Ministry said, while debris fell on Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport without damaging facilities or disrupting flights.
A Moscow arbitration court has ordered the Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear to pay 18.2 trillion rubles (€249.7 billion) in compensation to the Russian Central Bank, ruling that the bank was unlawfully barred from managing assets frozen under European Union sanctions.
The Pentagon has canceled upcoming deployments of Army combat units to Poland and Germany, halting the movement of roughly 4,000 troops in a drawdown directed by the Trump administration to reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe. U.S. officials say the move aligns with a recent presidential order to cut forces by approximately 5,000 following diplomatic friction over the Iran war.
Suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants attacked a secondary school in Askira-Uba, northeastern Nigeria, on Friday, leaving an unspecified number of students missing, police told The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump said that a joint U.S.-Nigerian military operation killed Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, a top commander in the Islamic State's West Africa branch, early Saturday. The strike in the Lake Chad Basin marks a significant escalation in the recently renewed military cooperation between the two countries.
A wave of cartel drone and gunfire attacks on small Náhuatl towns in Guerrero state forced hundreds of Indigenous residents to flee their homes last week, leaving the elderly, wounded, and displaced sheltering under a basketball court while the government and local groups offered widely differing accounts of the crisis.
Israeli special forces operated a temporary staging camp in Iraq's western desert during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, Iraqi and U.S. officials told The Associated Press, a covert presence that Iraqi authorities said they discovered only after a shepherd spotted the force and reported it.
Israel said Friday it launched airstrikes targeting Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the commander of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, in Gaza City. The attacks on a residential building and a vehicle killed seven people and wounded dozens, according to Palestinian health officials, amid a fragile ceasefire marked by recurring violations.
An Iraqi national has been charged in federal court with conspiring to bomb a New York City synagogue and providing material support to Iran-backed terrorist groups, U.S. prosecutors said Friday, alleging that Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi orchestrated a string of attacks across Europe in retaliation for the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran.
Governments across India and Southeast Asia are accelerating plans to blend transportation fuels with agricultural biofuels after the Iran war disrupted crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked residents to conserve fuel as domestic prices rise and regional supply chains strain under the conflict.
President Donald Trump said Friday he has not yet decided whether to proceed with a major arms package for Taiwan, after Chinese President Xi Jinping raised concerns about the sale during a three-day summit in Beijing aimed at stabilizing U.S.-China relations.
President Donald Trump’s three-day visit to China was dominated by Taiwan and by efforts to frame U.S.-China ties around “strategic stability,” with Trump offering few public comments while in Beijing. On the flight home, Trump said he had not decided whether to carry through with a previously approved Taiwan arms sale package after hearing President Xi Jinping’s objections.
The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has withdrawn from this weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest finals in protest of Israel’s participation, prompting Spain to boycott the event for the first time in seven years. Fans in Madrid and elsewhere said the decision has left them torn between taking a stand and losing a cherished tradition.
Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others, local authorities said Sunday. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes, saying they were “entirely justified.” Russia said its defenses shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight.
A Moscow court ruled for Russia’s central bank in its lawsuit against Euroclear, the Belgium-based clearing house that holds large amounts of Russian assets frozen by the European Union. The case sought 18.2 trillion rubles ($249.7 billion) in damages, Russian media reported.
The Pentagon is canceling deployments of thousands of U.S. troops to Poland and Germany as part of a plan to reduce the number of American forces in Europe, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The canceled movements include 4,000 troops from an Army brigade that had been headed to Poland, officials said.
President Donald Trump said a joint U.S.-Nigeria operation killed Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, a senior leader of the Islamic State’s Nigeria-linked affiliate, in the Lake Chad Basin during the early hours of Saturday. Nigeria’s government and military said the strike was carried out through a recently formed partnership with the United States, as analysts said U.S. involvement signaled a new phase of cooperation.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Friday targeted the leader of Hamas’ military wing, Israeli officials said, though it was not immediately clear whether Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed or injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike hit al-Haddad, a leader of Hamas’ Qassam brigades.
Iran war-related disruptions to oil and shipping have pushed higher energy costs across parts of Asia, encouraging renewed interest in blending ethanol and other biofuels into transportation fuel. In India, drivers and households coping with higher cooking fuel and gasoline expenses described paying more and facing changes to what is available at pumps.
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he has not decided whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns from Chinese President Xi Jinping during a summit aimed at stabilizing relations between the two countries. Trump made the remarks while traveling back to Washington following a three-day visit to China that both leaders said produced progress, even as disputes over Taiwan and Iran persisted.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko greeted U.S. evangelist Franklin Graham during a visit to hold what organizers call the largest evangelical gathering in Belarus’ history, including a festival in Minsk. Lukashenko asked Graham to convey warm greetings to President Donald Trump and told him he has “reliable friends and supporters in Belarus,” while Belarusian and U.S.-linked discussions on sanctions and prisoner releases form the backdrop.
Kyiv mourned as the death toll from a Russian missile attack on an apartment building in the Ukrainian capital rose to 24, including three teenagers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.
Iraqi and U.S. officials told The Associated Press that Israeli forces established a temporary camp in the Iraqi desert in the early days of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The existence of the site, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, triggered Iraqi investigations in March that came under fire. Iraqi officials later said they found no signs of a long-term base, while U.S. officials described the site as a temporary staging area.
An unspecified number of students were missing after suspected jihadi militants attacked a secondary school in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, police said Friday. Police said the missing students may have fled during the attack and that a headcount was ongoing to determine whether students were abducted.
Israel’s ties with the United Arab Emirates, typically managed discreetly, have been thrust into public view amid the Iran war after U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee disclosed Israeli steps to help protect the UAE and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had visited Abu Dhabi during the war. The UAE quickly denied “reports circulating” about Netanyahu’s trip and said relations with Israel are conducted through the Abraham Accords.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday after an 11-month deployment that included operations tied to the U.S. war with Iran and the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. About 5,000 sailors aboard the ship and two accompanying destroyers docked as the crews were set to see their families for the first time since leaving in June, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday. The prospect of charges, which would be decided by a grand jury, would be tied to Castro’s alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of planes operated by a Miami-based exile group, AP reported.
The Trump administration has sued a Catholic diocese in New Mexico to seize 14 acres near El Paso, aiming to build border barriers at the base of Mount Cristo Rey, a mountain that draws thousands to an annual pilgrimage. The diocese says the plan violates its First Amendment right to religious expression, warning that barriers would damage the site’s religious and cultural sanctity.
Venezuela’s government said Saturday it deported Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman once described as Nicolás Maduro’s “bag man,” to the United States to face several criminal investigations — less than three years after President Joe Biden pardoned him as part of a prisoner swap.
Pope Leo XIV will make a four-day visit to France from September 25 to 28 that includes a stop at the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO, the Vatican announced Saturday.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday allowing permanent residents of Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region to obtain Russian citizenship through a simplified process, Russian state media reported, removing language, history and residency requirements.
A North Korean women’s soccer team touched down at Incheon International Airport on Sunday, the first visit by North Korean athletes to South Korea in eight years, as tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula.
A commercial vessel anchored near the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken to Iranian waters on Thursday, while a separate cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack, as tensions around the strategic Strait of Hormuz continued to escalate. The incidents come amid heightened instability in the waterway, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil, and as senior Iranian officials reiterated Tehran’s claim of control over the strait.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg met with President Irfaan Ali and other top Guyanese officials this week to explore U.S. investment in the South American nation's bauxite reserves, as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on Latin America's energy and mineral resources. The visit, announced Friday, comes amid an oil boom that has elevated Guyana's geopolitical importance and as U.S. officials express concerns about Chinese companies securing lucrative state contracts.
Belarus’s authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko on Friday greeted U.S. evangelist Franklin Graham, who arrived in the tightly controlled country for the largest evangelical Christian gathering in its history, and asked him to convey warm greetings to President Donald Trump, telling Graham that Trump has “reliable friends and supporters in Belarus.”
The Vatican confirmed Saturday that Pope Leo XIV will make a four-day visit to France from Sept. 25-28, including a stop at the United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO. The trip comes as the pope adds to an already busy 2026 travel schedule that includes foreign visits in March, April and June.
Bombs and drone-fired explosives have forced residents of Tula in Mexico’s Guerrero state to flee, with many family members describing ruined homes, lingering fear and few resources to rebuild. The Associated Press visited people displaced after attacks by a cartel group known as Los Ardillos, as Mexico’s government deployed 1,200 military and police officers and said it had confirmed no deaths. Aid groups and rights advocates say the displacement crisis is broader and harder to track than official figures suggest.
Un barco anclado frente a la costa este de Emiratos Árabes Unidos fue incautado y llevado a aguas iraníes, mientras que otro buque de carga cerca de Omán se hundió tras ser atacado, dijeron autoridades el jueves. Los incidentes ocurrieron en medio de tensiones en el estrecho de Ormuz, una ruta clave para el comercio petrolero, mientras funcionarios iraníes reiteraban su control sobre la vía y planteaban condiciones para nuevas conversaciones con Estados Unidos.
U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg met with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and other senior officials in Georgetown to discuss business opportunities tied to the South American country’s bauxite and other natural resources, according to the Associated Press. The visit comes as the Trump administration looks to Latin America for energy and minerals amid global supply pressures.
Dozens of European nations have agreed on a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights in migration cases, including how the treaty applies to “return hubs” or other deportation arrangements in third countries. The non-binding political declaration was adopted at a meeting in Chisinau, Moldova, after calls for stricter approaches to irregular migration.
Russia has approved measures to make it easier for permanent residents of Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria to obtain Russian citizenship, Russian state media reported May 15-16. The Kremlin said a new decree signed by President Vladimir Putin would allow adults to apply through a simplified process. The change would let applicants skip requirements to prove knowledge of Russian language, history and legislation, and would remove a five-year residency requirement in Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping the cases of a detained pastor, Ezra Jin Mingri, and imprisoned Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Trump said Xi told him he would “strongly consider” Jin but that Lai’s case is a “tough one.”
Venezuela’s government said Saturday it deported Alex Saab, described as a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro, to face criminal investigations in the United States. The move marks a reversal for Saab, who was pardoned by President Joe Biden in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he has not decided whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump made the remarks as he returned to Washington following critical talks in Beijing that both sides said helped stabilize U.S.-China relations amid deep disagreements over Iran and Taiwan.
The Trump administration's decision to abruptly dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development has been followed by a significant increase in violence across Africa's most aid-dependent regions, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. The researchers cautioned that the findings do not establish that the cuts caused the violence, only that the sudden disruption correlated with destabilization in fragile settings.
New Mexico’s oil income has surged as fighting tied to Iran has tightened global supply, creating a fiscal boost that Democrats running for governor see as politically and ethically complicated. In interviews, Deb Haaland said she wants to use the money while recognizing the human cost abroad, while rival Sam Bregman argued for one-time cash payments and additional tax relief.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump that mishandling Taiwan could trigger a clash between the two powers, a strikingly blunt admonition delivered during a summit in Beijing that otherwise saw Trump lavishing praise on his counterpart.
Russia unleashed a third consecutive day of massive drone and missile attacks across Ukraine on Thursday, demolishing a nine-story apartment building in a residential Kyiv neighborhood and killing at least nine people, Ukrainian authorities said. More than two dozen civilians were wounded in additional strikes elsewhere in the country as Moscow pressed its largest aerial campaign since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday condemned the growing use of artificial intelligence in warfare, warning that investments in high-tech weaponry are leading the world into a “spiral of annihilation.” Speaking at Rome’s La Sapienza University, the pontiff called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine while decrying military spending that has surged at the expense of education and healthcare.
An unidentified vessel was seized and taken toward Iranian waters off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, while an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off Oman after an attack, as tensions escalated in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the choke-point for a fifth of global oil trade. The incidents came amid Iranian claims of sovereignty over the waterway and just days after U.S. forces disabled Iranian tankers trying to breach a blockade.
VIENNA — A Vienna café has become an unlikely focal point of the Eurovision Song Contest’s deep divisions over Israel’s participation, offering Israeli food and flags to fans while a police officer stands guard outside.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Donald Trump this week that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in bilateral ties and that mishandling it could lead to “clashes and even conflicts,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout of their summit. Xi’s stern tone reflects Beijing’s growing frustration with Washington’s deepening military relationship with Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy China claims as its own territory and has threatened to retake by force.
China’s President Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to clashes or even conflict if not handled properly, in unusually blunt language during their Beijing summit on Thursday.
China’s President Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing and Washington could face “clashes and even conflicts” over the “Taiwan question” if it is not handled properly, according to a readout from China’s foreign ministry. Xi told Trump that “Taiwan independence” and cross-strait peace are “as irreconcilable as fire and water,” the ministry said. The warning came as the U.S. maintains its policy of strategic ambiguity and China steps up pressure on Taiwan.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last year to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development, once a leading global aid donor, was followed by a significant increase in violence in several African countries, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. The authors said the findings show that “large-scale, sudden aid cuts can destabilize fragile settings,” though they said the study does not prove that more aid reduces conflict.
Gaza’s digital freelancers are rebuilding their online work after months of bombardment, blackouts and bank restrictions, relying on coworking spaces, solar power and alternative payment channels to keep clients abroad supplied. In Gaza City, 44-year-old programmer Tarik Zaeem said remote coding helps him focus on work instead of daily survival pressures.
Guyana said Thursday it has demanded Venezuela investigate two shootings targeting Guyanese troops along their shared border, including one that wounded a soldier. The demand came days after the two countries appeared at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the resource-rich Essequibo region, which Venezuela claims as its own.
PARIS (AP) — The gilded dome of Les Invalides in Paris is known worldwide as the resting place of Napoleon. Behind the landmark’s grand façade, the National Institution of Invalides has served for more than 350 years as a home and hospital for wounded soldiers and civilian victims of war, with a state-funded renovation estimated at 100 million euros ($108 million) under way.
Russia launched a third straight day of massive drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, flattening a Kyiv apartment building that killed nine people, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The strikes also damaged dozens of other sites across the country and injured more than two dozen civilians, Zelenskyy said.
Tensions escalated near the Strait of Hormuz after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and sent toward Iran, while an attack near Oman sank another cargo vessel, authorities said Thursday. The incidents occurred as U.S.-Iran negotiations over keeping the strait open remained a sticking point and as Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has revived interest in turning Venezuela into the 51st U.S. state, most recently through a Truth Social post, but Venezuela’s government response has been comparatively muted. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez told reporters on Monday that Venezuela had no plans to become a U.S. state, with comments that were more reserved than past presidential remarks.
PARIS — The gilded dome of the Invalides is known worldwide as Napoleon’s tomb, but behind the Paris landmark's grand 17th-century façade, a lesser-known mission has continued without interruption for over 350 years: serving as a home and hospital for wounded soldiers and civilian victims of war.
The United States on Thursday announced $1.8 billion in additional funding for United Nations humanitarian programs, bringing total U.S. support to $3.8 billion across 21 countries even as the Trump administration has cut foreign assistance overall. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, said the new money — earmarked for lifesaving aid to victims of natural disasters, famine and 'people who are truly in critical need' — is 'the latest step' in America’s humanitarian engagement.
The Trump administration said it will add $1.8 billion toward U.N. humanitarian aid, pledging the money will go to relief for disaster and famine victims and people “truly in critical need.” The new contribution comes as the United States has cut foreign assistance overall, while U.N. agencies have warned they are overstretched and underfunded.
President Donald Trump said twice this week he is considering making Venezuela the 51st U.S. state, including a Truth Social post showing a map of the South American country filled with the American flag. In Caracas, the reaction was not the firestorm of anti-American propaganda that greeted similar provocations under Nicolás Maduro. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez offered only a terse denial, signaling the Chavismo government’s pragmatic turn toward cooperation with Washington after Maduro’s ouster.
Surging global oil prices as war disrupts the Strait of Hormuz have delivered an estimated $850 million revenue windfall to New Mexico, creating a political conundrum for a state where Democrats control the levers of power while campaigning on climate action and opposing the war.
The Iraqi parliament voted on Thursday to confirm 14 of 23 ministers in Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s new government but hit an impasse over security-linked portfolios after Iran’s Quds Force commander instructed allied Iraqi factions to delay any disarmament steps, two officials told The Associated Press.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that a new biometric screening system for non-European Union citizens is fully operational, rejecting reports that British travelers would receive a formal summer exemption. Airport authorities will, however, be permitted to temporarily suspend the checks during periods of high passenger traffic.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Raúl Castro’s grandson and senior Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday, conveying President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to engage on economic and security issues only if Cuba makes fundamental changes, U.S. and Cuban officials said.
Greece rejected reports that it would exempt British travelers this summer from biometric checks tied to the EU Entry-Exit System, saying the program is fully operational at Greek airports. The Foreign Ministry said it has not received clarification on any nationality-by-nationality suspension, but officials said busy airports will be allowed to shut off scanners when needed during peak periods.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met in Havana with Cuban officials including Raúl Castro’s grandson during a high-level visit Thursday, Cuban and U.S. officials said. Ratcliffe discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security, and a CIA official said he delivered President Donald Trump’s message that the U.S. is prepared to engage if Cuba makes fundamental changes.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday warned that investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were pushing the world toward a “spiral of annihilation,” while he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine at Rome’s La Sapienza University. In remarks there, he said military spending was rising this year at the expense of education and health care, and urged tighter monitoring of how AI is developed and used.
Vienna’s famed coffeehouses have leaned into the Eurovision Song Contest, including one café that added Israeli food and decorations as debate over Israel’s participation carries into the event. Organizers are also preparing for protests and heightened security ahead of Saturday’s grand final.
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that unresolved differences over Taiwan could trigger “clashes and even conflicts,” casting a shadow over a summit the American leader had opened with effusive personal praise. The stark exchange, disclosed by China’s Foreign Ministry, highlighted the wide gulf between the two nations on Taiwan, the war in Iran, and trade — despite Trump’s promises that U.S.-China relations “is going to be better than ever before.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski voted for the first time against President Trump's Iran war on Wednesday, joining two other Republicans as the Senate again narrowly blocked a Democratic effort to halt the 85-day-old conflict. The war powers resolution failed 49–50, with Senator John Fetterman the only Democrat to oppose it, but the close tally signaled widening unease within the GOP over the administration's legal rationale for the military campaign. Democratic leaders vowed to continue forcing weekly votes, framing the resolutions as a political pressure campaign even though they face a near-certain presidential veto.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a trip shaped by war-related tensions and a compressed, ceremony-heavy schedule. The Associated Press reported that, in China’s hierarchical diplomatic culture, the reception’s pageantry—who greets Trump, what music is played and details like military honor guards—can signal favor or disfavor as much as policy talks do.
Senate Republicans again blocked Democratic legislation to halt President Donald Trump’s war with Iran on Wednesday, but the number of GOP senators voting against the measure rose. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against the war for the first time since it began at the end of February.
President Donald Trump arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a moment of global tension over the war with Iran, trade, and artificial intelligence. China is preparing a warm ceremonial welcome designed to flatter Trump, but experts say Beijing is unlikely to match the unprecedented “state visit plus” extravaganza it rolled out for his first visit in 2017.
Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing this week, seeking to stabilize economic ties after a 2025 tariff war that sharply reduced bilateral trade and forced global supply chains to reconfigure.
A monthslong U.S. naval blockade and ongoing wartime disruptions have driven Iran's annual inflation to 53.7%, collapsing the rial and pushing millions into poverty as the government urges citizens to endure economic pain for the conflict.
Supporters of legislation to provide more than $1 billion in security aid to Ukraine reached the required 218 signatures on a discharge petition Wednesday, bypassing Republican leadership to force a House floor vote. The push comes as President Donald Trump says a peace deal is close and Russian forces launched one of the largest drone barrages of the four‑year war.
U.S. producer prices surged 6% in April from a year earlier, the steepest increase in more than three years, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drove energy costs sharply higher and intensified pressure on businesses from trucking companies to appliance makers to raise prices.
US grocery prices jumped 2.9% in April from a year earlier, the steepest increase since August 2023, as higher fuel costs tied to the Iran war, trade tariffs on imported produce and persistent drought pushed food costs higher across the country, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Beijing on May 13 to seek ways to repair economic damage from a tariff war that pushed U.S.-China trade into freefall. The talks focused on keeping the relationship stable, with only modest policy announcements expected and an effort to extend a trade truce reached last October.
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has tightened global energy supplies and contributed to economic pain worldwide, as the war and a U.S. naval blockade continue. Within Iran, soaring prices for food and medicine and job losses are testing the Islamic Republic’s ability to endure and to absorb the shocks of the conflict, an economist said. The strain has also coincided with internet shutdowns and protests earlier this year.
Wholesale inflation measures came in hotter than expected in April, with producer prices up 1.4% from March and rising 6% from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported May 13. The report cited higher energy costs linked to the Iran war as a driver, and economists said it could raise pressure on companies to pass expenses to consumers.
Grocery prices rose in April, but the jump was not just driven by higher gasoline tied to the Iran war, according to U.S. government data and industry estimates. Food prices for items eaten at home rose 2.9% from a year earlier, while restaurant and other prepared-meal costs pushed overall food up 3.2% in the past year, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
President Donald Trump wants to suspend the federal gasoline tax as U.S. fuel prices strain household budgets during the war with Iran. Lawmakers have discussed legislation that could pause the tax through Oct. 1, but economists say drivers likely would not see the full tax rate drop immediately at the pump.
Palestinian authorities said Israeli police shot and killed a Palestinian man as he tried to climb the concrete barrier separating the occupied West Bank from Jerusalem, near the West Bank town of Al-Ram. The man was identified by Palestinian health officials and the Palestinian Red Crescent as Zakaria Qatusa, 44. Another Palestinian teenager, 16-year-old Youssef Kaabneh, was killed in a separate clash in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with China’s President Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the Associated Press reported. The summit’s main bilateral talks are set for Thursday, after a Chinese welcome that included a military honor guard and youth greeters waving flags.
Supporters of a bill to provide security aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia reached the signature threshold needed to bypass Republican leadership and force a House floor vote in coming weeks, according to an Associated Press report. The measure is expected to be brought to the House floor after Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks gained 218 signatures on a petition that includes Rep. Kevin Kiley, an Independent, as the final name required.
Israeli police shot and killed a 44-year-old Palestinian father of four as he attempted to climb the concrete barrier separating the occupied West Bank from Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, according to Palestinian authorities. The man's brother said he was crossing the wall to find work in Israel, citing a lack of economic opportunity in the West Bank.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the leaders expected to discuss the war in Iran, trade tensions and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan. The visit comes as Trump faces domestic headwinds from the Iran conflict and its economic fallout, and as China signals a firm stance on Taiwan.
More than 61 people, including nine children and five women, have died in two weeks of fighting between rebel-aligned forces and a local tribe in South Kordofan, the Sudan Doctors Network said Wednesday, as Sudan’s broader war continues to devastate the country.
Russia launched at least 800 drones at about 20 regions of Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens, including children, in one of the longest barrages of the four-year war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The daytime assault struck the capital Kyiv, the western city of Lviv, and the Black Sea port of Odesa, stretching air defenses for hours even as Russian and U.S. leaders hinted at progress toward peace.
Five Pakistani soldiers, including an army major, were killed Wednesday during an operation against insurgents in Balochistan province, the military said. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, which also left seven militants dead.
Israel’s prime minister’s office said Wednesday that Benjamin Netanyahu held a secret meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates, a claim the Gulf state swiftly denied, exposing the delicate diplomacy underpinning the Abraham Accords amid the ongoing war with Iran.
Tokyo-based Calbee Inc. said Wednesday it is shifting 14 of its snack products to black-and-white packaging, a move the company attributes to supply-chain disruptions caused by the war in Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
China’s Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to clashes and even conflict if not handled properly, in remarks made before and during a summit meeting in Beijing on Thursday. Trump, by contrast, praised Xi as a “great leader” and said the U.S.-China relationship is “going to be better than ever before,” according to descriptions of the leaders’ exchange. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged,” while warning China against using force.
Two weeks of intense clashes in the town of Kauda in South Kordofan have killed over 61 people, including nine children, a Sudan Doctors Network said May 13. The group said the fighting erupted earlier this month between forces linked to the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North and the Otoro tribe, and that the conflict is part of Sudan’s wider war that began in 2023.
Russia launched a massive daytime drone barrage over Ukraine on Wednesday, firing at least 800 drones across about 20 regions, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He said the attack killed at least six people and wounded dozens, including children, and warned a follow-on cruise and ballistic missile strike could come.
Pakistani security forces said they launched an operation against insurgents in Balochistan’s Barkhan district and clashed with militants on Wednesday, killing five soldiers, including an army major. An outlawed separatist group, the Baloch Liberation Army, said its fighters attacked the troops, triggering the shootout.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during Israel’s war with Iran, according to a statement from his office. The UAE later denied any secret visit occurred, saying relations between the two countries are public and follow the Abraham Accords.
El presidente Donald Trump dijo el martes que planea tener “una larga conversación” con el presidente chino Xi Jinping sobre el conflicto en Medio Oriente, mientras trataba de restar importancia a las diferencias entre ambos países respecto a Irán. El acercamiento llega antes de su visita a China para una cumbre en la que el frente de guerra con Irán y el estrecho de Ormuz se perfilan como temas centrales.
The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that some foreign visitors pay immigration bonds to enter the United States, the State Department said Wednesday. Ticket holders from five World Cup-qualified countries—Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia—will be exempt from paying bonds if they opt in to FIFA’s Pass system for expedited visa appointments.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and the CIA on Wednesday vehemently denied a CNN report that the U.S. intelligence agency facilitated a targeted killing of a Sinaloa cartel member on Mexican soil, with Sheinbaum calling the story a 'lie' and the CIA spokesperson labeling it 'false and salacious.' CNN and The New York Times, which published a similar account, both said they stand by their reporting.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — French President Emmanuel Macron concluded his Africa visit on Wednesday with talks in Ethiopia that focused on Africa’s long-running push for permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council. Meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, the leaders agreed on the need for African seats, according to a readout from the discussions.
Dominican opposition figures on Wednesday sharply criticized a newly signed agreement between the United States and the Dominican Republic that would allow the Caribbean nation to temporarily host third-country deportees before their return home, calling it a surrender of national sovereignty. The non-binding memorandum of understanding, announced Tuesday by the Dominican Foreign Ministry, has drawn fire from former officials and opposition leaders who demand transparency and full publication of the agreement’s terms.
President Donald Trump departed Washington for Beijing on Tuesday, minimizing his differences with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz even as U.S. sanctions and a new accusation from Kuwait deepened tensions ahead of the summit.
As President Donald Trump prepares for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, the nearly 50-year history of American presidents misstating the carefully crafted language of U.S. Taiwan policy illustrates how even small verbal missteps can trigger diplomatic alarm bells.
A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Lu Jianwang, 64, on Wednesday of acting as an illegal agent for China after prosecutors said he established a secret police outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown that monitored and intimidated pro-democracy dissidents. Lu was also convicted of obstructing justice for deleting WeChat messages with his Chinese handler, though he was acquitted on a conspiracy charge. His defense maintained the outpost was a community center offering driver’s license renewals, not a spy operation.
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi to rebuke audience members for what he called a "total lack of respect," a move that critics said evoked the paternalistic posture of a former colonial power.
The U.S. deported 5,033 people to El Salvador in the first three months of 2026, nearly doubling the 2,547 deportations from the same period in 2025, according to El Salvador migration authority figures obtained by The Associated Press. The increase comes as Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele aligns himself with President Donald Trump’s deportation priorities and offers to help carry them out.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday denied a CNN report that the CIA carried out deadly operations in Mexico, saying the U.S.-based network was trying to “hurt the government and the people of Mexico.”
French President Emmanuel Macron concluded his Africa trip in Ethiopia, holding talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and meeting African Union officials and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, according to a meeting readout shared with reporters. The leaders discussed inclusive international governance, including the longstanding question of Africa’s representation on the U.N. Security Council.
Opposition figures in the Dominican Republic criticized a memorandum of understanding the country signed with the United States to receive some third-country deportees, saying it lacks transparency and violates national sovereignty. The non-binding agreement, announced Tuesday by the Dominican Foreign Ministry, would allow the temporary entry of a limited number of third-country nationals without criminal records before they return to their home countries.
Donald Trump llegó a Beijing el miércoles para conversaciones con el presidente chino Xi Jinping sobre la guerra en Irán, el comercio y las ventas de armas de Estados Unidos a Taiwán, según la Casa Blanca y reportes de AP. El encuentro central está previsto para el jueves con conversaciones bilaterales y un banquete formal.
Japanese snack maker Calbee said it will change the packaging on some products to black-and-white starting May 25, citing disruptions from the Iran war that affect a supply of ingredients used in colored ink.
French President Emmanuel Macron faced backlash after interrupting a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience. Videos of the Monday intervention spread online as Macron rebuked attendees for talking over speakers during a session that featured artists and young entrepreneurs.
President Donald Trump is set to visit China this week, where U.S. officials have long relied on carefully crafted wording about Taiwan to manage tensions with Beijing. For nearly 50 years, Washington’s “strategic ambiguity” approach has avoided specifying how the United States would respond to a Taiwan crisis, even as it insists Taiwan has resources to defend itself. Past misstatements by presidents and senior officials have forced swift diplomatic clarifications.
President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a closely watched summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with trade, the war with Iran, and a stalled $11 billion arms package for Taiwan topping the agenda.
U.S. consumer prices climbed 3.8% in April from a year earlier, the largest annual increase in three years, as the war with Iran sent gasoline prices sharply higher, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.6% from March, with core inflation — which strips out volatile food and energy costs — up a milder 2.8% from a year ago.
The U.S. consumer price index rose 3.8% in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, as gasoline prices climbed during the 10-week war with Iran. The increase follows a 3.3% year-over-year rise in March and comes at a time when many Americans are already grappling with high living costs.
President Donald Trump departs Tuesday for a summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with both sides signaling a desire to extend a fragile trade truce and keep the world’s two largest economies talking. The talks are expected to yield only modest policy announcements — likely a renewal of the October cease-fire and Chinese commitments to buy American soybeans, beef, and Boeing aircraft — but the summit’s primary goal is stability, not sweeping change, according to U.S. officials and analysts.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed differences with China’s Xi Jinping over the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran as he traveled to Beijing for a high-stakes summit. Trump said he planned “a long talk” about Iran with Xi, then added that “Iran is one of [the issues] … not” because he said the conflict was “under control,” even as his administration has moved to sanction China-linked Iran support.
President Donald Trump plans to fly to Beijing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, aiming to keep the U.S.-China economic relationship steady while limiting prospects for new, sweeping policy announcements. Trump has said the United States is “making a lot of money” from trade with China, and the meeting is expected to focus on extending a trade truce reached last October. Officials also have teed up discussion of a new government-to-government Board of Trade to manage economic issues and reduce the chances of tariff escalation.
President Donald Trump traveled to Beijing for meetings with Xi Jinping this week, and a delegation of U.S. technology, aerospace and finance executives joined him aboard Air Force One, the White House said. The group included Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, among others.
President Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Tuesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, downplaying differences over the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran that has raged for more than two months and closed the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to reporters before his flight, Trump said he did not think the United States needed China's help with Iran and described Xi as having been 'relatively good' on the issue, a marked shift from weeks of administration pressure on Beijing to use its economic leverage over Tehran.
Russia test-fired its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, a launch President Vladimir Putin hailed as a demonstration of Moscow’s nuclear modernization and called the most powerful missile in the world. Putin said the nuclear-armed Sarmat, designated Satan II in the West, will enter combat service by the end of the year to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda. The test comes just days after Putin claimed that the war in Ukraine is nearing its end and as the expiration of the last U.S.-Russia arms control agreement has left no caps on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than half a century.
An Israeli nonprofit’s two-year investigation has found that sexual violence was systematic, widespread and a deliberate tactic in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, documenting gang rape, sexual torture and forced nudity based on more than 400 testimonies and nearly 2,000 hours of visual analysis.
Kuwait accused Iran of a failed attack on an island hosting a Chinese-built port on May 1, as President Donald Trump departed for a Beijing summit claiming the U.S. had Iran “very much under control” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz. The ceasefire in the Iran war remains stalled, and Israel has deployed Iron Dome air-defense systems to the United Arab Emirates in a first publicly acknowledged military deployment to the Gulf state.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced pointed questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday over the rising costs and uncertain endgame of the Iran war, with members of his own party pushing back on the administration’s strained alliances and the drawdown of munitions.
Greece’s defense minister said Tuesday that a Ukrainian sea drone carrying explosives had been discovered on a popular tourist island, describing the incident as an “extremely serious” threat to Mediterranean shipping. The craft was found May 7 by a fisherman on Lefkada and later moved to a naval base, where the explosives were destroyed.
Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are preparing for a highly anticipated summit, with both nations signaling they want to keep recent stability intact, but analysts see little chance of resolving longstanding disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran, according to a preview published by The Associated Press.
Russia test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin said, hailing the Sarmat as the latest step in modernizing the country’s nuclear forces. In remarks carried by state and international media, Putin said the Sarmat would enter combat service at the end of the year.
A report by an Israeli nonprofit says sexual violence was systematic, widespread and integral to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks and their aftermath, based on a two-year investigation. The report, “Silenced No More,” was published Tuesday by the Civil Commission, which documents and researches gender-based violence by Hamas after its 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the United States has “control” over Iran and the Strait of Hormuz as ceasefire talks appeared to stall. Kuwait accused Iran of a failed attack on Bubiyan Island earlier this month, and Iran’s foreign ministry rejected the allegation.
Greece’s defense minister said a sea drone found off the island of Lefkada last week was Ukrainian-built, calling the incident “extremely serious” because it could affect navigation in the Mediterranean. He spoke Tuesday in Brussels during a meeting of European Union defense ministers, and Greece later said the explosives were destroyed after the craft was towed to a naval base.
President Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are preparing to meet in Beijing for talks that both sides say will keep U.S.-China relations broadly stable, even as major flashpoints remain on the agenda. The discussions are expected to touch trade, technology and chip restrictions, Taiwan, and the war in Iran, with China seen by some as a possible mediator.
Colombia’s armed conflict over the past year hit civilians the hardest in a decade as security deteriorated, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday in its annual report. The ICRC said the number of people displaced as criminal gangs and rebels fought the government and each other doubled in 2025 to 235,000, and that lockdowns imposed by rebel groups rose sharply in small towns and villages.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced tough questions Tuesday from Republican and Democratic lawmakers about the Trump administration’s end game for the Iran war, the conflict’s rising $29 billion cost, and the impact on U.S. weapons stockpiles. In House and Senate Appropriations defense hearings, Hegseth said U.S. munitions are not depleted and that the administration is pressing the defense industry to build more and build faster.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense program would cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years—far more than Trump’s earlier $175 billion figure. The estimate, requested by Sen. Jeff Merkley, comes as the Pentagon still lacks details needed for a narrower cost projection.
The impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia over the past year was the worst in a decade, the International Committee of the Red Cross said in an annual report released Tuesday. Displacement doubled to 235,000 people, and communities endured a sharp rise in lockdowns imposed by rebel groups as smaller armed factions vie for control of territory once dominated by the FARC.
A Spanish government document reveals that the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which sank in the Mediterranean in December 2024, was carrying components for two nuclear reactors like those used in submarines, according to the captain's statements to Spanish authorities, the Associated Press reported.
Ukrainian drone pilots, invited to teach Western forces modern drone warfare, destroyed Swedish troops during a NATO exercise on the strategic Baltic island of Gotland this week, delivering what commanders called a critical warning to the alliance about the lethal speed of drone combat.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria office says at least 100 civilians — including children — were killed in a Nigerian military airstrike on a market in Tumfa, northwestern Zamfara state, on Sunday. The military confirmed the airstrike but denied any civilian casualties.
Malaysia’s top maritime enforcement official on Wednesday pushed back against accusations that authorities are ignoring a long-running scheme that lets Iran evade U.S. sanctions by transferring oil between tankers near the country’s coast. The U.S.-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran says waters off southern Malaysia have become a key hub for ship-to-ship transfers involving Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet” — aging tankers that disable tracking systems and falsify identities to conceal the origin of crude destined largely for China.
Israeli drone strikes hit seven vehicles across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing 12 people including a mother and her two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The attacks come as cross-border fire continues to violate a three-week-old ceasefire, and ahead of direct Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled in Washington on Thursday.
The European Union’s energy commissioner said Wednesday that the bloc faces a possible longer-term jet fuel shortage as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt oil supplies from a region that typically handles a fifth of the world’s petroleum.
A Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean in December 2024 after an engine-room explosion may have been carrying components for two nuclear reactors used in submarines, according to a Spanish government document. The document, registered in the Spanish parliament and first reported by CNN, says the ship’s captain “confessed” to the cargo after questioning by Spanish authorities.
Israeli drone strikes on vehicles in Lebanon killed 12 people, including a mother and her two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Wednesday. The strikes hit seven vehicles, including three on the main highway south of Beirut, according to the ministry and state-run National News Agency.
JERUSALEM, May 13 — Nickolay Mladenov, the U.S.-brokered ceasefire’s top diplomat for Gaza under the Board of Peace, said Wednesday that a truce reached last October has stalled over a deadlock on disarming Hamas. Mladenov told foreign reporters in Jerusalem that the lack of progress on disarmament has paralyzed reconstruction, Israeli troop withdrawals and efforts to establish a new Palestinian government.
Malaysia’s maritime enforcement agency says Iranian-linked tankers have been exploiting “jurisdictional gaps” for ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned oil near its waters, but it rejected allegations that it has ignored the problem. U.S.-based monitors say the Eastern Outer Port Limits off Johor has become a hub for Iran’s “shadow fleet” transfers. Indonesia, which shares a maritime boundary in the area, said it is reviewing the legality of the activity.
Nigeria’s military is facing renewed scrutiny after airstrikes in northwestern Zamfara state, where Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said Sunday’s strike at a market in Tumfa town killed at least 100 civilians, including children. The Red Cross in the state confirmed an airstrike at the market and said multiple civilians were killed, while the military denied civilian deaths and said it had found “no verifiable evidence.” The incident has renewed questions about the military’s targeting capabilities and the role of U.S. support.
Ukrainian drone pilots helped run a Swedish-led military exercise aimed at testing how NATO would respond to sabotage and drone attacks around the Baltic Sea. The exercise on the island of Gotland included U.S. forces and was designed around a scenario in which outages and food shortages follow sabotage before NATO’s Article 5 is invoked, Rear Adm. Jonas Wikström said. Sweden’s defense chief, Gen. Michael Claesson, said U.S. decisions and possible changes in U.S. troop presence are closely watched in Europe.
Turkey removed a restriction on direct trade with Armenia on Wednesday, a symbolic step toward normalizing relations between the two neighbors whose border has been closed for decades. The move allows shipments between the countries to list their final destination or origin as Turkey or Armenia even when passing through a third country, lifting a prior prohibition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
NAIROBI, Kenya — French and African leaders on Tuesday announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across the continent, spanning sustainable aviation fuel, hydropower, solar and wind projects, during the France-Africa Summit in Kenya's capital. The commitments emerged from a closed-door CEO forum attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Kenyan President William Ruto and leaders from more than 30 African nations, alongside executives from major energy and industrial companies.
French and African leaders on Tuesday announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, unveiled during a closed-door CEO forum in Nairobi alongside the France-Africa Summit. The commitments, involving companies including TotalEnergies, EDF, Kenya Airways and Rubis Energy, cover projects from sustainable aviation fuel to solar, wind, hydropower and clean cooking, as leaders discuss green industrialization and expanding electricity access.
Turkey removed a restriction on direct trade with Armenia on Wednesday, a move intended as a symbolic step toward improved relations between the longtime rivals. Armenia welcomed the change, which Turkish officials said reflects ongoing technical and bureaucratic work toward reopening their shared border.
Amnesty International said Tuesday that a Nigerian military airstrike on a market in Tumfa, Zamfara state, killed around 100 civilians over the weekend. A Red Cross official confirmed the strike and said “multiple civilians” were killed, but Nigeria’s military denied any civilian casualties, stating that no verifiable evidence had been established.
Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem on Tuesday called on Lebanon’s government to withdraw from direct negotiations with Israel set to begin this week in Washington, arguing the talks amount to concessions and should be replaced by indirect negotiations. The two-day talks, scheduled to start Thursday, aim to end the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict that erupted two months ago and to discuss future relations between the two officially warring states.
Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem urged Lebanon on Tuesday to withdraw from planned direct talks with Israel in Washington this week and instead pursue indirect negotiations, in a letter to Hezbollah officials cited by the Associated Press. The move comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to trade attacks even after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect April 17, after conflict that began March 2.
Nigeria’s military denied a rights group’s claim that an airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa, Zamfara state, killing 100 civilians, as fighting with armed groups continued in the country’s volatile north. Amnesty International said multiple civilians were killed in the strike and quoted local accounts, while a Red Cross official confirmed the strike and said “multiple civilians” were killed. A military spokesperson said “no verifiable evidence” of civilian casualties had been established and insisted civilians were not the target.
Paris announced a financial shift in its Africa relations Tuesday at the close of the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, with French President Emmanuel Macron unveiling a €23 billion ($27 billion) investment plan for the continent’s energy, artificial intelligence and agriculture sectors. The summit, co-hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto, drew 30 African leaders to Nairobi, where Ruto declared that future partnerships must rest on “sovereign equality, not on aid or charity.”
Israeli military bulldozers razed roughly 50 Palestinian-owned shops and businesses on the edge of a town southeast of Jerusalem on Tuesday, as authorities pushed forward a road project that critics say will deepen Israeli control over a strategic section of the occupied West Bank. Israeli officials say the demolitions clear land for a new route intended to improve traffic for Palestinian communities. Palestinian leaders, rights groups and an anti-settlement watchdog contend the project is designed to reroute Palestinian drivers off a highway built to serve nearby Israeli settlements, cutting West Bank Palestinians off from a wide swath of territory.
Israeli bulldozers demolished dozens of Palestinian shops in al-Eizariya, a town southeast of Jerusalem, as authorities cleared land for a settlement-linked road project in the occupied West Bank, according to the Associated Press. Palestinian officials said the road plan is aimed at restricting Palestinian access to a new highway being built for nearby Israeli settlements. The demolitions followed eviction notices that some shop owners challenged, including an appeal to Israel’s Supreme Court.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced 23 billion euros ($27 billion) in new investments in Africa as a partnership summit in Nairobi closed on Tuesday. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit with Kenyan President William Ruto, Macron said 14 billion euros would come from French companies and 9 billion euros from African entities.
President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week is raising renewed questions about the durability of U.S. support for Taiwan, as Trump’s past criticism of the island democracy and his transactional approach to diplomacy stoke concern that Taiwan could become a bargaining chip in negotiations.
Israeli drone strikes on vehicles south of Beirut killed four people on Saturday, while airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13, including a man and his 12-year-old daughter, Lebanese state media and the Health Ministry reported.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran transmitted its response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the Iran war through Pakistani mediators on Sunday, demanding war reparations, full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of seized assets, but President Donald Trump immediately rejected it as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” in a social media post, the latest blow to diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict that has choked global energy shipments.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy warned Saturday that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would provoke a “heavy assault” on a U.S. regional base and enemy ships, escalating threats a day after American forces struck two Iranian tankers in the Persian Gulf.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to raise the case of jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai during an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Lai’s family and more than 100 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers urging Trump to press for the 78-year-old’s release. Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year under Hong Kong’s national security law, and his son fears he will die in custody.
Israeli drone strikes near Beirut on Saturday killed four people, and airstrikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 13, including a man and his 12-year-old daughter, Lebanese state media and the Health Ministry said. The deadliest strikes reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry included at least seven killed in Saksakiyeh and three killed in Bourj Rahhal. The toll raised the stakes for renewed international diplomacy, with a new round of talks scheduled in Washington starting Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a scaled-down Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday, with tightened security and no heavy military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. The parade took place during a three-day ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, easing concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities. Putin used the event to praise Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and to accuse Western “globalist elites” of arming Kyiv, while also saying “the matter is coming to an end.”
American businesses are facing mounting costs from the ongoing Iran war, and a growing number of economists expect a U.S. recession within the next year, according to a survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics.
Nearly half of American business economists say the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran has hurt their operations, including through higher energy prices, according to a survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics. The conflict, which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, has contributed to an energy crisis and price pressures that economists say could worsen for hiring and investment in coming months.
China’s exports rose 14.1% in April from a year earlier, the Chinese government said Saturday, a surge that comes days before a planned meeting next week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The data beat analysts’ estimates and marked a significant improvement from March’s 2.5% year-on-year growth, as trade tensions and higher U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on relations.
Pope Leo XIV marked his first anniversary as pontiff on Friday, reflecting on a year defined by his pastoral, unifying approach to the Catholic Church but punctuated by an unprecedented public feud with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday defended the Trump administration’s new sanctions on Cuba, including a sweeping designation against the military-run business conglomerate GAESA, which experts said could deter foreign investment and deepen the island’s economic crisis.
The European Union imposed sanctions on 16 Russian officials and seven indoctrination centers accused of abducting tens of thousands of Ukrainian children, forcing many to change their identities, and placing others for adoption. The sanctions, announced Monday, are part of a broader international push to hold Russia accountable for war crimes in Ukraine.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a prisoner exchange, with each side swapping 1,000 captives, a deal Trump said could be “the beginning of the end” of the war that began in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Yuri Ushakov, a top foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, both confirmed the agreement, which Trump said would halt all kinetic activity from Saturday through Monday — the Victory Day holiday weekend in Russia.
The Treasury Department is directing U.S. banks to monitor for Iranian money laundering networks that use shell companies and cryptocurrency to smuggle sanctioned oil, according to a department report released Monday, as the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran teeters on what President Donald Trump called 'life support.'
Oil prices rallied above $104 a barrel on Monday after President Donald Trump said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was on “life support,” while U.S. stocks drifted to yet more all-time highs amid strong corporate earnings.
Pakistan summoned the Afghan chargé d’affaires on Monday to lodge a formal complaint over a weekend suicide attack that killed 15 police officers in the northwest, with Islamabad citing evidence that the assault was planned from Afghan soil.
Asian governments are exhausting early fuel rationing measures as the prolonged Iran war drives global oil prices toward $120 a barrel, triggering widespread subsidy cuts and threatening economic growth across the region. The United Nations Development Programme warns the crisis may cost the Asia-Pacific $299 billion and push 8.8 million people into poverty.
Stocks across Europe and Asia showed mixed results on Monday, while oil prices jumped more than 2% after President Donald Trump rejected Iran's response to a U.S. peace proposal. The rejection, posted on social media, heightened uncertainty over a conflict that has disrupted critical oil shipping routes.
European Union foreign ministers unanimously agreed Monday to impose sanctions on leaders of Hamas and figures in the Israeli settler movement, citing growing outrage over violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The political agreement, reached at a meeting in Brussels, marks a shift after years of deadlock, but ministers failed to endorse tougher economic measures against the Israeli government sought by several member states.
Iran’s soccer federation president declared Saturday that the country will “definitely” compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and appealed to the United States, Canada and Mexico — the three host nations — to ensure that players who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps receive visas without obstacle.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the Iran ceasefire is on 'life support' after rejecting Tehran's latest proposal, which regional officials said included limited nuclear concessions. Trump also proposed suspending the federal gas tax to ease pain at the pump from surging fuel prices tied to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran delivered its response to the latest U.S. cease-fire proposal via Pakistani mediators on May 10, 2026, but President Donald Trump immediately rejected it as “totally unacceptable,” dealing a fresh blow to efforts to end the months-long Persian Gulf conflict that has choked maritime shipping and sent energy prices soaring. Tehran demanded war reparations, an end to sanctions, the release of seized assets, and full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, state television reported, while Trump’s rejection on social media was devoid of specifics.
A handful of Palestinian surfers braved Israeli naval patrols and the dangers of a war-damaged coastline on Tuesday, riding rare high waves off the Gaza City port in a fleeting escape from the territory’s two-year humanitarian crisis.
(AP) — A coalition of Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo has accused the Trump administration of abandoning the impartiality required to mediate peace in the country's mineral-rich east, arguing in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Washington has sanctioned opponents of the Congolese government but failed to pressure Kinshasa over alleged ceasefire violations.
The British government on Monday imposed sanctions on nine individuals and three organizations accused of engaging in 'hostile activity' on behalf of Iran, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper saying the moves directly target groups and individuals threatening security in the U.K. and Europe.
President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to his request for a three-day ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners. Trump said the leaders of both countries confirmed the agreement, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Kremlin-adjacent adviser Yuri Ushakov also confirmed it.
The U.S. Treasury Department asked U.S. banks and other financial institutions to monitor for suspected Iranian money laundering networks that use their funds to smuggle sanctioned oil through shell companies and crypto-linked channels, according to Treasury and a related report released Monday. The guidance comes as President Donald Trump said the Iran ceasefire is on “life support” after he rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war.
Oil prices rose Monday as the war with Iran threatens to drag on longer, even as U.S. stocks edged toward more records. Brent crude settled up 2.9% at $104.21 after President Donald Trump said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is on “life support.” Stocks, meanwhile, were supported by expectations of resilient profits and an economy that has held up despite costly gasoline and tariffs.
A U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine begins Saturday, with leaders agreeing to an exchange of prisoners of war, according to the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The temporary pause comes as fighting continued Friday and both sides traded accusations of violating earlier unilateral truces. At the same time, Moscow planned low-key Victory Day observances in the capital, including a Red Square parade Russia’s officials signaled would proceed without permission from Ukraine.
Pakistan summoned Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires on Monday to lodge a formal complaint over a suicide attack in the country’s northwest that killed 15 police officers, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Islamabad blamed the late Saturday attack on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and told Kabul it “reserves the right to respond decisively” against the perpetrators.
Myanmar miners have discovered an 11,000-carat ruby near Mogok, a gem-mining hub in the country’s upper Mandalay region, according to state media reported May 8. The ruby, described as the second-largest ever found by weight in Myanmar, was unearthed in mid-April shortly after the traditional New Year festival, and was later examined by President Min Aung Hlaing at his office in Naypyitaw.
Asia is facing a prolonged energy squeeze as the Iran war continues to disrupt fuel flows and strain budgets across the region, the AP reports. Governments that initially rationed power, redirected gas to households and leaned on subsidies are now seeing those measures run out. Economists and analysts warn that the second wave of impacts could push millions toward poverty and slow economic growth.
DEIR AL-BALAH, The Gaza Strip — Despite the dire humanitarian crisis across the Gaza Strip and a fragile ceasefire in place, a small number of Palestinian surfers have continued to take to the Mediterranean waters when conditions allow. Tahseen Abu Assi, one of the surfers, said only three or four men still surf because of shortages of surfboards and materials to repair damaged ones.
China is stepping up its Iran war diplomacy as Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers meet in Beijing ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected summit with Xi Jinping, according to an Associated Press report. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a “comprehensive ceasefire” during talks with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Washington is pressing Beijing to use its influence to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reduce risks from the conflict.
The British government on Monday sanctioned nine people and three organizations it accused of engaging in “hostile activity” on behalf of Iran, saying the alleged networks threaten the U.K. and global security. The Foreign Office said it froze assets and banned travel tied to the alleged use of gangs and illicit financing to support Iranian aims, including actions meant to block the Strait of Hormuz.
Congolese rebel groups on Saturday questioned whether the United States has remained impartial as a mediator in eastern Congo, accusing Washington of failing to pressure Congo’s government over alleged violations of peace commitments. In a letter seen by The Associated Press, rebel leader Corneille Nangaa wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the absence of sanctions or warnings undermines the credibility of the U.S. “Facilitator/Mediator.”
Brussels’ foreign ministers unanimously agreed to impose new EU sanctions on Hamas leaders and on leaders and organizations tied to Israeli settler activity in the occupied West Bank, but did not endorse broader economic pressure against Israel, diplomats said. The bloc said a committee will finalize which specific groups and individuals are targeted.
Irán envió el domingo su respuesta a la propuesta estadounidense más reciente de alto el fuego para detener la guerra en el golfo Pérsico, reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz y revertir el programa nuclear, según informó la televisión estatal iraní. El presidente Donald Trump la rechazó horas después en redes sociales, calificándola de “totalmente inaceptable”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the United States that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or other commercial vessels would be met with a “heavy assault” on one of the U.S. bases in the region and on enemy ships, even as a tenuous ceasefire appeared to hold. The warning came after U.S. strikes on two Iranian oil tankers that the U.S. said were trying to breach its blockade of Iran’s ports.
Pope Leo XIV marked his first year as pope with a homily in Pompeii that called on God’s mercy to soften “fratricidal hatred,” while the Vatican continued to navigate verbal sparring with President Donald Trump. The anniversary weekend included a Vatican meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as both sides stressed strong ties, even as the dispute has strained U.S.-Holy See relations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s decision to impose new sanctions on Cuba, including measures targeting GAESA, a military-run business conglomerate. In remarks Friday, Rubio said the sanctions were aimed at GAESA, and not at Cubans, as the administration also moved to widen authorities that can reach foreign partners.
The Trump administration rejected Iran’s response to a U.S. proposal to end the Iran war, with President Donald Trump dismissing the offer in a social media post as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”. Iran said its response calls for war reparations and demands “full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz,” as diplomats also try to address a series of drone attacks that have tested a fragile ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that diplomacy to end the war involving Iran is at a point where an Iran ceasefire is on “life support,” after the White House rejected Tehran’s latest proposal. Trump also backed a suspension of the federal gas tax to blunt higher fuel prices linked to the conflict.
Miners in Myanmar have unearthed an 11,000-carat ruby near Mogok, a conflict-battered hub responsible for most of the world's supply, with the massive gem presented to President Min Aung Hlaing, state media reported Friday.
Associated Press photojournalist Jacquelyn Martin captured an evocative silhouette of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump from a rarely permitted behind-them angle in the White House’s diplomatic room as they awaited the arrival of King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a state visit on May 8, 2026.
Jacquelyn Martin, an Associated Press staff photojournalist, described how she was granted a rare vantage point in the White House “diplomatic room” as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump awaited King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a state visit. In remarks tied to an AP “One Extraordinary Photo” feature, Martin said she used brief exposure adjustments to capture both a silhouette moment and later portraits once the royal party arrived.
The U.S. military said it carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific on Friday, killing two men and leaving one survivor. A video posted by U.S. Southern Command showed a boat-shaped image and an explosion over the ocean, and the command said it notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue for the survivor.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, told journalists Monday that her country has no plans to become the 51st U.S. state after President Donald Trump said he was “seriously considering” the move. Speaking at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the final day of hearings in a dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo region, Rodríguez said Venezuela would “continue to defend” its sovereignty.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s remark that he was “seriously considering” making the country the 51st U.S. state, and she simultaneously defended Venezuela’s claim to the mineral-rich Essequibo region at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The U.S. military struck and destroyed an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people and triggering a Coast Guard search-and-rescue operation for a third survivor, U.S. Southern Command said. The strike is the latest in a Trump administration campaign that has killed at least 193 people since September across the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, according to military records, while the Pentagon has not released evidence confirming any destroyed vessel was carrying narcotics.
WARSAW, Poland — Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, sought in his homeland for alleged abuse of power, said Sunday he has traveled from Hungary to the United States, prompting prosecutors in Poland to open an investigation Monday into whether others helped him evade criminal liability.
Armed vessels linked to the Libyan coast guard fired live ammunition at the humanitarian rescue ship Sea‑Watch 5 on Monday shortly after it had pulled approximately 90 migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat in the central Mediterranean, the German aid group Sea‑Watch said. The crew, along with about 30 people on board, feared for their lives and issued a mayday call, the group said. An Italian coast guard official confirmed receipt of the report and said authorities had been notified.
Israel’s military has sentenced two soldiers to military prison for desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon after one stuck a cigarette in the statue’s mouth and the other photographed the act. The incident follows a similar episode involving an ax-wielding soldier targeting a Jesus statue in the village of Debel, both condemned internationally as anti-Christian acts amid Israel’s ground campaign against Hezbollah.
A federal jury in Miami convicted four men on Friday of conspiring to kill or kidnap Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, the 2021 assassination that plunged the Caribbean nation deeper into turmoil, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The men were found guilty of conspiracy, providing material support, and violating the Neutrality Act, and could face life in prison.
China's exports surged 14.1% in April from a year earlier, official data showed Saturday, significantly beating analyst estimates and accelerating from a modest 2.5% expansion in March, as a planned summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week looms over trade relations.
Poland’s national prosecutor’s office said Monday it is investigating whether Zbigniew Ziobro, a former justice minister sought at home, received help in evading liability after he said he traveled from Hungary to the United States. Ziobro, who authorities say is sought over allegations including abuse of power and misuse of a justice victims fund, told a Polish broadcaster he arrived in the U.S. the day before. The Polish foreign ministry said it wants the issue handled without political spillover, while the current justice minister said Poland has invalidated Ziobro’s travel documents.
Las bolsas mundiales registraron movimientos mixtos el lunes, mientras el petróleo se disparó más de 2% tras el rechazo del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, a la respuesta de Irán a la última propuesta de Washington para poner fin a la guerra en Irán. Wall Street había cerrado el viernes con nuevos máximos, y el impulso se trasladó parcialmente a otros mercados.
Iran’s soccer federation says Iran will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is seeking assurances that the team can travel and be treated normally by hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico. The federation also said, in remarks carried by Iranian state media, that players and technical staff who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should get visas “without problems.”
Armed vessels linked to the Libyan coast guard opened fire Monday on a German rescue ship in the Mediterranean shortly after it saved about 90 migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat, an aid group said. Sea-Watch said the vessels fired live ammunition and ordered the ship to stop about 27 miles from Libya’s coast, prompting distress calls to Italian and German authorities.
A Florida jury convicted four men of conspiracy tied to the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse, according to prosecutors and the verdict in U.S. federal court in Miami. The convictions followed an investigation that traced planning and financing for the plot to South Florida, where investigators said the men sought to kill or kidnap the elected leader and back a replacement chosen by conspirators.
Venice Biennale opened Saturday in Venice, Italy, without a jury after jury members quit in protest over Russia’s and Israel’s participation, and amid protests outside their pavilions. The Biennale said visitors will vote anonymously by email for national pavilion and main exhibition prizes, with winners announced on closing day, Nov. 22.
President Donald Trump said Monday he expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to ask him to hold back on arming Taiwan ahead of their summit this week. The remarks come as Trump has authorized Taiwan arms, while also pushing Taipei to spend more at home and buy U.S. semiconductors and energy—raising questions among Taiwan and U.S. lawmakers and analysts about whether Washington’s support could be diluted.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai’s family is looking to President Donald Trump’s expected trip to Beijing to press for his release, after Lai was sentenced to 20 years under Hong Kong’s national security law. Lai’s son said the family hopes Trump can help secure his father’s freedom as Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week.
Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations on Sunday that each had violated a U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire over the Victory Day weekend, with both sides reporting casualties from drone and artillery strikes in the past 24 hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow was not observing the truce and warned that Ukraine would retaliate against any resumption of full-scale warfare. Russia’s defense ministry claimed Kyiv committed more than 1,000 violations and said its forces had “responded in kind.” The truce, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, was the latest attempt to pause a war that has now stretched past its fourth year.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations of violating a U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire that ran over the weekend to mark Victory Day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was not observing the truce “nor even particularly trying to,” while Russia’s defense ministry blamed Kyiv for more than 1,000 violations.
Israel deported two steering committee members of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Sunday after detaining them for over a week, concluding the latest chapter in an ongoing effort by activists to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Separately, an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis killed at least two people, including a Hamas police colonel, underscoring the fragility of the October ceasefire.
As fuel supply disruptions tied to the war in Iran spill into Bangladesh, people in the capital Dhaka are spending more time waiting for gasoline and diesel, reducing income for workers and small business owners, according to interviews reported by the Associated Press. The shortages have prompted government austerity measures, raised the operating costs for factories and transport, and threatened export earnings, especially in the garment sector.
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing this week for a state visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House said Sunday, a trip that comes amid heightened tensions from the Iran war and lingering trade disputes from his first term. The visit, scheduled to include a welcome ceremony, a tour of the Temple of Heaven, and a state banquet, is Trump’s first foreign trip since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran and marks a potential test of the personal bond Trump has frequently touted with Xi.
Between 800 and 1,000 families fled their homes in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, on Sunday after four days of bombardment with drone‑launched explosives and gunfire from the criminal group Los Ardillos, community representatives said. The attacks, which began on Wednesday, drove entire households—including children and the elderly—to take refuge in a nearby sports field with little more than backpacks.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least five people on Friday, including a paramedic with the Lebanese Civil Defense, while Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel that the military said caused no casualties. The exchanges came despite a ceasefire in place since April 17 and as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the European Union to press Israel to abide by the truce.
In a striking juxtaposition against Tehran’s streets lined with anti-American posters, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art opened an exhibition this week featuring six works by American Pop artists Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, and James Rosenquist, the Associated Press reported. Selected primarily for their anti-war themes, the pieces come from the museum’s vast collection of Western modern art acquired by the former shah’s wife in the 1970s and largely kept out of public view since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces overnight, the latest escalation to strain a tenuous month-old U.S.-Iran ceasefire. The United Arab Emirates separately reported a ballistic missile and drone attack that wounded three people, as satellite images revealed a large oil slick spreading from Iran’s main crude export terminal.
Greek authorities are investigating an armed unmanned surface vessel discovered by a fisherman in a coastal cave on the island of Lefkada, according to the Associated Press. The vessel was moved to a naval base on the mainland Friday for inspection, as experts noted its resemblance to drones used by both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea.
A bomb that was pushed through a letter slot detonated at the headquarters of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s centrist D66 party late Thursday, but no one was injured, police said. A 37-year-old suspect has been arrested. The attack occurred during a meeting of about 30 members of the party’s youth wing.
Soaring energy costs driven by the war in Iran are cutting household incomes and slowing economic growth in Bangladesh, where fuel shortages have forced the government to ration supplies and reduce industrial output, and the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have both slashed their forecasts for the import-dependent nation.
Saudi oil giant Aramco reported a 25% jump in first-quarter profit on Sunday, earning $32.5 billion as the Iran war disrupted global energy supplies and forced the company to push more shipments through a cross-desert pipeline to the Red Sea.
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing this week to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with White House officials saying the two sides plan to discuss a new Board of Trade and cooperation on sectors including energy, aerospace and agriculture. The trip comes as a war involving Iran threatens to add friction to U.S.-China diplomacy and trade negotiations.
More than 800 families fled their homes in rural mountainous areas of Mexico’s Guerrero state as gunmen attacked communities with handmade explosives launched from drones and other weapons, community and human rights groups said. The displacement began on Wednesday when a powerful group known as Los Ardillos began attacking communities, they said.
Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon on Friday, killing at least five people, while Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. The strikes came after Israeli authorities issued evacuation warnings to residents in six villages in Tyre province, including Toura.
Israel deported two activists detained after leading an aid flotilla intended to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, according to the activists and Israeli officials. The men—Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila—were detained for slightly over a week after their boats were intercepted in the Aegean Sea near Crete, then were deported after arriving in Athens.
TEHRAN, Iran — The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran has opened an exhibit called “Art and War” featuring six works by three American Pop artists, chosen for their anti-war themes, according to the museum’s director. The show runs through May 10 as Iran and the United States remain in a military standoff during the ongoing conflict.
U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after exchanging fire overnight, casting doubt on a month-old ceasefire the United States has said remains in effect, the Associated Press reported May 8. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes to receive “a serious offer” from Iran later Friday. The United Arab Emirates also reported an additional Iranian missile and drone attack.
A bomb exploded at the headquarters of the centrist D66 party in The Hague, targeting Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s party office but injuring no one, according to police and Jetten. Police said they arrested a 37-year-old suspect late Thursday, and Jetten said the blast occurred during a youth-wing meeting.
Aramco said its first-quarter profit rose 25% as the Iran war disrupted oil supplies and contributed to higher prices. The Saudi state-owned company also said it shifted some exports to its East-West Pipeline to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted by the conflict.
Authorities in Greece are investigating an armed unmanned surface vessel found by a fisherman on the island of Lefkada off the country’s western coast, Greece’s public broadcaster said. The craft was towed to a nearby harbor and moved Friday to a naval base on the mainland for inspection, with investigators not confirming where it originated.
Federal prosecutors filed a civil denaturalization complaint in Miami seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of former diplomat Manuel Rocha, who admitted serving for decades as a secret agent for Cuba. Prosecutors said Rocha lied on his citizenship application, including by denying Communist Party of Cuba affiliations and claiming he believed in the U.S. Constitution.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry warned Saturday that an oil spill originating in Trinidad and Tobago has caused serious environmental damage along the coastlines of at least two Venezuelan states and in the Gulf of Paria, while Trinidad’s government disputes the extent of the spill, saying only 10 barrels were released and contained the same day it was detected.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday to present her country's claim to the mineral- and oil-rich Essequibo region before the International Court of Justice, the latest chapter in a decades-old territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Nairobi on Sunday for the Africa Forward Summit, where he and Kenyan President William Ruto aim to reset France’s relationship with the continent as a partnership of equals, moving away from decades of post-colonial dominance.
Federal prosecutors filed a civil denaturalization complaint to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Manuel Rocha, the former American ambassador convicted of serving for decades as a secret agent for Cuba, alleging he lied about his communist party affiliation when he naturalized in 1978.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry warned in a letter late Saturday that an oil spill it says originated in Trinidad and Tobago had caused “severe risks” to ecosystems along Venezuela’s coast and in the Gulf of Paria. Trinidad and Tobago disputed the scope, saying only 10 barrels were spilled and that it was contained the same day it was detected on May 1.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez arrived in the Netherlands to appear before the International Court of Justice in a case involving the Essequibo region, which both Venezuela and Guyana claim. The final hearing with Rodríguez’s appearance is scheduled for Monday, with the court expected to take months to issue a legally binding ruling.
French President Emmanuel Macron began a two-day visit to Kenya on Sunday ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, an event meant to showcase France’s revised approach to the continent, with Macron and President William Ruto calling it a “partnership of equals.” The summit, held for the first time in an Anglophone country, is expected to draw attention to France’s withdrawal of troops from West Africa completed last year.
Lower-income Americans sharply cut their gasoline consumption in March yet still spent more at the pump as the spike in gas prices following the Iran war widened economic inequalities, according to research released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Higher-income households, by contrast, increased their gas spending with barely any reduction in consumption, a pattern the report said was more pronounced than after the 2022 Russia-Ukraine shock.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pietro Parolin in Rome on May 7, 2026, for a diplomatic visit that both sides described as an effort to reaffirm strong bilateral ties following President Donald Trump's public criticisms of the American-born pontiff.
Shipping companies are facing rising costs and uncertainty as hundreds of vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf more than two months into the Iran war, with the Strait of Hormuz blocked and President Donald Trump abruptly pausing a short-lived guided-exit attempt. With over 1,550 vessels and 22,500 mariners trapped, shipping giants warn that even if a ceasefire holds, the return to normal will take months and the risks from Iranian speedboats and drones remain high.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican secretary of state as the Vatican and the U.S. State Department sought to underscore strong bilateral ties after recent public disputes involving President Donald Trump.
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.37% this week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday, marking the second straight weekly increase and returning borrowing costs to levels last seen four weeks ago as the bond market churns on oil-driven inflation fears from the war with Iran.
Whirlpool said Thursday that the Iran war is driving a “recession-level industry decline” that has shaken consumer confidence, contributing to a nearly 10% revenue drop and a 7% fall in North American major-appliance sales. The Michigan-based company announced price increases in April and July to address inflationary cost pressures after posting a first-quarter loss of $82 million.
Detroit Democrats won a special state Senate election by nearly 20 points, a result that Michigan Republicans said once looked within reach. The loss, coming as gas prices rise and the Iran war and tariffs weigh on the state’s auto and trade industries, is fueling doubt inside the GOP as it targets 2026 races for governor, the Legislature and the open U.S. Senate seat.
Whirlpool Corp. announced a nearly 10% drop in first-quarter revenue and a 7% decline in North American major appliance sales, citing consumer pullback amid a recession-level industry decline linked to the ongoing Iran war. The Michigan-based manufacturer, which produces about 80% of its major appliances domestically, lowered its full-year earnings outlook by half and suspended its dividend after posting an $82 million quarterly loss.
The Trump administration delivered contradictory statements over a 24-hour period regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran, pivoting from declarations that a tenuous ceasefire was holding to new threats of intensified bombing if Tehran does not agree to U.S. terms for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the war, sending 347 drones into more than 20 Russian regions including Moscow, Russian officials said Thursday, hours after the Kremlin dismissed a Ukrainian ceasefire offer and days before Russia’s high-security Victory Day celebrations.
Western intelligence officials say Russia has escalated a campaign of targeted killings against its opponents in Europe since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, expanding beyond military defectors to include Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine. Three intelligence officials from different countries told The Associated Press that Russia's security services are now more brazen in their choice of targets and that the campaign carries political authorization from the Kremlin. The assessment follows a series of disrupted assassination plots across Europe — in France, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, and Spain — that authorities have linked to Russian operatives and, increasingly, to cheap proxy recruits Moscow has turned to after the mass expulsion of its intelligence officers from Western capitals.
An armed group attacked two villages in central Mali on Wednesday, leaving several people dead and injured, according to Mali’s military governor for the region. He described the assault as “cowardly” and “barbaric.” Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the group behind the attacks, said it was targeting pro-government militias. The twin strikes in Kori Kori and Gomossogou follow a major offensive last month that has deepened the country’s already severe security crisis.
The son of Hamas’ chief ceasefire negotiator died after being wounded by an Israeli strike on Gaza City, the militant group said Thursday, as separate Israeli strikes killed three Hamas-affiliated security forces and, in Lebanon, three Hezbollah militants.
U.S. forces intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday and launched retaliatory strikes against Iranian military facilities, the U.S. military said, in the most significant breach of the month-old ceasefire between the two countries.
U.S. military forces intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, then struck Iranian military installations in what U.S. Central Command called defensive action — the most serious outbreak of violence since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire took effect on April 8. No U.S. vessels were hit, and Central Command said it does not seek escalation but remains “postured and ready to protect U.S. forces.” President Donald Trump confirmed the ceasefire still holds, but told reporters in blunt terms, “Se metieron con nosotros hoy. Los hicimos pedazos” — “They messed with us today. We tore them to pieces.” The exchange came as Iran formalized its control over the Strait of Hormuz through a new government agency, deepening concerns about global shipping, and as peace talks mediated by Pakistan stalled. Iran’s government said it was still studying the latest U.S. proposals and had not yet responded. Pakistan’s foreign ministry expressed hope for a deal “sooner rather than later,” while Saudi Arabia distanced itself from a U.S. plan to forcibly reopen the strait.
WASHINGTON — The United States is not planning imminent military action against Cuba, U.S. officials said Wednesday, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions that American warships returning from the Middle East could stop off the island. The officials, who described the state of preliminary diplomatic discussions on condition of anonymity, said the Trump administration’s immediate focus is on pressuring Havana to accept humanitarian aid and open its economy — not regime change.
The gunman who killed three people and wounded more than a dozen at a downtown Austin, Texas, bar on March 1 was a “lone actor” with no evidence of support or direction from a foreign terrorist group, the FBI said in an investigative update Thursday. The agency said the attack by Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old lawful permanent resident from Senegal, was likely triggered by the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran and his admiration for Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Trump administration’s messaging about the Iran war and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has changed rapidly over the past 24 hours, leaving officials, allies and markets trying to keep up. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces were conducting a defensive effort while a tenuous ceasefire held, then Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said a U.S. operation was concluded. By Wednesday, Trump warned bombing could resume and the U.S. said it disabled an Iranian oil tanker.
Russia said Ukraine launched a major drone attack aimed at Moscow ahead of the May 9 Victory Day celebrations, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had been ready to seek “complete silence” but Moscow launched fresh strikes anyway. State media reported nearly 100 flights in and out of Moscow’s three main airports were delayed or canceled by midday.
Russia is ramping up attempts to kill opponents in Europe, Western intelligence officials told The Associated Press, describing a more brazen campaign that includes Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine. The AP report cites cases in France, Lithuania and Spain, and says officials linked the effort to Russia’s broader actions intended to undermine European countries supporting Kyiv.
Hamas said Thursday that the son of Hamas lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya died after being wounded in an Israeli strike on Gaza, as another strike killed three Hamas security forces, according to local officials. In Lebanon, Israel said it killed three Hezbollah militants in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier, after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in mid-April.
Gasoline prices in the U.S. climbed over the past week, spiking to an average of $4.54 a gallon Wednesday, according to AAA data. The Associated Press reports the increase reflects how deepening fighting linked to Iran has kept oil supplies constrained near the Strait of Hormuz, where a significant share of the world’s crude normally passes.
The FBI said investigators have found no evidence that the gunman who killed three people in a downtown Austin bar attack in March was supported or directed by a foreign terrorist group. The agency released an update saying the shooter, Ndiaga Diagne, acted as a “lone actor,” and that the investigation remains open.
El jueves, el ejército de Estados Unidos informó que interceptó proyectiles iraníes contra tres buques de la Armada en el estrecho de Ormuz y dijo que respondió en defensa propia, aunque añadió que ningún buque fue alcanzado. El presidente Donald Trump afirmó a reporteros en Washington que el alto el fuego “se mantiene”, después del intercambio de disparos. En paralelo, medios iraníes estatales reportaron disparos en la isla de Qeshm y explosiones en el sur y el oeste de Teherán.
Double attacks by an armed group have killed several people in two villages in central Mali, authorities said. The military governor said the attacks struck Kori Kori and Gomossogou on Wednesday afternoon, while the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, claimed responsibility.
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced “Project Freedom” to guide ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, but the effort was paused days later as negotiations on ending the Iran war continued. Shipping companies say the uncertainty is still translating into costly delays, higher insurance and fuel bills, and risk concerns for crews transiting the narrow waterway.
The U.S. military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday and carried out self-defense strikes, as the month-old ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remained fragile. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire was holding despite the exchange of fire. Iranian state media reported exchanges with “the enemy” near Qeshm Island and said loud noises and explosions were heard elsewhere in Iran.
The United States is not seeking imminent military action against Cuba despite President Donald Trump’s threats, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The officials also said they are not optimistic Havana will accept an offer that includes humanitarian aid and expanded connectivity, though they said Cuba has not rejected it outright.
The Trump administration is reviewing Mexico’s 53 consulates in the United States, a move that could lead to some closures, a State Department official said May 8. The official said the State Department is constantly reviewing aspects of American foreign relations but did not provide a reason or details of the review, which CBS News previously reported.
Hungary has returned a shipment of cash and gold worth roughly $82 million to Ukraine’s state Oschadbank, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, ending a two-month seizure that Kyiv had condemned as politically motivated.
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has kept the waterway effectively closed since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, while a U.S. naval blockade has not loosened Iran’s control, according to reporting Friday by the Associated Press. The disruption has driven up fuel prices, left ships and mariners stranded in the Persian Gulf, and raised risks of hunger as fuel and fertilizer shipments face delays.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Hungary has returned a shipment of Ukrainian cash and gold worth around $82 million, which Hungary seized in March. The valuables were sent back to Ukraine’s state Oschadbank after Hungarian authorities held Ukrainian bank employees for more than 24 hours.
Authorities in Norway arrested a Chinese citizen on espionage allegations on Thursday in an operation linked to an alleged plan to set up a receiver for sensitive satellite data, Norway’s domestic intelligence service said.
Oil prices fell and global stock markets rose Wednesday as investors weighed signals that the United States and Iran could be nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Brent crude fell 7.8% to $101.27 a barrel, while the S&P 500 climbed 1.5% to another record, helped by major-company earnings. The day’s market moves came after President Donald Trump said the strait could be “OPEN TO ALL” if Iran accepts a reported agreement.
A protester who camped for five days atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington came down Wednesday morning, ending his stand against the use of artificial intelligence and the war in Iran. Guido Reichstadter, a Florida-based activist, was seen coming down from an arch after Washington police negotiated with him.
President Donald Trump signed off on a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy that makes eliminating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere the administration’s highest priority, the White House announced Wednesday. The 16-page document also lays out additional priorities that include targeting Islamic military groups, violent anti-American secular political groups, and preventing nonstate actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
Pope Leo XIV prayed for political leaders to end “fratricidal hatred” during an anniversary visit to Pompeii on Friday, the first-year milestone since his election. Speaking at a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Pompeii, the pope also urged peace and mercy.
U.S. prosecutors say Lu Jianwang operated a secret Chinese police outpost in New York City to silence and intimidate pro-democracy dissidents. His trial in Brooklyn federal court began Wednesday after authorities arrested him in April 2023, more than three years after prosecutors say they first uncovered the operation.
President Donald Trump will host Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the White House on Thursday for talks on shared economic and security issues, a White House official said, as the two leaders work to mend a relationship strained by steep U.S. tariffs and the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup plot.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called on the United States and the European Union to set aside tariff threats and work toward stability, after President Donald Trump announced plans to raise duties on European cars and trucks to 25% this week. Speaking during a visit to Armenia, Macron said allies should “rather send a message of stability and confidence” at a time of global geopolitical strain.
President Donald Trump will host Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday for talks on shared economic and security issues, a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been officially announced. The planned visit comes as Trump and Lula have worked to mend ties since Trump returned to the White House last year.
Macron said Europe and the United States have “much better things to do” than tariff threats over vehicles, after Donald Trump announced higher duties on European cars and trucks. Speaking Tuesday at a summit in Armenia, Macron urged “reason” to prevail and said he hoped stability would replace the escalation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU and U.S. have a deal, and the bloc is prepared for multiple scenarios.
The United States and its Gulf allies have proposed a United Nations Security Council resolution threatening Iran with sanctions if it does not halt attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stop imposing what the draft calls “illegal tolls,” and disclose the location of all sea mines to allow freedom of navigation, according to a copy of the draft obtained by The Associated Press. The resolution also demands that Iran “immediately participate in and enable” U.N. efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor through the strait for the delivery of vital aid.
President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV on Monday, falsely claiming the pontiff supports an Iranian nuclear weapon and potentially complicating Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s planned diplomatic visit to the Vatican later this week.
Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 22 civilians across Ukraine on Tuesday, just hours before Kyiv was due to enact a unilateral ceasefire it announced in response to Moscow’s planned pause for Victory Day celebrations.
President Donald Trump paused the U.S. operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, saying 'great progress' had been made toward a deal to end the Iran war, while Iran’s foreign minister met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing. The fragile ceasefire, now nearly a month old, has been shaken by continued attacks on the United Arab Emirates and conflicting claims over the strategic waterway.
The average U.S. price for regular gasoline jumped 31 cents in the past week to $4.48 per gallon, AAA reported Tuesday, rising 50% since the war with Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz and stranded a fifth of the world’s crude oil. A temporary fall in prices during a mid-April ceasefire lull has reversed as fighting continues and the Trump administration’s blockade of Iranian exports tightens global supply.
Boko Haram militants killed 23 Chadian soldiers and wounded 26 others in an assault on a military post in the Lake Chad region on Monday night, the country’s armed forces said Tuesday.
President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, a flare-up that could complicate Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s planned visit to the Vatican this week. Trump said the pope is helping Iran and also made the world less safe with remarks he linked to the pope’s comments about immigrants.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was pausing the latest U.S. effort to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz while Iran and the United States seek a deal to end their war in the Middle East. At the same time, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, met China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Beijing, according to Xinhua.
In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Chinese officials to use their influence with Iran to stop closing the Strait of Hormuz, as President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a summit in Beijing. Speaking during a White House briefing Tuesday, Rubio said Iran is “the bad guy” in the standoff that has effectively shuttered the waterway for weeks. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, during the visit, according to Xinhua.
Boko Haram militants killed 23 soldiers in an attack on a military post in Chad’s Lake Chad region, the country’s armed forces said Tuesday. Chad’s military said another 26 soldiers were injured in the Monday night attack and that the attackers were eventually repelled.
The price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States rose 31 cents over the past week, reaching an average of $4.48 on Tuesday, AAA said. The increase follows a mid-April period when drivers saw prices fall for nearly two weeks as conflict signals appeared to soften, but the war’s impact on global oil supply has pushed prices back up.
Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least 22 people in Ukraine and wounded more than 80 others before a temporary ceasefire was to take effect, Ukrainian authorities said. The attacks came hours before Kyiv planned to enact the pause and days before Moscow promised its own pause in hostilities.
The Venice Biennale previewed its 61st and “most chaotic” edition on Tuesday, with tensions spilling into the Giardini as war and grief followed art into the world’s oldest contemporary art show. The preview took place days after the jury resigned over the participation of Israel and Russia, a decision that, according to the Biennale’s rules, left no prizes awarded by jurors.
The United States and Gulf allies have proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution threatening Iran with sanctions or other measures unless it halts attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The draft also calls on Iran to stop imposing “illegal tolls,” disclose the placement of mines, and “immediately participate in and enable” U.N. efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor for aid deliveries.
The United States revoked the visas of several board members of the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación, the outlet reported Sunday, in a move press freedom groups and opposition figures called political retaliation. The State Department provided no explanation for the revocations, which the newspaper's board said it learned about from pro-government media reports rather than official notification.
Zambia's foreign minister on Monday accused the United States of linking a $2 billion health assistance package to access to the country's critical minerals, escalating a diplomatic row over the Trump administration's transactional approach to foreign aid. The accusation, which the U.S. ambassador dismissed as 'absolutely and patently false,' comes amid broader tensions as Washington rewrites health agreements with dozens of aid-dependent nations.
French President Emmanuel Macron sang the Charles Aznavour standard “La Bohème” at a state dinner in Yerevan on Monday, joined by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on drums and celebrated jazz pianist Vahagn Hayrapetyan.
The U.S. military launched another strike Tuesday on a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men, according to U.S. officials. The new attack came a day after U.S. forces struck an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people. The Trump administration has said the campaign is aimed at stopping “narcoterrorism” and reducing fatal drug overdoses in the United States.
U.S. prosecutors say Lu Jianwang ran a secret Chinese police outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown to silence and harass pro-democracy dissidents in the United States, and he violated federal foreign-agent registration requirements. His lawyer said the site was a community center where members of the Chinese diaspora renewed driver’s licenses during COVID-era travel restrictions and played ping-pong and mahjong. Lu, 64, went on trial Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, more than three years after U.S. authorities arrested him.
In Yerevan on Monday night, French President Emmanuel Macron sang classic ballads at a state dinner honoring him during a French state visit, as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan played drums and a local musician performed on piano. The dinner took place at Armenia’s presidential residence, with Macron crooning songs including “La Bohème” and “Les Feuilles Mortes.”
Estados Unidos revocó las visas de varios ejecutivos de la junta directiva del diario costarricense La Nación, según informó el periódico este fin de semana. La Nación dijo que sus miembros se enteraron por primera vez de las cancelaciones mediante reportes de medios partidarios vinculados al gobierno. El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios.
Zambia’s foreign affairs minister said the United States is tying a $2 billion health assistance deal to access to the country’s critical minerals, calling allegations by outgoing U.S. ambassador Michael Gonzales “mischievous” and “undiplomatic.” Mulambo Haimbe made the comments after the departing ambassador said Zambian leaders “abdicated their responsibilities” by diverting funds and ignoring U.S. overtures.
More than two dozen foreign workers have been killed in the Gulf and Israel since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran in February, according to an Associated Press report, and the conflict has trapped tens of millions of other migrants between deadly working conditions and the prospect of returning to countries already reeling from soaring fuel and food prices.
The fragile ceasefire in the Iran war faced its most dangerous test Monday after the United States began a military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, drawing Iranian threats and leaving global shipping companies uncertain about the safety of the waterway, the Associated Press reported.
Iran’s war has left foreign workers in Gulf states facing a stark choice between staying in jobs that pay more or returning home as conflict-driven price spikes strain already-poor countries, an Associated Press investigation reports. The story centers on Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, a Bangladeshi man who worked in Saudi Arabia for 15 years and died after a missile struck his workers’ camp on March 8.
The United States began trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, as a three-week ceasefire in the Iran war entered what the U.S. called its most perilous moment. The move triggered fresh warnings from Iran and statements from the United Arab Emirates about an attack near its coast, while U.S. officials said they were protecting vessels and deterring Iranian actions.
Oil prices sank and global stock markets rallied Wednesday as investors bet the United States and Iran may be nearing a deal that would allow ships to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf again. In the hopes-driven rebound, Brent crude fell 7.8% to $101.27 a barrel, while the S&P 500 climbed 1.5% to another record. In Asia, Seoul’s Kospi jumped more than 6% and pushed above 7,000 for the first time.
Sudan’s military intercepted a drone launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that was targeting Khartoum International Airport on Monday, airport officials said, in the latest sign that the capital faces renewed security threats more than a year after the army recaptured it.
Russia’s Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire for May 8 and 9 to mark the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, but warned it would launch a massive missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the celebrations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by announcing Kyiv would observe a truce beginning at midnight Wednesday — two days before Russia’s proposed pause — and urged the Kremlin to take real steps to end the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to travel to Rome and Vatican City this week to ease rising tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV over U.S. immigration and military policies. The State Department confirmed the Thursday and Friday trip will include discussions on the Middle East and shared security interests with Italian counterparts.
President Donald Trump said Saturday he would go “a lot further” than the Pentagon’s announced withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, escalating a break with decades of U.S. policy that has maintained a large military presence in Europe as a deterrent against Russia. The Pentagon announced the drawdown Friday without detailing which units would be affected, a move that Republican leaders of the armed services committees in Congress said would “send the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.”
Malian junta leader and interim president Assimi Goita has assumed the duties of defense minister, authorities said Monday, after the incumbent was killed in a suicide bombing that was part of the largest coordinated militant offensive in the country in over a decade. The presidential decree, broadcast on state television, also named former armed forces chief of staff Gen. Oumar Diarra as deputy defense minister. The killing of Defense Minister Gen. Sadio Camara on April 25 in the garrison town of Kati near Bamako was part of a multi-city assault by al-Qaida-linked militants and Tuareg separatist rebels that overran several towns and military bases.
The Melkite Greek Catholic bishops of Lebanon said Monday that Israeli forces are demolishing civilian and religious buildings in south Lebanon, and that a convent in the village of Yaroun was bulldozed earlier this month, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. military fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats as it began efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, while the United Arab Emirates said it came under attack from Iran for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April. The U.S. Central Command said two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the strait under its protection after Iran had effectively closed the waterway at the start of the war on Feb. 28. The UAE said its air defenses engaged 15 missiles and four drones, with one drone starting a fire at a key oil facility east of the strait that wounded three Indian nationals.
YEREVAN, Armenia — European leaders gathered Monday for a summit in Armenia said President Donald Trump's plan to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany is the latest clear signal the continent must shoulder a larger share of its own defense within NATO.
Drone launched by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces targeted Khartoum International Airport on Monday, but was shot down by the country’s air defenses before reaching the airport, officials said. The airport briefly stopped flights and later said it would resume after routine checks. The attack was reported amid fighting that began in April 2023 and has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, according to conflict and UN estimates.
Russia’s Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, threatening to strike back if Ukraine disrupts Russia’s Victory Day festivities. Kyiv’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would observe a truce starting at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and respond in kind, without setting an end date.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome and Vatican City this week and meet with Pope Leo XIV as tensions between Pope and President Donald Trump over U.S. policies, including the Iran war, continue to escalate. The State Department said Rubio will be in Italy on Thursday and Friday, and the Vatican said the meeting with Leo would take place on Thursday.
Mali’s junta leader and president, Assimi Goita, has assumed the duties of defense minister, authorities said, after the previous defense minister was killed in coordinated attacks by separatist and militant forces. A presidential decree announced on state television said Goita would remain president while also serving as defense minister, with former armed forces chief of staff Gen. Oumar Diarra assisting as deputy defense minister. The announcement comes after Defense Minister Gen. Sadio Camara was killed April 25 in a suicide bombing in the garrison town of Kati.
BEIRUT (AP) — Melkite Greek Catholic bishops in Lebanon on Monday urged the Lebanese government and the United Nations to protect the property of civilians and religious institutions after Israeli troops under its control demolished buildings in parts of southern Lebanon, according to reports cited by the church. The bishops said in particular that a Melkite convent was destroyed in the village of Yaroun while residents had evacuated.
European leaders meeting in Yerevan said President Donald Trump’s decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany is prompting renewed emphasis on Europe taking more responsibility for its security within NATO. The Pentagon last week announced a withdrawal of about 5,000 troops, while Trump told reporters Saturday that the U.S. plans on “cutting a lot further,” without providing a reason.
The Associated Press investigated how U.S. government policies across administrations have helped American companies sell surveillance-related technology to China, even as U.S. lawmakers sought to close loopholes they said let China work around export limits. AP reported that lawmakers tried four times since September to restrict a “cloud services” workaround in which Chinese firms rent advanced chips via U.S. cloud providers, but the proposals failed each time, including last month.
The U.S. military said it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats targeting civilian ships as Washington moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. ally, said it came under attack from Iran for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April.
President Donald Trump said he would go “a lot further” than a Pentagon plan to remove 5,000 troops from Germany, putting new focus on the U.S. role in Europe. The Pentagon’s Friday announcement followed weeks of tense exchanges with Germany’s chancellor, and comes as the United States has maintained large troop deployments supporting NATO and missions beyond Europe.
Afghanistan accused Pakistan of carrying out cross-border attacks into its eastern Kunar province on Monday that killed at least three civilians and wounded 14, destroying schools, mosques and a health center, as the neighbors’ months-long conflict simmers despite a Chinese-mediated truce.
The United States revoked the U.S. visas of several board executives at La Nación, one of Costa Rica’s leading newspapers, the outlet disclosed Sunday, triggering sharp condemnation from press freedom advocates and opposition figures who view the move as part of a widening pattern of visa weaponization against critics of President Rodrigo Chaves and his close ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.
Li Chuanliang, a former vice mayor from northeastern China, says he has been stalked across three continents and his family detained after he reported his boss’s corruption and fled to the United States. The Chinese government’s pursuit, aided by surveillance software from IBM, Oracle and Microsoft, is part of a broader campaign to hunt dissidents and wayward officials abroad, an Associated Press investigation has found.
Nigeria will repatriate 130 of its citizens from South Africa following a new wave of anti-immigrant protests, Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Monday. The repatriation is voluntary and more Nigerians are expected to register, she said, as she summoned South Africa's acting high commissioner to convey the Nigerian government's 'deep concern.'
Nigeria will repatriate 130 of its citizens living in South Africa following a new wave of anti-immigration protests there, Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Monday. She summoned South Africa’s acting high commissioner to convey Nigeria’s 'profound concern' and described the repatriation effort as voluntary, with more expected to sign up.
The U.S. military launched a strike Tuesday against a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific, killing three men, according to the Pentagon’s Southern Command. The attack came a day after U.S. forces struck an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people, as the Trump administration continues a campaign of destroying suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Afghanistan’s government accused Pakistan on Monday of carrying out cross-border attacks that hit civilian areas in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least three people and wounding 14, amid continued tension between the two neighbors. Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the attacks destroyed schools, mosques and a health center in Kunar province. Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected the allegation and said the accusations followed cross-border firing from Afghan territory into Pakistan.
Nigeria’s foreign minister says the government will repatriate 130 Nigerians living in South Africa after a new wave of anti-immigration protests there. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the repatriation is voluntary and that more people are expected to sign up as the government presses South Africa over concerns, including violence against migrants.
Nigeria’s foreign minister said the government will repatriate 130 Nigerians living in South Africa after fresh anti-immigration protests, and said no Nigerian died in the violence from the previous week. The minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said she summoned South Africa’s interim representative in Nigeria to convey Abuja’s “deep concern.” South Africa’s foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, said he also spoke by phone with Odumegwu-Ojukwu about “irregular migration” and ways to address its drivers.
Costa Rica’s leading newspaper La Nación said the United States has revoked visas for several board executives, prompting calls in Costa Rica for explanations and warning that immigration restrictions are being used to punish critics. The newspaper said the affected members learned about the visa revocations through reports in pro-government media and that Washington gave no reason.
The U.S. government, across five presidential administrations, has repeatedly allowed and actively helped American technology firms sell advanced equipment to Chinese police, government agencies, and surveillance companies, an Associated Press investigation has found. The report documents decades of failed congressional attempts to close loopholes, direct government promotion of security exports, and recent profit-sharing deals between the Trump administration and chipmakers, even as U.S. sanctions targeted Chinese human rights abusers.
NABLUS, West Bank — A Palestinian man was killed and four others wounded, including a 12-year-old, during an Israeli military raid in Nablus on Sunday as schools were dismissing students, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States will launch “Project Freedom” on Monday to guide hundreds of stranded commercial vessels and some 20,000 seafarers out of the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, offering few operational details for what the Pentagon said would involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members.
An Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus left one Palestinian man dead and four others seriously wounded, the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the man’s wife was giving birth when she was informed of his death, and the Red Crescent said a 12-year-old was shot in the shoulder.
Sudan's Rapid Support Forces killed at least five people in a drone strike on a civilian vehicle traveling to Omdurman on Saturday, according to the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers.
Ukraine launched drone strikes against a major Russian oil export port on the Baltic Sea and three tankers it says are part of Moscow's sanctions-evading "shadow fleet" on Sunday, while Russian attacks killed two civilians in the Odesa region and a 77-year-old man west of Moscow.
Young Palestinian artists staged an outdoor exhibition of paintings in central Gaza on Tuesday, capturing the displacement and destruction of the war as a fragile ceasefire continues, the Associated Press reported.
Emergency Lawyers said a drone strike Saturday morning hit a civilian vehicle traveling from Sudan’s White Nile province toward Omdurman, on the outskirts of Khartoum. The rights group said the Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces for more than three years, were responsible.
Ukraine launched a wave of strikes on Russian oil targets on Sunday, hitting the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk and tankers Ukraine said were part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks also hit other military assets and damaged oil port infrastructure. Russian officials did not immediately acknowledge Zelenskyy’s claims.
GAZA STRIP — Young Palestinian artists staged an impromptu outdoor exhibit in Bureij on Tuesday, showing impressions of the war and the fragile ceasefire. The paintings, displayed despite displacement and destruction, came as Israeli strikes and fire continued around parts of Gaza and as ceasefire planning remained uncertain.
President Donald Trump said the United States will start next week an effort to “guide” ships stranded in the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, as two vessels reported attacks in the area. Iran denounced the U.S. move as a ceasefire violation and said it was reviewing Washington’s response to a new proposal to end the war.
Seven OPEC+ members, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed Sunday to raise oil output by 188,000 barrels per day starting in June, citing a commitment to market stability. The decision follows a virtual meeting of the group's key producers but comes as Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already disrupted global energy supplies.
ARMED, HOODED men abducted Mountaga Tall, a former Malian minister and prominent critic of the ruling military junta, from his home in Bamako late Saturday, his family said Sunday. The men did not identify themselves or present an arrest warrant, but a relative said they were from the armed forces, marking the latest incident in a widening crackdown following the country's worst coordinated armed assault in over a decade.
Armed, hooded men abducted former Malian education and science minister Mountaga Tall from his home in Bamako, a family member told The Associated Press, as attacks on Mali’s government spread. Mahmoud Touré said the men stormed Tall’s residence shortly before midnight Saturday, did not identify themselves or provide a reason, and mistreated Tall’s wife while taking his phone.
OPEC+ countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed to a modest increase in oil production starting in June, aiming for “market stability” after a virtual meeting Sunday. The group said it would raise output by 188,000 barrels per day as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf amid the U.S.-Israeli war.
President Donald Trump said Saturday the U.S. will reduce its military presence in Germany “a lot further” than the 5,000-person drawdown the Pentagon announced a day earlier, escalating a dispute with Berlin over European security burdens and the administration’s Iran strategy.
President Donald Trump said Saturday he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal aimed at ending the war, but he also expressed skepticism it would produce a deal. Trump spoke to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, before boarding Air Force One and later posted details about what he said the proposal should address.
A key inflation gauge jumped 3.5% in March from a year earlier — the biggest increase in nearly three years — as the war in Iran drove up gasoline prices, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Yet the U.S. job market showed fresh strength, with new unemployment claims falling to the lowest level since 1969.
Spain’s foreign minister demanded the immediate release of a Spanish-Swedish dual national detained by Israel after its navy intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters, deepening already strained relations between the two governments. A legal advocacy group said Saturday the man and a second detained activist, a Brazilian national, had begun a hunger strike after allegedly being beaten in Israeli custody.
Rising diesel prices linked to the Iran war are accelerating a shift across Africa to power cellphone towers with solar energy, an ongoing industry transition focused on lowering costs and improving network reliability.
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly struck oil refineries and export terminals deep inside Russia over recent weeks, prompting evacuations and raising concerns about severe environmental damage along the Black Sea coast.
A Russian drone attack on a minibus in southern Ukraine killed two people and wounded seven others, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is closely monitoring what he described as unusual activity along the border with Belarus.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven people in southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to Lebanese state media, while Israeli military bulldozers demolished sections of a Catholic convent in the border village of Yaroun, further undermining a fragile ceasefire.
Dubrovnik, Croatia — The old town’s streets are already thick with visitors drawn by its medieval walls and “Game of Thrones” fame, but the Iran war and a global spike in fuel prices are clouding the peak summer season that Croatia’s economy depends on.
Ukraine has carried out drone strikes targeting oil facilities deep inside Russia, in attacks Russian officials say are under control but that have sparked fires, evacuations and environmental warnings. The attacks come as the Iran war has helped lift global fuel prices and replenish Russia’s oil revenues, leaving the ultimate economic impact unclear.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least seven people on Saturday and wounded others as Israel’s military also demolished parts of a Catholic convent in a border village, officials said. The Israeli military issued a new warning for residents of nine villages to evacuate while fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continued despite a ceasefire that began April 17.
Two people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Saturday, local officials said. Regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said seven other people were wounded, and he added that a second minibus was struck later in the day, injuring its driver. In a separate development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had recorded “rather unusual” activity on the Belarus border and would respond if it escalated.
President Donald Trump said the United States will significantly reduce its troop presence in Germany, escalating a dispute with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Pentagon had announced earlier that 5,000 troops would be withdrawn, but Trump told reporters in Florida that the reduction would be “a lot further than 5,000.”
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday after his government was forced to delay the trip when Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight permission under what Taiwanese officials called “strong pressure from the Chinese authorities, including economic coercion.”
Access Now, the New York-based advocacy group behind the annual RightsCon summit, said late Friday it canceled next week’s gathering in Zambia after the government, at China’s behest, demanded that Taiwanese civil-society delegates be excluded from the human rights and technology conference.
Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday after Taiwan postponed his trip when several countries withdrew overflight clearance, which Taiwan said was due to pressure from China. Lai posted that the visit would affirm Taiwan’s “longstanding friendship” with its only diplomatic ally in Africa. China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the trip as a “laughable stunt,” while Taiwan said it followed international law and diplomatic practice.
In Zambia, Access Now said it canceled RightsCon 2026, an international human-rights and technology summit scheduled to open next week, after it was told the Zambian government faced pressure from China to exclude Taiwanese civil-society participants. Access Now said it pushed back on any move to bar Taiwanese delegates and described the government’s request as linked to “moderating specific topics” and excluding at-risk communities from both in-person and online participation.
Spain’s foreign minister called for the immediate release of a Spanish-Swedish activist detained by Israel after an aid flotilla bound for Gaza was intercepted in international waters, a move that has deepened tensions between the two countries. A legal aid group said the detainees, including the man’s Brazilian counterpart, began a hunger strike after what they described as repeated beatings in custody.
U.S. consumers are paying sharply higher prices for gasoline, air travel, shipping, and household goods as the Iran war's disruption of global oil flows enters its third month, with the national average gasoline price hitting $4.30 a gallon — a 44% increase since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
The White House informed Congress on Friday that hostilities with Iran have 'terminated,' a declaration that, if accepted, would nullify the impending 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, President Donald Trump asserted that the conflict that began on Feb. 28 ended when a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April, even as the U.S. Navy continues to blockade Iranian oil tankers. The deadline passed without action from Republican lawmakers, who have repeatedly deferred to the president on war powers.
Ghana officially rejected a proposed U.S. health funding agreement over privacy concerns on Friday, citing inadequate data governance safeguards and a lack of local oversight. The decision follows months of negotiations that officials said would have granted broad access to sensitive national health records without prior domestic approval.
China on Friday granted two years of tariff-free access to its market for the 20 largest African economies, a move that extends duty-free treatment to 53 of the continent’s 54 countries while excluding only Eswatini, which maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The policy took effect as the United States, under President Donald Trump, continues to pursue new import taxes that have sent African exporters looking for alternative markets.
President Donald Trump on Thursday granted a cross-border permit for the Bridger Pipeline Expansion, a major new crude oil line connecting Canada’s energy sector to U.S. markets through Montana and Wyoming. The project, nicknamed “Keystone Light” for its similarities to the canceled Keystone XL line, is slated to carry up to 550,000 barrels of oil daily once construction begins in fall 2027.
Consumers in the United States are starting to feel higher prices across everyday life as an Iran war pushes up gasoline, diesel and jet fuel costs. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. average gas price hit $4.30 a gallon on Thursday—up from $2.98 before the war began—while diesel is averaging nearly $5.50 a gallon, according to AAA.
China began a tariff-free policy for imports from Africa’s 20 largest economies on Friday, while the United States pursues new import taxes under President Donald Trump. The China plan would cover South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Kenya, among others.
President Donald Trump approved a key permit allowing a new Canada-to-U.S. oil pipeline to cross the border in Montana. The Bridger Pipeline Expansion, dubbed “Keystone Light,” would carry up to 550,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada through Montana and Wyoming. Construction would require additional state and federal environmental approvals before the company can begin work.
The Trump administration argued Thursday that its military campaign against Iran has ended under the War Powers Resolution, citing a ceasefire that began April 7 and has since been extended. The position would allow the White House to bypass a Friday deadline to seek congressional approval for hostilities lasting more than 60 days. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advanced the argument during Senate testimony, saying it was the administration’s “understanding” that the 60-day clock is paused during a ceasefire.
The Pentagon announced Friday that it will withdraw about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s threat after he clashed with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S.-led war with Iran.
Syria is marketing itself as a neutral haven and alternate oil transit route as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran expands, with its new government framing the country as a “bridge to security” rather than a battlefield. The Associated Press reports that some Syrians who had fled the civil war to Gulf states are now returning home, citing the relative calm in Damascus and Aleppo compared with the missile barrages hitting Bahrain and other Gulf countries hosting U.S. bases.
BAMAKO, Mali — Some military officers in Mali worked with jihadis and separatist rebels who this week launched the country's largest coordinated assault in over a decade, killing the defense minister and forcing the army to abandon strategic towns across the north, Malian authorities said Friday.
Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 10 people and wounded eight Friday, while Hezbollah launched an explosive drone that wounded two Israeli soldiers in the latest violence since a ceasefire began April 17.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the three-week-old war between the two countries, describing Tehran’s leadership as “disjointed” and saying he was “not satisfied” with the offer.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, declared Thursday that the Islamic Republic will defend its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, calling them non-negotiable national assets in his first public statement since assuming power after his father's death in the opening strikes of the war. The defiant remarks, delivered as U.S. naval forces blockade Iranian oil exports and global crude prices surge past $126 a barrel, signal Tehran's refusal to compromise on the very capabilities President Donald Trump has sought to dismantle.
The wreckage of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Tampa, torpedoed by a German submarine during World War I with the loss of all 131 people aboard, has been located off the coast of Cornwall, England, the Coast Guard announced Wednesday. The British technical-diving team Gasperados found the wreck about 50 miles (80 kilometers) off Newquay at a depth exceeding 300 feet (90 meters) after a three-year search.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is arguing that its war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, a position that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made during Senate testimony and that would allow the White House to avoid seeking congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution. Democrats and some Republicans say the 60-day deadline for approval still applies, even with the ceasefire extended.
Assailants killed Shiite cleric Farhan al-Mansour near Damascus by hurling a grenade into his car, state media reported Friday. The attack occurred in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, where security was boosted and authorities said they launched an investigation.
Mali’s military-run government said late Friday that investigations found “solid evidence” some military officers collaborated with jihadis and separatists behind major attacks this week. Separately, the separatist Azawad Liberation Front said it captured a strategic military camp in the northern town of Tessalit after Mali’s army and its Russian allies withdrew. The attacks also followed reports that militants have blocked roads leading to Bamako, compounding a fuel blockade imposed late last year.
Israel carried out several airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Friday, killing at least 10 people, as Hezbollah said it launched rockets and drones toward northern Israel, where two Israeli soldiers were wounded, the Associated Press reported.
King Charles III’s state visit to the United States drew praise for what U.K. and U.S. observers described as deft handling by the monarch despite tensions in Washington over Iran and other issues. President Donald Trump praised Charles after the four-day trip and said he was lifting tariffs on Scotch in honor of the king and Queen Camilla.
U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war between the countries, telling reporters Friday at the White House that he was “not satisfied” and that it was delivered to mediators in Pakistan. The rejection came as a shaky three-week ceasefire appeared to be holding, even as both sides trade accusations of violations.
The White House told congressional leaders Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated,” a claim the administration said lets it avoid a May 1 War Powers Resolution deadline to seek approval for continued use of force. The letter, sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, asserts the president’s deadline arguments despite the continuing presence of U.S. forces and an ongoing U.S. blockade connected to Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.
A former Miami congressman, David Rivera, was convicted Friday in a secret foreign lobbying case tied to Venezuela’s government during President Donald Trump’s first administration, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. A federal jury found Rivera and an associate, Esther Nuhfer, guilty on charges including failing to register as foreign agents and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Judge Melissa Damian ordered Rivera taken into custody after finding he posed a flight risk.
El líder supremo de Irán, ayatolá Moytabá Jamenei, dijo el jueves que la República Islámica protegerá sus “capacidades nucleares y de misiles” y advirtió que la presencia de estadounidenses en el golfo Pérsico sólo correspondería “en el fondo de sus aguas”. Sus declaraciones se producen mientras Estados Unidos evalúa un plan para reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz y mientras continúa un alto el fuego frágil en la guerra.
The Pentagon said the United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next six to 12 months, a move President Donald Trump has threatened amid clashes with German leader Friedrich Merz over Washington’s war with Iran. The Pentagon said the decision followed a review of its force posture in Europe.
War-battered Syria is using its position outside the U.S.-Israel war with Iran to rebuild ties with Gulf and Western countries, while portraying the country as a safe corridor for regional transport. Syrians who fled during the conflict said the approach is driven by survival, and officials in Damascus said Syria aims to be a “bridge” and a “pillar” of solutions. The International Crisis Group’s Noah Bonsey said the country’s ability to stay on the sidelines has also depended on U.S. troop withdrawals before the Iran fight began.
Ghana has rejected a proposed health deal with the United States after citing worries that U.S. entities would be able to access sensitive Ghanaian health data without adequate safeguards, an official said May 1. The executive director of Ghana’s Data Protection Commission said the requested access would have extended beyond typical needs and included metadata and reporting tools.
A federal judge in New York blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for about 3,000 Yemeni refugees, ruling on Friday that TPS granted to them should be extended while a lawsuit proceeds. The judge, Dale E. Ho, said TPS repeatedly granted to Yemenis and due to expire Monday must be extended again because the United States had already determined the people could face threats if returned to a country still marked by ongoing armed conflict.
A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday blocked the Trump administration from forcing roughly 3,000 Yemeni refugees to leave the U.S., ruling that the Department of Homeland Security failed to follow proper procedures when it ended their Temporary Protected Status. In a sharply worded opinion, U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho criticized former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for describing TPS holders as 'killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies' in a social media post.
A federal jury in Miami convicted former U.S. Representative David Rivera and political consultant Esther Nuhfer on all counts Friday for a clandestine $50 million lobbying campaign on behalf of Venezuela’s government, a case that drew testimony from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and exposed the underbelly of foreign influence operations in South Florida.
International maritime nations preserved a plan to adopt the world’s first global carbon fee on shipping this week, agreeing during talks in London to keep the Net‑zero Framework as the foundation for negotiations while leaving the door open to alternative proposals, according to reporting by the Associated Press. The meeting at the International Maritime Organization ended Friday with delegates scheduling more sessions for the fall, a continuation of the process after the United States and Saudi Arabia blocked adoption last year.
King Charles III’s four-day state visit to the United States this week drew broad acclaim from historians and political observers who described it as a diplomatic master-class, mixing royal pageantry with veiled criticism of Trump administration policies and concluding with President Donald Trump himself lifting tariffs on Scotch whisky in the monarch’s honor.
Maritime nations at the International Maritime Organization headquarters in London preserved a plan for a global carbon fee on shipping emissions, but they agreed to keep discussing alternative approaches through meetings later this year. The framework—known as the “Net-zero Framework”—is intended to create fees for greenhouse gas emissions above allowable limits and to fund incentives and support for the transition, with the United States and Saudi Arabia strongly opposing a carbon fee.
Thousands of Cubans crowded along Havana’s seawall on May Day to celebrate electric and petroleum workers as the island’s power grid continues to deteriorate and outages remain widespread. Electric Union employees and Petroleum Union refinery and fuel workers described operating around the clock and relying on limited fuel amid a continuing gasoline shortage tied to the U.S. energy blockade.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s Iran war strategy and a record $1.5 trillion military budget request in his first Capitol Hill testimony since the conflict began, clashing with Democrats who decried the $25 billion cost, the deaths of 165 people — including children — at a bombed school, and the firing of the Army’s top general.
The U.S. economy continued to expand at a steady pace in early 2026, supported by flush tax refunds and a surge in AI‑related business investment, but surging gasoline prices linked to the Iran war are poised to undercut consumer spending in the months ahead, according to economic data released Thursday and analysis from economists.
A key inflation measure jumped 0.7% in March, pushing the annual rate to 3.5% — the highest in nearly three years — as the Iran war drove gas prices up nearly 21% in a single month, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
A key inflation measure rose in March as gas prices soared, a sign the Iran war is pushing up the cost of living and complicating any timetable for Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts. The Commerce Department reported the inflation gauge climbed 0.7% from February and was up 3.5% from a year earlier.
Americans are paying for the Iran war with higher gasoline prices, but recent data suggest some of the economic damage is being offset for now by large tax refunds and an investment boom tied to artificial intelligence. The Commerce Department reported the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge rose 0.7% in March and 3.5% from a year earlier, while the economy kept growing at a steady pace.
More than half a year after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Gaza’s water crisis shows little sign of easing. Ninety percent of the strip’s water infrastructure was destroyed during the war, and 80 percent of its 2.1 million residents now rely on water delivered by trucks to central distribution points, according to the United Nations-led WASH Cluster. Aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of weaponizing water access in what it calls a 'campaign of collective punishment,' a charge Israeli authorities deny.
The Trump administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of funding and providing political support to rebel groups that have destabilized eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Treasury and State departments announced the sanctions, freezing any U.S.-based assets of Kabila, who led Congo from 2001 to 2019.
The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to reduce the authorized troop ceiling for the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000, refocusing the force on core duties as the country faces renewed violence and a fraying peace deal.
A top commander of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said Thursday that Turkey’s peace initiative with Kurdish militants has been 'frozen,' accusing Ankara of failing to enact promised legal and political reforms. The assessment by PKK co-founder Murat Karayilan directly contradicts Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who told lawmakers a day earlier that the process was moving in a positive atmosphere.
The Netherlands is experiencing a surge in military volunteers, propelled in part by the high-profile enlistment of Queen Maxima and Crown Princess Amalia as reservists, as European nations scramble to strengthen their armed forces amid Russia's war in Ukraine and growing doubts about U.S. commitment to NATO.
Israel has issued sweeping evacuation warnings covering large parts of southern Lebanon since the war with Hezbollah erupted on March 2, displacing over a million people and drawing accusations that the military is using the alerts as a tool of forced displacement. The orders — delivered by text, phone call, social media, and leaflets — have emptied entire villages and sent families fleeing in panic, often with little notice and no safe destination.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed Thursday to protect the country’s nuclear and missile capabilities, in his first public statement since succeeding his father, and declared that Americans belong only “at the bottom” of the Persian Gulf. The remarks, read on state television, signaled that Iran will not trade away its nuclear or ballistic missile programs as part of any ceasefire deal, and that Tehran intends to maintain its blockade-like control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil usually passes.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran is reducing oil production as the American blockade of its exports strains storage capacity and threatens long-term damage to its aging wells, oil analysts said, with the country potentially facing a full shutdown within weeks.
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of supporting rebel groups in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The U.S. Treasury and State Department said Kabila faces a freeze on any assets he has in the United States or that transit through U.S.-jurisdiction financial institutions.
The U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to reduce the ceiling for its peacekeeping force in South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000 troops and extend the mandate until April 30, 2027. The U.S.-drafted resolution passed 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining, and the U.S. ambassador said the effort aims to return the mission to “back to basics,” including keeping the peace, protecting civilians and supporting humanitarian access.
Kurdish militant officials said Turkey has stalled a peace initiative aimed at ending decades of conflict with the PKK, contradicting optimistic statements from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The officials cited what they described as a lack of legal and political reforms, a missed April deadline for legislation, and continued actions they say undermine the process.
Even as the United States and its allies pressure Iran through measures tied to the Strait of Hormuz, the blockade is also starting to threaten Iran’s own oil industry, experts said. With ships filled but unable to leave since April 13, analysts say Iran may face operating limits and storage constraints that could force production cuts in as little as two weeks.
Pete Hegseth faced tough questions from Democratic lawmakers during House and Senate Armed Services committee hearings this week over the Trump administration’s Iran war and its military spending request. Democrats pressed him on ballooning costs, depleted U.S. munitions, and a Feb. 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed more than 165 people, while Hegseth said the Pentagon is committed to preventing civilian deaths.
In Gaza, Palestinians say shortages remain severe more than six months after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stopped most fighting, leaving residents scrambling for delivered water. An Associated Press report describes families in the Muwasi tent camp rationing water from trucks and residents depending on costly bottled supplies amid damage to most of the enclave’s water infrastructure. Doctors Without Borders also accused Israel of using water as a weapon, while Israel’s COGAT denied the allegations.
Iran’s supreme leader said in remarks read on state television that the country will protect its nuclear and missile capabilities, as the U.S. maintains a blockade tied to its efforts to ease tensions in the Persian Gulf. The comments by Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei came as a U.S. State Department cable called for allies to help build a “maritime freedom construct” for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel’s evacuation warnings to residents in southern Lebanon have triggered mass departures and confusion, with some areas receiving detailed or late-night alerts while strikes still hit without warning, the Associated Press reported. The warnings have also coincided with fighting that has continued despite a nominal ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. AP reported that at the peak of the conflict, more than a million people fled, and that UN officials said over 115,000 were sheltering in collective shelters.
Their faces painted with camouflage, reservists in eastern Netherlands trained over a weekend as the Dutch government pushes to grow its force of volunteers and reservists. The effort is drawing extra attention after Queen Maxima and her eldest daughter, Amalia, Princess of Orange, enrolled as volunteer reservists, prompting officials to step up recruiting, training and equipping.
U.S. President Donald Trump extended an invitation to Iraq's newly designated prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, to visit Washington and publicly endorsed the political newcomer following weeks of diplomatic friction over Baghdad's leadership selection.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, and invited him to Washington after he forms a government, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said Thursday. Trump also congratulated al-Zaidi in a post on Truth Social, saying he wished him “success” as he works to form a government “free from terrorism.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced hours of questioning on Wednesday from skeptical Democrats in his first congressional appearance since the Trump administration began its war against Iran. Democrats pressed him and Gen. Dan Caine on the conflict’s rising costs, U.S. munitions drawdowns, and the decision to bomb a school that killed children, while Republicans defended the operation amid ongoing fighting in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bank of England on Thursday kept its main interest rate on hold at 3.75% and signaled that borrowing costs could rise as it assesses the economic hit from the Iran war and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Other major central banks also held rates, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank, while they weigh how long conflict-related volatility will last and how it could affect inflation.
Iran’s national rial fell to a record low as a fragile ceasefire with the United States and Israel largely holds but a U.S. naval blockade continues to pressure Iran’s economy, an Associated Press analysis reported Wednesday. The currency slide, reaching 1.8 million to the dollar, risks adding to already high inflation, as many imports—from food and medicine to electronics—are tied to dollar rates.
The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will leave the Middle East in the coming days and return to Virginia in mid-May after a record-setting deployment of more than 300 days, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. The deployment included participating in the war against Iran and an operation involving Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the officials said.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is studying and reviewing whether to reduce U.S. troop presence in Germany, escalating a public dispute with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The remarks followed Merz’s criticism of Washington over the Iran war and were made as the Strait of Hormuz has remained closed since Feb. 28.
Ukraine’s Security Service said it struck an oil pumping station near Perm, Russia, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is expanding the range of its long-distance drone strikes. Russian officials said a drone hit an unspecified industrial facility and sparked a fire, while Ukraine’s claims were not independently verified.
The U.S. State Department accused China of violating Panama’s sovereignty in a dispute involving ships at Panama Canal-related ports, prompting a sharp response from China that criticized the Trump administration as hypocritical. The latest exchanges come after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged that China was “bullying” Panama-flagged vessels and after Panama took control of two ports earlier this year.
Canada will serve as the headquarters for a new NATO-linked financial institution designed to help alliance members meet defense spending commitments and reduce borrowing costs, a senior government official said Wednesday. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for the bank to be headquartered in Toronto, while Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has said Canada will meet NATO’s defense spending guideline.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told The Associated Press that most of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still stored at the Isfahan site, where the IAEA’s inspections ended after Israel’s attacks last year. Grossi said the agency has satellite images of damage from this year’s U.S.-Israeli airstrikes and that it remains unable to inspect or remove sealed material. He also said the IAEA wants to resume inspections at Natanz and Fordo and discussed possible next steps to move or dilute Iran’s enriched uranium.
King Charles III delivered a speech to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on April 29, extolling ties between the United Kingdom and the United States as the two countries marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In a wide-ranging address, he cited shared democratic roots, invoked historical moments including Magna Carta and 9/11, and urged unity around international security and cooperation.
Russia will hold its Victory Day parade on May 9 on Moscow’s Red Square without tanks, missiles or other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The ministry cited the “current operational situation” and also said cadets will not take part in the 81st anniversary celebrations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Ukraine for “terrorist activity,” referring to drone strikes, as President Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of a ceasefire with U.S. President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a white-tie state dinner at the White House on Tuesday evening, with nearly 130 guests in attendance, according to the Associated Press. AP reported that the guest list drew heavily from business leaders, technology executives and friends from Palm Beach, Florida, along with lawmakers and prominent media figures.
La economía iraní está bajo presión por más de cinco semanas de bombardeos atribuidos a Estados Unidos e Israel, con daños en fábricas y efectos que amenazan con despidos masivos, según un informe publicado el 29 de abril por Associated Press. En paralelo, los precios de alimentos como el pollo, la carne de res y cordero, y varios lácteos han subido con fuerza, mientras Irán advierte que no reabrirá el estrecho de Ormuz hasta que se levante el bloqueo y termine la guerra.
Iran’s economy has been battered by weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes that have hit factories and disrupted supply chains, damaging manufacturing and raising food prices, a new report says. The United States has also blockaded Iranian ports, threatening to choke imports and exports that bring in revenue, while Iran maintains leverage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report’s interviews and officials.
King Charles III marked the 250th anniversary of American independence in a Tuesday address to a joint session of Congress, praising the U.S.-U.K. alliance while warning that leaders should not retreat from global engagement. Speaking during a four-day U.S. visit meant to celebrate the anniversary and mend relations, he urged U.S. support for Ukraine, backed NATO’s role, and urged reflection as U.S. regulations are rolled back on climate change.
The Bank of England kept its main interest rate on hold at 3.75% on Thursday and signaled that policy could turn to hikes as it assesses the economic blow from the Iran war and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Other major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank, also held rates this week as they weigh how long conflict-linked volatility may persist and how it will affect inflation.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday rejected Democratic legislation that would have required President Donald Trump to obtain congressional approval before ending the U.S. energy blockade against Cuba unless lawmakers agreed otherwise. Republicans voted to dismiss the war powers resolution, arguing the United States is not in “out of outright hostilities” with Cuba, delivering a 51-47 tally.
Ukraine said it used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, calling it a record monthly total since Russia launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago. The Ukrainian defense minister also said new steps are aimed at scaling interceptor supplies and extending the range of deep strikes. Meanwhile, Ukraine said its domestically developed long-range attack drones hit a Russian oil refinery and terminal near the Black Sea port of Tuapse for the third time in less than two weeks.
Mali held a funeral on Thursday for former defense minister Gen. Sadio Camara, who was killed during last weekend’s coordinated militant attack in the country. The ceremony, after two days of national mourning, was attended by junta leader Gen. Assimi Goita and broadcast live on national television.
Marines boarded the Blue Star III during the U.S. blockade of Iranian port activity, the U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, and released the vessel after searching it and confirming it would not call at an Iranian port. The U.S. says the blockade is meant to squeeze Iran amid a ceasefire in the war and as Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz ripple through global shipping.
U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened to pull American troops out of Germany, a key NATO ally and the European Union’s largest economy, after comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In social media posts on Wednesday and Thursday, Trump said the U.S. was reviewing possible reductions, with a “determination” to follow soon, and advised Merz to focus on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and fixing Germany.
China’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it conducted naval and air combat readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, days after the Philippines and the United States began annual drills. The Philippines accused China of using force to prevent access by fishermen and the coast guard to Huangyan Dao, a shoal it says has been under Philippine control until 2012.
Mali’s junta leader, Col. Assimi Goita, met Russia’s ambassador in Bamako on Tuesday, his first public appearance since a massive weekend attack by Islamic militants and separatists. Goita gave a televised address vowing military operations would continue, while Russia’s defense ministry denounced the assault as a coup attempt and said it was thwarted by Russian forces supporting Malian troops.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside Serbia’s public broadcaster RTS in Belgrade, urging the Balkan country to pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and said Serbia should not broadcast or watch the contest.
Guyana complained to Caribbean leaders after Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez wore a pin on official visits showing a map of Guyana’s Essequibo region that Venezuela claims as its own, the Associated Press reported. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali warned that the pin could be seen as Caricom members’ tolerance of Venezuela’s territorial position. Caricom later said official “platforms and engagements should not be used” to legitimize claims under ongoing judicial proceedings.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will investigate a U.S. indictment of 10 current and former officials accused in New York of drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, and she vowed Mexico would not allow foreign interference in prosecutorial decisions. The move follows Mexico’s statement that it saw an extradition request but found it lacked evidence to justify arrests.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday for a four-day U.S. state visit that officials say is meant to reinforce ties, even as tensions between President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer have surfaced over the Iran war. Trump greeted the royals upon arrival and later said the trip could “absolutely” help repair the trans-Atlantic relationship. Charles is scheduled to speak to a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday.
As residents return to Sudan’s capital Khartoum after months of fighting, unexploded ordnance and landmines left behind by the war are creating a growing danger across the city, the Associated Press reported. Deminers are clearing contaminated areas, but aid groups warn the work could take years amid limited funding and international attention.
NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market’s record-breaking rally slowed Monday after weekend uncertainty about what comes next in the Iran war, while oil prices rose. The S&P 500 edged 0.1% higher to another all-time high; the Dow slipped 62 points and the Nasdaq rose 0.2%.
Islamic State militants attacked a village in northeastern Nigeria overnight, killing at least 29 people, authorities said April 27. The attack occurred in Guyaku, in Adamawa state, and the Islamic State group said it carried out the attack in a Telegram message, authorities said.
An alliance of al-Qaida-linked militants and separatists carried out Mali’s largest coordinated attack in more than a decade, striking multiple locations across the country on Saturday, the Associated Press reported. The weekend attacks included the airport in Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and cities in the north such as Kidal, where the separatist Azawad Liberation Front said it seized control. Authorities had not released an official death toll by Monday.
Amin Gemayel, the former Lebanese president who previously signed a short-lived peace agreement with Israel, said Wednesday Lebanon should try again during renewed direct talks between the countries. In an interview with The Associated Press, Gemayel said an agreement could start with an armistice and stop short of full normalization. He also said Hezbollah has taken major blows and that he supports its disarmament, while acknowledging the current talks face anger and criticism amid continued fighting.
President Donald Trump relayed details from a private meeting with Britain’s King Charles III during a U.S. state dinner on Tuesday, saying the king agreed that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons. The remark, made during the dinner honoring Charles and Queen Camilla, prompted mild consternation among British pundits because diplomatic protocol discourages discussing closed-door conversations with the monarch.
United Nations officials opened the monthslong Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review conference with an appeal to prevent nuclear annihilation. As the U.N. session began, the United States and Iran clashed over Tehran’s nuclear program and disputed whether Iran is meeting its NPT obligations.
Cubans have been signing up for the “My signature for the Homeland” campaign launched by President Miguel Díaz-Canel earlier this month, as the United States and Cuba trade sharper rhetoric over sanctions and threats of aggression. Supporters say the signatures are a message to Washington that Cubans want peace but will defend their sovereignty, while some critics question why people are lining up amid hunger and economic stress on the island.
Mortars and missiles fired from Pakistan hit a university and civilian homes in northeastern Afghanistan on Monday, Afghan officials said, killing seven people and wounding at least 85. The strikes marked the first major violence since Chinese-mediated peace talks between the two sides earlier this month, Afghan and Pakistani officials said.
Brenda Obare used to light her stove with a quick turn of the knob in Nairobi’s Kibera neighborhood. Now, higher costs and disruptions linked to the Iran war often leave her cooking outside with charcoal when LPG, kerosene or electricity are out of reach.
The U.K. expelled a Russian diplomat on Wednesday in retaliation for Russia expelling a British official earlier and for what Britain said was a smear campaign that followed. Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it summoned the Russian ambassador in London to deliver “reciprocal action,” as tensions between Moscow and Western governments continue to spiral.
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian officials said Wednesday that 13 Australian women and children who left the Roj camp for relatives of suspected Islamic State militants are stuck in Syria because Australia has refused to repatriate them. Syria’s information ministry said the families were turned back before reaching Damascus International Airport, citing a decision by the Australian government not to receive them.
A surgeon in Omdurman, Sudan, has spent years operating at Al Nao hospital as the war destroyed staff, supplies and electricity near the front line, the Associated Press reported. Dr. Jamal Eltaeb said he kept working even after the hospital was bombed multiple times and medicines and fuel ran out.
Indian Capt. Rahul Dhar and his crew have been stranded on their tanker in the Persian Gulf for about eight weeks as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shut during the Iran war. The crew has watched drones and missiles explode during the conflict, and some have reported shortages of food and drinking water while staying in contact with families becomes harder.
Pakistan’s military said it destroyed several Afghan Taliban posts in a remote area of southwestern Balochistan on Wednesday, calling the strikes a response to “unprovoked aggression.” Pakistan also reported attacks on hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban near Chaman, after a mortar shell fired by the Afghan Taliban killed a civilian and wounded two people there. The moves come after days of cross-border accusations involving Afghanistan and Pakistan, including reports of shelling and strikes in Afghanistan’s east.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum ruled out a conflict with the United States over an incident in Chihuahua in which two CIA agents died in an accident. Speaking at a morning news briefing on Monday, she said she hopes the episode remains isolated and that the federal government expects the U.S. to respect Mexico’s constitution and national security laws going forward.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the National 9/11 Memorial in New York on Wednesday as part of a four-day diplomatic trip to the United States marking 250 years of American independence. The royal couple laid flowers at the memorial and met with victims’ relatives, first responders and local dignitaries before continuing to other events across the city.
Irán propuso poner fin a su control del estrecho de Ormuz a cambio de que Estados Unidos levante el bloqueo y ponga fin a la guerra, según funcionarios regionales. La oferta, transmitida por Pakistán, trasladaría las discusiones sobre el programa nuclear iraní a una etapa posterior, dijeron los funcionarios.
Congo announced the creation of a paramilitary guard to secure its mining operations, backed by U.S. and Emirati investments, as it seeks more control over mineral supply chains amid insecurity in the east. The General Inspectorate of Mines said the force would be deployed gradually, with an initial 2,500 to 3,000 personnel expected to be operational by December after six months of training. The program is funded through partnerships with the United States and the United Arab Emirates, according to the statement.
Colombia’s defense ministry and analysts say rebel groups carried out dozens of attacks in the country’s southwest in the days before a May 31 presidential election, raising security fears for voters and government bases.
Lebanon detained Ashraf Dabbour, the former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon, shortly after his arrival at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport on corruption charges, Lebanese authorities said. Authorities said Dabbour was arrested late Tuesday and was being questioned by a judge at the prosecutor’s office in Beirut.
The U.S. military says its latest strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific killed three people Sunday, according to U.S. Southern Command. The Trump administration has repeatedly struck suspected drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters, with critics questioning the legality and the lack of publicly provided evidence.
Talks between the United States and Iran appeared to fail before they began as Tehran’s top diplomat left Pakistan and President Donald Trump said he told U.S. envoys not to travel to Islamabad. The negotiations were intended to follow face-to-face meetings earlier this month between U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
Islamic militants and separatists carried out coordinated attacks across Mali on Saturday, including at Bamako’s international airport, the Associated Press reported. Mali’s government said 16 people were wounded and did not give a death toll, while the militants’ claim also pointed to central and northern cities.
An explosive device killed 13 people traveling on a bus in southwestern Colombia on Saturday and injured at least 38, authorities said. The attack occurred along the Panamerican Highway in Cajibío, as Colombia reported a recent run of explosions and drone attacks linked to drug-trafficking violence in the region.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipments. The push comes amid a tenuous U.S.-Iran ceasefire and is expected to take months, Pentagon officials and outside experts said.
President Donald Trump’s administration is imposing sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and about 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil, the Treasury Department said. The move cuts the firms off from the U.S. financial system and threatens secondary sanctions on others who do business with them.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. will not renew waivers that allow oil sales from Iran and Russia, as global energy markets remain strained by the war in Iran and disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz.
Palestinians buried a woman pregnant with twins and two of her children after Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday, while local hospitals said at least 13 people were killed in Friday’s attacks. The toll included eight people killed in Khan Younis after Israel targeted a police vehicle, and Gaza’s health ministry later said Israeli attacks have killed more than 790 people since a fragile ceasefire began about six months earlier.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the European Union’s push to bolster its own defense capabilities is meant to strengthen the NATO alliance, not create an alternative, during talks in Athens on April 25 with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says Afghans who helped the U.S. during its war and have been stuck in Qatar can return home safely, according to a statement issued Saturday by spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi. The remarks came after reports that the Trump administration is discussing potentially relocating about 1,100 people and relatives of U.S. service members to Congo.
President Donald Trump said he ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats this week as fighting disrupts the Strait of Hormuz. A new Associated Press analysis compares the current risk to shipping with Iran’s 1980s “tanker war” campaign, when Iran targeted vessels during its war with Iraq and U.S. warships escorted Kuwaiti tankers.
Officials and visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey gathered in northwest Turkey to commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on Saturday, April 25. The ceremony began at 5:30 a.m. local time near a beach where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps first landed in 1915.
Pope Leo XIV urged the United States and Iran to return to talks to end the war as he traveled home from an Africa trip, condemning capital punishment in a press conference aboard the papal plane. He also said countries have the right to control their borders but urged that migrants not be treated “worse than house pets, animals.”
Russian drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least five people and wounded dozens, authorities said Saturday, as Ukraine also reported attacks across the region. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is open to continuing peace talks with Russia in Azerbaijan following meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
President Donald Trump has extended or reached ceasefires involving Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Gaza, but the underlying disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, regional proxies and Gaza governance remain unresolved. In separate assessments of the Iran-related, Lebanon and Gaza truce arrangements, analysts and officials warned that the visible fighting may pause while the broader tensions continue.
Ukrainians who work at the Chernobyl site said a Russian drone strike on Feb. 14, 2025, damaged the plant’s protective New Safe Confinement structure. They said the incident underscored how Russia’s war has disrupted assumptions about nuclear safety, and that dismantling work is on hold. Officials and experts said monitoring did not show a rise in radiation levels outside the arch and that no injuries were reported.
European Union leaders meeting in Cyprus said the Iran war and the resulting disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed the bloc to explore projects that would move energy exports through new routes and avoid choke points. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is ready to work with Persian Gulf countries on alternative infrastructure and to help repair energy sites damaged in the conflict.
Mexico’s Ministry of Security said Saturday that two U.S. federal agents killed in a car crash in northern Mexico were not authorized to participate in operations on Mexican territory. The ministry said one entered as a visitor and the other with a diplomatic passport, and it said it was reviewing the case with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw and met with Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the military-backed government, as part of a regional tour aimed at strengthening Beijing’s political, security and strategic ties in Southeast Asia.
Atlanta will again receive giant pandas as China announced it will send two animals to Zoo Atlanta, a move announced in Beijing as the Trump visit to China approaches. The China Wildlife Conservation Association said the male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang will kick off a decade-long conservation partnership, with Zoo Atlanta saying it is ready after facility upgrades.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will begin a four-day U.S. state visit next week, with ceremonies at the White House and a formal arrival at Washington’s presidential headquarters. Despite tensions tied to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy toward Iran, the visit will emphasize what officials and historians call the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, including a commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks and honors for fallen U.S. service members.
Panama said Cuba released three of 10 citizens detained earlier this year in Havana, where they were accused of making subversive propaganda. The women have arrived in Panama, while seven others remain detained, the Panamanian government said.
The U.S. military said it carried out another strike Friday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people, according to U.S. Southern Command. The military did not provide evidence that any vessels were carrying drugs.
A Lebanese journalist wounded in an Israeli airstrike that killed her colleague described hours of agony as she waited for rescue to arrive, in an interview with The Associated Press. Zeinab Faraj said the strike hit a car in the village of al-Tiri, about 8 kilometers from the Israel border, days after a fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire began.
Lebanon resident Houssam Naddaf said an Israeli soldier smashed a crucifix in his family’s garden in the southern village of Debel, an image that spread online and drew condemnation. Israel’s military later said it replaced the statue, and Naddaf said the family accepted an Italy-donated crucifix through U.N. peacekeepers while Israeli-installed and Italy-donated versions were set out amid village church leaders.
Iran’s war has started to ripple through the U.S. consumer economy, pushing up the cost of petroleum-derived materials that go into thousands of everyday goods, an Associated Press report said. In March, a toy maker in Florida said suppliers in China told it polyester and acrylic inputs were 10% to 15% more expensive after the war began. Trade groups and companies also warned that higher oil and petrochemical costs could feed into gasoline prices, shipping costs and retail pricing through late 2026 and into 2027.
Pedro Sánchez declined to engage a reported dispute with the United States over whether NATO members could face penalties for not supporting American operations in the Iran war, saying he works from official positions. Speaking at a European Union summit in Cyprus, he said Spain’s stance is “absolute collaboration with the allies” but “always within the framework of international legality.”
President Donald Trump is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to meet with Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, after Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday, the White House said. The talks are aimed at reviving U.S.-Iran ceasefire discussions amid a war that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, rolled out preview versions of its latest major model update on Friday, launching V4 and introducing “pro” and “flash” versions. The rollout comes as U.S. firms and regulators increasingly scrutinize how leading AI systems are developed, and as DeepSeek positions its models as more competitive with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.
A U.S. special forces soldier was granted $250,000 unsecured bond in North Carolina after federal prosecutors alleged he used classified information about a mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to win money on Polymarket. The case moves to a New York federal courthouse, after a magistrate judge ordered the soldier to report there by Tuesday, according to the court proceedings reported by the Associated Press.
Businesses have paid as much as $4 million for last-minute slots to cross the Panama Canal as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed amid the Iran war, the Panama Canal Authority said. The rush has driven auction prices and rerouted or repurchased shipments across global supply chains, lawyers and the canal administrator said.
Many airlines have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up prices, and the disruption is arriving as summer travel demand ramps up. Travelers facing cancellations can encounter different rules for refunds, rebooking and compensation depending on where they fly.
A U.S. Army major who works as a nurse at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, has been charged with conspiring to provide financial and tactical support to separatist fighters in Cameroon, according to federal court records unsealed this week. The charges accuse Maj. Kenneth Chungag and co-defendant Mercy Akwi Ombaku of plotting to transfer money from the U.S. to buy AK-47 assault rifles for the Ambazonia Defense Forces.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro met in Caracas with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez for their first meeting since U.S. forces seized former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their home in January, the Associated Press reported. The leaders were expected to discuss migration, defense, border security, and industrial cooperation and trade.
A Cuban diplomat said Havana will not consider releasing political prisoners as part of new talks with the United States, rejecting U.S. “ultimatums” and saying detainees’ status is an internal matter. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations, made the remarks in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, as secret talks resumed in Havana.
President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. He said the meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors “very well,” but acknowledged “they do have Hezbollah to think about,” as violations continued since the initial ceasefire began last Friday.
Cash-strapped Ukraine secured a European Union wartime loan on Thursday, with EU leaders approving a €90 billion ($106 billion) package days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said repairs to the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba oil pipeline would allow oil to resume to Slovakia and Hungary. The funds, negotiated amid months of delays and political friction inside the bloc, are expected to start flowing in coming months, with Ukraine to receive €45 billion for the remainder of 2026 and another €45 billion in 2027.
China is acting as an unofficial mediator in diplomacy around the Iran war, a role that has drawn attention as U.S. actions strain Beijing’s long-standing alliances, the Associated Press reported. The report said Washington and Tehran view China as having played a part in efforts to de-escalate the conflict, including urging Iran back to talks via Pakistan. China has not publicly confirmed some accounts of its leverage.
Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job, the Pentagon abruptly announced Wednesday, without providing a reason. The service’s acting head will be Undersecretary Hung Cao, a Navy combat veteran who has led unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Virginia.
President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a day after Iran showed it could disrupt shipping through the channel, according to a post he made Thursday.
Haiti’s new UN-backed gang-fighting force has received more pledges than the 5,500 members it is seeking, with Chadian troops already deployed in Port-au-Prince, the U.N. special envoy said after briefing the U.N. Security Council.
The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on foreign companies it says are exploiting U.S. artificial intelligence models by “distilling” capabilities, a move that singles out China amid intensifying U.S.-China competition in AI. In a memo, Michael Kratsios, the president’s chief science and technology adviser, said the White House will work with U.S. AI companies to identify such activity, build defenses and punish offenders.
DeepSeek previewed versions of its latest major AI model update Friday, offering “pro” and “flash” releases and saying they improve knowledge, reasoning and “agentic” capabilities. The rollout comes as U.S. companies and allies accuse DeepSeek and other Chinese labs of building by distilling capabilities from U.S. models, and as China pushes for more self-reliance in chips.
Online prediction-market platforms drew heavy betting on whether President Donald Trump would take steps tied to the Iran conflict, after his public threats and statements, according to an Associated Press report. The betting included wagers on Polymarket and Kalshi, businesses linked to Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., as well as other Trump-related political questions.
Two Chinese nationals face U.S. charges alleging they managed a large Myanmar cyberscam compound where, prosecutors say, workers were forced to participate in cryptocurrency investment fraud scams. The complaint, unsealed in Washington, details alleged management of the Shunda Park compound in Min Let Pan before it was seized by armed forces in November 2025.
Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, met Vietnam’s prime minister, Le Minh Hung, in Hanoi on Wednesday to discuss deeper cooperation in trade, technology and digital transformation, according to Tsahkna and Vietnam’s state media. Tsahkna said Estonia could help Vietnam digitize public services and ease bureaucracy, while Hung asked Estonia to urge the European Union to ratify an investment protection agreement and to support EU efforts to lift a “yellow card” restricting Vietnamese seafood imports.
President Donald Trump has leaned on naval blockades to pressure Venezuela, Cuba and now Iran, but experts say the Middle East standoff has key differences. They point to Iran’s ability to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz—where about 20% of the world’s oil flows—and to the sustained military challenge it creates. The experts also question whether a blockade can force Tehran to reopen the strait quickly.
The Trump administration is considering sending more than 1,000 Afghan allies who helped the U.S. war effort and relatives of U.S. service members held in Qatar to a third country, U.S. officials and advocates said. The proposal includes Congo as an option, with the State Department saying it is working to “voluntarily” resettle the group but not confirming where.
Anthropic told a federal appeals court it cannot manipulate its Claude artificial-intelligence tool once it is deployed in classified Pentagon military networks, arguing the Pentagon’s efforts to label it a national-security risk are unlawful retaliation. The company’s lawyers filed a 96-page submission ahead of oral arguments scheduled for May 19.
U.S. stocks fell Tuesday as investors weighed uncertainty about what follows a U.S.-Iran ceasefire scheduled to expire Wednesday, while oil prices rose after Trump said the truce would be extended. The S&P 500 finished down 0.6% after swinging earlier, and Brent settled at $98.48, up 3.1%.
Iran has granted its commanders greater autonomy over some militias in Iraq, allowing certain groups to carry out operations without Tehran’s approval, the Associated Press reported April 21, citing interviews with two militia members and two other officials. The shift, driven by the pressures of the war, reflects a more decentralized command structure in which hard-line factions operate with Iranian advisers, the officials said.
Wall Street has kept pushing U.S. stocks to new records even as the Iran war continues, gasoline remains expensive and households feel less confident about the economy. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 closed at a record 7,137.90, with investors pointing less to war-related fear and more to company profits.
Stocks in Asia were mixed Wednesday after Wall Street rallied on hopes the United States and Iran may resume talks to end their war, with oil prices edging lower. Brent crude dipped about 0.2% while U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.4%, helping ease pressure on costs and inflation expectations. In Washington, President Donald Trump said he was extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request while awaiting a “unified proposal” from Tehran.
Asian shares were mixed and oil prices were little changed on Wednesday as investors watched for potential U.S.-Iran talks to end their war. Brent crude edged up to $98.51 a barrel while U.S. benchmark crude fell to $89.29. In the background, markets weighed signs the United States and Iran may resume negotiations, after U.S. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip intended to lead U.S. negotiators in talks.
President Donald Trump has used naval blockades to pressure Venezuela, Cuba and now Iran, but analysts say the situation in the Middle East is not comparable to the Caribbean. Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, they say, could amplify economic pain while also requiring a longer military commitment far from U.S. shores.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States will indefinitely extend its ceasefire with Iran, a day before it was set to expire, after Pakistan requested the change. He said the extension comes as a new round of U.S.-Iran peace talks is on hold, while both countries issue warnings about what could happen if no deal is reached.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country has finished repairing a damaged section of the Druzhba oil pipeline and is preparing to resume operations, while warning Russia could strike again. The repair work comes as Ukraine seeks to unlock a major European Union loan package that has been blocked amid disputes involving Hungary and Slovakia.
The Pentagon said U.S. forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, conducting a “right-of-visit maritime interdiction” of the M/T Tifani “without incident.” The ship was captured in the Bay of Bengal, and a U.S. defense official said it was carrying Iranian oil.
Washington is considering a plan to potentially move more than 1,000 Afghan allies and relatives of U.S. service members from a U.S. base in Qatar to a third country, according to the U.S. government and advocates. The State Department is working to identify “voluntary” resettlement options but has not confirmed which nations are under discussion.
President Donald Trump’s administration sent a government plane to Cuba to return a 10-year-old from Utah after a custody fight tied to the child’s gender identity, the Justice Department said. The child’s parent, Rose Inessa-Ethington, was arrested with her partner, Blue Inessa-Ethington, and charged in federal court with international parental kidnapping.
More than a dozen Equatorial Guinea Catholics who fled abuses abroad say Pope Leo XIV’s visit risks giving President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo new legitimacy amid longtime allegations of repression. In interviews, some said the Vatican trip could serve as image repair for a government accused by activists of rights abuses, even as the Vatican and church leaders say they will emphasize justice.
Vietnam and Estonia moved to deepen cooperation on trade, technology and digital services during meetings in Hanoi, Estonia’s foreign minister said. Margus Tsahkna met Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on Wednesday and discussed digital cooperation after a 2025 agreement between the two countries. The prime minister also urged Estonia to press the European Union to ratify an investment protection accord and address an EU “yellow card” affecting Vietnamese seafood imports.
Cuban exiles say President Donald Trump’s renewed threats toward Cuba have revived hopes for political change, while also raising fears that claims to property seized after Fidel Castro took power in 1959 could be sidelined in any broader deal. Lawyers and property owners say negotiations between Washington and Havana will need to address a maze of legal claims and statutes, including the Helms-Burton law.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te postponed a visit to Eswatini this week after three countries along his Africa route withdrew permission for his plane to fly over their territories, his office said Tuesday. Eswatini is Taiwan’s sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa, and Lai had been scheduled to visit April 22-26, according to his office.
UK cyber chief Richard Horne warned at a CyberUK conference in Glasgow that the most serious cyberattacks against the country are now carried out by hostile nations including Russia, Iran and China. Horne, head of the National Cyber Security Centre, said the U.K. could face cyberattacks “at scale” in the event of an international conflict.
Japan approved Tuesday the removal of a ban on exporting lethal weapons, a Cabinet decision that rewrites parts of the country’s postwar pacifist approach as it seeks to strengthen its defense industry amid concerns about aggression from China and North Korea.
U.S. officials were working for the CIA when two of them died in a vehicle crash in northern Mexico while returning from a mission to destroy a clandestine drug lab, AP reported, citing a U.S. official and other people familiar with the case. Mexican authorities said two Mexican investigators also were killed during a convoy returning from an operation targeting drug-lab operations in the state of Chihuahua.
A college student from China, Tianrui Liang, was arrested April 7 at a New York airport while trying to leave the United States for Glasgow, Scotland, the FBI said. Federal prosecutors charge that Liang illegally took photos of U.S. military aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska during a road trip that included stops at other bases.
Japan on Tuesday scrapped a ban on lethal weapons exports, approving new guidelines that mark a major change to the country’s postwar pacifist policy as it seeks to strengthen its arms industry. The cabinet approved by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi clears hurdles for arms sales, including Japanese-developed warships and combat drones, with approvals also shaped by national security review. Chinese and Japanese critics warned the change could increase tensions, while Japanese officials said it will help ensure safety and build an industrial base for defense resilience.
LONDON (AP) — A former senior British official testified to Parliament that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office pushed for Peter Mandelson to be approved as Britain’s ambassador to Washington even though security vetting had not been completed. Olly Robbins, Starmer’s former foreign office head who was fired last week, told lawmakers Tuesday that Downing Street showed “dismissive” attitudes toward security checks and focused on getting Mandelson into post quickly.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will demand explanations after U.S. Embassy instructors died in a crash in northern Chihuahua following an operation to destroy a clandestine drug lab. She said her government was not informed of the operation and that any collaboration with foreign entities on Mexican territory without federal permission would violate Mexican law.
Cuban exiles are weighing renewed hope and worry as President Donald Trump threatens military action against Cuba and pressures negotiations between Washington and Havana, with property-seizure claims from after Fidel Castro’s 1959 takeover at the center of talks. Lawyers and landowners in exile say the claims could span hundreds of thousands of people, and that any settlement could determine whether they receive compensation. (Associated Press)
U.S. military officials on Tuesday urged the Pentagon’s budget for fiscal 2027 to increase spending on drones and air-defense systems that have been central to the war in the Middle East against Iran, according to a briefing with reporters. As part of the administration’s push for a larger overall defense budget, the Pentagon’s proposal calls for more than $74 billion for drones and related technology and over $30 billion for critical munitions including missile interceptors, officials said.
Rat poison has been discovered in HiPP baby food jars across Central Europe, prompting urgent recalls and warnings from health authorities Monday. Austria's Health Minister Korinna Schumann said countries pulled the baby food from shelves after rat poison was found in jars sold at SPAR supermarkets. Similar contamination was confirmed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with authorities investigating the cases as intentional poisoning.
Comandos de la Frontera, a rebel group operating in southwestern Colombia, launched a drone strike Monday that killed three soldiers and injured two others, according to Colombia's army. The attack occurred in Ipiales, a municipality in the southwest that borders Ecuador.
Amtrak canceled and rerouted multiple train services in Florida on Monday because of a 2,700-acre wildfire burning in the state's northeast, the railroad said.
President Donald Trump offered mixed signals Monday about the path forward in the U.S. war against Iran as a 14-day ceasefire set to expire Wednesday, warning that "lots of bombs" will "start going off" if no agreement is reached while also declaring he felt no pressure to conclude the conflict. Tensions flared over the weekend when the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship and Iran fired on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, further straining the truce. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, said his country would not negotiate "under the shadow of threats," while Trump indicated his negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance, would proceed with talks in Pakistan.
Aboard the Sea Moon, an oil tanker plying contested waters between the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, Iraqi Captain Rahman Al-Jubouri continues to work in one of the world's most volatile maritime corridors. The tanker moves through waters where the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has disrupted global trade and left some crews stranded and exposed to military strikes.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war stalled again over the weekend as both sides refused to budge on their demands, deepening a standoff that has sent oil prices soaring and strangled Iran's economy. Iran proposed a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade and agreeing to a long-term truce—but notably excluded negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, a core issue for President Donald Trump. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration would not accept any agreement that leaves Iran's nuclear capability unresolved. Each side is waiting for the other to concede. With the ceasefire set to extend indefinitely and global energy markets under strain, the diplomatic window is narrowing.
A trial began Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, for Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national accused of scouting the route a suicide bomber would take to the Kabul airport before a 2021 attack. The bombing, at Abbey Gate, killed approximately 160 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members during the American military's chaotic final withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sharifullah's defense attorney told jurors that the U.S. government "got the wrong man," saying his client gave a false confession.
Cuba's government confirmed Monday it had recently met with U.S. State Department officials on the island in early April—the first such diplomatic engagement since 2016—as both sides remain at odds over the U.S. energy blockade. Senior Cuban officials led by Alejandro García del Toro, deputy director general for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with an American delegation that included assistant secretaries of state. García del Toro said the exchange was conducted "respectfully and professionally" and that the U.S. delegation "did not issue any threats or deadlines."
Reza Dindar, a 44-year-old Iranian citizen indicted in 2014 for smuggling military sonar equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, was extradited to Seattle and made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday. Dindar was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at U.S. request.
Iraq and Syria reopened a key border crossing on Monday for the first time in more than a decade, with officials highlighting its potential for trade and oil exports. The crossing, known as Rabia in Iraq and Yarubiyah in Syria, had been closed since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. Syria described the reopened route as a safe overland alternative for oil exports to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint in the ongoing Iran conflict.
The United States Navy attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday as it attempted to breach a U.S. naval blockade, according to President Donald Trump and the military. Iran's Joint Military Command called the boarding piracy and a violation of a ceasefire set to expire Wednesday, raising doubts about planned diplomatic talks in Pakistan scheduled to begin Monday. The seizure marks the first naval intercept since the U.S. began blockading Iranian ports last week, escalating a standoff that has already killed thousands in a conflict now in its eighth week.
Pope Leo XIV made an unprecedented direct appeal on April 7 to American voters to contact their representatives and demand an end to the Iran war. The appeal marks the Vatican's most direct political intervention in U.S. affairs since the Cuban Missile Crisis and comes amid escalating tension with President Trump over the pope's peace messaging during a four-nation Africa tour.
U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London over the past month are the work of Iranian proxies. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues, Jewish charity ambulances, and an attack on a Persian-language media company critical of Iran's government. No one has been injured in any of the incidents, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue on Saturday night.
Four decades after the 1986 nuclear explosion that forced the evacuation of Chernobyl, the exclusion zone has become an unexpected sanctuary for wildlife. Przewalski horses—nearly extinct in the wild and introduced to the zone in 1998—graze across the radiation-soaked landscape. Wolves prowl where humans once lived. Bears, absent from the region for over a century, have returned, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it has fully closed the Strait of Hormuz until a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is lifted and warned ships approaching the waterway would be targeted. The Associated Press reported the closure followed Iran’s reversal of a prior reopening, with Iran firing on ships attempting to pass amid a standoff tied to the wider war that began Feb. 28.
An armed man opened fire on tourists at Teotihuacán pyramids Monday, killing one Canadian and wounding at least 13 others at the archaeological site north of Mexico City, authorities said. The gunman was identified as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso of Mexico, a state official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. He later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
South Korea President Lee Jae Myung met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, pledging to nearly double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030. Modi said both sides aim to raise trade from about $27 billion through stronger supply chains, better market access and more investment.
Oil prices climbed Monday while U.S. stocks gave back a portion of their record-breaking rally, as fresh tensions between Washington and Tehran overshadowed optimism about corporate earnings. The United States had just seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel it said had tried to evade a blockade of Iranian ports. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its record high for just its second decline in 14 trading days, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped less than 0.1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3% to 24404.39. Brent crude oil climbed 5.6% to $95.48 as investors worried Iran could continue restricting petroleum exports from the Persian Gulf.
Indigenous delegates gathered at the United Nations in April for the world's largest gathering of Indigenous peoples, but many confronted visa denials from the Trump administration and warned of escalating threats to their lands, health, and cultural knowledge.
The United States seized an Iranian cargo ship attempting to evade a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday, reigniting US-Iran military tensions and sending global oil prices higher. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 5.3% to $95.21 per barrel on concerns Iran might restrict the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. Wall Street stocks declined modestly, with the S&P 500 down 0.3% by midday trading and the Nasdaq down 0.5%.
In April, Russian drone strikes on Ukraine killed at least two people as the Ukrainian military targeted a Russian drone manufacturing facility, escalating the exchange of long-range attacks between the countries. A "massive" nighttime drone strike on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine killed a 16-year-old boy and wounded four others, according to Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, the head of the city's military administration. Russian drones also attacked the southern city of Kherson, where a man died of his wounds after a drone hit a van in the city center, according to regional administrator Oleksandr Prokudin. The Ukrainian military said it struck the Atlant Aero factory in Taganrog, a drone manufacturing facility in southwestern Russia, using Neptune cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials said the strike sparked a fire at the site, which designs and produces reconnaissance drones and components for armed unmanned aircraft.
The United States Navy seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first interception since launching a new blockade of Iranian ports last week. Iran's joint military command said the boarding violated the ceasefire and called it an act of piracy, vowing swift response. The seizure raised immediate questions about planned diplomatic talks set to begin Monday in Pakistan as the ceasefire moves toward expiration Wednesday.
Schools across Iran have remained closed for seven weeks since the United States and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28, leaving families navigating childcare and educational challenges with no announced timeline for reopening. Working parents like Mahnaz Ataei, a finance manager in Tehran, have brought their children to the office to supervise online classes while trying to maintain productivity. The fragile ceasefire has shifted the crisis from immediate aerial threat to the grinding logistics of displacement and remote learning.
North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, continuing a pattern of weapons tests this year. The missiles fired from Sinpo, an eastern coastal city in North Korea, flew about 140 kilometers (87 miles) each in a direction toward the country's eastern waters, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan.
Russian attacks on Ukraine killed one person and wounded at least 26 more on Friday, according to local officials, as Ukrainian drone strikes targeted major oil refineries in Russia's Samara region, escalating a months-long campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. The civilian death occurred in Mykolaivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, regional leader Vadym Filashkin said on social media. Attacks also damaged port infrastructure in the Black Sea city of Odesa. Ukrainian drones struck major oil refineries in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in Russia's Samara region on Friday, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said. The strikes sparked fires at the Vystosk oil terminal in Russia's northwestern Leningrad region and an oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, Ukrainian officials said. Russian officials later confirmed the blazes.
A 44-year-old Los Angeles woman was arrested Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and ammunition between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces, federal prosecutors said Sunday. Shamim Mafi, an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident in 2016, was taken into custody as Sudan enters its fourth year of civil war. According to a criminal complaint, Mafi operated a company in Oman through which she allegedly trafficked the weapons with an unnamed co-conspirator.
Oil prices surged Sunday as a US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz prevented tanker traffic, renewing fears about global energy supplies. U.S. crude oil increased 6.4% to $87.90 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed 5.8% to $95.64 per barrel, according to trading data from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The jump followed Iran's reversal of a decision to reopen the critical waterway after President Donald Trump said a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect.
Hundreds gathered in Montevideo's Plaza de España on Sunday as La Rueda de Candombe held the season's final performance, capping an extraordinary rise for a street ensemble that began as an informal gathering of friends and has now earned international recognition for revitalizing candombe, a centuries-old musical tradition at the heart of Uruguay's cultural identity.
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, with both leaders pledging to nearly double bilateral trade to about $50 billion by 2030. Modi said the two countries aim to raise trade from roughly $27 billion by strengthening supply chains, market access and investment, while Lee said the upgrade would include shipbuilding, defense and artificial intelligence.
A senior State Department official met with Cuban government representatives in Havana last week, marking a renewed diplomatic push between the United States and Cuba even as President Donald Trump has threatened military intervention and Cuba's government has said it is prepared to fight back. The delegation urged Cuba to make major economic and political changes, according to officials speaking on condition of anonymity, as tensions over the island nation's governance have intensified. It was the first U.S. government flight to land in Cuba outside the Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.
As the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran squeezes global oil supplies, travelers planning summer vacations face escalating costs: jet fuel prices have soared from roughly $99 a barrel in late February to as high as $209 in early April, forcing airlines to raise fares and add fuel surcharges. The International Energy Agency warned that European countries could run low on jet fuel within weeks, prompting carriers including Air Canada, United, Delta, and Air France-KLM to reduce routes and raise ticket prices.
Progressive leaders from multiple continents gathered in Barcelona on Saturday to mount a coordinated defense of multilateral governance and democracy against what they characterized as an assault on international institutions. The summit brought together Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and U.S. Democrats Chris Murphy and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the dual-event IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy and an inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization. The gathering drew approximately 6,000 elected officials, policy analysts, and activists—underscoring an ideological schism widening at the global level. The events occurred as President Trump, through explicit rejection of NATO and United Nations authority and through social media attacks on Sánchez, continues to signal a departure from decades of U.S. multilateral commitments.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday extended its pause on sanctions against Russian oil shipments to ease shortages from the Iran war, contradicting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's public denial of such a move three days earlier. The so-called general license exempts U.S. sanctions for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that had been loaded on tankers as of Friday.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola on Saturday as the third leg of his four-nation African tour. In his first speech to government authorities, he challenged the country's leaders to break what he called the "cycle of interests" that has exploited Africa for centuries. The pontiff said Angola's people possessed treasures that could not be "bought or stolen" despite the nation's history of colonial plunder, civil war, and pervasive poverty.
The Iran war's disruption of global energy supplies is prompting Asian and African nations to rapidly expand nuclear power generation, both by increasing output at existing reactors and by launching ambitious long-term plans to build new plants across the regions hardest hit by the conflict.
Iran announced Friday it reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, but questions lingered about whether ships actually had freedom to transit as the United States maintained its blockade. The waterway carries about 20% of the world's oil and has been blocked by U.S. Navy forces since Monday as part of pressure in an ongoing conflict that has killed thousands across Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the Gulf region.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and fired on multiple ships attempting passage, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, escalating a standoff over the US blockade of Iranian ports as an eight-week war approaches its ceasefire deadline. The Iranian military said no vessels would be permitted through the crucial waterway until the US lifts its blockade, warning that "any movement from the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman toward the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy" and would be attacked. Through the strait, approximately one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes.
Three consecutive Israeli drone strikes on ambulances in southern Lebanon killed four paramedics and wounded six others on Wednesday, April 16, according to eyewitness accounts and video evidence obtained by the Associated Press. The strikes occurred sequentially as rescue teams attempted to reach injured colleagues, with the final attack hitting the third team dispatched to assist the wounded. A 10-day truce in the Israel-Hezbollah war was providing the exhausted paramedics a rare respite from the conflict when journalists interviewed them about the attacks.
Peru's interim president José María Balcázar announced Friday he will defer the decision to purchase 24 fighter jets valued at $3.5 billion to the next government, saying a transitional administration should not commit such a large sum. Balcázar said in an interview with RPP radio that the incoming government will have "full legitimacy to decide" on the purchase, which involves F-16 Block 70 aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
Australia and Japan signed contracts Saturday for the first three of a planned 10 billion Australian dollar ($6.5 billion) fleet of Japanese-designed Mogami-class frigates, with delivery scheduled to begin in 2029. Defense Ministers Richard Marles of Australia and Shinjiro Koizumi of Japan sealed the agreement aboard the JS Kumano, a Mogami-class frigate docked in Melbourne, marking a major military-technology partnership as Japan accelerates regional defense expansion.
A French soldier died and three others were wounded Saturday in an attack in southern Lebanon near UNIFIL positions, just two days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. French President Emmanuel Macron said Hezbollah was responsible; the militant group denied involvement and called for a full investigation before assigning blame.
School closures have disrupted the lives of Iranian families since the U.S.-Israel war began on February 28, leaving working parents to supervise their children's online classes while juggling employment. A fragile ceasefire now in effect is expected to expire early next week, leaving families uncertain whether schools will reopen or the conflict will reignite.
Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that it was "not in my interest at all" to debate U.S. President Donald Trump about the Iran war, even as he reaffirmed his commitment to preaching peace. Speaking aboard the papal plane as it flew from Cameroon to Angola, Leo addressed a week-long public dispute with the U.S. administration that has consumed international headlines.
When Alina Dotsenko returned to her museum in Kherson after Ukrainian forces retook the southern city from Russian forces in late 2022, she walked into devastation. Thousands of artworks had vanished from the Kherson Art Museum, which before Russia's full-scale invasion held more than 14,000 works. Russian forces had loaded much of the collection onto trucks and transported it to Russian-annexed Crimea, according to Dotsenko and video filmed by residents. The fate of nearly 10,000 pieces remains unknown, even as Ukraine pursues international accountability for cultural theft during the war.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on three people and two firms on Friday over their alleged recruitment and deployment of Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused of war crimes. The sanctions targeted a Bogota-based employment agency network founded by retired Colombian military officer Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra and his wife. The action marks the latest U.S. measure against the RSF, which has been engaged in armed conflict with Sudan's military since April 2023.
Daniel Kinahan, described by Irish media as the alleged leader of a major Irish criminal network, has been arrested in Dubai, Irish and Dubai police said. Garda Síochána said an Irish man in his late 40s was arrested Wednesday under a warrant from Irish courts over alleged serious organized crime offenses.
An 85-year-old French widow returned to France on Friday after 16 days in U.S. immigration custody, her son said. Marie-Thérèse Ross was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Alabama on April 1 for overstaying her 90-day visa. Speaking to reporters in her hometown of Orvault in western France, her son Hervé Goix said his mother needs time to recover from the detention.
A suspected drug trafficker considered one of Europe's most wanted fugitives has been arrested in Mexico, authorities said on Saturday. János Balla, also known as Dániel Takács, was captured in Quintana Roo, a southern Mexican state, according to Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch. Balla is wanted in Hungary on drug trafficking charges and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, García said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez resolved a years-long diplomatic dispute over Spain's colonial legacy Saturday in Barcelona, with Sheinbaum telling reporters "There is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one" moments before shaking hands with Sánchez at an international pro-democracy summit.
A Canadian man facing 14 murder charges has agreed to plead guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide, his lawyer said Friday. Kenneth Law, from the Toronto area, allegedly sold sodium nitrite online to people at risk of self-harm. Under the plea agreement, Canadian prosecutors will withdraw the murder charges.
Venezuela's exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado drew several thousand supporters to a rally in Madrid on Saturday, declining a meeting with Spain's progressive Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez while expressing support for U.S. President Donald Trump's removal of Nicolás Maduro in January. Machado's decision came as Sánchez hosted a summit of progressive world leaders in Barcelona. Standing beside Madrid's conservative regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso at the Puerta del Sol, Machado described the progressive summit as a reason the meeting with Sánchez "was not advisable." The Venezuelan opposition leader, who holds the Nobel Peace Prize, presented the award to Trump earlier this year and said she remains in close contact with his administration about Venezuela's political future.
Oil prices plummeted Friday after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is open again for commercial shipping, sending U.S. stocks to record highs and suggesting the grinding Iran war may be nearing an end. The S&P 500 jumped 1.2% to an all-time high, the Dow surged 1.8%, and the Nasdaq climbed 1.5%. Oil futures for U.S. crude dropped 9.4% to settle at $82.59 per barrel, while Brent crude fell 9.1% to $90.38.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah took effect Friday, temporarily halting months of cross-border fighting and creating an opening for the United States and Iran to pursue a settlement of the wider conflict. President Donald Trump announced the agreement Thursday, describing it as a direct Israeli-Lebanese accord — the first such negotiations in decades. But major obstacles remain, with Hezbollah declining to formally endorse the ceasefire and Israel stating it is "not finished" dismantling the militant group.
Air Canada will suspend service between Toronto and Montreal and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport for nearly five months beginning June 1, the Montreal-based carrier said Friday, as jet fuel prices that have doubled since the start of the war in Iran render certain routes unprofitable. Flights to JFK will resume Oct. 25. Service to LaGuardia and Newark airports will continue.
President Donald Trump and Iran's foreign minister announced Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to commercial vessels after nearly seven weeks of war, sending oil prices down 10% and stock markets rallying. But motorists hoping for relief at the pump will likely wait weeks or months, as gasoline prices historically fall far more slowly than the crude oil that powers them.
Congress and the White House are moving to regulate prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket over concerns that the platforms enable insider trading and war profiteering. The push comes after reports of highly profitable bets placed on military and geopolitical events, including bets on when a U.S. airman downed in Iran would be rescued and on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's ouster.
NORFOLK, Va. — A Navy Reservist accused of hiding his wife's body in a kitchen freezer and fleeing to Hong Kong was returned to the United States on Wednesday and remains in California facing federal charges, Norfolk police said Thursday. David Varela, 38, had been a fugitive for more than two months after the body of Lisa Maria Guerra Echavarria, 39, was found in the freezer of their Norfolk apartment on Feb. 5.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by the United States took effect Friday, prompting thousands of displaced Lebanese to begin the journey home in long convoys of vehicles piled high with salvaged belongings. The truce follows a devastating conflict that displaced more than one million people, leaving southern Lebanon heavily damaged and residents uncertain whether the fragile calm will hold.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 28, the youngest son of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, avoided an attempted murder charge Friday after reaching a plea deal in which he admitted to pointing a gun and breaking immigration laws in South Africa. His co-accused, Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and four other charges. A court set sentencing for both men for April 24.
An 85-year-old French widow who married a retired U.S. soldier decades ago has returned to France after spending 16 days in federal immigration custody. Marie-Thérèse Ross was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 1 for overstaying her 90-day visa, though she was in the process of applying for a green card. An Alabama judge found evidence that her stepson, a U.S. federal employee, may have used his position to trigger her detention amid a dispute over her late husband's estate.
Russia fired nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 100 others in one of the worst aerial assaults of recent weeks, Ukrainian authorities said. Strikes hit the capital Kyiv, the southern port city of Odesa, and the central Dnipro region. The attack came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy completed an urgent 48-hour diplomatic trip to Germany, Norway, and Italy to press European allies for additional air defense systems, as Ukrainian officials acknowledged that stocks of advanced interceptor missiles are running low.
The House voted 213-214 on Thursday to reject a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the war with Iran, one day after the Senate defeated a similar measure. The vote came as the War Powers Act's 60-day authorization deadline approaches at the end of April, a clock that started when U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iran on Feb. 28.
The Senate on Wednesday voted to reject two resolutions by Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to block U.S. arms sales to Israel, but more than three dozen Democrats voted for the measures — a figure that has more than doubled in less than two years as Israeli military campaigns have expanded across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. The votes failed 40-59 and 36-63, with all Republicans opposed. Democrats also supported a separate resolution to end U.S. military involvement in Iran, which also failed, 47-52.
U.S. military forces struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific on Wednesday, killing three men the Pentagon says were trafficking drugs, according to U.S. Southern Command. The Southern Command said no U.S. personnel were harmed.
Lula da Silva said Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV should be defended from “powerful people” after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the pope’s comments on the war in Iran. Speaking in a video message to Brazil’s bishops’ conference during a trip to Cameroon, Lula urged Catholics to stand in solidarity with the pope.
The USS Gerald R. Ford has broken the U.S. record for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment by an aircraft carrier, returning after nearly 10 months at sea that included a military raid in Venezuela and the early phase of the Iran war, the Associated Press reported. The ship logged its 295th day at sea this week, surpassing the prior U.S. record for carriers in the past half-century.
The World Health Organization said vaccination progress across Africa is slowing, warning that cuts to U.S. global health aid and disruptions tied to the Iran war could leave millions of children unprotected. WHO said more than 500 million children have been reached through routine immunization since 2000, but it warned that funding shortfalls are already forcing some programs to scale back.
International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol warned Thursday that Europe had "maybe six weeks" of remaining jet fuel supplies as the Iran war's continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut off roughly 40% of the continent's jet fuel imports, with some countries already holding less than 20 days of coverage. The warning came as Iran's foreign minister said tankers and other commercial vessels could again pass unimpeded through the strait — briefly lifting oil markets — but President Donald Trump said the United States would continue its blockade of Iranian ships entering or leaving the waterway until Washington and Tehran reached a deal to end the war, which began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 7,041.28 on Thursday, its 11th gain in 12 sessions and a second consecutive all-time closing high, as better-than-expected corporate earnings helped Wall Street hold its footing despite continued uncertainty over the Iran war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 115 points, or 0.2%, to 48,578.72, and the Nasdaq composite closed at 24,102.70, according to the Associated Press.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday that Cuba does not seek military conflict with the United States but is prepared to fight should one occur, addressing hundreds of people at a Havana rally marking the 65th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution's declaration of its socialist character. The remarks came days after President Donald Trump said his administration could turn its attention to Cuba after the ongoing war in Iran concludes, describing the island as a "failing nation."
The U.S. military expanded its blockade of Iran beyond Persian Gulf ports Thursday to allow forces worldwide to stop any ship tied to Tehran or suspected of carrying supplies — from weapons and oil to metals and electronics — that could aid the Iranian government, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced at the Pentagon. U.S. forces in other areas of responsibility "will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran," Caine said.
U.S. military forces attacked a vessel Wednesday in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men the Pentagon said were drug traffickers, the Southern Command reported. No U.S. military personnel were injured in the operation, the command said.
Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, apologized Wednesday for "harmful" social media posts she made as a teenager, responding after a conservative news outlet published her years of online activity. In an interview with the arts website Hyperallergic, Duwaji, an illustrator, said she felt "a lot of shame being confronted with language I used that is so harmful to others," adding "being 15 doesn't excuse it."
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect Friday, pausing fighting between Israeli forces and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group as diplomats pushed to extend a broader truce between the United States, Iran and Israel before it expires next week. Barrages of celebratory gunshots rang out across Beirut just after midnight as residents marked the start of the truce. Displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs despite official warnings not to return until the ceasefire's durability became clear.
U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from Qasrak air base Thursday when a final convoy of soldiers and equipment departed the site in Syria's Hasakah province, officials for both sides confirmed. The Syrian army has now taken full control of most military sites in the country where the U.S. military was once deployed.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned two sons of Nicaragua's copresidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo on Thursday, along with officials and companies tied to the country's gold industry, saying they help sustain a government the department described as repressive. Maurice Ortega and Daniel Edmundo Ortega, both government officials, were the highest-profile individuals named in the action. Nicaragua's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general with military and medical credentials, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday — the third person nominated to head the Atlanta-based agency since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
South African police arrested prominent Beninese activist Kemi Seba on Thursday in a sting operation in Pretoria, charging him and his son with conspiracy to commit a crime and immigration violations as Benin seeks his extradition on allegations of inciting rebellion following a failed coup against President Patrice Talon.
Aboard a charter flight from Algiers to Yaounde on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV pressed forward with an 11-day, four-nation Africa tour as an escalating public dispute with President Donald Trump played out on social media thousands of miles away, testing the first American pope's ability to keep his planned program at the center of a journey that Washington has tried to reshape from afar. Leo, traveling with a Vatican delegation and roughly 70 accredited journalists in a tightly managed press pool, did not take reporters' questions on the five-hour flight to Cameroon. He delivered brief remarks in English about his just-concluded Algerian visit — the first papal trip to that country — without addressing Trump directly.
Europe has approximately six weeks of jet fuel remaining, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol warned Thursday, saying flight cancellations could follow "soon" if the Iran war continues to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
More than 5.83 million Haitians are expected to face acute levels of hunger between March and June, according to an international food-security report released Thursday, but officials warn that modest recent gains may soon be reversed by fuel price increases linked to the war in Iran. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — the leading international authority on hunger crises — said the figure represents a slight decline from a previous estimate of 5.91 million, or more than half of Haiti's population. Nearly 1.9 million Haitians face emergency-level hunger, down slightly from a projected 2 million.
German rescuers launched an elaborate operation Thursday to save a sick humpback whale stranded in shallow Baltic Sea waters near the eastern town of Wismar, deploying air cushions to lift the animal onto a tarp secured between two pontoons for tow by tugboat toward the North Sea. The whale, nicknamed Timmy by local media, was first spotted in the region on March 3 and has barely moved in days, breathing slowly and heavily, with experts and the public alike fearing it may soon die. State officials in Mecklenburg-Pomerania approved a private initiative to transport Timmy back to the North Sea and possibly the Atlantic Ocean, with the tugboat expected to leave Baltic waters by Friday.
Nigerian security forces are on high alert for a planned Islamist militant attack on the international airport and a prison facility in the capital, Abuja, and a military detention center in neighboring Niger state, according to an internal government memo obtained by the Associated Press. The April 13 memo, issued by the Nigeria Customs Service, warned that sleeper cells of the Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram intend to free detained terrorists and damage critical aviation infrastructure.
Two Pennsylvania men pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal terrorism charges stemming from an alleged plot to detonate homemade bombs at an anti-Islam protest outside the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, both from the Philadelphia area, entered the pleas during a brief appearance in federal court in Manhattan on April 15.
Thousands of New York City apartment building workers voted Wednesday to authorize a potential strike, setting up what could be the first building service walkout in 35 years. Contract negotiations between 32BJ SEIU and building owners have stalled over health insurance premiums and new hire pay classifications, with the current contract set to expire at midnight Monday. A strike would disrupt services for an estimated 1.5 million residents across the city, according to the union.
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly broke with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni this week, saying their bond had frayed after she declined to back the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and called his attack on Pope Leo XIV "unacceptable." Analysts said the rupture could benefit Meloni at home, where rising energy costs tied to the war have strained her government and Trump has grown broadly unpopular across Europe.
Palestinian siblings attempting to walk to school in the occupied West Bank found their path blocked by coiled barbed wire that Israeli settlers had installed overnight, according to video provided to the Associated Press. When students and parents gathered Monday at the blocked route, armed men in an unmarked white truck — including some uniformed soldiers, the video shows — deployed tear gas and sound grenades. The incident unfolded at Umm al-Khair, a Bedouin village adjacent to the Carmel settlement in the southern West Bank, as Palestinian children returned to class for the first time since the Iran war prompted school closures.
The Trump administration is pressing foreign governments to back a "Trade Over Aid Initiative" at the United Nations, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordering all U.S. diplomats to recruit high-level support ahead of a formal UN introduction scheduled for the end of April, according to a diplomatic cable obtained by The Associated Press. The United Nations warned Wednesday that trade and investment must not be used to replace principled humanitarian assistance.
Alexandre Ramagem, Brazil's former intelligence agency chief who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in a 2023 coup attempt, was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Florida on Wednesday after a two-day detention, according to the Associated Press. Ramagem thanked President Donald Trump in posts on his social media channels for the release, though he provided no evidence that Trump had any connection to the move. ICE did not respond to the AP's request for comment.
China's foreign ministry and embassy urged citizens traveling to the United States to avoid Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Thursday, citing what Chinese officials described as a pattern of continual harassment by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel. The advisory followed the denial of entry to about 20 Chinese scholars who arrived at the airport with valid visas to attend an academic conference.
Young adults across the world have spent recent months flooding social media with videos proclaiming they are "becoming Chinese" — embracing habits like drinking hot water steeped with goji berries, eating dumplings, and wearing slippers indoors — in a viral trend that has drawn the attention of Chinese diplomats, the Associated Press reported. Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, cited the social media wave while promoting a new visa-free transit policy and urging Americans to "experience for yourselves a real, dynamic and panoramic China."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday suspended the federal fuel excise tax in his first act after securing a majority government, citing sharp fuel-price increases linked to the Iran war. The suspension starts next Monday and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 7.
The Republican-led Senate voted 47 to 52 on Wednesday to reject a Democratic resolution requiring U.S. forces to withdraw from the Iran war unless Congress authorizes further action — the fourth time this year the chamber has declined to halt the conflict. The vote came as lawmakers from both parties acknowledged a statutory deadline arriving at the end of April.
Pope Leo XIV on April 14 pushed back on President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Vatican’s approach to the war in Iran, telling reporters he was “not afraid of the Trump administration” and that the pope’s mission was grounded in the Gospel. Trump, meanwhile, used posts on Truth Social to describe Leo as “Weak” and to say Leo owed his position to Trump, as the two men increasingly engaged each other publicly over the conflict.
Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told a House budget committee Wednesday that expanding the U.S. defense industrial base will require a large upfront investment, defending the White House's proposal to increase defense spending to nearly $1.5 trillion in the next fiscal year — up more than 40 percent from the nearly $1 trillion allocated this year.
Congress is set to consider the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect overseas communications without a warrant. President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to extend the foreign surveillance authority for 18 more months, even as critics push for warrant requirements and tighter limits on how Americans’ data is handled. House Republican leaders canceled planned votes earlier this week amid difficulties reaching an agreement, with Congress facing an expiration deadline on Monday.
The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that the Iran war has stalled the world economy’s momentum and likely pushed growth lower compared with 2025. The IMF cut its forecast for global growth for 2026 to 3.1%, while raising its outlook for global inflation to 4.4%, citing sharply higher oil and gas prices. The fund also warned that if energy shocks spill into next year, global growth could fall further.
Geneva hosts the annual Watches and Wonders fair starting Tuesday, but the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has added uncertainty for the luxury watch industry, Swiss analysts say. The conflict has contributed to higher energy prices, disrupted air travel and shipping, and renewed inflation pressures that can affect demand for high-end timepieces, according to reporting ahead of the show.
U.S. military forces struck a vessel Wednesday in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men the Pentagon said were trafficking drugs, the Southern Command said. No U.S. personnel were harmed, according to the command.
Vatican visitors on Tuesday reacted sharply to U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, who has been urging a softer approach to talk of war. The pope was away on a 10-day trip to Africa as the dispute unfolded online and at the Vatican.
Diplomats worked Tuesday through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran after Washington enacted a blockade of Iranian ports. U.S. President Donald Trump said a second round of talks could happen “over the next two days,” while U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said it is “highly probable” talks will restart, as negotiations with Hezbollah-linked conflict continued to ripple across the region.
Serbia will jointly produce combat drones with Israel, President Aleksandar Vucic said in remarks reported by the Serbian state-linked Tanjug news agency. The plan is aimed at strengthening Serbia’s military and boosting domestic weapons production, with Yugoimport SDPR set to open a drone plant with Israel’s Elbit Systems, Serbia’s BIRN reported.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday protested the deaths of Mexican citizens in U.S. immigration custody and vowed to press the issue through international rights bodies and U.S. lawsuits. She spoke a day after Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, 49, died in an ICE detention center in Louisiana.
The U.S. military launched another strike on a boat suspected of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. The attack was the fourth such strike announced in days, and the latest in a broader campaign described by the Trump administration as targeting cartel routes in Latin American waters.
El Ejército de Estados Unidos informó que el lunes realizó un ataque contra una embarcación que, según el gobierno, transportaba drogas en el océano Pacífico oriental, en el que murieron dos personas. El anuncio se suma a una campaña de ataques contra embarcaciones en rutas del contrabando que se ha extendido por más de siete meses, incluso mientras el país ha estado ocupado con la guerra en Irán.
Israeli police said they found about 70 Palestinian men hiding inside a garbage truck as it tried to cross from the occupied West Bank into Israel, apparently in search of work. The incident occurred as Israeli forces opened the truck late Monday and took the men for questioning at a West Bank checkpoint, police said.
Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington, following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting a “historic opportunity,” while the State Department said any ceasefire agreement must be reached between the two governments through the United States. Hezbollah opposed the talks and was not represented, with fire intensifying as the session began.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned three individuals and two casinos this week over alleged links to Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste, which Washington has intensified its crackdown on. The designations include casinos in Nuevo Laredo and Tampico, and individuals described by U.S. authorities as helping the cartel move people and provide illicit support.
Bank of America and Morgan Stanley on Wednesday reported sharply higher first-quarter profits, as market turmoil fueled in part by the ongoing war in Iran drove surging activity on Wall Street trading desks. Morgan Stanley posted a record quarter across its entire business, with net income of $5.6 billion and earnings per share of $3.43 — both up 30% from the same period last year. Bank of America's trading desk did not record a single daily loss during the quarter, its best equity sales and trading performance in the bank's history.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Wednesday that the United States would impose secondary sanctions on financial institutions doing business with Iran, calling the planned economic measures the "financial equivalent" of the military bombing campaign. The announcement came as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire was set to expire the following week, with negotiations over a broader agreement still unresolved. The Treasury Department had sent letters a day earlier to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, warning them that handling Iranian money could subject them to U.S. sanctions.
Vice President JD Vance drew a partly empty arena and criticism from some conservative attendees Wednesday at a Turning Point USA forum in Athens, Georgia, one day after returning from a Pakistan trip that failed to produce a ceasefire in the U.S. war with Iran, the Associated Press reported.
Eighteen months after helping elect Donald Trump to a second term with hopes he would bring peace to the Middle East, Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan—the nation's largest Arab American community—say the conflict has worsened instead. Inside mosques and at vigils, families wait for word from relatives abroad while mourning those already lost. The conflict that began with anguish over Gaza has widened to Lebanon, where the expanding war has displaced more than 1 million people and killed more than 2,000.
Survivors of the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion are marking the 65th anniversary of the CIA-backed assault on Cuba with the grand reopening of a new museum in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, as about 200 aging veterans of Brigade 2506 gather to preserve their legacy for future generations.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to Athens, Georgia on Wednesday for a Turning Point USA campus forum intended to showcase conservative youth energy, but found a mostly empty arena and pointed questions from attendees who said President Donald Trump's ongoing war with Iran, a social media meme depicting Trump as Jesus Christ, and his public clashes with Pope Leo XIV had cost him their support. Attendees at the University of Georgia venue were outnumbered more than 2-to-1 by empty seats, the Associated Press reported — a stark contrast to the overflow rallies the organization helped organize during Trump's 2024 campaign. Vance arrived in Georgia fresh from a trip to Pakistan that failed to produce a deal to end the war with Iran.
The U.S. Navy's sea blockade against Iran showed early signs of effectiveness Wednesday, with the head of U.S. Central Command saying American forces have "completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea." Shipping data firms confirmed that Iran-linked or sanctioned vessels leaving the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz have turned around or halted, though some appeared to manipulate their location signals. Iran's joint military commander warned that Tehran would move to block all exports and imports across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if Washington does not lift the blockade.
Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, met Wednesday in Tehran with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the latest diplomatic effort to arrange a second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations before a ceasefire set to expire Tuesday. The White House said any further direct talks would likely return to Islamabad but that no decision had been made on whether to resume them.
Nearly 200 organizations called Wednesday on the Trump administration and Puerto Rico's governor to restore $350 million in federal funding for rooftop solar and battery systems, warning that low-income families dependent on medical equipment face potentially fatal consequences from chronic power outages as Atlantic hurricane season approaches. The letter, addressed to Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, was released as a May 9 deadline nears — the date at which a solar installation program that has left 12,000 low-income families in limbo will formally expire.
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday reinforced his call for peace and dialogue as U.S. President Donald Trump continued a week of public attacks on history's first American-born pope, accusing him of weakness on crime, claiming him as a political captive, and asserting that Leo owed his election to Trump. Speaking to journalists aboard the papal plane en route to Cameroon, Leo said the message "the world needs to hear today" is one of peace and dialogue. Leo made no mention of Trump's latest social media posts or the suggestion by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, that the pope should "be careful" when speaking about theology.
The New York Islanders solicited fan donations via a jumbotron display during Tuesday's home game against the Carolina Hurricanes for former NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran, who was sentenced last week to three to nine years in prison for manslaughter in the 2023 death of a Bronx man. The promotion, organized by the Sergeants Benevolent Association, featured Duran's photograph, a QR code directing fans to his legal defense fund, and a message urging them to join "the fight for justice." The team also directed a quarter of proceeds from a 50/50 raffle — which took in $44,890, according to the Islanders' website — toward the cause, the union said.
The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to throw out seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack cases. The filing would vacate the convictions so prosecutors can permanently dismiss the indictments, the government said.
A coalition of international press freedom and human rights groups urged Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to drop criminal charges against journalists placed under house arrest and to revise laws they say restrict media freedom. In a letter sent Monday, the groups said arrests and harassment of independent outlets have escalated and warned the pressure could fuel “a climate of fear and self-censorship.”
Pope Leo XIV visited the archaeological ruins in Annaba, Algeria, on Tuesday, making a pilgrimage to the birthplace and legacy of St. Augustine, his spiritual father. The pope arrived with tight security amid rain and said the visit reflects a message of peace and interreligious bridge-building. The stop is part of Leo’s four-country Africa tour.
The French government is pressing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release an 85-year-old French national from immigration custody after she was detained in Alabama for overstaying her visa. Marie-Therese Ross, the widow of a former U.S. Army captain, has been held at a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested her on April 1. France's consul general in New Orleans said the government has "fully mobilized" to secure her release.
President Donald Trump on Monday refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV, saying the pope opposed Trump’s approach toward Iran and warning against the prospect of a nuclear Iran. Trump also sought to explain away a now-deleted post that depicted him in a Jesus-like role, saying he thought it showed him “as a doctor.”
The U.S. military reported conducting another strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The military alleges the boat was involved in drug trafficking.
In a rushed White House Q&A on April 13, President Donald Trump said he would not apologize to Pope Leon XIV after criticizing the pope for speaking out against the U.S. war with Iran. Trump also addressed a now-deleted social media post that showed him in a religious-style scene, saying he thought the image was him as a doctor.
Hungary’s ruling party election loss for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reverberated in the United States, where President Donald Trump and many conservatives had backed the Hungarian leader’s long rule. Republicans and Democrats alike used the result to argue about how democratic systems respond when incumbents tilt institutions.
El precio del petróleo retomó su escalada y la mayoría de los mercados globales bajaron el lunes mientras el ejército de Estados Unidos se preparaba para bloquear el tráfico hacia y desde puertos iraníes y el estrecho de Ormuz. El presidente Donald Trump anunció el plan de bloqueo naval tras concluir conversaciones de alto el fuego con Irán en Pakistán sin acuerdo. En ese contexto, el crudo estadounidense subió 7,4% y el Brent también ganó alrededor de 7,4%, mientras varias bolsas europeas y asiáticas retrocedieron.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that American forces have begun a blockade of Iranian ports as Washington pushes Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept terms to end a war that has raged for more than six weeks. Iran responded with threats affecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, raising risks to shipping and global oil prices.
A portion of the nation’s drinking-water systems have reported trouble maintaining recommended fluoride levels amid disruptions to the supply chain tied to the Middle East war, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies said. Fluoride is used to help prevent tooth decay, and some utilities have lowered levels as a result. Dentists and public-health experts said people in affected areas should keep brushing with fluoride toothpaste and maintain dental appointments.
Nearly 100 protesters were arrested Monday in New York calling on Senate Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to block the sale of thousands of U.S. bombs to Israel, according to the antiwar group Jewish Voice for Peace. Demonstrators briefly tried to stage a sit-in at the Manhattan offices of the two lawmakers before being kept out, then stopped traffic outside and were loaded onto three buses.
SAO PAULO — A Brazilian senator said on Monday that former intelligence agency chief Alexandre Ramagem was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sen. Jorge Seif said he had told the U.S. embassy in Brasilia that Ramagem should not remain in custody because he is being persecuted in Brazil.
Pope Leo XIV denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace, in remarks during an evening prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 11. The Vatican said the pope’s message appeared aimed at U.S. officials and was delivered the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan.
In remarks Monday outside the Oval Office, U.S. President Donald Trump said the American military has blockaded all of Iran’s ports, raising the stakes after ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without agreement. Iran responded by threatening other ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with the two-week ceasefire set to expire April 22. The latest escalation centers on whether the rival sides can reach assurances on Iran’s nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global traffic.
President Donald Trump said a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began Monday after talks aimed at a ceasefire ended without a deal, raising questions about how the U.S. would enforce restrictions near the Strait of Hormuz and whether the tactic can withstand scrutiny under international law. Experts said enforcing a blockade would require sustained Navy resources, clear guidance for how restrictions would work in practice, and decisions about whether humanitarian relief can reach Iranian ports.
Pope Leo XIV opened an 11-day Africa tour in Algeria on Monday, urging peace and an end to “neocolonial tendencies” as the Vatican’s leader faces new criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump over the war involving Iran. During his first remarks in Algiers, Leo linked his appeals for peace to Algeria’s fight for independence and said a just peace requires dignity for every nation.
The United Nations warned Monday that humanitarian conditions could worsen after fighting erupted in Akobo, a strategic town in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, where opposition forces retook the town after ousting government troops. The U.N. Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, called for a cessation of hostilities and said it is engaging with parties to prevent further escalation.
In the Iran war, Donald Trump has repeatedly declared victory and rejected the idea that the conflict’s outcome has gone against the United States, an approach also described in interviews and commentary by former aides, advisers and authors. With a ceasefire in place, the president says U.S. goals were accomplished while describing changing conditions around Iran’s leadership and the Strait of Hormuz, according to AP. The analysis also traces the “win” framing to Trump’s earlier political and business years, including references to his advisers and to lawyer Roy Cohn’s influence.
The Nigerian Air Force strike that hit a weekly market in northeastern Nigeria left at least 100 people dead, according to Amnesty International and local reporting. Amnesty said survivors identified children among the dead after the Saturday attack near the Borno-Yobe border in Yobe state. Nigeria’s military said it conducted a strike on a Boko Haram logistics hub but did not provide details on any possible misfire.
The war in Iran is pulling U.S. military assets and attention away from Asia ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, according to U.S. and regional figures. Critics say the distraction comes at a time when Beijing could move against Taiwan, while other officials argue sequential pressure on China-linked adversaries is the point.
Iranians in Tehran reacted with disappointment and defiance after peace talks with the United States ended without an agreement following hourslong negotiations. U.S. officials said the talks collapsed because of what they described as Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program, while Iranian officials blamed the U.S. without saying what points were most difficult.
Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar said Monday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to initiate a call with him, he would tell him to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking at his first news conference after a landslide victory over Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Magyar said he “could tell him” it would be “nice to end the killing after four years and end the war.”
U.S. Central Command said it will begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. The announcement came after President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy would swiftly start the blockade, even as CENTCOM said traffic would still be allowed to transit the strait if it does not call at Iranian ports.
China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan, including direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, following a visit by Cheng Li-wun, the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island. China’s Taiwan Work Office said it would explore a long-term communication mechanism with Taiwan’s Kuomingtang Party and facilitate previously banned aquaculture imports. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said the announced steps were “political transactions” that circumvented Taiwan’s government.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Sunday of violating Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire as Orthodox Christians gathered to celebrate the holiday amid the war. Putin ordered a 32-hour pause from 4 p.m. Saturday until the end of Sunday, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would honor it but warned of a swift response to violations.
Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday after the U.S. said it would enforce a blockade of Iranian ports beginning Monday. The U.S. Central Command said it would apply the measure “impartially” and still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the United States has no justification to attack Cuba or try to depose him. He said an invasion would be costly and that, if it happened, Cubans would defend themselves.
A newborn girl born in a makeshift tent near Beirut's waterfront is struggling to survive the same conditions that forced her family to flee Israeli airstrikes in the Lebanese capital's Dahiyeh suburbs. Shiman came into the world on March 28 in unsanitary conditions, her mother unable to afford hospital delivery even as the family's home lay in ruins from an airstrike.
The U.S. military reported conducting another strike on Monday against a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The military asserted that the vessel was involved in drug trafficking.
U.S. military forces said they blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Saturday, killing five people and leaving one survivor, AP reported Sunday. The same day, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would begin a naval blockade of Iranian ports after ceasefire talks with Iran ended without an agreement.
A Syrian man buried his wife and four children killed in Israeli strikes on Beirut earlier this week, laying them to rest in Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria, according to the Associated Press. The bodies arrived from Lebanon in wooden coffins, while search operations continued for one missing daughter believed trapped under rubble. The Associated Press also reported that Lebanon’s Health Ministry has put the overall death toll from the war with Hezbollah at more than 1,950 killed and more than 6,300 wounded.
The long-term fallout of the Iran war is playing out across multiple fronts as the U.S. and Iran move into face-to-face talks in Pakistan during a tenuous ceasefire. Associated Press reporting describes a Middle East left unsettled, alliances strained, and economic and military power shifting amid uncertainty about what a ceasefire can actually cover.
Britain said legislation to ratify a deal to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has run out of time in Parliament after the Trump administration withdrew support for the agreement.
U.S. military forces said they blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Saturday, killing five people and leaving one survivor. President Donald Trump said Sunday that after ceasefire talks with Iran ended without an agreement, the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, involving Iranian ports.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian-made Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during Iran’s war, presenting the operation as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons Russia uses in Ukraine.
Women in black and mourners in southern Lebanon buried 13 Lebanese state security officers killed in an Israeli airstrike, as anger and grief spread ahead of planned direct talks in the United States. The funerals erupted in Sidon and Nabatiyeh after Friday’s strike hit the state security headquarters shortly after officers returned from transferring detainees. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam postponed a planned trip to Washington, citing the “current internal situation,” while Israel said the talks are aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s weapons.
A Palestinian man was killed Saturday in the West Bank during a renewed wave of violence that has left 22 people dead since the start of the Iran war, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Israel’s military said it responded to a violent riot in Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, in which a soldier in the reserves shot a Palestinian man, later identified as Ali Majed Hamadneh.
Vice President JD Vance said the United States and Iran ended 21-hour face-to-face ceasefire talks in Islamabad without reaching an agreement, leaving the fate of a fragile two-week truce unclear. Vance said the talks ended after Iranian officials refused a U.S. demand for an “affirmative commitment” that Iran would not pursue a nuclear weapon.
China Central Television released an AI-generated animated short that draws an allegory for the war in Iran and depicts the United States as an attacker in a martial-arts style fight. The clip has spread widely online after the state broadcaster posted it on social media and an X user subtitled and shared it.
Ukraine’s military said a Kremlin-declared Orthodox Easter ceasefire that began Saturday was not being observed as Russian forces continued drone strikes on Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight before the ceasefire started, hours ahead of the 32-hour pause.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un voiced support for China’s push for a “multipolar world” and said Pyongyang will fully support Beijing’s efforts tied to its “one-China principle” during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, state media said. The meeting came as Wang visited North Korea on a two-day trip ahead of broader regional diplomacy involving the United States and China.
President Donald Trump and top U.S. officials have used social media posts and an election-eve visit to Budapest to back Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of Hungary’s April 12 election, an effort meant to bolster a far-right ally seeking a fifth term. Vice President JD Vance told reporters that Orbán “is going to win,” as Hungarian voters prepare to choose Orbán and his next parliament. A former U.S. ambassador to Hungary said Trump’s approach has “cheapen[ed] a relationship” by infusing Hungarian policy with what he called a political U.S. rubric.
The United Nations says the gap between rich and poor countries is widening as commitments agreed by many governments last year remain unfulfilled. The report was released ahead of spring meetings in Washington of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
March’s consumer inflation accelerated sharply to 3.3% year over year as gas prices surged after the Iran war, the U.S. Labor Department reported April 10. The increase complicates efforts by the Federal Reserve to keep inflation near its 2% target, while also straining household budgets and pushing down consumer sentiment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, describing the activity as support for partners’ air defenses. He said the operations were not training exercises and involved domestically produced interceptor drones proven against Shahed threats, with details discussed in remarks embargoed until Friday.
Friday marks six months since a Gaza ceasefire deal took effect, with fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants largely subsiding while other requirements remain unfinished. In the territory, residents and aid groups say humanitarian access has not improved, even as Israeli strikes and Palestinian shooting attacks continue and the broader ceasefire effort competes for diplomatic attention.
Attacks intensified Friday between Israel and Hezbollah as Israeli and Lebanese officials prepared for direct talks mediated by U.S. diplomats, set to begin Tuesday in Washington, according to the Lebanese president’s office and statements from Israel’s envoy. The escalation included an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon that killed 13 members of Lebanon’s State Security forces and Hezbollah attacks that claimed strikes in the Israeli port city of Ashdod.
President Donald Trump’s search for an off-ramp from the war with Iran is reopening fissures among Republicans, even as a ceasefire that was announced earlier this week faces uncertainty. An internal push for talks and approval mechanisms is colliding with public threats and division over whether to negotiate with Tehran.
Pope Leo XIV has directly criticized President Donald Trump’s conduct over the Iran war as a fragile ceasefire took hold this week, saying Trump’s belligerence was “truly unacceptable.” The Vatican’s pope and the U.S. administration have long overlapped on religion and politics, but their latest public clash has put U.S. Christians and Catholic leaders in the middle.
Calls are growing in Congress for investigations into Polymarket after the platform’s users placed large, highly timed bets on a U.S.-Iran ceasefire shortly before President Donald Trump announced it late Tuesday. The Associated Press reported that newly created accounts placed the trades in the minutes before the ceasefire announcement.
Vice President JD Vance warned Iran not to “play” the U.S. as he departed for mediated talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the war between the U.S. and Iran. The talks come as a temporary ceasefire involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah appears near collapse.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to travel to Pakistan for high-level talks with Iranian officials, as a ceasefire in the Iran war remains shaky and Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire. Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim agency said negotiations planned for Saturday would not proceed unless Israel stops attacks in Lebanon, while President Donald Trump said Iran has little leverage beyond restricting ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The threats from President Donald Trump to “wipe” Iran from the map and warnings that “a whole civilization” could die prompted Democrats to demand stronger limits on his ability to conduct further attacks, according to Associated Press reporting. After Trump later accepted a two-week ceasefire, Democrats pressed Republicans to join them on a proposal requiring congressional approval before additional Iran actions. Senior Democrats also said their offices were flooded with calls and messages from constituents urging Trump be removed.
Pro-Iran groups have used artificial intelligence to create English-language internet memes aimed at influencing how the Iran war is discussed, according to analysts. The content has portrayed U.S. President Donald Trump in derisive ways and has spread across social platforms, with some analysts saying the sophistication points to connections to Iranian government offices.
El general Dan Caine y otros funcionarios estadounidenses dijeron que en las semanas de combates contra Irán se degradó gran parte de su capacidad militar, citando cifras de ataques a defensas aéreas, marina e industria de armamento. Pero datos independientes y la propia falta de detalle sobre qué queda de esas defensas apuntan a que Teherán conserva parte de su capacidad, ya sea para contraatacar o defenderse tras el alto el fuego anunciado entre ambos países.
Millions of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians observed Good Friday on April 10 in Addis Ababa, with celebrations dampened by fuel scarcity and rising food prices tied to the Iran war, the Associated Press reported. The shortages are affecting travel and a traditional communal ritual involving the slaughter of animals, residents said.
Prediction markets have increasingly drawn scrutiny as regulators and lawmakers probe whether geopolitics and insider information are being turned into profit online. The Associated Press reported this week that the U.S. government charged a U.S. special forces soldier connected to a January raid on former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with allegations that the soldier used classified information to bet on Maduro’s downfall on Polymarket. Polymarket said it alerted the Justice Department after it determined someone traded on classified government information and cooperated with investigators.
Pope Leo XIV on Friday condemned the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, telling Chaldean bishops in Iraq that “God does not bless any conflict.” Speaking in Rome during a meeting of top Chaldean Catholic Church prelates, the pope urged them to proclaim that Christ’s peace is incompatible with those who “drop bombs.” The Vatican also posted the remarks on the pope’s official X account.
Iranians welcomed a fragile ceasefire deal that took effect Wednesday after weeks of Israeli and American bombardment, providing relative quiet in Tehran. But many residents said the truce feels temporary and that major issues remain unresolved, including tensions tied to Israel’s fight with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran’s refusal to fully open the Strait of Hormuz.
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he has become an honorary citizen of Albania, announced Friday by Albanian officials and confirmed by a spokesperson for Adams. The Albanian president, Bajram Begaj, issued a decree granting the honorary status “at his request,” the Associated Press reported. Adams, who previously spoke of his desire to move abroad after leaving politics, described the development as part of a long relationship with the Albanian-American community.
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has escalated a feud with Caribbean neighbors over U.S. policy toward drug trafficking and Venezuela, demanding CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett leave after her term ends in August. The dispute, tied to the bloc’s responses to U.S. military action in the South Caribbean, boiled over into a verbal conflict late Friday, prompting an emergency meeting.
In Congo, some people are pointing to the Kimbanguist Church’s message and history as a possible guide as the country faces instability driven by a violent rebellion in the east, the Associated Press reported. The church traces its origins to Simon Kimbangu, who spent decades in prison and died a prisoner, after Belgian colonial authorities judged his activities dangerous. In Kinshasa and beyond, adherents mark April 6, known as Kimbangu Day, and some say his legacy shows how sacrifice and African independence can endure.
Israel bombardeó el miércoles varias zonas densamente pobladas del centro de Beirut horas después de anunciarse un alto el fuego en la guerra de Estados Unidos e Israel con Irán, según reportes del Líbano y observadores. El Líbano dijo que al menos 182 personas murieron y que cientos más resultaron heridas, mientras el ejército israelí sostuvo que atacó lanzadores de misiles, centros de mando e infraestructura de inteligencia. Donald Trump dijo que el acuerdo no incluye al Líbano por la presencia de Hezbolá.
President Donald Trump’s Iran war policy has triggered backlash among some European far-right and conservative leaders who had previously cultivated ties with his administration, an Associated Press report said. The rift intensified as Vice President JD Vance visited Hungary for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of a vote this weekend, while European nationalists criticized the war’s goals and rhetoric.
U.S. military leaders say they have struck more than 13,000 targets in Iran since fighting began, with claims that most air defenses, the navy and many weapons-factory sites were hit or degraded. Gen. Dan Caine said the U.S. has destroyed about 80% of Iran’s air-defense systems and sunk more than 90% of Iran’s regular navy fleet, but he and other officials also acknowledged remaining Iranian capabilities. The figures are part of the Trump administration’s broader messaging during a ceasefire window that is also setting up talks this weekend in Pakistan.
A drone strike hit a wedding party in Sudan’s Darfur region on Wednesday, killing at least 30 civilians, the United Nations said. The U.N. said the ceremony was in Kutum in North Darfur, as the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces continues.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine for the Orthodox Easter weekend, starting Saturday at 4 p.m. and running through the end of Sunday, according to a Kremlin decree. The announcement followed an earlier call from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a pause in some hostilities to observe the holiday, which the U.S. is mediating through talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday declined to say whether President Donald Trump has repeated a threat to quit the military alliance, after discussions in Brussels amid Trump criticism over U.S. support for the war on Iran. Rutte said Trump was disappointed some allies moved too slowly to help with the conflict, and he pointed to the importance of keeping U.S. engagement in NATO.
Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday hit deep inside central Beirut, killing more than 300 people and wounding over 1,800, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. The attacks targeted multiple neighborhoods and commercial corridors, including areas along the city’s seafront, as Israel later said Hezbollah had moved into residential and commercial zones.
Israeli attacks hit Lebanon on Wednesday, with an AP reporter in Beirut describing a barrage that began at 2:14 p.m. and left parts of the capital in smoke, rubble and gridlocked streets. The reporter said Israel described striking Hezbollah targets and that more than 300 people were killed, according to the AP account.
Lebanon reeled on Thursday after what Israel and Hezbollah’s renewed fighting and strikes have brought to its deadliest day yet, with the toll exceeding 300 people, officials and hospitals said. Israel also announced it has authorized direct talks with Lebanon, even though the two countries lack diplomatic ties, prompting questions about how and when the talks would begin.
Iranian Americans in the United States described fear and uncertainty after President Donald Trump issued threats toward Iran and then agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the war, according to interviews. Many said they are trying to assess whether relatives in Iran are safe, while others said the prospect of renewed fighting is forcing painful conversations at home.
Beijing is calculating how far to involve itself in efforts to end the Iran-U.S. war after a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement held “for now,” an Associated Press report said. As President Donald Trump prepares for a trip to China, the report described Chinese behind-the-scenes efforts aimed at pushing Iran back toward negotiations and discouraging strikes. It also said talks between U.S. and Iran officials are expected to begin in Pakistan this weekend.
Netanyahu said he has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Hezbollah, and U.S.-backed talks in Washington were expected to start next week. Later Thursday, President Donald Trump criticized the ceasefire on social media amid reports of drone attacks in the region and renewed pressure over Strait of Hormuz shipping.
Iranian Americans reacted with whiplash after President Donald Trump threatened Iran, then agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire—leaving many worried about family in Iran and anxious about what comes next. In protests in cities including Austin, Texas, and across the country, some urged an end to the war, while others described fear and moral unease over the conflict’s civilian toll.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah is far from the first conflict between the two, with hostility spanning more than four decades and periodically shifting between fighting and tense calm. An Associated Press timeline traces key moments from Hezbollah’s 1980s formation through escalations in 2023 and 2024, including the group’s leader’s killing and a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. It also notes a renewed round of hostilities after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran in early March 2026.
Pope Leo XIV ended an 11-day visit to four African countries, using the tour to call for peace and to denounce issues he described as driving conflict and exploitation on the continent. Before returning to Rome on Thursday, the Vatican said the pope’s final stop was Equatorial Guinea on Africa’s west coast.
Iranian American soccer fans are torn between pride and protest as Iran’s national team prepares for the World Cup, with its campaign opening June 15 near Los Angeles against New Zealand. Some fans say Iran’s government repression and athletes’ silence make it difficult to watch, while others plan to attend to show support for Iran and the sport—sometimes with signs criticizing the regime.
President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of NATO after a closed-door meeting with the alliance’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, in Washington. Trump said NATO “WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM” and linked his complaint to the Iran war and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House on Wednesday played down remarks that Cuba could be “the next” target of U.S. attack, saying the island is not facing a justification for a military aggression. At the same time, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in an interview published by Cuba’s state-linked outlet Granma that Cuba poses no threat to the United States and that any defense doctrine is defensive.
The U.S. military has told reporters it has struck more than 13,000 targets in Iran since the ceasefire with the United States was announced, including air defenses, ballistic-missile sites, drones and naval assets. Gen. Dan Caine said the strikes destroyed most air defenses and sank most of Iran’s regular navy, while defense officials said Israel’s air defenses intercepted more than 90% of drones or missiles. The figures come as U.S. and Israeli officials acknowledge that Iran retains some capabilities.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday that the Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy, even if a fragile ceasefire holds. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the fund will downgrade its forecast for global growth next week as energy costs rise and supply disruptions ripple across food and business confidence.
President Donald Trump agreed to a 14-day ceasefire with Iran after a deadline warning that if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. would strike critical Iranian infrastructure. The shift came as intermediaries led by Pakistan worked to avert further escalation, with China and Iranian and U.S. officials also involved behind the scenes.
North Korea said this week it tested ballistic missiles with cluster-bomb warheads, alongside other weapons systems, as tensions with South Korea and the United States remained elevated. The claims came after South Korea detected multiple missile launches from an eastern coastal area and said the projectiles flew hundreds of kilometers before falling into the sea.
U.S. State Department and officials said freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson, kidnapped in Baghdad in late March, has been released, and her mother in Wisconsin said she hopes her daughter will return home. Barb Kittleson said she emailed her daughter from a Mount Horeb library and that she has not seen Shelly since 2002.
A tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war — announced by the Trump administration and tied to terms for the Strait of Hormuz — appears to be in jeopardy after Iran accused the United States of major violations. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that each side’s public descriptions of key issues, from Hormuz shipping to nuclear enrichment and possible steps involving Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, do not match.
The ceasefire that took effect Wednesday after a tentative, 2-week deal has raised hopes of halting hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States, though key issues remain unresolved. A permanent agreement will be pivotal for ending a war that has shaken the Middle East and global energy markets, with major differences still separating Washington, Tehran’s leadership and Israel’s priorities.
Tehrān, Iran, and Washington warned on Wednesday that a fragile US-Iran ceasefire deal to pause the fighting appeared threatened as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, complicating follow-on peace talks. Israel intensified strikes in Lebanon, hitting commercial and residential areas in Beirut, as Iran and U.S. officials traded claims about whether the truce covered Lebanon.
Hackers backing Tehran said a shaky U.S.-Israel-Iran ceasefire will not stop their retaliatory cyberattacks, warning that U.S. and Israeli targets should take the threat seriously. A group known as Handala said it would temporarily pause attacks on America but continue targeting Israel, and experts warned the pause could shift cyber activity toward U.S. organizations involved in the conflict. The warning came as U.S. authorities issued an advisory about Iran-aligned hackers targeting internet-connected industrial control systems.
More than 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed globally in the past three years, nearly tripling the death toll from the previous three-year period, the United Nations said April 8. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the UN Security Council that the surge reflects the “collapse of protection” amid ongoing wars and restrictions on aid.
Un acuerdo de alto el fuego para pausar los combates con Irán “pendía de un hilo” el miércoles, mientras Irán volvió a cerrar el estrecho de Ormuz y Israel intensificó ataques contra Hezbollah en Líbano. El cierre de la vía clave para el comercio de petróleo y gas generó presión sobre Estados Unidos para reabrirla mientras buscaba mantener las conversaciones de paz. En paralelo, el gobierno de Líbano reportó decenas de muertos en nuevos bombardeos en Beirut y varios gobiernos del Golfo emitieron avisos por misiles y drones.
Israel carried out strikes in central Beirut on Wednesday hours after a ceasefire was announced in its war with Iran, according to Lebanon, leaving at least 182 people dead and hundreds wounded. U.S. President Donald Trump said Lebanon was not included in the deal, adding that Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah were a separate issue.
Pope Leo XIV returned to Rome after an 11-day tour of Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, his last stop in Equatorial Guinea’s western coast after visits to four countries meant to spotlight war, migration, corruption and the legacy of colonialism. In meetings with leaders and young people, the pope emphasized Christian-Muslim coexistence, called for an end to exploitation, and urged integrity in public life, according to coverage of the trip by The Associated Press.
A subsidiary of a Hong Kong conglomerate has started arbitration against Maersk, accusing the Danish shipping and ports group of aligning with Panama in a scheme over the takeover of port operations on the Panama Canal. The claim was filed after Panama seized control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports following a Supreme Court ruling that found a concession allowing the Hong Kong operator unconstitutional, and after the government later moved to have Maersk and MSC take over the operations.
President Donald Trump renewed complaints about NATO after a closed-door meeting with the alliance’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, in Washington on Wednesday. The meeting came amid a two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after Trump had raised threats against Iran and suggested NATO may not help if the conflict returns.
Oil prices plunged below $100 a barrel and Asia markets and U.S. stock futures rose after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to market data cited by The Associated Press. Futures for U.S. crude oil dropped 14.3% to $96.83 a barrel, while the Nikkei 225 and Kospi both climbed sharply.
In remarks ahead of the IMF-World Bank spring meetings, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the Iran war has darkened the world economy’s outlook and that the IMF will downgrade its global growth forecast next week. She said the war is pushing up energy prices, damaging energy infrastructure, disrupting fertilizer shipments, and hurting business and consumer confidence. Georgieva added that growth will be slower even if a ceasefire proves durable.
President Donald Trump’s widened Iran conflict is drawing open revulsion from European nationalist leaders and fracturing alliances that had helped unify parts of the U.S. far-right and Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, an Associated Press report said. The rift comes as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces an election this weekend and U.S. Vice President JD Vance stumps in support.
President Donald Trump used language of “annihilation” to warn Iran against failing to make a deal that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” The remarks drew condemnation from Democrats, some Republicans and Pope Leo XIV, and renewed questions about whether threats to strike civilian infrastructure could amount to war crimes.
President Donald Trump’s statements about his administration’s plans for Iran — including threats to target bridges and power infrastructure — have prompted international-law questions about whether such actions could violate laws of armed conflict. Lawyers and U.N. officials said any attack on infrastructure would depend on whether it is a legitimate military target and whether the expected civilian harm is excessive.
Pope Leo XIV said U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to “destroy Iranian civilization” was “truly unacceptable” and warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law. Speaking Tuesday as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, the pope urged Americans and other people of good will to contact political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and seek peace.
El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump dijo el martes que revertirá sus amenazas de lanzar ataques contra Irán después de que Washington y Teherán acordaron una tregua de dos semanas, que incluye la reapertura del estrecho de Ormuz. Irán informó que aceptó el alto el fuego e iniciaría negociaciones con Estados Unidos en Pakistán a partir del viernes, aunque el acuerdo no detuvo los ataques en Israel, Irán y la región al inicio de la tregua.
President Donald Trump has postponed a deadline for Iran to reach a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, setting a new deadline for Tuesday evening, while saying earlier extensions were enough. In the days leading up to the latest push, Trump threatened strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure and said “hell will fall” on Iran if there is no agreement, as Iran rejected a proposed cease-fire, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
Hundreds of Cuban women rallied in Havana on April 7 to denounce a U.S. energy embargo and other measures they said have deepened the island’s crisis. The demonstration, led by officials from Cuba’s government and the Federation of Cuban Women, was held to honor Vilma Espín, a founder of the federation and a key figure in the Cuban revolution.
Delta Air Lines said it will raise checked baggage fees beginning Wednesday, moving most domestic and short-haul international passengers to $45 for a first checked bag, $55 for a second and $200 for a third. The carrier cited higher jet fuel costs linked to the war in the Middle East and said it is reviewing pricing across its business.
Iranians in Tehran prepared Tuesday for the possibility of power outages and broader attacks as U.S. President Donald Trump neared a deadline for a new deal that includes Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Three times a week, Asghar Hashemi undergoes dialysis treatment and said he fears his life would be at risk if power stations are knocked out.
Church bells and gunfire echoed across Lebanon as hundreds gathered Tuesday for funeral prayers for a Lebanese Christian party official killed in an Israeli strike, along with his wife, in the town of Ain Saadeh east of Beirut, according to the Associated Press. The killing has become a touchpoint in a Lebanon already divided over the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call for people with weapons to lay them down and for those who have power to seek peace through dialogue. In his Urbi et Orbi blessing from St. Peter’s Basilica’s loggia, the pope did not list the world’s conflicts by name, instead drawing on a message about the “great thirst for death” that Pope Francis delivered from the same spot last Easter.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was released Tuesday after being kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner last week, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. The release followed a statement by Kataib Hezbollah, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed early Wednesday that she was freed and that the United States was working on her safe departure.
President Donald Trump said he would suspend his threatened attack against Iran less than two hours before the Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline he set for Tehran, after weeks of deadline delays and escalating public threats. On Truth Social, Trump said he would withhold “the bombing and attack of Iran” for two weeks, subject to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as Iranian officials said they accepted a two-week ceasefire.
Donald Trump Jr. criticized the European Union during a visit to Bosnia on Tuesday, saying its liberal policies discourage investment and predicting a “major fracture” between the bloc’s eastern and western member states. Speaking in the northwestern Bosnian city of Banja Luka, he urged Europe to “get out of” its own way. The U.S. Embassy press office in Sarajevo said the visit was in a “private capacity,” but local leaders and officials tied it to support for Bosnia’s Serb separatist political leadership.
President Donald Trump said Monday he could target Iran’s power plants and bridges in a bid to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, an approach that legal experts say could violate laws of armed conflict. A United Nations spokesman warned that attacking such infrastructure is banned under international law, while a U.S. defense law expert said the threat did not account for civilian harm. Democrats in Congress and others criticized the broad rhetoric as unlawful, as shipping in the strait remained heavily disrupted.
Ukrainian forces operating from western Libya attacked a Russian-flagged liquefied natural gas tanker in the Mediterranean in early March, Libyan officials told The Associated Press. The officials said the Arctic Metagaz was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone strike near Maltese waters and later drifted off Libya after the crew was rescued. Russia blamed Ukraine and Ukraine said the proceeds from oil exports help fund Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a sharp de-escalation, U.S. President Donald Trump pulled back threats of devastating strikes on Iran late Tuesday, as the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it accepted the ceasefire and that talks would move forward with the United States beginning in Pakistan on Friday.
A U.S. judge ruled that a customs officer improperly canceled the visa of a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher accused of smuggling frog embryos into the country. In a written ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss said Customs and Border Protection lacked authority to cancel visas based on suspected biological-sample smuggling.
Detained aid worker Joseph Figueira Martin, held in the Central African Republic for nearly two years, was freed Tuesday, his family told The Associated Press. His brother said he could be in Lisbon within hours. The Central African Republic prosecutor’s office had said Martin was arrested in May 2024 on allegations including spying and contact with armed groups to plot a coup.
Associated Press reporters traveled from Iran’s northwest to Tehran, crossing into the country from Turkey and seeing both damaged sites and continuing routines amid the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. In Zanjan, Iranian officials said an airstrike hit a husseiniyah, killing two people and damaging a clinic and a library, according to provincial officials. In Tehran, AP reported destroyed government buildings and police stations, checkpoints, and the continued availability of subsidized fuel.
Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars natural gas and associated petrochemical complex for a second time, the Associated Press reported April 6. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the target was a petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh on the Iranian side of the Persian Gulf field.
A Russian drone attack on Odesa killed two women and a toddler, Ukrainian officials said, while Ukrainian long-range drones targeted Russia’s key Black Sea oil-export port. The fighting also included shelling and drones across southern and eastern Ukraine, with regional officials describing multiple civilian casualties and damage.
Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon have increasingly targeted first responders and medical facilities, medical workers and rights groups said, warning that a pattern similar to Israel’s war in Gaza is unfolding. Doctors described a health system under strain as hospitals evacuate, clinics close and patients are transferred amid airstrikes and damage. In interviews, surgeons and paramedics who say they have experienced Gaza’s destruction described the fear of returning to a similar hospital campaign in Lebanon.
President Donald Trump said U.S. forces rescued a two-man F-15 Strike Eagle crew downed deep inside Iran and described the operation in unusual detail during a Monday news conference at the White House. Trump said the pilot was recovered within hours and the second aviator was found days later after a search that relied on helicopters, fighter aircraft and CIA technology as U.S. forces used deception to mislead Iranian efforts.
U.S. President Donald Trump expanded his threat against Iran to include all power plants and bridges as his ultimatum for a deal neared, after Tehran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal. The U.S. also warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping or face strikes, while Israel carried out new attacks including a major petrochemical plant and the killing of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary will vote on April 12, a contest that could determine whether Viktor Orban, the European Union’s longest-serving leader, faces defeat after a long record of blocking decisions in the bloc, lawmakers and analysts said. The election is being watched across Europe as the EU tries to respond to wars, Russian sabotage efforts and other strains, with Orban’s vetoes limiting options and fueling calls for treaty and policy changes.
Two U.S. lawmakers visiting Cuba said they saw the effects of a U.S. energy blockade and called for a permanent solution to Cuba’s crises, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Jonathan Jackson said after a five-day visit that ended Sunday.
El derribo de dos aviones militares estadounidenses por parte de Irán es un hecho “sumamente inusual” para Washington, según Associated Press, y rompe una racha de más de 20 años sin aviones de combate derribados en combate por enemigos. Los incidentes ocurren cinco semanas después de los primeros bombardeos de Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán, y después de que el presidente Donald Trump dijera que la capacidad de Teherán para lanzar misiles y drones estaba “drásticamente limitada”.
Seoul’s spy agency said in a closed-door briefing that it is now fair to view Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter as his heir, a stronger assessment than it made earlier in 2024 and this year. South Korea’s lawmakers pressed the National Intelligence Service for details about the girl’s political standing and her relationship to Kim’s long regarded No. 2, Kim Yo Jong.
At least 26 people were killed in three separate Easter attacks in northern Nigeria, the Nigerian military and local officials said. The attacks included an assault on the Mbalom community in Benue State, a gunfight involving police in Borno State, and an attack on an Easter service in Kaduna State.
Iran’s government is detaining family members of Iranian opposition figures in exile and threatening to seize their property, activists overseas told The Associated Press. The threats come as war with the United States and Israel intensifies and as Iran’s crackdown expands to intimidate people who speak to outside media.
The United States carried out a rescue operation in Iran to retrieve a U.S. aviator whose fighter jet was shot down, according to an Associated Press report. The CIA ran a deception campaign inside Iran while U.S. officials said they remained silent for more than a day to protect the effort, as rescuers extracted the injured pilot and searched for a second crew member hiding in the mountains.
The Trump administration has revoked the green cards or U.S. visas of at least four Iranian nationals connected to the current or former Iranian government, the State Department said. Among those affected are relatives of Qassem Soleimani that the government said were arrested by immigration agents and placed in ICE custody.
President Donald Trump, in his first live address to Americans about the war in Iran, said the conflict had left Iran “decimated” and claimed U.S. forces were “unstoppable.” As the war enters its sixth week, developments including the shooting down of a U.S. fighter jet and reports that an aircraft was hit by Iranian air defenses have underscored the unpredictability of warfare.
Iran shot down two American military aircraft in the Iran war, the U.S. says, including an F-15E Strike Eagle with one crew member rescued and a second still missing. The incident marks an exceedingly rare assault for the United States, with the last combat loss of a U.S. warplane to enemy fire more than 20 years ago. The attacks came amid intensified U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, which President Donald Trump has described as having curtailed Tehran’s ability to launch missiles and drones.
Swedish authorities released the EU-sanctioned tanker Flora 1 after concluding they lacked sufficient evidence that the ship caused a Baltic Sea oil spill, the Swedish Coast Guard said. The spill was discovered Thursday and the vessel was boarded and detained after Swedish officials linked the case to a tanker on the European Union’s sanctions list for transporting Russian oil with unsafe shipping practices.
The Trump administration has revoked green cards or U.S. visas for at least four Iranian nationals connected to Iran’s current or former government, Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided this week, the State Department said. The latest actions include the arrest of Qassem Soleimani’s niece and her daughter, who are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, according to the department.
Mortgage rates rose this week to 6.46% amid the economic fallout from the war with Iran, raising costs for homebuyers just as other housing trends favor them this spring. The increase followed a move from just under 6% in late February and is tied by lenders to higher costs for U.S. borrowing. Real-estate agents say the buyer leverage that usually comes with slower sales and more inventory can still show up as sellers compete on price and concessions.
Iran shot down two American military jets in the Iran war, the Associated Press reported, in an attack that marked the first time a U.S. warplane was shot down by enemy fire in more than 20 years. The AP said Iran downed an F-15E Strike Eagle on Friday, with one service member rescued and the search continuing for a second. The AP also reported that Iranian state media said an A-10 attack aircraft crashed after being hit by Iranian defense forces.
Swedish authorities released a tanker that had been detained for suspected involvement in a Baltic Sea oil spill after investigators found insufficient evidence the vessel was at fault, according to the Swedish Coast Guard. The ship had been sanctioned by the European Union and boarded on suspicion it caused a 12-kilometer spill discovered last week.
President Donald Trump told Americans during a White House address Wednesday that “We’ve beaten and completely decimated Iran,” describing the country as “decimated both militarily and economically and in every other way.” His certainty is being tested by developments including the loss of a U.S. fighter jet shot down in Iran on Friday and reports that Iranian air defenses hit another U.S. aircraft. As the war enters its sixth week, European leaders and some U.S. Republicans are also pushing for a broader coalition as Trump’s approach keeps allies at arm’s length.
In a prime-time address from the White House, President Donald Trump said the United States was on track to complete “all of America’s military objectives” against Iran “shortly,” while also forecasting a new push “over the next two to three weeks.” As the midterms approach, Republicans are bracing for political blowback over the Iran war and its economic fallout, including higher gasoline prices and a closed Strait of Hormuz.
China is stepping up diplomacy on the Iran war with a five-point proposal advanced with Pakistan, Gulf backing, and opposition to a United Nations move that would authorize force to open the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported April 4. AP said the effort is also aimed at positioning Beijing to play a more prominent diplomatic role while U.S. officials expressed limited interest in Chinese mediation.
Iran shot down two U.S. military aircraft in separate attacks Friday, with one U.S. service member rescued and at least one missing, the Associated Press reported. The incidents marked the first time U.S. aircraft had been downed in the conflict, which began nearly five weeks earlier, and came amid renewed strikes across the Middle East.
Iran shot down two American military jets in the Iran war, a rare event the AP said has not happened in more than 20 years. The incidents, reported as taking place Friday, followed weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Mortgage rates have climbed since the start of the war with Iran, adding to housing costs even as other parts of the market give buyers more negotiating power this spring, the Associated Press reported. As lenders adjust prices tied to the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield, the typical 30-year mortgage rate rose from just under 6% in late February to 6.46% this week, Realtor.com and Redfin data show.
President Donald Trump, in a prime-time White House address, told Americans that Iran had been “decimated” and that U.S. forces were “unstoppable,” as the conflict’s early results have exposed how little control the president has once war begins. Days after his remarks, an American fighter jet was shot down in Iran, and Iranian state media reported another U.S. aircraft was hit by air defenses.
Péter Magyar, the Hungarian opposition leader and founder of the Tisza party, said the election next week against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be a “referendum” on whether Hungary can return to democratic Europe or continues drifting toward Eastern autocracies. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday in Kiskunhalas, Magyar also accused Orbán of steering the country toward Russia and driving widespread corruption.
Displaced Shiite families in Lebanon are struggling to find housing as Israel’s airstrikes and evacuation orders stoke suspicion in areas where Hezbollah is not present. In interviews in Beirut and surrounding regions, displaced residents and local officials described landlords refusing rentals, demanding large upfront payments, and in some cases requiring security checks tied to Hezbollah. Police and the army have increased their presence as communal frictions rise.
Bahrain’s crackdown on dissent has intensified as the war between the United States and Iran has reignited unrest in the Gulf kingdom, where critics say authorities are reviving tactics used against Arab Spring protests in 2011. The death of Mohamed al-Mousawi, a Shiite Muslim who had previously been imprisoned, has become a flashpoint amid renewed detentions tied to the conflict, according to reports this week.
Beijing said peace talks between Afghanistan’s Taliban government and Pakistan are advancing after the two countries resumed conversations in the western Chinese city of Urumqi. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the sides have reached “consensus and arrangements on a specific operational mode,” while Pakistan’s police reported a late Thursday suicide bombing that killed at least five people in the Bannu district.
French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainties tied to the Middle East war, a summit in Seoul showed.
Dos aviones militares de Estados Unidos fueron derribados en incidentes separados en Irán el viernes, informó la AP desde Dubái, con un tripulante rescatado y al menos otro en paradero desconocido. Los incidentes marcaron la primera vez en el conflicto que aeronaves estadounidenses son derribadas en territorio iraní, en medio de una escalada de ataques en Oriente Medio que mantienen presión sobre Israel y los países del golfo.
The Trump administration has revoked the green cards or U.S. visas of at least four Iranian nationals linked to Iran’s current or former government, including two people detained by U.S. immigration authorities and set to be deported, the State Department said on April 4. The latest actions followed a determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the individuals were no longer eligible for lawful permanent resident status or to enter the United States.
President Donald Trump used his first major address since launching his war in Iran to urge Americans to stay patient and said U.S. military objectives will be completed “shortly.” In the Wednesday evening speech, Trump offered no details on negotiations with Iran, and Democrats criticized his remarks as lacking a clear plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed the Army’s top uniformed officer and two other generals, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the United States wages war against Iran. Gen. Randy George will retire effective immediately, and Gen. Christopher LaNeve will step in as acting chief of staff. The Pentagon did not give a reason for the departures.
Russia plans to send a second oil tanker to Cuba, the country’s energy minister said Thursday, citing the island’s ongoing energy blockade. The announcement came days after a sanctioned Russian tanker docked in Matanzas with 730,000 barrels of oil, the first tanker to reach the island in three months. In Havana, hundreds of people staged a protest against the U.S. embargo as Cuban officials watched.
Israel said it faced incoming fire from Iran as Iraq’s Kuwait and Bahrain reported being under attack, and Iran said eight people were killed in a U.S. strike during Nowruz celebrations near a major bridge in northern Iran.
Britain convened diplomats from 41 countries to discuss how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks nearly halted shipping through the vital oil route, a development Britain said has contributed to global fuel and food price spikes. U.S. officials did not attend the virtual meeting, which Britain said would focus on political and diplomatic efforts rather than military action.
Rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group killed at least 43 people in eastern Congo in an attack late Wednesday, officials said April 2. The civilians were killed in Bafwakoa village, where fighters linked to the Allied Democratic Forces set homes on fire, according to a civil society member and Congo military officials. Congo’s military said 43 people were killed, while local officials put the toll at least 56 and said several people were missing and at least two were taken hostage.
A drone maker backed by President Donald Trump’s two oldest sons is pitching its defensive interceptors to Gulf countries that are being targeted in the Iran war. Powerus, a Florida-based company, said it is demonstrating its technology in the region as it pursues sales while the U.S. military—overseen by Trump—leads the defense.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused China of “bullying” by detaining or impeding dozens of Panama-flagged ships for inspections in Chinese ports, after Panama seized control of key canal terminals this year. Panama says the detentions reflect routine maritime safety practices, while China denies the allegations and says it will protect Chinese companies’ rights.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will discuss possible trilateral negotiations in a video call with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The comments came as Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had completed control of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, a claim a Ukrainian military spokesperson denied.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday sought to explain his rationale for the U.S. war against Iran, but his primetime address offered few new specifics at a pivotal moment at home and abroad. The speech did not include his earlier claim that negotiations with Iran were underway, and Trump did not give a definitive end date for the conflict, even as he defended the operation as necessary for American safety and the security of the “free world.”
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that U.S. forces would “finish the job” in Iran soon, describing the campaign as nearing “core strategic objectives” and promising a new round of attacks over the next two to three weeks. In a prime-time national address that lasted just under 20 minutes, he also repeated that he did not plan to send U.S. ground troops into Iran, while his comments contributed to a jump in oil prices.
In February, U.S. retail sales rose as shoppers increased spending before gasoline prices surged amid the attacks on Iran. But with the Iran conflict beginning Feb. 28 and disrupting oil supplies, retailers and economists said higher fuel costs could start weighing on consumer sentiment and discretionary spending.
Stocks surged worldwide on Wednesday as oil prices fell, driven by renewed hopes that the war with Iran could end soon. The move came after President Donald Trump said late Tuesday that the U.S. military could end its offensive in two to three weeks, though Iran’s foreign ministry quickly rejected his claim.
President Donald Trump, in an address to the nation Wednesday night, gave an update on the U.S. war against Iran and said the military objectives of “Operation Epic Fury” are nearing completion. He said U.S. forces have “systematically” dismantled Iran’s ability to threaten the United States and described plans for additional strikes if no deal is reached. The Associated Press transcribed the remarks.
U.S. President Donald Trump signaled openness to leaving NATO as he criticized European allies over the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz, a trade route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, the Associated Press reported. Trump also warned that countries reliant on the strait “must grab it and cherish it” because the United States would not, while members of Congress and European leaders worked to manage alliance fallout.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged a ceasefire in the Middle East during talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday, linking the request to international law and the need to keep calm around the Strait of Hormuz. The leaders also agreed to deepen cooperation on defense, rare earths development, nuclear energy and other areas.
King Charles III will deliver an address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress during a Washington visit in late April, becoming the first British monarch to speak to lawmakers in more than three decades, congressional leaders said. The joint address will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaring independence from Britain and comes as friction persists over U.S. policy toward European allies and the war in Iran.
More than 1 million people have fled Israeli strikes and evacuation orders in Lebanon for Beirut, where the influx is overwhelming shelters and pushing families into tent encampments and other makeshift housing as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues. The United Nations refugee agency in Lebanon said the figure is likely an undercount and warned of an “imminent humanitarian catastrophe.”
BAGHDAD — American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson, 49, was kidnapped in Baghdad after being forced into a car by two men, according to AP. Friends and colleagues said she had received a warning about a militia threat and was seeking routes to reach assignments despite having no work at the time. Her mother said Kittleson had sent photos by email as recently as Monday.
Pakistan and Afghanistan held a first round of ceasefire talks in China, with Chinese officials mediating, according to Pakistani officials and an Afghan official. The talks were to continue in Urumqi on Thursday, even as Afghanistan accused Pakistan of firing mortars into Afghan territory late Wednesday. China had not commented, and Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not confirm or deny the talks.
Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized allies who he said have not done enough to support U.S. military action against Iran, telling them to “go get your own oil” and saying protecting the Strait of Hormuz “isn’t our business.” He also told reporters the U.S. could end its offensive in “two or three weeks,” with responsibility for keeping the vital waterway open falling on the countries that depend on it.
The U.S. lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to a U.S. Treasury notice. The change, announced April 1, allows Rodríguez to work more freely with U.S. companies and investors.
In federal court in Miami, lobbyist Brian Ballard testified about what he says were his decisions to cut ties with former Rep. David Rivera after learning in 2020 that Venezuela’s government awarded Rivera a $50 million contract. Ballard, described by prosecutors as a key witness, is testifying in a trial over allegations that Rivera secretly lobbied for Maduro’s government without registering as a foreign agent.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Armenia’s government on Wednesday that it cannot simultaneously pursue European Union membership and remain in Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union customs arrangements. In talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow, Putin said Russia is “absolutely calm” about Armenia’s efforts to deepen ties with the EU, but argued that it is “impossible” to be in both a customs union with the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union.
The U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and the destroyer USS Gridley arrived in Panamanian waters for “Mares del Sur 2026,” a multinational maritime cooperation exercise in the region, the Associated Press reported. The USS Nimitz docked in the Gulf of Panama on Monday, while the USS Gridley anchored the day before in Panama City, according to the report. The ships are scheduled to remain in Panamanian waters through April 2.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum designated Roberto Velasco, a former North America subsecretary and U.S. relations specialist, as the country’s new foreign minister on April 2, replacing Juan Ramón de la Fuente, who requested to step down for health reasons. Velasco’s appointment must be ratified by Mexico’s Senate.
The first foreign troop tied to a new UN-backed gang-suppression force has arrived in Haiti, according to a statement posted by the force. A team from Chad and the force’s special representative, Jack Christofides, entered Port-au-Prince as officials discussed the partnership with Haiti’s prime minister.
President Donald Trump has tried to reassure financial markets as the Iran war drags on, aiming to prevent oil prices from surging, stocks from falling and interest rates from spiking. An Associated Press analysis says his approach has increasingly relied on public remarks and social-media posts meant to influence trading expectations, even as economists and officials warn that volatility tied to the conflict is persisting.
U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday to what the Dow described as its best day since last spring, with the Dow rising 1,125 points as investors shifted from doubt to hope about a possible end to the war with Iran. The S&P 500 jumped 2.9%, its largest gain since May, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 3.8%, alongside lower oil prices and falling Treasury yields.
As President Donald Trump assembled his Cabinet last week, he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance for an update on the Iran war. The two top officials offered markedly different public postures, with Rubio defending the operation and Vance emphasizing restraint and stressing that Iran should not get a nuclear weapon.
In remarks during an Iran war that has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States would not secure the waterway and told allies who have not done more to “go get your own oil.” He also said the military could end its offensive in “two to three weeks” and that a prime-time address Wednesday would update the public on the conflict.
Iran has continued launching missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab neighbors more than a month after the United States and Israel began a war against Iran on Feb. 28, despite Trump administration claims that Iran’s military has been “obliterated.” The Associated Press reported that U.S. officials cited a sharp drop in ballistic missile and drone activity, but independent conflict data suggests Iran’s strike tempo has slowed rather than ended.
US gas prices jumped past $4 a gallon on Tuesday for the first time since 2022, according to AAA, as the Iran war pushed fuel prices higher worldwide. The motor club said the national average for regular gasoline was $4.02, more than a dollar higher than before the war began Feb. 28. Analysts warned the rise could feed into other costs as diesel and transportation costs increase, while attention remains on the Strait of Hormuz.
Financial markets have been whipsawed by the war in Iran, driving sharp moves in oil, gasoline prices, and U.S. interest rates as investors adjust expectations for inflation and Federal Reserve policy. The AP reported that Brent crude rose above $100 per barrel for the first time since summer 2022, while gasoline prices surged and the 10-year Treasury yield jumped in late February before easing.
The Iran war is complicating global shipping and raising expenses for small business owners across the United States, according to interviews with multiple operators. Small exporters and retailers described rerouted shipments, tighter capacity, and higher insurance costs after the Strait of Hormuz became effectively closed. They said the pressures are arriving after pandemic-era disruptions and could intensify if the conflict lasts for months.
President Donald Trump told Americans on Wednesday, April 1, that the United States has made “tremendous progress” in its war against Iran and said Operation Epic Fury is nearing completion. In a televised address that The Associated Press transcribed, Trump described a month of U.S. military action launched on March 1 and said U.S. forces would “finish the job” if no deal is reached. He also argued that rising U.S. gasoline prices were linked to Iranian attacks on oil tankers and neighboring countries.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday that the United States would respond to the prospect of no war-ending deal “shortly” and a failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by “blowing up and completely obliterating” Iran’s energy infrastructure, potentially including “all desalinization plants.” Analysts said any attack on water facilities could spread harm across the water-starved Middle East, where desalination supports populations in the Persian Gulf, and they warned retaliation could drive the biggest danger.
Pope Leo XIV said he hoped the U.S.-Israel war on Iran could be finished before Easter, in remarks to reporters as he left the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome on Tuesday. The Pope urged world leaders to return to dialogue and find “ways to reduce the amount of violence,” adding that Easter should be a “time of peace” amid suffering across the Middle East.
President Donald Trump criticized European allies for not doing more as the U.S. and Israel fight an Iran war, increasingly blaming gaps in allied support for problems tied to the Strait of Hormuz. In remarks and posts over several days, he also suggested the U.S. could be done launching attacks in two to three weeks, while saying responsibility for keeping the strait open would fall on other countries.
Cuba’s energy ministry and other officials on Tuesday hailed the arrival of a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in Matanzas as the island battles rolling blackouts and shortages. The Trump administration allowed the shipment to proceed despite an ongoing U.S. energy blockade, AP reported.
Colombia’s army rescued six siblings after they spent three days hiding in the rainforest in Caquetá province to avoid being captured by a rebel group, the Defense Ministry said. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said five children and an adult sister were airlifted from a remote location following a “precise operation” involving helicopters.
Gulf allies led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging President Donald Trump to continue the U.S.-led war effort against Iran, arguing Tehran has not been weakened enough to justify ending the campaign, according to U.S., Gulf and Israeli officials.
JetBlue has raised its checked bag fees by as much as $9, citing higher jet fuel costs tied to disruptions in global oil supplies from the Iran war. For most domestic economy passengers, the first checked bag will cost $39 starting Monday, up from $35, and $49 during peak travel periods such as spring break and the summer.
Thousands of additional U.S. troops are heading to the Middle East as the Trump administration says progress is being made in talks with Iran and warns it could escalate the war if no deal is reached soon, the Associated Press reported. The USS George H.W. Bush is deploying with three destroyers, and the 82nd Airborne Division has started arriving in the region, along with other Marine units.
Pope Leo XIV rejected claims that God justifies war during Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, while asking for special prayers for Christians in the Middle East. Speaking to tens of thousands gathered in the square, he said Jesus, the “king of peace,” rejects violence and cannot be used to justify war.
La presidenta mexicana Claudia Sheinbaum dijo el lunes que el gobierno venezolano debería poder usar fondos para pagar los honorarios de los abogados del ex presidente Nicolás Maduro en un juicio por narcotráfico en Estados Unidos. Sus comentarios surgen después de que autoridades estadounidenses se negaran a permitir ese pago con recursos del gobierno venezolano.
Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi may have suffered a heart attack, one of her lawyers said Tuesday, after visiting her in Zanjan Prison. Two of Mohammadi’s lawyers and her sister visited her on Sunday and reported that she looked very pale and had lost a lot of weight, according to her French lawyer, Chirinne Ardakani.
Stephen Lewis, Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations and a longtime social activist, has died at 88, his family and the Stephen Lewis Foundation said. Lewis was diagnosed with stomach cancer eight years ago.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have driven up prices and pressured the global outlook for the economy as strikes and counterstrikes disrupt energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, economists and officials say. The fallout is forcing developing countries to ration fuel and subsidize energy costs, while hitting fertilizer supplies and raising the risk of higher inflation and slower growth.
President Donald Trump asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance for updates on the Iran war as he assembled his Cabinet, and the pair presented markedly different approaches. Rubio defended the war, while Vance said the United States has “options” and emphasized preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The exchange is occurring as Republicans begin early maneuvering for the next presidential nomination, including in New Hampshire.
Pakistan said Sunday it would soon host talks between the United States and Iran, after top diplomats from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad on ways to end the monthlong war. U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington was in discussions with Iran and that it had responded to a U.S. 15-point ceasefire plan, while Iran warned that any U.S. ground troops would be targeted.
President Donald Trump said Sunday night that he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker delivering about 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba, despite U.S. sanctions and a U.S.-led blockade on fuel shipments. Trump made the remarks aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington, after a report that the tanker would be allowed to reach the island. Russia’s Transport Ministry said the tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived at the Cuban port of Matanzas on Monday.
Tens of millions of Brazilian drivers can choose at the pump between sugarcane ethanol and a gasoline blend containing 30% biofuel, a hedge against spikes tied to the Iran war’s pressure on oil markets.
China’s factory activity expanded in March, ending two months of contraction, official data showed March 31. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.4 from 49 in February, but analysts warned the Iran war—started Feb. 28—could still weigh on growth through higher energy costs and supply disruptions.
Asian countries are competing to buy Russian crude oil as an energy crisis deepens after the U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply. With shipments constrained by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, the United States has temporarily eased sanctions for Russian crude already at sea, first for India and then for other countries, prompting new interest across Southeast Asia.
A Yemeni lawmaker sued in federal court in San Diego alleging that U.S. military veterans working for a private security firm were hired to assassinate him in 2015 on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. The lawsuit, filed by Anssaf Ali Mayo and unsealed last week, names former veterans and the founder and CEO of Spear Operations Group, a private military contracting firm.
Four U.S. senators visiting Taipei said Monday the United States supports efforts by Taiwan’s government to pass a $40 billion special defense budget that is stalled in the opposition-controlled parliament. The group met with President Lai Ching-te as they began a two-day trip focused on strengthening informal ties ahead of a May summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Kosovo businesses and households are feeling the impact of rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war, according to interviews in Pristina. Fuel wholesalers have raised diesel and gasoline prices as Kosovo depends on imported fuel, and one snack producer says the higher costs could force it to adjust prices.
The Israeli military suspended the Netzah Yehuda battalion after soldiers assaulted a CNN crew in the Israeli-occupied West Bank last week, the army announced March 30. The move came after footage of the incident went viral, including a chokehold of CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond’s team. In a statement, the military said the battalion would resume service after a process aimed at reinforcing its professional and ethical foundations.
Cuba prepared Monday to receive a sanctioned Russian oil tanker carrying about 730,000 barrels of oil, its first such delivery this year as it struggles under U.S. sanctions. The tanker’s reported position shifted between Russian transport officials and Cuban television before officials said it was approaching the port of Matanzas.
Farmers around the world are feeling the squeeze of the Iran war as near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts fertilizer shipments, threatening food prices. The disruption is hitting nitrogen and phosphate supplies at a moment when planting is starting in many regions, with the World Food Program warning that farmers could see lower yields or crop failures next season.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post that if the United States and Iran do not reach a deal “shortly,” it could broaden its offensive, including by targeting Iran’s power plants, oil facilities and possibly desalination plants. The comments came as Israel and the U.S. carried out another round of strikes on Iran and as Iran attacked infrastructure in Kuwait and elsewhere in the region.
The U.S. has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, resuming full diplomatic operations after the Trump administration removed former President Nicolas Maduro. The State Department said the move began Monday, following more than a month of U.S. diplomats working in Caracas from Colombia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Berlin on Monday and raised the prospect that many Syrians living in Germany could return to Syria over the next few years, saying some are needed to help rebuild the country. In remarks to reporters, Merz also said Germany is prioritizing the repatriation of Syrians who have committed crimes.
As Israeli missile strikes drove some people into bomb shelters, an operation attributed to Iran used Android texts that appeared to offer real-time shelter information but instead delivered spyware. Cybersecurity experts cited by the Associated Press said the tactic reflects how disinformation, artificial intelligence and hacking have become embedded in the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict.
Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that God does not listen to prayers from people who wage war and that Jesus is “King of Peace,” during a Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entering its second month and Russia continuing its campaign in Ukraine, the pope said he dedicated his homily to that message. The Vatican also said Jerusalem police blocked church leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a private Palm Sunday Mass.
Jerusalem marked the approach of Passover and Easter under Israeli military restrictions as the Iran war entered its fifth week, shuttering major holy sites and keeping crowds away. The Old City’s streets were largely emptied, with metal shutters drawn on many storefronts and worship at several key locations limited to small groups. The cancellations and closures were also shaped by concerns about missile attacks and the restricted ability to shelter people nearby.
Paramilitaries and allied forces attacked Dilling, the capital of South Kordofan province, in Sudan’s latest deadly assault, killing at least 14 people, including five children, medical officials said. The Sudan Doctors Network said the hourslong attack wounded at least 23 others and involved shelling of residential areas. The Rapid Support Forces and their allies launched the offensive on Saturday, according to the military, which said it fended off the attack after previously breaking an RSF siege earlier this year.
Israeli authorities announced that Sgt. Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, 22, from Connecticut, was killed Saturday during a combat operation in southern Lebanon as Israel expands its invasion there. Family members in Connecticut said Katz had moved to Israel last year to join the military after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un observed a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel engine for weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, state media reported Sunday. South Korea-based experts said the North’s claims may be exaggerated and pointed to what the country did not disclose about the engine’s performance.
Afghanistan accused Pakistan’s military of shelling the outskirts of Asadabad, an eastern Afghan city, on Sunday, killing one person and wounding more than a dozen civilians. Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said “mortars and other heavy weaponry” hit rural areas and civilian homes in Kunar Province and posted preliminary casualty figures on X. Pakistan had not responded to the accusations as of late Sunday, as fighting continued after a temporary truce expired following mediation by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar.
In South Sudan, a prophet’s sacred stick known as Ngundeng Bong’s dang has endured for generations and is now entangled in a renewed struggle between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. The stick’s legend, including prophecies that Machar’s supporters say point to him, intersects with fighting that has escalated along ethnic lines and has prompted authorities to order civilians to evacuate rebel-held towns.
Arab foreign ministers appointed veteran Egyptian diplomat Nabil Fahmy as the head of the Arab League in a virtual meeting on Sunday, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Fahmy, a former Egyptian foreign minister, will begin a five-year term in July as Ahmed Aboul Gheit’s term ends. The appointment comes as the Middle East reels from escalating attacks tied to the Iran war.
Pakistán anunció que pronto será anfitrión de conversaciones entre Estados Unidos e Irán, aunque ninguna de las dos partes lo confirmó de inmediato. El anuncio llegó después de reuniones en Islamabad de altos diplomáticos de Turquía, Egipto y Arabia Saudí, y mientras la guerra regional ya ha desplazado a más de un millón de libaneses.
President Donald Trump said the United States is winning the war with Iran even as thousands of additional American troops were deployed to the Middle East, the Associated Press reported. In recent weeks, Trump has also criticized other countries for not helping the U.S. and later said he does not need their assistance, according to the report.
One month after the U.S. and Israel began a war with Iran, President Donald Trump has outlined five objectives for the air campaign but some remain unfinished or undefined, according to an Associated Press review of the administration’s goal-setting. Trump has suggested the operation may soon be “winding down,” even as Iran continues launching missiles and drones and as questions persist about nuclear and regional-security endpoints.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered a monthlong regional war on Saturday, saying they launched missiles at Israel. The Associated Press reported that about 2,500 U.S. Marines arrived in the region as Pakistan said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt plan to meet in Islamabad to discuss how to end the fighting. The conflict has also disrupted global shipping routes and led to waves of strikes across the Middle East.
Israel said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen toward Israel early Saturday, the first time it had faced fire from that country. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility, raising questions about whether they would again target commercial shipping through the Red Sea corridor.
In Paris after a Group of Seven meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Washington is demanding Kyiv cede the Donbas region to Russia to secure American guarantees in any Ukraine ceasefire plan. Rubio said the United States has made no such stipulation and that the U.S. has told Ukrainians what Russia insists on, but is not advocating for it.
Tras un mes de guerra entre Estados Unidos e Irán, el presidente Donald Trump enumeró cinco objetivos que Washington quiere alcanzar antes de poner fin al conflicto, pero algunos de esos propósitos clave siguen sin definirse o sin completarse. En medio de los ataques a Irán y de la presión sobre el paso marítimo por el estrecho de Ormuz, el presidente ha insinuado que podría “reducir” operaciones pronto.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made unannounced visits to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as Ukraine seeks strategic ties and drone-defense cooperation during the war in the Middle East, where Iran has struck the region. Zelenskyy said Ukraine has already signed 10-year security agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar and expects to finalize a similar pact with the UAE. He also addressed comments by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying he has “not lied to anyone”.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed three journalists covering the Israel-Hezbollah war, TV stations said. Hezbollah said its longtime correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed in the strike, while Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen said reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, video journalist Mohammed, were killed in Jezzine.
An Iranian missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia wounded at least 10 U.S. service members and damaged several U.S. aircraft, according to two U.S. officials. The officials said two of the troops were seriously wounded and that the attack involved missiles and drones.
The number of American service members wounded in the Iran war has grown beyond 300, after an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base left at least 15 troops injured, U.S. Central Command said. The Central Command announcement came as additional Marine units began deploying to the Middle East from Japan and San Diego, according to the U.S. military.
A month after U.S. and Israeli bombs hit Tehran, Iranians described daily airstrikes, damaged homes, and an economy already strained before the war began. In interviews conducted across Iran, they also cited an internet blackout since January that has cut them off from the outside world, compounded trauma from earlier protests, and left many unsure what happens next.
One month into the war between Iran, the United States and Israel, an Associated Press analysis says Iran has adopted insurgent-style tactics that aim to survive and keep pressure on regional neighbors and global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for oil and natural gas, remains central to Iran’s strategy, according to the analysis, even as the country absorbs heavy strikes. The article also points to domestic challenges for Iran, including unrest and leadership questions, as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs escalation scenarios.
Lagos taxi driver Adegbola Isaac says fuel prices in Nigeria have jumped to about 1,350 naira per liter since the Iran war began Feb. 28, cutting into his daily profits. Similar shocks are spreading across Africa as countries that import refined oil products and fertilizer absorb the ripple effects of conflict in the Middle East. The United Nations said it is pursuing a way to allow fertilizer shipments to transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
An argument between two men in Suqaylabiyah, a predominantly Christian town in central Syria, escalated into sectarian attacks that damaged homes, shops and cars, the Associated Press reported. The assault, carried out by scores of men on motorcycles from the nearby Sunni town of Qalaat al-Madiq, lasted until the early hours of Saturday, according to the report. Government forces later moved to reinforce Suqaylabiyah and calm the violence.
A missile attack on Israel by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday raised concerns that the group could target Red Sea shipping again, as Iran’s leverage near the Strait of Hormuz keeps a key trade route largely closed. The Houthis said they fired missiles at “sensitive Israeli military sites” in southern Israel, and Israel said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
Mexican Navy aircraft located two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid for Cuba about 80 nautical miles northwest of Havana, and the boats arrived in the Cuban capital hours later on Saturday, after days of being out of contact, the Navy and aid convoy organizers said. The vessels set sail March 20 from Isla Mujeres in southern Mexico with at least eight people aboard, and bad weather delayed their arrival, organizers said. The boat’s arrival comes amid warnings about the humanitarian impact of a U.S. fuel blockade on the island, and after a delegation of religious leaders visited hospitals in Cuba.
Hamas is weighing a new proposal for disarming its fighters in Gaza, a step that U.S. and Israeli officials say is required before broader elements of a ceasefire and rebuilding plan can move forward. The response from Hamas, expected in coming days or weeks, could also affect whether reconstruction efforts resume after months of stalled talks, the Associated Press reported.
Russia is sending a shipment of drones to Iran, including upgraded versions of Shahed drone technology that Tehran supplied to Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and European officials told The Associated Press. The transfer comes as Iran has fired drone barrages at Israel, Gulf neighbors and U.S. bases for more than a month after a U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran. The officials who spoke to AP said they could not confirm how many drones are involved or whether the delivery is a one-time shipment or part of a series.
The G7 foreign ministers met in France to press for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians during the Iran war and to urge the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined his counterparts at the meeting, which came amid skepticism from several European allies about the U.S. strategy for the conflict.
Iran’s attacks during the Feb. 28 conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran have sharply reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow Persian Gulf passage that carries about a fifth of the world’s traded crude oil. The disruptions have helped push global oil prices higher and raised risks for Gulf oil exports and downstream customers. The Associated Press’s Luke Garratt explains the strait’s role in the global economy and how reduced traffic can ripple to consumers far beyond the region.
The Conservative Political Action Conference outside Dallas has exposed a generational split among conservatives over President Donald Trump’s strikes against Iran, with younger attendees describing the move as a “betrayal” and older participants saying Trump responded to a long-running threat. The disagreement emerged as CPAC leaders urged unity during a difficult midterm election year for Republicans.
BEIRUT, Lebanon — As Israel trades fire with Hezbollah, sends ground troops deeper into Lebanon and calls for mass evacuations in the south, Lebanese officials and residents fear a long-term occupation modeled on Israel’s operations in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has hinted at creating a “security zone” reaching as far as the Litani River, while Katz said troops would destroy homes in villages in contact with militants.
Iran and the United States appeared to be at an impasse Thursday over ceasefire talks in the nearly month-old war, as both sides hardened their positions and troops moved nearer to the region. President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to April 6, and the Trump administration said it has delivered a 15-point “action list” to Iran. In parallel, Israel said it expanded operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah and carried out strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure.
A new AP-NORC poll finds that while many Republicans approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, a prolonged conflict could strain that support in a midterm election year—especially if it turns into a broader U.S. ground involvement or keeps raising gas prices. The survey, conducted March 19-23, also shows Republicans remain highly focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to lift all sanctions against Venezuela, saying partial licenses do not give foreign investors the legal certainty they need for long-term projects. Speaking during a televised event with local and foreign investors at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Rodríguez argued that easing sanctions only in specific ways still leaves companies exposed.
Iran is moving to formalize control of the Strait of Hormuz by setting up what shipping analysts describe as a “toll booth” system for vessels headed through the waterway, the Associated Press reported. The arrangements include vetting by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and payments settled in yuan, AP said. The shift comes as traffic through the strait has fallen sharply since the start of the Iran war, according to shipping-tracking data cited by AP.
Dubai (Emiratos Árabes Unidos) (AP) — Irán y Estados Unidos endurecieron este jueves sus posturas sobre conversaciones para detener la guerra en Medio Oriente, mientras miles de soldados estadounidenses se dirigían a la región y se reportaban bombardeos intensos en Irán. El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump extendió hasta el 6 de abril el plazo para que Irán reabra el estrecho de Ormuz, al tiempo que Israel enviaba más tropas al sur del Líbano para combatir a Hezbollah.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Wednesday that former President Raúl Castro is involved in talks between the island and the United States, which Díaz-Canel said are in their early stages. The comments came in a videotaped interview with Spanish leftist leader Pablo Iglesias shared by state media.
UN acting envoy for Congo Vivian van de Perre warned the U.N. Security Council that fighting in mineral-rich eastern Congo is expanding and growing more dangerous, including increasing use of heavy weapons and offensive drones. She said renewed hostilities have intensified clashes between M23 and Congolese army forces in North Kivu and South Kivu and have shifted front lines toward Burundi’s border.
The Associated Press has updated its language to call Israel’s military actions in southern Lebanon an invasion, saying the term reflects how the campaign has broadened. The AP said Israeli forces have moved thousands of troops across the border and fought on the ground for at least three weeks, while Israeli officials described a goal of taking control of territory south of the Litani River.
Hungary will gradually cut natural gas supplies to Ukraine unless Russian oil deliveries resume through the Druzhba pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Wednesday, citing a halt in Russian oil flows that has lasted nearly two months.
Russia launched nearly 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at Ukraine on Tuesday as the war enters its fifth year, while Ukraine responded with almost 400 drones in a major overnight attack on Russian regions and Crimea. The intensified fighting comes as the Trump administration winds down U.S.-mediated talks focused on ending the conflict, amid a growing U.S. focus on the Iran war.
President Donald Trump said he is delaying any potential action against Iran’s energy infrastructure, including its power plants, after warning the Tehran government would have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced the extension after Wall Street closed Thursday with another sharp drop in major U.S. indexes, and he framed it as part of “very substantial talks” aimed at ending the conflict.
Slovenia’s government said its intelligence agency has “unequivocally confirmed foreign influences” related to last weekend’s parliamentary election. The government said evidence gathered in Slovenia and abroad has been handed to prosecutors and police, without naming the alleged foreign entity.
Un juez federal en Nueva York presionó el jueves al gobierno de Donald Trump sobre su argumento para impedir que el gobierno de Venezuela pague los honorarios legales del expresidente Nicolás Maduro y su esposa, Cilia Flores, en un juicio por narcotráfico. El juez Alvin Hellerstein cuestionó por qué ese fundamento seguía vigente tras una distensión parcial entre ambos países, y dijo que el derecho a la defensa es “el derecho constitucional” aplicable.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will continue a bilateral agreement that allows Cuban doctors to work in the country, even as other governments in the Americas have ended similar arrangements amid U.S. pressure. She made the comments on Wednesday in response to questions about whether Mexico would yield to efforts by the Trump administration.
Conservatives at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Dallas are split over President Donald Trump’s Iran war, with younger attendees expressing disappointment and older attendees arguing the conflict reflects a long-running threat. At least one participant said the situation feels like “betrayal,” while others said Trump is responding pragmatically to what they described as Iran’s decades-long actions. CPAC leaders acknowledged the disagreement and said the annual straw poll will include a question about it.
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing on May 14 and 15 for a rescheduled summit with China’s President Xi Jinping, the White House announced. The earlier trip window was pushed back so Trump could remain in Washington as the U.S. and Israel continue the war against Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
Most Americans believe recent U.S. military action against Iran has gone too far, according to an AP-NORC poll, and many are worried about affording gasoline. The survey finds President Donald Trump’s approval is largely steady, but opposition to deeper U.S. involvement, including sending ground troops, is widespread.
The Trump administration on Thursday announced it is easing sanctions on a group of Belarus-linked financial and fertilizer companies, citing improved conditions and closer ties with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Treasury said it and the State Department determined that circumstances no longer warrant the prohibitions, while warning the action does not free frozen assets.
Wall Street experienced a rise in stocks and a decrease in oil prices on Wednesday, fueled by emerging hopes for a potential pause in the ongoing war with Iran. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq composite all saw gains, though market volatility persisted.
NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. judge pressed the Trump administration on Thursday about its legal basis for barring Venezuela from paying former President Nicolás Maduro’s court costs in a U.S. drug trafficking case in which he is jailed in Brooklyn. Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned the government’s argument that allowing the funds would “undermine the sanctions,” after the U.S. and Venezuela have warmed relations.
The U.S. military said it carried out a strike Wednesday on a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people, as the Trump administration pushes a campaign against suspected traffickers in Latin America. The attack, carried out in coordination with targeting practices in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, came amid the administration’s ongoing operations tied to the war against Iran, according to the Pentagon and critics.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Belarus, John Coale, said he used vulgar language and drank vodka during his first meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko while trying to build rapport ahead of efforts to secure the release of political prisoners. Coale, speaking at an event hosted by the McCain Institute, defended what he called “very direct” diplomacy and linked it to hundreds of releases since Trump returned to the White House.
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing for a rescheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15, the White House announced Wednesday. The trip was delayed from later this month as the U.S. and Israel continue their war against Iran, and as Washington presses Tehran to accept a ceasefire proposal.
NEW YORK (AP) — Hopes for a possible pause in the war with Iran pushed stocks higher on Wall Street Wednesday while oil prices eased. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% in the market’s latest rise-and-reverse session, as investors weighed shifting signals about how long the conflict could last.
The jump in gas prices linked to the war in Iran is rippling into U.S. borrowing costs, raising longer-term interest rates and pushing up mortgage rates. Higher inflation expectations are also fading this year’s odds of Federal Reserve cuts, with Wall Street futures pointing increasingly to the possibility of a hike.
The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people familiar with the plans. The deployment is expected to include a battalion from the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team and the division commander, Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, the people said.
A new AP-NORC poll indicates that most Americans believe the U.S. military action against Iran has been excessive. The poll also reveals concerns about affording gasoline.
President Donald Trump outlined five objectives for the U.S. to achieve as it winds down its war with Iran, but some remain undefined or appear unfulfilled, an Associated Press analysis says. The list, which expanded from earlier goal sets, includes degrading Iran’s missile capability, dismantling its defense industry, eliminating its navy and air force, preventing nuclear capability, and protecting Middle Eastern allies.
International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol warned Monday that the Iran war poses a “major, major threat” to the global economy, arguing it is hitting oil and gas markets more severely than past conflicts. Speaking at Australia’s National Press Club in Canberra, Birol said no country would be immune if the war keeps escalating, with new risks tied to the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also warned the United States will “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless Tehran fully opens the strait within 48 hours.
Conservatives are gathering this week near Dallas for CPAC, where division on the right over the U.S. military action in Iran is expected to surface amid pressure for President Donald Trump and Republicans heading toward midterm elections. The conference opens Wednesday at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center with more than 80 speakers scheduled, including figures such as Steve Bannon and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who have taken differing views on the war.
The Associated Press reported that Israel used hacked Iranian street cameras and other intelligence in the operation that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a demonstration of how wartime surveillance systems are becoming targeting tools. The report cited intelligence officials and researchers saying that global camera networks—often poorly secured—can be compromised and then sifted for targets with help from artificial intelligence.
U.S. stock indexes fell Tuesday and gave back part of the rally sparked the day before when President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran held productive talks. Oil prices, meanwhile, rose as traders weighed continued fighting in the Middle East against diplomatic signals including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to help facilitate talks.
Higher gas prices after the Iran war have pushed up longer-term interest rates, making Federal Reserve rate cuts this year look less likely. U.S. investors have increasingly priced in the possibility of an actual rate hike, while Fed officials warn that inflation pressures could persist.
Hopes for a possible end to the war with Iran helped lift Wall Street on Wednesday, even as markets swung sharply amid persistent uncertainty. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Dow added 305 points, and the Nasdaq gained 0.8%, while Brent crude for June fell 3% to settle at $97.26 a barrel. (AP)
The European Union and Australia agreed on the final text of a free trade agreement and signed it at Australia’s Parliament House on Tuesday, nearly two years after negotiations resumed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the deal removes tariffs on key Australian exports including wine, seafood and horticulture, and opens quotas for Australian red meat.
Asian countries are shifting back to coal as the Iran war disrupts oil and gas shipments, including liquefied natural gas routed through the Strait of Hormuz. The AP reports that several governments and utilities are raising coal burn to plug LNG gaps, while experts warn the move could worsen air pollution and delay the clean-energy transition.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to France this week to brief G7 foreign ministers on the U.S. strategy for the Iran war, the State Department said. Rubio will attend a G7 meeting near Versailles outside Paris on Friday, where officials are expected to discuss broader security concerns including the Russia-Ukraine war and threats in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump has listed five objectives for the U.S. to achieve before ending its war with Iran, but several aims remain unclear or unfulfilled as he signals the operation could be winding down after about three and a half weeks. In an outline that shifted over time, the administration said it has degraded Iran’s missile forces and air-and-naval capabilities, but Iran has continued launching missiles and drones and has not stopped disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people familiar with the plans. The deployment would include a battalion from the 1st Brigade Combat Team and the division commander, Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, the people said.
President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the United States could soon wind down operations with Iran, citing “very good” talks over the weekend. Iranian officials quickly rejected the idea of any high-level communications with the White House, saying the message was aimed at manipulating energy and financial markets.
President Donald Trump has issued a new ultimatum to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, warning the United States would “annihilate” Iran’s power facilities if the strait is not reopened within 48 hours, a move critics say signals inadequate planning for a crisis that has already escalated. The Associated Press reports that Trump’s approach has shifted repeatedly over about a week, moving from calls for diplomatic security of the sea route to sanctions and then threats aimed at civilian energy infrastructure. A U.S. legal expert and Democratic senators said the language and target set raise serious war-law concerns.
Donald Trump said the United States has talked with Iran about a possible end to their war, prompting a cautious relief rally in stocks and a drop in oil prices. Brent crude fell 10.9% to settle at $99.94, while the S&P 500 rose 1.1% on Wall Street after severe losses elsewhere. The market reaction followed Iran’s denial that such talks took place and comments from Iran’s parliament speaker that “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to “irreversibly” cement his country’s status as a nuclear power and to maintain a hard line toward South Korea, which he called the “most hostile” state, according to North Korean state media on March 24. Speaking to Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament on Monday, Kim accused the United States of global “state terrorism and aggression” and described a more forceful posture in a united front against Washington.
North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong said Monday that a summit between her brother, Kim Jong Un, and Japan’s prime minister will not happen unless Tokyo breaks from what she called “anachronistic” ways. The remarks came after Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters last week that she had pressed U.S. President Donald Trump for support for a meeting in Washington.
The United States has deployed MQ-9 “Reaper” drones to Nigeria to support the country’s military with intelligence and training, a U.S. defense official said. The drones are being based at Bauchi Airfield in the northeast, after 200 U.S. troops arrived last month to provide training and intelligence support, according to AFRICOM.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is talking with an Iranian leader and that Iran is eager to reach a deal to end the war, as he extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He told reporters the U.S. has not talked with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and said the envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks Sunday. Iran’s parliament speaker denied talks had taken place.
Fuel prices have surged globally as the Iran war entered a 24th day, leaving motorists in places including Argentina, Germany, Nigeria and the Philippines to cut back on everyday spending, according to interviews and reporting by the Associated Press. U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that talks with Iranian leaders were ongoing and that the sides were eager to make a deal, a claim that Iran denied. The global oil rally and later pullback did not quickly translate into lower pump prices, which often lag changes in crude markets.
President Donald Trump visited Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis during a Monday stop tied to U.S. efforts on Iran and to long lines at airports, the Associated Press reported. While at a local roundtable on crime, Trump said, “I love Elvis,” and later toured the home, where he examined items tied to Presley and asked whether he could have beaten Elvis in a fight.
Johannesburg-based inquiry proceedings heard testimony Monday from Eugene de Kock, a former South African apartheid-era police commander known as “Prime Evil,” as investigators revisit the 1985 killing of the Cradock Four activists. De Kock denied involvement in the case, but told the court that police at the time held photographs of thousands of anti-apartheid activists labeled as “known terrorists” and should have tracked them and killed them if arrests were not possible.
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar, the front-runner ahead of an April parliamentary election, called for an investigation into an alleged backchannel between Budapest and Moscow that he described as “treason.” The accusations follow a Washington Post report alleging that Hungary’s government has shared detailed information from European Council meetings with Russia for years.
Iran threatened Sunday to “completely” close the Strait of Hormuz and to strike power plants across the region after President Donald Trump set a 48-hour deadline to open the strait. The threats came as the war in the Middle East entered its fourth week, with Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Iran’s retaliation against facilities tied to its nuclear program.
Ukrainian drone crews, including soldiers and civilian partners, have built and refined interceptor drones to counter Shahed loitering munitions and other Russian-launched aerial threats. A report by the Associated Press describes how front-line units in and around Kharkiv test aircraft-style interceptors, adapt designs quickly, and cooperate with nonprofits and manufacturers to scale what works.
At least 64 people, including 13 children, were killed in a strike on a hospital in Sudan’s western Darfur region last week, the World Health Organization said Saturday. The WHO said the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur was also rendered non-functional, with at least 89 people injured.
President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, warning that the United States would “obliterate” the country’s power plants. The move comes amid repeated changes to Trump’s approach to the waterway and has drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers and legal scholars who said striking civilian infrastructure would violate laws of war.
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank on Sunday night, injuring at least 10 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The violence came after a funeral in the settlement of Elon Moreh for an 18-year-old Israeli settler killed in a car collision, and followed earlier overnight attacks reported by WAFA. In Gaza, hospital officials said Israeli strikes killed four Palestinians, including three police officers in a vehicle hit in Nuseirat.
Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said Sunday that Poland “had our suspicions” about Hungary sharing detailed information from EU Council meetings with Russia, after a Washington Post report cited current and former European security officials alleging the practice has continued for years. Tusk’s remarks came a day after Poland’s government responded publicly to Hungary’s denials and criticism of its position amid tense relations over EU support for Ukraine.
President Donald Trump said Friday the United States was considering “winding down” its military efforts in the Middle East as his administration announced it was sending additional troops and lifting sanctions on some Iranian oil sales. Within hours, Trump also threatened to escalate the conflict by targeting Iran’s power plants unless Iran allows oil shipments to pass through the Persian Gulf.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must decide whether to hold the next election on schedule by the end of October or call early elections ahead of that deadline. With fighting ongoing involving Iran and Hezbollah on multiple fronts, his opponents in Iran and Lebanon could influence public pressure on the timetable, Associated Press reported.
President Donald Trump took the United States to war with Iran without a congressional vote, and lawmakers are increasingly pressing for a clearer endgame as the conflict drags on. With the War Powers Act allowing 60 days of military action without congressional approval, lawmakers in both parties say the administration faces mounting questions about when, how and at what cost the operation will end.
Iran’s attacks on Qatar’s natural gas export infrastructure have forced Qatar to halt production of liquefied natural gas and associated products, threatening helium exports relied on by advanced industries. The episode is raising concerns among chipmakers and other manufacturers that depend on helium’s role in semiconductor fabrication, medical imaging and space-related activities.
LONDON — Police in Scotland have charged an Iranian man and a Romanian woman after they tried to enter HM Naval Base Clyde, the Faslane site that is home to Britain’s nuclear-armed submarines, police said. The 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman will appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Monday, after being detained Thursday, according to Police Scotland.
Cuba’s government rejected a request from the U.S. Embassy in Havana to import diesel for its generators, according to two U.S. officials, as the Trump administration maintains pressure on the island over energy and politics. The refusal came as the U.S. State Department weighs reducing embassy staffing because of diesel shortages.
French Navy forces intercepted and boarded a tanker in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, the French government said, linking it to Russia’s sanctioned shadow fleet shipping oil in violation of sanctions over Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
The reaction in Japan was marked by embarrassment and unease after President Donald Trump cited Pearl Harbor during questions about why he did not warn allies before the U.S. attack on Iran. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was seated beside him when he made the remark, and some Japanese officials and commentators said it was awkward for a wartime-history reference to surface at a summit.
Iran launched missiles at Diego Garcia, the remote Indian Ocean island home to a strategic U.K.-U.S. military base, an Associated Press report said. The U.K. condemned what it called “Iran’s reckless attacks,” and said it was unclear how close the missiles came to the island. The episode has also reignited debate over how Britain uses the base during the Iran war and the politics around Britain’s planned transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.
Russia and Ukraine traded attacks that killed at least four people as U.S.-Ukraine peace talks approached in Miami, the AP reported. A Russian drone strike hit a house in Zaporizhzhia, and power was knocked out across much of Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, Ukrainian and regional officials said.
Japanese officials said one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has returned to Japan in good health, following months of detention.
President Donald Trump threatened late Saturday to attack Iranian power plants if Iran did not fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, warning the U.S. would “obliterate” facilities. The threat came as Iranian missiles struck southern Israeli communities near the country’s main nuclear research center, injuring dozens and damaging buildings.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized what he called a “colonial approach” toward developing nations during a summit in Colombia on Saturday, without naming U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Brazil-CELAC forum, Lula linked the criticism to actions including the handling of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro, a U.S. fuel blockade on Cuba, and the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. Colombian President Gustavo Petro also denounced what he said was the United Nations’ inability to stop conflicts, citing the Security Council’s veto structure.
El presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro fue designado por la DEA de Estados Unidos como un “objetivo prioritario”, mientras fiscales federales en Nueva York investigan presuntos vínculos con narcotraficantes, según registros y personas familiarizadas con el asunto vistos por The Associated Press. Horas después de conocerse la noticia, Petro negó cualquier vínculo con narcotraficantes y dijo que su investigación electoral en Colombia no halló “ni un solo peso de narcotraficantes”.
An Israeli strike on a health center in southern Lebanon killed 12 medical workers and left one seriously wounded and four missing under rubble, the Associated Press reported. The attack on March 13 in Burj Qalaouiyah targeted a center run by Hezbollah’s health arm, the Islamic Health Society, as the Israel-Hezbollah war that began March 2 intensifies.
A U.S. immigration judge ruled that a refugee could not be deported to his home country because of danger but he was later handcuffed and sent to Equatorial Guinea, where he remains detained, according to The Associated Press and interviews with a lawyer and the refugee. The AP described a broader pattern in which dozens of migrants deported to Equatorial Guinea under U.S.-Africa deals remain stuck without an asylum policy, even after U.S. judges provide protections against return to their home countries.
Ukraine faces growing pressure because the Iran war has disrupted U.S.-brokered efforts to pause the fighting, while Russia is expected to seek new offensives against Kyiv. As European allies debate whether to keep a 90 billion-euro ($106 billion) package moving, Donald Trump has also criticized allies for not committing naval assets to help restore tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Three weeks into a widening war in the Middle East, Iran warned it could expand retaliatory attacks to recreational and tourist sites worldwide, as the United States announced it is sending additional warships and Marines to the region. President Donald Trump later suggested in a social media post that his administration is considering “winding down” U.S. military operations there. The mixed messages came alongside another climb in oil prices that helped drag U.S. stocks and followed an announcement that the U.S. will pause sanctions on certain Iranian oil cargoes.
Thousands of delegates from dozens of countries and organizations began arriving in Cuba on Friday to deliver a humanitarian convoy of about 20 tons of aid as the island faces a severe energy crisis, the Associated Press reported. Organizers said more delegates were expected to arrive by sea in a flotilla of three vessels.
President Donald Trump said he did not approve of Israel’s decision to attack Iran’s South Pars gas field during the 20-day war between Israel and Iran, describing it as something Netanyahu did “on occasion.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel acted alone but also said he had agreed to Trump’s request to hold off on further strikes on the gas field.
In a military shift driven by the war on Iran, U.S. officials say a sizable number of Patriot air defense missiles have been moved from Europe toward the Middle East, raising concerns about potential gaps in Europe’s defenses against Russia. The war in Iran was about to enter its fourth week when the officials spoke, and Turkey said NATO deployed Patriot systems to intercept ballistic missiles fired over its airspace.
Lebanon’s Eid al-Fitr preparations have been upended by renewed war and displacement, with more than 1 million people forced from their homes, the Associated Press reported. Muslims in parts of the country, including Sidon and Beirut, are spending the holiday in shelters or makeshift arrangements rather than gathering at home.
Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian new year, with grief and disruption as the Iran war has cut communication between families abroad and in the country, the Associated Press reported March 20. In Paris, a man described his mother’s return trip and the difficulty of staying in touch after she went back to Iran.
Israel launched strikes in Tehran targeting Basij checkpoints and positions after killing Iran’s top Basij commander this week, the Associated Press reported March 20. The AP reported video evidence of strikes near traffic cones in central Tehran and said monitors estimate a large share of strikes have targeted Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Basij, which enforce loyalty to Iran’s theocratic rulers.
More than 600 delegates from 33 countries began arriving in Cuba on Friday as part of a solidarity caravan carrying about 20 tons of humanitarian aid, organizers said. The arrival comes as Cuba faces a severe energy crisis and rising U.S.-Cuba tensions, including after President Donald Trump imposed an energy blockade in January, according to the reports.
As Iranians Americans weigh fear, anger and hope during the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, many are debating how to mark Nowruz, Iran’s new year, this week. Some people have canceled large events, while others are holding pop-up dinners, baking and cooking rituals, and charity fundraisers that bring communities together through food.
France said it is taking “appropriate measures” after a French naval officer’s reported use of the Strava exercise app allowed journalists to pinpoint the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s location in the Mediterranean. The discovery, reported by Le Monde, involved a jog on March 13 that journalists then matched to satellite imagery to find the carrier as France and allies protect assets during the Iran war.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has faced renewed scrutiny over his Christian rhetoric as the U.S. and Israel go to war with Iran, after he compared Iran’s Shiite clerics to “mullahs” and recited Bible verses during Pentagon remarks, the Associated Press reported. The criticism comes as a Democratic lawmaker letter to the Pentagon inspector general raises unverified allegations that some military commanders told troops the Iran war would fulfill biblical prophecies.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a “priority target” by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to records and people familiar with the matter. The designation comes as federal prosecutors in New York probe alleged ties between Petro’s representatives and drug traffickers, including allegations about bribery to block extraditions, the Associated Press reported.
One after another, Israel has taken out top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and, more recently, Ali Larijani, according to reporting. With Iran facing continued strikes and uncertainty over succession, analysts say the answer to who is running Iran depends on how its layered command structure operates during wartime.
Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces presented Cuban singer Silvio Rodríguez with an AKM rifle and a replica of one, according to a video posted by President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s office on Friday. The gift ceremony came after Rodríguez said in a March 18 comment that he demanded his “AKM” if Cuba faced an attack.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Hungary days before Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government faces a pivotal election challenge, Hungary’s foreign minister said. The foreign ministry said the trip grows out of the “very intensive Hungarian–American intergovernmental relationship,” but Vance’s office has not confirmed when he would arrive.
Oil prices surged and then eased Thursday, rippling through global stock markets as investors weighed how long disruptions to Middle East oil and gas could last. Brent crude briefly rose above $119 per barrel before retreating, while U.S. stocks trimmed early losses later in the day.
Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, met President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday as Trump faced questions about U.S. strikes on Iran and allies’ support for protecting the Strait of Hormuz. Takaichi told Trump Japan opposes Iran’s nuclear development and described the Middle East as a “very severe security environment,” urging him to be seen as a peacemaker while Japan weighs what it can do under its constitutional constraints. The leaders also signed a White House-described $40 billion nuclear reactor deal, even as tensions surfaced during a public appearance.
Israel carried out airstrikes on Tehran on Friday, as Iranians marked Nowruz, with the attacks coming amid a broader Iran-Israel war that has disrupted oil and gas markets and raised fears of wider regional involvement, the Associated Press reported.
For many U.S. Jews, the upsurge of attacks targeting Jewish communities has coincided with deep divisions over whether to support or oppose Israeli policies in the war in Gaza. The Associated Press spoke with rabbis, Jewish community leaders and writers about heightened security concerns and the blurred line that some critics say is forming between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point again as the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran pushes the waterway into the crosshairs of a wider conflict. Nearly all traffic has ground to a halt through the passage connecting the Persian Gulf to global oceans, disrupting oil and gas shipments and contributing to higher fuel prices.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank had largely avoided the Iran-Israel air war as Israel and Iran exchanged strikes, until a missile hit a beauty salon in Beit Awa. On Wednesday night, four women were killed when a missile struck steps from the salon, sending shrapnel through walls lined with manicure and eyebrow items, the Associated Press reported. The incident highlighted what Palestinians describe as a lack of adequate shelters and frequent delays for ambulances during alerts.
The Pentagon has asked the White House for $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war, an Associated Press report said Sunday, setting up a new fight in Congress over whether to approve more money. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that the figure could change as Republicans and Democrats demand details on costs and strategy.
Countries across Asia are scrambling to conserve energy and protect consumers as the Iran war disrupts oil and gas supplies, pushing markets and prices higher, the Associated Press reported. The disruptions have been most severe where imports heavily rely on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping choke point under strain since Feb. 28.
Israel has killed senior Iranian figures in a campaign that has also targeted leadership in Iran-backed groups, but the conflict has continued and experts say the strategy can produce limited gains or backfire. An Associated Press analysis describes Israel’s decapitation strikes across Iran, Lebanon and Gaza, and outlines why analysts say leadership removal rarely resolves the grievances driving the wars.
In the escalating war involving Iran, the U.S. State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs bureau is operating with fewer senior diplomats and staff than it would have in a prior conflict, according to current and former U.S. officials. The officials described evacuations and other crisis planning as disrupted by management decisions and a reduction in workforce. The State Department disputed the account, saying staffing changes have not harmed its ability to respond to operations and to plan for Americans in the region.
Israel carried out airstrikes on Tehran on Friday as Iranians marked Nowruz, while fighting between Israel and Iran continued to disrupt oil and gas infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, the Associated Press reported.
Cuba is preparing to receive its first shipment of Russian oil this year amid worsening power outages, with a Russian-flagged tanker expected to arrive in about 10 days, according to energy expert Jorge Piñón. Piñón said the ship, the Anatoly Kolodkin, is carrying 730,000 barrels of fuel, while a separate Hong Kong-flagged vessel, the Sea Horse, is also reportedly carrying Russian oil. The preparations come after Cuba said it has been operating on natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants as its grid continues to deteriorate.
Irán intensificó sus ataques contra instalaciones energéticas en Oriente Medio, en medio de una guerra en su tercera semana entre Irán e Israel, con advertencias de países del Golfo de que la escalada podría llevar a un combate directo. El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump dijo que Israel no volvería a atacar el yacimiento de Pars Sur y advirtió que Estados Unidos tomaría represalias si Irán continúa bombardeando infraestructura energética en Qatar.
In March, supplies of oil and other goods to Cuba collapsed, according to shipping data reviewed by the maritime intelligence firm Windward, prompting blackouts and disruptions to medical care on the island. The Associated Press reported that no foreign tankers arrived in March, and that only a handful of container ships listed Cuba as a destination. U.S. officials have linked steps toward private-sector activity and humanitarian shipments, but critics say the approach is starving the country.
Escalating attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Persian Gulf have raised concerns that initial price shocks tied to the Iran-Israel war could persist and spread into broader costs, including gasoline, electricity and fertilizer. In retaliation for an Israeli strike on a natural gas field supplying most of Iran’s gas, Iran struck infrastructure in multiple Gulf states on Thursday, Reuters and other observers said.
About 90 ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the war with Iran began, maritime and trade data platforms said. The figures suggest the waterway has been halted for most traffic but still functions selectively for Iranian oil exports, even as the U.S. presses allies to send warships and reopen the strait.
Pakistan and Afghanistan said Wednesday they will pause escalating fighting before Eid al-Fitr, two days after Kabul blamed Islamabad for a deadly airstrike at a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. Pakistan said the suspension begins at midnight Wednesday and runs until midnight Monday, while Afghanistan’s government spokesman said it would respond to any aggression. The two neighbors pointed to the holiday window and said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar requested the pause.
Ecuador’s foreign minister said her country has carried out attacks against Colombian irregular armed groups only in Ecuadorian territory, after Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro alleged a bomb fell from an aircraft near the border. The two nations also remain locked in a widening tariff dispute that has hurt businesses and transport as officials trade accusations over border security.
The National Retail Federation forecast Wednesday that U.S. retail sales will rise 4.4% in 2026 to $5.6 trillion, citing consumers’ resilience despite volatility. The NRF said the impact of the Iran war on consumer spending is too uncertain to include in its outlook.
Tennessee farmer Todd Littleton says he expects to pay $100,000 more for fertilizer this season, after a 40% spike from last year that he links to the war in Iran and shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. The American Farm Bureau Federation warns some farmers who did not preorder may struggle to obtain needed fertilizer for spring planting.
Iran intensified attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure after an Israeli strike on Iran’s main natural gas field, the South Pars field shared with Qatar. The escalation drew warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump and pushed global oil and gas prices higher, with industry analysts citing the risk of retaliation.
KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel (AP) — After months when residents returned to northern Kiryat Shmona following an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, air raid sirens began sounding around the clock again as rockets and interceptors echoed overhead, residents said. They described days and especially nights spent racing for bomb shelters, with some families living in shelters and some still staying away despite earlier evacuation.
The Trump administration has pressed European allies to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, but close partners have declined to provide immediate support, the Associated Press reported this week. Britain and France have said they would not join a wider regional conflict or would require fighting to subside, while European leaders framed the fight as not Europe’s war. The standoff has strained alliances already weakened by earlier disputes tied to tariffs and other issues.
Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence, told senators the intelligence community “appears to be” that Iran’s government is intact but degraded, while repeatedly declining to answer questions about what President Donald Trump was briefed on before the weeks-old war. In prepared remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee, she also said U.S. strikes last year “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program and that there has been no effort to rebuild it since.
Havana’s government accused Washington of threatening “almost daily” overthrow as U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. could take “imminent action” against Cuba’s leadership. Cubans interviewed by The Associated Press described blackouts, shortages and uncertainty after the comments, while some questioned whether the U.S. would seek Díaz-Canel’s removal.
China said it would not help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump requested, as Trump’s third-week Iran war contended with pressure over shipping through the strait and allies refusing to step up to secure it. Analysts said Beijing appears likely to welcome any delay in Trump’s highly anticipated visit to China and may see the delay as buying time amid U.S. difficulties in the Middle East. The Trump administration, in turn, has said China is “fine” with the postponed summit, while China’s foreign ministry repeated calls for parties to stop military operations and avoid escalation.
Israeli strikes hit multiple neighborhoods in central Beirut and brought down a multistory apartment building Wednesday, days after Hezbollah launched dozens of missiles into Israel the previous night, the Associated Press reported.
Nigerian soldiers backed by air support repelled a suspected Islamic militants’ attack on a military base in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria, the army said. The attack on the Mallam Fatori base occurred at about 12:50 a.m. Wednesday, and the army said at least 80 assailants were killed.
Former counterterrorism official Joe Kent, who resigned this week over concerns about the Iran war and U.S. airstrikes, said he and other senior officials were “not allowed” to share doubts with President Donald Trump. Speaking Wednesday on Tucker Carlson’s show, Kent said Trump relied on a small circle of advisers and that the decision-making process lacked a “robust debate,” as the White House did not respond immediately to questions.
The U.S. Department of State said it is adding 12 countries whose citizens must post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. visas. The requirement takes effect April 2 for passport holders from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.
President Donald Trump attended a “dignified transfer” ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday for the remains of six U.S. service members killed in a KC-135 refueling aircraft crash in western Iraq. It marked the second time in three weeks the Republican president attended the military ritual since the start of the war with Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran expanded strikes on major energy facilities across the Middle East, drawing warnings from Gulf Arab states that the attacks could pull them into direct combat. The strikes followed Israel’s killing of Iran’s intelligence minister and what Israel said was an attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field, a major shared resource.
El director del Centro Nacional de Contraterrorismo de Estados Unidos anunció el martes su renuncia, citando preocupaciones sobre la justificación de los ataques militares contra Irán bajo el presidente Donald Trump. En redes sociales, Joe Kent dijo que Irán “no presentaba una amenaza inminente” y que “no puedo en buena conciencia” respaldar la guerra.
The Iran war has scrambled the Federal Reserve’s outlook for inflation and unemployment and is likely to further delay interest rate cuts this year, the AP reports as the central bank meets on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve is expected to keep rates unchanged, and many economists now see any first cut coming in September or later.
Israel said it killed two senior Iranian security officials in overnight strikes, and Iran responded Wednesday with renewed missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab neighbors as the wider conflict reshaped shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Drivers in the United States are paying sharply more at the pump as the Iran war disrupts global oil flows, Associated Press reported. AAA said the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to over $3.84 on Wednesday, the highest level in nearly two and a half years. The shock is also showing up in diesel prices and has analysts warning that higher fuel costs could add to inflation pressures.
Oil prices rose Tuesday as markets weighed the war with Iran, but U.S. stocks held up more steadily this time, according to market data cited by The Associated Press. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.5%, while benchmark crude prices increased and then pared larger gains. Traders also looked ahead to the Federal Reserve’s next policy decision Wednesday and to signals from earnings forecasts from companies such as Delta Air Lines.
U.S. counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, saying he could not “in good conscience” support President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Kent said Iran posed no imminent threat and that the war began under pressure from Israel, claims Trump has denied.
Zelenskyy, visiting Britain for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte, urged Ukraine’s allies not to forget its war with Russia as fighting tied to an Iran crisis disrupts diplomacy and military supply priorities. In Britain’s Parliament, the Ukrainian president told lawmakers that Russia and Iran are “brothers in hatred” and pressed for continued support and defense cooperation.
The escalating war with Iran is forcing governments across Asia and Europe into “energy triage,” with authorities weighing where to cut demand or absorb costs while supplies tighten, the Associated Press reported. Asia faces the sharpest exposure because a blocked Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route for crude oil and LNG, and several countries are already rationing electricity, extending workweek rules, or drawing down reserves. In India and Indonesia, officials have tried to shield households with price controls, while analysts warn shortages could spread and prices could jump as subsidies and reserves shift.
Trump on Tuesday pledged “imminent” action against Cuba’s government as a new nationwide blackout underlines what he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a deepening economic crisis. Speaking a day after U.S. sanctions on Venezuela included a halt to vital oil exports to Cuba, Trump said Cuba is “in very bad shape” and that “we’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.”
Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian security official widely believed to be running Iran, was killed in an Israeli strike, Iranian authorities confirmed Tuesday. He was 67, and Iran also said his son, Morteza Larijani, was killed.
Colombia said it is seeking an exemption from U.S. sanctions to invest in Venezuelan electricity projects and natural gas ventures, a move Colombia said could include reopening a gas pipeline between the neighboring countries. The request would go to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, Colombian Mines and Energy Minister Edwin Palma said Tuesday.
Tennessee farmer Todd Littleton says the Iran war has driven up fertilizer prices and threatens availability as spring planting approaches, with nitrogen supplies facing shipping slowdowns through the Strait of Hormuz. Other farm groups warn some farmers who have not preordered may be unable to get the fertilizer they need, and analysts say the disruption’s effects may linger for months.
Satellite images being released this week are beginning to show damage from the Iran-U.S. war across several Middle East countries, including ships burning at an Iranian port and damage at U.S. and partner military sites, the Associated Press reported. The AP said the images come from Planet Labs and other providers that have taken steps to delay or limit public release.
President Donald Trump said he is delaying a diplomatic trip to China planned for the end of the month, linking the decision to the war in Iran. Speaking with reporters and in the Oval Office with Ireland’s prime minister, Trump said he would “reset” the visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and go “in five or six weeks’ time” rather than later this month.
President Donald Trump said NATO and other allies rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, as the U.S. continues strikes aimed at hardened Iranian missile sites near the waterway. Trump said allies have not reciprocated U.S. support and warned it was in their interest to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “This is not Europe’s war” and France’s Emmanuel Macron said his country would not join operations tied to the current conflict.
Israel said it killed Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian security official, and Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of Iran’s internal security force, in overnight strikes, and Iranian authorities later confirmed both deaths. The AP report also described Larijani’s conservative role in Iran’s theocracy and said Israel and the United States have targeted Iran’s leadership as the war widens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were intended to weaken Iran’s government and give Iranians a chance to remove it.
Iran escalated its attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure after Israel hit Iran’s main natural gas field, South Pars, a joint reservoir shared with Qatar. The April-style regional flareup has raised concerns about longer price shocks for gas and oil as traders weigh risks to LNG exports and Persian Gulf supply routes, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned Israel and warned Iran over further strikes.
Gunmen killed at least 15 people in attacks on two villages in northwestern Nigeria, according to authorities. The villages of Falale and Kadobe in the Jibia area of Katsina State were attacked in the early afternoon Tuesday, the state’s commissioner for home affairs said.
Hungary and Slovakia agreed to build a 127-kilometer fuel pipeline linking refineries in Százhalombatta and Bratislava, aiming to strengthen regional diesel and gasoline supply. The deal, signed in Brussels and announced by Slovakia’s Energy Ministry, calls for completion in the first half of 2027. The agreement comes amid disruptions to Russian oil shipments through Ukraine-linked pipelines and a wider dispute among the countries over access to fuel supplies.
President Donald Trump said Monday that a former U.S. president told him in a private Oval Office conversation that he wished he had attacked Iran in the manner Trump has pursued for about two weeks. Trump refused to name the former president, saying he did not want to embarrass him, but representatives for four living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden—said none had been in contact with Trump recently.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had a private conversation in which a former Oval Office predecessor expressed regret about not attacking Iran the way Trump has done in recent weeks. Representatives for the four living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden—said none has been in touch with Trump recently, the Associated Press reported.
Ecuador President Daniel Noboa rejected allegations Tuesday that his government bombed targets in neighboring Colombia, saying his forces act only within Ecuador’s territory. The denial came after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused Ecuador of carrying out attacks across the border and after Colombia showed what it said was an unexploded bomb found near the frontier.
The U.N. human rights office warned that Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank could amount to “ethnic cleansing,” citing accelerating settlement activity and forced displacement of Palestinians. In a report covering a yearlong period through the end of October, the office said more than 36,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced. Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva rejected the findings as biased.
Brussels offered Ukraine technical support and funding to repair a damaged pipeline meant to carry crude oil to Hungary, in an effort to persuade Viktor Orban’s government to lift its veto on a major EU aid package. European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday that Ukraine accepted the offer, while Orban said Hungary will keep blocking the 90-billion-euro loan as long as oil shipments remain interrupted.
Canada’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Canada was not consulted on U.S.-Israeli strikes that sparked the Middle East war and that it will not participate in any offensive military operation. Anita Anand made the remarks in a telephone interview with The Associated Press ahead of talks in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Rescuers in Kabul pulled more bodies from the rubble of a drug rehabilitation hospital after Afghanistan said an overnight airstrike by Pakistan killed more than 400 people. Afghanistan’s deputy spokesman and interior ministry cited a specific death toll, while Pakistan rejected the accusation, saying its strikes targeted military facilities and disputed the casualty figures.
Lebanon’s government has proposed direct talks with Israel, but Lebanese officials said any negotiations would come only after the fighting involving Hezbollah ends. The proposal surfaced as Israel carried out airstrikes in Beirut and advanced in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah’s rockets and drones continued into Israel amid the wider Iran conflict.
Iranian American social media creators say Iran’s government-imposed internet blackout has curtailed reliable reporting from inside the country, shifting how the war is understood by many Americans. The Associated Press spoke with creators and academics who described how diaspora audiences fill the information vacuum, while censorship and fear of retaliation limit what people inside Iran can share.
The U.S. war with Iran has entered its third week, but Republicans in Congress have largely avoided public debates or hearings over the Trump administration’s case for the conflict, while Senate Democrats move to force lawmakers to take action. Democrats said they plan this week to push for votes tied to war powers, seeking to disrupt the Senate’s calendar and compel public testimony. “We haven’t had any oversight of what the Executive is doing while we’re spending $1,000 million a day, and we haven’t been able to have any debate or discussion that’s really substantive,” Sen. Cory Booker said.
Haiti has a chance to curb escalating gang violence with a U.S.-initiated international force that is starting to deploy and with a prime minister who has pledged alternatives for young people, the United Nations’ human-rights expert on Haiti said Monday.
President Donald Trump said he has asked China and other countries for help securing the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. strikes on Iran with Israel. He suggested he could delay a late-March trip to Beijing if China does not help, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said any rescheduling would be due to logistics.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Saturday that there is no serious initiative to resume U.S.-Iran negotiations, but he believes Iran is open to back-channel diplomacy. Fidan made the comments in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press as Ankara tries to stay out of a widening Middle East war sparked by U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran two weeks earlier.
North Korea fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea on Saturday, Seoul’s military said, as South Korea conducted joint drills with the United States. South Korea said the missiles flew about 350 kilometers and were launched from an area in Sunan, near Pyongyang’s international airport.
KAPIKOY BORDER CROSSING, Turkey — After bombs hit her home in Iran’s eastern city of Golestan, hairdresser Merve Pourkaz said she traveled nearly 1,500 kilometers to reach the Turkish border in hopes of staying in the nearby city of Van until the war ends. While the U.N. refugee agency estimates 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began, AP reported relatively few have fled Iran through Turkey so far, and experts warn that may change if fighting intensifies.
Bombs exploded in at least three locations in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state on Monday night, killing and injuring scores of people, emergency services said. Officials said the blasts were heard in Maiduguri, including near the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and at two markets, and they were exploring possible suicide bombings.
War has already displaced nearly a million Lebanese, with aid groups warning of a humanitarian crisis as Israel’s strikes and evacuation orders force families into overcrowded shelters, tents and stadium corridors. In just 10 days after mass evacuations began, more than 800,000 people fled within Lebanon, aid organizations said.
President Donald Trump has faced mounting political backlash two weeks into the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran, as public anxiety over American deaths, surging oil prices and market turbulence has complicated his messaging about how the conflict began and how it will end, Associated Press reported on March 15. The AP also described Democrats rallying to argue that higher costs undermine Republican promises and that Moscow gained early leverage after Trump eased some sanctions.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. war with Iran is entering its third week without Congress holding public hearings to test President Donald Trump’s case for the conflict, according to Senate and committee leaders. Democrats say they will use procedural tools to force floor votes on war-powers resolutions unless Trump administration officials agree to public testimony.
War has displaced more than 800,000 people in Lebanon in a little over a week, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, and aid groups warn the country is sliding toward a humanitarian crisis. The displacement is driven by Israeli airstrikes and evacuation orders that have forced families out of homes in Beirut’s southern suburbs and across parts of the country.
Bombs exploded in at least three locations in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state on Monday night, killing and injuring scores of people, emergency services said. The blasts were heard in Maiduguri, where they struck the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and two markets, the NEMA operations chief said. No group had claimed responsibility as of Monday, and authorities were considering possible suicide bombings.
North Korea fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said. The launches came as South Korea and the United States conducted the annual “Freedom Shield” command post exercise, and as U.S. President Donald Trump met South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in Washington.
Congress has yet to hold public hearings to test the Trump administration’s case for the U.S. war with Iran, as the conflict enters its third week. Republicans in Congress have largely sidestepped calls for public testimony, while Senate Democrats threaten to force votes this week on war powers measures.
Residents in and around Tehran reported dark, oily rain after airstrikes hit fuel oil depots and a refinery during the Iran-U.S.-Israel war, prompting warnings from health and environmental officials about potential exposure risks.
Dark, oily precipitation described as “black rain” has fallen in parts of Iran and beyond after strikes hit oil facilities, prompting warnings from health and environmental officials about potential harm from breathing the fumes or contacting the residue. Residents near Tehran reported burning eyes and difficulty breathing as the rainfall occurred after several fuel oil depots and a refinery were struck.
Relatively few Iranians have fled the war in the country so far, but the United Nations and migration experts warn that displacement could accelerate if fighting drags on. At Turkey’s Kapikoy border crossing, displaced Iranians have described weighing whether to leave and what it would mean to return.
China’s top trade negotiator warned in Paris that new U.S. tariff moves could harm U.S.-China trade relations, as Scott Bessent led a U.S. delegation for preparatory talks ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing. Li Chenggang said both sides discussed possible extensions of tariffs and non-tariff measures and agreed to work to keep tariffs stable.
The Strait of Hormuz has become effectively closed as Iran targets energy infrastructure and traffic through the waterway during its war with the United States and allies, driving crude oil prices to hover around $100 a barrel. While some vessels have crossed the strait in recent days, global shippers have issued service alerts and insurers have been limiting coverage, compounding the disruption. The White House has announced steps to boost supplies and reduce transport friction, including a 60-day Jones Act waiver.
More than a decade after first pressing for a confrontation with Iran, Sen. Lindsey Graham filed Monday for a fifth term, with President Donald Trump’s support and a prolonged U.S. war in the Middle East now shaping his campaign. Graham told supporters he spoke to Trump Sunday night and Monday morning and said, “We haven’t underestimated Iran at all. We’re crushing them.”
China warned that U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff moves could harm China-U.S. trade relations as U.S. and Chinese officials wrapped up high-level talks in Paris, a meeting intended to help prepare for Trump’s planned trip to China. China’s international trade representative said the Chinese side raised concerns about U.S. trade investigations into manufacturing in foreign countries launched after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down earlier tariffs.
Negotiations are set to begin Monday between U.S. and Mexican trade officials to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as USMCA, which took effect July 1, 2020. The talks come as the U.S. seeks changes to the pact and both Mexico and Canada weigh uncertainty over how long the North American trade bloc can last.
The Strait of Hormuz is becoming increasingly hard to traverse as the Iran war escalates, leaving global oil prices swinging around the $100-a-barrel range, according to reports citing the International Energy Agency and market tracking. The situation has raised fears of inflation pressure for consumers and higher costs for businesses if the route stays disrupted.
U.S. stocks rose Monday to their best day since the Iran war began after oil prices fell, easing pressure on the economy. The S&P 500 rose 1% for its biggest gain in five weeks, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 387 points and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.2%.
Pope Leo XIV demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East on Sunday in what the Vatican presented as his strongest appeal to date, addressing those “responsible for this conflict.” The pope spoke at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, without naming the United States or Israel.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in April over a Trump administration push to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for people from Haiti and Syria, the Supreme Court said. On Monday, the court declined to immediately lift the protections for hundreds of thousands of people, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. legally while the case proceeds.
Spain’s King Felipe VI said during a museum visit in Madrid that the Spanish conquest of the Americas included “much abuse” and “ethical controversies,” acknowledging historical harm as a dispute with Mexico over colonial-era abuses continues to simmer. Speaking after conversations with Mexico’s ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz, Felipe said Spain’s actions cannot be judged “with excessive moral presentism,” while still saying modern values make it “obvious” the history “cannot make us feel proud.” Sheinbaum said she would look into the king’s remarks, while Spain has stopped short of a formal royal apology.
Italy is facing diplomatic and political backlash after the Venice Biennale said Russia will participate in its 2026 art exhibition, according to officials and European governments. The dispute has put Italy’s culture ministry on the defensive as European Commission officials threatened to withhold EU funding and 22 European countries asked Moscow to stay away again.
Vahid Salemi, an Associated Press photographer based in Tehran, said a photo showing black spots on clothespins captures how conflict has affected everyday life and the environment in the Iranian capital. In an interview accompanying the image, Salemi described how heavy smoke and thick rain clouds left homes darker in the morning and contributed to pollution visible as black marks.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. bombed military sites on Iran’s Kharg Island on Friday, an island he described as vital to Iran’s oil network. An American official told The Associated Press that about 2,500 additional Marines and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war.
Irán lanzó múltiples ataques el viernes de madrugada contra estados árabes del Golfo Pérsico, incluidos decenas de drones contra Arabia Saudí, mientras el ayatolá Mojtaba Jamenei prometía “no abstenerse de vengar la sangre” y el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump amenazaba con una nueva represalia. La ofensiva coincidió con el Día de Quds en apoyo a los palestinos, cuando la televisión estatal iraní reportó una gran explosión en una plaza de Teherán. En el conflicto regional, también se reportaron interceptaciones de misiles de Irán por defensas de la OTAN en Turquía y más incidentes en Israel, Líbano e Irak.
Explosions sounded over Dubai early Tuesday as the United Arab Emirates said its military intercepted incoming Iranian fire that briefly closed the country’s airspace. The UAE quickly reopened airspace after authorities said the situation stabilized, while Israel reported new strikes across Iran and stepped up attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Tehran urged people Saturday to evacuate Dubai’s Jebel Ali port and two other United Arab Emirates ports as its war with the United States and Israel entered a third week, threatening a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets for the first time. The Iranian foreign minister also said the U.S. attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from locations in the UAE, including near Dubai.
Brazilian police released three Israeli tourists on Monday after clashes with pro-Palestine residents in the northeastern beach city of Itacare, Bahia state police said. The incident, which began during a Saturday protest that went viral on social media, led to the tourists being detained and officers facing insults and resistance. Itacare is about 1,340 kilometers (832 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.
Afghanistan’s government accused Pakistan’s military of killing at least 400 people in an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Monday night. Pakistan denied the allegation and said its strikes targeted military installations and did not hit any civilian sites.
ATHENS, Greece — A Greek-flagged oil tanker was damaged in a suspected drone attack in the Black Sea as it approached the Russian port of Novorossiysk, Greek authorities said. The shipping ministry said the 24 crew members were unharmed and that the vessel’s seaworthiness was not threatened.
El Salvador has arbitrarily detained people it received after deporting them from the United States, and some have disappeared into the prison system, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Monday. The report says Salvadorans deported since January 2025 have been held without family contact or access to lawyers, including at the Central American country’s CECOT prison.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari warned Saturday that Afghan Taliban forces have crossed a “red line” by launching drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan. Hours later, Pakistan reportedly carried out strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province, and the countries traded accusations of attacks on each other’s territory.
Maria Kolesnikova received the International Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, Germany, on Saturday, an award she had won in 2022 but could not collect while imprisoned in Belarus, the Associated Press reported. Kolesnikova was released in December with dozens of other political prisoners as part of a U.S. deal that lifted sanctions on Belarusian fertilizer exports, AP said.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A combined Russian missile and drone attack on the Kyiv region killed at least four people and wounded 15, a Ukrainian official said Saturday, after the United States postponed sponsored talks between Moscow and Kyiv due to its own war with Iran-related tensions. The attack hit four districts, damaging homes, schools, businesses and critical infrastructure.
Rwanda’s foreign minister said Saturday that Rwanda will withdraw its counterinsurgency troops from Mozambique if the mission’s foreign backers do not provide “sustainable funding.” The warning came after the U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on several senior Rwandan officials over allegations tied to insecurity in eastern Congo.
The White House has released social media videos promoting its newly launched war with Iran that blend real combat footage with clips and imagery from movies, video games and sports, drawing criticism from artists and religious leaders. The Associated Press reported on the backlash after two performers said their work was used without permission and after Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago said the posts treat deadly conflict like entertainment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States’ 30-day waiver easing Russian oil sanctions is “not the right decision” and would free Russia money to continue its invasion. Speaking in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelenskyy said the move could provide about $10 billion for the war.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have largely held back from joining the broader conflict as Iran responds to attacks by the United States and Israel with missiles and drones across the Persian Gulf, the Associated Press reported. Analysts say the group’s restraint reflects internal divisions and fears for the security of Houthi leaders, even as Iran’s new supreme leader suggested last week that Iran could open new fronts.
A Greek‑flagged oil tanker was damaged in a suspected drone strike in the Black Sea while approaching the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Saturday, Greek authorities said. The vessel, the *Maran Homer*, was chartered by U.S. oil giant Chevron and suffered material damage but sustained no injuries among its 24 crew members, and its seaworthiness was not compromised.
Afghanistan’s government accused Pakistan of conducting a precision airstrike that hit a drug‑rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Monday night, killing at least 400 people and injuring roughly 250, its deputy spokesperson said on X. Pakistan denied targeting any civilian site, insisting its strikes were aimed at military installations used by the Taliban regime. The incident marks a sharp escalation in cross‑border fighting that has intensified over the past three weeks, prompting renewed calls for a ceasefire from the United Nations.
Afghanistan accused Pakistan of killing at least 400 people in an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul late Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in cross-border clashes. Pakistan denied targeting any civilian site, calling the allegations baseless.
Afghanistan accused Pakistan of killing at least 400 people in an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul late Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in cross-border clashes. Pakistan denied targeting any civilian site, stating its strikes hit military installations used by the Afghan Taliban regime to support terror proxies.
Thousands of protesters staged anti-war demonstrations in Italy and Spain on Saturday, linking tensions in the Middle East with a looming referendum on changes to Italy’s judicial system. In central Rome, marchers held trade union banners and displayed Palestinian and Cuban flags as they protested Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government.
El grupo rebelde hutí de Yemen, respaldado por Irán, ha mantenido su distancia mientras la guerra entre Irán y Estados Unidos e Israel se extiende por Oriente Medio, según analistas. En su primera declaración escrita desde la muerte de su padre, ocurrida al inicio del conflicto, el nuevo líder supremo iraní, el ayatolá Mojtaba Jamenei, sugirió el jueves que Irán podría abrir nuevos frentes, lo que reavivó la pregunta sobre si los hutíes podrían involucrarse pronto.
Iran urged people in the United Arab Emirates to evacuate areas near three ports as the Iran-U.S. conflict entered its third week, threatening to target U.S.-linked oil and energy assets. U.S. Central Command disputed Iran’s claim that the UAE was used to launch strikes. Hours later, there was no sign of an attack on Dubai’s Jebel Ali port or Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa port, but an intercepted Iranian drone hit an oil facility in Fujairah and sparked a fire.
Jet fuel prices have been rising as the Iran war disrupts global oil supplies, and experts say airfares are likely to increase as that higher cost works through airline pricing. The impact may be felt most on long-haul international routes because they burn significantly more fuel than shorter flights.
Spain’s King Felipe VI said Monday that the Spanish conquest of the Americas involved “much abuse” and “ethical controversies,” adding that the events must be understood with the “objective and rigorous analysis” of today’s values. He made the remarks while meeting Mexico’s ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz, during a Madrid museum exhibition focused on the role of women in pre-Columbian Mexico.
Senator Lindsey Graham filed Monday to run for a fifth term in South Carolina, as the U.S. conflict with Iran remains deeply unpopular and fighting spreads across the Middle East. Graham told supporters he spoke with President Donald Trump on Sunday night and Monday morning while defending his push for the U.S. to take on Iran directly.
A photo series by Associated Press photographer Vahid Salemi captures black spots on clothespins, which he says reflect environmental damage from conflict in Tehran. Salemi described how smoke from explosions and heavy rain clouds left the city unusually dark on the day the image was taken.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari warned Afghanistan’s Taliban government Saturday that it had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan, according to Pakistani state media. Hours later, Pakistan reportedly conducted strikes on an Afghan drone storage facility, as the cross-border fighting between the neighbors continued despite ceasefire efforts. The accusations come as regional powers including China urged restraint and dialogue amid growing concern for stability, with the United States and Israel’s war with Iran unfolding across the Middle East.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East in his strongest remarks yet, addressing the leaders responsible for the war in Iran. Speaking at the end of his noon blessing, the pope appealed “to those responsible for this conflict” to “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened.”
The inclusion of Russia in the lineup of the 2026 Venice Biennale art fair has triggered outcry from European governments and officials, with the European Commission warning it could withhold funding. The Italian government has launched a review into whether the Biennale’s decision is compatible with EU sanctions, after Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli fired a ministry official linked to the Biennale board.
Russian forces carried out a combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s Kyiv region on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding 15, a Ukrainian official said. The strikes hit multiple districts, damaging homes and infrastructure, as Ukraine and Russia continued to trade claims while peace talks were postponed.
Rwanda’s foreign minister said Saturday that the country will withdraw its counterinsurgency troops from Mozambique unless the mission’s foreign backers maintain “sustainable funding.” Olivier Nduhungirehe made the warning in a post on X, linking the decision to what he described as ongoing criticism of Rwanda’s role in the insurgency-hit province of Cabo Delgado.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in April on the Trump administration’s effort to end temporary legal protections for migrants from Haiti and Syria, a case that could affect hundreds of thousands of people. The court also declined to immediately lift the protections on Monday, allowing recipients to continue living and working in the United States legally while the litigation proceeds.
The Trump administration said it is extending a waiver of the Jones Act for another 90 days, citing the continuing war in Iran and its impact on energy markets and supply chains. The waiver applies to the century-old shipping law that generally requires cargo between U.S. ports to be moved on U.S.-flagged vessels.
President Donald Trump said Monday he has asked multiple countries to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid fighting involving Iran and Israel. He also indicated that his planned trip to China could be delayed after he raised the issue with Beijing. The request has met resistance so far, with officials in several countries signaling they will not dispatch ships or could not expand involvement.
President Donald Trump, two weeks into strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, has increasingly faced political backlash tied to the conflict, including surging oil prices and dropping financial markets. In remarks during a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate and on Air Force One, Trump complained about media coverage and pressed for international help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where transportation has been disrupted. His comments and recent economic moves, including a 30-day waiver on some Russian sanctions to ease oil supply shortages, are drawing scrutiny ahead of November midterm elections.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Saturday there is no serious initiative to restart U.S.-Iran negotiations, but he believes Iran could be open to “sensible back-channel diplomacy.” Fidan spoke in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press while Turkey tries to stay out of a widening Middle East conflict.
The Trump administration has released a series of war-themed promo videos on the White House’s social media feed that mix pop culture clips, video game imagery and sports highlights with declassified combat footage related to the Iran war, according to Associated Press reporting. The videos, posted after the war’s launch, have drawn criticism from artists whose likenesses appear in the posts and from U.S. Catholic leaders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States’ 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions is “not the right decision” and will not help end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy spoke Friday at a news conference in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron as the U.S. sought to ease shipping and supply disruptions tied to the Iran war.
A U.S. military refueling plane crash in western Iraq killed six service members who were supporting operations against Iran, U.S. officials said. Families of the victims described the airmen and their roles in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard.
The U.S. State Department has reduced by about 80% the fee Americans pay to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship, cutting it from $2,350 to $450. The change, set by a final rule published in the Federal Register, takes effect April 13, after a period when the lower fee was previously promised in 2023 but not implemented.
The U.S. State Department has cut by about 80% the fee Americans pay to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship, the agency said in a final rule published in the Federal Register. The fee will drop from $2,350 to $450, effective April 13.
U.S. Central Command said a military refueling plane supporting operations against Iran crashed in western Iraq in what the military described as “friendly” airspace, killing six U.S. service members. The Associated Press reported that the victims included Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, an instructor and boom operator, and Ohio Air National Guard Capt. Seth R. Koval, among others, as family members and service leaders described them.
France returned a sacred talking drum looted during the colonial era to Ivory Coast on Friday, marking the first such return by France to the country, the Associated Press reported. The Djidji Ayôkwé drum—used by the Atchan people to communicate between villages—was taken by French colonial authorities in 1916 and is among at least 140 looted artifacts Ivory Coast has asked France to return.
Teherán instó el sábado a evacuar el puerto de Jebel Alí, en Dubái, y otros dos puertos en Emiratos Árabes Unidos, amenazando por primera vez activos no estadounidenses de un país vecino mientras la guerra de Irán contra Estados Unidos e Israel entra en su tercera semana.
Air China will resume flights between Beijing and North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, starting March 30, according to information on the airline’s website. The flights will run every Monday through May 18, the site said, after passenger train service between the two nations restarted earlier this week.
Chile’s newly inaugurated President José Antonio Kast has begun preparations for a border barrier in the country’s north, part of his “Border Shield” plan to stop illegal immigration. Less than a week after taking office, he said the effort is meant to close Chile’s border to illegal immigration, drug trafficking and organized crime.
Three more members of Iran’s women’s soccer team who accepted refugee visas to stay in Australia have decided to return to Iran, an Australian minister said Sunday. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the departures leave three of an initial seven squad members in Australia.
Pope Leo XIV will make a four-nation Africa tour from April 13-23 that the Vatican says will emphasize Christian-Muslim relations, comfort for victims of violence and outreach to Catholics in countries where it operates under state pressure and conflict. The itinerary includes a visit to a mosque in Algeria, a peace meeting in Cameroon and a memorial in Equatorial Guinea for victims of a 2021 blast. In each stop, he also plans meetings with leaders and local bishops, Vatican officials said.
Prominent Belarus opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova traveled to Aachen, Germany, on Saturday to collect the International Charlemagne Prize she was awarded in 2022 while behind bars. The flautist‑turned‑activist, a leading face of the 2020 mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, received the award for “extraordinary courage” in defending democratic rights and free elections. She was released from prison in December 2025 after a U.S.–brokered deal lifted sanctions on Belarusian fertilizer exports.
France on Friday returned a sacred talking drum looted during the colonial era to Ivory Coast, in the latest repatriation of cultural artifacts that Paris has been pursuing for nearly a decade. The drum, Djidji Ayôkwé, was brought to Abidjan for an official handover ceremony at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport.
Human Rights Watch said Salvadorans deported from the United States have been arbitrarily detained in El Salvador and have disappeared into the prison system, according to a report released Monday. The group said it interviewed relatives and lawyers of people deported between March and October 2025 who were immediately detained after arriving in El Salvador.
Irán instó el sábado a evacuar el puerto más activo de Oriente Medio y otros dos en los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, mientras la guerra contra Estados Unidos e Israel entraba en su tercera semana. Teherán dijo que Washington usó “puertos, muelles y escondites” en los EAU para atacar la isla de Jark, donde se ubica una terminal clave para las exportaciones de petróleo de Irán.
ROME—The Vatican has released details of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming four-nation Africa tour, saying the April 13-23 trip will include meetings with Muslim and Catholic communities, a peace meeting in Cameroon, and a visit to a memorial for victims of a deadly 2021 blast in Equatorial Guinea. The Vatican said the pope will also hold private talks with leaders of the four countries and celebrate Masses for the faithful.
President Donald Trump said the United States bombed military sites on Kharg Island on Friday, an island he described as vital to Iran’s oil export network. An American official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, said 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war between Israel and Iran.
The American flag was raised Saturday over the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, the U.S. Embassy team said, as relations between Washington and Caracas have shifted under President Nicolás Maduro’s successor. The flag was raised “exactly seven years after it was taken down,” according to a statement shared through the embassy’s social media channels.
The United Arab Emirates briefly shut down its airspace early Tuesday as its military said it was responding to missile and drone threats from Iran, and then lifted the closure as the situation stabilized. Explosions were heard over Dubai while the UAE worked to intercept incoming fire, after Israel reported a wide-scale wave of strikes across Iran’s capital and stepped up attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Three additional members of Iran's women's soccer team who had accepted Australian refugee visas have decided to return to Iran, an Australian government minister said Sunday. The departure leaves three of the initial seven squad members who stayed in Australia now planning to return home.
Air China will restart passenger flights between Beijing and Pyongyang on March 30, the airline announced Saturday, marking another step in the gradual reopening of North Korea’s borders after the coronavirus pandemic.
Brazilian police released three Israeli tourists Monday after they clashed with pro-Palestine residents in Itacare, a northeastern beach city popular with former Israeli soldiers.
Israel’s military said on Sunday that Ibrahim Ghazali, brother of the man who attacked a synagogue near Detroit, was a Hezbollah commander killed in an airstrike earlier this month. The FBI’s Detroit office declined to comment on the claim, citing the ongoing investigation.
Hospital authorities in Gaza said Israeli strikes Sunday killed at least 12 Palestinians, including two boys, a pregnant woman and eight police officers, with additional people wounded. Separately, Israel said it will reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Wednesday with limited passenger traffic after a more than two-week closure.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have so far stayed on the sidelines as Iran retaliates against the United States and Israel with missiles and drones and the conflict widens across the Middle East, according to analysts cited by The Associated Press. The Houthis have instead focused on protests and declarations about the war, while other Iran-aligned groups have resumed attacks. In a first written statement since succeeding his father, Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, suggested Iran may open new fronts—raising questions about whether the Houthis will join.
The U.S. will temporarily ease sanctions on certain Russian oil shipments loaded on tankers as of Thursday, a move aimed at reducing volatility in global energy markets as the Iran war and disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz have pushed crude prices higher. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measure would last 30 days and would not change the overall sanctions pressure on Russia’s oil sector. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the easing would “help” Russia’s war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready for the next round of trilateral peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s invasion, but he said Washington and Moscow must agree on where and when to meet. He also said he warned of a “very high” risk that a rapidly escalating war in the Middle East could drain the air-defense stockpiles Ukraine relies on.
Israel carried out airstrikes in Gaza on Sunday that Palestinian hospital authorities said killed at least 12 people, including children, a pregnant woman and eight police officers. Hospital officials said a strike hit a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp and another hit a police vehicle near the entrance to Zawaida, while Hamas’ interior ministry identified the police deaths.
Israeli military officials said the man who attacked a Michigan synagogue in February was related to a Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon earlier this month, AP reported Sunday. The FBI’s Detroit office said it would not comment on the Israeli claims while it investigates the synagogue attack. In its statement to AP, Hezbollah did not explicitly deny the allegation about the death.
The United States is temporarily easing some sanctions on Russian oil shipments, aiming to calm jittery global energy markets as crude prices surge amid disruptions tied to the Iran war. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the restrictions will not apply for 30 days to deliveries of Russian oil loaded on tankers as of Thursday.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have so far stayed on the sidelines as Iran expands its war with the United States and Israel across the Middle East, raising questions about whether they will join later. Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones targeting American military bases and other locations in Gulf Arab countries, disrupting trade routes and threatening regional air traffic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for a next round of trilateral peace talks to try to end Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion, but he said Washington and Moscow must agree where and when to meet. In comments released Sunday, Zelenskyy said the U.S. proposed hosting the next meeting but that Moscow refused to send a delegation.
At least 12 Palestinians, including two children and a pregnant woman, were killed Sunday by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said. The strikes occurred as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to see daily violence.
An Israeli organization discreetly organized mystery flights that evacuated Palestinians from Gaza, Associated Press reported, citing contracts, passenger lists, text messages and interviews. The investigation found that the flights, including a flight carrying about 150 people that landed in South Africa in November, were arranged through a separate company and raised new questions about motives behind the departures.
Israeli investigators have found that Ad Kan, an Israeli organization, helped discreetly organize surprise flights that evacuated Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa and other countries, raising questions about the trips’ purpose, The Associated Press reported. The AP said the flights continued after May, with arrivals in Indonesia and South Africa in addition to a November landing in South Africa. AP investigators reported that some passengers said they did not know who was behind the flights, though they boarded after signing up to leave amid the war.
Representatives from Beijing and Washington began economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, setting the stage for President Donald Trump’s state visit to China to meet Xi Jinping in about two weeks. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led the U.S. team, while Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng headed the Chinese delegation.
Moscow businesses in central areas of the capital have been hit by disruptions to cellphone internet, as foreign websites were blocked and even some government and bank services stopped working during outages, the Associated Press reported. Russian officials said the restrictions are security measures linked to Ukrainian drone threats, while the outages have coincided with broader restrictions on internet access and messaging platforms.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his teenage daughter, observed a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems, state media reported March 15. South Korea’s military said it detected about 10 ballistic missiles fired from North Korea’s capital region toward the eastern sea on March 14.
Dozens of Iranians crossed into northern Iraq on Sunday, the first day the Haji Omeran crossing reopened after war-related disruptions, seeking cheaper groceries, internet access, and a way to contact relatives. Travelers said bombardments and soaring food prices have made life in Iran increasingly desperate, while Iraqi Kurdistan’s relative stability has turned the border route into a lifeline.
Congo’s government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels accused each other on Friday of violating a ceasefire aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo and enabling lasting peace. Recent drone strikes and clashes around Goma have raised doubts about both a ceasefire track and a separate minerals deal involving the U.S. Trump administration.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said it did not detect any Chinese military aircraft in its Air Defense Identification Zone for a week, from Feb. 27 to March 5. After two flights were spotted March 6, Taiwan reported none for the next four days before activity resumed at low levels this week. The sudden drop has analysts seeking explanations and warned that uncertainty can raise risk.
California lawmakers passed a law meant to curb extreme spikes in gas prices, giving regulators authority to cap certain refinery profits and penalize price gouging. But the rules tied to that authority have never been used, and regulators voted last year to delay them for five years. With gasoline topping $5.30 a gallon statewide amid the Iran war’s effect on global oil markets, the dormant policy has come under renewed scrutiny.
Israeli soldiers fired on a car carrying a family in the northern West Bank city of Tammun, killing four people including two children, the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said the shooting followed a car accelerating toward forces as they pursued suspects accused of “terrorist activity,” and said the incident is under investigation.
Pakistan said it targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan’s Kandahar region overnight, as cross-border fighting between the neighbors showed no sign of easing. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said it responded with an attack on a Pakistani army camp in Pakistan’s South Waziristan on Sunday. The exchanges followed a late-February upending of a Qatar-brokered ceasefire and have raised concerns about broader regional stability.
STOCKHOLM — A Swedish court ordered the detention of the Russian captain of a tanker suspected of sailing under a false flag in the Baltic Sea. The commander of the Sea Owl 1 was arrested Friday after the Swedish coast guard boarded the vessel off Trelleborg, and prosecutors said they suspect he used a false document.
The Iran conflict has driven up oil and gasoline prices, but President Donald Trump has begun portraying high prices as profitable and pivoting from earlier messages that emphasized keeping energy costs low, the Associated Press reported. The Trump administration has also taken steps aimed at stabilizing surging prices while officials grapple with how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to allow tankers to move again.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2023 law that lets California cap refinery profits and penalize price‑gouging has never been invoked, even as gasoline prices surged to $5.30 a gallon across the state in early 2026. The delay was cemented when the California Energy Commission voted in August 2025 to postpone the rules for five years, a move now under fresh scrutiny amid a global oil shock tied to the war with Iran. Consumer‑advocacy groups and environmental watchdogs say the state is “lying in wait for a hammer” that could protect drivers, while the oil industry argues the caps would push refiners out of California altogether.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government and Rwanda‑backed M23 rebels traded accusations on March 13, saying the other side had violated the cease‑fire agreement that was meant to end decades of fighting in the eastern region. A recent drone strike in Goma that killed a French United Nations aid worker and earlier strikes that targeted rebel leaders have further strained the fragile peace process. The latest violence comes as the conflict has displaced more than 7 million people and threatens a U.S.‑negotiated minerals agreement championed by former President Donald Trump.
Dozens of Iranians crossed into northern Iraq on Sunday, the first day a border crossing reopened since fighting struck Iran, seeking cheaper groceries, internet access, and a way to contact relatives, according to interviews with people at the Haji Omeran crossing. For many travelers, the trip also represented an opportunity to find work in Iraq’s Kurdish region as food prices and insecurity rose inside Iran.
Israeli soldiers fired on a car carrying a family in Tammun in the northern occupied West Bank, killing four people including two children, the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry said. Israel’s military said forces opened fire after a car accelerated toward them and that the incident was under investigation.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by his teenage daughter, observed a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems, state media reported Sunday. South Korea said the launches involved about 10 ballistic missiles fired toward the eastern sea.
Pakistan said it targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan’s Kandahar region overnight as cross-border fighting between the two neighbors erupted late last month and showed no signs of easing. Afghan officials said Pakistan hit two locations, while Afghanistan retaliated by attacking a Pakistani army camp in South Waziristan. The exchanges have raised concerns about regional stability as fighting coincides with a wider U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
President Donald Trump has sought to frame higher oil prices as beneficial after a spike in energy costs tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict, as his administration wrestles with how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for oil tankers. The shift comes as gasoline prices have risen sharply and Trump’s political team has offered varying messages on when the strait might again be used routinely.
Chinese warplane activity around Taiwan has dropped sharply, with a seven-day period in late February and early March recording no detected flights, according to an Associated Press report on Thursday. The mysterious decline coincides with political events and raises strategic questions about Beijing's intentions.
GOMA, Congo — Congo's government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels accused each other of breaching a ceasefire on Friday, casting doubt on peace efforts in eastern Congo. Recent drone strikes, including one that killed a French UN staffer in Goma, have further destabilized the region despite negotiations involving the U.S., Rwanda, and Qatar.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has demanded about seven countries send warships to help police the Strait of Hormuz as oil prices rise amid the Iran war. Trump made the remarks while flying back to Washington from Florida aboard Air Force One, and declined to name the countries he is pressing.
Taiwan said Sunday that it detected a surge of Chinese military aircraft around the island, reversing a sharp drop in flights over the previous two weeks. The Taiwan defense ministry reported 26 aircraft spotted on Saturday, including 16 entering its northern, central and southwestern air defense identification zone, along with seven naval ships.
Brazil revoked the visa of U.S. diplomat Darren Beattie after he sought to visit jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Friday. Lula tied the move to a reciprocal measure after U.S. officials revoked visas of Brazilian officials last year, and he said Beattie would be blocked until visas for Brazil’s health minister and his family are reinstated.
Gunmen ambushed security personnel on patrol in Nigeria’s Plateau state, according to the state government and a local group, killing an undetermined number of people. The attack happened on Friday around communities in the Kanam area, and no group has claimed responsibility.
The Colombian government said a planned Friday meeting between Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro and Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez at the international Atanasio Girardot bridge was canceled. Venezuela’s government later said the meeting would not take place Friday due to “force majeure” and that the two sides would postpone it to a later date.
Javier Giraldo arrived Friday at the Atanasio Girardot Binational Bridge between Colombia and Venezuela hoping to display a sign asking for his father’s release from a Venezuelan prison. Instead, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez canceled a scheduled meeting late Thursday, dashing hopes for a handover at the border.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday, March 15, that he has demanded roughly seven nations send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open amid the ongoing Iran‑Iraq conflict. The appeal, made while he was aboard Air Force One returning from Florida, came as oil prices surged and the waterway—through which about one‑fifth of the world’s oil trade flows—remains contested. Trump declined to name the countries, saying they would be protecting “their own territory,” and asserted that the United States does not need the strait because it obtains only a minimal share of its oil from the passage.
Over the past two weeks, Chinese military aircraft have largely vanished from Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, a sudden drop that has raised concern among Taipei officials and U.S. defense experts. Taiwan’s defense ministry reported only seven flights between Feb. 27 and March 13, compared with 92 during the same period last year. The abrupt lull coincided with China’s annual legislative session and comes ahead of a planned visit to China by U.S. President Donald Trump, fueling speculation about Beijing’s strategic intentions.
Dozens of Iranians crossed into Iraq’s Kurdish region on Sunday, the first day the Haji Omeran border reopened after weeks of closure, seeking lower‑priced food, internet access and work. Travelers said relentless airstrikes and soaring prices have made life in Iran increasingly desperate, prompting many to turn to the nearby Iraqi market for relief.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Saturday it detected 26 Chinese military aircraft operating around the island, including 16 that entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, and seven Chinese naval vessels in nearby waters. The flare‑up follows a two‑week period with almost no aircraft activity that had raised questions among analysts about Beijing’s intentions. The ministry’s report came as the United States prepares for President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to China later in March.
Javier Giraldo travelled to the Atanasio Girardot Binational Bridge on Friday hoping to display a sign pleading for his father’s release from a Venezuelan prison, only to learn that the scheduled meeting between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez had been abruptly called off. The cancellation shattered the expectations of dozens of families whose relatives remain detained in Venezuela, renewing worries that diplomatic progress on the issue is stalled.
Gunmen ambushed security personnel on patrol in communities in Nigeria’s Plateau state, according to the state government. The government did not specify the number of casualties, but a local group said 20 personnel, including two senior military officers and eight local security operatives, were killed.
The scheduled summit between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez was called off on Friday, March 12, 2026, the Colombian foreign ministry confirmed to the Associated Press. The leaders were to meet at the Atanasio Girardot International Bridge linking Colombia’s Norte de Santander department with Venezuela’s Táchira state, a gathering that had generated high expectations for bilateral cooperation after the United States ousted Nicolás Maduro. Neither side disclosed a specific reason for the cancellation; the Venezuelan government cited “motivos de fuerza mayor” and said the meeting would be rescheduled.
Taiwan's defense ministry said Sunday it detected 26 Chinese military aircraft near the island on Saturday, ending a notable two-week decline in such activities. The surge included 16 planes entering Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva revoked the visa of U.S. diplomat Darren Beattie on Friday, reciprocating for last year's visa revocations of Brazilian officials by the United States. The move came after Beattie was denied permission to visit former President Jair Bolsonaro in prison.
Javier Giraldo arrived at the international bridge between Colombia and Venezuela on Friday hoping to display a sign requesting his father’s release during a meeting between the two countries’ presidents. But the meeting between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez was abruptly canceled, dashing the families’ hopes once again.
Pro-Iranian hackers have targeted sites across the Middle East and expanded their reach into the United States during the war that began Feb. 28, raising the risk of cyberattacks on U.S. defense contractors and critical infrastructure, experts said. Hackers supporting Iran claimed responsibility for a significant cyberattack Wednesday against medical device maker Stryker, while researchers also described attempted intrusions including into data centers, industrial facilities and cameras used for missile targeting.
In Mariupol, Ukraine, AP journalists documented the siege’s toll as the city lost power, communications and access to burial and evacuation, with Russian shelling and airstrikes hitting hospitals, streets and the maternity facility. The reporting, published March 16, 2022, described mass casualties including children, a blackout that cut off television and radio, and appeals for humanitarian corridors that Ukrainian officials later said largely failed.
The month-old war launched by the United States and Israel has focused attention on Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil-export hub, and on other Persian Gulf islands near the Strait of Hormuz. Strikes or an invasion of such sites could sharply curtail Iran’s oil exports and, analysts say, widen the conflict in ways that would ripple through global fuel prices.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he does not believe it is “appropriate” for Iran’s national soccer team to attend this year’s World Cup, citing “their own life and safety.” The comments came as the U.S. and Iran remain embroiled in a war and with Iran’s participation still under dispute.
Pro-Iranian hacking groups have escalated cyber operations against U.S. and Middle Eastern targets since the war began February 28, posing a growing threat to American critical infrastructure, the Associated Press has learned. The hackers, claiming responsibility for a significant cyberattack on medical device manufacturer Stryker, are focusing on data centers, industrial facilities, and utility providers in a campaign experts warn could expand if Tehran’s allies join the fray.
Mariupol, Ukraine, has been hit by relentless shelling and airstrikes that have left residents unable to bury loved ones and have pushed the city deeper into chaos, according to Associated Press reporting from March 2022. AP described children and mothers among bodies being stacked in a mass grave on the outskirts, as hospitals and neighborhoods endured frequent attacks. The AP team reported that the city has been encircled by Russian forces and that roads were mined and the port blocked.
U.S. and Israeli operations in the month-old war involving Iran have focused attention on Kharg Island, where Iran’s oil terminal handles most of the country’s exports. Strikes on Kharg’s oil infrastructure—or a ground invasion—could sharply curb Iran’s oil revenue, while also raising the risk of broader attacks across the Gulf and higher oil prices.
The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing part of a public statement by Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the network’s latest target in a dispute over wartime coverage. White House communications director Steven Cheung had criticized CNN earlier for an interview with a former Iranian nuclear negotiator, and CNN and other outlets said they also aired portions of the new statement. The episode underscored how officials can challenge how American media depict adversaries during conflict.
The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing a portion of a public statement by Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, calling the broadcast propaganda. The administration’s criticism came as multiple news outlets issued alerts about what Khamenei said after he succeeded his father, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for broadcasting portions of Iran's new supreme leader's first public statement since his father's death, marking the second time in three days that President Trump has targeted the network for its war reporting. The attack highlights the delicate balance news outlets must strike in covering enemy states during wartime.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he does not believe it is “appropriate” for Iran’s national soccer team to attend the World Cup this year, citing “their own life and safety.” Trump made the remarks as the United States and Israel struck Iran and the two countries remained embroiled in war.
A month into the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, the strategic Kharg Island oil terminal has become a focal point. Striking or occupying the island could cripple Iran's economy but would also risk driving oil prices higher, threatening the global economy.
With no clear end in sight for the war with Iran, oil prices jumped back to $100 per barrel Thursday and stocks sank worldwide. The S&P 500 fell 1.5%, the Dow dropped 739 points, and the Nasdaq fell 1.8% as traders focused on the Strait of Hormuz and rising energy-driven inflation fears.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris on Sunday and Monday for a new round of trade talks, the Treasury Department said. The talks are expected to help prepare for President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, which the White House has said will begin March 31.
U.S. stock markets have swung sharply amid the Iran war, leading some investors to consider selling or moving retirement holdings. But investors with long time horizons have historically benefited from staying invested through steep drops, according to financial strategists. The advice is to avoid putting retirement money—especially money needed soon—into stocks and to use diversification to smooth shocks.
Oil prices rose back to around $100 per barrel and stock markets fell worldwide Thursday, as investors weighed risks that the Iran war could disrupt Persian Gulf oil flows and stoke inflation. The S&P 500 fell 1.5%, the Dow dropped 739 points, and the Nasdaq declined 1.8%, according to AP market data.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris Sunday and Monday for trade talks, the Treasury Department said Thursday. The discussions prepare for President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing starting March 31, though Beijing has not confirmed the trip. "Thanks to the bonds of mutual respect between President Trump and President Xi, the trade and economic dialogue between the United States and China is moving forward," Bessent said.
Senate Democrats have filed a war powers resolution that would bar the United States from attacking Cuba without congressional approval, as they try to force a vote on President Donald Trump’s stated goal of a “takeover” of the Caribbean country.
A drone strike hit a market near Sudan’s border with Chad in the Darfur region on Thursday, killing four people and wounding more than two dozen civilians, Doctors Without Borders said. The medical group said the strike hit fuel reserves at the Adikong border market in West Darfur and marked the second fatal drone attack in Adikong in less than a month.
Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public statement on the war on Thursday, in a speech read aloud by a news anchor rather than delivered on camera, the Associated Press reported. In the statement, he urged neighboring countries to shut down bases he linked to attacks on Iran and said Iran would keep retaliating over the killing of his predecessor’s father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Irán atacó el miércoles el Aeropuerto Internacional de Dubái y también barcos comerciales, mientras Estados Unidos e Israel bombardeaban Teherán, en una escalada que preocupa por el impacto en las rutas de petróleo del golfo Pérsico. El Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU aprobó una resolución que exige un alto a esos ataques contra vecinos. En paralelo, autoridades de Bahréin y de Irak reportaron incendios y el cierre de terminales petroleras tras ataques vinculados con el conflicto.
In Sacramento, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state faces no imminent threat despite an FBI warning about a possible Iranian drone strike on the West Coast in retaliation for war. Newsom said officials are treating the information with preparedness for “worst-case scenarios.”
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration’s war with Iran cost the United States more than $11.3 billion during its first week, according to AP reporting. The Associated Press broke down that spending into smaller, more comparable costs, including what the money might cover at the individual level.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday his government will invest an additional C$32 billion (US$24 billion) in northern forward operating locations and infrastructure to assert sovereignty in the Arctic. Speaking in Yellowknife, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Carney also announced funding for remote operating hubs and road and port projects.
Iran’s new supreme leader said Thursday the war will continue, warning Gulf Arab states of “other fronts” as prices and markets reacted to escalating attacks. In the same period, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his strikes are creating conditions for the Iranian public to topple the government, while U.S. President Donald Trump posted threats to Iran online.
An American military refueling plane involved in the U.S. operation against Iran crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts were underway, U.S. Central Command said Thursday. Central Command said the crash involved two aircraft, with one landing safely and the other going down in western Iraq. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was hurt, and the military said the event was “a loss.”
The United States will intervene in a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice that South Africa filed, arguing the accusations are false and warning a ruling against Israel could undermine international law. In a filing obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. says the allegations are part of a “broader campaign” against Israel and Jewish people “to justify or encourage terrorism against them.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year. Zelenskyy linked the deal to the need to modernize air defenses after Iran’s involvement in recent conflicts.
Toronto police said the white Honda CR‑V believed to have been used in a handgun attack on the United States consulate on Tuesday was recovered within hours after the incident. The vehicle, which police say was stolen shortly before the shooting, was found on Thursday, and authorities confirmed no one was injured in the attack that occurred around 4:30 a.m. near the downtown consulate.
Iran launched a series of drone and missile strikes on March 11 that hit the world’s busiest airport in Dubai, merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and oil facilities in Bahrain and Iraq, while the United States and Israel bombed Tehran in retaliation. The United Nations Security Council voted 13‑0 to demand an immediate halt to Iran’s attacks on its neighbors, a resolution that China and Russia abstained from supporting.
NEW YORK — As the conflict between Iran and Israel roils oil markets, U.S. investors are being reminded that patience remains the best defense for retirement savings, according to financial advisers. The S&P 500, still 4.4% shy of its January record, has swung sharply in recent weeks, but historically the index has recovered from every major shock, from the 2020 pandemic to previous trade wars.
California Governor Gavin Newsom told a press briefing on March 12 that there is no imminent threat to the state despite an FBI bulletin warning of a possible Iranian drone strike on the West Coast. The warning, posted on the agency’s official X account, described the intelligence as “unverified,” and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the governor’s assessment, saying no such threat exists.
A drone strike at a market in Sudan’s West Darfur region near the border with Chad on Thursday killed four people and wounded more than two dozen civilians, Doctors Without Borders said. The strike hit fuel reserves at the Adikong border market, the medical group said.
Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public statement on the war on Thursday, but did not appear on camera and the speech was read by a news anchor. In the statement, he called for neighboring countries to shut down bases linked to attacks on Iran and said Iran would continue using a “lever of closing the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran’s new supreme leader made his first public remarks, pledging to keep fighting as the war entered its 13th day and oil prices surged and stocks fell. In separate remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a new threat to Iran, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes were aimed at creating conditions for the Iranian population to topple the government.
An American military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq, and U.S. Central Command said rescue efforts were under way Thursday. The military said the crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, and described the plane as “a loss.” U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the KC-135 tanker involved had at least five crew members aboard.
The United States will intervene in a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice that South Africa brought at the United Nations’ highest court, the U.S. said in a filing. The filing argues that South Africa’s accusations are false and warns that an adverse ruling could undermine international law.
Ukraine is waiting for approval from the White House on a proposed drone production agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday. He said the deal, discussed last year, would cover multiple types of drones and air defenses designed to function as a single system against swarms of Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public statement since taking power, vowed to continue and escalate the war against Israel and the United States, and threatened to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed as a strategic lever. The speech, read by a news anchor Thursday without showing Khamenei on camera, did not specify his location but an Israeli assessment indicates he was wounded in the war's opening salvo.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s new supreme leader vowed Thursday to keep fighting and open “other fronts” in the 13-day war, as U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new online threat calling Iranian leaders “deranged scumbags.” The conflict has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, sent oil prices above $100 per barrel, and dragged in global powers.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday there is no imminent threat to the state despite an FBI warning about a possible Iran drone attack on the West Coast.
Four African migrants arrived in the landlocked kingdom of Eswatini on Thursday, the third batch the United States has sent under the Trump administration’s secret third‑country deportation agreements. The group — a Tanzanian, a Sudanese and two Somali nationals — joins more than 40 people the U.S. has transferred to African states since July 2025 as part of a hard‑line immigration policy.
Four African migrants, including a Tanzanian and two Somalis, arrived in Eswatini on Thursday as part of the Trump administration's third deportation flight to the kingdom. The deportation is part of a broader, largely secretive US agreement with at least seven African nations to accept third-country nationals.
Venezuela and Colombia canceled a planned meeting between their presidents that was set for the following day at their shared border, the governments announced Thursday. The announcement came from Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, which attributed the cancellation to “force majeure” without explaining it.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said the Trump administration remains a “fundamental ally” for Venezuela’s democratic transition, even as Washington has endorsed acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Speaking in Santiago, Chile, Machado laid out a U.S.-linked roadmap that she said includes “three phases” and also addressed the displacement of Venezuelans in the region.
Cuba’s government said it will release 51 people from prisons in the “upcoming days,” framing the decision as an act of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican. The announcement came Thursday night, hours before President Miguel Díaz-Canel is scheduled to speak to the press.
Four more African migrants deported from the United States arrived in Eswatini, authorities said Thursday. The government said the latest group includes a Tanzanian, a Sudanese and two Somali nationals who are to be repatriated to their home countries, while talks continue for other people sent under U.S. third-country agreements.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Thursday that Ottawa will allocate an additional **$32 billion Canadian** to build and upgrade forward‑operating locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit and Goose Bay. The spending, part of a broader northern‑infrastructure push, is intended to cement Canada’s claim over the increasingly contested Arctic region. Carney made the declaration in Yellowknife before departing for a NATO‑exercise visit to Norway.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Thursday that the Trump administration remains a “fundamental ally” for Venezuela’s democratic transition, even as the United States has supported acting President Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s legitimate president. Speaking in Santiago, Chile, Machado also said the U.S. is a partner and described a U.S.-backed road map that, she said, includes “three phases.”
President Donald Trump has said he would accept the results of a Pentagon investigation after U.S. officials and a second person briefed on findings of a preliminary military probe told The Associated Press that outdated intelligence likely led to a deadly missile strike on an Iranian elementary school. The strike killed more than 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict, according to the preliminary investigation findings described by the AP.
Venezuela and Colombia abruptly canceled a planned meeting between their presidents, with the governments citing “force majeure,” according to a joint statement released by Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday. The meeting had been scheduled for the following day at their shared border, and would have been Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s first official meeting with a Latin American leader since she was sworn in in January.
Havana’s government said Thursday night it would free 51 inmates in the coming days, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill tied to close relations with the Vatican. The announcement came hours before President Miguel Díaz‑Canel’s scheduled press briefing on national and international issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that all those slated for release have served a significant portion of their sentences and have maintained good conduct while incarcerated.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced $32 billion Canadian (US$24 billion) in new military infrastructure for the Arctic on Thursday, framing the investment as essential for sovereignty in an increasingly contested region.
HAVANA — Cuba’s government announced Thursday night it will release 51 people from the island’s prisons in an unexpected move, citing goodwill and close Vatican ties. The decision comes hours before President Miguel Díaz-Canel addresses the nation and the world in a rare press conference.
Iran attacked commercial shipping and targeted Bahrain’s Muharraq Island airport as the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution demanding Iran stop “egregious attacks” on Gulf neighbors. The escalation came as U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Tehran, with no signs the war that began about 12 days ago was subsiding, according to the Associated Press.
Wealthy nations backed by the International Energy Agency agreed Wednesday to release record emergency oil reserves to blunt the impact of the Iran war on global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The IEA said its members will make 400 million barrels available from their emergency reserves, including more than double the volume released in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. State Department will permanently close the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, and move consular services to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, according to a notification Congress received. The department said the closure is intended to save $7.5 million per year and that it will not adversely affect core U.S. national interests in Pakistan.
South Africa has deployed soldiers in Johannesburg to help police tackle gang violence and illegal mining, according to a notice from President Cyril Ramaphosa to Parliament. The initial deployment involves 550 troops in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, and is scheduled to last until the end of April. The government said the army will operate under police command while police and the defense department provided limited details on the operation.
The Iran war has quickly tested the United States’ ability to counter swarms of cheap drones, including Shahed one-way attack drones that can slip through defenses and cause casualties. U.S. leaders say Iran has launched fewer drones since the war began Feb. 28, but experts warn the military still faces a learning curve as it moves toward more cost-efficient counter-drone systems.
Gasoline prices have been rising largely because the Iran war has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for oil and gas from the Persian Gulf, the Associated Press reported March 11. French President Emmanuel Macron is leading an international effort aimed at unblocking the choke point when fighting eases, with ideas that warships could escort vessels through the strait.
The war with Iran is turning into a contest of endurance, driven by airstrikes and missile attacks on both sides and by economic shocks that ripple through energy markets, travel and shipping, according to an Associated Press analysis. U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials have offered conflicting signals about any end to the fighting, while attacks tied to Iran’s regional strategy have disrupted oil and gas flows and increased pressure on Gulf Arab states.
SEÚL, Corea del Sur — El líder norcoreano Kim Jong Un y su hija observaron el martes pruebas de misiles de crucero estratégicos lanzados desde un buque de guerra, según informó el miércoles la agencia estatal norcoreana ACNC. El mismo día, Corea del Norte amenazó con responder a los ejercicios militares de Estados Unidos y Corea del Sur que consideran un ensayo de invasión.
Czech lawmakers on Wednesday approved a 2026 defense budget that falls short of NATO’s 2% of GDP spending target, despite pressure from the United States and President Petr Pavel. The vote in Parliament’s lower house allocated nearly 155 billion koruna ($7.4 billion) to the Defense Ministry, putting the figure at just over 1.7% of gross domestic product.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly adjusted his stated goal for the war launched against Iran, moving from talk of “unconditional surrender” to signals of a negotiated end state while refusing to rule out U.S. ground troops, an Associated Press report said. The changing messaging has unfolded during a conflict now entering its second week, with the Strait of Hormuz still crucially affected and Americans asking for a clearer timeline.
South Africa’s foreign minister said Wednesday the country summoned the new U.S. ambassador to explain his criticism of South Africa’s policies, as a diplomatic rift deepens. The ambassador, Leo Brent Bozell III, has taken aim at South Africa’s ties with Iran, parts of its affirmative action laws, and a land law allowing expropriation without compensation in some circumstances.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tested new pistols and other light weapons during an inspection of a light munitions factory, state media photos showed Thursday. The photos showed his teenage daughter firing alongside him and senior military officials, as KCNA said Kim rated a newly produced pistol “excellent.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was warned that Peter Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein posed “reputational risk” if he appointed Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, documents published Wednesday show. Starmer appointed Mandelson anyway, then fired him nine months into the job after more details about the relationship emerged. The newly released files come after U.S. Justice Department materials on Epstein and pressure on Britain to disclose records about the appointment.
Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend, with logistical support from the United States, Interior Minister John Reimberg said Wednesday. Reimberg also urged residents in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas to follow an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from March 15-30, aimed at keeping roads clear for troop and equipment movement. The announcement came days after Ecuador and the U.S. began joint military operations against organized crime groups, and later Wednesday the two sides announced an agreement to establish an FBI office in Ecuador.
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged at least four cultural and historical sites, including palaces and an ancient mosque, UNESCO said after verifying the damage. The U.N. cultural agency said it also sent advance coordinates to help parties avoid harm, as it reported further damage linked to fighting in and around Iran’s protected landmarks.
Latvia’s State Security Service said two people set fire to a train and rail equipment in August 2025, and later filmed the attack for propaganda. The agency said the video was provided to the people who commissioned the arson. The case was described alongside a pattern of sabotage and cyberattacks officials in Europe and the United States say are linked to Russia.
Hungary will declassify a national security report that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says will show Ukraine illegally financed the opposition Tisza party, a minister said March 12. Orbán has been running a campaign ahead of the April 12 election accusing Kyiv of backing Péter Magyar and Tisza, allegations Magyar denies.
The International Criminal Court said prosecutors have dropped an investigation into whether U.S. sanctions on Venezuela amounted to crimes against humanity. Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence of the “necessary intent” to pursue criminal charges, though they said sanctions may have exacerbated an “existing dire humanitarian situation.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer released nearly 150 pages of documents detailing vetting warnings before he appointed Peter Mandelson, who had close ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to the United States. The release comes as Starmer faces continued political pressure after he later sacked Mandelson in September and after Mandelson was briefly arrested last month on allegations related to Epstein.
Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf have begun declaring themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data analyzed by The Associated Press show. The destination signals—short messages entered by ship crews into transponders—include notes such as “CHINA OWNER” or “CHINA OWNER&CREW.”
Ukraine and Russia traded rival claims of battlefield progress as American-brokered talks between the two sides were postponed, according to statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian officials, on March 10. At the same time, Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas, while Ukraine struck targets in western Russia, as emergency officials and local governors reported.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli missile strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28 has driven global oil prices from under $70 a barrel to a peak of nearly $120 on Monday before settling closer to $90, according to the Associated Press. The conflict has cut off roughly 20 million barrels of daily oil supply with no spare capacity elsewhere in the world to replace it, economists said. U.S. average gasoline prices have climbed to $3.48 a gallon from just under $3 a week earlier, according to AAA. Economists warn the disruption is spreading beyond fuel costs to fertilizer shipments, food supplies in low-income countries, and the policy choices facing central banks including the Federal Reserve.
A drone strike hit a secondary school and a health care center in southern Sudan on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls, according to hospital and medical group officials. The attack struck a village in White Nile province, where a hospital director said 10 people were wounded.
Fighting that began Feb. 28 continues into its second week as the United States and Israel strike Iran and Iran responds with attacks against Israel, U.S. military assets and regional neighbors, the Associated Press reported. The questions include how long the war will last, what each side seeks, whether other countries join, how the conflict could end and where oil prices could settle.
The national average price of gasoline reached $3.48 per gallon on Monday, up from $2.90 a month ago before U.S. military operations against Iran began, according to tracking by AAA — a surge that drew complaints from Trump voters, Democrats and independents at gas stations across Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina, even as those motorists remained divided over whether the war itself was justified.
Oil prices swung sharply in early trading amid fears the widening Iran war could disrupt oil production and shipping across the Middle East. The sharp move came after President Donald Trump told CBS News he thinks “the war is very complete,” shortly after Brent crude briefly surged above $119 a barrel on Monday.
The war with Iran is sending energy prices sharply higher and threatening food supplies worldwide, economists warned Monday, as the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil flows — remains largely shut following the Feb. 28 US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, criticized the United States and South Korea for proceeding with their annual joint military exercises as the allies began a 11-day drill this week. In a statement Tuesday, Kim Yo Jong said any challenge to North Korea’s safety would bring “terrible consequences.”
Vice President JD Vance joined the family of Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington of Glendale, Kentucky, as his remains were brought to the United States on Monday evening. Pennington died Sunday after being wounded during a March 1 attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said.
In remarks to Republican lawmakers at his golf club near Miami, President Donald Trump said Monday that the war against Iran could be “short-term.” He also left open the possibility of wider escalation if Iran disrupts global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, posting a message threatening U.S. strikes “TWENTY TIMES HARDER.” Hours earlier, Iran had selected Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader as fighting continued.
The Trump administration and Israel launched a war in Iran after a U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that American military intervention was unlikely to lead to regime change in the Islamic Republic, according to two people familiar with the findings. The National Intelligence Council’s February assessment said neither limited airstrikes nor a broader, prolonged campaign would likely produce a new government, even if Iran’s top leader was killed. U.S. officials disputed the war’s end-state even as the strikes removed prominent figures in Iran’s leadership, and Iran’s senior clerics later selected Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader.
A day after U.S. and Israeli forces started a war against Iran, President Donald Trump said the conflict could be short but later threatened to intensify the campaign if Iran attempts to disrupt global oil supplies. His remarks moved oil prices and U.S. stock markets while Iran named a new hard-line Supreme Leader to oversee the fight.
The State Department ordered nonessential personnel and families to leave additional U.S. diplomatic missions in and around the Middle East on Monday, as it faces renewed criticism over contingency planning for the current Iran-related conflict. Department officials said the latest moves include ordering departures from Saudi Arabia and the U.S. consulate in Adana, Turkey. The department has also advised Americans in multiple Middle East countries to leave, and it said it has assisted more than 23,000 people with information or seats on charter flights.
Lebanon’s latest Israel-Hezbollah fighting has sparked rare public backlash against Hezbollah among some Shiites, as civilians shelter in schools and struggle through Ramadan, the Associated Press reported. Israeli warplanes began attacking southern Lebanon after Hezbollah rockets and drones, resuming a wider conflict just 15 months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the last war. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the Lebanese government has banned Hezbollah’s military activities, while Hezbollah critics and supporters describe sharply different explanations for why the fighting resumed.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to visit Norway on Friday to observe a NATO exercise, his office said Monday. Carney is expected to meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo and later travel to the United Kingdom for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The Iran war is threatening key oil and gas infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, including LNG terminals, ports, pipelines and refineries, the Associated Press reported March 9. Strikes by Iranian drones have disrupted some facilities and raised the risk of attacks to the point that the Strait of Hormuz has effectively closed, cutting off a main shipping route for energy.
The U.S. State Department designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing the Taliban of using “hostage diplomacy” in a bid to extract policy concessions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, raised the issue at a U.N. Security Council meeting.
Eileen Gu, 22, a freestyle skier born in San Francisco, competed for China at last month's 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and won gold. Alysa Liu, 20, a figure skater born in California, competed for the United States and became the first American woman to win Olympic figure skating gold in 24 years. Both were born to Chinese immigrants and raised in single-parent households. The countries they chose to represent have turned their parallel triumphs into a flashpoint for debate stretching from Washington to Beijing.
The State Department authorized up to $40 million in emergency funds Tuesday to pay for charter evacuation flights for Americans leaving the Middle East, where the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has disrupted commercial air travel since hostilities began Feb. 28, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately waived the federal requirement that private Americans repay the government for such transportation. The department confirmed it had tapped the emergency account in response to a query but declined to specify how much it had authorized.
Iran has been firing cluster munitions toward Israel on a "nearly daily basis" throughout the ongoing war, Israeli military officials said Tuesday, deploying weapons that scatter dozens of bomblets across wide areas that Israel's air-defense networks are not built to stop. At least three people have been killed by the submunitions, including two workers at a construction site in central Israel.
Six members of Iran's women's national soccer team have been granted humanitarian visas to remain permanently in Australia after most of their teammates declined last-minute asylum offers at Sydney Airport and boarded a flight home Tuesday night, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Wednesday. Seven players had accepted visas before the team reached the airport; one of the seven later changed her mind and returned to Iran — a reversal that inadvertently disclosed the remaining six women's safe-house location to the Iranian embassy, forcing Australian authorities to move them immediately to a new site.
The U.S. military said Tuesday it had destroyed 16 Iranian vessels used for mine-laying in Gulf waters, releasing declassified images as evidence, even as President Donald Trump claimed on social media that there were no reports of Iran placing explosives in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard simultaneously vowed it would not allow "a single liter" of oil to be exported from the region to hostile nations. The conflicting signals emerged on the 11th day of the U.S.-Iran war, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged the most intense U.S. strikes yet and the Pentagon disclosed that seven American service members have been killed and approximately 140 wounded since the conflict began.
The State Department has authorized up to $40 million in emergency funds to charter flights for Americans leaving the Middle East, officials said Tuesday, as those government-organized aircraft have flown at less than 40 percent of capacity on average and the department faces mounting criticism over its response to travel disruptions caused by the Iran war.
Tens of thousands of Iranians have left Tehran and other cities under aerial bombardment, driving into the countryside to wait out the U.S.-Israeli campaign in small villages and remote towns, according to the United Nations refugee agency and accounts gathered by The Associated Press. The U.N. said roughly 100,000 people fled Tehran in the first two days of the conflict alone — a figure officials said likely understates the total displacement from a capital of about 9.7 million people.
Hawaii’s Gov. Josh Green is negotiating an agreement with Tokyo-based Tokyu Group that could bring transit-oriented development expertise to Honolulu’s struggling Skyline rail project, with state officials hoping to attract more riders and spur housing near stations. The state is also engaging Japanese modular-housing builder Daiwa House Industry Co., as it explores ways to accelerate affordable homes around the rail line.
The organizers of the annual Ig Nobels, a satirical prize for scientific work, said Monday the 36th ceremony will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, instead of the United States due to concerns that attendees may not be able to obtain U.S. visas. The move comes as the Trump administration focuses on deporting migrants in the country illegally and also on holders of student and visitor exchange visas, organizers said.
Cuba is preparing to withdraw its medical brigade of more than 200 doctors from Guyana, ending a program that spanned nearly 50 years, after Guyana moved to pay Cuban physicians their full salaries directly rather than route most of the payments to the Cuban government. Guyana's Health Minister Frank Anthony confirmed Monday that Cuban authorities had asked their doctors to prepare to leave. Jamaica and Honduras ended their own Cuban medical missions last week in disputes over the same direct-payment question.
A land crossing near Turkey’s Van province has offered some Iranians a temporary route to the rest of the world as Iran’s airspace shuts down following strikes on Tehran that triggered wider conflict in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported March 8. At the Kapıköy border crossing, many travelers said they planned to leave for a limited period, while only a small number told AP they intended to stay in Turkey indefinitely.
MOSCOW (AP) — As U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Iran, Russia has largely limited itself to condemnations and diplomacy, with President Vladimir Putin focused on Ukraine and seeing potential long-term gains from the widening Middle East conflict. In recent days, Putin sent condolences to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Russia’s foreign ministry denounced the attacks as aggression against a U.N.-member state.
The U.S. military killed six men Sunday in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Southern Command said, the latest operation in the Trump administration's maritime campaign against alleged narcotics traffickers. The attack brought the death toll from the campaign to at least 157 people since the military began targeting alleged traffickers in small vessels in early September 2025.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was chosen Sunday by the Assembly of Experts to succeed his father as the Islamic Republic's paramount decision-maker, assuming command of Iran's military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard during an ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States. Khamenei, who had never been elected or appointed to a government position, will now hold final say over all matters of state, including Iran's ballistic missile arsenal and a stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Oil prices surged for the second straight week as the Iran war escalated after major U.S. and Israeli attacks, leaving ships unable to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The resulting supply disruptions and damage to oil and gas infrastructure have pushed up prices consumers are already seeing at the pump in the United States and abroad.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki refused to sign a law that would allow Poland to tap almost €44 billion in preferential EU defense loans, warning that the move would increase dependence on Brussels. The president proposed an alternative bill that would rely on national resources instead. Nawrocki’s office said he has until March 20 to decide whether to veto the government’s law.
Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the U.S.-Israel war in Iran on Monday, issuing a new appeal after two U.S. cardinals condemned the conflict. In Vatican statements, the pope expressed “deep sorrow” after a Maronite Catholic priest was killed in southern Lebanon.
President Donald Trump said his vice president, JD Vance, was “philosophically a little bit different than me” at the outset of the war in Iran, while also dismissing the idea of a disagreement between them. Speaking to reporters Monday at his golf club in Doral, Florida, Trump said Vance was “maybe less enthusiastic about going” but that launching U.S. airstrikes in Iran alongside Israel was necessary.
Americans are divided along party lines on U.S. military action against Iran, according to recent polls conducted since the war began, with most showing opposition higher than support. Many voters also say the strikes make the United States “less safe” and express concern that the conflict could raise oil and gasoline prices and last “months,” if not longer. The polls also suggest skepticism about President Donald Trump’s decisions as the conflict faces uncertainty over how far it could expand.
Oil prices rose above $100 a barrel for the first time in more than three and a half years Sunday, driven by disruptions to production and shipping as the Iran war entered its second week. Brent crude, the global benchmark, settled at $107.97 after trading resumed on Chicago’s futures exchange, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate was about $106.22.
Jihadist groups including Boko Haram and an ISWAP faction have carried out a series of attacks on Nigeria’s military bases in the northeast, killing officers and soldiers and taking away weapons, according to security analysts and military officials. The attacks took place over the last week, with at least six raids reported across Borno and Yobe states and the wider Lake Chad region, the Associated Press reported March 10.
Nigeria’s military killed 45 militants in clashes in Katsina state’s Danmusa area, the Katsina state government said Saturday. The state commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Nasir Mua’zu, said the fighting followed a failed attempt by gunmen to steal cattle earlier this week.
Paraguay lawmakers on Tuesday approved a U.S.-Paraguay Status of Forces Agreement, allowing temporary U.S. military and civilian personnel to be present in Paraguay. The Chamber of Deputies vote passed the deal with 53 lawmakers in favor, eight against, four abstentions, and 15 absent, and it awaits President Santiago Peña’s signature to take effect. The agreement sets a legal framework for training, joint exercises and humanitarian assistance, and it would give the United States criminal jurisdiction over its personnel while in Paraguay.
Stockholm-based officials are investigating the cargo ship Caffa after Swedish authorities boarded it in their territorial waters while searching it and interviewing its crew. The Swedish Coast Guard said the crew is predominantly Russian and that the ship is on Ukraine’s sanctions list. Officials also said the vessel is suspected of transporting stolen grain.
The United States began a large military exercise with South Korea on March 9 that involves thousands of troops, even as the U.S. wages an escalating war in the Middle East. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said about 18,000 South Korean troops will take part in “Freedom Shield,” which runs through March 19.
The International Energy Agency agreed Wednesday to release 400 million barrels of emergency oil reserves — the largest collective release in the organization's history — as a widening war in Iran halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and sent crude prices surging well above pre-war levels. The release, coordinated among 32 member nations, came as Brent crude settled at $91.98 a barrel Wednesday, more than 30 percent above the roughly $70 level at which it was trading before the war began less than two weeks ago.
Three Palestinians were killed Sunday in a violent clash with Israeli settlers near Khirbet Abu Falah, east of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said, bringing to six the number of Palestinians killed in the territory in less than one week. Two of the men died from gunfire and a third from suffocation, which the military attributed to tear gas. All three were buried in a joint funeral. The Israeli military condemned the attack and said it had opened a criminal investigation against the settlers involved.
The Iran war's disruption of global oil and gas supply chains has prompted U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and some energy analysts to argue that the conflict may accelerate a shift to homegrown renewable energy — even as other experts warn that fossil fuel shocks more often push nations toward dirtier alternatives. Bombed refineries, disrupted shipping channels, and surging fuel prices have reignited a debate that last surfaced when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, only to fade as European nations replaced natural gas with coal.
New footage, first analyzed by open-source investigative group Bellingcat, shows what researchers say is likely an American Tomahawk cruise missile striking a compound in Minab, Iran, meters from a school where at least 165 people died on Feb. 28, the Associated Press reported Monday. A U.S. official familiar with internal deliberations told the AP the strike was likely American, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. The unclaimed blast hit a school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base in Iran's southern Hormozgan Province.
Missiles and drones from the war that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have come within range of hundreds of desalination plants along the Persian Gulf coast — facilities that supply drinking water to millions across one of the world's driest regions. Bahrain accused Iran on Sunday of damaging one of its desalination plants. Iran's foreign minister said a U.S. airstrike damaged a plant on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting water to 30 villages.
Thousands of civilians fled the opposition-held town of Akobo in eastern South Sudan after the army ordered the United Nations to close its nearby base, officials said March 8. The exodus began late Saturday night, as fighting was reported west of Akobo and local officials said women, children and elderly people crossed into Ethiopia.
The U.S. said it destroyed 16 Iranian minelaying vessels Tuesday as the Iran-Israel war entered its 11th day. In response, Iran’s leadership vowed to block Gulf oil exports and said it would not allow “even a single liter” to be shipped to its enemies, while regional governments reported fresh missile and drone activity.
Pope Leo XIV named Italian Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as the Holy See’s new ambassador to the United States, a role that will put the Vatican at the center of U.S.-Holy See diplomacy during tensions over Iran and immigration. Caccia, 68, replaces retiring French-born Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who has been apostolic nuncio in Washington.
Iran's Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei — the 56-year-old son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — as the Islamic Republic's next supreme leader on Monday, as Iranian forces widened missile and drone strikes against oil and water infrastructure across Gulf Arab states. The announcement came as the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel entered its second week, with the war's toll surpassing 1,600 dead and global oil prices climbing above $100 a barrel.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday that Beijing hopes 2026 will be a "landmark year" for its relationship with the United States, striking a conciliatory tone at an annual press briefing on the sidelines of China's ceremonial legislature that customarily sets the country's diplomatic agenda for the year. Wang said President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing for a summit with China's President Xi Jinping at the end of March, and that the groundwork is already being laid, though he did not formally confirm the visit.
Lebanese officials and the family of a retired security officer who vanished in December say Israel covertly abducted him to extract information about the fate of an Israeli airman missing for four decades. The retired officer, Ahmed Shukr, a former captain with Lebanon's General Security Directorate, was last seen on Dec. 17, 2025, entering a stranger's vehicle in the eastern Lebanese city of Zahle. Days before the Associated Press reported the disappearance, Israeli commandos carried out a raid in the Bekaa Valley village of Nabi Chit, digging in a family cemetery in what the Israeli military said was a search for evidence about the fate of navigator Ron Arad, who parachuted from his jet over Lebanon in 1986 and was never seen in Israel again. Lebanon's Health Ministry said the raid and subsequent airstrikes killed 41 people and wounded dozens. No Israeli casualties were reported.
President Donald Trump dismissed reports Saturday that Russia has provided Iran with targeting information to strike U.S. military personnel in the Middle East, calling the intelligence sharing inconsequential one week into the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Trump spoke aboard Air Force One after attending the dignified transfer for six Army reservists killed in a drone strike in Kuwait — the day after the U.S. and Israel launched the war.
Guinea's government dissolved 40 political parties by decree on Friday, including the country's largest opposition groupings, prompting the exiled leader of the main opposition party to accuse President Mamadi Doumbouya of building a one-party state. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization cited "failure to meet their obligations" as the grounds for the dissolution, which strips the affected parties of their legal status and bans their political activity, including the use of their names, logos, emblems, and symbols.
BOGOTÁ — Colombians voted Sunday for a new Congress and selected presidential candidates from three major political coalitions, with the election shadowed by government allegations of fraud at the Venezuelan border and a security alert for political violence in rural regions dominated by illegal armed groups. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said authorities detected about 2,400 people allegedly attempting to enter Colombia through an unauthorized border crossing with Venezuela in Norte de Santander, despite announced border closures during the vote. President Gustavo Petro described the incident as "large-scale fraud" and an "avalanche of illegal voting." Hours later, Sánchez said authorities had responded and no people remained in the area, and that an investigation had been opened.
Fox News apologized Sunday for broadcasting archival footage of President Donald Trump during its coverage of a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, where the remains of six U.S. soldiers killed in the Middle East were returned Saturday. The network said a staff member inadvertently selected footage of Trump from an earlier ceremony, which aired on two Sunday morning telecasts in place of footage from the Saturday event. The archival footage showed Trump without the baseball cap he wore at Saturday's ceremony, drawing scrutiny from critics who questioned whether the substitution was intentional. Fox News maintained the substitution was an honest mistake.
Brazilians marched in at least 15 cities on International Women's Day, Sunday, demanding an end to femicide and sexual violence as five suspects faced charges in the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana neighborhood. The case, which occurred in January, gained national attention this week after four suspects surrendered to authorities; a fifth, a minor, turned himself in Friday to face an equivalent charge under juvenile law. Organizers called the demonstrations a direct response to surging violence against women across the country.
Families and supporters of six Americans detained in Iran warned Friday that their loved ones face escalating danger from the intensifying military conflict, including the risk of becoming unintended casualties of Israeli and American airstrikes or victims of retaliation by Iranian authorities. At least two of the detainees are held at Evin Prison, the high-security Tehran facility that houses many of Iran's political prisoners and that Israel's military has warned nearby residents to evacuate amid continuing strikes.
As U.S. and Israeli forces continue strikes on Iran now in their second week, Democratic lawmakers and defense experts are raising questions about the long-term adequacy of American weapons stockpiles — particularly the Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors central to the missile defense campaign. The Trump administration has insisted the military has what it needs, while announcing that major defense contractors have agreed to quadruple production of certain munitions.
President Donald Trump convened conservative Latin American heads of state at his Miami-area golf resort Saturday, urging them to deploy military force against drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs he described as posing an "unacceptable threat" to hemispheric security. The summit, which the White House called "Shield of the Americas," came one week after Trump launched a war against Iran alongside Israel — a conflict that has left hundreds dead — and two months after a U.S. military operation captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
A Russian cruise missile struck a five-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Saturday, killing at least 10 people — including two children — and wounding 16 others, Ukrainian officials said. The attack was part of a broader overnight barrage in which Russia fired 29 missiles and 480 drones across the country.
State-linked influence operations — including accounts associated with the Iranian government and a Russia-aligned network — have flooded social media with fabricated and misrepresented visual content since U.S. and Israeli forces bombed Iran last weekend, researchers and information-operations analysts said. The misinformation has focused on who is winning the conflict and how many casualties each side has taken.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance joined the families of six fallen U.S. soldiers Saturday at Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of service members killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait. The soldiers — all Army Reserve members from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa — died one day after the United States and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran, according to the Associated Press.
More than 58,860 Indonesian pilgrims were stranded in Saudi Arabia as of Thursday after the war in the Middle East disrupted air travel during the Umrah pilgrimage season, Indonesia's Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said. About 1,600 Malaysian pilgrims were also stranded, Malaysia's consul general in Jeddah said. The disruptions began when the conflict broke out on Feb. 28, forcing last-minute itinerary changes and cancellations for thousands of worshippers in the kingdom during Ramadan.
The Pentagon has designated AI company Anthropic a supply chain risk — effectively cutting it off from defense contracts — after months of negotiations over use of its Claude chatbot in autonomous weapons systems broke down, a top Defense Department official said Friday. Defense Undersecretary Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, said talks with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei collapsed over the company's refusal to allow unrestricted military use of Claude, including in fully autonomous weapons and bulk surveillance operations. Anthropic said it would sue over the designation.
Israel renewed its assault on southern Lebanon early Sunday, targeting commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, a day after striking a Tehran oil storage facility in what appeared to be the first attack on a civil industrial site in the conflict. Missiles and drones struck Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain as the war expanded across the Gulf.
An Israeli reservist soldier killed Amir Muhammad Shanaran, 28, in the south Hebron Hills of the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, making him the third Palestinian to die in the territory in a single week. His brother Khaled was critically injured in the same incident, according to the Israeli rights group B'Tselem.
An Israeli special force landed overnight in the eastern Lebanese town of Nabi Chit, searching for information about Ron Arad, a navigator who has been missing since 1986. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 41 people were killed and 40 wounded in the fighting. The Israeli military said Saturday that the force found neither Arad's remains nor any evidence of his fate.
Ukraine has developed low-cost interceptor drones — priced at roughly $1,000 to $2,000 — capable of shooting down Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones, and is now offering that technology to the United States and Gulf states in exchange for Patriot missile systems, according to Ukrainian officials and defense analysts. The United States recently requested "specific support" against Iranian-designed Shaheds in the Middle East, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order the deployment of Ukrainian equipment and experts, though details remain classified. Gulf states have been using Patriot missiles, which cost millions of dollars per interceptor, to shoot down Shahed drones that cost roughly $30,000 apiece.
China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday demanded absolute political loyalty in the military and called for pressing forward the fight against corruption, as Beijing's annual legislative sessions were marked by the dismissal of a dozen senior officers from state bodies. Xi spoke at a plenary meeting of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force delegation during the annual "two sessions" gatherings of China's top legislature and top political advisory body. His remarks came after the National People's Congress dismissed nine military officers last week and three generals were removed from the advisory body this week.
Tunisian authorities detained three members of the Global Sumud Flotilla steering committee Friday as the country's National Guard financial crimes unit opened an inquiry into suspected money laundering, fraud, and the alleged misuse of donation funds, organizers said. The arrested activists — Wael Naouar, Jawaher Channa, and Nabil Channoufi — are members of both the flotilla's international steering committee and its Tunisian organizing body.
Roberto Álvarez Ávila died March 4 from injuries sustained in a Feb. 26 clash between Cuban soldiers and a Florida-flagged speedboat whose passengers allegedly opened fire on troops off Cuba's north coast, the island's interior ministry announced Thursday, raising the death toll from the incident to five.
President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer of six American service members killed in the war in the Middle East at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday, standing silent as flag-draped transfer cases were received. Trump, wearing a blue suit, red tie, and a white USA hat, did not speak during the ceremony. "It's a very sad day," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Florida later Saturday afternoon, saying that he was "glad we paid our respects."
MINNEAPOLIS — The firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has done little to ease the economic damage to immigrant-owned and immigrant-serving small businesses in Minneapolis, where business owners, activists, and educators said Friday the losses from the nation's largest immigration enforcement surge continue to mount. Daniel Hernandez, who runs Colonial Market in south Minneapolis, said 10 of the 12 Latino small businesses renting space from him remain shuttered, and only one — an Ecuadorian ice cream shop — has been able to reopen since the operation began in December. "I don't know if my business will survive, being honest," Hernandez said. "The amount of damage is so big that I am afraid."
President Donald Trump said Friday that questions about the ongoing war in Iran were "easy" compared to his efforts to regulate college sports and rein in athlete salaries — an extraordinary remark he appeared to soften only moments later. Trump spent more than an hour at a White House roundtable with college sports figures, pressing Congress to overhaul NCAA rules even as U.S. and Israeli forces continued military operations against Iran that began a week earlier.
Cuba's diplomatic mission in Ecuador departed Friday after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's government declared Ambassador Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez and his staff "persona non grata" and gave them 48 hours to leave. Staff removed the Cuban flag from the embassy in northern Quito before departing, and an Associated Press reporter witnessed a staff member burning papers in an oven on the embassy roof in the hours before the deadline expired. Cuba's Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement Friday that the Quito embassy had ceased all functions, expressing regret over what it called "the unilateral and unfriendly action" of the Ecuadorian government.
The House narrowly rejected a resolution Thursday that would curb President Donald Trump’s war powers in the Iran conflict, a vote that underscored early congressional unease as the dispute widens. The measure was defeated 212-219, the second such vote in as many days after the Senate voted down a similar effort. Republicans backed Trump while Democrats mostly opposed the resolution.
Wall Street closed out its worst week since October on Friday as Brent crude settled at $92.69 a barrel — its highest close since September 2023 — after the expanding Iran war disrupted Middle East energy infrastructure, while a government report showing U.S. employers cut more jobs in February than they created sent the S&P 500 down 1.3% to 6,740.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 453 points and the Nasdaq composite fell 361 points to close at 22,387.68.
Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft, and other assets in the Persian Gulf, two U.S. officials said Friday — the first reported sign that Moscow has sought involvement in the week-old war between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive intelligence publicly, cautioned that U.S. intelligence has not established that Russia is directing Iran on how to use the information.
The U.S. issued a license Friday authorizing dealings with Minerven, Venezuela's state-owned gold mining company, as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum concluded a visit to Caracas where he met with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and representatives of more than two dozen American mining and minerals companies, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions Friday on several senior Rwandan officials for what it described as "fueling instability" in eastern Congo, intensifying pressure on Rwanda days after Washington sanctioned the Rwandan military and four of its top officers for backing the M23 rebel group. The unnamed officials are targeted for continued support of M23, which the U.S. says has persisted despite the Washington Accords — a peace agreement signed in December between Rwanda and Congo with U.S. mediation.
Satellite imagery, expert analysis and a statement from a U.S. official point to a United States airstrike as the cause of a Feb. 28 explosion that killed more than 165 people, most of them girls, at a primary school in southern Iran, the Associated Press reported Thursday. The explosion at Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab — a city in Hormozgan province roughly 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) southeast of Tehran — produced the highest civilian death toll of the ongoing U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, according to Iranian state media. Neither the United States nor Israel has claimed responsibility for the attack. Iran has blamed both countries.
A Brooklyn jury convicted Pakistani business owner Asif Merchant on Friday on terrorism and murder-for-hire charges, following a weeklong trial in which Merchant himself testified that Iran's Revolutionary Guard directed him to arrange the killings of American political figures during the 2024 presidential campaign. Merchant, 47, faces up to life in prison.
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida has assembled a multiagency working group to build criminal cases against Cuban government officials, people familiar with the effort told the Associated Press. The move comes as President Donald Trump has publicly floated a "friendly takeover" of Cuba following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused the American press of reporting U.S. military deaths in the Iran war to damage President Donald Trump's standing, remarks that drew swift rebuttals from journalists who said casualty coverage has been standard practice under administrations of both parties. Hegseth made the comments at a Pentagon briefing while addressing the deaths of six U.S. Army reservists killed in an Iranian attack on an operations center in Kuwait.
A U.S. submarine's torpedo attack that killed at least 87 people aboard the Iranian warship IRIS Dena did not violate international or American military law, legal experts said. The strike took place in international waters in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, as part of the broader U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, and hit a lawful military target, experts said — though what happened in the attack's immediate aftermath raises a separate and still-unresolved legal question.
The U.S. military plans to exhume the remains of 88 sailors and Marines killed aboard the USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and buried as unknowns at a Honolulu cemetery, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Thursday. The disinterments are scheduled to begin in November or December, agency director Kelly McKeague said in a statement, with DNA compared against samples collected from family members of missing crew. The decision reverses years of military resistance and follows a three-year grassroots effort to assemble the family DNA database needed to make identification feasible.
Thousands of Americans stranded across the Middle East after Israeli-U.S. attacks on Iran began Feb. 28 largely navigated their own way home — relying on WhatsApp group chats, private drivers and alternative border crossings — as U.S. government repatriation efforts lagged behind those of allied nations, multiple travelers said Friday. The first U.S.-chartered repatriation flight did not arrive until Thursday, days after Poland, Australia, France and other countries had already dispatched military or chartered aircraft for their citizens. As of Friday, about 27,000 Americans had returned to the United States since the conflict began, the State Department said, with the vast majority traveling without government help. More than 29,000 of roughly 51,000 flights scheduled in or out of Middle East airports had been canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, as airspace over Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria remained closed.
Hungarian authorities detained seven employees of Ukraine's state-owned Oschadbank and seized two armored vehicles carrying more than $80 million in cash on Thursday as the convoy transited Hungary between Austria and Ukraine, officials said Friday. Hungary cited suspicion of money laundering. The seven bank workers were released Friday, but Hungarian authorities retained the funds — including $40 million in U.S. dollars, 35 million euros, and 9 kilograms of gold valued at approximately $1.5 million — prompting Ukraine's foreign minister to accuse Budapest of "state banditism."
The U.S. Treasury Department granted India a 30-day exemption to continue buying Russian crude oil and petroleum products, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Friday, as the Iran war's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz drove oil prices sharply higher and raised concern about costs for American consumers. The waiver runs through April 4. The measure covers Russian oil stranded on tankers without buyers. Analysts estimated the affected supply at roughly 125 million barrels, according to the Associated Press.
A United Nations inquiry found that Uganda helped South Sudan conduct joint aerial bombardments that killed and burned civilians, with strikes that "targeted civilian-populated areas predominantly affecting Nuer communities in opposition-affiliated areas," the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said in a report released Friday. The Nuer are South Sudan's second-largest ethnic group. The attacks, carried out in March 2025 using improvised incendiary devices, occurred after Ugandan forces entered South Sudan to support President Salva Kiir's government against forces loyal to opposition figure Riek Machar.
Hundreds of Pakistani Shiites staged rallies Friday in Islamabad and other cities to denounce the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes, as the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad issued a security alert urging American citizens to limit their movement outside. About 300 protesters held a sit-in in the capital under heavy police presence, carrying posters of Khamenei and chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."
Explosions lit the western Tehran skyline early Saturday as Israel said it had launched a broad new wave of strikes on the Iranian capital, and Iran responded with a fresh volley of missiles toward Israel. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the conflict's most intense bombardment had not yet begun. President Donald Trump approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel and posted on social media that there would be "no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender."
Satellite imagery, expert analysis, a U.S. official and information released by the American and Israeli militaries indicate a Feb. 28 blast that killed more than 165 people at an Iranian elementary school was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes, the Associated Press reported Friday. Most of those killed at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab — a city in Hormozgan Province about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) southeast of Tehran — were children. The strike had the highest reported civilian death toll since the war with Iran began.
The United States will soon deploy an anti-drone system proven against Russian drones in Ukraine to the Middle East to bolster defenses against Iranian drones, two American officials told the Associated Press on Friday. The system, called Merops, launches drones to intercept and destroy incoming unmanned aircraft, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed. Pentagon officials have privately acknowledged in closed-door briefings with lawmakers that they are struggling to stop waves of drones launched by Iran, leaving some U.S. targets in the Gulf region vulnerable.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he wants to be involved in choosing Iran's next supreme leader, calling front-runner Mojtaba Khamenei "a lightweight" in an interview with Axios, as the United States and Israel entered a sixth day of strikes targeting Iran's military, nuclear program and leadership. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that American firepower over Tehran was "about to surge dramatically," and Iran's ambassador to Egypt said his country had not requested talks and that there would be "no trust in Trump."
Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged multiple strikes across their shared border on Friday, each side claiming to have killed dozens of the other's troops, as fighting that Islamabad has declared an "open war" entered its ninth consecutive day with international appeals for restraint still unheeded.
The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions on three Chilean officials over a proposed fiber optic submarine cable project with Chinese involvement and warned Peru against ceding control of a Chinese-built deepwater port, escalating a broad push to reduce Beijing's economic and strategic footprint across Latin America. Panama, under pressure from President Trump, seized two canal-adjacent ports that had been operated by a Hong Kong company. The moves came days before Trump planned to host Latin American leaders at his golf complex near Miami for a summit the administration called the "Shield of the Americas."
President Donald Trump’s administration has taken steps across Latin America meant to reduce China’s influence, including travel bans on three Chilean officials and pressure on Peru about a China-built port, according to the Associated Press. The actions come as Trump hosts Latin American leaders at a weekend summit dubbed the “Shield of Americas” near Miami, framed by the White House as a response to what it says is China’s growing foothold in the region.
The House voted Thursday to reject a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s war powers in the conflict with Iran, a measure described as a test of Trump’s strategy as the war widens and congressional support splits. The vote was 212-219, after the Senate defeated a similar measure earlier this week.
Senate Republicans voted down legislation in the Senate on Wednesday that would have required congressional approval before further U.S. attacks against Iran, a rare early test of lawmakers’ approach to the conflict President Donald Trump launched.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States cannot stop every Iranian air attack, even as he asserted U.S. superiority would allow control of Iran’s airspace. At a Pentagon news conference, he and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine described U.S. and allied air defenses as prepared while the conflict that began Saturday has widened across the region.
Congress is expected to take up a measure to restrict President Donald Trump’s war powers in the U.S.-Israeli conflict against Iran after the Senate rejected a Democratic effort to limit him. The House vote Thursday would test whether lawmakers can reclaim some control in an era in which, for decades, presidents have relied on commander-in-chief authority and Congress often authorized or funded force after it began.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has emerged as a possible candidate to succeed his father as the war between Iran and Israel continues, according to reports. His name has circulated publicly as hard-line clerics weigh successors in the 88-seat Assembly of Experts.
The Trump administration faced mounting discontent from Persian Gulf allies who complained they were not given adequate time to prepare for Iranian drones and missiles that hit the region in retaliation for strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel. Gulf officials said the initial U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28 was not preceded by advance notice, and they said earlier warnings about the regional consequences were ignored, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. In response, the White House said Operation Epic Fury has reduced Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks by 90%.
The United States and Venezuela agreed on Thursday to reestablish diplomatic relations, the State Department announced, marking a major shift in the historically adversarial relationship between the two countries. The announcement came at the close of a two-day visit to Caracas by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose trip centered on Venezuela's mining sector. The accord follows a U.S. military operation that removed then-President Nicolás Maduro from power in January.
DUBAI — Iran has unleashed thousands of drones and ballistic missiles against Israel, American military installations, and energy facilities across the Persian Gulf since the United States and Israel launched military operations Saturday and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Associated Press reported. Iranian fire has reached targets as distant as the country's borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, and has struck Gulf states that maintain close ties to both Washington and Tehran.
The Pentagon on Thursday officially designated AI company Anthropic and its Claude chatbot as a supply chain risk, effective immediately — a move that could force defense contractors to cut ties with one of the country's fastest-growing AI companies and sets up an unprecedented legal clash between a U.S. tech firm and the Defense Department. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the company will challenge the designation in court, calling it legally unsound.
U.S. and Israeli forces have struck more than 2,000 targets across Iran in less than a week, U.S. Central Command said, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a string of senior military and security officials in what conflict monitors describe as the most intensive American bombing campaign in the Middle East in more than a decade. An Iranian government agency says at least 1,230 people have been killed. More than 165 died when a school in southeastern Iran was struck, most of them children, according to Iranian state media.
LONDON — London police said four men were arrested in London on suspicion of aiding Iran by spying on the Jewish community, after searches were carried out at addresses in and around north London shortly after 1 a.m. The Metropolitan Police said one of the suspects is Iranian and the other three are dual British-Iranian nationals, and that they are suspected of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Iceland’s government approved a proposal for an Aug. 29 referendum on whether to restart EU membership talks, more than a decade after talks were suspended. The vote must be approved by Iceland’s parliament before it can be held, the Cabinet said.
The war with Iran pushed oil prices to their highest level since summer 2024 on Thursday, dragging U.S. stocks broadly lower and erasing what had been a small year-to-date gain for the S&P 500. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% to 6,830.71, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 784.67 points to 47,954.74 after briefly plunging more than 1,100 points intraday, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 58.50 points to 22,748.99. Benchmark U.S. crude settled at $81.01 per barrel, up 8.5% for the session.
Mexico and the United States will hold their first bilateral trade talks on March 16, the two governments said Thursday, ahead of a formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Mexico's Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard announced the date on X after arranging the session with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
A missile strike in Beit Shemesh on Sunday killed three children in one family and demolished a synagogue and nearby homes, according to Israeli rescue services and the family’s account. Tamar Biton, speaking after her children’s identification, said she remained hopeful they could be rescued from underneath rubble despite losing Yaakov, Avigail and Sarah.
Spain’s government denied on Wednesday that it has agreed to cooperate with U.S. military operations in the Middle East using Spanish bases, contradicting a White House claim during Donald Trump’s meetings with European leaders. The dispute intensified after Trump said he wanted to “cut off all trade with Spain” over NATO spending and the bases question, prompting backlash from Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
President Donald Trump faces sharp criticism of his early Iran-war decision from some conservative media figures, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, according to comments they made this week. The discontent has highlighted tensions within the MAGA-aligned media ecosystem and prompted White House pushback, as administration officials worked to defend the operation. The criticism has also spilled into public exchanges among conservatives, with figures trading barbs over what they say about U.S. casualties and Israel’s role.
Iran launched missiles at Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East early Thursday after the United States sank an Iranian warship, with air sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the Associated Press reported.
China reacted cautiously to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, urging an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue. Chinese officials said the attacks were unacceptable, and analysts pointed to Beijing’s reluctance to project military power beyond its near periphery even as its economic and energy interests remain in the background.
The Iran war has effectively halted oil tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz and is now disrupting global shipping far beyond oil, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and fertilizer supply. Cargo ships are idled in the Persian Gulf or taking longer detours, while planes carrying air cargo from the Middle East have been grounded as some airspace and airports close. Supply-chain specialists warn that shortages and price increases could follow if disruptions continue.
Iran’s capital was rocked by explosions early Saturday, as Tehran retaliated with missiles aimed at Israel and the United States warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign. Associated Press footage showed smoke rising over western Tehran while Israel said it had launched a broad wave of strikes.
Budapest said on Friday that Ukraine is seeking to influence Hungary’s April 12 election, a claim made by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at a pro-government protest outside Ukraine’s embassy. Kyiv and Hungary’s Ukraine-related dispute over Russian oil shipments have fueled rising tensions between the neighbors ahead of the vote.
Iranian media and officials said a U.S. submarine sank the frigate IRIS Dena in international waters off Sri Lanka, after the ship took part in naval exercises hosted by India. Sri Lanka’s navy said it recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 Iranian sailors. India’s defense ministry said the frigate participated in the International Fleet Review and the multilateral exercise MILAN 2026.
Global oil and natural gas shipments are being squeezed by disruptions around the Persian Gulf as the Iran war continues, pushing prices higher and increasing risks for Asia—where many countries rely on imported fuel shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. The Associated Press reports that about 13 million barrels of oil a day moved through the corridor in 2025, and that a large share of liquefied natural gas flows to Asia. Analysts also warned that a spike in fuel costs could ripple through food prices and broader inflation.
Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq said they are preparing for a potential cross-border operation into Iran, with U.S. officials asking Iraqi Kurdish authorities for support, Kurdish officials told The Associated Press on March 4. One Kurdish official said some forces had moved near the Iranian border and were on standby, while another said their fighters were ready to cross in about a week to 10 days.
The Pentagon identified two more of the six U.S. service members killed when a drone struck a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, were released by the Defense Department on Wednesday, completing the names of the six killed.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been mentioned by some in Iran as a possible candidate to replace him as the war with Israel and the United States rages. The Associated Press reported that Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since the Israeli airstrike that killed Ali Khamenei and his wife, Zahra Haddad Adel, on Saturday, and that state-run Iranian media have not reported on his whereabouts.
A North Carolina man was arrested Wednesday at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill after he stood up and shouted anti-war slogans, then violently resisted officers who tried to remove him from the room, Capitol Police said. Brian C. McGinnis faces three counts of assaulting a police officer, three counts of resisting arrest, and one count of unlawful demonstration. Three Capitol Police officers and McGinnis were all treated for injuries following the confrontation.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez this week refused to allow the United States military to use Spanish bases for operations against Iran, prompting President Donald Trump to threaten a total trade cutoff and opening a public rift between Madrid and Washington.
War Child UK will release "Help(2)" on Friday, a benefit compilation album featuring unreleased songs from Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, Wet Leg, and Pulp, to raise funds for children affected by conflict in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. The album is the follow-up to the charity's 1995 compilation "Help," which reached No. 1 on the British charts and raised more than £1.25 million (approximately $1.938 million) for children in war-torn Bosnia.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday expressed support for the U.S. war with Iran even as she mourned the deaths of four Iowa residents in military service since December, including two soldiers killed last weekend in a retaliatory drone strike in Kuwait. "I believe in the mission right now," Reynolds, a Republican, said at a Des Moines news conference, her voice breaking at times. Reynolds said she had spoken with the father of one of the Iowa soldiers killed in Kuwait and the wife of the other.
President Donald Trump and his top officials have offered multiple, sometimes contradictory explanations for Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some 40 senior Iranian officials. Rationales offered in public statements range from neutralizing Iran's nuclear program to preempting its ballistic missiles to preventing a unilateral Israeli strike, with officials at times contradicting one another and the president contradicting himself.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he would not repair the Druzhba pipeline that carries Russian crude oil to Central Europe, staking out a direct position that deepens a standoff with neighboring Hungary and Slovakia now in its second month. The declaration came as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vowed to use financial and political leverage to force Kyiv to restore oil flows, and as the dispute continues to block a 90-billion euro European Union loan that Ukraine needs to sustain its defense against Russia's invasion.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spent two consecutive days inspecting his country's newest destroyer and observed cruise missiles test-fired from the warship, vowing to accelerate the nuclear arming of his navy, state media said Thursday. Kim's visits to the western shipyard at Nampo on Tuesday and Wednesday also included an inspection of a third destroyer under construction of the same class, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that he had given orders to provide the United States with drone equipment and Ukrainian experts after Washington formally requested help defending against Iran's Shahed drones. Zelenskyy said he had also spoken in recent days with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait about possible cooperation in countering the same Iranian systems. The offer comes as a war in Iran, in its sixth day on Thursday, has drawn international attention from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and forced the postponement of a new round of U.S.-brokered peace talks planned for this week.
The Greek government has acquired the first verified photographs documenting the May 1, 1944 Nazi mass execution of 200 prisoners at the Kaisariani firing range in Athens, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced Thursday, after purchasing the archive from a Belgian private collector for 100,000 euros ($115,700). The 262-image collection, taken by German Wehrmacht lieutenant Hermann Heuer during his 1943–44 posting in occupied Greece, includes scenes of prisoners transported from the Haidari prison camp outside Athens to the firing range east of the city center, where they were shot in groups of 20 in reprisal for a resistance ambush that killed a German military commander in southern Greece.
At least 200 artisanal miners died Tuesday when hand-dug tunnels collapsed at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese Ministry of Mines said — the second mass-casualty collapse at the rebel-controlled site in less than two months. Rebels and government spokespeople disputed both the death toll and the cause. The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has controlled the mine since May 2024.
Governments stepped up repatriation flights and other evacuation routes as an Iran war escalated and airspace restrictions disrupted travel, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded across the Middle East, according to the Associated Press. France said a flight carrying its citizens arrived in Paris early Wednesday, while countries including the United States, Britain, Ireland, Norway, Italy and Mexico reported additional departures and plans to bring people home.
American Airlines said it has received approval to resume regular flights to Venezuela, becoming the first U.S. airline to restart service there. The airline, which suspended Venezuela flights in 2019, said the company plans to restore scheduling after the U.S. government cleared the way while the State Department continues to warn Americans against travel to Venezuela.
Japan and Canada signed a strategic agreement in Tokyo to strengthen cooperation on defense, economic security and energy, as fighting involving Iran raises concerns about oil supplies. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Canadian counterpart Mark Carney agreed to diversify energy sources and expand trade and investment, according to Japan’s foreign ministry. Carney, in his first visit to Japan since taking office last year, said “geopolitical uncertainty” has become a key driver of their talks.
The European Union suspended visa-free travel for diplomats and officials from Georgia for at least a year, the bloc said Friday, citing democratic backsliding and a crackdown on anti-government protesters. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s executive branch said the suspension will run until March 6, 2027, with a possible two-year extension. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said there are “consequences” when a government attacks its own people, silences journalists and curtails freedom.
A mine collapse at the Rubaya coltan site in eastern Congo left at least 200 people dead, Congolese authorities said. The M23 rebel group that controls the mine disputed the toll, saying only five people were killed and blaming the deaths on “bombings.”
Argentine police officer Nahuel Gallo, freed from a Venezuelan prison after 448 days in detention, urged the international community on March 4 to seek the release of 24 foreign nationals still held at Rodeo I. Gallo said his “mind is still in prison” and called for patience as he prepares to testify in an Argentina investigation into alleged crimes against humanity attributed to the government of former President Nicolás Maduro.
Ecuador declared Cuba’s ambassador to the country and his staff “persona non grata” and ordered them to leave within 48 hours, escalating a diplomatic dispute between Quito and Havana. Ecuador’s foreign ministry said the action was taken under international diplomatic law but gave no reason for the expulsions.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said a second Japanese national has been detained in Iran and demanded the early release of both people, adding that it believes the detainee is safe and in good health.
Kurdish Iranian dissidents based in northern Iraq said they are not planning an imminent cross-border attack on Iran but would join a U.S. ground invasion if one occurs. In comments to The Associated Press, officials from the Kurdistan Freedom Party PAK sought to reassure Iraqi Kurdish authorities that Iraq’s Kurdish region would not be used as a launching pad.
Sri Lanka transferred more than 200 Iranian sailors from the navy logistics ship IRIS Bushehr to shore after the vessel sought assistance while anchored outside Sri Lanka’s waters, as tensions rose in the Indian Ocean following the U.S. sinking of an Iranian warship. The Sri Lankan navy said 204 sailors were taken to Welisara Naval Base near Colombo, where they underwent border control procedures and medical tests.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday that Venezuela's government has pledged to protect foreign companies seeking to invest in the country's mineral sector, concluding a two-day visit to Caracas that advanced the Trump administration's effort to build alternative critical-mineral supplies as competition with China over key raw materials continues. Burgum said acting President Delcy Rodríguez acknowledged concerns about security risks in areas long controlled by guerrillas, criminal gangs and military officials who profit from illegal extraction.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met Wednesday with Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas, leading representatives of more than two dozen American mining and energy companies in talks aimed at opening Venezuela's substantial mineral reserves to U.S. investment. Rodríguez announced she would introduce legislation to overhaul the country's mining law to attract foreign capital, calling the expected change "a win for the social well-being of our people."
The House on Thursday narrowly rejected a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s war powers in the Iran conflict, an early sign of unease in Congress as the fighting reshapes U.S. priorities. The vote was 212-219, after the Senate defeated a similar measure, and the measure would have halted the president’s ability to conduct the war unless Congress approved it.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that some Iranian drone or missile strikes may still reach their targets, even as he said U.S. forces have established air dominance. Speaking at the Pentagon on Wednesday, he and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told reporters the U.S. has prepared maximum possible defense before launching broader operations and said the risk to troops remains high.
Explosions sounded in Tehran on Wednesday as the war involving the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day, after earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region. Iran’s state television reported explosions around Tehran as dawn broke, while Israel said its air defenses were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.
LONDON (AP) — Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump are at odds over whether Britain should join U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, stressing a relationship Starmer had worked to strengthen. Trump criticized Starmer’s reluctance to let U.S. warplanes use British bases, while Starmer said the U.K. will not join “offensive action” and has offered only defensive measures as the attacks began Saturday. The disagreement is reverberating across Europe, where leaders have taken different positions on the war.
Gasoline and diesel prices jumped overnight in the United States as the war in the Middle East disrupted shipments of oil and gas, the Associated Press reported. Drivers in Europe waited in long lines at pumps as diesel prices spiked, reflecting constraints in regional fuel supplies. Economists and industry analysts said higher costs could spread further, particularly in areas that rely on imported fuels.
The S&P 500 rose 0.8% Wednesday, recovering most of its losses since the U.S.-Iran war began five days ago, as oil prices pulled back from intraday highs and two economic reports pointed to continued strength in hiring and the services sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238 points, or 0.5%, to 48,739.41, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.3% to close at 22,807.48, according to the Associated Press. The day's gains followed a jarring overnight session in Asia, where South Korea's Kospi index fell 12.1% — its worst single-day loss in history.
Widespread flight disruptions across the Middle East have left many travelers stranded as the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran widens, and conditions may keep changing quickly, experts warn. Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, said travelers “should absolutely expect uncertainty,” urging them to follow government, airport and airline updates and to reassess trips that aren’t necessary.
A Pakistani businessman on trial in Brooklyn testified that an alleged assassination plot on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could have targeted Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley. Asif Merchant told jurors he did it because he feared for loved ones in Iran and expected to be caught before any killing occurred.
President Donald Trump pushed back on Monday against mounting criticism that he has not explained why the United States started a war with Iran now and what the administration expects as an endgame. The pushback comes as the conflict spreads, energy prices surge and the death toll in the Middle East rises, with Trump’s team suggesting the fighting may be only in its opening stages.
Tensions flared at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday as lawmakers questioned the Trump administration’s rationale for launching a widening campaign against Iran and pressed for details on strategy, an exit plan and the costs to Americans in lives and dollars. During closed-door briefings, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized a decision to avoid being hit first, while other lawmakers warned about “mission creep,” possible boots on the ground, and what they said was a lack of a clear congressional rationale for the fight.
The broadening Iran-U.S.-Israel war has spread damage across the Middle East and beyond, with many governments ordering people to leave and airlines canceling flights as airspace closures continue. On the seventh day, Israeli warplanes struck Beirut and Tehran after Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes, while President Donald Trump said he was ruling out negotiations with Iran and called for “unconditional surrender.”
Satellite images released by an imaging company and shared with The Associated Press show damage at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, Iran’s main enrichment site, after the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. The images, taken Monday and compared with imagery from the previous day, show damage to buildings tied to personnel and to vehicle entrances to an underground fuel enrichment complex, with the U.N. nuclear watchdog saying the site sustained “some recent damage” and the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency saying “no radiological consequence” was expected.
President Donald Trump’s administration faced criticism for delaying more than 48 hours before making live, public remarks to explain why it decided to go to war with Iran, according to the Associated Press. In the first days of the conflict, Trump delivered pretaped statements released on Truth Social and spoke with reporters by phone, while the Pentagon briefing he oversaw drew questions from some outlets and not others.
Explosions rattled Tehran on Wednesday as the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran entered its fifth day, with strikes reported across the Gulf region. Israel said its air-defense systems were responding to missiles arriving from Iran, while Iranian state television reported explosions in the Tehran metropolitan area early Wednesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France will increase its nuclear warheads and, for the first time, allow the temporary deployment of nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries under a “forward deterrence” strategy aimed at strengthening Europe’s independence.
Misrepresented photos and videos about the Iran war have circulated widely online as attacks continue, the Associated Press reported in a fact-check roundup published March 2. The AP said several posts falsely tied older or unrelated footage to current strikes and also flagged at least one image as AI-generated.
Cyprus says a Shahed drone struck the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri early Monday, prompting interceptor missions from Britain and partner countries as officials warned the incident could signal a widening Iran war beyond the Middle East.
The U.S. State Department is closing embassies to the public, shutting at least one consulate, ordering staff and families to depart and advising Americans in multiple countries to leave the region immediately as the United States and Israel strike Iran and the conflict widens. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 9,000 Americans have returned safely from the Middle East since the weekend.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend, a development that reverberated quickly across the Shiite Muslim world. In Pakistan, thousands protested within hours, including clashes outside the U.S. diplomatic enclave in Islamabad and attempted moves on the U.S. consulate in Karachi. In Lebanon and Iraq, demonstrations and cross-border attacks added to fears of a wider backlash as Israel threatened further strikes.
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor and four other U.S. service members were among four Americans killed in the Iran war on Sunday, the Pentagon identified on Tuesday. Friends and relatives described the reservists, including two men whose identities were still pending, as dedicated parents and reservists serving in logistics in Kuwait.
In military-heavy communities around Fort Campbell, which hosts the 101st Airborne Division, families are weighing the unknowns of the U.S. war against Iran with memories shaped by deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Veterans, state officials, and nonprofit leaders around the Tennessee-Kentucky base described both pride in service and anxiety about what comes next.
Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday, warning residents of more than 80 villages and towns to evacuate as Hezbollah said it was ready for an “open war” with Israel. The exchanges followed Hezbollah’s rockets and drones early Monday toward northern Israel and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon, where the death toll was revised to 50.
French President Emmanuel Macron ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean on Tuesday to help protect allied assets during the war in the Middle East, according to a French television speech reported by The Associated Press. Macron said the move follows developments in the conflict, including a strike on a British air force base on Cyprus and drone activity at a French naval base. He also urged Hezbollah to stop strikes, called on Israel to respect Lebanese territory, and said France cannot approve strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran carried out outside “international law.”
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France is taking a new step in deterrence by aligning aspects of its nuclear strategy with eight European partners, while maintaining full French control over any nuclear strike decision. Macron made the announcement from a submarine base in western France, describing the move as crucial to bolstering Europe’s strategic autonomy.
President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to end trade with Spain, linking the move to Spain’s refusal to allow U.S. use of jointly operated bases in southern Spain for strikes tied to the Iran war. Trump made the comments during an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as European officials said the EU would expect the U.S. to honor prior trade commitments.
In the wake of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, China has called for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to dialogue while staying on the sidelines, according to analysts. The Associated Press report examines what Beijing’s restraint signals about its foreign-policy priorities and its relationship with Washington.
Mental health experts and child psychologists are urging parents to have open, age-appropriate conversations with children about war as fighting involving the United States, Israel, Iran and its proxies continues to generate distressing images and news coverage, according to guidance compiled by Save the Children, the American Psychological Association and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Even indirect exposure to conflict can affect how children think, feel and behave, specialists say. "Sometimes adults think if they don't talk about something that is difficult, than it doesn't exist. But we know that's not the reality in children's lives," said Rebecca Smith, global head of child protection at Save the Children, an international aid and advocacy organization. "Ignoring or avoiding the topic of conflict can lead to children feeling lost, alone and scared. ... It is essential to have open and honest conversations with children to help them process what is happening."
An Iranian drone struck a U.S. military operations hub inside a working civilian port in Kuwait on Sunday, killing six American soldiers in a facility that a family member described as a shipping container-style building with no defenses, according to the Associated Press. The hub was located in Port Shuaiba, an industrial seaport south of Kuwait City, more than 10 miles from Camp Arifjan, the main U.S. Army installation in Kuwait, a U.S. official and satellite imagery confirmed to the AP.
The U.S. and Israel's joint war against Iran has stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers across the Middle East, with sweeping airspace closures and flight cancellations paralyzing Gulf state airports that normally funnel global air traffic, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. Tourists, business travelers, migrant workers and others were left scrambling for next steps as the conflict continued to escalate, particularly through strikes in the Gulf states.
Scores of airline passengers are stranded across the Gulf as fighting between Iran and its rivals disrupts travel, and some wealthier travelers are escaping by paying for private flights via airports farther from the conflict. The costs, brokers and security firms said, have surged after major hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha closed last weekend.
Prime Minister Godwin Friday of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said his government did not authorize deadly U.S. strikes on an alleged drug boat in local waters that killed three people. Friday said his administration learned of the Feb. 13 strike through social media and online reports.
Iranian airstrikes targeting targets near Amazon Web Services facilities have damaged infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the company said. AWS said two data centers in the UAE were “directly struck” and that a Bahrain facility was damaged after a drone landed nearby, prompting structural repairs and power disruptions.
More than two dozen Doctors Without Borders (MSF) workers remained unaccounted for in South Sudan a month after attacks on MSF facilities, the medical charity said. MSF reported that 26 of 291 colleagues working in Lankien and Pieri were missing, after staff fled areas where fighting continued and communications were disrupted.
The U.S. Department of Transportation authorized American Airlines on Wednesday to resume commercial service to Venezuela, positioning the carrier to become the first U.S. airline to fly to the South American country in more than six years.
U.S. stocks swung from sharp losses to a small gain on Monday as oil prices leaped on worries that war with Iran could disrupt crude supplies and worsen inflation. The S&P 500 ended up less than 0.1% after trading lower, with the Nasdaq rising 0.4%, while benchmark U.S. crude settled 6.3% higher at $71.23 a barrel.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran are not “endless,” while warning that more American casualties are likely in the weeks ahead. Speaking at a separate news conference with Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Hegseth also described the operation as having “decisive mission” goals aimed at eliminating Iranian ballistic-missile threats and leaving “no nukes.”
Some Iranians celebrated the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with videos and residents describing people dancing in streets while others expressed fear and uncertainty amid a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign that continued into a second day on Sunday. As Iranians mourned in large crowds, authorities urged public unity after the deaths of Khamenei and other top military and security leaders, while some said security forces and the presence of the Basij would make it difficult to protest again.
Afghanistan said it thwarted an attempted Pakistani airstrike on Bagram Air Base, the former U.S. military hub north of Kabul, as cross-border fighting between the two neighbors entered a fourth day. Afghan police in Parwan province said Pakistani jets entered Afghan airspace around 5 a.m. Sunday and were repelled by air defenses.
Iran on Sunday began a constitutional succession process after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died, and it will rely on an interim leadership council while clerics prepare to select his successor. The Supreme Leader holds final say on state matters and serves as commander in chief of Iran’s military and the Revolutionary Guard, making the choice central to Iran’s future political and security direction.
Hundreds of thousands of travelers scrambled for new connections on Sunday after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran that shut down much of the Middle East to air travel, forcing airlines to cancel flights and leaving airports unsure when they would reopen. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar closed their airspace, and airspace in southern Syria was also shut, with disruptions rippling as far as Europe and Asia.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said late Monday that a classified briefing left him believing Israel was ready to act against Iran “with or without American support,” as Congress moves toward a war powers resolution meant to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to keep waging the Iran war without approval.
Oil prices rose sharply Monday after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, along with retaliatory strikes involving Israel and U.S. military installations around the Gulf, disrupted global energy supply chains. Traders focused on risks that attacks would slow or halt oil exports from Iran and other Middle East producers, with the Strait of Hormuz—where tankers pass in large volumes—at the center of the disruption.
WACO, Texas — Candidates in Texas’ tightly competitive U.S. Senate primary were treading carefully in the final hours before Tuesday’s election as the United States and Israel carried out strikes against Iran. Some Republican candidates referenced the war only briefly, while Democrats spoke to it in different terms and some voters said they want clearer objectives and an exit strategy.
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that he was not happy with how nuclear talks with Iran were going, then ordered a military operation called “Epic Fury” about three hours later. The Associated Press describes a sequence that included his remarks on Air Force One and U.S. intelligence work over months, culminating in a set of strikes in Tehran and other locations.
Democrats who have largely aligned against President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda and other policies are facing new internal pressure after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly killed. Congressional Democrats are debating how quickly to pass a war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s attack options, even as some members signal reservations and leaders warn the party could split.
Travelers stranded by a widening Middle East war began departing the United Arab Emirates on limited evacuation flights Monday, even as most commercial air traffic across the region remained suspended, the Associated Press reported. The limited flights began as the U.S. State Department urged Americans in 13 countries, including the UAE and other Gulf states, to “depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks,” while airspace closures and cancellations continued to reduce options.
President Donald Trump ordered a military operation against Iran on Saturday, following months of diplomacy that administration officials said Tehran resisted. In a sharp shift, Trump announced early Sunday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed, days after he dispatched special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for another round of talks.
The Associated Press said it uses the word “war” to describe joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks. AP said the decision is based on the scope and intensity of the fighting, even though the countries have not formally declared war.
A widening Middle East conflict drew calls for de-escalation Sunday as Britain, France and Germany said they are prepared to work with the United States to help defend regional interests after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Protesters around the world expressed anger or celebrated the death, while Pope Leo XIV urged both the U.S. and Israel to “stop the spiral of violence.”
Three U.S. service members were killed and five others seriously wounded during U.S. attacks on Iran, the military announced Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive President Donald Trump said could expand in the coming weeks. The Pentagon did not immediately disclose when or where the deaths occurred as Iran retaliated over U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, died Sunday at age 86, Iran’s state media reported. The Associated Press reported that he was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes hours after President Donald Trump said the U.S. had carried out an operation that killed him.
In a video message after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump said “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny,” signaling support for regime change. But analysts said history suggests that removing Iran’s leadership would not automatically translate into a friendlier or more stable outcome.
Iranian attacks into the United Arab Emirates shook Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Saturday, prompting airspace closures, emergency reassurance from officials and damage at key sites including Dubai International Airport, according to UAE officials and the state-linked Dubai Media Office.
The U.S. and Israel carried out strikes against Iran on Sunday after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with blasts reported across Tehran and other parts of the country. Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks expanded the conflict to U.S. bases and to Arab states, killing U.S. service members and civilians, according to officials. As the region braced for further escalation, President Donald Trump said he was open to dialogue with Iran’s new leadership.
Gaza’s ceasefire has weakened as Israel has closed crossings and halted entry and exit for humanitarian workers, Palestinians and an Israeli military office said, amid U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran. Residents said the closures during Ramadan have disrupted markets and left people rushing to stock up on food and supplies. The United Nations and aid groups have warned that hunger remains in the enclave and that limited access threatens supplies.
Airstrikes by Myanmar’s military on a trading junction in the central Magway region killed more than two dozen people and wounded 20 others, a resistance group and independent media said Sunday. The attacks occurred twice Sunday morning near Pyaung village, west of Mindon township, according to a military spokesperson for the Thayet District Battalion No. 4. The military had not commented on the strike by Sunday evening.
President Donald Trump has taken the United States into war with Iran, a move that drew immediate backlash from lawmakers questioning whether it contradicts his “America first” focus and whether Congress should have approved it. In a sign of uncertainty about how the conflict could evolve, a Middle East diplomat warned of escalation risk and said de-escalation was “paramount.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the United States, according to three people familiar with the briefings. The officials cited a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, while one person said the administration emphasized the threat to U.S. personnel and allies.
Karachi and other Pakistani cities saw clashes on Sunday as demonstrators angered by the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tried to reach U.S. diplomatic missions, leaving at least 22 people dead and more than 120 wounded, according to authorities and hospital officials.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Sunday she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks, adding that elections will be held in the South American country. In a message shared on social media, Machado said one of her objectives would be to prepare for “a new and gigantic electoral victory” and called on supporters to strengthen unity begun with the 2023 primaries.
WASHINGTON — Key members of Congress are pushing for a swift vote on a war powers resolution to restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration seeks Congress’s approval, according to the Associated Press. The House and Senate are preparing a rare war powers debate next week that Democrats warn could be “illegal” without authorization.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan after its defense minister said “open war” with its eastern neighbor, as clashes continued along the border. Afghanistan and Pakistan each disputed casualty and troop-loss figures and traded accusations of striking civilian areas, with fears rising for civilians and people displaced near the Torkham crossing.
President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran Saturday is intensifying scrutiny of a transformation he has described as necessary to deter future threats—at odds with how he once attacked the Iraq War and criticized drawn-out military campaigns. The action also comes amid political pressure for Republicans heading into an election year, with some allies urging support while others warn of “another preemptive war.”
Iran’s state media and President Donald Trump said the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran. Trump said the strike gives Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country, while Iran pledged retaliation and threatened a major offensive against Israeli and American targets.
The United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, condemned U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran as the conflict was discussed at an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council on Saturday. U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz and Israel’s U.N. ambassador Danny Danon defended the strikes, while Iran’s ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said they killed and injured hundreds of Iranian civilians. The meeting also included sharply worded exchanges between the U.S. and Iran, as several countries urged a halt to hostilities and a return to diplomacy to prevent further regional escalation.
Ramadan in Gaza City has brought sorrow to many families grieving relatives killed in Israeli strikes, as the holy month arrives with relatives buried under rubble and daily life squeezed into tents and makeshift shelters.
Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has publicly pushed for sovereign access to the Eritrean port of Assab, staging a military parade and threatening landlocked status for Ethiopia’s rivals. Analysts and officials warn the move risks reigniting tensions with Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki and could spill into a broader regional conflict. The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan officials also trade accusations over drone attacks and military preparations.
Iran fired missile salvos at Israel on Saturday after the U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran, sending residents in central Israel rushing between homes and shelters. In Tel Aviv’s Jaffa neighborhood, more than 100 people crammed into a public shelter under a park as sirens sounded through the day. The Israeli rescue service, Magen David Adom, said late Saturday that a woman in the Tel Aviv area died after being injured in an Iranian strike.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died at 86, Iranian state media confirmed, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said Khamenei was killed in an attack by U.S. and Israeli forces. The death came amid nationwide protests that human rights groups and activists said were met with the deadliest crackdown in decades, and as the U.S. and Iran tested nuclear negotiations alongside the threat of strikes.
Israel has killed multiple senior officials tied to Iran’s regional “armed proxies” across Gaza, Lebanon and Iran since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, according to an Associated Press review. After Iran’s state media confirmed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, the AP described a broader campaign that has included senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders as well as Iranian military figures, with the latest deaths following a major attack involving the U.S. and Israel.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a recorded message saying Israel and the United States have started a joint campaign, “Operation Lion’s Roar,” targeting Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and missile sites. He said the operation will continue “as long as necessary” and described it as “much more powerful” than Israel’s June war against Iran.
Oil markets are set for volatile trading next week as U.S. and Israeli strikes affect uncertainty about Middle East oil supplies. International benchmark Brent crude closed Friday at a seven-month high of $72.87, signaling how quickly war-related risks are moving through markets.
Russia on Feb. 28 condemned what it described as U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, calling them “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression” and demanding an immediate halt. In a statement posted to Telegram, Russia also warned the attacks could trigger a “humanitarian, economic and possibly radiological catastrophe” and said responsibility lies with Washington and Tel Aviv.
President Donald Trump said in an eight-minute video posted on his Truth Social account that the U.S. has begun “major combat operations in Iran.” In the address, Trump said the U.S. military’s objective is to eliminate what he called imminent threats from Iran and appealed to Iranian people to “take over your government.”
The war in the Middle East expanded on multiple fronts Monday, as Iran and Iranian-backed militias struck Israel and Arab states while the United States and Israel continued attacks on Iran. The Associated Press report also described regional effects including disrupted shipping and air travel, alongside reports of casualties from attacks in Iran, Israel and elsewhere. The escalation follows a Saturday joint U.S.-Israeli strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
BRUSSELS — World leaders reacted warily to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran after reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died, with some urging renewed diplomacy while others condemned Tehran’s retaliation. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on the strikes.
America and Israel’s attack on Iran disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond Saturday, as countries in the region closed parts of their airspace and struck key hub airports used to connect Europe, Africa and Asia. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha suspended or rerouted large volumes of traffic, stranding travelers and forcing airlines to cancel or divert flights. U.S. and Gulf-based airlines said passengers should check flight status as disruptions evolve.
El líder supremo de Irán, el ayatolá Alí Jamenei, murió en un ataque de gran magnitud atribuido a Israel y Estados Unidos, informaron medios estatales iraníes el domingo. El presidente Donald Trump anunció la muerte horas antes, al tiempo que Irán advirtió represalias y elevó las alarmas por una escalada regional. El gabinete iraní dijo que “este gran crimen nunca quedará impune”.
Europe is preparing tougher migration measures as a Greek island sees illegal crossings rise, with Frontex deploying new surveillance efforts aimed at the sea route between Libya and Crete. Crete recorded about 20,000 arrivals of irregular migrants last year, following a threefold increase, even as irregular migration to Europe fell in 2025, Frontex data show. Officials say the longer Libyan route is becoming the deadliest pressure point as wars and instability across Africa fuel departures.
Pakistan’s defense minister said Pakistan is in an “open war” with Afghanistan after the two countries exchanged cross-border attacks overnight. Afghanistan said it launched an attack late Thursday in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday, and Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and other Afghan provinces early Friday. The escalation comes after months of tense border clashes and failed peace efforts mediated by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
The lawyer for deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro asked a judge in Manhattan federal court on Thursday to throw out the indictment against him, arguing U.S. sanctions have blocked access to funds needed to pay his legal team. Attorney Barry Pollack said the U.S. government has violated Maduro’s due process rights by preventing Venezuelan funds from being used for his defense.
President Donald Trump said Friday the United States is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of “a friendly takeover of Cuba,” without laying out details of what the prospect would mean. Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is discussing Cuba with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”
The U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border, lawmakers said. The drone was reportedly operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Aviation Administration closed additional airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles southeast of El Paso, in the mistaken-identity case.
Iran and the United States concluded hours of indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva without a deal, deepening fears of another Middle East war as the United States has deployed a large fleet of aircraft and warships in the region. Oman’s foreign minister said there was “significant progress,” while Iranian state television reported Tehran would continue enriching uranium and sought sanctions relief instead of agreeing to U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands.
Iran has not allowed the U.N. nuclear agency access to nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States during a 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report reviewed by The Associated Press. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it cannot verify whether Iran suspended all uranium enrichment-related activities or determine the current size and composition of enriched uranium stocks at the affected sites.
Guinea released 16 soldiers and police officers it had arrested from neighboring Sierra Leone after a border dispute, Sierra Leonean authorities said. The detainees were handed over following a visit to Conakry by a delegation led by Sierra Leone’s foreign minister, Alhaji Timothy Kabba.
A new Gallup poll finds U.S. public sympathies in the Israel-Hamas war have shifted sharply toward Palestinians, leaving the shares for each side nearly even. Gallup said 41% of Americans now sympathize more with Palestinians, while 36% sympathize more with Israelis, following a change from a largely pro-Israeli tilt three years ago.
President Donald Trump said Friday he is “not happy” with the latest talks over Iran’s nuclear program but indicated negotiators would get more time. The remarks came a day after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva, amid heightened military activity in the region and warnings from both sides.
Their family spent years opposing Venezuela’s socialist system, then moved to the United States after obtaining refugee status. But in Minnesota, the Trump administration has detained and questioned refugees already admitted to the country, prompting lawsuits and a judge’s order extending protections for refugees in the state.
Venezuelan politician Enrique Márquez, released from prison earlier this month after years of detention following his challenge to the 2024 election, urged political rivals on Friday to work together for the country’s recovery. Márquez called on the opposition and the ruling party to “lock up egos in a drawer” during a news conference, days after he appeared in the days after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. The former presidential hopeful was detained in January 2025 and later received amnesty after interim President Delcy Rodríguez signed an amnesty measure into law.
Melania Trump will preside over a U.N. Security Council meeting next Monday during the United States’ rotating presidency for March, a first for a first lady, the United Nations said. Stephane Dujarric, a U.N. spokesman, said the meeting will be the first time a first lady—or a first gentleman—has presided over the council.
La familia de Francesca Albanese, relatora especial de la ONU para Cisjordania y Gaza, demandó al gobierno del presidente Donald Trump por las sanciones de Estados Unidos impuestas el año pasado, según su demanda presentada en un tribunal federal de Washington. En el escrito, el esposo y una hija menor de Albanese argumentan que las penalizaciones violan la Primera Enmienda al sancionar sus opiniones. La Casa Blanca no respondió a solicitudes de comentarios y un portavoz del Departamento de Estado declinó opinar sobre un litigio en curso.
Exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok said a Hong Kong court ruling that jailed her father for eight months has strengthened her resolve. Kwok spoke to The Associated Press days after the sentence, describing it as a personal cost tied to her activism and saying she would not back down.
A shooting erupted after a stolen boat with 10 people and weapons left the Florida Keys heading to Cuba, leaving four dead, according to the Cuban and U.S. accounts. The episode has drawn attention in South Florida to long-running anti-Cuban exile political groups, some of which have backed paramilitary action in the past.
Cuban officials said their troops fired on a speedboat carrying Cubans from the United States and that the confrontation killed four people and wounded six. The Cuban government accused the passengers of trying to infiltrate Cuba to carry out terrorism. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident was not a U.S. government operation.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces early Friday, hours after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan, Afghanistan’s government spokesperson said. Pakistan later described the Afghan attack as unprovoked and said its airstrikes targeted alleged Afghan military facilities. The U.N. secretary-general urged both sides to protect civilians and pursue diplomacy.
Miami police and U.S. officials are trying to confirm details after Cuba’s government said its troops opened fire on a speedboat carrying armed expatriates, killing four people and wounding six, in waters off Cuba.
Russia launched a barrage of 420 drones and 39 missiles at Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, hours before U.S. and Ukrainian envoys met in Geneva as part of U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war. Zelenskyy said the bombardment included 11 ballistic missiles and targeted critical infrastructure and residential areas across eight regions, with dozens of people injured, including children.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is traveling to India to restore diplomatic ties and diversify Canada’s trade away from the United States, according to a report by The Associated Press. His visit comes after years of strain between Ottawa and New Delhi tied to allegations involving a Sikh separatist leader, as well as fresh uncertainty around U.S. tariff threats.
Panama’s government has occupied two ports at either end of the Panama Canal, stepping in after the country’s Supreme Court ruled a concession for the Hong Kong-linked operator was unconstitutional, as the dispute draws in the United States and China. President José Raúl Mulino told China to “be careful” and said Panama “need[s] us more than we need them.” The U.S. and China have disputed the implications of the concessions and the court case, with Washington warning a Chinese operator was unacceptable and Beijing saying Panama was bowing to “hegemonic powers.”
The Justice Department has filed a complaint to legally take ownership of the sanctioned oil tanker Skipper and nearly 2 million barrels of oil seized off Venezuela in December, marking the first step in a U.S. court process to permanently control the vessel and cargo. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case is part of the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle operations tied to illicit oil shipments involving Iran and Venezuela.
The Pentagon is building what the AP describes as the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, including two aircraft carrier strike groups. The buildup follows President Donald Trump’s warning that the United States could take military action against Iran if negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program fail.
Irán y Estados Unidos concluyeron este jueves en Ginebra varias horas de conversaciones indirectas sobre el programa nuclear iraní sin llegar a un acuerdo, mientras crecen los temores de un choque militar en Oriente Medio. El ministro de Exteriores de Omán, Badr al-Busaidi, dijo que hubo “avances significativos” en la negociación, aunque la televisión estatal iraní informó que Teherán rechazó propuestas clave y seguirá enriqueciendo uranio. En paralelo, el enviado especial estadounidense para Oriente Medio, Steve Witkoff, y autoridades iraníes indicaron que la presión y el calendario siguen abiertos a nuevas rondas técnicas.
Iran faces the prospect of major U.S. strikes in the Middle East, with potential targets including Iranian leaders, military and nuclear sites and critical infrastructure, as American forces mass in the region. U.S. officials and others have warned that any attack on Iran could spark a regional war, and Iran’s top leaders have warned of retaliation.
Congolese authorities and a civil society group said they found two mass grave sites in areas of Uvira in eastern Congo that M23 rebels have withdrawn from. South-Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi said the graves contain at least 171 dead bodies in the Kiromoni and Kavimvira neighborhoods.
A new AP-NORC poll finds about half of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat, as the U.S. and Iran head into another round of nuclear talks in Geneva. But the survey also finds low trust in President Donald Trump’s judgment on the use of military force abroad, with only about 3 in 10 saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of trust.
The family of UN human rights investigator Francesca Albanese has sued the Trump administration in U.S. federal court, arguing that U.S. sanctions imposed on her for criticizing Israel’s conduct during the Israel-Hamas war violate the First Amendment, according to a lawsuit filed Feb. 26. The U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza says the sanctions have harmed the family’s ability to live and work in the United States, while the State Department has dismissed the case as baseless “lawfare.”
Maduro’s lawyer told a Manhattan federal judge that the U.S. Treasury blocked authorization for Venezuela to pay Nicolas Maduro’s defense costs, raising a dispute tied to the drug case in New York and alleged constitutional concerns over the right to counsel.
The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it will pay up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of brothers Rene Arzate Garcia, 42, and Alfonso Arzate Garcia, 52, who are alleged to control the Sinaloa cartel’s key trafficking hub at Tijuana. The reward—$5 million for each brother—targets a critical node that the department says gives the cartel a tactical advantage at the busiest border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. A superseding indictment was also filed against Rene Arzate Garcia on charges that include conspiracy, narcoterrorism and material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Havana said its deputy foreign minister met the U.S. after a Florida-registered speedboat opened fire on Cuban soldiers, killing four people and injuring others during a firefight off Cuba’s north coast. Carlos Fernández de Cossío said Cuba plans to ask U.S. officials for information about the suspects and how they organized the trip, while U.S. officials said at least one American was killed.
The United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a $1.2 billion health partnership, according to a joint statement from the countries’ governments. The U.S. Department of State said it would provide up to $900 million over five years to support programs targeting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and to reduce maternal and child mortality.
Uruguay and Argentina ratified a free-trade agreement with the European Union, becoming the first two founding members of Mercosur to do so. Uruguay approved the pact in its lower house by a 91-2 vote, and Argentina’s Senate followed with a 69-3 vote.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman and Iran’s parliament speaker pushed back on U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of a new round of nuclear talks in Geneva, with one official calling Trump’s statements “big lies” while another said Iran could still reach an agreement through “honorable diplomacy.” The remarks came a day before the third round of talks, as the United States assembled its biggest Middle East deployment of aircraft and warships in decades.
Tehran shoppers are confronting sharply rising prices for food and other staples as fears of a potential U.S. attack grow, and as the country reels from protests that spread last month. An Associated Press report Friday described families struggling to keep enough basics in their carts while Iran’s economy faces long-running strain from sanctions and the currency’s rapid slide.
The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let it end temporary legal protections for Syrian migrants, as lawsuits challenge the move. The government wants the court to lift a New York judge’s order pausing the Department of Homeland Security decision while the cases proceed, and also seek a broader ruling affecting similar immigration cases.
President Donald Trump is warning that the United States could take military action against Iran if talks over Iran’s nuclear program fail, while the Pentagon is building up what the Associated Press described as the largest American force in the Middle East in decades. The buildup includes two aircraft carrier strike groups and additional warships and aircraft, as U.S. officials and outside analysts weigh the risk of retaliation and a wider regional conflict.
The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four commanders of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces accused of atrocities in Darfur, including actions that U.N. experts said showed “hallmarks of genocide.” The designations follow a U.N.-backed report on mass killings and other abuses in El Fasher after an 18-month siege, when the RSF took over the North Darfur capital.
South African police questioned 11 men who allegedly were lured into fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine after the group arrived at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport. The men were taken to a police station for questioning about how they ended up on the front lines, with one reportedly taken off the aircraft in a wheelchair. President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday that one man remained in hospital in Russia and another would travel once travel documents were finalized.
Prince Harry and Meghan visited a refugee camp and a hospital in Jordan on Wednesday to spotlight organizations that help civilians affected by war and displacement. In Amman, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex met hospitalized children from Gaza and joined World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for a roundtable with WHO regional leaders and humanitarian partners.
Cuba said late Wednesday that a speedboat that entered Cuban waters and opened fire on its soldiers killed four people and wounded six, and that the boat’s 10 passengers were armed Cubans living in the United States trying to infiltrate the island. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is gathering its own information to determine whether the victims were American citizens or permanent residents and to verify the accounts provided by Cuba.
Protesters gathered in Chania, on the Greek island of Crete, after the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford docked at Souda Bay as tensions with Iran escalated. The peaceful rally, backed by the Greek Communist Party, included placards with the word “Killers” in English.
En su discurso del Estado de la Unión, el presidente Donald Trump se enfocó principalmente en asuntos internos, pero también delineó ante el público estadounidense por qué respalda sus esfuerzos de política exterior, en un momento en que crece el escepticismo sobre su prioridad “Estados Unidos primero”. Trump dijo que hará la paz cuando pueda, pero que no dudará en enfrentar amenazas contra Estados Unidos “donde sea necesario”. Además, destacó mediaciones para un alto el fuego en Gaza, el regreso de rehenes y la captura del líder venezolano Nicolás Maduro.
President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a new tranche of U.S. sanctions targeting people and companies accused of enabling Iran’s ballistic missile program, drone production and illicit oil sales. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the sanctions against 30 people, companies and ships were announced ahead of talks scheduled for Thursday in Geneva between U.S. officials and Iranian negotiators through Oman.
A Ukrainian delegation will meet U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys in Geneva as part of preparations for another round of trilateral talks with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The talks are set to include discussions on details of a possible postwar recovery plan and preparations for a meeting with Moscow officials next week, he said.
Prominent Russian scholar of North Korea Andrei Lankov said he was expelled from Latvia after being detained in Riga while giving a lecture, then turned over to immigration authorities and taken toward the Estonia border. Kookmin University in South Korea, where he teaches, said it confirmed he had been released and was headed to Estonia.
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said his country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the remarks while closing a ruling party congress that laid out policy goals for the next five years, and he reiterated North Korea’s refusal to engage Seoul. He left open the possibility of dialogue with Washington, tying any talks to the United States dropping what North Korea calls “hostile policy” toward the North.
Defense lawyers said China’s government intervened to help get charges dropped against three Chinese scientists at the University of Michigan who were accused of helping a colleague smuggle biological materials into the United States. A federal judge dismissed the case on Feb. 5 at the Justice Department’s request, lawyers said.
Indonesia freed and deported American Tommy Schaefer after he served 11 years in a Bali prison for the 2014 premeditated murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, prosecutors said. U.S. federal charges tied to the case are still pending after Schaefer was transported to Illinois, where a court appearance was scheduled.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has not “broken Ukrainians” or won the war as he marked four years since Russia launched its all-out invasion, with more than a dozen senior European officials traveling to Kyiv for anniversary events. In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin did not mention the anniversary during remarks to top FSB officials, though he said the threat of Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil has grown.
The Pentagon is building up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, as President Donald Trump warns that U.S. military action against Iran could follow if nuclear talks fail. The buildup includes carrier groups in the Arabian Sea and more than 100 fighter jets and support aircraft moving toward the region, alongside a larger defensive posture intended to blunt retaliation.
The U.S. Treasury moved to sever a small Swiss bank from access to the U.S. financial system over alleged support for Iranian and Russian actors, according to a proposed federal regulation unveiled Thursday. The move comes as U.S. and Iranian officials hold indirect talks in Geneva on Tehran’s nuclear negotiations.
The CIA posted Farsi-language instructions on how to contact the agency securely, as President Donald Trump weighs possible military strikes against Iran. The recruitment pitch appeared on X, Instagram and YouTube and included guidance such as using a VPN and disposable devices.
The State Department ordered nonessential U.S. diplomats and their family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to depart Lebanon as security tensions tied to Iran increased, the department said. The department said personnel who remain will face restricted travel in-country. The move came as U.S. and Iranian officials prepare for another round of nuclear talks in Geneva and President Donald Trump weighed military options.
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday tilted mainly toward domestic policy, while also laying out his foreign-policy priorities—ranging from a fragile Gaza ceasefire and hostage returns to a harder posture toward Iran and renewed pressure on NATO allies. Trump warned of confronting threats “wherever we must” as polls show Americans remain uneasy about his handling of foreign affairs.
The U.S. State Department has expressed displeasure over Ukraine’s attacks on the Russian port of Novorossiysk that Kyiv’s chief envoy to Washington said affected American oil interests in Kazakhstan, according to Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna. The remarks came Tuesday, on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Ukrainian officials and U.S. and international partners marked the milestone. Stefanishyna said the U.S. “did happen” and that Washington “took the note,” while the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem plans to offer consular services for the first time at an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, starting with routine passport assistance in Efrat on Friday. The embassy said the outreach will expand to the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit in coming months as part of efforts to reach Americans.
Hong Kong protested Panama’s takeover of two strategic ports at the Panama Canal, which had been operated for decades by a Hong Kong-linked company, the city’s government said Tuesday. Panama said its Supreme Court decision left the concession without legal basis and that it was ensuring continuity of operations as the operator pursues arbitration.
Mexican forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” in an operation in Jalisco that Mexico’s Defense Ministry said was supported by U.S. intelligence. The death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was followed by arson, looting and road blockades across 20 Mexican states, according to authorities.
Gunfire and explosions in Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 24 amplified local worries about whether Guadalajara can host FIFA World Cup matches as the country’s drug war churns. President Claudia Sheinbaum and Jalisco Gov. Jesús Pablo Lemus said there is “no risk” for fans and that World Cup venues will not change, after Mexico’s military killed cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”
Mexican authorities said Monday they killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, during a special forces operation in Jalisco on Sunday. The Mexican Defense Secretary, Gen. Ricardo Trevilla, said the effort followed surveillance of a romantic partner and included U.S. intelligence information.
Sierra Leone’s government said Tuesday that members of its security team, including an officer, were apprehended by Guinea’s military after a border incident. The government said the incident occurred Monday at the border town of Kalieyereh in Falaba district, where Sierra Leone said its forces and police were working on a border post project.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is embarking on a tour of India, Australia, and Japan to reduce Canada's economic reliance on the United States, his office announced. The three-country trip comes amid escalating tensions with President Donald Trump, who has threatened 100% tariffs against Canada and claimed the nation could become an American state.
The U.S. military boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The Pentagon said U.S. forces boarded the tanker Bertha overnight, calling it a maritime interdiction and boarding operation under a quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.
With the largest military force deployed to the Middle East in decades, the United States enters nuclear negotiations with Iran in Geneva this week, even as Iranians worry the massive American presence signals an imminent military strike. The talks, scheduled for Thursday, represent what many see as a final opportunity for diplomacy after years of escalating tensions and a deadly crackdown on dissent inside Iran.
Nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing severe hunger as worsening drought, conflict, and global aid cuts intensify the country's humanitarian crisis, the Somali federal government and United Nations agencies said Tuesday. New data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report shows that 6.5 million people are projected to face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by the end of March.
Willy Ngoma, a spokesperson and senior officer for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, was killed in a predawn drone strike near the mining town of Rubaya in eastern Congo's North Kivu province on Tuesday, according to a United Nations official and a human rights group. The killing escalates tensions in a region already home to one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, after peace negotiations between Congo and the M23 stalled.
President Donald Trump will deliver the 2026 State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, addressing a nation transformed by his expansive executive agenda. The moment comes as constitutional scholars warn that Trump's accumulation of power through hundreds of executive actions and administrative orders has effectively sidelined Congress, which has largely accommodated his priorities rather than asserting its legislative authority.
The U.S. ambassador to Chile on Monday defended visa restrictions imposed on three high-ranking Chilean officials, characterizing them as a "sovereign decision" in response to activities the United States says threatened regional security. Ambassador Brandon Judd's defense came after the Trump administration announced the travel bans, citing the officials' alleged involvement in a proposed submarine fiber optic cable project linking Chile with China. The restrictions have sparked a sharp rebuke from Chile's left-wing government.
A U.S. State Department official disclosed declassified details Monday of what the U.S. says was a Chinese underground nuclear test six years ago, presenting seismic data collected from an international monitoring station to support the allegation. The disclosure, made in Geneva before a U.N.-backed arms-control body, came as the last nuclear-limits agreement between Washington and Moscow expired, ending restrictions on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals and raising concerns about a potential new arms race.
Caribbean leaders convened Tuesday in St. Kitts and Nevis for a four-day summit focused on the region's strained relationship with the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with the group Wednesday as the Caribbean Community — a 15-member trade bloc known as CARICOM — seeks to present a unified position on escalating tensions, including U.S. military operations that have killed at least 151 people since September.
The U.S. ambassador to France worked Tuesday to resolve a diplomatic row with Paris, telephoning Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot after missing a scheduled government meeting. Ambassador Charles Kushner and Barrot agreed to meet in coming days, according to Kushner's office.
Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson, the U.K.'s former ambassador to Washington, were arrested within days of each other for investigation into misconduct in public office related to their ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Neither has been charged. Documents released by the U.S. government suggest both had close connections to Epstein and may have shared sensitive information with him.
Former British ambassador Peter Mandelson was arrested Monday at his London home on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to his relationship with late financier Jeffrey Epstein. His arrest has intensified pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed him to the diplomatic post despite warnings about his friendship with the convicted sex offender. The arrest came four days after former Prince Andrew was taken into custody on similar suspicions, among the most dramatic consequences of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents released last month by the U.S. Justice Department.
Armed men disguised as soldiers killed at least seven people when they stormed a rural property in Ecuador's Manabi province early Monday morning, police said. The attackers fired bullets at the victims, including three adult brothers, according to authorities. The assault marks the latest in a wave of drug-related violence that has pushed Ecuador's homicide rate to historic levels.
Mexican soldiers killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a shootout Sunday in the town of Tapalpa. His death triggered a surge in violence across Mexico, with cartel gunmen blocking more than 250 roads across 20 states and setting fire to vehicles. More than 70 people died in the operation and its aftermath, authorities said Monday.
Russia is increasing taxes on small businesses and lowering the thresholds that trigger tax obligations, a move aimed at boosting wartime revenue but that business owners say is forcing them to close their doors. The value-added tax rose by 2 percentage points, and the revenue threshold requiring businesses to pay it was cut from 60 million rubles (approximately $783,000) to 20 million rubles ($261,000) this year, with further reductions planned through 2028. Business owners across bakeries, beauty salons, and pastry shops report falling demand, sharply rising supplier costs, and tax bills that have surged to tens of times their previous amounts. In St. Petersburg, shop after shop on the main commercial street, Nevsky Prospekt, has gone out of business.
Slovakia halted emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine on Monday, escalating a dispute over Russian oil deliveries as the war-torn nation struggles with daily blackouts from Russian bombardment. The move by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico came after Ukraine declined his request for talks until later in the week.
Students held anti-government demonstrations at universities across Iran's capital on Monday, according to witnesses and verified videos, expressing support for the exiled crown prince while U.S. military forces gathered in the Middle East amid nuclear tensions. The demonstrations featured displays of pre-revolutionary symbols and chants calling for the overthrow of Iran's government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to St. Kitts and Nevis this week for a one-day trip aimed at keeping the Western Hemisphere at the center of U.S. policy, the State Department said. The visit comes about a month after a U.S. military operation removed then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, as U.S. attention also sharpens on Iran.
Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and then released on bail, according to Metropolitan Police. The 72-year-old is suspected of passing sensitive government information to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein more than a decade ago. Mandelson does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.
Russia fired 297 drones and 50 missiles at Ukraine on Sunday, killing one person in the Kyiv region, Ukraine's Emergency Service said. Eight people, including a child, were rescued from under rubble in the suburbs of Kyiv. The barrage struck energy infrastructure in southern Ukraine's Odesa region, causing fires that were later extinguished.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee's remarks that Israel has a right to much of the Middle East sparked condemnation Sunday from 15 Arab and Muslim countries, which called his comments "dangerous and inflammatory." Huckabee said in a Friday interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that "It would be fine if they took it all," in response to Carlson's reference to biblical passages suggesting descendants of Abraham would receive land including parts of modern-day Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. The U.S. Embassy said Sunday that Huckabee's comments were taken out of context and that there is no change to U.S. policies on Israel.
The Supreme Court's decision striking down President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs has created new uncertainty in U.S.-China trade relations. Both countries are navigating shifting ground ahead of Trump's scheduled March 31 through April 2 visit to Beijing, where he is set to meet with President Xi Jinping. Analysts say the ruling strengthens China's negotiating hand, but predict Beijing will be cautious in exploiting the advantage, knowing that Trump has other legal authorities for imposing tariffs. Both countries want to maintain a fragile trade truce and stabilize ties ahead of the summit.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now lasted 1,418 days—longer than the Soviet Union's military campaign against Nazi Germany in World War II. Despite the extended duration, Moscow's advance has slowed to what NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called "the speed of a garden snail," with Russian troops moving only about 50 kilometers into the Donetsk region over the past two years. Mediation efforts led by the Trump administration face sharp disagreements over terms, with Russia demanding territorial gains and other concessions Ukraine has rejected.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans a one-day trip to St. Kitts and Nevis this week to take part in a Caribbean Community summit, a State Department statement said. The visit comes about a month after a U.S. operation removed then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, as the administration shifts attention between the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.
President Trump announced he would deploy a hospital ship to Greenland on Saturday, alleging that many people in the Arctic territory are sick and not receiving adequate care. But Greenland's prime minister and Denmark's government swiftly rejected the offer, saying the region already has a functioning public healthcare system that provides free treatment to all citizens.
France will summon U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner on Monday to protest comments by the Trump administration's State Department about the death of a far-right activist in Lyon, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
The U.S. military carried out another deadly strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing three people, according to U.S. Southern Command. The strike was the latest in a sustained campaign of aerial attacks on boats the military says are engaged in narcotics trafficking.
Governments and companies worldwide scrambled Saturday to navigate a Supreme Court ruling that struck down some of President Trump's sweeping global tariffs — only to face an immediate complication: Trump announced he would reimpose them at higher rates. The ruling struck down tariffs Trump had imposed since taking office 13 months ago using emergency powers. Trump signed an executive order Friday imposing a 10% tariff on certain goods and announced Saturday morning he would raise that rate to 15%. The whiplash has sent officials and business leaders from Seoul to São Paulo into an urgent reassessment of their tariff exposure and trade strategy.
Cuba’s debilitated health care system is being pushed toward collapse because the United States is blocking the island’s oil supply, Cuba’s health minister said Feb. 20. José Ángel Portal Miranda said ambulances have struggled to find fuel, hospitals have faced persistent power outages, and flights carrying vital supplies have been suspended as Cuba says it cannot refuel aircraft.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted five Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace near Alaska on Thursday, according to a statement released Friday. The Russian planes did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace, and military officials said the encounter posed no threat.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 12 people and wounded 24 others Friday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The strikes targeted the eastern Bekaa Valley and a Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon, with the Israeli military saying it had hit "command centers" of Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Islamic State group released an audio message late Saturday calling Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa a "puppet without a soul" controlled by Western countries and urging followers to attack Jewish and Western targets. The message, attributed to ISIS spokesman Abu Huzaifa al-Ansari, marks the group's first audio released in months. The statement reflects the deepening rift between the extremist organization and Syria's new government, which took power after rebel forces led by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham removed longtime president Bashar Assad in December 2024.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the United Kingdom and its European allies should immediately deploy noncombat troops to Ukraine to demonstrate Western commitment to the nation's independence, departing from prevailing strategy that ties any ground deployment to a ceasefire agreement.
Pakistan's military struck targets along the Afghan border on Sunday, claiming it killed at least 70 militants in what officials described as retaliation for recent terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan denied the casualty figures and said the strikes hit civilian areas, including a religious school and homes, in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika. The strikes threatened a ceasefire brokered by Qatar last October and escalated tensions between the two countries.
A suicide bomber struck a security convoy in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing two soldiers including a lieutenant colonel, the Pakistani military said. The attack occurred in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan, where security forces have battled militants for years. The military said Pakistan would not "exercise any restraint" in operations against those responsible, language that appeared to signal rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia and President Donald Trump discussed a reciprocal trade agreement announced by the White House while Prabowo visited Washington for the first meeting of Trump’s “Board of Peace.” Under the deal, Indonesia will eliminate tariffs for 99% of U.S. goods while the U.S. maintains tariffs of 19% on most Indonesian products, the White House said.
President Donald Trump said nine countries agreed to pledge $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package and five countries agreed to deploy troops for an international stabilization force at an inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting in Washington on Feb. 19. Trump also said the United States is pledging $10 billion for the board, though he did not specify the use of the funds. The talks hinged on whether Hamas would disarm, a sticking point that could affect a fragile Gaza ceasefire plan.
A proposed nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia could allow the kingdom to develop uranium enrichment capabilities, congressional documents and arms control experts warn, raising proliferation concerns as tensions between the United States and Iran escalate over Tehran's nuclear program. The proposed agreement, potentially worth billions of dollars, would establish safeguard agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency. But within those safeguards lies a potential path to uranium enrichment technology for Saudi Arabia.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered Friday at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan since a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas began in October. Israel restricted Palestinian entries from the occupied West Bank to 10,000 people, allowing only men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12.
U.S. stocks fell Thursday as worries about how artificial intelligence could disrupt industries spread through Wall Street, while oil prices climbed on concerns about potential conflict between the United States and Iran. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% for its first loss in four days, with the Dow down 0.5% and the Nasdaq down 0.3%.
President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace held its inaugural meeting in Washington, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised to help rebuild Gaza with a $50 million soccer stadium. The pledge came alongside other pledges for a Gaza relief package, as nine governments announced $7 billion and five said they would deploy troops for an international stabilization force.
President Donald Trump said Friday he is weighing limited military strikes against Iran, even as the country's foreign minister said Iran expects to present a draft nuclear agreement within days. The comments come amid unprecedented U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and intensive diplomatic negotiations.
President Donald Trump's Board of Peace announced at its inaugural meeting in Washington that member countries had pledged $7 billion to rebuild the Gaza Strip. But in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians live in displacement camps or the rubble of their destroyed homes, the pledges stirred little hope. "They're all liars," said Faraj Abu Anze, among thousands in a sprawling tent camp on the Mediterranean coast. "We see nothing of that on the ground."
Five European nations announced Friday a joint program to develop low-cost air defense systems and autonomous drones using battle-tested technology from Ukraine's four-year war with Russia. The E5 group — France, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy — signed an agreement to jointly invest in what the group calls the Low-Cost Autonomous Effectors and Platforms (LEAP) program, aimed at strengthening Europe's defense against Russian drone incursions.
Four years into Russia's invasion, life in the roughly 20% of Ukraine now under Russian military control is defined by housing shortages, crumbling infrastructure, systematic detention, and forced cultural integration into Russian society, according to escapees and human rights organizations. Residents of the occupied territories are required to adopt Russian citizenship to receive vital services, subjected to widespread arrest, and—in documented cases—tortured, while Moscow encourages its own citizens to relocate with financial incentives.
President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering limited military strikes against Iran, even as the country's foreign minister said Tehran expects to finalize a draft nuclear deal within days. The comments reflect the precarious balance between military pressure and diplomatic negotiations between the longtime adversaries. Trump told reporters he is "considering" strikes in response to a question about possible U.S. military action, while also warning Iran to "negotiate a fair deal." Hours earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country was planning to complete a draft agreement within "the next two to three days" to send to Washington.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited leaders of major artificial intelligence companies to gather on stage at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, as the event promoted “inclusive and multilingual” AI. An awkward moment between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, caught during a group hand gesture, went viral on social media. Altman later said he was confused about what he was supposed to do.
A camp in northeastern Syria that had housed families of suspected Islamic State members is now largely empty after hundreds of women and children were repatriated to their countries or transferred to other facilities in recent weeks, officials said Friday. The UN refugee agency assisted in returning 191 Iraqi citizens from Syria's al-Hol camp to Iraq on Thursday, according to Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the agency's representative in Syria. About 600 Syrians were moved from al-Hol to Akhtarin camp in northwestern Aleppo province, with transfers ongoing, a Syrian government official said. "With this repatriation, and with today's return of several vulnerable Syrian families supported by UNHCR and partners, Al‑Hol camp will now be practically empty," Vargas Llosa said.
The United States has paid about $160 million of the nearly $4 billion it owes to the United Nations, the U.N. said Thursday. U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the Trump administration’s payment last week is earmarked for the U.N.’s regular operating budget.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto signed a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States during President Donald Trump’s inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting in Washington, the White House announced Thursday. The deal would eliminate tariffs on 99% of American goods entering Indonesia while keeping tariffs on most Indonesian goods at 19%, and includes steps to address non-tariff barriers and critical-minerals export restrictions, the White House said.
President Donald Trump announced at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine countries agreed to pledge $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package and that five countries agreed to deploy troops for an international stabilization force. The administration also said the U.S. would pledge $10 billion for the board, though it offered no details on how the funds would be used. The meeting, held as a Gaza ceasefire remains fragile, also underscored the administration’s challenge of disarming Hamas.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei is set to travel to the United States again as he takes part in the inaugural session of President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative. The visit comes as Washington seeks tighter regional cooperation to counter Chinese influence, while Milei’s government—Argentina’s most China-dependent one—tries to maintain and expand ties with Beijing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to travel to Israel next week to update Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, two Trump administration officials said. The officials spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity and said Rubio is expected to meet Netanyahu on Feb. 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is discussing potential arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a remark that has drawn concern in Taipei about how closely the United States will consult with Beijing on future security support for the island. Trump made the comments Monday when asked about Xi’s opposition, as he prepares for a trip to China in April.
The U.S. senators returning from a trip to Ukraine said they want Congress to advance new sanctions aimed at economically pressuring Russia and encouraging concessions in U.S.-brokered peace talks. The lawmakers visited Odesa, a Black Sea port that has faced repeated attacks since the war began nearly four years ago.
U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv ended Wednesday in Geneva with no sign of a breakthrough, as both sides described the negotiations as “difficult.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the discussions were constructive on military issues but left deep political differences, including over occupied land in eastern Ukraine. A new round of talks was set for a later date.
Drone strikes in Sudan’s Kordofan region are taking a growing toll on civilians and disrupting aid operations, analysts and humanitarian workers said Feb. 18 as the war nears its three-year mark. At least 77 people were killed in various attacks this week, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces blamed for many of the strikes, according to Sudan Doctors Network.
The first meeting of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace took place Thursday, with members pledging $7 billion in aid for Gaza and outlining plans for international troops, police and reconstruction. The gathering offered an early test of whether the board can help advance a fragile ceasefire agreement while fighting continues and Hamas has not disarmed.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s former army chief and current ambassador to Britain, told The Associated Press that he and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have had a “deep rift” since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. He described a tense relationship that, he said, reached a boiling point when agents from Ukraine’s domestic security service raided his office later in 2022. The SBU said it never carried out a search at Zaluzhnyi’s office and that the address was part of an investigation unrelated to him.
Members of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday urged that a Gaza ceasefire deal become permanent and criticized Israeli efforts to expand control in the West Bank, warning the moves could undermine prospects for a two-state solution. The comments came ahead of President Donald Trump’s first “Board of Peace” meeting, a Trump initiative that some countries fear could complicate or rival the U.N.’s role.
President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace held its first meeting in Washington on Thursday, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino pledged $50 million for a new soccer stadium for the Gaza Strip. The announcement came alongside other pledges toward a Gaza relief package, including governments promising $7 billion and five others saying they would deploy troops for an international stabilization force.
Fishermen in the eastern Caribbean said they fear for their safety after a U.S. military strike killed three people aboard a boat the U.S. said was suspected of carrying drugs. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the president of the National Fisherfolk Organization urged fishermen to take precautions while sea conditions and visibility complicate identification of other vessels.
Ghana has launched an investigation into a man believed to be Russian accused of secretly recording sexual encounters with women and publishing the videos online without their consent, authorities said Feb. 18.
Leila Shahid, the first female Palestinian ambassador, has died in France at age 76, the Associated Press reported. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised her in a statement carried by WAFA, saying she was “a model of diplomacy committed to the values of freedom, justice and peace.”
Iran announced it temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday for live fire drills, as negotiators held another round of indirect talks with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program. The announcement came amid warnings from Iran’s leadership and U.S. officials about red lines, and it followed military actions and ship movements in the wider region.
The United States plans to deploy additional high-tech missile systems in the Philippines to deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on Tuesday condemned what they called China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities.” U.S. and Philippine officials held annual talks in Manila and issued a joint statement outlining defense and security steps for this year, including efforts “to increase deployments of U.S. cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines.”
Afghanistan has released three Pakistani soldiers it captured during cross-border fighting last October, the Afghan government’s spokesman said. Zabihullah Mujahid said the soldiers, captured on Oct. 12, were turned over to a Saudi delegation that mediated between the two sides and traveled to Kabul on Monday. The announcement came as Afghanistan cited the start of Ramadan for the decision.
Colombia will resume peace talks with the Gulf Clan armed group, the government said Tuesday, two weeks after negotiations were suspended. A joint statement said the suspension had been “overcome” following meetings between the delegations facilitated by the Catholic Church and partner governments.
Iran announced a temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire military drills while indirect nuclear talks with the United States continued in Geneva, according to the Associated Press. The announcement marked the first time Iran had declared such a closure since the U.S. began threatening Tehran and sending ships to the region, the report said.
Palestinians in Gaza are preparing for Ramadan under a fragile ceasefire deal but say daily hardships and losses from the Israel-Hamas war have blunted the month’s customary sense of celebration, including in crowded and damaged areas such as Gaza City and Khan Younis. “There is no joy after we lost our family and loved ones,” Gaza City resident Fedaa Ayyad said.
A Palestinian family displaced in Gaza marked the first day of Ramadan on Wednesday under a fragile ceasefire, gathering meals from a charity kitchen instead of celebrating with the food and family gatherings that traditionally define the month. Waleed al Zamli, a father of 11 now sheltering in a tent camp in Muwasi, said the loss of his home, his job, and a family member to the conflict have stripped the religious observance of joy. "This year, there's no happiness," he said.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she hopes to deepen ties with U.S. President Donald Trump and strengthen cooperation on rare earths and other economic-security efforts during a visit to Washington next month. Takaichi, reelected earlier Wednesday and forming her second Cabinet, also outlined plans to raise Japan’s military capability and boost defense spending as tensions with China have increased.
The U.S. military said it carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people. The strikes carried out Monday brought the death toll from the administration’s campaign against alleged traffickers using small vessels to at least 145 since it began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September, the military said.
Iran said it temporarily closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz as it held live-fire military drills nearby, a move that came as tensions with the United States rose. The closure threatened shipping through a narrow choke point that carries a significant share of the world’s oil, and U.S. officials have warned Iran against unsafe actions near U.S. forces.
About 100 U.S. troops and equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train the country’s soldiers as the Nigerian government fights Islamic militants and other armed groups, the Nigerian military said. The arrival followed Nigeria’s request to the U.S. for help with training, technical support and intelligence-sharing, in a move that comes after earlier U.S.-Nigeria tensions.
Strikes on a market in Sudan’s Kordofan region killed at least 28 people and wounded dozens on Sunday, a rights group said. The group said drones hit a market in Sudri locality in North Kordofan province during busy hours as the war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces nears its three-year mark.
Myanmar’s military government ordered East Timor’s charge d’affaires to leave the country by Feb. 20 after judicial authorities in East Timor accepted a criminal complaint alleging abuses by Myanmar’s armed forces, state media said Feb. 16. The move escalates tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbors shortly after East Timor joined ASEAN last year.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Lebanon on Monday that Germany will keep supporting the Lebanese government after UN peacekeepers leave later this year. Speaking at a news conference near Beirut, Steinmeier said Germany’s navy is already training Lebanese troops as Beirut prepares for a post-UNIFIL security vacuum in the south.
Israeli prosecutors said Monday they plan to charge a settler in the July killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, a confrontation captured on video. The move would open a rare prosecution of violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, where rights groups say accountability is uncommon.
George Washington’s first major command came during the Siege of Boston, as militias pinned down British forces in 1775 and the Continental Congress tapped Washington to lead the newly formed Continental Army. The siege, which intensified into an almost yearlong standoff, helped drive the British to evacuate the city in March 1776 and strengthened Washington’s role in the Revolution, historians said. The 250th anniversary is being marked during Presidents Day events, including ceremonies at Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon.
Iran’s top diplomat met the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency in Geneva on Monday ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program, the Associated Press reported. Abbas Araghchi met International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi as Oman, hosting U.S.-Iran talks on Tuesday, prepared for another diplomatic exchange.
The United States is brokering another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva this week, but expectations for any breakthrough appear low, according to the Kremlin and Ukrainian officials. The discussions come ahead of next week’s fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the future of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies a central sticking point.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Budapest on Monday to endorse Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s bid to serve a fifth straight term, calling the relationship between Orbán and President Donald Trump “very, very close.” Rubio also signed an agreement covering U.S.-Hungarian civilian nuclear cooperation, including possible purchase of compact nuclear reactors, known as small modular reactors, along with U.S. nuclear fuel and spent fuel storage technology.
Lawyers for some deported migrants told The Associated Press that a second deportation flight from the United States to Cameroon arrived in Yaounde on Monday, days after a report said nine people were sent secretly last month to a country where they have no ties.
Syrian authorities turned back a group of Australian women and children on Monday after they left the Roj camp in Syria for repatriation attempts, according to camp officials. The group of 34 people from 11 families had been planning to travel from Roj camp to Damascus before flying to Australia, but officials in Damascus told them departure procedures were not complete, the officials said.
China will allow British and Canadian citizens to enter without a visa starting Tuesday, expanding a program that Beijing says is intended to boost tourism and business, the Associated Press reported. The change raises the number of countries with visa-free access to 79, and it follows recent visits by Britain’s and Canada’s prime ministers to Beijing.
In coastal mountain towns in Sinaloa, Mexico, residents and families searched for answers after 10 employees were abducted from a Canadian-owned silver and gold mine in late January. The bodies of five were found nearby, and authorities had not identified the remaining five as of the AP report, as fighting between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel continues to drive fear and displacement.
British and Canadian citizens will be able to enter China without a visa starting Tuesday, China said, in an expansion of a program that now covers 79 countries. The change is intended to boost tourism and business travel and follows visits to Beijing last month by Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
U.S. military forces boarded the sanctioned oil tanker Veronica III in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon said Feb. 15. The Pentagon said the boarding was carried out as part of maritime interdiction tied to U.S. sanctions on oil connected to Venezuela.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that members of his newly created Board of Peace have pledged $5 billion toward rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza. He said board members will formally announce the pledges at their first meeting in Washington on Thursday, and he said Indonesia has indicated it could ready troops for a potential stabilization mission.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is traveling from Tehran to Geneva for a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, Iranian state media reported Sunday. The talks follow an initial indirect round in Oman and will be mediated by Oman, with Araghchi’s delegation also set to meet regional and international counterparts in Geneva.
Iran and the United States will hold a second round of indirect talks over Tehran’s nuclear program next week in Geneva, Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday. Oman hosted the first round of indirect talks Feb. 6, and it will be followed by a new Geneva round without days specified, the ministry said.
The UN says more than 6,000 people were killed over three days in late October when Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces launched an offensive on the city of el-Fasher in Darfur. The UN Human Rights Office said the violence included atrocities that may amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, executions and detention of civilians.
A Ukrainian drone strike ignited fires at Russia’s Black Sea port of Taman in the Krasnodar region on Sunday, officials said, damaging an oil storage tank, a warehouse and terminals. The attack came as U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine’s envoys are set to resume Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva.
North Korea said Monday it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. State media photos showed Kim Jong Un visiting the homes of some of the families and walking through the new street, Saeppyol Street.
Indonesia’s military said it expects up to 8,000 troops to be ready by the end of June for a potential deployment to Gaza as part of a humanitarian and peace mission. The Indonesian National Armed Forces said it has finalized a proposed troop structure and a timeline, even though the government has yet to decide when the deployment would take place.
Cuba postponed its annual Habanos cigar fair, scheduled for the last week of February, citing severe fuel shortages and blackouts on the island. Organizers with Habanos S.A., which holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales, said the decision was intended to “preserve its high standard of quality.” The postponement comes as Cuba copes with reduced oil shipments and aviation-fuel disruptions tied to U.S. actions affecting energy supplies.
One of Gaza’s last functioning large hospitals condemned Doctors Without Borders’ decision to suspend most services at Nasser Hospital, citing the presence of civilian police installed for security. The dispute surfaced as Palestinian officials said Israeli fire killed at least 11 people in Gaza over the previous day, with fighting continuing despite a ceasefire deal.
Israel will begin a new land registration process in a large part of the occupied West Bank, a government decision announced Sunday that Palestinians say could amount to “de facto annexation.” The plan would restart “settlement of land title” proceedings that have been frozen since the 1967 war, requiring people who claim land to submit ownership documents.
Gaza residents and heritage workers are trying to preserve what remains of historic religious and cultural sites as the Israeli military offensive against Hamas has left much of the enclave in ruins. In Gaza City, people have been assessing damage to landmarks including the Great Omari Mosque, while organizations carry out limited “rescue work” at badly hit locations as full restoration faces obstacles.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Sunday he would accept a proposal from the ELN to allow an independent commission to investigate the rebels’ alleged links to drug trafficking. The proposal came from ELN leader Antonio Garcia in a video posted Jan. 20.
President Donald Trump said Friday that a change in power in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen” as the U.S. weighs whether to take military action against Tehran. Speaking after visiting troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump also confirmed plans to deploy a second carrier group to the Middle East.
The Trump administration is urging other nations to press Vanuatu to withdraw a United Nations draft resolution supporting strong action on climate change, including provisions calling for reparations tied to international obligations, the State Department said in guidance sent to U.S. embassies and consulates.
Nearly a month after clashes between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Aleppo, most displaced residents in the Sheikh Maqsoud area have returned, many saying the turnaround has been unusually quick. The Associated Press visited the neighborhood this week as Damascus seeks to assert control and integrate the last major armed Kurdish group into Syria’s national army.
The U.N. refugee agency said Sunday that a large number of residents have left Syria’s al-Hol camp, where relatives of suspected Islamic State militants had been housed. UNHCR’s Syria representative, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, said Syrian authorities informed the agency of plans to relocate remaining families to Akhtarin camp in Aleppo Governorate.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs, European foreign ministries said Feb. 14. The U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said lab analysis “conclusively confirmed” the presence of the substance in samples taken from Navalny’s body and reported Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Sunday rejected U.S. claims that Europe faces “civilizational erasure,” during remarks at the Munich Security Conference. Kallas pushed back against criticism of Europe’s immigration policies, declining birth rates and free-speech record cited in a U.S. national security strategy, while Marco Rubio sought to reassure European allies that an end to the trans-Atlantic era was not Washington’s goal.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, rejected Sunday claims from the Trump administration that Europe faces a “civilizational wipe,” telling allies at the Munich Security Conference that a “progressive and decadent” Europe is not facing such an erasure. She spoke the day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a more reassuring message than a sharper one the year before, while still signaling Washington’s intent to reshape the transatlantic relationship.
The U.S. military said it carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people, according to a post by U.S. Southern Command. The strike adds to a death toll that the Trump administration says has risen through repeated attacks on alleged drug boats since early September.
A diplomat overseeing a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza warned that continued violations are threatening a Palestinian transitional committee expected to oversee postwar governance and reconstruction. Nickolay Mladenov said the committee cannot begin its work unless Hamas hands over institutional control, and he called for more aid and improved security.
A shipment of medicine and medical supplies from the United States arrived in Venezuela on Friday, signaling what U.S. officials described as a new spirit of cooperation between the two countries. Laura Dogu, the U.S. diplomat in Venezuela, and Venezuelan diplomat Félix Plasencia received the delivery at an airport outside Caracas.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has resumed intelligence coordination with Bolivia, a senior Bolivian official said, restarting a sensitive relationship nearly 20 years after former President Evo Morales expelled DEA anti-drug agents. The move comes as President Rodrigo Paz, who took office last November, restores full diplomatic ties with Washington and Bolivian officials negotiate the terms of the DEA’s renewed presence.
In a sign of how U.S. political fights are spilling into world affairs, dozens of lawmakers attending the Munich Security Conference said they arrived while contending with crises at home. House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled an official delegation of about two dozen House members, while the Senate’s trips continued amid disputes over immigration enforcement and a failed Justice Department effort to indict six Democratic lawmakers.
Giorgia Meloni said Italy will deepen cooperation with African countries at the second Italy-Africa Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as leaders reviewed projects launched under the Mattei Plan for Africa. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the partnerships give Africa a gateway to Europe. The summit ends Friday, followed by the annual African Union summit beginning Saturday.
President Donald Trump visited Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Feb. 13, telling troops and their families that a recent U.S. operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro showed the “full military might” of the United States and that “we are feared” by adversaries. Trump also said he planned to award a Medal of Honor to “one person” involved in the Jan. 3 raid.
Russia fired ballistic missiles, strike drones and other munitions at Ukrainian cities in overnight attacks, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow was “hesitating” over another round of U.S.-brokered talks as Washington proposed new negotiations next week in Miami or Abu Dhabi.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told allies at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that “questions remain” over Ukraine’s future security guarantees. Speaking in Germany, he thanked the United States and European partners for air-defense support but pressed for a clearer path on what guarantees would cover and when they would be signed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allies at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday the United States would remain “forever tied” to Europe, while signaling the Trump administration intends to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance. Rubio’s speech sought a less aggressive tone than recent U.S. rhetoric toward traditional partners, but he also denounced “a climate cult” and what he called “an unprecedented wave of mass migration” that threatens social cohesion.
Two Mexican Navy ships carrying humanitarian aid docked in Cuba on Thursday as U.S. sanctions and a growing oil-supply squeeze deepen the island’s energy crisis. The ships arrived about two weeks after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba, leading Cuba to ration energy in recent days.
The Trump administration reached a reciprocal trade deal with Taiwan that would eliminate or reduce 99% of Taiwan’s tariff barriers, the U.S. Trade Representative said Thursday. Most Taiwan exports to the U.S. would face a 15% tariff rate, matching rates levied on other U.S. trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the USTR’s office.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio leads a large U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference, where European leaders are seeking a break from President Donald Trump’s often unpredictable approach that has unsettled allies across the Atlantic. Rubio is scheduled to address the annual gathering Saturday, after European officials have spent months weighing how to respond to Washington’s signals, including Trump’s Greenland comments.
Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said it has suspended some noncritical operations at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after patients and staff reported seeing armed, masked men inside parts of the facility. MSF said the decision was made because security breaches posed “serious” threats to its teams and patients and followed an increase in those reports since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October.
Israel asked a court on Thursday to revoke citizenship for two Palestinian men convicted of terrorism offenses, in what the government said would be a first test of a 2023 law. The request ties the cases to alleged payments connected to the Palestinian Authority, and would allow expulsion to the West Bank or Gaza, court documents show.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, said Friday it was “sensible” for a South Korean official to express regret over alleged civilian drone flights over North Korea, but warned the South could face counterattacks if the flights recur. The remarks came after South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young expressed “deep regret” and said Seoul seeks “mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence” between the rivals, which remain technically at war.
The U.S. military said it carried out a series of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, describing the strikes as retaliation for an ambush in December that killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter. U.S. Central Command said American aircraft conducted 10 strikes between Feb. 3 and Thursday, hitting weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure.
Ukraine’s intelligence directorate said two Nigerians fighting for Russia have been found dead in Luhansk after what it described as a drone strike. The intelligence service identified the men as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka, both of whom it said signed contracts with the Russian military in late 2025.
South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter is close to being designated North Korea’s future leader, as the country prepares for a major political conference later this month. The National Intelligence Service said officials are monitoring whether Kim Ju Ae, believed to be about 13, appears with him at the Workers’ Party Congress, where Kim is expected to lay out major policy goals and strengthen his grip on power.
Leaders from all 27 European Union countries agreed in general terms Thursday on a plan to restructure the bloc’s economy to boost competitiveness as they face pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, China’s hard-line economic tactics and hybrid threats attributed to Russia, according to the European Commission. The agreement, reached at a Belgian castle, calls for a strict timetable for reforms that the Commission says will be formally presented in March.
About 250,000 people demonstrated Saturday against Iran’s government on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, police said, answering a call from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for increased international pressure on Tehran. Pahlavi warned that Iran’s crackdown on protesters last month could lead to more deaths unless democracies respond. In Toronto, police estimated about 350,000 marched for what supporters called a Global Day of Action.
The African Union opened its annual summit on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as youth across the continent expressed anger at what they see as a “bloc of old leaders.” The meeting comes amid military coups, disputed elections and protests linked to economic hardship worsened by foreign aid cuts.
At least 32 people were killed in simultaneous attacks on three communities in Niger state, Nigeria, police and a resident said Saturday. The attacks hit Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso and Pissa in the Borgu area, according to the Niger state police spokesman and residents.
Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, told an international audience at the Munich Security Conference that Donald Trump will be “gone in three years,” using the event’s climate-focused discussions to criticize Trump’s approach to regulating carbon pollution. The trip comes weeks after Newsom appeared at the World Economic Forum in Davos and ahead of a return visit to South Carolina, where Democrats will hold an early presidential primary in 2028.
President Donald Trump met privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday and said he “insisted” that U.S. negotiations with Iran continue as Washington seeks a nuclear deal. Trump said no agreement was reached during the meeting and wrote that “there was nothing definitive reached,” other than his insistence that talks continue.
ROME (AP) — Italy’s conservative government led by Premier Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday approved a migration bill that would add new measures to fight illegal immigration, including a “naval blockade” against migrant ships trying to reach Italian shores. The cabinet gave the go-ahead late in the day, and the bill now must go to parliament for discussion and approval in both chambers.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to assess changes to the country’s oil sector, according to a report from Caracas. Wright met acting President Delcy Rodríguez at the Miraflores presidential palace and said he carried a message from President Donald Trump about transforming U.S.-Venezuela relations.
The United States plans to send troops to Nigeria to help train the Nigerian military to fight extremism, Nigerian authorities said on Feb. 11. Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters said the U.S. personnel would not have a combat role and that Nigerian forces would retain command authority.
Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests last month has killed at least 7,005 people, activists said Thursday, with many more still feared dead. The death toll’s continued rise has heightened tensions as Iran negotiates with the United States over its nuclear program and the U.S. weighs potential military action.
Hundreds of Buddhist monks led by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara ended their 108-day Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington with a ceremony Wednesday at the Lincoln Memorial, drawing thousands. The group covered about 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) over 15 weeks, and the final stretch included visits near George Washington University and on Capitol Hill.
Iran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as President Masoud Pezeshkian called for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and acknowledged a crackdown on nationwide protests that began in earnest on Jan. 8. The anniversary drew pro-government rallies broadcast by state television, alongside denunciations of Tehran’s crackdown and tensions involving the United States, where President Donald Trump has suggested sending additional aircraft-carrier forces to the Middle East.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser this week near Fort Bliss, before the Federal Aviation Administration abruptly closed airspace over El Paso, Texas, for a short period, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity. The FAA later lifted the closure after canceling seven arrivals and seven departures, though medical evacuation flights were also diverted.
Syria’s president Ahmad al-Sharaa and two top ministers were the targets of five foiled assassination attempts last year, the U.N. chief said in a report on threats posed by Islamic State militants released to the U.N. Security Council. The report said al-Sharaa was targeted in Aleppo and in the southern province of Daraa by a group assessed to be a front for the Islamic State.
President Donald Trump has invited Latin American leaders to a summit in Florida on March 7, a White House official confirmed Thursday, as the administration highlights what it calls Chinese influence in the region. The summit is planned ahead of Trump’s expected trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the coming weeks.
The U.S. military reported Thursday a Marine who died after falling overboard during operations in the Caribbean and a separate collision between two Navy ships in the region. The Marine Corps said the Marine was declared dead Tuesday, after a five-day search led by Navy ships and aircraft. In a separate incident, the Southern Command said two sailors reported minor injuries and both ships were able to continue sailing safely.
For nearly a year, Palestinian resident Hanadi Abu Zant in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has been unable to pay rent after losing her work permit to enter Israel for jobs, underscoring how restrictions imposed after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack have narrowed livelihoods for tens of thousands of people. The Associated Press visited Tulkarem, where Abu Zant hid in a mosque when her landlord called police, fearing she could be forced out of her home.
United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday for a firsthand assessment of changes aimed at overhauling the country’s oil industry. Wright met with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas and said he brought “a message from President Trump” about transforming ties between the two countries.
Russia cannot launch an attack on NATO this year or next, but it plans to increase its forces along the alliance’s eastern flank, depending on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, a senior Estonian intelligence official said Tuesday. Kaupo Rosin, head of Estonia’s foreign intelligence service, also said Russian President Vladimir Putin has no desire to halt the nearly four-year invasion and believes he can “outsmart” the United States during talks on ending the war.
Mourners in southern Lebanon buried a father and his young son after they were killed in an Israeli drone strike that hit a car in the town of Yanouh. The Associated Press reported that the Lebanese health ministry said the boy was 3, and that relatives said the father, a police officer, and the child were on foot when the strike hit the vehicle.
U.S. Navy Adm. Daryl Caudle, the service’s top uniformed officer, is urging commanders to rely more on smaller, newer ships and tailored task packages for missions instead of defaulting to aircraft carriers in crises. Speaking to The Associated Press, he said his “Fighting Instructions” aim to make naval deployments more flexible as threats develop. The approach comes as the Trump administration has repositioned aircraft carriers and other ships to address emerging concerns, including in the Caribbean and the Middle East.
The U.N. peacekeeping chief warned Tuesday that South Sudan is sliding toward a “dangerous precipice” as political deadlock between the government and opposition escalates into wider violence. Jean-Pierre Lacroix urged the U.N. Security Council and international community to push both sides back to dialogue ahead of a long-delayed presidential election.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s team posted and then deleted a message on social media referring to the “Armenian genocide” during the vice president’s visit to an official memorial in Armenia, the Associated Press reported Feb. 10. The post was replaced with another message that, AP said, highlighted Vance and Usha Vance laying flowers and what he wrote in the guest book.
Vice President JD Vance landed in Armenia on Monday as the Trump administration seeks to advance a U.S.-brokered deal aimed at ending a decades-long conflict with Azerbaijan. Vance met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and they signed an agreement intended to move negotiations forward on a civil nuclear energy deal. The visit also comes after Armenia and Azerbaijan signed an August agreement at the White House reaffirming their commitment to a peace treaty.
President Donald Trump has the right to amend a permit for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the White House said Feb. 10, escalating a dispute with Canada even after Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was confident the matter would be resolved. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. president objects to the bridge’s ownership structure and wants more American-made materials.
Less than three years after President Joe Biden pardoned Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro, the Justice Department is once again investigating the businessman, according to two former law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Federal prosecutors have been examining Saab’s alleged role in a bribery conspiracy involving Venezuelan government contracts tied to imports of food staples under Maduro’s CLAP program.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yaoning “Mike” Sun, a California man, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government while working as a campaign adviser for a local politician. Sun pleaded guilty last year under an agreement with prosecutors, according to court records.
Opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo is growing over a U.S.-backed minerals partnership offered by President Felix Tshisekedi after he returned from a critical minerals summit in Washington last week. Critics say the deal, framed as a way to secure strategic minerals and infrastructure, could threaten Congo’s sovereignty and fail to deliver peace and stability in the mineral-rich east.
The increase in Arctic marine traffic is raising black carbon emissions that warm the region and can ripple into global climate patterns, Associated Press reported. At the same time, countries are weighing a proposal at the International Maritime Organization to require cleaner “polar fuels” for ships operating north of 60 degrees latitude, AP said.
The United Nations said Monday it is waiting to learn how much the United States plans to pay of nearly $4 billion in arrears and when the money will arrive. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the world body could face “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or member nations pay their dues.
U.S. military forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, after tracking the ship from the Caribbean Sea as part of an oil quarantine aimed at pressuring Venezuela, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday. The boarded vessel, the Pentagon said, was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s quarantine of sanctioned tankers in the Caribbean.
Israeli strikes Monday killed three people west of Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital. The Israeli army said it was striking targets in “a precise manner” after Israeli troops came under fire in Rafah, which it said violated a Gaza ceasefire.
Islamabad said President Asif Ali Zardari warned that Afghanistan’s Taliban government has created conditions “similar to or worse than” before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, after a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad killed 31 worshippers.
President Donald Trump threatened Monday to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Canada unless Canada agrees to U.S. demands, including turning over at least half of the bridge’s ownership. In a lengthy social media post, Trump complained that the U.S. would get nothing from the bridge and that Canada did not use U.S. steel in building it.
Jimmy Lai’s children said Monday that a possible April visit by President Donald Trump to Beijing could be “crucial” in securing the release of their 78-year-old father. Lai, a former Hong Kong media executive and China critic, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after convictions under a Beijing-imposed national security law.
Nicaragua’s government has suspended an exemption that let Cuban citizens enter the country without visas, effectively blocking a key pathway migrants use to reach the United States, the government confirmed to The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump is involving top U.S. military leaders in diplomacy tied to Iran’s nuclear program and the Russia-Ukraine war, according to an Associated Press report. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, joined indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Oman, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has been positioned as a negotiator in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach agreement to end the nearly four-year war. He also described further U.S.-brokered diplomacy as trilateral talks are set to resume next week, with Russian strikes hitting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and forcing nuclear power plants to reduce output.
Newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents from the U.S. Justice Department have sent political shock waves across Europe, toppling senior figures in multiple countries, while fallout in the United States has been more limited so far. In Britain, Peter Mandelson was fired and faces a possible investigation into misconduct, adding pressure for Prime Minister Keir Starmer as police examine allegations around the ambassador appointment.
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez and ousted President Nicolás Maduro have publicly expressed reverence for Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, according to interviews, social media posts and accounts of Rodríguez’s visits. The links come amid Rodríguez’s succession after Maduro’s Jan. 3 capture by U.S. forces, which led to federal drug trafficking charges. Both politicians, raised Catholic, have cited Sai Baba’s teachings in language tied to love, peace and spiritual oneness.
A drone attack by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan on Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors’ group said. The attack took place near Rahad in North Kordofan province, a day after a World Food Programme aid convoy was targeted nearby, according to U.N. officials.
India and the United States released a framework for an interim trade agreement aimed at lowering tariffs on Indian goods, a day after President Donald Trump said he would reduce some import taxes on India. The framework, announced in a joint statement, would lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 25% after Prime Minister Narendra Modi agrees to stop buying Russian oil, Trump said.
Gaza’s Rafah border crossing reopened this week after a two-year war-driven shutdown, but few people have been allowed through as negotiators try to manage a fragile ceasefire process. Palestinian officials and travelers described hourslong Israeli questioning and mistreatment, while Israeli officials said they had no reports of abuse by Israeli forces. The crossing closed again Friday and Saturday, underscoring the uneven rollout.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday to discuss American talks with Iran, Netanyahu’s office said Saturday. In the meantime, Iran’s foreign minister warned that the country could retaliate by targeting U.S. bases in the region if the United States attacks.
Gunmen attacked a Catholic priest’s residence in the Kauru local government area of Kaduna state in northwest Nigeria early Saturday, killing three villagers and abducting 11 people, church officials said. The abducted group included a Catholic priest, and the diocese described the assault as “an act of invasion by a group of terrorists.” Authorities did not immediately provide details on motives or any rescue efforts.
Syria and Saudi Arabia signed multibillion-dollar investment agreements on Saturday aimed at rebuilding Syria’s economy after years of war. The deals include a telecommunications development, a low-cost airline and plans for an international airport in northern Syria.
President Donald Trump plans to convene the first meeting of his “Board of Peace” in Washington this month, proposing a session on Feb. 19 at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The meeting is expected to raise money for the reconstruction of Gaza, according to two Trump administration officials.
Cuba’s energy crisis worsened after the United States moved to block oil deliveries, leaving Havana residents reporting that public buses stopped coming and gas lines and blackouts intensified. The change followed warnings from President Miguel Díaz-Canel that the U.S. effort would force further sacrifices, with Cuba saying the impact of sanctions has been severe since 2024.
Iran’s security forces cracked down on nationwide anti-government protests in early January, and an Iranian beautician who filmed the violence is now hiding from fear, according to the Associated Press. The AP said it verified the location and authenticity of her videos in Karaj and received messages and footage she shared with a relative in Los Angeles during an internet shutdown.
Russian forces carried out an airstrike on a residential area in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, killing one person and wounding two, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. The attack came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States has set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace deal.
Darkened businesses across Ukraine are adapting to power cuts from Russian strikes on the energy grid, with owners saying many now rely on costly generators just to keep operating. In Kyiv, a baker and other small firms describe fuel costs, equipment strain and uneven access to electricity as labor shortages, security risks and weaker demand add to the pressure.
Russian authorities said a man suspected of shooting a deputy chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency was detained in Dubai and handed over to Russia, and that they identified alleged accomplices. The deputy, Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, was hospitalized after being shot several times Friday at an apartment building in northwestern Moscow, investigators said.
The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Sunday after a two-day closure, allowing a limited number of Palestinians to travel for medical treatment, Egyptian state media reported. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 17 medical evacuees and 27 companions began crossing into Egypt, with the same number expected to head into Gaza. Israel did not immediately confirm the figures.
Israel’s security cabinet approved measures aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and reducing the Palestinian Authority’s limited powers, the Associated Press reported. The decisions were announced Sunday by the office of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the steps dangerous, while Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned them as an attempt to impose illegal sovereignty.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu will make a state visit to the United Kingdom on March 18 and 19, Buckingham Palace said. The trip will be the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to the U.K. in almost four decades, the palace said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to begin a four-day state visit to Australia on Monday, as the government says he is traveling to meet Jewish communities grieving the December Bondi Beach attack. Critics say his presence will deepen divisions amid the war in Gaza, where they allege Australian police could seek an arrest. Protest rallies are expected in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra as Herzog’s trip unfolds.
Apps designed to help shoppers boycott American goods gained a burst of downloads in Denmark as tensions flared over President Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland, according to their creators. One app maker said “Made O’Meter” recorded about 30,000 downloads in three days in late January, while a separate app called “NonUSA” passed 100,000 downloads by early February.
Argentina and the United States signed a trade and investment agreement in Washington that will cut hundreds of reciprocal tariffs and expand market access between the two countries, according to officials. The deal advances President Javier Milei’s effort to open Argentina’s economy and reflects the Trump administration’s push to lower costs for Americans, the Associated Press reported.
Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, state television reported, saying the vessels were smuggling fuel. The report did not say the tankers’ nationalities or what flags they flew. A Revolutionary Guard navy commander said the tankers carried about 1 million liters of fuel, including diesel, and that 15 crew members were taken into custody.
Iran and the United States are holding indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva, with talks hanging in the balance after Israel’s June war on Iran and a subsequent crackdown on nationwide protests, according to the Associated Press. U.S. President Donald Trump has kept up pressure on Tehran, moving additional military assets to the Middle East and warning of possible strikes, while Iran has insisted discussions focus only on its nuclear program.
MOSCOW — Russia said it regretted the expiration of its last nuclear arms treaty with the United States on Thursday, while President Donald Trump said he does not want to keep the existing limits and wants a new deal. The end of the New START pact eliminated caps on the two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than half a century, according to the report.
The U.S. ambassador to Poland said Washington will have “no further dealings, contacts, or communications” with Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the speaker of Poland’s lower house, after what Ambassador Tom Rose called “outrageous and unprovoked insults directed against President Trump.” The dispute erupted after Czarzasty said on Monday that Trump “does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize” and criticized him over how he pursues foreign policy.
A coastal town in eastern Cuba has faced recurring power outages, leaving residents in Santa Cruz del Norte to rely on coal, firewood and makeshift cooking and lighting as U.S.-related oil and energy tensions worsen. The Associated Press reported that people in the area say the outages deepened again about a week ago, after months when the town had electricity.
An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed while assisting officers responding to a shootout in Flagstaff that lasted nearly two hours, killing the pilot and a trooper on board, authorities said. The confrontation began after officers responded to a domestic violence call on Wednesday evening, and police said the suspect fired from multiple rooftops before being taken into custody. The state and federal aviation agencies are investigating.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Milan with his family on Thursday, telling U.S. athletes at the Milan Cortina Winter Games that the Olympics are “one of the few things” that unites Americans. Vance is leading President Donald Trump’s delegation to the Games and, after Italy, is scheduled to travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of a push tied to a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.
President Donald Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Iran in a wide-ranging call as the Trump administration presses Beijing to further isolate Tehran. Trump said he also raised trade and Taiwan and discussed his plans to visit Beijing in April.
US and Russia agreed to reestablish high-level military dialogue in another sign of warming relations, the U.S. European Command said Feb. 5. The agreement followed talks in Abu Dhabi involving senior American and Russian military officials, during which Ukraine and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff also participated.
The U.S. government announced an additional $6 million in aid for Cuba as the island’s crisis deepens and tensions between Washington and Havana escalate. Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said the U.S. is imposing an “energy blockade” through moves that restrict oil supply.
Donald Trump said Monday he plans to reduce tariffs on Indian products to 18% from 25% after India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, agreed to stop buying Russian oil. Trump linked the move to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and said India would also cut to zero import taxes on U.S. goods.
Pope Leo XIV is facing his first major crisis with traditionalist Catholics after a breakaway group linked to the traditional Latin Mass announced plans to consecrate new bishops without papal consent, raising fears of another schism. The Society of St. Pius X, known as the SSPX, said the consecrations are scheduled for July 1, despite Vatican objections and the automatic excommunication that church law attaches to unauthorized bishop consecrations.
Hezbollah has replaced Wafiq Safa, the group’s longtime security liaison and coordination official, after he told its leadership he wanted to step down, two Hezbollah officials said Feb. 6. The officials said Safa was replaced by Hussein Abdullah, whose role was not publicly detailed, and that Hezbollah is reshuffling powers among departments amid the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbollah war.
France’s foreign minister urged Iran-backed groups in the Middle East to exercise “the greatest restraint” if tensions between Iran and the United States escalate regionally, warning that a widening conflict would destabilize the area. Jean-Noël Barrot made the remarks in Beirut after visits to Syria and Iraq and as the U.S. and Iran held indirect nuclear talks in Oman.
BAGHDAD (AP) — A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up Friday while a security force tried to arrest him in western Iraq near the Syrian border, killing himself and injuring two security members, an Iraqi security official said.
Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, on Friday focused on Tehran’s nuclear program, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying the talks were “very good” and warning that consequences would be “very steep” if no deal is reached. For the first time, U.S. military’s top commander for the Middle East, Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, joined U.S. representatives at the talks, as the U.S. military continued a visible show of force in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomats would return to their capitals after the session and urged that dialogue proceed without threats or pressure.
The European Commission on Friday proposed additional sanctions against Russia, targeting shipping services that help Moscow’s oil industry as well as parts of Russia’s financial services and trade. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the measures are aimed at cutting Russia’s energy revenues and increasing pressure during talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
A year after Vietnam elevated relations with Washington to the highest diplomatic level, an internal Vietnamese military document prepared for “a possible American war of aggression,” according to a report released Tuesday. The document, completed in August 2024, also describes the United States as a “belligerent” power and warns U.S. actions could create a pretext for an invasion, even as it says the near-term risk of war is low.
The last remaining nuclear arms pact between the United States and Russia, the New START Treaty, is set to expire Thursday, ending limits on the world’s two largest atomic arsenals after more than a half-century. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready to keep observing the treaty’s caps for another year if Washington does the same, but President Donald Trump has not committed to an extension.
In a sign of mounting alarm over nationwide unrest and possible U.S. action, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a harsh crackdown on protests that erupted in late December and has warned that any U.S. strike could spark a wider regional war. The Associated Press reports that Khamenei is also allowing Iran to enter negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program, reversing a previous refusal to hold talks.
Israel’s justice ministry charged a dozen people, including Israeli soldiers, with systematically smuggling goods into Gaza, according to the country’s prosecutor. The indictment alleges the defendants helped Hamas during wartime and were aware the items could reach the militant group’s operatives.
Iran and the United States will hold nuclear talks on Friday in Oman, Iran’s foreign minister said Wednesday, as tensions remain high after Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests last month. U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of the talks, according to an interview published Wednesday.
Envoys from Russia and Ukraine met in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered talks on ending the nearly four-year war, as a Russian attack using cluster munitions killed seven people at a market in Ukraine. The two-day negotiations began Wednesday with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner joining the delegations, according to Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief Rustem Umerov.
Ukraine accused Russia of illegally targeting the country’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks, plunging areas into darkness amid freezing winter weather. Russian officials say their attacks target facilities linked to the Ukrainian military. The conflict is now also raising fresh legal questions about what international law allows during war and how civilian harm factors in.
A deputy chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, was shot and wounded in Moscow on Friday, state and Russian officials said. The attack came as Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators wrapped talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra announced Friday that the European Union will create a continentwide rapid reaction force of 300 firefighters to help respond to wildfires across the bloc. Hoekstra said the firefighters will be deployed “where needed” and that the unit’s creation was decided in the last year.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Friday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a weeklong trip to Italy for the Olympic Games, a visit that paired sports with diplomacy amid strained relations between Washington and Europe under President Donald Trump. Vance spent the day watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition and later attended the opening ceremony, where an image of him on screens drew boos.
La Casa Blanca difundió un comunicado para conmemorar el aniversario de la guerra entre México y Estados Unidos con un relato que historiadores y analistas calificaron de “históricamente inexacto”. En México, la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum respondió el martes con un comentario sobre defender la soberanía.
UN peacekeepers patrolling southern Lebanon have faced a surge of what they describe as “aggressive behavior” by Israeli forces over the past year, according to an internal report seen by The Associated Press. The report says incidents jumped from one in January to 27 in December, and describes drone-dropped grenades and machine-gun fire. Israel’s military denied it is running a campaign against the UN force and said it is working to reduce harm.
The U.K. government said it will release documents related to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States, despite anger over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced calls for transparency after acknowledging he knew in 2024 about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein. Parliament also diverted control of the release decision to the Intelligence and Security Committee after lawmakers pushed back.
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada should make “any sacrifice necessary” to preserve its independence and unity as Donald Trump threatens tariffs and has spoken about acquiring Greenland. Harper made the remarks during the unveiling of his official portrait and urged Canada’s two major parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, to unify against external forces and against domestic policies he said could fracture the country.
Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son and former heir apparent of Libya’s late dictator Moammar Gadhafi, was killed in Libya’s Zintan, according to Libyan officials and the country’s chief prosecutor’s office. The chief prosecutor’s office said an initial investigation found he was shot to death, and his death was later confirmed in a statement posted by his lawyer on Facebook.
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated three women after they crossed the Rafah border crossing back into Gaza, according to accounts provided to The Associated Press. The women said the screening happened at an Israeli-controlled facility on the Gazan side, where they described humiliation, threats and pressure to become informants.
Iran’s president instructed his foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, a shift as tensions remain high after the Iranian crackdown on nationwide protests last month, the Associated Press reported. The announcement came as a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone approaching an aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. said.
President Donald Trump’s White House posted a commemoration of the Mexican-American War that critics said rewrites history, sparking backlash in Mexico and online. The statement, issued Monday, described the 1846-1848 conflict as a “legendary victory” and drew parallels to the Trump administration’s policies toward Latin America, including border and security efforts.
Russia carried out a major overnight attack on Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said violated a promised pause on strikes against energy infrastructure as negotiators prepared for further talks to end Moscow’s war. The bombardment included hundreds of drones and a record 32 ballistic missiles, Ukrainian officials said, and it targeted the power grid while Kyiv and other regions reported damage and injuries.
Security forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry entered the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Tuesday as part of a deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Associated Press reported. The deployment follows a Monday entry and includes small contingents tasked with securing state-affiliated institutions, such as civil registry offices, passport departments and the airport.
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday. Central Command said the drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent” and continued toward it despite de-escalatory measures. The announcement came after the U.S. said Iranian forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
Europe’s governments and institutions are cutting ties with U.S. Big Tech services such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and others as they pursue “digital sovereignty,” according to Associated Press reporting. France says civil servants will stop using those video-conferencing tools by 2027 and switch to Visio, and other European authorities are also turning to domestic or open-source software.
The U.S. has dispatched a small team of military officers to Nigeria, a senior U.S. Africa Command general said Tuesday, as the two countries expand cooperation amid attacks by armed groups. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson said the move follows his meeting with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year.
President Donald Trump met with Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday and praised Petro as “terrific,” describing a cordial shift after weeks of harsh exchanges. In post-meeting remarks, Trump downplayed his earlier criticisms and said Petro and he were not “exactly the best of friends,” while Petro said the talks centered on “freedom.”
US-brokered talks on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine will resume this week after a brief postponement, a senior Kremlin official said Monday. The talks will be held Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi, where a previous meeting took place last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed into law a short extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The extension runs only until Dec. 31 and is intended to be modified to reflect tariffs imposed under Trump’s “America First” trade policy.
Cuba does not have a formal dialogue table with the United States amid heightened tensions after President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions tied to petroleum shipments, a senior Cuban official said Monday. The vice foreign minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, said Cuba instead communicates with Washington through informal channels focused on migration and drugs while insisting it wants relations like with other countries.
Doctors Without Borders said a hospital it runs in South Sudan was hit by an airstrike carried out by government forces late Tuesday. The group said the attack in Lankien, in Jonglei state, injured one staff member and destroyed the hospital’s main warehouse and medical supplies.
Pakistani security forces in Balochistan carried out multiple raids overnight that killed about two dozen militants, raising the insurgents’ death toll to 177 in the previous 48 hours, officials said Feb. 2. The announcement came after coordinated militant attacks over the weekend that killed 50 people, mostly civilians, including women and children.
Israel’s police detained local officials and businesspeople suspected of siphoning off wartime aid donated after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, Israeli authorities said Monday. Investigators said they tracked the suspects’ alleged diversion of millions of dollars and announced a fraud inquiry involving donations that poured in after the attack.
Humanitarian organizations in South Sudan said Monday that restricted access to Jonglei has left thousands at risk of losing lifesaving medical care and food assistance as fighting between government and opposition forces spreads. They described service suspensions and disruptions that have also left displaced families increasingly dependent on limited aid, while the United Nations raised concern about growing displacement.
Havana’s deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío told The Associated Press that Cuba is not discussing a negotiation with the United States, but would be open to “informal dialogue” if certain conditions are met. The comments came days after President Donald Trump said his administration is starting to talk with Cuban leaders after threatening tariffs tied to oil shipments to the island.
Palestinians were allowed into Gaza from Egypt late Monday after the Rafah border crossing reopened, with a small number of medical evacuees also moved into Egypt, the AP reported. The reopening was tied to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but remained constrained, with Monday’s crossings falling well short of a stated target for each direction. Violence continued across Gaza on the day of the reopening, with Gaza health officials reporting an Israeli navy strike that killed a 3-year-old.
Syria signed a memorandum of understanding for its first offshore oil and gas development, with Chevron and a Qatar-based company, Damascus-based state media reported. The agreement was signed in the presence of the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, and involves cooperation in offshore exploration and development in Syria’s territorial waters.
Warsaw’s prime minister said Poland will analyze more than 3 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein documents, videos and photos released by the U.S. Department of Justice to determine whether there were victims in Poland. Donald Tusk said a team led by the justice minister and the minister responsible for secret services will review the material and, if warranted, launch a formal investigation. He also said he wants to examine whether Epstein had any links to Russian secret services.
A British politician at the center of new allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein is facing pressure to leave the House of Lords, after Peter Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Mandelson to quit politics and testify in the United States about what he knew, while the Metropolitan Police said it had received reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office. The allegations draw on documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice that span more than 3 million pages.
Japan said it has successfully drilled and retrieved deep-sea sediment containing rare earth minerals from the seabed near Minamitorishima, as it seeks to reduce reliance on China. The retrieval test by the research vessel Chikyu was conducted at nearly 6,000 meters (19,700 feet), Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
Russian drones struck a bus carrying mineworkers in Ukraine’s Dnipro, killing at least a dozen people, according to Ukrainian authorities on Feb. 1, hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the next round of Russia-Ukraine talks would take place Feb. 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi. Zelenskyy’s announcement came after the Kremlin confirmed it would hold off striking Kyiv until Sunday, though officials have provided few details.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Feb. 1 that any U.S. attack on Iran would spark a “regional war,” as President Donald Trump weighs a response to Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests. Khamenei made the remarks at a compound in Tehran at the start of Iran’s commemoration of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Pakistan’s government says police and military killed 145 militants in counterterrorism operations in Balochistan over the past two days, after coordinated suicide and gun attacks that killed 33 people, mostly civilians. The government said the raids began early Saturday at multiple locations across the restive province, and that the dead included civilians as well as security personnel, with some bodies in custody described as Afghan nationals.
NATO allies and Canada have pledged major increases in defense spending to strengthen deterrence against Russia, but internal rifts have damaged confidence in the alliance’s unity under U.S. leadership, Associated Press reported. The AP pointed to disputes including U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland and his remarks about allied troops in Afghanistan. Analysts say the credibility problems could make it harder to deter President Vladimir Putin from expanding the war beyond Ukraine.
Palestinians in Gaza are watching with hope as workers lay groundwork to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a key route for medical travel and for people leaving and returning during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Israel said the crossing is scheduled to resume Monday, initially with tightly limited numbers. The plan comes after an Israeli strike killed at least 30 Palestinians, including children, according to hospital officials, and as Israel moves to end Doctors Without Borders operations in Gaza by Feb. 28.
Palestinos en Gaza vieron el domingo preparativos para la reapertura del paso fronterizo de Rafah con Egipto, que Israel afirmó que está programada para el lunes como parte del cese el fuego con Hamás. En el primer día de operación, el cruce abriría a un número reducido de personas y no habría cruce de mercancías, dijeron funcionarios y residentes a The Associated Press.
A commercial flight operated by Sudan’s national flag carrier, SUDANAIR, landed in Khartoum on Sunday for the second time since the war began nearly three years ago, state-run SUNA reported. The flight arrived at Khartoum International Airport Sunday afternoon after taking off from Port Sudan in the eastern Red Sea, SUNA said.
The Nigerian army said it killed a top Boko Haram commander, Abu Khalid, and 10 militants in a night raid in the northeast state of Borno, according to a statement by the army’s spokesman Sunday. The raid followed Boko Haram attacks earlier in the week that killed dozens of people at a construction site and on a military base, the army said.
The Gates Foundation said it will narrow its priorities rather than change course as the U.S. and other countries reduce foreign assistance, focusing at least 70% of its funding over the next 20 years on ending preventable maternal and child deaths and controlling key infectious diseases. Chief executive Mark Suzman said in a letter released Tuesday that the foundation is not taking on new goals and is renewing its push for donor countries to keep funding global health.
Pokémon Company canceló un evento de cartas programado para el sábado en el santuario japonés de Yasukuni, tras la reacción de China y la intensa polémica en torno al lugar. La empresa se disculpó después de que el anuncio del torneo apareciera en su sitio web, aunque dijo que el encuentro había sido organizado de forma privada por un jugador certificado.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba this week, including food and other relief supplies. She said she did not discuss Cuban affairs in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump said the United States is beginning talks with Cuban leaders as his administration increases pressure on the island by cutting off key oil supplies. Speaking Saturday night while flying to Florida, Trump linked the moves to earlier steps he said would force Cuba to the negotiating table.
The Trump administration has approved new arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion and to Saudi Arabia worth $9 billion, the State Department announced late Friday. The approvals were made public after the department notified Congress earlier Friday, as U.S.-Iran tensions rise and as the administration pursues a Gaza ceasefire plan.
Brussels says foreign ministers agreed Thursday to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, a largely symbolic step that adds sanctions pressure amid protests Tehran says are being put down. The EU also sanctioned 15 senior Iranian officials and six organizations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.
The European Union agreed to list Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, the bloc’s top diplomat said Thursday, a largely symbolic move that adds pressure on Tehran amid ongoing tensions over protests. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said foreign ministers in the 27-nation bloc unanimously approved the designation. The EU’s decision comes as activists say Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests has killed at least 6,479 people.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that his public comments on U.S. trade policy could backfire as the formal review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, approaches. Bessent issued the warning in an interview on CNBC, urging Carney not to “pick a fight” before talks tied to the 2020 deal. Carney later told reporters he meant what he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that would impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, escalating pressure on Havana amid its worsening energy crisis. The order could primarily affect Mexico, which has provided oil shipments to Cuba even as Trump has urged Mexico to distance itself from the Cuban government.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed a law Thursday that overhauls the country’s oil industry, reversing long-standing state control to allow private companies to manage production and sales. The move came after the National Assembly approved the bill and as the U.S. Treasury began easing sanctions on Venezuelan oil.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, as Britain and China sought to thaw relations after years of acrimony and a series of unresolved disputes. The leaders discussed deepening ties, while also addressing trade and security as the U.S. under President Donald Trump shakes up global relations, though neither mentioned Trump by name.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed not to target Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns for one week during a brutal cold spell. The Kremlin did not immediately confirm the pause, even as Russia continued attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure and Ukrainian officials warned of another large barrage.
Israel turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza on Thursday, a Gaza Health Ministry official said, days after Israel recovered the remains of the last Israeli hostage. The Red Cross said it helped facilitate the transfer.
President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” aimed at shaping Gaza’s future has attracted support from some countries for the United Nations, while major powers and others declined to expand the concept beyond the Gaza ceasefire. In remarks and statements tied to the Security Council and the broader U.N. system, U.N. officials and allied governments said international peace and security remain the Security Council’s responsibility.
EU officials are moving to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, as the group’s role in Iran’s recent protest crackdown and its overseas activities come under renewed scrutiny. The Associated Press said the Guard oversees Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and commands operations abroad through its Quds Force, while also running businesses at home. The designation comes as Iran faces pressure from the wider Israel-Hamas war and related regional conflicts.
President Donald Trump’s effort to create a “Board of Peace” to oversee Gaza’s next steps has drawn some support for the United Nations even as major powers and allies have rejected a broader international mandate for the idea, the Associated Press reported. The backlash followed U.S. language and plans that framed the board as a possible rival to the UN system and, in its charter, gave Trump a leading role with veto-like authority over the board’s actions.
Mark Carney told reporters in Ottawa that he “meant what” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, pushing back on claims he had walked back the comments during a phone call with President Donald Trump. The Canadian prime minister also said Canada plans to sign a series of new trade deals to reduce its dependence on the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday he told President Donald Trump that he meant the criticism of US economic coercion he delivered at Davos last week. Carney rejected the Trump administration's claim that he had walked back his remarks during a Monday phone call with the president. Carney said Trump told him he was impressed with Canada's plan to negotiate a dozen new trade deals across four continents in six months.
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Protocol published an accounting of foreign gifts reported by former President Joe Biden, his wife and senior U.S. officials for calendar year 2024. The report, filed in the Federal Register this week, says foreign leaders and governments gave tens of thousands of dollars in gifts, including a $19,000 painting and other high-value items. The State Department said the accounting does not include gifts given to President Donald Trump or his administration in the first year of his second term.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing to seek a closer “strategic partnership” and improve bilateral ties after years of strain. The leaders said their governments would focus on climate change and global stability, even as the challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to the post–Cold War order weighed on their agenda.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that operations on Mexican soil are carried out by Mexican forces, after U.S. officials described a joint operation that led to the detention of former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. Sheinbaum made the comments at a daily press conference following a phone call with President Donald Trump in which, she said, the two did not discuss Wedding’s arrest.
China executed 11 people it said it found guilty in connection with killings of Chinese citizens and large-scale scam and gambling operations, the Wenzhou city Intermediate People’s Court said. The executions were carried out after the court rejected an appeal, and the detentions began in November 2023 as China pressed border-area authorities to crack down on scams.
An immigration judge granted asylum to Chinese national Guan Heng, who said he has a “well founded fear” of persecution if returned to China after exposing alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Guan, 38, has been in custody since an August immigration enforcement operation as part of a broad deportation push.
President Donald Trump said he has directed the United States to reopen all commercial airspace over Venezuela and that Americans could travel there “very shortly.” He also said he told his transportation secretary and U.S. military leaders to take steps to make the change by the end of the day. The State Department continued to warn Americans not to travel to Venezuela, while at least one U.S. airline said it expects to resume direct flights.
Foreign leaders and governments gave former President Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden and several top U.S. officials tens of thousands of dollars in gifts in 2024, according to an accounting published by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Protocol in the Federal Register. The report includes examples such as a $19,000 painting presented to Biden, an $11,165 diamond necklace and perfume received by Jill Biden, and gifts valued at up to $2,633 for former Vice President Kamala Harris.
China executed 11 people it said were convicted for killing 14 Chinese citizens and running scam and gambling operations worth more than $1 billion, authorities said. The Wenzhou city Intermediate People’s Court announced the executions in a statement on Thursday.
Kyiv, Ukraine, and Moscow both dispute the reported scale of losses, but a new estimate from the Center for Strategic and International Studies projects Russia and Ukraine could see nearly 2 million soldiers killed, injured or missing by spring. The report, released days before the war’s fourth anniversary, assigns Russia about 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, since February 2022.
A Palestinian man stranded in Egypt for two years says Israel’s planned reopening of the Rafah crossing offers his first chance to reunite with his wife and children in Gaza. Raed Belal, 51, said he is ready to leave Egypt as soon as he is allowed, after Gaza’s borders were largely sealed following Israel’s war against Hamas.
Keir Starmer said the U.K. does not have to choose between relations with the United States and China as he began a four-day visit to Beijing aimed at repairing ties and expanding opportunities for British companies. The trip comes as both governments emphasize “seeking common ground while managing differences,” amid concerns over Chinese espionage, Hong Kong’s national security crackdown, and disputes involving U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration is considering placing its proposed Board of Peace in a Washington building that previously housed the U.S. Institute of Peace, according to four administration officials. The building is tied to legal fights over the federal government’s takeover and the institute’s independence, and its name and status remain in legal limbo.
The Trump administration imposed new U.S. sanctions on Iran’s interior minister, accusing him of overseeing a crackdown on nationwide protests. The European Union separately announced sanctions against him and other senior Iranian officials, escalating coordinated pressure amid months of unrest.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s military operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday. Rubio also sought to calm concerns among lawmakers about Trump’s Greenland and NATO remarks, and addressed questions about Iran, China and the administration’s approach in the Western Hemisphere.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will unveil plans to further bolster its nuclear program at the upcoming ruling party congress, state media reported Wednesday. KCNA said Kim attended a live-fire drill of an upgraded large-caliber multiple rocket launcher on Tuesday and described the test as aimed at strengthening the country’s “strategic deterrent.”
Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East over the threat of a possible U.S. military strike, while protests that began late December and spread nationwide triggered a deadly crackdown that rights groups put in the thousands. As Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates signaled they would not allow their airspace for any attack, the U.S. moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and guided-missile destroyers into the region and Iran’s rial fell to a record low.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that the Trump administration soon will allow Venezuela to sell some oil currently subject to U.S. sanctions, with revenue initially earmarked for basic government services and placed under U.S. oversight. Rubio said the United States would control the dispersal of the money through Treasury, while Venezuela’s interim leaders would submit monthly budgets for funding needs.
Palestinians in Gaza have been largely cut off from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing since Israel seized it in May 2024, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it could reopen soon under a U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan. The reopening, which Israel is expected to control, would focus first on limited numbers of medically injured Palestinians leaving for treatment abroad, with preparations under way in coming days, according to an Israeli official and other people familiar with discussions.
Rwanda says it has filed proceedings at the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration seeking payments from the United Kingdom tied to a failed migrant deal. The deal, which entered into force April 25, 2024, was scrapped after a 2023 UK Supreme Court ruling, and the UK later said it would not make further payments.
Latin American leaders meeting in Panama City for a regional development forum called for unity as political polarization deepens and as the U.S. takes actions they say are worsening divisions in the region. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC, has “not been capable of producing even a single declaration” against illegal military interventions affecting the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said technical talks between the United States, Denmark and Greenland are now underway to address differences over an Arctic security arrangement. Rubio said the process began Wednesday and will involve a working group created after a Washington meeting earlier this month with Vice President J.D. Vance.
President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown contributed to a sharp drop in the U.S. population growth rate, with the nation reaching 342 million people and growing at just 0.5 percent in 2025, according to estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Immigration increased by 1.3 million people in 2025, down from 2.8 million the year prior, marking a striking reversal from 2024's nearly 1 percent growth rate—the highest in two decades.
A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended temporary legal protections that let hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans live and work in the United States. The 9th Circuit upheld a lower-court ruling saying Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans.
Colombia’s government on Tuesday denounced Ecuador’s plan to sharply raise pipeline fees for Colombian oil as an “aggression,” as a tariff dispute between the neighbors escalated. Energy Minister Edwin Palma said the move is a “new aggression against the people,” following Ecuador’s announcement of a tenfold increase in per-barrel transportation charges.
Kauai Coffee Company, the largest coffee grower in the United States, says it will cease operations and lay off nearly all its 136 employees by the end of March unless its land lease with property owner Brue Baukol Capital Partners is renewed. The company's lease is set to expire at the end of March after nearly two years of stalled negotiations, leaving the fate of an operation that has been a community fixture for decades uncertain. The Colorado-based investment firm that owns the land says it remains committed to keeping the company's workers employed and the land in agricultural use.
A unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, is scheduled to support security for the Milan Cortina Winter Games, prompting concern and confusion in Italy. Italy’s Interior Ministry said the HSI agents will be stationed at a control room at the U.S. Consulate in Milan and will not include personnel involved in immigration controls in the United States.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas state agencies and public universities to halt new H-1B visa petitions until next year, starting Tuesday. The freeze runs through May 31, 2027, with exceptions allowed if the Texas Workforce Commission grants permission.
Israel brought home the remains of the last hostage in Gaza on Monday, closing a key element of the ceasefire deal with Hamas and setting the stage for a more complicated second phase, the Associated Press reported. The remains of police officer Ran Gvili were recovered in northern Gaza and brought to Tel Aviv, after the country’s first phase returned all remaining hostages.
Russia is turning to unprecedented recruitment methods to fill its depleted ranks in Ukraine, offering substantial cash bonuses, prisoner releases, and accelerated paths to citizenship. As the war enters its fourth year, the Kremlin has drawn fighters from South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere to avoid the political cost of a nationwide draft. Over 18,000 foreign nationals have fought or are fighting on the Russian side, with nearly 3,400 killed and hundreds more held as prisoners of war by Ukrainian forces, according to a Ukrainian agency cited by the Associated Press.
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter, following the fatal shooting of an ICU nurse by federal immigration officers. The departure marks a significant shift in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, which has drawn legal challenges and intense criticism from local officials and civil rights advocates. President Trump said he was placing border czar Tom Homan in charge of the operation, with Homan reporting directly to the White House.
India and the European Union reached a sweeping free trade agreement on Tuesday after nearly two decades of negotiations, a deal that will cut tariffs on wine, automobiles, textiles and medicines for two of the world's major economies. The agreement, described by the European Commission chief as the "mother of all deals," affects nearly 2 billion people and comes as both nations seek alternatives amid escalating United States tariffs.
Families of two Trinidadian fishermen killed in a Trump administration boat strike last October sued the federal government on Tuesday, calling the attack a war crime and part of an "unprecedented and manifestly unlawful U.S. military campaign." The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, is the first wrongful death case challenging the legality of strikes the administration has launched on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September. The Trump administration has defended the strikes as necessary to stem drug trafficking into the United States.
The Trump administration has notified Congress of plans to reopen the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, marking the first formal step toward restoring diplomatic relations following the military operation that ousted President Nicolás Maduro in early January. The State Department said it will deploy temporary staffers to conduct "select" diplomatic functions while the existing embassy compound is brought up to standard.
The remains of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage recovered from Gaza, were announced Monday, ending a yearslong hostage saga that had stalled Israel’s ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. Israeli officials said Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer, was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and his body was held in Gaza until it was recovered after an extended search.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen issued threats as a U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in the Middle East, with President Donald Trump ordering the USS Abraham Lincoln to move to the region amid protests in Iran. The threats included hints by Yemen’s Houthis about resuming attacks on Red Sea shipping and a Kataib Hezbollah warning of “total war” if Iran is attacked.
The U.S. military says the death toll from American strikes on alleged drug boats is up to 126 people, including those presumed dead after being lost at sea. The updated figure includes 116 people killed immediately in at least 36 attacks since early September in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, the U.S. military said.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three U.S. warships have arrived in the Middle East as tensions with Iran remain high, U.S. Central Command said Monday. President Donald Trump has previously warned that military action could follow Iran’s crackdown on protesters.
Gaza's Rafah border crossing reopened Monday as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, though the reopening remained limited to only 50 medical evacuees plus escorts and 50 Palestinians able to return home. The crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the outside world not controlled by Israel, had been shuttered since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024.
A Minneapolis nurse has been fatally shot by a Border Patrol officer in an incident that has prompted three federal investigations while raising questions about the independence and structure of the probes. Alex Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse, was killed over the weekend during a federal immigration enforcement operation in the city, marking the second death at the hands of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis since the Trump administration began large-scale operations there in late December. The Trump administration has characterized Pretti as an armed instigator, but videos from the scene and local officials contradict that account. The investigation's details, including the names of the officers involved and the specific evidence being examined, remain unclear even as tensions mount in the city over how the shooting will be investigated.
An Israeli soldier held two Italian Carabinieri officers at gunpoint on Sunday in the West Bank near Ramallah, drawing a strong protest from Italy and a pledge of investigation from Israel. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned Israeli Ambassador Jonathan Peled to Rome, where Peled expressed regret and committed to an investigation.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday her government has paused oil shipments to Cuba, marking a shift as the Trump administration intensifies isolation efforts against the island. Sheinbaum characterized the suspension as a sovereign decision not made under U.S. pressure, though the move follows Trump's stated goal of cutting off Cuba's remaining energy sources after a U.S. military operation deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
An Associated Press investigation found that Bangladeshi migrant workers were lured to Russia with false promises of civilian jobs — as janitors, cleaners, and chefs — only to be coerced into military service and sent to fight on the front lines of the Ukraine war. Three workers who escaped told AP they were presented with Russian military contracts upon arrival in Moscow, sent to army camps for weapons training, and threatened with violence, imprisonment, and death when they resisted. Documents including travel papers, military contracts, medical reports, and photographs corroborated the accounts.
The European Union’s new free trade agreement with India, announced Tuesday, highlights the bloc’s push to diversify its economic ties amid uncertainty in U.S. trade and security policy. The deal, which reflects nearly two decades of negotiations, could affect as many as 2 billion people and cut tariffs on most goods traded between the EU and India, according to the European Commission and EU officials.
Federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, an armed Minneapolis man, on Saturday, and the White House initially characterized him as responsible for his own death because he lawfully carried a concealed weapon. Within days, prominent Republicans and gun rights advocates mounted swift criticism of those statements, and the administration retreated from its account, illustrating a deeper inconsistency in party positions on the Second Amendment.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that Homeland Security Investigations, a unit within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will assist with security at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games starting Feb. 6. The deployment has set off concern and confusion in Italy, where officials and residents expressed outrage at the inclusion of any ICE unit, given the agency's role in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations, which have intensified in Minneapolis in recent weeks.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused Ukraine of seeking to interfere in his country's elections on Monday and ordered Kyiv's ambassador to be summoned, intensifying an anti-Ukraine campaign as he struggles in polls ahead of April 12 voting.
Nasry Asfura, a Trump-backed businessman, was sworn in Tuesday as president of Honduras, pledging to lead the country "with the full commitment required to deliver real solutions to every corner of our beloved Honduras." The 67-year-old took office at Congress in an austere ceremony without foreign dignitaries, though diplomatic representatives attended.
Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers on Saturday in a confrontation the Trump administration characterized as a "domestic terrorist" attack. His family and colleagues disputed that account, describing the 37-year-old as a compassionate caregiver whose only documented offense was protesting the administration's immigration crackdown.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen signaled Monday they were prepared to launch new attacks as the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East. The threats came as President Donald Trump's administration intensified pressure on Iran over a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, with Trump positioning the carrier "just in case" he decides to take military action against Tehran.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers arrived in the Middle East on Monday, bringing what U.S. Central Command characterized as a renewed military presence to promote "regional security and stability"—even as President Trump has sent conflicting signals about whether he intends to launch airstrikes against Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters. The strike group's arrival comes as Trump has alternated between threatening airstrikes and suggesting Iran may have made concessions, creating uncertainty about whether the administration intends to strike. At least 5,973 people have been killed in the crackdown, according to activists, with more than 41,800 detained.
Priests and priestesses of Cuba's Santería religion held several ceremonies on Sunday, offering gifts to deities and asking for spiritual peace as tensions between Cuba and the United States intensify. The ceremonies came after the U.S. struck Venezuela on January 3, killing 32 Cuban soldiers and arresting then-President Nicolás Maduro, and as Cuba faces mounting economic pressure from U.S. sanctions and direct threats from President Donald Trump.
Seven Japanese American soldiers who were branded "enemy aliens" after Pearl Harbor were promoted to officer rank posthumously on Monday in Honolulu, more than 80 years after they died fighting for the United States in World War II. The men had been University of Hawaii ROTC cadets barred from military service following Japan's attack on December 7, 1941, before joining the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which became one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history.
At least 25 people were killed in an early Sunday attack by a militant group linked to the Islamic State in eastern Congo, a rights group based in Ituri province said. The attack occurred around 4 a.m. in the village area of Apakulu in Irumu territory, the group said. Christophe Munyanderu, president of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, called it “a true massacre.”
HAVANA (AP) — As tensions rise between the United States and Cuba and the island braces for more economic difficulties, priests and priestesses of Santería held ceremonies on Sunday offering gifts to deities and praying for peace. Several prominent figures in the Santería community said they were seeking what they described as “spiritual healing” for Cuba and an end to the violence and conflicts they said were foretold for the year.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A bereaved father in Shifa Hospital said he could not accept his 15-year-old son’s death after an Israeli strike killed him and his 13-year-old cousin as they searched for firewood. Yusuf Zawara said he was trying to wake his son, wiping blood from his face while the boy lay dead on a morgue floor, as winter cold and a lack of power continue to compound daily survival in Gaza. The incident came amid a broader dispute over Israel’s targeting decisions and Gaza casualty figures.
Israel said it has begun a “large-scale operation” to locate its last remaining hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, as U.S. and other mediators pressed Israel and Hamas to move to the next stage of their ceasefire. The statement came as Israel’s Cabinet discussed whether to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and a day after top U.S. envoys met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on next steps.
Europe's far-right parties have unexpectedly distanced themselves from President Trump over his plans to take control of Greenland, fracturing an alliance that appeared unshakeable less than a year ago. The rift demonstrates that shared nationalism and anti-establishment ideology may not be enough to overcome concerns about national sovereignty and foreign intervention.
Barham Salih, the first refugee to lead the United Nations refugee agency, said Monday the world faces "a very difficult moment in history" as the U.S. cuts funding and tightens asylum restrictions. Speaking from Rome in an interview with the Associated Press, the former president of Iraq warned that repression of immigrants is growing while resources to protect them are plummeting.
Mexican lawyers and family members accused the government on Monday of violating the law by sending nearly 100 cartel members to the United States without extradition orders. The challenge centers on 37 cartel suspects transferred recently as Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum seeks to maintain cooperation with the Trump administration, which has pressed Mexico to intensify its cartel crackdown.
Nigerian military authorities announced in January that at least 16 officers arrested in October will stand trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the West African nation's government. An investigation found the officers committed 'acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations' as part of a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu's administration, according to military spokesman Samaila Uba.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told European Union lawmakers on Monday that Europe cannot defend itself without U.S. military support and would need to more than double current defense spending—and develop its own nuclear arsenal—to achieve independence from American protection.
Sudan's military said Monday it has broken a months-long siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Dilling, a strategic town in the central Kordofan region. If sustained, the breakthrough would restore access to major supply lines contested for months in the country's three-year civil war.
A United Nations aid convoy delivered humanitarian supplies to Kobani, a besieged Kurdish enclave in northeast Syria, on Monday, marking the first aid delivery to reach the area since fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters began earlier this month.
The death toll from U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats has reached 126 people, the U.S. military confirmed Monday. The figure includes 116 people killed in at least 36 attacks since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, plus 10 others presumed dead after searches did not locate them, U.S. Southern Command said.
Brazil said it has taken over Mexico’s diplomatic interests in Peru after a rift tied to a former Peruvian prime minister granted asylum in Mexico, leaving police and consular staff facing uncertainty around the embassy in Lima. The Brazilian foreign ministry said it was acting “with the consent of the Peruvian government.” The countries had severed diplomatic relations more than two months earlier over the asylum grant by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander warned the United States that his force is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” as U.S. warships headed toward the Middle East, according to a report carried on a Tehran-linked outlet’s Telegram channel. The remarks by Gen. Mohammad Pakpour came amid months-long tensions between Iran and the U.S. after a crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran that activists say has killed thousands and involved mass arrests.
Freezing and in the dark, residents in Kyiv are spending long hours trapped inside tower blocks as Russia targets Ukraine’s power system, the Associated Press reported. Olena Janchuk, a 53-year-old with severe rheumatoid arthritis, has spent weeks stuck on the 19th floor during rolling blackouts that can last for much of the day. In January, with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius, her family has relied on candles, USB charging and portable power to get through each scheduled outage.
US envoys met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday and urged him to move into the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, according to Netanyahu’s office and a U.S. official. The talks also focused on recovering the remains of the last hostage in Gaza and on next steps for demilitarizing the territory.
European leaders delivered coordinated rejections of President Donald Trump's demand that the United States "absolutely" must rule Greenland, with senior officials warning that threats have no place among allied nations. The unified stance emerged at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, marking a shift toward openly confronting the American president after struggling to forge consensus for a year.
President Donald Trump said in a Friday interview that the U.S. employed a secret weapon he called "The Discombobulator" to disable Venezuelan military equipment during the operation that captured Nicolás Maduro. Speaking to the New York Post, Trump claimed the weapon prevented Venezuelan forces from launching Russian and Chinese rockets and said "they pressed buttons and nothing worked." Trump also renewed threats to conduct military strikes against drug cartels, saying the U.S. could extend operations from South America into Mexico and Central America. "Could be anywhere," he said when asked if strikes could occur in Mexico or Central America. The comments came days after the U.S. carried out a strike Friday on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the first such action since Maduro's capture in early January.
The Trump administration's Pentagon released a sweeping National Defense Strategy on Friday that fundamentally reorders U.S. military priorities, demanding that allies boost their own defense spending while shifting American focus from containing China to securing dominance in the Western Hemisphere, including access to Greenland and the Panama Canal.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that a U.S. security guarantees agreement for Ukraine is "100% ready" and waiting for partners to set a signing date. Speaking in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Zelenskyy said the document would go to the U.S. Congress and Ukrainian parliament for ratification once a date is established. The announcement followed two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving representatives from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
South Sudan, after agreeing last year to accept deportees from the United States, sent Washington a list of requests that included U.S. support for prosecuting opposition leader Riek Machar and sanctions relief for former vice president Benjamin Bol Mel, U.S. diplomatic communications released by the State Department show. The requests, dated in May and marked confidential, also sought visa easing and other assistance. The U.S. said it “does not disclose the details of private discussions” when asked whether anything was promised in return.
El comandante de la Guardia Revolucionaria paramilitar de Irán, el general Mohammad Pakpour, advirtió a Estados Unidos e Israel que “eviten cualquier error de cálculo”, al decir que su fuerza está “más preparada que nunca, con el dedo en el gatillo”. El aviso se produjo mientras buques de guerra de EE. UU. se dirigían hacia Oriente Medio, en medio de la tensión regional tras las protestas en Irán que comenzaron el 28 de diciembre.
The USS Cincinnati arrived at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia on Saturday, according to the U.S. Navy, marking the first time a U.S. Navy warship has docked at the facility since China-funded renovations were completed. The ship is scheduled to visit Jan. 24-28 and conduct meetings with leaders while its crew takes part in activities in the nearby city of Sihanoukville.
The Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on January 24 that represents a fundamental reorientation of U.S. military priorities away from NATO and Europe toward confronting China in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy, the first comprehensive Pentagon planning document since the Biden administration issued its own in 2022, signals that allied nations must assume greater responsibility for their own defense. It calls for NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product and reflects a systematic shift in how the United States views commitments across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere. The changes span every major geographic theater of U.S. military operations and represent a substantial reordering of defense policy priorities that will shape military posture, resource allocation, and alliance relationships for years to come.
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced Sunday that it will prosecute and try Islamic State militants being transferred from prisons and detention camps in Syria under a U.S.-brokered deal. The decision came as the U.S. military moved hundreds of the approximately 9,000 Islamic State detainees held in Syria since the militant group's collapse there in 2019.
The captain of an oil tanker intercepted by the French navy in the Mediterranean Sea was in custody for questioning following the seizure of the vessel on suspicion of violating international sanctions against Russia. The Grinch, which departed from Murmansk in northwestern Russia, is suspected of operating as part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' — a network of over 400 vessels used to evade economic penalties imposed over the war in Ukraine.
Iran unveiled a mural in central Tehran on Sunday warning the United States against military strikes, as U.S. warships including the USS Abraham Lincoln moved toward the region. The image depicts a damaged aircraft carrier with exploding fighter planes and bodies strewn across the flight deck, with the warning text "If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind" emblazoned across it.
South Sudan sought sanctions relief for a senior official and U.S. support for prosecuting an opposition leader after agreeing to accept American deportees, according to diplomatic communications released by the State Department in January. The eight deportees arrived in Juba, South Sudan's capital, in July after spending weeks at a U.S. military base in Djibouti, where a court temporarily blocked their deportation.
President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if Canada proceeded with a trade deal with China, intensifying a dispute with Prime Minister Mark Carney over both trade policy and geopolitical alignment. Trump said in a social media post that if Carney "thinks he is going to make Canada a 'Drop Off Port' for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken."
Iran's authorities have killed thousands of demonstrators in what activists describe as the bloodiest crackdown on dissent since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to the Associated Press. The violence, which has damaged at least $125 million in property and cut the country off from the internet, comes as the United States prepares military options in response. Hundreds of cities across Iran have been affected by the month-long wave of protests, which began in late December as demonstrations over the collapse of Iran's currency spiraled into broader calls for change.
Haiti's transitional council voted Thursday to fire Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, just two weeks before the panel is scheduled to step down. Council members Edgard Leblanc Fils and Leslie Voltaire announced the decision Friday, defying U.S. government warnings that the change would undermine efforts to combat gang violence. The U.S. State Department said retaining Fils-Aimé was "integral" to Haiti's security efforts.
The USS Cincinnati, a U.S. Navy warship, arrived at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base on Saturday, marking the first visit by an American military vessel to the facility since its Chinese-funded renovation was completed early last year. The visit signals warming military ties between the United States and Cambodia after years of tension.
The Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on January 24 that marks a significant shift in U.S. military priorities, moving away from the alliance-first approach of the Biden administration. The strategy re-frames Russia as a 'manageable threat' that European allies are 'substantially more powerful' than, calling on NATO members to take primary responsibility for their own defense while the United States focuses on defending its homeland and competing with China. The strategy also signals reduced direct U.S. military involvement across the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and other regions, asking allies from South Korea to regional powers to assume leading roles in deterring threats.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Davos remarks that “Canada lives because of the United States” by saying Canada “thrives because we are Canadian.” Carney made the comments after returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he criticized coercion by great powers on smaller countries without naming Trump.
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest among wedding guests in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounding 25, police said. The attack occurred at the home of Noor Alam Mehsud, a pro-government community leader in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local police chief Adnan Khan.
Syria's defense ministry announced Saturday that it has extended a ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces for another 15 days, following the expiration of an initial four-day truce. The extension comes as U.S. forces oversee the transfer of accused Islamic State detainees from Syrian prisons to detention centers in Iraq.
U.S. President Donald Trump posted praise Saturday for British soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan, calling them "among the greatest of all warriors." The message appeared to partially address controversy sparked by Trump's remarks earlier in the week questioning whether NATO allies would support the U.S., comments that drew criticism from British officials and families of fallen soldiers.
Two days of talks involving Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. representatives wrapped Saturday with "constructive" discussions on "possible parameters" for ending the nearly four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Negotiators agreed to resume talks in the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 1, according to a U.S. official who described the meetings in Abu Dhabi as upbeat and positive.
Guan Heng, a Chinese asylum seeker who documented detention facilities in Xinjiang, faces a court hearing Monday to determine whether he will remain in the United States or be deported. The 38-year-old has been held in Broome County Correctional Facility in New York since August 2025, when immigration agents detained him during an enforcement operation.
Iran’s top prosecutor on Friday denied U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran halted executions of 800 detained protesters, calling it “completely false.” The denial came as activists said a crackdown on nationwide demonstrations has killed at least 5,032 people, with an internet blackout in Iran entering its second week. The Associated Press reported the exchange amid escalating tensions as an American aircraft carrier group moves closer to the Middle East.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed optimism Friday about a high-stakes White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for February 3, marking a significant de-escalation after months of hostility. The announcement comes after the U.S. revoked Petro's visa and imposed sanctions on him and his family over unproven drug-trafficking allegations.
Classically trained dancers from La Scala's academy are among approximately 1,200 volunteers rehearsing since November for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony, scheduled for Feb. 6. The ceremony is being prepared in a cavernous tent near Milan's San Siro stadium, where creative director Marco Balich is orchestrating the event. About 60,000 people are expected to attend live, including a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, while millions will watch on official broadcasters worldwide.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Thursday called for African fraternity and unity, urging Moroccans to resist resentment and discord following a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final that has prompted rights groups to warn of a surge in hate speech. The tournament's closing match, held Sunday in Morocco, ended 1-0 for Senegal in extra time, touching off field violence that saw 18 supporters arrested and an escalation of racial tensions on social media.
Vice President JD Vance spoke Friday at the annual March for Life rally in Washington, urging anti-abortion activists to "take heart" in the Trump administration's efforts to restrict abortion access. Vance detailed the administration's expansion of restrictions on U.S. foreign aid to abortion-supporting groups and praised the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, calling it "the most important Supreme Court decision of my lifetime."
President Donald Trump has based significant diplomatic decisions on personal slights during the past week — revoking Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation to his Board of Peace and threatening tariffs on Switzerland, Denmark, and Canada over his personal interactions with their leaders. The moves illustrate what Trump and his advisers describe as a "maximalist strategy" and what alarmed allied leaders increasingly call a destabilizing departure from the rules-based international order that has underpinned U.S. foreign policy since World War II.
The United States imposed sanctions Friday on nine tankers accused of transporting hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian oil, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced, linking the action to Iran's internet shutdown and crackdown on nationwide protests. Bessent said the sanctions 'target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people.' The government blocked internet access on January 8 as nationwide protests challenged Iran's theocratic system, and the Treasury tied the sanctions directly to the shutdown.
The Pentagon is deploying the largest force of American warships and aircraft to the Middle East in decades, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, as President Donald Trump warns of possible military action against Iran if nuclear talks fail. The buildup marks a sharp escalation of military pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program.
Bobi Wine, Uganda's most prominent opposition candidate, is in hiding and fearing for his safety after threats from the country's army chief prompted his international attorney to call for protection Friday. The threats follow Wine's rejection of official election results showing he lost to President Yoweri Museveni with 24.7% of the vote to Museveni's 71.6%.
Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. negotiators held talks in Abu Dhabi on January 23, marking the first known instance of Trump administration officials meeting with both countries simultaneously to discuss ending the war. The meeting signals momentum in an intensive diplomatic campaign that has accelerated since November 2025, with U.S. envoys coordinating parallel negotiations aimed at reaching a framework for settlement.
Mali's government announced fuel rationing Thursday to manage shortages caused by al-Qaeda-linked militants attacking fuel convoys in border regions. The landlocked West African country said cars would be limited to refueling every 72 hours and motorcycles every 48 hours, part of an effort to ensure equitable distribution as supply routes have deteriorated. Since September, jihadist militants have increasingly attacked fuel trucks, burning more than a hundred vehicles and crippling the country's import and distribution network. Over 2,000 tanker trucks entered Mali since the start of the year, significantly less than the 6,000 per month that arrived before the attacks began.
Trump administration envoys held separate negotiations with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday, marking the first known time officials from the Trump administration simultaneously engaged with negotiators from both sides of the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region would be a key focus of the talks. Hours earlier, Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, and described the meeting as productive and meaningful.
President Donald Trump's assertion that non-U.S. NATO troops "stayed a little back" from the front lines in Afghanistan and may not support the United States if called upon has provoked sharp rebukes in the United Kingdom, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the comments "insulting" and "frankly appalling." Trump made the remarks Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, during an interview with Fox Business Network.
President Donald Trump dominated geopolitical discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, overshadowing traditional business focus with policy announcements while deepening apparent fractures with Western allies. During his roughly 24-hour visit, Trump reversed his earlier threats of tariffs against European countries, agreed to an Arctic security framework with NATO Chief Mark Rutte, and launched a "Board of Peace" to address the Israel-Hamas conflict. Governor Gavin Newsom of California criticized Trump during the forum, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Chief Mark Rutte praised his efforts to support Ukraine and strengthen Western defense.
The U.S. military carried out a deadly strike Friday on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean accused of drug trafficking, the first known attack since a raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. The strike killed two people and left one survivor, according to U.S. Southern Command. The Coast Guard launched search and rescue operations for the survivor.
TikTok finalized a deal on January 23 to form a new American entity with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati firm MGX, clearing away the threat of a ban that had loomed for years over the platform used by more than 200 million Americans. The new structure preserves user access while establishing safeguards over data protection, algorithm security, content moderation and software integrity.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Friday he was optimistic about a White House meeting with President Trump scheduled for Feb. 3, marking a significant diplomatic shift after months of hostility. The optimism comes after the United States revoked Petro's visa and imposed sanctions on him and his family in September over what he characterized as unproven drug-trafficking allegations.
The U.S. warned Haiti’s transitional presidential council against making changes that could destabilize the country’s government, saying it would consider taking “appropriate measures” if such steps back initiatives favoring gangs. The warning came as pressure grew for the council—an unelected body overseeing the transition—to move toward elections ahead of a Feb. 7 deadline.
President Trump's threat to take over Greenland and his harsh criticism of longtime NATO partners have triggered a dramatic reassessment of U.S. credibility in Europe, with allied leaders publicly questioning whether America can be relied upon for consistent support. Though Trump has since announced a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security, European nations are already charting diplomatic courses that do not depend on the United States.
The House rejected a Democratic-backed resolution Thursday that would have prevented President Donald Trump from sending military forces to Venezuela, with the vote ending in a tie—short of the majority needed for passage. Republican leaders held the vote open for more than 20 minutes while Rep. Wesley Hunt rushed back from a Texas campaign trip to cast the decisive vote against the measure. The narrow outcome reflects growing tensions in the GOP-controlled Congress over Trump's aggressive foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
Divisions emerged Wednesday over U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace as its ambitions grew beyond Gaza, with some Western European countries declining to join, some staying noncommittal and a group of Muslim-majority countries agreeing to sign on. Trump said countries invited to join are expected to proceed this week as he seeks to formalize the board on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions Thursday on five Costa Ricans and five Costa Rican entities for allegedly helping to transport tons of cocaine from Colombia, storing the drugs in Costa Rica, and shipping them to the United States and Europe. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in announcing the action that "the entire drug trafficking supply chain — from shipping facilitators to money launderers — bears responsibility for American addictions and deaths."
El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump está ampliando el alcance de una “Junta de Paz” para Gaza, mientras varios países europeos y otros actores expresan dudas o se niegan a participar, según reportes divulgados esta semana. En Jerusalén, el desarrollo marcó un contraste con Israel, que dijo que se unirá, y con el papel de figuras de alto perfil anunciadas por la Casa Blanca.
Iran’s government reported a death toll of 3,117 from nationwide protests that began Dec. 28, an official tally that is far lower than figures cited by an overseas human rights group. The announcement came after the Interior Ministry and the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, with statements carried by Iranian state television on Wednesday.
As President Donald Trump pushed this week to acquire Greenland, Russian officials and state media responded with a mixture of satisfaction over potential Western divisions and concern about U.S. military expansion in the Arctic. President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday the Greenland situation "doesn't concern us at all," adding he expected the West to "figure it out among themselves." Behind Russia's diplomatic calm lay strategic calculations: the transatlantic rift could weaken Western unity while threatening Russia's Arctic interests.
A federal appeals court heard arguments Thursday on whether President Donald Trump can invoke a law written in 1798 to deport members of a Venezuelan criminal gang. All 17 judges of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans examined whether the Alien Enemies Act — a wartime statute never before used against a criminal organization — applies to Tren de Aragua.
The Trump administration is expanding its ban on U.S. foreign aid to organizations promoting gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The State Department will release final rules on Friday that broaden the existing "Mexico City" policy, which has restricted assistance to international groups providing abortion-related services. The expansion applies to more than $30 billion in annual foreign aid.
Venezuela's legislature gave initial approval Thursday to a bill that would loosen decades of state control over the country's vast oil sector, opening the door to private companies operating fields independently and settling disputes in international courts. The bill represents the first major overhaul of the oil industry since late socialist leader Hugo Chávez nationalized portions of it in 2007. The measure follows intense pressure from the Trump administration, which has pushed the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez to invite greater investment from U.S. energy companies in Venezuela's flagging oil industry.
Brazilians who had been trying to move to the United States said they were frustrated after the U.S. suspended processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Brazil. The suspension took effect on Wednesday, according to the U.S. State Department, leaving would-be applicants waiting while the government reviews entry standards.
The United States has finalized its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, ending America's 78-year commitment to the global health agency one year after President Donald Trump announced the decision, federal officials said Thursday. The U.S. owes about $280 million to the organization, and the administration acknowledged it has not yet worked out how the country will access critical data from other countries that could provide early warning of new pandemics.
The United States warned Haiti's transitional council against making changes that would destabilize the government, threatening to take action against those who support such moves. The warning came as the unelected council faces pressure to move toward elections for the first time in a decade, with its mandate scheduled to end Feb. 7.
The European Union is preparing countermeasures against the United States amid rattled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, the Associated Press reported. Because the EU is primarily a trading bloc, its toolkit is largely financial, including steep tariffs and an instrument known as the Anti-Coercion Instrument.
President Donald Trump is creating a “Board of Peace” meant to help broker ceasefires and other conflicts, an ambition that United Nations officials and U.N. Security Council members said Wednesday is unlikely to replace the world body’s decadeslong role. The Associated Press reported the effort as the latest U.S. challenge to the Security Council and to the relevance of the United Nations, including amid ongoing reforms and funding disputes.
A federal appeals court suspended a ruling that prohibited federal officers from using tear gas and pepper spray against protesters in Minnesota on Wednesday, clearing the way for more aggressive enforcement tactics. The decision came as immigration agents expanded operations to Maine and served state and local officials with subpoenas seeking records about their opposition to the enforcement campaign. Immigration enforcement officers said they have arrested more than 10,000 undocumented immigrants in Minnesota over the past year.
Mexico transferred 37 suspected members of the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel to the United States on Tuesday at the request of the U.S. Justice Department. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that the decision was a "sovereign decision" by Mexico's National Security Council, made after analyzing what was "convenient for Mexico" and in line with its "national security." U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the transfer a "landmark achievement" in combating cartels.
President Donald Trump’s threats aimed at Europe and the Arctic, including a push for Denmark to cede control of Greenland, have left U.S. allies signaling they are planning without American leadership, the Associated Press reported. AP said European leaders and members of Congress have responded with public warnings that the transatlantic relationship is entering a rupture rather than a reset.
President Donald Trump on Thursday inaugurated a “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying it would help lead efforts to maintain a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas. Trump said he believed “over 50” countries could join, though his launch included officials from 19 countries. The announcement came amid questions from several U.S. allies about whether they would participate and about how the board would work.
U.S. military forces boarded and took control of a seventh oil tanker connected with Venezuela on Tuesday, the U.S. Southern Command said, part of the Trump administration’s effort to take control of the South American country’s oil. The Command said forces apprehended the Liberian-flagged Motor Vessel Sagitta “without incident,” and said the tanker was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos that their response to Russia’s invasion has been slow and inadequate, saying the warnings have become a “Groundhog Day” cycle. He spoke after meeting behind closed doors with U.S. President Donald Trump for about an hour on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday attacked a U.K.-Mauritius plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, describing it as a national-security mistake. Trump, who had previously backed the idea, said in a post on Truth Social that the decision involving Diego Garcia shows why he should pursue taking over Greenland.
European leaders warned against a “new colonial approach” as U.S. President Donald Trump pressed for Greenland and related trade tariffs during the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, addressing European leaders in the entrance hall, used profanity in calling for a firmer response.
President Donald Trump backed down on a threatened tariff campaign tied to Greenland and said he had agreed with NATO on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security, according to a post on his social media site Wednesday. The reversal came shortly after Trump told the World Economic Forum that the U.S. wanted Greenland and warned he would not rule out using “excessive strength and force.”
Colombia said Thursday it will apply a 30% tax on some products from Ecuador and suspend energy sales to that country as the neighbors’ trade dispute escalates. The move follows Ecuador President Daniel Noboa’s government announcing matching tariffs the previous day, after public protests over a trade deficit.
Denmark and Greenland’s leaders said Thursday that Greenland’s sovereignty is non-negotiable after Donald Trump abruptly walked back tariff threats and spoke about a future Arctic security framework with NATO’s secretary general. The Denmark and Greenland messages came after Trump told Fox Business that the U.S. would have “total access” to Greenland and said the U.S. would have “all the military access we want.”
President Donald Trump’s pledge to impose tariffs on European countries tied to Greenland has drawn outrage and warnings of a rupture with Washington among European leaders and allies. The European Union’s top official said the planned tariffs over Greenland are a “mistake,” and Denmark’s and Greenland’s governments urged respect for territorial integrity and international law.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday withdrew threatened tariffs on eight European nations and announced agreement with NATO on Arctic security, marking a dramatic reversal from his demands that the U.S. control Greenland. Trump said he had reached a "framework of a future deal" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Arctic issues, potentially defusing the geopolitical crisis his earlier threats had triggered.
President Donald Trump held a more-than-100-minute news conference at the White House on Tuesday to recap his first year in office. The president displayed photographs of immigrants he said his administration had arrested, showed a stack labeled "Accomplishments," and described both at length before tossing them on the floor. The conference occurred at a moment of international alarm and domestic tension: Trump's weekend threats of tariffs on Europe in pursuit of Greenland had shaken the NATO alliance, and his administration had ordered 1,500 active-duty soldiers to be ready for possible deployment to the streets of Minneapolis under the Insurrection Act.
Colombia’s Inspector General said Tuesday that former FARC rebels are failing to comply with a 2016 peace deal by not fully relinquishing assets promised to fund reparations for victims.
Desperate Palestinians at a garbage dump in Gaza’s Khan Younis area dig with their bare hands through plastic items to burn to ward off cold and damp winter conditions, as war continues into a truce period, according to the Associated Press. The AP report described the scene in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis on Thursday amid skepticism about a new “Board of Peace” announced by U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
France’s navy intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that the government says traveled from Russia as part of a “shadow fleet” used to evade sanctions. President Emmanuel Macron said the operation was conducted to uphold international law and enforce sanctions tied to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Iran’s military warned Donald Trump against taking action against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, after the U.S. president called for “new leadership” in Iran. The warning came as Iran continued to deal with protests that erupted in late December amid an economic downturn and a government-imposed internet shutdown. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated alongside a U.S. naval carrier heading west in recent days, ship-tracking data showed.
BAGHDAD and Washington said the transfer of Islamic State detainees from northeast Syria to detention centers in Iraq began after Baghdad requested the move. The transfer started after Syrian government forces seized parts of the al-Hol area and pushed into areas where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces held prisoners, the AP reported Thursday. U.S. officials confirmed Iraq “offered proactively” to take the prisoners.
El canciller ruso Serguéi Lavrov dijo que la intención del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump de apoderarse de Groenlandia refleja una “crisis profunda” en la OTAN, al tiempo que advirtió de riesgos para la cohesión del bloque. Lavrov hizo los comentarios el martes en una conferencia de prensa anual sobre las prioridades de la política exterior de Moscú.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s message to Donald Trump, published by Trump, used softer language on Greenland than Macron’s public criticism, according to the AP report. Macron’s office confirmed the message was genuine, with Macron first discussing Syria and Iran before writing, “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland,” the AP said.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has been credited with helping defuse tensions between the United States and Europe over Greenland after President Donald Trump said he had agreed with Rutte on a “framework of a future deal” at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The episode followed Trump’s demand that he get Greenland and a decision by Trump to drop threats of punitive tariffs on eight European nations. Rutte’s role has highlighted a diplomatic style that U.S. and European figures say helps keep Trump and the NATO alliance engaged.
Gunmen who abducted more than 150 church worshippers in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state are demanding 17 motorcycles as ransom from families of the hostages, residents told The Associated Press on Thursday. The kidnappers raided three churches in Kajuru council area on Sunday, seizing 177 people before 11 managed to escape.
Russia launched a nighttime attack on Ukraine’s power grid that Zelenskyy said included more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles, amid ongoing U.S.-led peace talks. The strikes, Zelenskyy said, knocked out heating to more than 5,600 apartment buildings in Kyiv, where officials said nearly 80% of the affected buildings had had heating restored after an earlier major barrage on Jan. 9. The attack also drew condemnation from Ukraine’s foreign minister and the U.N. human rights chief.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” originally envisioned as a small group to oversee a Gaza ceasefire plan, has expanded into a broader effort that the administration says could address global conflicts, according to letters sent to world leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he agreed to join the board, despite previously criticizing a committee overseeing the Gaza ceasefire.
President Donald Trump’s threats tied to Greenland are complicating the next steps in his plan to end the Israel-Hamas war, including efforts to create a U.N.-backed “Board of Peace” with an initial mandate for Gaza. The Associated Press reported on Jan. 20 that European allies have declined or withheld commitment, and that some U.S. officials are weighing ways to limit the impact of Trump’s Greenland dispute on other foreign-policy priorities.
The U.S. military has started transferring many Islamic State group detainees held in northeast Syria to secure locations in Iraq, the U.S. Central Command said. The transfer began Wednesday amid fighting in the area between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters, which brought government troops close to several detention facilities and camps.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on five Costa Ricans and five Costa Rican entities for allegedly helping transport tons of cocaine from Colombia, storing the drugs in Costa Rica, and shipping them to the United States and Europe, the Treasury Department said Thursday. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control alleged the network was led by Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, alongside his brother.
U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his call for the United States to take ownership of Greenland, arguing it is important to defending the country with a missile-defense system he calls “Golden Dome.” In recent comments and posts, Trump linked Greenland’s position in Arctic flight paths to warning time and to the effectiveness of interceptors, alarming Denmark-based officials and Greenlanders. (This is a guide to Greenland’s role in U.S. nuclear defense and the debate around Trump’s rationale.)
More than 20 countries have said they will join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, while Western European nations have declined their invitations. The board, initially designed to oversee the Gaza ceasefire, has expanded to include dozens of invited nations and could eventually exceed 50 members, Trump said.
Guinea-Bissau's military junta announced Wednesday that legislative and presidential elections will be held on December 6, according to a decree by junta leader Gen. Horta Inta-a. The election announcement marks the beginning of a promised one-year transition to civilian rule following the military's seizure of power in November.
The United States withdrew military and diplomatic support from Syria's Kurdish-led forces in January 2026, allowing the new Syrian government to seize most of their territory in northeast Syria. The shift marked a reversal of years of U.S. backing for the forces, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, in their battle against the Islamic State. The collapse followed failed negotiations over the forces' integration into the new army under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The Trump administration on Wednesday suspended immigrant visa processing for Brazil and 74 other countries, citing concerns that nationals from these nations would likely require government assistance while in the United States. The suspension immediately halted processing of thousands of Brazilian applications for permanent residency, sparking frustration among applicants who said they remained hopeful the measure would prove temporary. The suspension builds on earlier Trump administration immigration restrictions affecting citizens across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
The Trump administration plans to expand rules that restrict U.S. foreign aid for groups supporting abortion-related services to cover additional categories, including international and U.S.-based organizations that promote gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. An administration official said the State Department will issue the final rules, expanding the scope of the “Mexico City” policy, which was first established under President Ronald Reagan and later rescinded and reinstated. The changes were first reported by Fox News and are expected to be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
Israeli forces on Tuesday targeted United Nations facilities in east Jerusalem tied to UNRWA, as crews bulldozed UNRWA offices in Sheikh Jarrah and fired tear gas at a vocational school in Qalandia, the Associated Press reported. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the destruction and called for the compound to be returned to U.N. control. More than 300 young refugees were receiving job training at the Qalandia school, Palestinian officials said.
Israeli ministers and settler leaders inaugurated a new settlement outpost in the occupied West Bank on Monday, celebrating its rapid transformation into a recognized settlement called Yatziv, formerly Shdema. The site sits adjacent to the Palestinian city of Beit Sahour, overlooking the town across a West Bank valley. Finance Minister and settler leader Bezalel Smotrich said at the ceremony that they intend to remain there permanently and will not establish a Palestinian state there.
Mexico’s security minister said Tuesday that Mexico has sent another 37 people tied to drug cartels to the United States, as President Donald Trump pressures governments to crack down on trafficking networks. Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s security minister, said the transferred people were “high impact criminals” in a post on X. Mexico said the transfers are part of a broader effort that has sent 92 detained cartel members to the U.S. in total since the government began the program.
Sweden’s migration minister urged the European Union to agree on a common procedure for issuing ID and travel documents for Afghans whose asylum applications have been rejected or who have committed crimes. Johan Forssell made the request on Thursday during an informal meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers in Nicosia, Cyprus. He said it is “more or less impossible” to deport Afghans now because many do not have ID or passports.
Venezuela’s interim authorities released Rafael Tudares Bracho, the son-in-law of opposition figure Edmundo González, after 380 days in detention, his wife said Thursday. Mariana González said he had returned home following more than a year of incommunicado detention, and she described the imprisonment as “unjust and arbitrary.”
U.S. military forces seized the Motor Vessel Sagitta on Tuesday, a seventh oil tanker connected to Venezuela, as the Trump administration consolidates control over Venezuela's oil production following the January 3 ouster of President Nicolás Maduro. U.S. Southern Command said the seizure occurred "without incident." The command stated the tanker was operating in violation of the Trump administration's "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean."
European Union leaders warned Tuesday of sweeping countermeasures against the United States after President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 10 percent import tariffs on goods from eight European nations, framing the taxes as retaliation for those countries' deployment of troops to Greenland in symbolic support of Danish sovereignty. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, called the plan a "mistake" and warned that the bloc's response "will be unflinching, united and proportional." French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU could use its anti-coercion instrument — known colloquially as a trade "bazooka" — against the United States for the first time.
Stocks fell sharply on Wall Street on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 declining 2.1% to 6,796.86 after President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on imports from eight European nations including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland.
President Trump's threats to seize Greenland and tariff European allies have undermined the U.N.-backed Board of Peace he had positioned to oversee Gaza's reconstruction and address global conflicts, according to the White House and allied governments. The board, which received U.N. Security Council approval in late 2025, was set to launch this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Instead, fewer than 10 of more than 60 invited world leaders have accepted, including Britain, France and Germany, which expressed skepticism about the initiative's scope and composition.
President Donald Trump repeated false and misleading claims about the 2020 election, the U.S. economy, and international conflicts while marking his first year back in office, according to an Associated Press fact check published January 20. Trump claimed the 2020 election was rigged, said he settled eight wars, and overstated economic improvements during an appearance Tuesday at the White House and Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland.
Snow briefly covered rooftops and lawns across parts of the western Florida Panhandle on Sunday for the second consecutive year, as frigid air following a cold front converted late rain showers into snowflakes, the Associated Press reported. Southeastern Alabama and parts of southern Georgia also reported snowfall, with accumulations reaching the ground in Columbus and Macon. Farther north, New England braced for three to five inches of snow while a blizzard warning covered parts of the upper Midwest.
President Donald Trump's threat on Saturday to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on imports from eight European nations that oppose U.S. control of Greenland rattled financial markets on Monday, sending European stocks mostly lower and pushing U.S. futures into negative territory while American exchanges were closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Germany's DAX fell 1.3 percent, France's CAC 40 declined 1.9 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.4 percent, according to the Associated Press. S&P 500 futures dropped 1 percent, Dow futures fell 0.8 percent, and Nasdaq futures slid 1.2 percent as of 11:48 a.m. Eastern time.
President Donald Trump linked his push to seize Greenland to Norway's decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a text message that he no longer felt obligated to think only about peace, according to a message released Monday by the Norwegian government. The White House confirmed the message and has not ruled out military force to take control of the Danish autonomous territory. Trump also announced 10 percent tariffs beginning in February on products from eight European countries — including Norway and Denmark — after several of those nations deployed small troop contingents to Greenland, which European officials said was intended to demonstrate commitment to Arctic security in response to Trump's stated concerns about Russian and Chinese interference in the region.
European governments criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that eight countries would face a 10% tariff over opposing American control of Greenland, according to statements issued Jan. 18. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland said Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and warned against using tariffs against allies.
Hungary's MOL Group has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire a 56.15% stake in Serbia's state-controlled oil company NIS, which is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom Neft and subject to United States sanctions. The binding heads of agreement requires approval from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control before the deal can close, with the parties targeting a final sales and purchase agreement by March 31.
President Donald Trump has invited more than a dozen countries to join a new “Board of Peace for Gaza” intended to guide next steps as a Gaza ceasefire enters its second phase, an Associated Press report said Sunday. Hungary and Vietnam said they have accepted, and officials in other countries described receiving invitations as the U.S. prepares to release a formal roster.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Sunday signed an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, announcing a ceasefire and a framework for dismantling the SDF’s control in Syria’s northeast. The Syrian government said it ordered fighting to halt on the front lines after the deal was announced, while the SDF’s leader, Mazloum Abdi, later confirmed the group had accepted the terms in a video statement.
Ukrainian drone strikes damaged energy networks in Russia-occupied parts of southern Ukraine, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power on Sunday, Kremlin-installed authorities there said. More than 200,000 households in the Russia-held part of the Zaporizhzhia region had no electricity, a local governor said.
Yemeni politicians met Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in their first public gathering since a UAE-backed southern separatist group was disbanded. The meeting discussed the future of southern Yemen ahead of a Saudi-sponsored conference, with dates not yet announced.
Palestinian officials said Israeli settlers attacked the Bedouin hamlet of Khirbet al-Sidra in the West Bank overnight, setting homes and cars on fire, injuring Palestinians and activists. The Associated Press obtained security-camera footage timestamped around 10 p.m. Saturday showing fires and what it described as gunfire and settlers moving through the village. Israel’s military said troops were dispatched and were searching for people who attacked the area.
Hackers disrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions Sunday night to broadcast footage supporting the country's exiled crown prince and urging security forces to defect, the latest act of disruption as the death toll from authorities' crackdown on nationwide protests reached at least 4,029 people, activists said. A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group that had been operating in the South China Sea passed through the Strait of Malacca, placing it on a route that could take it to the Middle East, ship-tracking data analyzed by the Associated Press showed.
Bipartisan U.S. senators traveled to Copenhagen last week, Republican lawmakers introduced legislation, and senior members of both parties delivered floor speeches on NATO's importance, as Congress sought to push back against President Donald Trump's repeated threats to seize Greenland from NATO ally Denmark. Trump escalated on Saturday, saying he would impose a 10 percent import tax beginning in February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to his Greenland plans.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he may punish countries with tariffs unless they support a U.S.-controlled Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. The remarks came as a bipartisan Congressional delegation met Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers in Copenhagen to reduce tensions.
Israel’s government objected to a White House announcement naming leaders who would oversee next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire enters its second phase. In a statement Saturday, Israel said a Gaza executive committee “was not coordinated with Israel” and was contrary to its policy, and it told the foreign ministry to contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on countries that do not back the U.S. controlling Greenland, prompting Republican and Democratic lawmakers to seek ways to limit any military or economic action without congressional consent. The confrontation has raised concerns on Capitol Hill about possible strains on Denmark and on NATO. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-republicans-trump-greenland-denmark-28252fc0691a183f52d3c4a77369457b">Associated Press reported</a> the push as lawmakers debate what Congress can do if Trump presses ahead.
President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza is taking shape with ambitions to extend beyond the Israel-Hamas war, according to letters he sent to world leaders inviting them as “founding members.” The invitations, posted as other governments confirmed receiving them, describe the board as a new “International Organization” that could become a “Transitional Governing Administration,” and they point to a possible broader remit that would touch other crises.
U.S. President Donald Trump linked his threats over Greenland to last year’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a text message released Monday involving Norway’s prime minister. The message tied Trump’s stance to a claim that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” after Norway did not award him the prize.
Ukrainians in and around Kyiv are enduring freezing temperatures at home as Russian strikes damage energy infrastructure and leave many households without electricity, according to emergency repair crews and residents. In the Kyiv region town of Boryspil, workers said they are restoring power only for a few hours at a time as outages last days and the cold deepens. The situation has created dark streets and widespread hardship during what officials described as the longest and broadest outages since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.
The Justice Department lost more than 6,400 lawyers, agents and other employees over the past year through firings and voluntary departures, as the Trump administration removed career staff it viewed as insufficiently loyal or tied to prior Democratic administrations, according to The Associated Press, which interviewed more than a half-dozen fired employees and a network of department alumni. Among those fired were counterterrorism prosecutors, Jan. 6 investigators, civil rights enforcers, immigration judges, an ethics officer and attorneys who defend administration policies in court. Attorney General Pam Bondi approaches her first year on the job with the terminations as a defining feature of her tenure.
The U.S. carried out another retaliatory strike in Syria, the military said Saturday, killing an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader in northwest Syria. Officials said the target, Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, had a direct link to the Islamic State member tied to a Dec. 13 ambush that killed three Americans.
The dispute between the United States and Europe over Greenland's future is the latest in a long series of deep disagreements that have strained the trans-Atlantic alliance since World War II, the Associated Press reported Saturday. From the Suez crisis to the invasion of Iraq to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, American and European allies have repeatedly clashed over strategy, sovereignty, and the use of force — rifts that tested, without severing, the partnership that anchors Western security.
U.S. President Donald Trump linked his hard-line stance toward Greenland to the fact that he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize last year, according to a text message released to Norway’s prime minister. In the message, Trump said he no longer felt “a duty to think only about peace” and argued that the world was not safe without “complete and absolute” U.S. control of Greenland.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries, accusing them of opposing U.S. control of Greenland. Trump said the rate would rise to 25% on June 1 if no deal was reached for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” The comments set up a test of U.S. trade leverage with NATO allies as European leaders warned the tariff threat could damage transatlantic relations.
BRUSSELS — European Union leaders are describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that he will impose new tariffs on countries opposing American control of Greenland as “intimidation,” “threats” and “blackmail,” as Europe seeks to reduce reliance on U.S. security. The warning has come as European leaders manage concerns about an increasingly hostile Russia and continue efforts to sustain support for Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of 10% tariffs against European countries over Greenland sparked a sharp rebuke from Denmark and other allies on Sunday, warning the move could “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” In a joint statement, the countries said troops sent to Greenland for a Danish-led NATO training exercise “pose no threat to anyone” and urged Washington to stay engaged in dialogue.
The European Union is weighing possible countermeasures after the White House threatened tariffs over Denmark’s and other European countries’ opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations and raise it to 25% on June 1 if the U.S. does not secure “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” European leaders sent representatives to Brussels for an emergency meeting after condemning the proposal as economic coercion.
Colombia’s ELN released five police officers it had kidnapped in the Catatumbo region, the Associated Press reported Monday, as the rebel group urged a “national accord.” The officers were taken hostage on Jan. 6 while off duty and traveling in a bus in northeastern Catatumbo, according to the report.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” that would oversee the next phase of the Gaza peace plan has sent invitations to Israel, EU leaders, Russia, Belarus and other countries, an Israeli official said Monday. France said it does not plan to join “at this stage,” while Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has differences with the U.S. but that relations would not be harmed. In a separate response, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich dismissed the effort as a “raw deal” and called for it to be canceled.
Israel’s military has drawn a “yellow line” in Gaza after a ceasefire in October, but Palestinians say the markers are at times invisible or placed differently than maps show. The Associated Press reported that Israeli troops have killed Palestinians near the line, including children, and that residents live in fear of being shot after crossing or lingering close to it. The reporting is based on Gaza Health Ministry figures and interviews with Palestinians and Israeli military statements.
Vienna-based analysts say spiraling tensions around Iran’s crackdown on protests raise concerns about potential nuclear risks, including the protection of highly enriched uranium stockpiles. The Associated Press reports that two former nuclear officials and a nonproliferation advocate warned that internal upheaval could weaken security and continuity at sensitive sites.
Syrian government forces entered Deir Hafer and Maskana in northern Syria on Saturday after Kurdish-led fighters said they would evacuate the area to avoid conflict, the Associated Press reported. The move followed days of fighting between government troops and the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in and around Aleppo, where Kurdish fighters withdrew from three neighborhoods. In the first hours after the withdrawal, AP reported seeing tanks, armored vehicles and military convoys enter Deir Hafer.
Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters clashed in northeastern Syria, hours after a ceasefire and integration agreement was announced between Damascus and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The breakouts involved prisons holding Islamic State group detainees, according to the army and the SDF. In a separate development, SDF chief commander Mazloum Abdi was reported to be in Damascus to discuss the Sunday deal, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the SDF against delaying compliance.
Thousands of Greenlanders marched in snow-covered streets in Nuuk on Saturday to oppose U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of the Arctic island territory, participants said. They chanted “Greenland is not for sale” as a protest march reached the U.S. consulate after leaving Nuuk’s downtown area. Moments later, Trump announced he will impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries that opposed U.S. control of Greenland.
The dispute between the United States and Europe over the future of Greenland is not the first time the allies have been at odds, the Associated Press said. The AP recounted deep disagreements that have flared since World War II, straining trans-Atlantic diplomacy and sparking crises.
President Donald Trump’s administration has announced members of a new Palestinian committee to run day-to-day affairs in Gaza, along with an executive committee of international experts to supervise efforts tied to a U.S. Gaza ceasefire plan, the White House said. The appointments also include an international stabilization force and steps that the White House said would include disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of Gaza. The announcement came as the plan entered what the White House described as its second phase.
President Donald Trump, nearly a year into his second term, has put forward or pursued a series of ambitious initiatives ranging from a new Qatari-supplied Air Force One to efforts that would change the status of Greenland. The Associated Press review also found progress on reopening Alcatraz as a detention site, investigating alleged autopen misuse, and advancing plans for a White House ballroom after the East Wing is torn down.
A Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States to discuss a U.S.-led push to end the nearly four-year war, as Russian attacks again targeted Ukraine’s power grid. Kyiv said the strikes were cutting electricity and heating in freezing temperatures, undermining what it called small opportunities for dialogue.
The Iraqi army assumed full control of the Ain al-Assad air base in western Iraq on Saturday after U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from the installation, Iraqi officials said. The departure implements a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq, though the handover came months after an initial September 2025 deadline.
Three U.S. Catholic cardinals urged the Trump administration to use a “moral compass” in foreign policy, warning that recent U.S. military action in Venezuela, threats to acquire Greenland and cuts to foreign aid could cause “vast suffering” instead of peace. In a joint statement on Monday, Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington and Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, said the current debate over Washington’s foreign policy is “mired in ‘polarization, partisanship, and narrow economic and social interests.’”
The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to be ready for possible deployment to Minnesota, where federal authorities have been conducting a large-scale immigration enforcement operation, two defense officials said Sunday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans. They said the Army's 11th Airborne Division — an Alaska-based unit that specializes in arctic conditions — has received prepare-to-deploy orders for two infantry battalions.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called U.S. President Donald Trump a “criminal” after Trump backed protesters during unrest that began Dec. 28, Iran’s state television broadcast on Saturday. Khamenei also blamed protesters for deaths he said numbered in the “several thousand,” and accused the U.S. of seeking domination over Iran’s economic and political resources. Trump responded by saying Khamenei “should run his country properly and stop killing people.”
Donald Trump’s announcement of Nicolás Maduro’s capture as a first step toward drug-trafficking charges in the United States cast Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, as a potential partner. But the Associated Press reported that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration records show Rodríguez has been on the agency’s radar for years, including being labeled a “priority target” in 2022. AP said the files date to at least 2018 and include allegations and named associates that U.S. authorities have not publicly charged Rodríguez over.
Canadian leader Mark Carney met China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing this week as Canada sought to re-establish ties with China after nearly a decade of stalled relations. The agreements were framed as preliminary, but the visit underscored the influence of Donald Trump and the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s priorities.
Congolese soldiers and fighters from a pro-government militia have reentered Uvira in eastern Congo, the army and residents said Monday. The move comes about a month after the town was seized by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, which later said it would withdraw from Uvira as a U.S.-requested step toward a peace process.
Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are set to merge into Syria’s national army and police forces after days of clashes with the government announced a ceasefire, ending the latest fighting round, the Associated Press reported on Jan. 19. The deal, shown in state media as President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed the agreement, also provides for SDF commanders to receive high military and managerial roles, according to the AP report. The SDF now controls Hassakeh, including a large Kurdish community, with the previous fighting leaving fighters cornered in the province, the report said.
Egipto y Sudán dijeron el sábado que dan la bienvenida a una oferta del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, para reiniciar la mediación con Etiopía sobre la Gran Represa del Renacimiento Etíope (GERD, por sus siglas en inglés), en el río Nilo. El mandatario etíope no emitió comentarios de inmediato, mientras Trump publicó el viernes una carta dirigida al presidente egipcio Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Egypt and Sudan welcomed President Donald Trump’s offer to restart U.S. mediation efforts with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a project that has strained relations in the Nile River basin. In separate statements posted Saturday, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Sudan’s top general Abdel-Fattah Burhan praised the initiative. The renewed talks come after years of deadlock since U.S.-led mediation collapsed in 2020.
The FAA on Friday urged U.S. aircraft operators to “exercise caution” when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing “military activities” and possible satellite navigation interference. The warning was issued in Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, that warn of potential risks at all altitudes for aircraft during overflight as well as arrival and departure phases of flight.
Four gunmen who crossed from Afghanistan into Tajikistan were killed in a skirmish with Tajik border guards overnight, Tajikistan’s National Security Committee said. The incident occurred near a village close to the border with Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, officials said on Monday.
India and the United Arab Emirates on Monday finalized agreements spanning trade, energy, defense and technology, as President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The two countries set a goal of doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032, India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said. The deals were signed amid regional tensions in West Asia.
Iraqi forces have fully taken over the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq after U.S. personnel withdrew, Iraqi officials said Saturday. The shift completes a drawdown agreed by Washington and Baghdad as part of the wind-down of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq.
Britain’s main opposition leader Kemi Badenoch joined a protest on Saturday against China’s planned “mega embassy” in London, with a government deadline approaching to approve or block the project. Demonstrators gathered near the former Royal Mint site by Tower Bridge, chanting “no China mega embassy” as officials weigh national security concerns and diplomatic considerations.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Monday that the country has discovered a new natural gas deposit near the disputed South China Sea, off Palawan. Marcos said the “significant discovery” northwest of Palawan, near the existing Malampaya gas field, could help avert a potential power crunch in Luzon. The undersea reservoir, called Malampaya East 1, was found about 5 kilometers east of the main Malampaya field.
Copenhagen and other parts of Denmark saw pro-Greenland protesters wear red baseball caps spoofing Donald Trump’s MAGA hats, with one version reading “Make America Go Away,” during demonstrations this weekend. The caps have spread on social media and at rallies as European governments have backed Denmark over concerns about U.S. threats to seize the Arctic territory.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum moved to calm concerns after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned U.S. aircraft to “exercise caution” over the eastern Pacific near Mexico and other parts of the Americas, citing “military activities.” She said her government waited for “written” assurance that there would be no U.S. military flights over Mexican territory.
Taiwan’s prosecutors say a television reporter was detained after an order to hold him over allegations that he bribed active and retired military officers to provide information to people in mainland China. The journalist, identified by a court filing as “Lin” and by CTi TV as Lin Chen-you, was detained along with five officers, prosecutors said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products after two days of meetings with Chinese leaders in Beijing. Carney said the deal includes an initial annual cap of 49,000 Chinese EVs entering Canada at a tariff rate of 6.1%, rising to about 70,000 over five years.
President Donald Trump sent invitation letters Friday to multiple world leaders asking them to become "founding members" of a Board of Peace that the Trump administration says could extend well beyond ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to address other global conflicts — an ambition analysts say would challenge the United Nations' seven-decade role as the world's primary international forum.
A U.S. airstrike in northwest Syria on Friday killed an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant leader whom military officials said was directly connected to the December ambush that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter, U.S. Central Command announced. The strike marked the third round of American retaliatory operations since the Dec. 13 attack.
Taiwan’s premier said on Friday the island secured what he called the “best tariff deal” in its trade arrangement with the United States, as China’s foreign ministry criticized the accord in Beijing. The agreement cuts U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15% in exchange for $250 billion in new investments in the U.S. tech industry.
Thousands of Greenlanders marched Saturday from downtown Nuuk to the U.S. Consulate, chanting "Greenland is not for sale" and waving their national flag in what witnesses described as the largest protest in the capital against U.S. President Donald Trump's stated ambition to seize the Arctic island. As the march concluded, Trump announced from his Florida home that the United States would impose a 10% import tax, beginning in February, on goods from eight European countries over their opposition to American control of Greenland.
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that eight European nations will face a 10 percent import tariff beginning in February because of their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland, prompting European Union leaders to warn of a "dangerous downward spiral" in transatlantic relations. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face the initial levy, Trump said in a Truth Social post from his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The rate would climb to 25 percent on June 1 if no deal had been reached for what he called the "Complete and Total purchase of Greenland" by the United States.
Sen. Thom Tillis said he is "sick of stupid" on the Senate floor as the North Carolina Republican used the opening weeks of 2026 to rebuke senior White House aides over Greenland military threats, European tariffs, a Justice Department probe of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and pardons for Jan. 6 defendants who attacked police. The two-term senator, who is not seeking reelection, directed his criticism at aides rather than at President Donald Trump himself.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday issued a series of advisories urging U.S. aircraft operators to "exercise caution" when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. The agency cited "military activities" and possible satellite navigation interference. The 60-day alerts warn that "potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and the arrival and departure phases of flight."
The White House released names of some officials involved in overseeing next steps in Gaza after a Palestinian committee set to govern the territory under U.S. supervision met for the first time in Cairo on Friday, according to the announcement. The committee’s leader, Ali Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza, said he would work to improve conditions quickly, with reconstruction and recovery expected to take about three years.
Pakistani security forces thwarted an attempted hostage-taking after assailants attacked a police station in Kharan district in Balochistan on Friday, the military said. The attack began a day earlier, when the attackers targeted two banks, looted millions of rupees and then tried to seize hostages at the police station. Security forces killed at least 12 militants in the subsequent gunfight, the military said.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, after Trump publicly questioned her credibility. The Nobel Institute has said Machado could not give the award to Trump.
Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, the White House announced Saturday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second lady Usha Vance, U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, and a group of Olympic gold medalists will accompany him. President Donald Trump is not on the delegation list.
The Drug Enforcement Administration labeled Delcy Rodríguez, now Venezuela's acting president, a "priority target" in 2022 — a designation the agency reserves for suspects believed to have significant impact on drug trafficking — according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and statements from more than half a dozen current and former U.S. law enforcement officials. The disclosure comes as President Donald Trump has positioned Rodríguez as Washington's preferred partner for stabilizing Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
A first flight carrying 231 Venezuelan migrants deported from the U.S. city of Phoenix arrived at an airport outside Caracas on Friday, after Washington captured former President Nicolás Maduro and moved him to New York to face drug trafficking charges, according to Venezuelan officials. The Eastern Airlines plane marked the resumption of direct deportation air transfers after the U.S. suspended them in mid-December, the Associated Press reported.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement would be signed in Paraguay on Saturday while he decided not to attend the ceremony, according to remarks Friday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa also spoke as the deal moves toward formal signing.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Venezuela and met in Caracas with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to a U.S. government official. The meeting took place Thursday and lasted about two hours, the official said.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that Mexico’s efforts to crack down on cartels and reduce migration north are producing “compelling results,” as the Trump administration signals potential new steps against trafficking groups. The remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente issued a joint statement following a phone call agreeing that “more must be done to confront shared threats.”
President Donald Trump said he is ready to restart U.S. mediation efforts between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River water-sharing issues. In remarks and a letter to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Trump said his team understands the Nile’s importance to Egypt’s people.
President Donald Trump thanked Iran’s government on Friday for canceling what he said were executions of political prisoners, as he also suggested the prospect of U.S. military action against Iran was fading. Trump told reporters, “Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people,” and added, “and I greatly respect the fact that they canceled,” before leaving the White House for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
President Donald Trump said Friday he may impose tariffs on countries that refuse to back U.S. control of Greenland, extending the economic pressure he has wielded over the months-long dispute with NATO ally Denmark. Trump made the statement during an unrelated White House event on rural health care, hours after a bipartisan Congressional delegation arrived in Copenhagen to meet with Danish and Greenlandic leaders and lower tensions over his push to acquire the semiautonomous Arctic territory.
European troops from several NATO countries began arriving in Greenland on Thursday as Denmark, Greenland and U.S. officials continued talks focused on the future of the Arctic island, an AP report said. The White House characterized the next discussions with Denmark and Greenland as “technical talks on the acquisition agreement” for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, while Denmark’s foreign minister said earlier this week the talks were meant to address differences while respecting Denmark’s “red lines.”
A senior hard-line cleric in Iran called Friday for the death penalty for detained protesters and threatened U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as the wave of demonstrations that began Dec. 28 appeared to have receded. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, made the demand in a sermon carried live on Iranian state radio that drew chants of 'Armed hypocrites should be put to death!' from gathered worshippers.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Friday she is "profoundly, profoundly confident" that Venezuela will achieve a democratic transition, but she declined to set a timetable for free elections and would not say when she planned to return home. Machado spoke at the Heritage Foundation in Washington one day after presenting her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House, a gesture that underscored the constrained position she occupies as Trump's administration backs a Maduro loyalist over her opposition movement.
Iran has returned to uneasy calm after a wave of protests and a crackdown that began Dec. 28, with a senior hard-line cleric calling for executions of detained demonstrators, according to a report Thursday. In remarks carried by Iranian state media, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami also threatened U.S. President Donald Trump, while Trump said he respected Iran’s decision to cancel executions of more than 800 people.
The Associated Press published an interactive quiz Thursday testing readers' knowledge of President Donald Trump's first year in his second term, arriving four days before the one-year anniversary of his Jan. 20, 2025, return to the White House. The quiz covers topics including Federal Reserve policy, U.S.-Iran relations, and the Kennedy Center Honors, according to topical metadata attached to the AP article.
President Donald Trump on Friday thanked Iran's government for canceling what he said were planned executions of more than 800 political prisoners, even as the death toll from weeks of demonstrations inside Iran continued to rise. "Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people," Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. "I greatly respect the fact that they canceled." Trump also posted "Thank you!" on his social media site.
Denmark’s foreign minister said a “fundamental disagreement” remained after a Washington meeting with the Trump administration on U.S. ambitions to take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. agreed to form a high-level working group to explore whether there is a common way forward.
International journalists and camera crews have been arriving in Nuuk, Greenland, as a political dispute involving President Donald Trump’s calls for U.S. control of the Arctic island draws wider attention, an Associated Press reporter said. Greenlanders and politicians have described the attention as overwhelming and said they reject any suggestion the island is for sale.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the Security Council on Thursday that President Donald Trump has made clear “all options are on the table” to stop what the U.S. described as the “slaughter” of protesters in Iran. The emergency meeting came as Trump signaled possible de-escalation after the U.S.-backed prospect of retaliation for protesters’ deaths had raised tensions in the region.
The U.S. Coast Guard seized another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration said has ties to Venezuela, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the military. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the tanker, named Veronica, was boarded early Thursday. The seizure marked the sixth sanctioned tanker taken by U.S. forces as part of the administration’s effort to curb Venezuela’s oil exports, the Associated Press reported.
The White House says it is moving into the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, with new steps that include creating a transitional Palestinian governing committee and starting reconstruction work. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff announced the shift on Wednesday, but the White House and other mediators provided few details about how the committee would be formed or what powers it would have. (AP)
The Trump administration told U.S. embassies and consulates that athletes, coaches and certain support staff tied to the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympic Games and other designated “major sporting events” will be allowed to travel to the United States, even as the administration maintains a visa ban for citizens of nearly 40 countries. The State Department sent the guidance in a cable issued Wednesday, according to the AP. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-visas-travel-ban-world-cup-olympics-869bace5a2eb40b7f1aac1e6b8667474">The AP reported</a> the cable’s contents, including that exemptions for events would not automatically extend to foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan, nominated to lead U.S. Southern Command, told the Senate Armed Service Committee on Thursday that he is ready to oversee an expanded U.S. military presence in Latin America but does not know how long it will last. Lawmakers questioned how the administration plans to run the Southern Command amid a campaign that culminated with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture, and they also grilled another nominee for the National Security Agency.
CARACAS, Venezuela — An Eastern Airlines charter carrying 231 Venezuelan migrants deported from the U.S. city of Phoenix landed at an airport outside the capital on Friday, resuming direct deportation flights after a roughly five-week suspension, Venezuelan officials said. The arrival marked the first direct U.S.-to-Venezuela deportation transfer since Dec. 10, according to Venezuelan officials, who said Washington unilaterally halted the flights in mid-December.
Cuban officials on Thursday repatriated the remains of 32 officers killed during a Jan. 3 raid tied to Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, staging a mass funeral in Havana as the U.S. threat remains a central theme in Cuban messaging. The ceremonies took place at Havana’s airport and at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, where urns were placed on a table beside pictures of those killed.
Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi on Thursday laid out aspirations for Iran if the Islamic Republic’s theocracy is toppled, and experts said his plan appears largely aimed at winning support from U.S. President Donald Trump. Pahlavi urged protesters onto Iran’s streets last week as authorities shut down the internet and launched a crackdown that activists say has killed thousands.
Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo said he wants to keep a strong, strategic relationship with the United States while working to support international law and peaceful dispute resolution. In an interview with The Associated Press on Jan. 15, Arévalo spoke after the U.S. removed Venezuela’s president, which he said underscored a broader period of “disorder.”
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a meeting at the White House on Thursday. Machado said she did it “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,” then went to Capitol Hill and later met with a bipartisan group of senators.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. General Assembly that countries are brazenly violating international law and that development and humanitarian aid cuts are undermining global cooperation. In remarks at the start of his final year leading the United Nations, Guterres also criticized a concentration of power and wealth among the world’s richest 1%.
A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced legislation to create a new independent agency funded with $2.5 billion to stockpile rare earth elements and other critical minerals, stabilize prices, and encourage domestic and allied production. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., sponsored the Senate bill; Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., introduced the House companion. The move comes as the Pentagon has separately committed billions of dollars in equity stakes and partnerships to reduce American dependence on China, which processes more than 90 percent of the world's critical minerals and has used that leverage to extract trade concessions from Washington.
Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to dismiss a war powers resolution that would have limited President Donald Trump's ability to conduct further attacks on Venezuela, after two GOP senators reversed course. Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 deadlock on a Republican motion to dismiss the measure.
The Syrian military said it would open a “humanitarian corridor” for civilians to evacuate a contested area east of Aleppo on Thursday, as fighting and tensions persisted between government forces and Kurdish-led units. The announcement came late Wednesday and set evacuation hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday.
Some personnel at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar were advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, according to a U.S. official and Qatar. The notice came as President Donald Trump warned of possible action after a deadly crackdown on protesters in Iran and senior Iranian officials referred to a retaliatory attack in June at the base.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approved of President Donald Trump's performance as president as of early January, according to a new AP-NORC poll — a figure virtually unchanged from March 2025, shortly after Trump began his second term. The poll, conducted Jan. 8–11, 2026, among 1,203 adults, found Trump's overall approval has remained unusually stable despite a year of active domestic and foreign policy moves.
Days before a U.S. military operation removed Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, Justice Department lawyers said the action would serve “important national interests” and would “not rise to the level of war in the constitutional sense,” according to a heavily redacted legal opinion released this week.
Several Middle Eastern allies of the United States urged the Trump administration Thursday to hold off on military strikes against Iran, warning that armed intervention would destabilize an already volatile region and rattle the global economy, according to an Arab diplomat familiar with the conversations. Top officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar raised those concerns in the preceding 48 hours as the White House continued to insist all options remain on the table. Iran's nationwide protests appeared increasingly suppressed a week after authorities isolated the country from outside communications and escalated a violent response that activists say has killed at least 2,637 people.
U.S. Coast Guard and military forces seized a sixth sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, boarding the vessel named Veronica in an operation conducted with troops launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced. The ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of a U.S.-imposed quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the region, Noem said.
The Marine Corps general nominated to lead U.S. military operations in Latin America told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that he expects U.S. Southern Command to look "much different" this year, but said he does not know how long the Trump administration's enhanced military presence in the region will last or what its long-term plans entail. Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan appeared before the committee for his confirmation hearing to lead Southern Command, the Doral, Florida-based headquarters overseeing U.S. military operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who retired last year amid growing scrutiny over the Trump administration's deadly strikes on boats accused of drug smuggling.
White-gloved Cuban soldiers carried urns containing the remains of 32 military officers into the headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces in Havana on Thursday, completing a repatriation that the Cuban government marked as one of the most significant mass funerals on the island in half a century. The officers were killed on Jan. 3 during a U.S. raid on the Caracas residence of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was seized and transported to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Tens of thousands of Cubans lined streets to pay their respects as President Miguel Díaz-Canel and former President Raúl Castro attended the ceremony.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions Thursday on Iranian officials accused of ordering violence against demonstrators in nationwide protests that have challenged Iran's government, while also targeting a shadow banking network the U.S. says has been used to launder revenue from Iranian oil sales.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gave President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal at the White House on Thursday, describing the gesture as recognition of his "unique commitment" to Venezuelan freedom — even as the White House said the meeting had not changed Trump's assessment of her political viability. The two-and-a-half-hour meeting produced no public commitment from Trump on a timeline for elections in Venezuela, where interim President Delcy Rodríguez continues to govern with U.S. cooperation.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the 193-member General Assembly on Thursday that the world faces "brazen violations of international law" and a "morally indefensible" concentration of wealth in the hands of the richest 1%, delivering a sweeping indictment of global power at the outset of his final year heading the organization. Guterres, whose second five-year term ends Dec. 31, said the organization's member nations are confronting "a world marked by self-defeating geopolitical divides, brazen violations of international law, and wholesale cuts in development and humanitarian aid."
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in a gesture she described as recognition of his role in ousting Nicolás Maduro. Trump confirmed on social media that he accepted the medal, calling the meeting "an honor." Machado spent about two and a half hours at the White House before heading to Capitol Hill, where senators who met with her said she received no commitment from the administration on holding elections in Venezuela.
The United States and Iran confronted each other Thursday at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting called by Washington, where U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz warned that President Trump would act to stop Iran's deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. Activists say the government's security forces have killed at least 2,677 people since the demonstrations began, a toll that exceeds any prior round of unrest in Iran in decades, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The figure released Thursday represents an increase of 106 from a day earlier.
The Trump administration has identified a host of athletic competitions where athletes and coaches will be allowed to travel to the United States despite a broad visa ban affecting nearly 40 countries, the State Department said Wednesday.
The Pentagon announced Thursday that it is directing Stars and Stripes, the congressionally protected military newspaper, to eliminate what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's spokesman called "woke distractions" and refocus content on service members. Hegseth's spokesman, Sean Parnell, said in a post on X that the publication would cover "warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability and ALL THINGS MILITARY," and that the Defense Department would generate half of its content while ending reprints from the Associated Press and Reuters. The publication's own publisher said he first learned of the changes by reading Parnell's social media post, not through any communication from the Pentagon.
Israel will posthumously honor the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk with an award for combating antisemitism at a conference in Jerusalem later this month, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The conference, the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, will take place four months after Kirk was assassinated while speaking at an American university.
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo said Thursday his country is focused on maintaining a "good" relationship with the United States while working to uphold international law and peaceful dispute resolution, an approach he described as increasingly urgent following the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez used her first state of the union address Thursday to call for opening the country's state-run oil industry to foreign investment and to advocate for resuming diplomatic ties with the United States, less than two weeks after Washington captured and ousted former President Nicolás Maduro.
Thousands of Venezuelans gathered Wednesday in Barquisimeto for the annual Divina Pastora procession, honoring a title of the Virgin Mary and praying for peace as the country faces acute political uncertainty following the reported capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Stephen Miller, the White House chief of staff for policy, told CNN in January that world affairs are "governed by strength, governed by force, governed by power," articulating the ideological framework the Trump administration has applied to its military operation in Venezuela, its push to acquire Greenland, and its domestic immigration enforcement crackdown. "These are the iron laws of the world," Miller told CNN anchor Jake Tapper.
President Donald Trump signed the "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act" at the White House on Wednesday, but the Oval Office ceremony became a vehicle for a series of unrelated announcements — including Trump's claim that Iran had halted plans for mass executions, the arrest of a leaker he connected to Venezuela, and the signing of executive orders on semiconductor and rare earth mineral tariffs. The dairy legislation arrived near the end of the event, with a glass bottle of whole milk placed on the Resolute Desk going untouched throughout.
President Donald Trump said Monday he would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran, a move aimed at pressuring Tehran to end what the White House and activists describe as a crackdown on nationwide protests. The tariffs, first described in a social media post, could also raise prices Americans pay for imports and create ripple effects for the United States’ trade truce with China.
Denmark's top diplomat said Wednesday that a "fundamental disagreement" with President Donald Trump over Greenland persists after Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt held talks at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two sides agreed to form a working group to address differences, but Rasmussen said Trump's push for U.S. sovereignty over the semiautonomous Danish territory had not softened. "It remains clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland," Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting.
WASHINGTON — The United States announced Wednesday that the Gaza ceasefire brokered under President Donald Trump is entering its second phase, which calls for disarming Hamas, beginning reconstruction of the war-ravaged territory and installing a technocratic committee to administer daily affairs under American supervision. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff made the announcement in a post on X following more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Egypt, Turkey and Qatar — the three other mediators of the deal — welcomed the move and identified Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister, to head the new transitional administration.
More than half of U.S. adults believe President Donald Trump has "gone too far" in using the military to intervene in other countries, according to a new AP-NORC poll conducted Jan. 8–11, days after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The survey found 56% hold that view, while majorities also disapprove of Trump's handling of foreign policy broadly and the situation in Venezuela specifically.
A Congressional Budget Office analysis released Wednesday found that renaming the Department of Defense the "Department of War" could cost U.S. taxpayers as much as $125 million, depending on how broadly and how quickly the change is implemented. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in September authorizing "Department of War" as a secondary title for the Pentagon, saying the switch was intended to signal that the United States was a force to be reckoned with. Congress, which must formally approve any permanent name change, has shown no serious interest in doing so.
Some U.S. military personnel at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar were advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, Jan. 14, according to a U.S. official and the Qatari government, as tensions with Iran mounted following a deadly crackdown on Iranian protesters. The advisory came hours after a senior Iranian official publicly referenced Tehran's June missile strike on the base, raising the specter of renewed retaliation if Washington took military action against Iran.
The Senate voted Wednesday to dismiss a war powers resolution that would have constrained President Donald Trump's authority over military operations in Venezuela, after two Republican senators reversed their earlier support following direct pressure from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie on a Republican motion to dismiss the bill.
Days before U.S. forces removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power on Jan. 3, Justice Department lawyers concluded the operation would not constitute a constitutional war requiring congressional approval and would serve important national interests, according to a heavily redacted legal opinion released this week. The 22-page opinion, dated Dec. 23, was prepared for the legal counsel of the White House National Security Council by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel — the body typically convened to resolve complex legal questions for the executive branch.
The State Department announced Wednesday it will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia — effective January 21, citing concerns that applicants are likely to require U.S. public assistance. The move is grounded in a November order that tightened standards for immigrants deemed potential "public charges," and is part of a continuing effort by the Trump administration to restrict legal pathways into the country. The department said the suspension will remain in place while it reevaluates immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals expected to rely on public benefits.
The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries beginning Jan. 21, citing concerns that applicants from those nations are likely to require public assistance after entering the United States. The list includes Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, along with dozens of other countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told "on good authority" that plans to execute Iranian protesters had stopped, even as Iran's judiciary chief called the same day for rapid trials and executions of more than 18,000 detained demonstrators. Trump, speaking at the White House while signing executive orders, cited unnamed sources he described only as "very important sources on the other side" and acknowledged he was uncertain whether his claim was accurate.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez pledged Wednesday to continue freeing political prisoners and described the country as entering 'a new political moment' at her first press briefing since former President Nicolás Maduro was seized by U.S. forces and flown to the United States to face federal drug-trafficking charges. President Donald Trump said separately he had spoken with Rodríguez in what he called a 'great conversation' — their first since Maduro's capture on Jan. 3.
Chinese state media is urging Canada to chart a foreign-policy course independent of the United States as Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Beijing this week, the Associated Press reported. The push comes as relations between Canada and China have been strained for years and as Donald Trump’s approach to allies and trade has added to Canadian unease. The Chinese outlets tied their call to what they said is Washington’s pressure on Ottawa.
The U.S. is imposing a new round of sanctions on Iranian officials accused of repressing nationwide protests against Iran’s government, the Treasury Department said. The sanctions include the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, along with 18 people and companies tied to a shadow-banking network described by the Treasury. The measures were announced in Washington on Thursday.
The Trump administration said Tuesday that multiple Americans detained in Venezuela have been released, after a U.S. operation earlier this month that captured President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. State Department said it welcomes the releases, without providing exact numbers. A Venezuela human rights group, Foro Penal, said it confirmed dozens of political detainees had been freed, while Venezuela’s government disputed the count and did not provide evidence or identities.
President Donald Trump announced Monday he would impose a 25% tariff on imports from any country that does business with Iran, seeking to pressure Tehran to end its violent suppression of nationwide protests that have killed more than 2,500 people, according to activists. Trade analysts and economists warned the measure threatened to unravel a fragile trade truce with China and could raise prices for American consumers.
President Donald Trump held off on threatened military action against Iran on Monday as the White House said it was exploring private diplomatic outreach from Tehran, even as his administration announced 25% tariffs on countries doing business with the Islamic Republic. The decision came as Iranian security forces continued a violent crackdown on antigovernment protests that has left more than 600 dead and thousands arrested. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was identified as the administration's key contact for any talks with Iran.
China’s trade surplus surged in 2025 to a record of almost $1.2 trillion, the government said Wednesday, even as exports to the United States fell after President Donald Trump returned to office and escalated tariffs. The reported surplus followed export growth of 5.5% for the year, while imports stayed flat, according to customs data cited by the government.
President Donald Trump is weighing whether to order U.S. military action against Iran as the Islamic Republic continues a deadly crackdown on protests, the Associated Press reported on Jan. 13. Hours after the White House said Trump is “exploring” messages Tehran has sent privately, Trump announced he would impose 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Iran, effective immediately.
President Donald Trump paused consideration of a U.S. military strike against Iran on Monday as his administration said it was "exploring" private messages from Tehran seeking dialogue, while Trump announced 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Iran — his first concrete penalty for the Iranian government's violent crackdown on protests that has left more than 600 dead and thousands arrested.
President Donald Trump linked his push to take control of Greenland to Norway's decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, releasing a text message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stating he no longer felt "an obligation to think purely of Peace." Trump also announced 10 percent import taxes beginning in February on eight European nations that had sided with Denmark over Greenland, including Norway. The White House has not ruled out seizing Greenland by military force, and Denmark's foreign minister said Monday that nothing could be excluded from the range of possible U.S. actions. The confrontation prompted diplomatic responses from Britain, France, and NATO, and drew thousands of Greenlanders into weekend protests.
The Trump administration on Tuesday designated the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, imposing sanctions on each in a move Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the opening of a "sustained effort" to counter the group's activities across the Middle East. The Treasury and State departments announced the joint action against the three chapters, which U.S. officials said pose a risk to the United States and American interests. The Lebanese branch received the most severe label — a foreign terrorist organization designation — making it a federal criminal offense to provide the group with material support.
The Trump administration announced Tuesday it will end Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants, directing approximately 705 affected individuals to leave the United States by March 17, when existing protections expire. The Department of Homeland Security said the move follows its determination that conditions in Somalia have sufficiently improved to no longer meet the legal threshold for the designation. The announcement adds to a pattern of TPS terminations the administration has pursued across multiple nationalities since President Donald Trump took office.
The United States accused Russia on Monday of a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation" of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, singling out Moscow's use of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile fired near Ukraine's border with NATO ally Poland. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Tammy Bruce condemned Russia's intensifying strikes on energy and other infrastructure and called on all parties to pursue peace seriously.
The death toll from a government crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran climbed to at least 2,571 early Wednesday, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, as some Iranians were able to place phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications during the unrest.
A U.S. military aircraft used in the opening strike of a monthslong campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats off the coast of Venezuela was painted to resemble a civilian plane, two people familiar with the operation told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The plane, part of a secret U.S. surveillance fleet, also carried its munitions inside the fuselage rather than beneath the wings — an additional element of the apparent disguise. The details appear to conflict with Pentagon guidelines on the laws of war, which prohibit troops from feigning civilian status during combat — a practice legally known as "perfidy." The revelations come as the Senate prepares to vote this week on a war powers resolution that would bar further U.S. military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization.
Arctic security experts rebutted President Donald Trump's claims that Russian and Chinese military forces are massing near Greenland, calling the assertions factually unsupported, as Trump continued to press for U.S. acquisition of the self-governing Danish territory and floated military force as an option.
The United States said it is moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan brokered with President Donald Trump, involving disarming Hamas, rebuilding Gaza and naming Palestinian experts to administer daily affairs, under U.S. supervision. The announcement followed a statement from Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff that the deal was entering its second phase.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said a “fundamental disagreement” with President Donald Trump over Greenland remains after talks at the White House that included Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rasmussen said the two sides agreed to create a working group to discuss ways to address U.S. security concerns while respecting Denmark’s “red lines.”
Iranian officials signaled that fast trials and executions are ahead for suspects detained during nationwide protests, and Iran’s foreign minister urged negotiations with the United States. The warnings came as U.S. President Donald Trump said he had been told that killings in Iran were stopping.
The U.S. military plane used to strike a drug-smuggling boat off the coast of Venezuela last fall was painted to resemble a civilian aircraft, AP reported Monday, citing two people familiar with the situation. The plane was part of a secret U.S. fleet used for surveillance and carried munitions in the fuselage, AP said. The disclosure comes as the Trump administration faces growing scrutiny and as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote this week on a war powers resolution limiting further military action in Venezuela.
BRUSSELS — President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to seize control of Greenland are straining relations among allies in the NATO alliance and have prompted a warning that using force could spell the end of the bloc’s collective security architecture, the Associated Press reported. The Danish prime minister warned that “everything stops … including our NATO” if the United States attacks another NATO country militarily, according to the AP account.
Lawyers for President Donald Trump told U.S. officials they had legal authority to order the military to help Venezuelan police remove President Nicolás Maduro before he faced criminal proceedings in the United States, according to a Justice Department legal opinion disclosed this week. The opinion, dated Dec. 23, was prepared for the White House National Security Council counsel ahead of a U.S. operation carried out at night on Jan. 3.
The United States accused Russia on Monday of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine, as the Trump administration seeks to advance negotiations toward peace. U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce linked the accusation to Russia’s launch of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile last week near Ukraine’s border with Poland.
The United States accused Russia on Monday of a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation" of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine, making the charge at an emergency United Nations Security Council session called by Kyiv after a large-scale Russian bombardment that included the second use of Moscow's nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile. U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce singled out Russia's launch of the Oreshnik ballistic missile near Ukraine's border with Poland, a NATO ally. The session convened as the Trump administration was actively working to advance peace negotiations between the two countries.
Colombia's largest remaining rebel group called for a "national accord" with the country's incoming government on Monday, as it faces the prospect of joint military operations from both Colombia and the United States following the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The National Liberation Army, known by its Spanish acronym ELN, published the appeal on its X account, saying it hopes to work with Colombia's new government after elections this year on agreements to fight poverty, protect ecosystems and reduce drug trafficking in rural areas.
Los Angeles police arrested a 48-year-old man Sunday on suspicion of reckless driving after he steered a U-Haul box truck toward demonstrators gathered in the city's Westwood neighborhood in solidarity with Iran's protest movement, the department said. No one was struck by the truck, police confirmed, though two people declined treatment after paramedics evaluated them at the scene. The driver was released Monday without being formally charged.
A federal judge in San Diego sentenced a former U.S. Navy sailor to more than 16 years in prison Monday for selling technical manuals and operational intelligence about military ships to a Chinese intelligence officer, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Jinchao Wei, 25, who served as an engineer aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, received a 200-month sentence after a federal jury convicted him in August of six crimes, including espionage.
President Donald Trump told Iranian protesters "help is on its way" and cut off talks with the Iranian government on Tuesday, as his administration weighed options including military strikes in response to a crackdown that rights monitors say has killed more than 2,500 people since demonstrations began Dec. 28.
Colombia’s National Liberation Army, or ELN, called for a “national accord” aimed at overcoming political disputes as it faces pressure from both the Colombian government and the United States. The rebel group said it wants to work with Colombia’s new government after this year’s elections, including agreements to defeat poverty, protect ecosystems and overcome the drug trade in rural areas.
The Department of Homeland Security announced a regulatory change aimed at reducing visa wait times abroad for religious workers serving U.S. congregations. The rule also eliminates a requirement that some R-1 religious workers leave the United States for one year after hitting a five-year visa maximum, though they would still need to depart and be able to apply to re-enter right away.
El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos anunció que suspenderá el procesamiento de visas de inmigrante para ciudadanos de 75 países a partir del 21 de enero, medida que el gobierno del presidente Donald Trump vincula con evitar entradas de personas que podrían necesitar asistencia pública en el país. La suspensión no aplica a visas de no inmigrante, incluidas las de turista o negocios. La decisión llega tras una orden más amplia emitida en noviembre que endureció las reglas para posibles “cargas públicas”.
More than half of U.S. adults say President Donald Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The survey was conducted Jan. 8-11, after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
Rio de Janeiro’s police on Wednesday killed four people after they attacked security forces during an operation in the Salgueiro complex of favelas, officials said. The civil police said the operation was aimed at containing the growth of the Red Command criminal gang.
The U.S. Department of State said it will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, starting Jan. 21, as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to tighten entry rules tied to public assistance. The suspension will cover countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, and State Department officials said the pause is tied to a broader order issued in November that tightened “public charge” screening.
President Donald Trump has selected Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to discuss Greenland with officials in Washington, after Trump renewed his public view that the United States should take action on the Arctic island. Landry, appointed in December, has said he is not interested in meeting diplomats and plans travel that includes attending a dogsled race in March, his spokesperson said.
At least 646 people have been killed since protests erupted in Iran on Dec. 28, according to a U.S.-based human rights monitoring group, as President Donald Trump on Monday announced 25 percent tariffs on countries that do business with Tehran and said the Islamic Republic wants to negotiate. The announcements came after Oman's foreign minister traveled to Iran over the weekend in a visit that activated a channel Muscat has long used as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, though Tehran did not issue a public statement in response to Trump's comments.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on all countries doing business with Iran on Monday and said Tehran has privately sought talks with Washington, as the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 646 people had been killed in two weeks of protests against the Iranian government. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, said the protest situation was "under total control" and that Iran was "open to diplomacy," while blaming the United States and Israel for the violence without offering evidence. Iran's foreign ministry said a diplomatic channel to Washington remained open but insisted talks could not be one-sided.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting China for the first time in nearly a decade, aiming to rebuild ties with President Xi Jinping amid new U.S. tariff pressure. Carney arrives in Beijing on Wednesday, with meetings scheduled with Xi on Friday and other Chinese officials before the trip ends Saturday.
Central bankers from around the world said Tuesday they “stand in full solidarity” with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as President Donald Trump escalated his confrontation with the Fed, including a Justice Department investigation and threats of criminal charges. The heads of nine national central banks, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, issued a statement supporting the Fed’s independence and emphasizing rule of law and democratic accountability.
Strong winter winds collapsed walls onto tents for Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza, killing at least four people, hospital authorities said Tuesday, and a 1-year-old boy died of hypothermia overnight. The Associated Press reported that Israel’s military also said it exchanged fire Tuesday with people spotted near troops in southern Gaza, killing at least two in western Rafah.
A bipartisan group of at least nine U.S. lawmakers is traveling to Copenhagen this week to affirm American commitment to Denmark as President Donald Trump continues to press his administration's push to acquire Greenland, with the White House considering a range of options that include military force. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware is leading the delegation, which includes Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Monday that his government is not in negotiations with the United States, a day after President Donald Trump warned Cuba to "make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE." Trump's message followed a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3 that killed 32 Cuban officers in Venezuela and led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro. Díaz-Canel wrote in posts on X that any future dialogue must be grounded in "international law rather than hostility, threats, and economic coercion."
Israel’s recognition of breakaway Somaliland has triggered uproar in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, with Somali leaders warning it threatens their country’s sovereignty. The move also has raised security concerns as regional rivals and groups in the area respond to a new factor in power struggles.
President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday labeled three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, imposing sanctions on the groups and their members. The Treasury and State departments announced the actions against the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters, saying they pose a risk to U.S. interests.
U.S. President Donald Trump has made Greenland a focus of his second term, framing control of the self-governing Danish territory as a national security priority while repeating claims about Chinese and Russian military activity near the island. In a recent statement, he said “there are Russian destroyers,” “Chinese destroyers,” and “Russian submarines all over the place” around Greenland and warned the island would fall into Chinese or Russian hands if the U.S. did not acquire it.
The Trump administration designated the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, a move that expands a long-running regional debate over the Sunni Islamist movement’s political and militant activities. The designation, announced Tuesday, comes as governments across the Middle East have cracked down on the Brotherhood while some others have supported its ideology.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is "inclined" to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela after the oil company's chief executive declared the country "uninvestable" during a White House meeting with energy executives on Friday. Trump made the remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he departed West Palm Beach, Florida.
Venezuelan authorities had freed 49 political prisoners as of Monday afternoon, according to Caracas-based advocacy group Foro Penal, a trickle of releases that left hundreds of families camped on prison sidewalks hoping for more. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez's government pledged last week to free a significant number of detainees as a goodwill gesture to "seek peace," but officials have not named or enumerated those being considered. Human rights organizations say more than 800 people are held in Venezuela for political reasons.
Iraq’s caretaker prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, stepped aside for former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, two Iraqi officials said Tuesday. The move clears the field amid post-election wrangling over forming a new government after Iraq’s November parliamentary vote.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he is “inclined” to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela after Exxon’s chief raised skepticism about oil-investment plans there. Trump spoke aboard Air Force One as he left West Palm Beach, Florida, according to the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is still trying to understand how many people in Iran have been killed and arrested during unrest that began late last month, while calling on Iran’s government to “show humanity.” In remarks after talks with his national security team, Trump said he has heard “five different sets of numbers” about the death toll and that his administration would “act accordingly” if the killing is “significant.”
U.S. President Donald Trump will lead a record-large U.S. delegation to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next week, organizers said Tuesday. The Geneva-based forum said the event runs from Monday through Jan. 23.
Scores of families in Venezuela have begun registering relatives they say are “political prisoners” after the government’s promised release of detainees following the Jan. 3 U.S.-linked capture of President Nicolás Maduro, according to prisoner advocates and human rights monitors. For many, the reopening of outreach comes too late: police officer Edilson Torres died in detention in December and was buried in his hometown in Guanare this week.
President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a fresh ultimatum to Cuba's communist government, demanding Havana strike an unspecified "deal" with Washington and declaring that no more Venezuelan oil or money would reach the island — days after the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro severed the oil lifeline Cuba had depended on for years. Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel rejected the demand hours later, accusing the United States of lacking moral authority to criticize his government.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his administration is not in talks with the U.S. government after President Donald Trump threatened Cuba following a U.S. attack on Venezuela. Díaz-Canel said any contacts would be limited to “technical” discussions about migration.
Greenland’s party leaders rejected President Donald Trump’s renewed call for the United States to take control of Greenland, saying its future must be decided by Greenlandic people. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland Prime Minister, and four other party leaders made the case in a statement Friday night. The remarks came after officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and scheduled another meeting next week.
Israeli drone strike killed three Palestinians who crossed the ceasefire line near central Gaza’s Morag corridor, hospital officials said Monday. Israel’s military said the three approached troops and posed an immediate threat and later found weapons and intelligence-gathering equipment. The strike came as Gaza awaited an expected announcement this week on a new governance committee tied to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan.
Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni said Friday she does not believe the United States would use military force to seize control of Greenland, and she urged a stronger NATO role in the Arctic. Speaking during a New Year press conference in Rome, Meloni said such an action would have serious consequences for NATO and would not be in anyone’s interest. The White House has said the administration is weighing options that could include military action.
North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones across the border between the two Koreas this week and warned of consequences. South Korea denied the accusation, while North Korean state media said its forces brought down a South Korean drone using electronic warfare.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he is “inclined” to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela after the company’s top executive raised concerns about oil investment plans following the toppling of former President Nicolás Maduro. Trump made the remark aboard Air Force One as he departed West Palm Beach, Florida, after a Friday meeting with oil executives.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States should take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous island in NATO ally Denmark, and warned, “something on Greenland” would happen “whether they like it or not.” Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met in Washington on Thursday and are scheduled to meet again next week as Washington considers options that include military force.
DUBAI — The death toll from Iran's crackdown on street protesters rose to at least 544, activists said Sunday, as President Donald Trump said Tehran had proposed negotiations while simultaneously warning that military action remained under active consideration. More than 10,600 people have been detained since demonstrations began Dec. 28, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
President Donald Trump said Friday the United States "is going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not," renewing his push to acquire the Danish autonomous territory. But geologists and industry experts say Greenland's rare earth deposits face years of logistical, geological, and financial hurdles that would persist regardless of who controls the island.
Eighteen Buddhist monks in saffron and ocher robes are walking single file across the American South, drawing thousands of onlookers to churchyards, city halls and town squares along a 2,300-mile route from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. Led by the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, who makes the trek barefoot, the group has attracted large crowds across six states since setting out on Oct. 26, 2025. On Saturday, thousands gathered at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, where Mayor Daniel Rickenmann issued the monks a formal proclamation.
Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy reached their two-week mark Sunday, with the death toll in the unrest at least 116, activists said. With internet access cut off and phone lines restricted, foreign groups and state media reported conflicting pictures of casualties and arrests as demonstrations continued in parts of Iran, including Tehran and Mashhad.
Cuba is bracing for wider disruption as the United States increases seizures of Venezuela-linked oil tankers, raising fresh concerns about whether the island’s government and economy can weather another shock. The Associated Press reported that experts warn a sudden halt in Venezuelan oil shipments could deepen Cuba’s already severe blackouts and supply shortages, potentially fueling unrest and migration.
Hundreds of displaced residents returned Monday to Achrafieh, a neighborhood in Aleppo, after days of intense fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters, the Associated Press reported. AP said clashes that began Jan. 6 killed at least 23 people and displaced tens of thousands. Traffic and bus service resumed as security forces guarded the area and began clearing damage and unexploded material.
Iran’s leadership is facing “incredible pressure” as the largest protests in years against the Islamic theocracy continue, the Associated Press reported. The protests and the crackdown have pushed a rising death toll “into the hundreds,” while communications links to the outside world remain cut.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday and that the two governments will keep working on security issues without U.S. intervention against drug cartels. Sheinbaum said Trump asked about what the U.S. did in Venezuela after the removal of Nicolás Maduro and that she reiterated Mexico’s opposition to interventions.
Syrian security forces began deploying Saturday in a neighborhood in Aleppo after days of intense fighting with Kurdish fighters, leaving dozens dead and injured, the Associated Press reported. The violence prompted authorities to stop civilian flights at Aleppo International Airport until further notice, state television reported.
El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump dijo que Irán quiere negociar con Washington mientras, según activistas, el número de muertos por las protestas en Irán sube al menos a 646. Sus comentarios siguieron a una visita del ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Omán a Irán y en medio de reportes de arrestos y represión contra manifestantes.
The United Kingdom agreed to pay a “substantial sum” to settle a lawsuit brought by Abu Zubaydah, a Guantanamo detainee who said UK intelligence agencies were complicit in his torture at secret U.S. interrogation sites, his lawyer said Monday. The settlement follows years of legal and parliamentary scrutiny of U.K. cooperation with the CIA’s post-Sept. 11 detention and interrogation program.
Venezuelan migrants in the United States voiced mixed reactions after the Trump administration ousted President Nicolás Maduro in a late-night military raid, with some expressing relief while others worried about the future for their families. Alejandra Salima, a Venezuelan advocate in the Miami area, said the removal is “a first step, but we’re nervous,” citing fears that returning could endanger her and her son.
The United States and Jordanian militaries struck multiple Islamic State targets across Syria on Saturday in the latest wave of retaliatory action following a December ambush that killed two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an American civilian interpreter near Palmyra, according to the U.S. Central Command.
The White House is considering a range of options to acquire Greenland, including military force, after U.S. officials met Thursday in Washington with counterparts from Denmark and Greenland and agreed to meet again the following week. President Donald Trump said Friday the United States would act on Greenland "whether they like it or not," adding that if a deal was not reached "the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO. Greenlanders have said they do not want to become part of the United States.
Greenland's prime minister and four party leaders issued a joint statement Friday firmly rejecting President Donald Trump's calls for the United States to take control of the self-governing Arctic island, saying its future must be decided by its own people alone. "We don't want to be Americans, we don't want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders," the leaders said. The statement came as the White House confirmed it is weighing options to acquire Greenland, including military force.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute said Friday that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked, transferred, or shared with other recipients, closing off Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado's expressed wish to give or share her award with President Donald Trump. "The decision is final and stands for all time," the institute said in a brief statement issued from Oslo.
Britain is discussing with NATO allies how it can help bolster security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said Sunday. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks were “business as usual” rather than a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed push for the United States to take control of Greenland.
Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are walking single file across the U.S. South as part of a “peace walk” that began Oct. 26, 2025, in Texas and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C. Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, who is leading the trek barefoot, said the group’s hope is that people they meet will continue practicing mindfulness and “find peace.”
Hamas said it will dissolve its existing Gaza government once a new Palestinian technocratic leadership committee takes over the territory, as called for in a U.S.-brokered peace plan. The group did not say when the change would occur, while negotiations continue over a broader ceasefire framework and deaths in Gaza remained reported.
Israel is closely monitoring the fallout from widespread Iranian protests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran raise concerns the unrest could escalate. Netanyahu made the comments at the start of Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, praising Iranians’ protest heroism while condemning the killing of civilians.
Kurdish fighters were evacuated from a contested neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria, officials said early Sunday, after days of clashes between Kurdish forces and government forces. State-run media reported that buses transported fighters from Sheikh Maqsoud, which is under the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF said international mediation produced an understanding that would include a ceasefire and safe evacuation of fighters, wounded people and civilians.
Thousands of Yemenis rallied Saturday in the southern city of Aden in support of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a day after it dissolved itself following clashes with the internationally recognized Yemen government. Protesters gathered in the Khor Maksar district, where Aden’s international airport is located, chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni international government.
The United States launched another round of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria on Saturday, after a deadly ambush last month killed two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter, the U.S. Central Command said. The strikes were carried out around 12:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT), the command said.
President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Cuba to “make a deal” after Nicolás Maduro was deposed in Venezuela, as Cuba faces a cut-off from Venezuelan oil shipments amid U.S. operations targeting Venezuelan crude. Trump said Cuba had long relied on Venezuelan “oil and money” and posted that there would be “ZERO” further support. Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, responded that those who “turn everything into a business, even human lives” have “no moral authority” to criticize Cuba.
A Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian city of Voronezh killed one person and wounded three others, local officials said Sunday, after debris from a drone fell on a house. In Kyiv, thousands of residents were still without power following an intense Russian bombardment, and officials said many apartment buildings were left without heat during daytime temperatures around minus 8 degrees Celsius.
Ukrainian drones sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, Russian officials said Saturday. The strike came after Russia launched a hypersonic missile and other weapons that disrupted Kyiv’s power supply and heating, Ukrainian officials said.
Israeli settlers beat and injured a Palestinian man during an attack on a plant nursery in the northern West Bank, according to witnesses and video footage reviewed by The Associated Press on Jan. 10. The man, identified by family members as 67-year-old Basim Saleh Yassin, was hospitalized with broken bones and other injuries, and workers later fled as attackers approached, the witnesses said.
Nicaragua’s Interior Ministry said Saturday that the country will release dozens of prisoners who were held in its National Penitentiary System, following pressure from the United States. The statement came after the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua said Venezuela had taken a step toward peace by releasing people it described as political prisoners. It was not immediately clear who would be freed or under what conditions.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday to prevent Venezuelan oil revenues held by the United States from being seized in judicial proceedings. The order declares the funds to be Venezuelan property held for 'governmental and diplomatic purposes' and not subject to private claims — a new legal instrument layered onto the administration's broader effort to control Venezuela's oil industry.
HAVANA — U.S. forces seized their fifth Venezuela-linked oil tanker on Friday as part of a broader administration push to control Venezuelan oil distribution globally, intensifying fears among experts and residents that Cuba's already battered economy may not survive a full cutoff of Venezuelan crude. Cuba had been receiving an estimated 35,000 barrels of oil per day from Venezuela before the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro, according to Jorge Piñón of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, who tracks shipments using oil tracking services and satellite technology.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute said Friday that the Nobel Peace Prize, once announced, cannot be revoked, transferred or shared with others—closing the door on talk that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado could give or share her recent award with President Donald Trump. The comment came after Machado said she would like to pass the prize to Trump and called his role in capturing Nicolás Maduro “historic.”
Argentina has repaid to the United States the funds it received under a $20 billion credit line used for currency exchange, the U.S. Treasury secretary said. Scott Bessent said the repayment was completed “rápida y completamente” after an October agreement involving President Javier Milei’s government.
Myanmar began a second round of voting Sunday in its first general election since the military takeover in 2021, with polling expanding to additional townships affected by fighting between the government and armed opponents. The vote, held in 100 townships, is the second phase of an election process scheduled across three phases because of armed conflict. Rights advocates and U.N. officials have urged voters and the international community to reject the polls as unfree and unfair.
Over two dozen families from the Bedouin village of Ras Ein el-Auja have fled their homes in the central West Bank in recent days, residents said, citing growing harassment by Jewish settlers from nearby unauthorized outposts. The residents said the harassment included settlers entering homes and disrupting daily life.
A trader at Polymarket reportedly pocketed more than $400,000 after betting that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would soon be out of office, drawing renewed attention to prediction markets. The bets were placed hours before President Donald Trump announced a nighttime raid that led to Maduro’s capture, according to the report.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at protecting revenue from Venezuelan oil that the U.S. is holding from being seized in U.S. judicial proceedings, the White House said. The order was made public Saturday as Trump met with U.S. oil executives, including ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods, in Florida.
Venezuelan government releases of detainees continued into a third day on Saturday, after the government pledged a goodwill effort to free political prisoners. Families gathered outside prisons in Caracas and other cities hoping loved ones would be among those released.
Venezuelans who fled across Latin America are watching closely what comes next after U.S. forces deposed Venezuela’s president, with officials in Washington and in countries such as Peru urging some to return. Many say the decision is complicated by the state of Venezuela’s economy, legal uncertainty in host countries and concerns about security forces and food scarcity at home.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Minnesota on Friday and said the Treasury Department is taking a closer look at financial transactions between residents and businesses in the state and Somalia as the Trump administration increases immigration enforcement. Bessent said the department launched actions to combat fraud in Minnesota and launched investigations into four businesses people use to wire money abroad, while declining to identify them.
The United Nations forecast on Thursday that the global economy will grow 2.7% this year, slightly lower than its estimate for 2025, citing the impact of higher U.S. tariffs, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. UN economists also projected growth would edge to 2.9% in 2027.
Iran's supreme leader signaled an imminent crackdown on demonstrators Friday as protests across the Islamic Republic persisted into a third week, despite the government cutting internet access and severing international telephone lines. At least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained since demonstrations began in late December over the country's ailing economy, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Republican senators broke with President Donald Trump over Venezuela war powers, and 17 House members crossed party lines on a health care vote, in the first full working week of the 2026 midterm election year. The back-to-back breaks came just days after Trump rallied House Republicans at Washington's Kennedy Center, underscoring growing pockets of resistance as the party begins a difficult campaign to hold both chambers.
Russian drone strikes temporarily knocked out power across Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region and left more than 600,000 households in the central Dnipropetrovsk region without electricity, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The overnight attacks also prompted Zelenskyy to warn of a possible new massive strike later that night.
China holds at least $10 billion in outstanding loans from Venezuela backed by crude oil, according to analysts, setting up a potential conflict with the Trump administration's plan to assert direct control over Venezuelan oil sales. Two Chinese state-owned enterprises — China National Petroleum Corp. and Sinopec — are entitled to 4.4 billion barrels of Venezuela's oil reserves under contracts signed with the government of former President Nicolás Maduro, the highest share for any foreign country, according to a Morgan Stanley research note. The competing claims emerge as Trump is expected to travel to Beijing in April to protect a trade truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping, creating pressure on the administration to avoid turning Venezuela into a diplomatic flashpoint, analysts said.
Argentina has repaid the funds it drew from a $20 billion U.S. credit line, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Friday, marking what he described as a landmark vindication of the Trump administration's financial rescue of President Javier Milei's government. The Argentine Central Bank confirmed the repayment. The U.S. Exchange Stabilization Fund, tapped to fund the bailout, now holds no Argentine pesos, Bessent said.
The Senate advanced a war powers resolution 52-47 on Thursday, with five Republicans joining Democrats to require congressional approval before President Donald Trump can conduct further military operations against Venezuela. The vote, which ensures a final-passage debate next week, came days after U.S. forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a surprise overnight raid.
Denmark's ambassador to Washington and Greenland's chief representative met Thursday with White House National Security Council officials, pressing U.S. officials to step back from President Donald Trump's call to acquire the Arctic island — possibly by military force, according to Danish government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The envoys also held a series of meetings this week with American lawmakers, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Danish officials next week.
Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday strongly condemned the U.S. military seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, warning the action would escalate military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region. The seizure Wednesday of the vessel Bella 1 — which U.S. European Command said was taken for "violations of U.S. sanctions" — drew furious rhetoric from Moscow and criticism from Russian military commentators who accused the Kremlin of failing to respond quickly enough. Russian President Vladimir Putin had not publicly commented on the seizure as of Thursday.
Defense contractor shares swung sharply this week after President Donald Trump criticized major military suppliers on Truth Social for paying billions in dividends and stock buybacks while underinvesting in production capacity, then reversed investor anxiety by proposing a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. Shares of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and RTX — the parent of Raytheon — fell on Trump's initial posts, then recovered after he announced the proposed budget, which would represent a substantial increase from the $901 billion allocated for 2026.
Defense contractors posted sharp gains Thursday after President Donald Trump announced plans to raise U.S. military spending to $1.5 trillion in 2027, while the broader market moved in a narrow range amid mixed economic data. The S&P 500 added less than a point to close at 6,921.46 — remaining near its all-time high set earlier in the week — while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 270 points and the Nasdaq composite fell 104 points to 23,480.02.
Pope Leo XIV used his annual foreign policy address to warn that countries are increasingly relying on force to assert dominion, “completely undermining” the post-World War II international legal order. Speaking Friday to ambassadors from around the world accredited to the Holy See, the pope said, “War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.”
The Trump administration on Wednesday began the process of withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the principal body through which nations negotiate, monitor, and enforce agreements to limit global warming. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move, which also included simultaneous withdrawals from a U.N. climate science panel, a biodiversity initiative, the Green Climate Fund, and several other international environmental collaborations. Climate experts said the action goes further than Trump's earlier withdrawals from the Paris Agreement.
The United Nations asserted Thursday that the United States remains legally bound to pay its dues to U.N. agencies after President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending American support for 66 international groups, agencies and commissions, including 31 U.N.-related bodies. Secretary-General António Guterres said he regretted the decision. "Assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States," Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesperson for Guterres, said in a statement.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Good, 37, during a protest against immigration raids in Minneapolis on Wednesday, the latest and most violent confrontation in a mounting conflict between the Trump administration and Minnesota. Good was killed just blocks from where a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd in 2020 — a geographic proximity that drew painful comparisons to the disorder that followed Floyd's death. The Trump administration had announced the previous day that it was sending more than 2,000 federal officers to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in what it claimed would be the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history.
An ICE agent fatally shot a Minneapolis woman during an immigration enforcement operation Wednesday, reviving a debate over when law enforcement officers may legally use lethal force against someone in a moving vehicle. The woman, identified by family members as Renee Nicole Good, 37, died after being shot in a confrontation captured on cellphone video. The killing drew immediate and conflicting responses from federal authorities, who defended the agent's actions, and local officials, who questioned whether deadly force was justified.
New international student enrollment at UC Berkeley grew 29% this academic year to 2,363 students, according to University of California data released Thursday, as new international enrollments fell 17% at U.S. campuses nationwide. The growth came despite a federal immigration crackdown that has deterred some foreign students from studying in the United States. The university also recorded its largest-ever student body, with 46,151 students enrolled this fall.
The Associated Press photographer Matias Delacroix said an armed woman on the back of a motorcycle in Caracas reminded him of a well-known photograph from the 1990s. Delacroix described how he shot the image in the aftermath of U.S. strikes that ended with the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that Argentina has repaid funds it drew from a $20 billion credit line tied to the Trump administration. The payment is described as a step for President Javier Milei to restore confidence in Argentina’s economy.
Cyprus said it was hit by a malicious disinformation campaign that seeks to portray the country’s leadership as corrupt, accusing Russia of using familiar techniques. The government pointed to an 8½-minute video posted online Thursday ahead of a parliamentary election due in four months.
President Donald Trump’s effort to assert control over Venezuela’s oil could collide with China’s debt and oil-linked claims built into contracts signed years ago, according to an Associated Press report. The potential friction comes as U.S. officials move to seize and manage sanctioned tankers and begin sales of Venezuelan crude, while China seeks to protect economic ties after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro.
The Associated Press reports President Donald Trump has linked a U.S. military raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to a broader message of American dominance in the Western Hemisphere. In the days since the operation, Trump has also pressed allies and neighbors, raised pressure on Venezuela’s interim government, and cited American preeminence in the region.
Marines and Navy sailors boarded another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. military said, as the Trump administration targets vessels carrying oil to and from Venezuela. The Pentagon said the vessel, named Olina, was seized after a predawn raid launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, with the Coast Guard then taking control of the ship.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a longtime Florida Republican, has emerged as a key point person for President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, aides say, including in the U.S. operation that ousted Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. In private briefings and public remarks, Rubio has sought to temper more bombastic rhetoric while advancing the administration’s plans for Venezuela and addressing concerns about statements on Greenland.
President Donald Trump on Friday urged oil executives to invest in Venezuela, telling them they would have “total safety” after the U.S. military raid that captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The White House meeting sought to draw major oil companies toward projects that, the administration said, could help secure roughly $100 billion in investment to repair Venezuela’s infrastructure and tap its petroleum reserves.
President Donald Trump has “greenlit” a hard-hitting sanctions package aimed at punishing Russia for its war in Ukraine, Sen. Lindsey Graham said after meeting the president at the White House. Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s bill would allow the administration to impose tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russian energy and other exports.
The Trump administration says it will depart 66 international organizations, nearly half of them affiliated with the United Nations, according to a White House list provided to The Associated Press. The list groups the departures into non-UN organizations and U.N. organizations covering a range of issues including climate, labor, migration and other topics the administration has criticized as “woke.” The Associated Press published the names of the 66 organizations.
President Donald Trump abruptly shifted tone on Wednesday about Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, saying the two exchanged a friendly phone call and that he invited Petro to visit the White House. The invitation came days after Trump said Colombia was “very sick too” and accused Petro of helping fuel U.S. drug problems, amid rising tensions between Washington and Bogotá over Venezuela.
Pope Leo XIV is planning a trip to Spain this year with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, the archbishop of Madrid said. Cardinal José Cobo Cano said the Vatican itinerary is still being worked out after meetings in Rome, including with the Vatican secretary of state. The announcement comes a day after Spain’s government said Catholic bishops agreed to let the state ombudsman have the final say on church-funded compensation for victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Friday there were “no ideological objections” to the European Union’s long-negotiated free trade deal with Mercosur after Italy signaled support for the bloc’s bid to finalize the agreement. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the pact would boost exports, as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the vote would send a “strong signal” of European economic clout and stability.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that he will travel to China next week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit, scheduled for Jan. 13 to 17, comes as Canada tries to reduce reliance on the United States amid tariff threats. Carney said the plan is aimed at building “stronger and more resilient” partnerships for Canada’s economy.
The U.S. Senate advanced a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, setting up a vote next week on final passage. Democrats and five Republicans backed the measure on a 52-47 vote, a step that sounded disapproval of what lawmakers described as expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.
At 2:05 a.m. on Jan. 7, as American airstrikes shook eastern Caracas, Associated Press photographer Matías Delacroix ran toward the explosions with his camera. Mariana Camargo, 21, ran the other way. Their crossing paths produced one of the first images of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela: Camargo in a white shirt and jeans, sprinting through the street, fear and urgency on her face, friends running behind her. The photograph appeared on the front pages and websites of major media outlets worldwide.
President Donald Trump's renewed effort to acquire Greenland from Denmark fits into a little-known pattern in U.S. history dating back more than 150 years. From informal discussions after the Civil War to a formal $100 million gold offer in the aftermath of World War II, American administrations have repeatedly viewed the world's largest island as a strategic prize — and Denmark has consistently declined.
The Trump administration on Wednesday seized two more sanctioned oil tankers carrying Venezuelan petroleum and announced plans to selectively lift sanctions to oversee the global sale of Venezuela's oil — moves that administration officials said would give the United States control over proceeds from the world's largest proven crude reserves. The tankers, the Bella 1 seized in the North Atlantic and the M Sophia captured in the Caribbean Sea, join at least two others taken by U.S. forces last month.
Aldrich Ames, a 31-year CIA veteran who admitted selling U.S. intelligence secrets to Moscow for $2.5 million and whose disclosures are blamed for the deaths of Western agents behind the Iron Curtain, died Monday in a Maryland prison. He was 84.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela's military held a state funeral Wednesday in the capital for some of the dozens of soldiers killed during the U.S. operation that captured then-President Nicolás Maduro four days earlier. Military orchestral music accompanied families and uniformed officers as they marched behind flag-draped wooden caskets at a cemetery on the capital's south side, where the dead were honored with a gun salute.
Iran's army chief threatened preemptive military action Wednesday, warning that Tehran would not tolerate what he called intensifying "rhetoric" directed at the Islamic Republic — a statement aimed at recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the protests that have convulsed Iran for 11 consecutive days. Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, speaking to military academy students, said the Islamic Republic would "not leave its continuation without a response." The demonstrations, which began Dec. 28 following the collapse of the rial currency, have spread to more than 310 locations across 28 of Iran's 31 provinces, with at least 36 people reported killed.
A 21-year-old woman in eastern Caracas, Mariana Camargo, said she ran through the streets when explosions erupted during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela. The Associated Press photographer Matías Delacroix captured images during the night, including a photo of Camargo sprinting while people behind her also ran.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Thursday that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has been chosen to direct a U.S. “Board of Peace” meant to oversee the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The announcement came as Palestinian hospital officials and family members reported at least eight more deaths from Israeli strikes.
Lebanon’s economy minister said the country’s financial recovery depends not only on economic changes but also on security and political reforms, including steps to remove weapons from non-state groups and expand state control. Amer Bisat made the remarks after a cabinet session in which the Lebanese military reported progress on a plan to disarm Hezbollah and deploy more forces in southern Lebanon.
M23 rebels held a symbolic funeral in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, for 22 people killed in a Jan. 2 drone strike in North Kivu province, the Associated Press reported. The rebels said the attack targeted their military positions in Masisi territory and that the victims were civilians. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya criticized the event on X, saying it was indecent.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the U.S. seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic and said the move could further escalate military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region. The ministry warned it could lower the “threshold for the use of force” against “peaceful shipping,” in a statement that also criticized U.S. threats to prosecute the crew.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday he has not received a clear answer on whether Western European allies would defend his country if Russia attacks again after any peace deal. Leaders meeting in Paris outlined a framework for international security guarantees to be activated once a ceasefire enters into force, with Ukraine’s armed forces remaining “the first line of defense and deterrence.”
A 21-year-old Venezuelan woman sprinting through eastern Caracas at 2:05 a.m., white shirt, cellphone in hand, fear on her face — that image, captured by Associated Press photographer Matías Delacroix as U.S. military strikes erupted over Venezuela's capital, appeared on the front pages and websites of news outlets around the world within hours of the operation. The woman in the frame was Mariana Camargo, out with friends when the explosions began. Delacroix had awakened to the same rumbling, grabbed his camera, and run toward the blasts as she ran from them.
The State Department said Wednesday it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia's federal government over allegations that Somali officials demolished an American-funded World Food Program warehouse at Mogadishu Port and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians.
Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, has said the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro is a “complete violation of international law and Venezuelan law.” The remark came after a Saturday capture that prompted President Donald Trump to praise Rodríguez while also warning that the ruling party must be kept in check and that the United States should gain “total access” to Venezuela’s oil reserves.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending U.S. support for 66 international organizations, agencies and commissions, according to a White House release. The move, announced Wednesday, includes departures from U.N.-related bodies such as the U.N. population agency and the U.N. treaty framework underpinning climate negotiations.
The State Department on Tuesday added 25 more countries to its visa bond list, bringing the total to 38 nations whose passport holders must post financial guarantees of up to $15,000 to apply for entry to the United States, according to a notice posted on the agency's travel.state.gov website. The bond requirement for the newly added countries takes effect Jan. 21. Most of the 38 countries on the list are in Africa, with others in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending U.S. participation in 66 international organizations, agencies, and commissions — including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the U.N. Population Fund — following an administration-wide review of U.S. involvement in global bodies.
Following President Donald Trump's use of military force to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the administration moved to access Venezuela's oil reserves — announcing the country would provide 30 to 50 million barrels of crude to the United States and selectively removing sanctions to enable Venezuelan oil sales worldwide. Venezuela holds an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil, about 17% of the world's supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But analysts and industry experts say the country's decimated infrastructure, severe brain drain, and uncertain political future pose enormous obstacles to any rapid expansion of production.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday suspending U.S. support for 66 international organizations, agencies, and commissions — including the United Nations population agency and the foundational UN climate treaty — according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a presidential decision that had not yet been publicly announced.
Venezuela's opposition leaders find themselves largely in exile or prison days after the U.S. military operation that seized President Nicolás Maduro, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez governing in his stead after the Trump administration declined to back the country's recognized opposition leadership. Maduro, removed from his home on a military base in Caracas on Saturday and transferred to New York on federal drug trafficking charges, has been succeeded not by opposition figures but by members of his own administration.
Saudi Arabia said the United Arab Emirates smuggled a wanted Yemen separatist leader out of the country and flew him to Abu Dhabi, escalating tensions between the Gulf neighbors as their partnership in the Yemen war frays. The Saudi military said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council, fled by boat to Somalia before being flown to Abu Dhabi, where the UAE did not immediately respond to the accusation.
Denmark’s ambassador and Greenland’s chief representative met with White House National Security Council officials in Washington on Thursday as Denmark and Greenland sought to persuade U.S. lawmakers and Trump administration officials to step back from President Donald Trump’s call for a “takeover” of Greenland.
El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump firmó una orden ejecutiva que suspende el apoyo de Estados Unidos a 66 organizaciones, agencias y comisiones internacionales, dijo el miércoles el Departamento de Estado, en una medida que incluye la agencia de población de la ONU y el tratado de la ONU sobre negociaciones climáticas. La decisión marca un nuevo paso de Estados Unidos para alejarse de la cooperación global, en un contexto de tensiones militares y amenazas que han afectado a aliados y adversarios.
Detroit’s Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to open in early 2026 with lanes for vehicles plus a separate multiuse path for pedestrians and cyclists to cross into Canada. Organizers said the project will be about 98% complete as of Nov. 13, with construction starting in 2018.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday began the process to withdraw the United States from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, part of the UN’s climate-fighting system, according to experts and treaty specialists. They said the move will leave the U.S. isolated and could damage both American interests and global efforts as the world approaches internationally agreed temperature thresholds.
The United Nations’ top official said Thursday that the United States has a “legal obligation” to keep paying its dues that fund UN agencies, days after the White House announced it is withdrawing support from more than 30 UN-related initiatives. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said the UN entities targeted by the U.S. decision will continue their work despite the announcement.
The U.S. State Department said it is adding 25 countries to a visa “bond” list, raising the number of countries whose citizens must post bonds to 38. The bonds can range from $5,000 to $15,000, and the latest additions will take effect Jan. 21, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website.
President Donald Trump has made broad but vague assertions that the United States will "run" Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, while providing almost no details about how that governance would work, raising concerns among former diplomats and some lawmakers about the administration's level of planning. Seemingly contradictory public statements from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have left unclear whether the U.S. now controls Venezuela's levers of power or intends to allow Maduro's subordinates to remain in leadership positions. Current U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were not aware of any preparations for a military occupation or interim civilian governing authority.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday thanked news organizations for withholding advance knowledge of last weekend's U.S. military strike in Venezuela, saying their restraint protected American lives. The acknowledgment marked a rare moment of praise for the press from an administration that has otherwise been at war with mainstream news outlets, particularly over access to the Pentagon.
THE HAGUE — The U.S. military's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at a military base in Caracas has drawn condemnation from governments across four continents, with critics warning Monday that the operation sets a dangerous precedent for the erosion of international law. Maduro appeared in a New York federal court on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges as the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session on the legality of the mission.
China and South Korea’s leaders pledged to bolster trade and safeguard regional stability during a visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to Beijing on Monday, even as North Korea launched ballistic missiles just hours earlier. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Lee at the Great Hall of the People, where both sides emphasized efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Monday that a U.S. takeover of Greenland would amount to the end of NATO, citing renewed calls by President Donald Trump for the strategic Arctic island to come under U.S. control. Frederiksen made the comments after a U.S. weekend operation in Venezuela that involved the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, which heightened concerns in Denmark and Greenland about possible U.S. action.
Fiona Hill, exasesora de la Casa Blanca sobre Rusia y Europa durante el gobierno de Donald Trump, dijo el lunes que funcionarios rusos plantearon repetidamente un posible “intercambio entre Venezuela y Ucrania”. Hill sostuvo que Moscú habría estado dispuesto a retirar su apoyo a Nicolás Maduro en Venezuela a cambio de “libertad de acción” en Ucrania.
Iran’s army chief threatened Wednesday a preemptive response to “rhetoric” targeting the Islamic Republic, as protests in Iran entered another day. The warning from Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami came amid international attention to U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about what happens if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters.”
Iran executed Ali Ardestani, a man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad, Iranian state media reported Wednesday. The official IRNA news agency said Ardestani relayed sensitive information to Mossad officers in return for financial rewards, including cryptocurrencies.
Israel’s air force struck multiple sites in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and early Tuesday, including in Sidon, ahead of a meeting on disarming Hezbollah in border areas. The strikes came after the Israeli military warned residents in advance, and they took place nearly two hours after a spokesman posted warnings on X for planned targets.
An Israeli strike in Gaza on Monday hit a tent housing displaced people, killing a 5-year-old girl and her uncle and wounding two other children, hospital officials said. The strike occurred in the Muwasi area northwest of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, officials at Nasser Hospital said, though the report could not independently verify the details.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged restraint on Wednesday after a bus driver ran over and killed a 14-year-old ultra-Orthodox boy during a protest against a proposed law to draft them into the military. Netanyahu called for calm “to prevent the mood from becoming further inflamed,” and said the death would be investigated thoroughly.
Pakistan and China issued a joint statement calling for more “visible and verifiable” steps to eliminate terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan and to prevent Afghan territory from being used for militancy against other countries. The statement came after talks in Beijing on Dec. 4 between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, and followed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent weeks.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States needs Greenland, citing the island’s strategic value for Arctic security, trade and minerals. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, and its government has opposed U.S. overtures, saying Greenlanders should decide their own future.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he asked China’s Xi Jinping to serve as a mediator on North Korea’s nuclear crisis during Lee’s Beijing summit with Xi. Lee also said Xi replied that patience was needed as channels with North Korea remain blocked.
President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark fits into a long, little-known pattern in U.S. history, The Associated Press reported. From quiet discussions after the Civil War to a formal offer after World War II, American leaders have repeatedly viewed Greenland as a strategic prize.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed threats toward Greenland have raised alarm among NATO allies and NATO officials, according to the White House and European security analysts. The White House said Tuesday that Greenland is “a national security priority” and that the administration is weighing “options” that could include military action, as the leaders of multiple NATO countries issued a joint statement backing Greenland’s sovereignty.
The lightning U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is being seen by analysts as both a strategic help and a political complication for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, according to an Associated Press account. The story comes as Russia tries to position the United States’ moves in Venezuela alongside its own war in Ukraine, and as U.S. diplomacy on Ukraine enters a pivotal stage.
Venezuelan lawmakers on Monday swore in Delcy Rodríguez as interim president after the weekend arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, as the government moved to project that it is being run independently. Rodríguez, a former vice president, was sworn in in Caracas to lead until a National Assembly term scheduled to run through 2031. The swearing-in followed Maduro’s first court appearance in the United States over federal drug-trafficking charges used to justify the arrest.
A separatist group in southern Yemen said it was urgently trying to contact a 50-member delegation that traveled to Riyadh for talks on de-escalating tensions among rival forces. The Southern Transitional Council said phones went silent after a member posted on X, while Saudi-backed officials accused the STC leader of refusing to go to the Saudi capital.
Yemen is threatening to fracture further, widening a rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as forces aligned with the Saudi-led coalition in the south clash with UAE-supported separatists. The latest flare-up includes moves by the Southern Transitional Council, fighting among southern groups, and a diplomatic break tied to a leading STC figure, Aidarous al-Zubaidi.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday replaced the head of the Security Service of Ukraine and named Chrystia Freeland as an economic development adviser, continuing a reshuffle before talks in Paris. The changes come as Ukraine tries to maintain momentum for a U.S.-brokered peace push and as Russia’s attacks continue across a front line stretching roughly 1,000 kilometers.
New Orleans police reported Monday that violent crime in the city declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, releasing the figures less than a week after 350 National Guard troops arrived to patrol on President Donald Trump's orders. The timing produced competing claims over who or what deserves credit for the decline — and whether the federal deployment was warranted at all.
President Donald Trump, speaking the day after U.S. forces seized Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, renewed calls for the United States to take control of Greenland, threatened military action against Colombia, and said Cuba’s communist government is “in many problems.” Trump’s comments and those from Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled that Washington is preparing a broader role in the Western Hemisphere, even as Denmark objected and Cuba said its officials died in the Venezuela operation.
The Trump administration has added seven countries to a U.S. visa program that requires some applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 before receiving visas, the State Department said. The designations, posted on the travel.state.gov website, took effect Jan. 1 and expanded the list to 13 countries. The changes were announced days after the State Department began tightening other entry requirements, including in-person interviews and disclosures tied to applicants’ social media histories and travel and living arrangements.
Americans are roughly evenly split on whether U.S. military forces should have been sent to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but nearly half oppose the United States taking control of Venezuela and choosing a new government there, according to an Associated Press analysis of recent polls. The surveys, conducted before and immediately after the military operation, found that most Americans had entered 2026 wanting Washington focused on domestic concerns — health care and the cost of living — and that almost no one had named Venezuela as a government priority.
The State Department on Tuesday added 25 countries to its visa bond requirement list, nearly tripling the total to 38 nations in less than a week, according to a notice published on travel.state.gov. The new requirement for the 25 additions takes effect January 21. Citizens of all 38 countries must now post bonds of $5,000 to $15,000 before applying for U.S. visas, a cost that U.S. officials acknowledged makes the process unaffordable for many.
Cuba's government on Tuesday published the names, ranks and ages of 32 military officers killed during the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, announcing two days of national mourning. The deceased — drawn from Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces and Ministry of the Interior — ranged in age from 26 to 60 and included colonels, lieutenants, majors, captains and reserve soldiers, according to Cuban state media, which published individual headshots showing the officers in olive-green military uniforms.
Trump supporters interviewed across five states by The Associated Press said they generally approved of the U.S. military's seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but their response was more measured than President Donald Trump's claim that voters were uniformly "thrilled." Trump said those who "voted for me are thrilled. They said, 'This is what we voted for.'" The voters AP journalists interviewed in the days after the raid — conducted without congressional authorization — described a more conditional reaction.
The emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday drew criticism and defense of a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolás Maduro, with allies and adversaries of the United States both using the session to argue over international law. Denmark’s U.N. ambassador said the inviolability of borders is “not up for negotiation,” while U.S. envoy Mike Waltz defended what he called a “surgical law enforcement operation.” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” that rules of international law were not respected in the Jan. 3 operation.
Fighting escalated in Aleppo, Syria, on Wednesday as civilians fled two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods after the military ordered residents to evacuate, the Associated Press reported. The evacuations followed clashes that left seven people dead in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and five others dead in government-controlled areas, the report said.
Clashes between residents and a gold mining company in northern Afghanistan left four people dead and five others injured, Afghan officials said Wednesday. The violence broke out Tuesday in the Chah Ab district of Takhar province, according to the Interior Ministry.
Cuba’s government lowered flags Monday to mourn 32 security officers it said were killed in a U.S. weekend strike in Venezuela, its closest ally, as residents in Havana questioned what President Nicolás Maduro’s detention will mean. The Associated Press reported that Cuba and Venezuela have been tightly linked through shared security arrangements and Venezuela’s oil shipments, which help sustain the island’s struggling economy.
Cuba’s government said Sunday that an American military operation in Venezuela killed 32 Cuban officers over the weekend, calling it the first official death count of the strikes. In a statement read on Cuban state television, Cuba said the officers were on a mission the Venezuelan government had asked Cuba to carry out.
The United States reached a deal with Dominica to begin sending some asylum-seekers to the Caribbean island, a day after the Trump administration expanded visa restrictions to include Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the arrangement follows partial U.S. visa limits and that the discussions included “careful deliberations” to avoid admitting violent people or those who would “compromise the security of Dominica.”
Americans’ early reactions to a U.S. military operation in Venezuela suggest broad skepticism about further U.S. involvement, according to polling analyzed by The Associated Press. The AP-NORC survey found about one-quarter of U.S. adults prioritized foreign policy topics for 2026, while the Washington Post and SSRS poll found roughly 4 in 10 approved of using the U.S. military to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and 45% opposed the U.S. taking control of Venezuela.
Estados Unidos amplió de nuevo la lista de países cuyos ciudadanos deberán pagar fianzas de hasta 15.000 dólares para solicitar visas estadounidenses. Menos de una semana después de añadir siete países, el Departamento de Estado incluyó 25 más, y el requisito comenzará a regir el 21 de enero. La medida implica que 38 países —principalmente en África, pero también en América Latina y Asia— están ahora sujetos a este requisito, que no garantiza la aprobación de la visa.
The European Union renewed internal negotiations over a long-discussed free-trade agreement with Mercosur nations, meeting in Brussels a week after the United States detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Ministers of Agriculture from across the EU’s 27 countries met to discuss how to protect farmers while pursuing the deal’s economic and geopolitical benefits.
Mexico will not send additional oil shipments to Cuba, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday, even as the United States moves to seize Venezuelan oil and the Trump administration hardens its stance toward Havana. Speaking in Mexico City, Sheinbaum said exports are not increasing beyond historical levels, though she did not provide figures on the number of barrels.
Colombia President Gustavo Petro held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday after escalating threats between the two governments over Venezuela, and Petro told supporters that he asked to reopen direct communication. Thousands of Colombians gathered in public squares across the country to “defend national sovereignty” amid growing alarm about Trump’s military rhetoric, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he plans to meet with Danish officials next week to discuss U.S. interest in Greenland, after the Trump administration renewed its intention to take over the Arctic island. Rubio said the president has been looking at acquiring Greenland since his first term and that diplomacy is the administration’s “first option,” though he said presidents retain a military option for national security threats.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum played down the risk of U.S. military action against drug cartels in Mexico, after President Donald Trump threatened such steps in the wake of a U.S. operation in Venezuela. Sheinbaum said Monday that there was coordination with the United States government and that she did not see “risks” of intervention. Analysts told AP that while unilateral action is considered unlikely, the threats could persist as a negotiation tactic.
President Donald Trump publicly celebrated the U.S. capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 5, hours before Maduro was taken through the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New York, a move that left Latin America divided. Across the region, right-wing leaders portrayed the raid as a victory, while left-wing presidents called it dangerous or unlawful, and warned it could destabilize the hemisphere.
President Donald Trump’s administration said it seized two sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and outlined plans to relax some sanctions so U.S. authorities can oversee the sale of Venezuelan petroleum worldwide. The administration said the move follows a surprise nighttime raid that ousted Nicolás Maduro and that it intends to route oil “in and out of Venezuela” only through channels approved under U.S. law and national security interests.
President Donald Trump has said the United States will “run” Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro is ousted, but has offered few details about how a transition would work, according to questions raised by former officials and sanctions advisers. In remarks over the weekend, Trump’s statements and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments appeared to diverge on whether the U.S. would take direct control or rely on existing tools such as sanctions. The uncertainty, some former diplomats said, has added to concern about what planning exists for the country’s next phase.
President Donald Trump’s supporters interviewed by The Associated Press reacted with a mix of praise and caution to the U.S. seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from a military base, according to interviews published Monday. Some said they were thrilled by the operation’s speed, while others said they were wary of what the move could cost the United States.
El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos añadió siete países a una lista de naciones cuyos ciudadanos deben pagar fianzas de hasta 15.000 dólares para solicitar visas. Las designaciones entraron en vigor el 1 de enero, según un aviso publicado en travel.state.gov.
The U.S. State Department said it has suspended all U.S. assistance programs that benefit Somalia’s federal government, alleging Somali officials destroyed a World Food Programme warehouse and seized 76 metric tons of food aid meant for civilians. The department said resuming assistance would depend on the Somali federal government taking accountability and remedial steps.
Venezuela’s military held a funeral in Caracas on Wednesday for dozens of soldiers killed in a U.S. operation that Venezuela said captured former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The ceremony came a day after acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a seven-day mourning period for the slain officers, according to the report.
Venezuela’s opposition has been sidelined after Nicolás Maduro was seized by U.S. forces and put in jail in New York on drug trafficking charges, leaving leaders of his administration in control, according to the Associated Press. The U.S. allowed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, sidelining most opposition figures who are either in exile or imprisoned, the AP reported. Opposition leader María Corina Machado, including in her praise of President Donald Trump, has become less influential at home, AP said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior U.S. officials briefed congressional leaders behind closed doors Monday on a military operation in Venezuela, as lawmakers raised questions about what comes next and what role U.S. forces may play. Republicans largely backed President Donald Trump’s decision to forcibly remove Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, while Democrats left with concerns and calls for clarity. The briefing preceded a Senate vote this week on a war powers resolution that would bar U.S. military action in Venezuela without congressional approval.
President Donald Trump announced a “large scale strike” in Venezuela on Jan. 3, saying U.S. forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and would bring him to New York for court proceedings. Maduro later appeared in a U.S. courtroom and pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges, according to the Justice Department’s indictment.
President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela has become a flash point in Kentucky’s Republican primary race between U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie and retired Navy SEAL officer Ed Gallrein. Massie, a long-running Trump antagonist, criticized the strike in social media posts, while Gallrein said Massie’s stance is not what voters expect from a Republican.
Energy stocks led Wall Street to broad gains Monday as investors priced in the potential for American oil companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry following the U.S. military capture of President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. Halliburton surged 7.8%, Chevron jumped 5.1%, and Exxon Mobil rose 2.2% — among the session's strongest performers. U.S. crude oil prices climbed 1.7% to $58.32 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average set an all-time record, climbing 594.79 points, or 1.2%, to 48,977.18. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% to 6,902.05, just below its own record set in late December. The Nasdaq composite closed at 23,395.82, up 0.7%. Smaller company stocks outpaced the broader indexes, with the Russell 2000 rising 1.6%.
The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session Monday as countries ranging from traditional U.S. allies to long-standing rivals condemned the Jan. 3 American military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face federal narco-terrorism charges. Maduro declared his innocence during his first appearance in a Manhattan federal courthouse the same day.
One day after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, President Donald Trump renewed his call Sunday for American control of Greenland and threatened military action against Colombia, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Cuba's communist government is "in a lot of trouble." Trump made the remarks aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from his Florida home.
Cuba's government said Sunday that 32 Cuban military and police officers were killed in a U.S. military operation in Venezuela the previous day, providing the first official death count from American strikes in the South American nation. The officers were on a mission the Cuban military was carrying out at the request of Venezuela's government, according to a statement read on Cuban state television Sunday night.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada’s Indigenous governor general, Mary Simon, and Foreign Minister Anita Anand will visit Greenland in early February. The trip is planned as President Donald Trump has renewed calls for the United States to take control of Greenland.
China announced it will ban exports of dual-use goods to Japan that could enhance Japan’s military power, a step it said took effect Tuesday. The Chinese commerce ministry said transfers to Japanese military users and other end-users that could help boost Japan’s military capability are prohibited, and violators would face legal consequences.
Deadly clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters erupted Tuesday in a contested area of Aleppo, according to state media and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as efforts to fold the U.S.-backed SDF into Syria’s army made little progress. State-run SANA reported a soldier was killed and others wounded in an attack it attributed to the SDF, and later blamed the Kurdish fighters for shelling that killed civilians, including women and children, in a residential area.
More than 300 people fled Colombia’s Catatumbo region to escape fighting by rebel groups and have sought shelter in Cúcuta, a city near the border with Venezuela, the Colombian Human Rights Ombudswoman said. The ombudswoman, Iris Marín, said the displaced people came from Tibu and El Tarra, where fighting between rebel groups broke out in December.
Guyana said it has suspended gold mining licenses for 107 Brazilian permit holders and threatened deportation as part of a crackdown on suspected gold smuggling. The Geology and Mines Commission said it acted after accusing the miners of producing large amounts of raw gold but failing to declare or sell most of it to the government or authorized buyers.
Israel has cleared a final hurdle to begin construction on the E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, a government tender said, setting the stage for work that critics say would cut the West Bank in two. The tender would open the way to start development of the E1 project, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, and seeks bids for 3,401 housing units, according to the tender.
Ukraine’s allies said they made major progress in Paris on how to defend Ukraine if a peace deal is reached with Russia, including plans for international security guarantees to deter Moscow from attacking again. The discussions involve the United States leading efforts to monitor any ceasefire and providing equipment, training and air, land and sea support alongside European partners, leaders said Tuesday.
The White House said U.S. military action is “always an option” in Greenland, as European leaders rejected President Donald Trump’s renewed call for an American takeover of the Arctic island. The Danish and Greenland governments and allied leaders reiterated that Greenland belongs to its people and that Denmark and Greenland alone decide matters concerning Greenland.
The Trump administration quietly expanded a program requiring visa applicants from certain countries to post cash bonds of up to $15,000 before entering the United States, the State Department announced, adding seven nations to a list that now totals 13 — 11 of them in Africa. The designations took effect January 1 and make U.S. visa access financially out of reach for many would-be visitors from the newly designated nations, according to the Associated Press.
Two small Caribbean island nations, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, agreed Monday to accept asylum-seekers from the United States under separate arrangements with the Trump administration. Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described his country's agreement as "one of the primary areas of collaboration" with Washington, which recently imposed partial U.S. visa restrictions on both island nations. Antigua and Barbuda signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding; local officials said the island would not accept anyone with a criminal record.
The United States says it captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro through a legal, military action, a move that has drawn unease from U.N. officials and European and other leaders about the future of international rules. U.N. Undersecretary-General Rosemary A. DiCarlo told the Security Council that international peace depends on states’ continued commitment to the U.N. Charter, as Maduro faced charges after his removal from power.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development announced Monday that nearly 150 countries have agreed to a revised global minimum corporate tax framework that carves out large U.S.-based multinationals from the 15% floor, closing out negotiations that reshaped a landmark 2021 agreement. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed the outcome as a sovereignty win while tax transparency advocates warned it would allow the largest American companies to continue sheltering profits in low-tax jurisdictions.
Nicolás Maduro appeared in a Manhattan federal courtroom Monday and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges, declaring himself a "kidnapped president" and demanding to be returned to Venezuela. The deposed leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from their Caracas home in a middle-of-the-night military operation Saturday and flown to New York under heavy security. Their court appearance marks what federal prosecutors say is the most consequential U.S. prosecution of a foreign head of state in decades.
Shares of major U.S. energy companies rose broadly Monday after President Donald Trump announced plans to take control of Venezuela's oil industry, saying American companies would lead a revitalization of the sector following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Oilfield services firms posted the steepest gains, while refiners and major explorers also moved higher at the opening bell.
As protests over Iran's currency collapse stretched into their second week in January 2026, unrest in the Islamic Republic entered a familiar pattern: a severe economic shock, mass demonstrations, and a government response that included severing the country's internet and telephone connections to the outside world. The current demonstrations, triggered by the rial's fall to 1.4 million to the dollar following tightening sanctions and a 12-day war with Israel, are at least the seventh major episode of mass unrest to shake Iran over the past 50 years, according to the Associated Press.
Nicolás Maduro appeared in a Manhattan federal courtroom Monday, pleading not guilty to narcotics trafficking charges and declaring "I was captured" as he protested what he called his illegal removal from Venezuela. The hearing marked his first public appearance since U.S. forces extracted him and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their Caracas home in an overnight military operation Saturday. Both defendants appeared in leg shackles and prison clothing, using headsets to follow English-language proceedings translated into Spanish.
Cuba published names, ranks and ages of 32 Cuban military personnel it said were killed during a U.S. strike in Venezuela, announcing two days of mourning starting Tuesday. U.S. Ambassador Leandro Rizzuto told the Organization of American States the operation was a targeted law enforcement action against an “indicted criminal,” and he said the U.S. did not invade Venezuela.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Somaliland on Tuesday and promised Israel would work to expand ties, saying Israel would soon open an embassy there. Saar made the trip after Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland’s independence from Somalia, a move that has drawn broad international criticism.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration thanked some news organizations for learning in advance about a Saturday military operation in Venezuela and for not reporting on it before it happened. Rubio made the remarks on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, after President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured. The remarks came as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed restrictive press rules for Pentagon reporters.
Donald Trump’s government said the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was legal and tied it to fighting illegal drug cartels, prompting concern from other countries and UN officials about whether it respects the UN Charter. On Monday, the UN Security Council heard remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary A. DiCarlo, who said international peace and security depend on states adhering to all UN Charter provisions. European and other officials warned the action could weaken the international legal order governing the use of force.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump told reporters that U.S. officials determined Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously said Ukraine launched drones at Putin’s state residence in Russia’s northwestern Novgorod region, a claim Kyiv denied.
Venezuelans in South Florida celebrated the U.S. military operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela, chanting “liberty” and draping Venezuelan flags on Saturday in Doral. The festivities followed a U.S. announcement that the country would be run at least temporarily by the American government.
President Donald Trump pledged Sunday to have the United States "direct" Venezuela and oversee a transition of power following a U.S. military operation the previous day that resulted in the overnight seizure and extradition of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump described the action as "one of the most impressive, effective and powerful demonstrations of American military might and competence in the history of the United States." Trump offered few details about how the United States would govern Venezuela, saying his administration must remain "very involved" while promising Venezuelan oil revenues would repay U.S. costs. "The money that comes out of the ground is very substantial," he said. "They're going to reimburse us for everything we spend."
An anxious quiet settled over Venezuela's capital on Sunday, the day after a U.S. military operation seized President Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to New York for a Monday court appearance. Stores, restaurants and churches across Caracas remained closed. Those who ventured out appeared shell-shocked, staring at phones or into the distance. "People are still shaken," said David Leal, 77, who arrived for work as a parking attendant to find the streets deserted near Venezuela's presidential palace.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought Sunday to reassure critics that the United States would not govern Venezuela day-to-day following the military seizure of former leader Nicolás Maduro, even as President Donald Trump insisted Washington was "in charge" of the oil-rich nation. Rubio said the U.S. would enforce an existing oil quarantine on sanctioned tankers and use that leverage to press policy changes in Caracas. Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One en route from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, said of Venezuela: "We're going to run it, fix it."
Revelers in South Florida gathered in Doral on Saturday to celebrate what they described as the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, chanting “Liberty” and draping themselves in Venezuelan flags as they watched word spread that he had been flown out of the country.
The day after a U.S. military operation ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, President Donald Trump on Sunday renewed calls for American control of Greenland, threatened military action against Colombia over the cocaine trade, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Cuba's communist government is "in a lot of trouble." The statements, made as Trump flew back to Washington from Florida, signaled that the administration views its Venezuela operation as a beginning, not an end point, for an assertive U.S. posture across the Western Hemisphere.
President Donald Trump's military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and transport him to New York to face criminal charges drew initial Republican support Sunday, but exposed fractures within the party over whether the intervention abandons the 'America First' philosophy central to Trump's political rise. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, said his supporters were behind the mission. "They said this is what we voted for," he told reporters.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived Saturday night at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York — a federal jail that some judges have refused to use due to documented violence, infrastructure failures, and chronic staffing problems, according to the Associated Press. A crowd of Venezuelan expatriates, many draped in their country's flag, gathered outside the facility to celebrate, cheering as the law enforcement motorcade believed to be carrying Maduro and his wife pulled in.
President Donald Trump invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to visit the United States this spring during a phone call Friday, Japan's foreign ministry said — a step toward deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance as Beijing's recent military exercises near Taiwan have sharpened tensions across the Indo-Pacific. The White House had not confirmed the call as of Friday. Japan's foreign ministry said the two leaders agreed to coordinate so the visit takes place in spring, and Kyodo News reported the trip could coincide with Washington's annual cherry blossom festival.
The Trump administration seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an overnight military operation Friday, transporting him and his wife aboard a U.S. warship to New York to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, the Associated Press reported. A surprise U.S. incursion rocked the Venezuelan capital with explosions before dawn, and the administration declared it would "run" the South American country — raising sharp legal questions about the scope of executive war powers and the absence of congressional authorization for what some scholars said now constitutes an undeclared war.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public comments Saturday on a week of economic protests shaking the Islamic Republic, declaring that "rioters must be put in their place" — a statement human rights groups said could signal a green light for aggressive security action. At least 15 people have been killed and more than 580 arrested, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, as demonstrations spread to more than 170 locations across 25 of Iran's 31 provinces.
Britain and France carried out a joint airstrike in central Syria on an underground facility where Islamic State members are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. The strike targeted access tunnels leading down to the structure in the mountains north of Palmyra, in Syria’s Homs province.
Corea del Norte lanzó múltiples misiles balísticos al mar el domingo hacia sus aguas orientales, informó Corea del Sur, horas antes de que el presidente surcoreano Lee Jae Myung partiera hacia China. El Estado Mayor Conjunto surcoreano dijo que detectó varios lanzamientos desde la región de la capital norcoreana alrededor de las 7:50 de la mañana y que los misiles recorrieron unos 900 kilómetros. Japón confirmó al menos dos lanzamientos, mientras Corea del Sur y sus aliados analizaron los detalles.
Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russia’s border regions, killing two people, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared to travel to Paris for peace talks with European and U.S. partners, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials.
North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Sunday, neighbors said, in a provocation that came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung left for talks in China. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected several launches from North Korea’s capital region around 7:50 a.m., and the missiles flew about 900 kilometers toward the sea.
Saudi-backed forces spread across Mukalla on Sunday after retaking the port city from southern separatists, the Associated Press reported. The advance followed days of Saudi airstrikes, according to AP. The Saudi-backed National Shield Forces were welcomed by residents as troops drove through the city and around al-Rayyan Airport, AP said.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a four-day trip aimed at deepening ties with China amid heightened tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan. The visit is his first to China since taking office in June, and it will include meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Syrian government officials held talks Sunday in Damascus with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led force in Syria, over plans to merge it with the national army, state media reported. State TV said the meeting did not produce “tangible results” and that the sides agreed to hold further talks. The discussions came after rockets struck a western neighborhood of Damascus, state media said.
U.S. forces conducted what the Trump administration called a "large-scale strike" across Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and placing them aboard a U.S. warship bound for New York to face criminal charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi said both had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to a narco-terrorism conspiracy. The operation ended months of escalating U.S. military action that included more than 35 strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in Caribbean and Pacific waters, killing at least 115 people, according to administration announcements.
President Donald Trump on Saturday declared a U.S. military operation that removed Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela a success and pledged that his administration would "run" the country through a transition period, according to the Associated Press. At a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump called the operation "one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history."
U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an overnight raid on his Caracas compound, President Donald Trump announced Saturday at his Florida home, describing a covert operation months in the making that removed a sitting head of state from office and delivered him to a U.S. warship. Trump said Maduro and Flores would face criminal charges in New York and declared that the United States would "run" Venezuela until a new leader can be chosen.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday it was still searching the eastern Pacific Ocean for people who jumped off alleged drug-smuggling boats when the U.S. military attacked the vessels days earlier, with harsh weather and the passage of time sharply diminishing the likelihood that anyone survived. The search began Tuesday afternoon after the military notified the Coast Guard that survivors were in the water roughly 400 miles southwest of the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
A U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday triggered the cancellation of hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean, grounding nearly 60 percent of departures from San Juan's international airport and stranding holiday travelers across nearly two dozen island destinations. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed airspace restrictions following the operation, halting all commercial airline traffic over Venezuela. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday night the restrictions would end at midnight Eastern time, allowing airlines to resume normal operations Sunday.
Gunmen raided Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger state in northern Nigeria, killing at least 30 villagers and abducting others, police said. The attack happened Saturday evening in the Borgu local government area, and survivors said some residents were still missing on Sunday.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the Bureau of Prisons said, according to an Associated Press report published Sunday. The AP described MDC Brooklyn as a facility some judges have refused to use, and said it currently holds about 1,300 inmates.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would not govern Venezuela day-to-day beyond enforcing an existing “oil quarantine,” even as President Donald Trump reiterated that the U.S. would be “in charge” after a military operation that ousted Nicolás Maduro. Speaking as Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez urged the U.S. to collaborate, Rubio described using oil-related leverage to press for changes in Venezuela.
Anxious quiet settled over Caracas on Sunday after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation early Saturday, with many people slow to resume routines and unable to absorb what comes next. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined competing signals about what Washington plans to do, as Venezuelan officials shifted duties to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, whom the high court named interim president.
President Donald Trump renewed calls for an American takeover of Greenland after a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, and he also threatened action toward Colombia and warned Cuba’s government, according to comments on Sunday. The remarks, delivered as Trump traveled back to Washington from Florida, came a day after the ouster of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
President Donald Trump called the military operation that overthrew Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday a “great success,” while offering a vague plan for how his administration would “direct” Venezuela until a leadership transition can be carried out. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said the action was among the “most impressive, effective and powerful” demonstrations of U.S. military capability in the country’s history.
President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela will pose a test of his ability to hold together a restive Republican coalition during an election year, the Associated Press reports. The AP said there were early signs of unease among Republicans after Trump’s mission to bring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to New York to face criminal charges.
President Donald Trump cited the Monroe Doctrine as partial justification for a U.S. operation that led to the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, a maxim that has shaped American foreign policy for more than two centuries. In remarks Saturday, Trump also quipped about the doctrine, calling it “the Don-roe Doctrine,” and defended the move as an effort to strengthen U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere.
The pope opened 2026 with a prayer for peace, urging solidarity for nations “bloodied by conflict” and families “wounded by violence or pain,” as he marked World Day of Peace on Thursday in Rome. After a New Year’s Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV delivered a special noontime prayer from his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin will visit China starting Sunday and meet with President Xi Jinping during the first trip by an Irish leader in 14 years, China’s Foreign Ministry announced Saturday. The Chinese ministry said the five-day visit will also include meetings with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Pakistan’s violence in 2025 was its deadliest year in more than a decade, an independent think tank reported, with combat-related deaths rising 74% from 2024. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said 3,413 people died in violence across the country last year, including 2,138 militants killed. The report was released as Pakistan and Afghanistan kept their border crossings shut following clashes that erupted after Oct. 9 explosions in Kabul.
President Donald Trump said Saturday’s military operation that led to the ouster of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was a major success, and he offered a vague plan for his administration “to run” Venezuela until a transition can take place. Trump spoke at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as governments and lawmakers in multiple countries voiced concerns about legality and stability.
The Trump administration’s capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and its assertion that it will “run” the country are raising new questions about the legality of U.S. actions and how any future operations would be carried out, legal experts said. Maduro was transported with his wife on a U.S. warship to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges in New York after a surprise incursion in Caracas, according to reporting.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has chosen Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, as his new chief of staff, according to the Associated Press. Budanov will replace Andrii Yermak, Zelenskyy’s longtime chief aide who resigned in November after anti-corruption officials raided his apartment in an investigation into alleged graft in Ukraine’s energy sector.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said work on peace proposals with European allies could accelerate after Kyiv shared all documents under discussion with 18 national security advisers. He said representatives from Ukraine’s General Staff and military sector will meet Monday in Paris, followed by European leaders’ talks Tuesday.
Japan’s foreign ministry said President Donald Trump invited Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to visit the United States this spring during a phone call Friday. The call and invitation have not yet been confirmed by the White House, the Japanese ministry said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during an attack by U.S. forces on Caracas. Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, later said the whereabouts of Maduro and Flores were still unknown. Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, said Maduro and Flores would face charges in New York.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a New Year’s address that Taiwan will defend the island’s sovereignty after China wrapped up live-fire military drills near Taiwan this week. Lai spoke on Thursday as Beijing responded to the drills and to U.S. plans for additional arms sales to Taiwan. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office criticized Lai’s comments through state media.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States carried out the overnight operation that seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him to the United States after a mission he described as “Absolute Resolve.” Speaking at a news conference in Florida, Trump said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transported by helicopter to a U.S. warship and then to New York to face charges, while U.S. forces rehearsed for months and waited for weather conditions to enter Caracas.
Trump repeated several claims he has made before while discussing a U.S. raid aimed at extracting Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, according to an Associated Press fact check published Saturday. In a lengthy news conference, President Donald Trump also praised U.S. military activity and U.S. National Guard deployments, while at times veering into other topics, the fact check said.
Horas después de una operación militar en Venezuela que Estados Unidos usó para sacar al presidente Nicolás Maduro del país, el presidente Donald Trump dijo que Estados Unidos administraría Venezuela al menos temporalmente y explotaría sus vastas reservas de petróleo. La operación ocurrió durante la madrugada del sábado, según el relato de Trump y de funcionarios venezolanos, y culminó con el traslado de Maduro —capturado junto con su esposa— hacia Estados Unidos.
A U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday disrupted air travel across parts of the eastern Caribbean during the New Year holiday weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions, and major airlines canceled hundreds of flights to and from Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba and other destinations.
Venezuelans scrambled on Saturday to understand who was in control of their country after the U.S. military captured President Nicolás Maduro, removing the Venezuelan leader who had survived a failed coup, mutinies, protests and sanctions. In Caracas, fears spread quickly as streets emptied and residents lined up for basic goods, while President Donald Trump said the United States would take control of Venezuela.
U.S. forces carried out a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela on Saturday that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and removed them from a military base. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores were then taken aboard a U.S. warship bound for New York to face criminal charges.
On New Year’s Day, Bulgaria became the 21st country to join the euro currency union, deepening its integration with the European Union. The shift arrives as Bulgaria faces political upheaval and public skepticism amid concerns that prices could rise during the currency changeover.
Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran's ailing economy spread Thursday into rural provinces, with at least seven people killed in the first fatalities reported among protesters and security forces since the unrest began, authorities said. The deaths — two on Wednesday and five on Thursday — occurred across four cities largely home to Iran's Lur ethnic group.
Russia sent three Iranian communications satellites into orbit on Sunday, Iranian state television reported. The satellites were launched on a Russian rocket from the Vostochny launchpad in eastern Russia, according to the report.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s top officials exchanged threats as protests spread across Iran for a sixth straight day, according to Associated Press reporting. At least eight people were killed in violence around the demonstrations, which have been fueled in part by the collapse of Iran’s rial currency and expanded to chants against the government.
El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump advirtió a Irán que Estados Unidos “acudirá a su rescate” si “mata violentamente a manifestantes pacíficos”, mientras protestas en varias zonas de la República Islámica se extendían por al menos seis días y dejaron al menos siete muertos. En respuesta, funcionarios iraníes dijeron que rechazarán interferencias y amenazaron con medidas si se vulnera la soberanía del país, en un intercambio que elevó aún más la tensión entre Washington y Teherán tras ataques estadounidenses a instalaciones nucleares en junio.
A group of about two dozen Buddhist monks, walking from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to promote peace, reached Georgia on day 66 of their trek, the Associated Press reported Dec. 30. The monks planned to walk from the town of Morrow to Decatur that day and invited the public to an afternoon Peace Gathering in Decatur. The journey, which began Oct. 26, has drawn more than 400,000 followers on Facebook.
A Walt Disney World employee was knocked to the ground and injured Tuesday while trying to stop a 400-pound (181-kilogram) prop boulder that moved off its track and rolled toward seated audience members at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. A second worker stopped the boulder before it reached the spectators, the company confirmed Wednesday.
Authorities in Finland and Estonia are investigating damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland early Wednesday, between the capitals of Finland and Estonia, the Associated Press reported. Finnish police opened an investigation into aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.
Bulgaria will adopt the euro currency on New Year’s Day, becoming the 21st country to use the European Union’s shared currency. The switch will convert bank accounts at a fixed rate of 51 euro cents to the outgoing lev and allow lev payments for about a month, with change paid in euros. The change arrives amid polling that shows many Bulgarians oppose joining, with concerns ranging from possible price increases to doubts about official institutions.
China’s People’s Liberation Army said Wednesday it “successfully completed” two days of military exercises in waters off Taiwan, concluding what it described as a New Year’s Eve “Justice Mission 2025.” The announcement came as regional governments and the U.S. criticized recent PLA activity around the self-governing island.
Finnish authorities have arrested two members of a cargo ship’s crew in connection with damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland, police said Thursday. The damage was discovered early Wednesday in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone between the capitals of Finland and Estonia.
A group of Buddhist monks is continuing a multi-state walking trek for peace toward Washington, D.C., after two members were injured when a truck hit their escort vehicle in Texas. The group said it reached Georgia and planned to walk through the area east of Atlanta on Tuesday, marking day 66 of the journey.
Chinese President Xi Jinping used a New Year’s Eve address broadcast by state media to praise China’s technological progress and renew his pledge to annex self-ruled Taiwan. In the Wednesday evening remarks, Xi highlighted advances in areas including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, military technology and space exploration, while also discussing China’s economic planning and its standing on the world stage.
U.S. officials have not publicly acknowledged a drone strike at a Venezuelan docking area that President Donald Trump linked to drug trafficking, but two people familiar with the operation told The Associated Press that the CIA carried it out. The strike, reported as the first known direct U.S. operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September, is believed to target a site used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to the AP report.
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four firms operating in Venezuela’s oil sector and designated four additional oil tankers that it said are part of a shadow fleet serving President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The Treasury Department said the firms and tankers are now “blocked property,” limiting their ability to access assets held in the United States.
On New Year’s Day, Pope Leo XIV opened 2026 with a plea for peace, praying for countries “bloodied by conflict” and for families “wounded by violence or pain.” He marked the day with a New Year’s Day Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica and a special noontime prayer overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday that the United States could carry out further military strikes if Tehran tries to reconstitute its nuclear program, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump said the threat would come if “confirmed” activity is occurring and described possible consequences as “very powerful.”
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 10 people and firms from Iran and Venezuela over alleged support for Iran’s drone and ballistic missile-related programs, according to the Treasury and State Departments. Treasury said the measures are intended to support the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program.
The U.S. military said nearly 25 Islamic State operatives were killed or captured in Syria this month following an ambush that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday. The command said it carried out 11 missions over the past 10 days, following initial strikes Dec. 19 on Islamic State weapons sites and infrastructure across central Syria. Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the command, said, “We will not relent,” as the U.S. pursues operations with regional partners.
A group of about two dozen Buddhist monks reached Georgia on Tuesday, day 66 of a walking trek across much of the United States to promote peace, pressing on despite injuries sustained last month when a truck struck their escort vehicle outside Houston. The group, which set out from Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26, planned to walk Tuesday from the town of Morrow to Decatur, on the eastern edge of Atlanta, where they invited the public to a Peace Gathering that afternoon.
President Donald Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate that the U.S. could carry out further strikes if Iran tries to rebuild its nuclear program, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during talks in Florida on Monday. The warning came as Trump pushed for momentum on a U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire that is in danger of stalling before a complicated second phase.
IDLIB, Syria — A bombing at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Homs during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said. Syria’s Interior Ministry said preliminary investigations indicate explosives were planted inside the mosque, while a group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 10 people and companies from Iran and Venezuela, alleging they helped enable Iran’s drone trade and ballistic-missile program. The measures are intended to support U.N. sanctions on Iran and to further squeeze Iran’s access to the U.S. financial system, Treasury said.
The U.S. military said it carried out multiple missions in Syria over the past 10 days, killing or capturing nearly 25 Islamic State operatives. The operations followed an ambush on Dec. 13 near Palmyra that killed two U.S. National Guard members and a civilian interpreter, according to U.S. officials. The U.S. said the missions followed initial strikes on Dec. 19 that hit 70 targets across central Syria.
South Korea has outlined plans to retire most of its coal-fired power plants by 2040 and cut emissions by 2035, but the country’s climate goals are drawing scrutiny amid negotiations to increase U.S. liquefied natural gas purchases tied to trade talks with President Donald Trump. At recent UN climate talks, South Korea’s new Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said the shift is central to its carbon-cutting pledge. Climate advocates and energy analysts say adding more LNG could undercut the planned move away from fossil fuels, even if gas burns cleaner than coal.
President Donald Trump said the United States “hit” a dockside facility in Venezuela where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up,” escalating his pressure campaign on President Nicolás Maduro. Trump offered few specifics, including not confirming whether U.S. forces carried out the strike or where it occurred.
The U.S. military said it conducted another strike against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people, according to the Pentagon’s Southern Command. The latest attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 30 and the number of people killed at least 107 since early September, the Trump administration said.
President Donald Trump said the United States launched a “powerful and deadly” strike against Islamic State forces in Nigeria after attacks targeted Christians. The strike was carried out with Nigeria, which said the cooperation included intelligence sharing and “strategic coordination.”
Washington (AP) — The U.S. Treasury announced Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, that it has sanctioned ten people and firms in Iran and Venezuela for facilitating the sale of drones and ballistic‑missile technology to Tehran. The sanctions target a Venezuelan company and its chairman accused of buying Iranian drones, three Iranian nationals linked to chemical procurement for missiles, and a network of Iran‑based firms tied to the previously sanctioned Rayan Fan Group. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said the measures “hold Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world.” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott added that Iran’s provision of conventional weapons to Caracas threatens U.S. interests in the region.
Mosque bombing in Syria’s city of Homs during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said.
President Donald Trump said Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump’s Florida resort. But Trump also acknowledged the negotiations remain complex and could still break down, with the war potentially dragging on for years.
President Donald Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Monday that the United States could carry out further military strikes if Iran tries to reconstitute its nuclear program, as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. Trump’s comments came shortly after he previously said U.S. strikes had “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities and as Netanyahu-focused talks also centered on the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. military carried out another strike against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people, the Pentagon said. President Donald Trump also said the U.S. “hit” a dock facility along Venezuela’s shore where, he said, alleged drug boats “load up,” speaking during meetings in Florida. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has insisted the U.S. operations are meant to pressure him to leave power.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. “hit” a dock facility along Venezuela’s shore where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up,” in remarks that offered few details about where or how the strike occurred. He said the facility was “the implementation area” and declined to confirm whether U.S. military or CIA forces carried out the action.
