United States

J.D. Vance: From "Never Trump" to Trump's Running Mate

Combative and ultra-loyal, James David Vance's rise to Donald Trump's running mate this November completes a remarkable transformation for a 39-year-old senator now seen as the future face of the Republican Party. Vance has been one of Trump's most effective attack dogs in Congress, promoting the dominant populist ideology - opposing immigration, ...

Editorial – A World Adrift

“The world is (really) going to the dogs.” This brief, laconic reflection, expressed in an online post, is likely to become a common refrain on social networks. It alludes to a series of serious, historically significant events that are unfolding at an alarming pace in a feverish and deadly atmosphere all around the globe. The assassination ...

Biden Tells Americans to "Cool it Down"

US President Joe Biden sought to calm a divided nation Sunday after his rival Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, saying in a rare Oval Office address that it was time to lower the temperature of America's hostile politics. "It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that," Biden said in a televised address ...

Biden Defiant on Campaign Trail but Pressure Mounts

A fired up Joe Biden again rejected speculation he would quit the US presidential race and tried to turn the spotlight on rival Donald Trump as he took his crisis-hit reelection bid back on the campaign trail Friday. But as he addressed a lively rally in the battleground state of Michigan, the drumbeat of Democrats urging the 81-year-old Biden to ...

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, ...