United States

Russian, US Defense Chiefs Discussed Lowering Escalation in Call

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin held a telephone call where they discussed lowering the risk of "possible escalation", the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. The call, which was initiated by Moscow, comes as tensions between the two sides flare over Washington's plan to deploy long-range missiles ...

Iranian Court Orders the US to Pay Damages for Patients

An Iranian court has ordered the United States to pay almost $6.8 billion in damages for the effect of sanctions on patients with a rare skin disease, the judiciary said. The International Court in Tehran ordered its foe the United States to pay $6.785 billion to patients with epidermolysis bullosa, a disorder that causes the skin to blister ...

NATO Begins F-16 Jets Transfer to Ukraine

NATO allies announced on Wednesday that they started the long-promised transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine as leaders meet for a summit in Washington clouded by political uncertainties in the United States. With the pomp of the three-day gathering in the US capital, President Joe Biden is aiming to rally the West and reassure US voters amid intense ...

Biden Urges Democrats to Support His Reelection

Joe Biden urged Democratic lawmakers on Monday to either back his reelection campaign or challenge him at the party convention next month as the US president's reelection bid entered a critical week. The 81-year-old doubled down on his defiance of calls to step aside after a disastrous debate against Republican rival Donald Trump last month ...

Iran: Pezeshkian's Victory, a Hope for Nuclear Negotiations

Masoud Pezeshkian's victory in Iran's presidential elections has given a rare boost to efforts for scaling down years of tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, even with no indication of any upcoming breakthrough in the crisis. Pezeshkian's defeat of ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili, a former chief nuclear negotiator whose intransigence and style ...

Despite Sanctions, Maduro Says Talks Will Resume With US

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Monday that talks would soon resume with the United States, which has reimposed crippling sanctions on the South American country's oil industry, as he looks towards this month's election. Maduro claimed that Washington had initiated the proposal and that Caracas had agreed to it after two months of careful ...

Taliban Told to 'Include Women' in Public Life at UN Talks

Taliban authorities were told women must be included in public life, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said on Monday as she defended a decision to sideline civil society groups at official talks in Doha. Rights organizations have strongly criticized the controversial UN move to exclude the groups, including women's rights activists, ...

US Supreme Court Rules on Trump Immunity, Delaying Trial

The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Donald Trump enjoys some immunity from prosecution as a former president, a ruling that will likely delay his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The 6-3 decision split along ideological lines comes four months ahead of the election in which Trump is the Republican candidate to take on ...

Putin Suggests Russia Should Produce Previously Banned Missiles

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia should start producing short- and intermediate-range missiles that were previously banned under a now-defunct arms treaty with the United States. Putin was referring to missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (300–3,400 miles) that were banned under the Cold War-era ...

US Sanctions Oil Tankers Over Iran Nuclear 'Escalation'

The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against shipping companies for transporting Iranian oil, saying it was a response to Tehran's nuclear "escalation," on the eve of presidential elections in the Islamic republic. "Over the past month, Iran has announced steps to further expand its nuclear program in ways that have no credible ...

Biden and Trump Set for Historic 2024 Presidential Debate

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in a crucial US presidential debate on Thursday, as they vie for voter support in a tightly contested and deeply polarized 2024 election. Joe Biden and Donald Trump square off for a historic US presidential debate Thursday, with the stage set for what could be an inflection point in the 2024 race, as ...