united states

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 ...

Saudi de Facto Ruler to Meet Trump in Washington Next Month

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler will meet US President Donald Trump during a three-day visit to Washington next month, a source close to the government told AFP on Tuesday. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive on November 17 and discuss political, economic, and security files with Trump the following day, the source said on condition of ...

Trump Says Middle East Allies Ready to 'Straighten out Hamas' If Asked

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that allied nations in the Middle East were prepared to send troops into Gaza, at his request, to confront Hamas if the group did not cease its alleged violations of his peace plan. The threat comes a day after Trump warned Hamas would be "eradicated" if the group did not meet expectations of the agreement, ...

Union Demands Action for German Workers Caught in US Shutdown

A German labor union called on the government Tuesday to compensate workers at US military bases in the country if they suffer delayed salary payments due to the government shutdown in the United States. About 12,000 civilian employees who work at US military installations in Germany could be affected, the Verdi union warned. "Verdi is calling ...

Bolivia's President-Elect Says Will Resume Ties with US after Nearly Two Decades

Bolivia's new center-right president-elect said Monday he would seek to reinstate diplomatic ties with the United States that were broken off nearly two decades ago under leftist ex-leader Evo Morales. "In the specific case of the United States... that relationship will be resumed," economist-turned-senator Rodrigo Paz, 58, told reporters after ...

Lavrov and Rubio Discuss Putin-Trump Summit, Zelensky Seeks Invite

Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio discussed preparations for an upcoming summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in a call on Monday, both sides said. Rubio "emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the ...

US Envoys Meet Israel's Netanyahu after Gaza Violence

Two of the United States' top envoys to the Middle East met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after weekend violence threatened to wreck a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza. The sit-down came as Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza for aid shipments, a security official and a humanitarian source ...

Verstappen Cruises to Victory, Cuts Chunk Out of F1 Lead

Max Verstappen maintained the pressure on McLaren and cut another chunk out of Oscar Piastri's lead in this year's world championship on Sunday when he cruised to a commanding triumph at the United States Grand Prix. In sizzling conditions, Red Bull's four-time world champion led from pole position to the checkered flag to come home 7.959 seconds ...