United States

Key Dates in the Fall of Britain's Former Prince Andrew

Key dates in the life of Andrew, King Charles III's younger brother, who has been stripped of his royal titles over allegations stemming from his friendship with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: - February 19, 1960: Born Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward at Buckingham Palace in London, the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...

Palestinian Weapons Test Lebanon’s Credibility on Disarmament and Security

The killing of Elio Abu Hanna by Palestinian gunmen in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp this past weekend is not just another crime. His murder is a serious test for a Lebanese government dragging its feet on its commitment to disarm Hezbollah and other militias. There is no reason the Shatila refugee camp should remain off-limits to the ...

Trump Returns to U.S. After Ordering Nuclear Tests

US President Donald Trump landed back in Washington Thursday after a surprise directive to begin nuclear weapons testing that raised the specter of renewed superpower tensions. The announcement on social media was issued just before Trump, who boasts frequently about being a peace president, went into a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in ...

Graham: Disarm Hezbollah to End Israeli Attacks in Lebanon

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said Thursday that Israeli military operations in Lebanon would end “if Hezbollah were disarmed,” describing the ongoing cross-border strikes as a direct response to the militant group’s continued armed presence. Graham argued that Israel’s incursions into Lebanese territory are intended to “suppress ...

Donald Trump’s Rare Earth Diplomacy

Donald Trump is taking aim at China’s dominance over rare earths, the invisible metals that power everything from smartphones to missiles. His goal: to free the global economy from its dependence on Beijing and secure US access to these critical resources. What Are Rare Earths? Despite their name, rare earths are 17 metals, including ...

How Venezuela Became America’s Next Battleground — And Why Iran Is in the Room

There has been no formal declaration of war, no vote in Congress, and no rousing call to liberate a people from tyranny. Yet one of the largest U.S. military build-ups in the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War is sitting a few miles off Venezuela’s coastline. Washington calls it a counter-narcotics mission. Caracas fears it is a slow-motion ...

Trump Hails Busan Talks with Xi Jinping, Cites Progress on Trade, Rare Earths, and Ukraine

US President Donald Trump described his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday as a “major success.” According to Trump, the discussions covered several issues, including potential reductions in tariffs imposed on China over the fentanyl trade and planned cooperation on efforts to end the war in ...

UN Calls for End to Sudan Siege After Mass Hospital Killings

UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to military escalation in Sudan on Thursday after reports that more than 460 people were shot dead in a maternity hospital by paramilitary forces. Mohammad Hamdan Daglo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, which recently seized the city of El-Fasher from army forces, has ...

G7 Meets on Countering China's Critical Mineral Dominance

Curbing China's critical mineral dominance will top the agenda at a G7 energy ministers meeting in Canada on Thursday, as industrialized democracies seek more reliable access to the resources that power future technologies. The Group of Seven, including US President Donald Trump's administration, has sounded the alarm over China's stranglehold on ...

Trump Hails Tariff, Rare Earth Deal with Xi

US President Donald Trump called the meeting Thursday with China's Xi Jinping a "great success", after the world's top two economies agreed a deal to trim fentanyl-related tariffs and keep supplies of critical rare earths flowing. There was no immediate comment from the Chinese government after what was the leaders' first ...