Donald Trump

Kristi Noem Confirmed as Trump's Homeland Security Secretary

The US Senate on Saturday confirmed South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a key agency in President Donald Trump's push to clamp down on illegal immigration. The vote came a day after US lawmakers narrowly confirmed former Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth to be Pentagon chief, adding to previous ...

Zelensky Says Allies Should Work on 'Format' for Any Talks with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said allies should work towards determining a format for potential peace talks with Russia, reiterating that only talks involving Kyiv could bring about a sustainable peace. His comments are the latest to pile on speculation over the possibility of negotiations to end the brutal conflict that ...

Hamas, Israel in New Hostage-Prisoner Swap Under Gaza Truce

Palestinian militants and Israel carried out a hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday under a Gaza ceasefire deal, but a last-minute dispute blocked the expected return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to devastated northern Gaza. As part of the exchange, the second since the truce took effect last Sunday, four freed Israeli women hostages, ...

Trump Threatens Aid Cutoff on US Disaster Zone Visits

US President Donald Trump visited disaster zones in North Carolina and California on Friday, using the first trip since his return to office to turn emergency aid into a political cudgel. Trump said he would sign an order that could scrap the federal disaster agency, stepping up his effort to exert presidential power over the levers of government ...

The Turkish Wolf Expands Its Regional Dominance

Power, capability and determination. These are the words that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan used on Friday, January 10, as he once again warned the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a Kurdish-led coalition supported by the West—of military action if they did not hand over their weapons to the new regime in Damascus. Only a month earlier, ...

US Senate Confirms Pete Hegseth as Pentagon Chief

The US Senate narrowly confirmed former Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth as Pentagon chief on Friday, despite allegations of alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct and other fears about his ability to lead the world's most powerful military. Three Republican senators voted against Donald Trump's pick as secretary of defense, resulting in a 50-50 tie that ...

What Is Left of Hezbollah's Arsenal?

With only two days remaining until the 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel expires, two questions arise: What is left of the arsenal of the pro-Iranian group, which was supposed to be dismantled during this period? And does Hezbollah still have the capacity to carry out operations against the Israeli Army? What is indisputable is that ...

Egypt And Israel Exempt From a Near-Total Freeze On US Foreign Aid

The United States has frozen its foreign aid, with the exception of that provided to Egypt and Israel, as well as emergency food aid, while it carries out a complete review to see whether it is in line with the policy that Donald Trump intends to pursue. ‘No new funds will be committed (...) until every proposed new allocation or extension has ...

Washington Urges Immediate Ceasefire Extension as Tensions Continue in Southern Lebanon

As the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon nears its expiration on Monday, January 27, Washington has called for an urgent extension, urging Lebanese authorities to consider a temporary and short-term prolongation. The call comes as Tel Aviv announced its intention to extend its military withdrawal from southern Lebanon beyond the ...

Stocks diverge as investors weigh earnings, Trump policies

Global stocks diverged on Friday as investors weighed corporate earnings, economic data and President Donald Trump's policies. Meanwhile the US dollar lost more than one percent against the euro and pound following the US president's comments about not wanting to impose tariffs on China and calling for lower interest rates. The S&P 500 edged ...

Trump's Deportation Operation Underway, Hundreds of Migrants Arrested

Hundreds of migrants in the United States were arrested Thursday and others flown out of the country on military aircraft as the White House said President Donald Trump's promised deportation operation had started. The crackdown came as Trump prepared to head on Friday to California and North Carolina, where natural disasters have turned into ...

IMF chief tells Europe to take page out of US book

With the European economy lagging behind the United States, the head of the International Monetary Fund had a piece advice for the continent on Friday: "Believe in yourself." There was much handwringing about Europe losing its competitive edge at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, with the European Union racing to act to catch up with ...