World

UN Says Around 90 Aid Trucks 'Dispatched' Into Gaza
UN Says Around 90 Aid Trucks 'Dispatched' Into Gaza

The UN said Wednesday it had "dispatched" around 90 trucks carrying aid into Gaza, as international pressure intensified over Israel's renewed offensive and blockade of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The first aid distribution in Gaza since early March came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was open to a "temporary ...

Republicans Eye Thursday Vote On Trump's Tax Cut Mega-Bill
Republicans Eye Thursday Vote On Trump's Tax Cut Mega-Bill

Republicans announced Wednesday they will vote early Thursday on US President Donald Trump's sprawling domestic policy mega-bill pairing tax relief with spending cuts that critics say would decimate health care while ballooning the debt. The "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" would usher into law Trump's vision for a new "Golden Age," achieved through ...

Lines in the Sand: Syria on the Brink, and Lebanon’s Vanishing Moment
Op-edLines in the Sand: Syria on the Brink, and Lebanon’s Vanishing Moment

If you want to understand the Middle East in 2025, don’t look at the maps. Look at the fault lines. They’re not drawn in ink – they’re drawn in fear, legacy and a deep unease that this time, the region isn’t just shifting, it’s splintering. This week, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded an alarm loud enough to rattle ...

Ukrainian Drone Attacks Halt Flights at Moscow Airports
Ukrainian Drone Attacks Halt Flights at Moscow Airports

Air traffic around Moscow was disrupted on Thursday as the Russian capital came under attack, with the defense ministry saying 35 Ukrainian drones targeting the city had been downed overnight. "Air defense systems destroyed and intercepted 105 Ukrainian drones," of which 35 were heading towards Moscow, the ministry said in a statement. Moscow's ...

6.1-magnitude Quake Hits off Greek Island of Crete
6.1-magnitude Quake Hits off Greek Island of Crete

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake rattled the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, with no major damage immediately reported. The strong quake struck 82 kilometres (51 miles) northeast of Crete's capital Heraklion at 0319 GMT at a depth of 68 kilometres (42 miles), the USGS said. AFP journalists said it ...

Trump Ambushes South African President Over ‘Genocide’ Accusation
Trump Ambushes South African President Over ‘Genocide’ Accusation

President Donald Trump ambushed South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday by playing him a video that he claimed proved genocide is being committed against white people, driving farmers to flee to the United States. The extraordinary stunt turned the usually staid diplomatic setting of the Oval Office into a stage for Trump's ...

Several Countries Summon Israeli Diplomats over West Bank Warning Shots
Several Countries Summon Israeli Diplomats over West Bank Warning Shots

France, Spain, Portugal and Uruguay have decided to summon Israeli ambassadors on Wednesday to express their deep concern following reports that Israeli forces fired warning shots near European diplomats in the occupied West Bank. Paris will summon Israel's ambassador over warning shots fired by the country's army during a visit by diplomats in ...

Iran-US Nuclear Talks Set for Friday in Rome
Iran-US Nuclear Talks Set for Friday in Rome

Iran and the United States will hold the next round of talks on the Islamic republic's nuclear program in Rome later this week, Tehran and mediator Oman said Wednesday. The arch-foes have held four rounds of nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between them since US President Donald Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal ...

US Accepts Boeing Jet from Qatar for Use as Air Force One
US Accepts Boeing Jet from Qatar for Use as Air Force One

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted the Boeing 747 that the Gulf emirate of Qatar offered to President Donald Trump for use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Qatar's offer of the jet -- which is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars -- has raised huge constitutional and ethical questions, as well as security ...