USA

Drone Shot Down Near Iraqi Airport Hosting US Troops: Security Forces

A drone was intercepted late on Thursday near Arbil airport, which houses US-led anti-jihadist coalition troops in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, Kurdish security forces said. "At 21:58 (1858 GMT) an explosive-packed drone was downed near Arbil International Airport, without causing casualties or damage," said the ...

Macron Wants EU-US Trade Deal 'As Soon As Possible'

France's President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that he wanted an EU-US trade deal "as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible", with a Washington-set deadline looming to reach an accord. "The right deal for me is the deal that is struck as soon as possible, with the lowest tariffs possible, and that must be fair and firm," Macron ...

Iran Diplomat Says Open to Talks if US Rules Out Military Action

A senior Iranian diplomat said Thursday his country remains open to diplomacy provided the United States offers guarantees it will not resort to military action against the Islamic republic. The remarks came as US news website Axios, citing two unidentified sources, reported that White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was planning to meet ...

Trump Wins Major Victory as Flagship Bill Passes Congress

US President Donald Trump secured a major political victory on Thursday, when Congress narrowly passed his flagship tax and spending bill, cementing his radical second-term agenda and boosting funds for his anti-immigration drive. The bill underlined the president's dominance over the Republican Party, which had been wracked by misgivings ...

ALMA Telescope Reveals Unprecedented Detail in Early Galaxies

Chile's ALMA observatory, which houses some of the world's most powerful telescopes, has captured its most detailed images to date of the building blocks of the early universe – primarily cold gases, dust, and stellar light in 39 galaxies. "We've never achieved so much detail and depth in galaxies from the early universe," Sergio Martin, head ...

US Senate in Final Push to Pass Trump Spending Bill

US senators were in a marathon session of amendment votes Monday as Republicans sought to pass Donald Trump's flagship spending bill, an unpopular package set to slash social welfare programs and add an eye-watering $3 trillion to the national debt. The president wants his "One Big Beautiful Bill" to extend his expiring first-term tax cuts at a ...

Hezbollah’s Arms and the US Ultimatum: Lebanon Faces Critical Decisions

The question of Hezbollah’s weapons cannot be resolved solely within Lebanon. As an ideological, military and political extension of Iran, Hezbollah’s arsenal is intrinsically linked to broader regional dynamics, especially the power balance between Tehran and Washington. Experts agree that local initiatives will be ineffective unless ...

Tensions over Expat Vote Spark Heated Parliamentary Session

Parliament’s legislative session on Monday morning opened under palpable tension, against the backdrop of deep divisions over proposed amendments to the electoral law, particularly concerning the voting rights of Lebanese expatriates. Shortly after the session began, MPs from the Lebanese Forces (LF), the Kataeb party and several members of ...

Trump Says 'Getting Along Well' With China

President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed the importance of aggressive actions linked to Beijing including recent arrests of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a dangerous pathogen into the United States, saying "that's the way the world works." Trump told Fox News that Washington behaves in a similar way. "You don't think we do that to ...

Rwanda, DR Congo Sign Peace Deal in US After Rebel Sweep

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement Friday in Washington to end fighting that has killed thousands, with the two countries pledging to pull back support for guerrillas -- and President Donald Trump boasting of securing mineral wealth. "Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region ...