united states

US Imposes Sanctions on Colombia President

The United States on Friday announced sanctions on Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, who Washington has accused of failing to curb illicit drug trafficking, alongside his wife and son. "President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement unveiling the ...

Trump Completes Demolition of White House East Wing

Demolition workers have finished tearing down the White House's entire East Wing to make way for US President Donald Trump's giant new $300 million ballroom, satellite pictures showed Thursday. The completion of the wrecking work came as the White House released a list of donors to the ballroom including Apple, Google and Meta. A gray ...

Syrian Forces Agree Truce With French-Led Jihadist Group

Syrian authorities have agreed to a ceasefire with a group of jihadists led by Frenchman Oumar Diaby in northwest Syria, sources from both sides told AFP on Thursday. Government forces surrounded the camp of Firqatul Ghuraba ("the Foreigners' Brigade") on Wednesday, leading to the first clashes with jihadists under Syria's new leadership since ...

Rubio Says Israel Annexation Moves in West Bank ‘Threatening’ Peace Deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday warned Israel against annexing the West Bank, saying steps taken by parliament and settler violence threatened a Gaza peace deal. Israeli lawmakers voted Wednesday to advance two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, barely a week after President Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending ...

Gaza, Israel and Hezbollah with Matthew Levitt

On this week’s episode of This is America, we cover the Gaza ceasefire and the disarming of Hezbollah. We also feature an exclusive interview with Matthew Levitt, Fromer-Wexler Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute, who shares his insights on the situation in Gaza and the prospects for peace in the region.

United States: Joel Rayburn Officially Becomes Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved on Wednesday the nomination of Joel Rayburn as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Rayburn had been nominated for the position in February by Donald Trump, but the appointment required Senate confirmation. Joel Rayburn is a former U.S. Army colonel, diplomat, and recognized ...

JD Vance Voices ‘Great Optimism' for Gaza Truce on Israel Visit

US Vice President JD Vance expressed "great optimism" that the Gaza truce would hold, ahead of a meeting Wednesday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vance is in Israel to shore up support for the US-brokered ceasefire and post-war reconstruction plans. Despite concerns in Israel that Hamas has seized on the pause to ...

Trump and Putin's Budapest Summit Shelved

US President Donald Trump put plans to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest on hold Tuesday, as efforts to end the war in Ukraine ran into yet another roadblock. Trump said just days ago that he would meet Putin within two weeks, while at the same time pressuring Ukraine to give up the eastern Donbas region in exchange for peace, a ...

Trump Urged Ukraine to Give Up Land in 'Tense' Talks

US President Donald Trump pressured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to give up the eastern Donbas region in exchange for peace during "tense" talks last Friday in Washington, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP. The source added that the talks with Trump were "not easy" and that diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war felt ...