Author: By AFP

Total demand is forecast to reach 105.5 million bpd in 2030, down from 105.6 million in 2029. Global oil demand will fall slightly in 2030, its first drop since the 2020 Covid pandemic, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday. In an annual outlook for the oil market, the Paris-based agency cited sluggish economic growth, global trade tensions, the rise of electric cars and the shift away from crude to produce power. Annual demand growth will slow from around 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2025 and 2026 “to just a trickle over the next several years, with a small decline…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (L) and US President Donald Trump depart after a family photo during the G7 Summit at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. [AFP] G7 leaders on Monday called for “de-escalation” in the Middle East starting with the Israel-Iran conflict, as US President Donald Trump hastily left the group’s summit. Trump, who was making his return to the international diplomatic calendar, departed the gathering in the Canadian Rockies a day early as ally Israel pounded Iran. After a day of statements backing diplomacy, Trump ominously took to social media…

An electronic quotation board displays the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on June 17, 2025.[AFP] Oil prices and equities fluctuated Tuesday as investors weighed Donald Trump called for Tehran residents to evacuate and hopes that the conflict between Israel and Iran does not descend into all-out war. While the crisis in the Middle East continues to instill uncertainty on trading floors as the two foes exchange deadly missiles strikes, talk that the Islamic republic wanted to make a nuclear deal was providing some optimism. After Friday’s surge sparked by Israel’s attacks on its regional foe,…

Smoke billows from a fire in a building in Herzliya near Tel Aviv following a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 17, 2025. [AFP] Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire for a fifth consecutive day Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump abruptly left the G7 summit and warned Tehran residents to “immediately evacuate” amid rising fears of a wider conflict. The Israeli military said it targeted multiple missile and UAV sites in western Iran, including surface-to-surface missile infrastructure, surface-to-air launchers and drone storage facilities, in a statement accompanied by black-and-white footage showing missile launchers exploding. Shortly after, air raid…

Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe crosses the line to win the men’s race at the 2025 London Marathon in central London on April 27, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) Kenya’s world-leading marathon runner Sabastian Sawe has decided to run September’s Berlin marathon instead of the world championships in Tokyo. Already a winner of two marathons in Valencia in December 2024 and London last April, Sawe was expected to spearhead the Kenyan men’s challenge at the Tokyo worlds. The men’s marathon in Tokyo will be held on September 15, only six days before the Berlin marathon. “I am preparing for Berlin,”…

A tear gas canister falls in front of a line of protestors carrying US flag on June u, [af2025 in Los Angeles, California as authorities worked to clear the streets after the “No Kings” demonstration.[AFP] A judge on Monday extended a restraining order pausing Donald Trump’s ban on Harvard bringing in and hosting foreign students as part of the US president’s escalating campaign against the elite university. Trump has tried a host of different tactics to block the Ivy League institution enrolling and educating international students. They have included seeking to remove Harvard from an electronic student immigration registry, and…

People visit the site of an Iranian missile attack in central Tel Aviv which left several destroyed buildings, on June 16, 2025. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP) Iran’s state broadcaster was briefly knocked off air by an Israeli strike and explosions rang out across Tehran Monday, after a barrage of Iranian missiles killed 11 people in Israel on the fourth day of an escalating air war. After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a surprise aerial campaign against targets across Iran, saying they aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons –…

WhatsApp on the App Store displayed on a phone screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on June 7, 2025. [AFP] WhatsApp announced Monday it will introduce its boldest advertising features yet, marking a significant shift for the messaging platform that has largely remained ad-free since its launch. The move is a sensitive one for WhatsApp, whose chief firmly denied a report in 2023 that said the Meta-owned app was exploring advertisements as it sought to boost revenue. Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms, WhatsApp has maintained minimal advertising since Meta acquired it in 2014.…

Ambulances are seen parked near the post-mortem room at a hospital before transferring victims’ dead bodies to a mortuary in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025, a day after Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near airport. [AFP] The death toll from the fiery crash of a London-bound passenger jet in an Indian city climbed to 279 on Saturday as officials sought to match the DNA of victims with their grieving relatives. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday, bursting into a fireball as it hit residential…

Picture taken from Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, shows rocket trails in the sky late on June 13, 2025, after Iran struck Israel with barrages of missiles. [AFP] Israel targeted Iran’s air defences and missile launchers on Saturday as it pressed its bid to dismantle its arch-foe’s military capabilities, after a night of mutual attacks. Israel’s massive strikes on Iran, which it calls an existential threat, have hit nuclear and military facilities, killed top commanders and dozens of civilians, and sought to destroy the country’s defence capabilities. Iran has hit back with volleys of missiles that lit up the…

US President Donald Trump speaks during a bill signing event for a bill blocking California’s rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on June 12, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump urged Iran to make a deal or face “even more brutal” attacks, while keeping the door open for negotiations after Israel’s deadly strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Trump appeared to be sitting on the fence, a day after having publicly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off striking Iran only to see the…

New Real Madrid signing Trent Alexander-Arnold said he joined the “only” team he would have considered leaving Liverpool for, at his presentation on Thursday. Published Date: 2025-06-12 16:44:37 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Tottenham have reached an agreement with Premier League rivals Brentford to make Thomas Frank their head coach following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou. Published Date: 2025-06-12 16:33:26 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

People take part in a protest organised by the Sudanese People’s Alliance againt the United States sanctions and the United Arab Emirate’s alleged support to paramilitary groups in Sudan fighting the regular army, outside the UN offices in Port Sudan on May 29, 2025. [AFP] The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains “untenably high”, the United Nations said Thursday. A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024, said UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. But that figure dropped to 122.1…

Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan criminal court during his rape and sexual assault re-trial in New York on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Curtis Means / POOL / AFP) Disgraced Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one sexual assault Wednesday and not guilty of another, with jurors still considering a rape charge at his retrial at which three women recounted in graphic detail how he victimized them. Weinstein was retried for offenses against two women, Jessica Mann whom he is alleged to have raped, and Miriam Haley whom he was found to have sexually…

Manchester City have completed the signing of French international Rayan Cherki from Lyon, in time to beat the deadline to register new players for the start of the Club World Cup. Published Date: 2025-06-10 22:11:28 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

The four African qualifiers for the revamped Club World Cup in the United States are set to become much richer, no matter how they fare in the 32-team tournament. Published Date: 2025-06-10 18:46:08 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his side were “already thinking about the World Cup” after Sunday’s Nations League final loss on penalties to Portugal in Munich. Published Date: 2025-06-09 15:35:58 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Carlos Alcaraz said “real champions” are made in tough situations after the Spaniard saved three championship points and fought from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in the French Open final Published Date: 2025-06-09 11:40:52 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski said Sunday he would not play for his national team Poland so long as coach Michal Probierz remained in charge. Published Date: 2025-06-09 11:38:19 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Cristiano Ronaldo’s coach and teammates praised his leadership after Sunday’s Nations League final win over Spain in Munich. Published Date: 2025-06-09 11:36:01 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

A spectator was killed after falling from the stands at the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain in Munich on Sunday, UEFA confirmed to AFP subsidiary SID. Published Date: 2025-06-09 11:30:19 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

People protest the Muslim travel ban in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 26, 2018. [AFP] President Donald Trump’s sweeping new travel ban came into effect early Monday, immediately after midnight, barring citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States and reviving a divisive measure from his first term. The move is expected to disrupt refugee pathways and further restrict immigration as the Trump administration expands its crackdown on illegal entries. Many of the nations covered by the restrictions have adversarial relations with the United States, such as Iran and Afghanistan, while others…

The logo of the French energy company TotalEnergies can be seen on a price board for petrol and diesel at a filling station. [AFP] Environmental groups took TotalEnergies to court Thursday in a landmark Paris trial, accusing the French oil and gas giant of misleading consumers with ads that overstate its climate commitments and fossil fuel transition. It is the first such case in France targeting a major energy company and could set a legal precedent for corporate environmental advertising, which is starting to face tighter regulations in the European Union. The civil case stems from a March 2022 lawsuit…

People gather to protest against the war on immigrants in New York City on June 6, 2025. [AFP] Masked and armed federal agents carried out sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles Friday, while others pounced on migrants at a New York courthouse in forceful displays of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on people without papers. From courthouses to hardware store parking lots in two of the most diverse cities in the world, federal agents wrestled migrants into handcuffs and unmarked vehicles. Agents used extreme tactics, conducting unprecedented raids on at least three areas of Los Angeles to detain dozens of…

US President Donald Trump pumps his fist upon arrival at Miami International Airport on April 3, 2025. US President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban June 4, 2025 targeting 12 countries. [AFP] Tehran denounced on Saturday the US travel ban on Iranians and citizens of 11 other mostly Middle Eastern and African countries, saying Washington’s decision was a sign of a “racist mentality”. US President Donald Trump signed on Wednesday an executive order reviving sweeping restrictions that echo his first-term travel ban, justified on national security grounds following a firebomb attack at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado. Alireza Hashemi-Raja,…

Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Published Date: 2025-06-06 00:00:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Former Arsenal player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.[Getty Images] Former Arsenal player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was jailed for four years on Thursday for his involvement in a £600,000 ($812,000) drug smuggling plot. The 34-year-old was arrested in September last year after officers seized roughly 60 kilograms of cannabis brought through London’s Stansted Airport by two women he had recruited – his girlfriend and her friend – on a flight from the Thai capital Bangkok via Dubai. An earlier hearing heard the women, who were found not guilty, believed they were importing gold. Emmanuel-Thomas, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a smuggling charge,…

Zambian President Edgar Lungu arrives to give a press briefing on July 6, 2017 at the Zambian State House in Lusaka. [AFP] Zambia’s former president Edgar Lungu, who held power for almost seven years until 2021, died Thursday in a hospital in South Africa at the age of 68, his party and family announced. Lungu had been receiving specialised medical treatment in a clinic in Pretoria, the Patriotic Front, his political party, said in a statement. “My father had been under medical supervision in recent weeks,” his daughter Tasila Lungu-Mwansa announced in a video shared on social media. “His condition was…

   US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2025. US President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban June 4, 2025 targeting 12 countries. [AFP] US President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban Wednesday targeting 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Yemen, reviving one of the most controversial measures from his first term. Trump said the measure was spurred by a makeshift flamethrower attack on a Jewish protest in Colorado that US authorities blamed on a man they said was in the country illegally. The move bans…

Graduates gather as they attend commencement ceremony at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025.[AFP] President Donald Trump ramped up his campaign against top US universities Wednesday, banning visas for all foreign students coming to attend Harvard and threatening to strip Columbia of its academic accreditation. Trump is seeking to bring the universities to heel with claims their international students pose a national security threat, and that they ignored anti-Semitism on campus, and perpetuate liberal bias. A proclamation issued by the White House late Wednesday declared that the entrance of international students to begin a course at Harvard…

Market statistics displayed on a screen of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell on June 2, 2025, in New York City. [AFP] Stock markets extended gains Wednesday as investors shrugged off US President Donald Trump’s tough words on China and the doubling of tariffs on global steel and aluminium. With Trump possibly speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, the US leader said on his Truth Social platform that it was “extremely hard to make a deal” with his counterpart. US-China tensions have ratcheted back up after Trump accused Beijing of violating an agreement that…

Workers are seen next to a truck transporting a container at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port near Shanghai in China’s eastern Zhejiang Province on June 3, 2025. [AFP] Donald Trump said Wednesday it was “extremely hard” to reach a deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as the EU claimed momentum in its own trade talks with Washington even as the US president doubled global metal tariffs. Trump’s latest trade moves came as OECD ministers gathered in Paris to discuss the outlook for the world economy in light of a US hardball approach that has rattled world markets. Trump’s sweeping tariffs on…

US-Austrian actor, businessman and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks as he attends a panel discussion during the Austrian World Summit in Vienna, Austria on June 3, 2025. [AFP] “Here is your chief mobility officer, Arnold Schwarzenegger talking to you” — with this announcement, the “Terminator” star and former governor of California surprised Vienna public transport users on Tuesday by hailing them as “climate action heroes”. The Austrian Hollywood star is in town for an annual conference he organises on climate change. “Thank you for your commitment to a healthy planet,” he says in German in the announcement, broadcast every…

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich attends a signature ceremony of an initiative on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, in Istanbul, on July 22, 2022. [AFP] The UK government is threatening former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich with legal action over the frozen £2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) generated from the sale of the club, which has been earmarked to help Ukraine’s war victims. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves and Foreign Minister David Lammy said late Monday they were “frustrated” by the failure to reach an agreement with Abramovich over where the funds of the May 2022 sale go. The…

President Zelensky during a summit with the leaders of NATO’s eastern and Nordic members (B9 and Nordic countries) on June 2, 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania. [AFP] Ukraine has been invited to a NATO summit later in June, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, after earlier warning it would be a “victory” for Russia if it was not there. The heads of NATO states will gather in The Hague, Netherlands, from June 24-26, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s calls for alliance members to ramp up defence spending set to dominate the agenda. “We were invited to the…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. [AFP] Russia on Tuesday said it was wrong to expect a quick breakthrough in Ukraine talks, a day after Moscow rejected Kyiv’s call for an unconditional ceasefire at negotiations in Istanbul. The sides agreed on a large-scale swap of captured soldiers and exchanged their roadmaps to peace, or so-called “memorandums”, at the discussions, which lasted under two hours. More than three years into Russia’s offensive — which has killed tens of thousands on both sides and forced millions from their homes in eastern Ukraine — the two sides appear as irreconcilable…

US President Donald Trump gestures as he meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2025. [AFP] Iran urged the United States on Monday to provide a formal guarantee that it will lift sanctions in ongoing talks on the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme. “We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference in Tehran. “So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue,” he added. His remarks come a day after a report by…

US President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. [AFP] The White House on Thursday blasted a federal court’s decision to block many of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs – and said it could take the matter to the Supreme Court. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has moved to reconfigure US trade ties with the world while using tariffs to force foreign governments to the negotiating table. But the stop-start rollout of levies, impacting both allies and adversaries, has roiled markets…

A picture taken from Israeli border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment in the besieged Palestinian territory on May 29, 2025. [AFP] The White House said Thursday that Israel had accepted US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, while discussions were “continuing” with Hamas. The Palestinian militant group had earlier said it was examining a new deal proposed by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, while there was no immediate confirmation from Israel. “I can confirm that special envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas, which Israel backed and supported.…

Graduates gather before the start of the commencement ceremony at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. (Photo by Rick Friedman / AFP) Thousands of Harvard students in crimson-fringed gowns celebrated their graduation Thursday, as a federal judge said she would temporarily block Donald Trump’s bid to bar the prestigious university from enrolling international scholars. Trump has made Harvard the central target of his campaign against elite US universities, which he has threatened with funding freezes and action against their foreign students over what he says is liberal bias and anti-Semitism. A federal judge in Boston said she…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House May 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] Global stocks and the dollar largely firmed Thursday after a US court blocked most of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs from taking effect. Equities across Europe and Asia climbed on hopes that Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs may not be imposed, easing concerns that had roiled global markets and sparked recession fears. US futures markets rallied almost two percent, signaling at least solid gains when Wall Street reopens Thursday. Tech stocks led the way after…

 (FROM L) French music composer Alexandre Desplat, British actor Rupert Friend, US producer Wes Anderson, British actress Mia Threapleton, US actor Jeffrey Wright and British actor Benedict Cumberbatch arrive for the screening of the film “The Phoenician Scheme” at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 18, 2025. [AFP] Pop star Dua Lipa joined some 300 UK celebrities in signing an open letter Thursday urging Britain to halt arms sales to Israel, after similar pleas from lawyers and writers. Actors, musicians, activists and other public figures wrote the letter calling on Prime Minister…

Akinwumi Adesina, president of African Development Bank (AFDB) delivers his remarks during the African Development Bank group annual meeting opening ceremony in Abidjan on May 27, 2025. [AFP] Five candidates are in the running to succeed Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina as president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). They are: Amadou Hott (Senegal)  Hott was Senegal’s economy minister from 2019 to 2022 under the presidency of Macky Sall and until September last year was Adesina’s special envoy for green infrastructure in Africa. But he is not necessarily a natural successor, as the position usually goes to a candidate from another region…

President Zelensky, Trump and Putin. [AFP] US President Donald Trump warned Vladimir Putin Tuesday that he was “playing with fire,” taking a fresh jab at his Russian counterpart as Washington weighs new sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war. Trump’s latest broadside showed his frustration with stalled ceasefire talks and comes two days after he called the Kremlin leader “absolutely CRAZY” following a major drone attack on Ukraine. Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, insisted it was responding to escalating Ukrainian strikes on its own civilians and accused Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts. Diplomatic efforts to end…

President Emmanuel Macron and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto shake hands during a press conference at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on May 28, 2025. [AFP] French President Emmanuel Macron met his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday, seeking to deepen trade and defence ties with Southeast Asia’s largest economy on the second leg of a three-country tour promoting France as a balancing power between the US and China. Macron met Prabowo Subianto at the presidential palace in capital Jakarta, hailing their countries’ close relationship after being greeted by a guard of honour, gun salute and thousands of young Indonesians waving French flags. “Our…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a phone call with Albania’s Prime Minister as he sits in his office in Kyiv on May 26, 2025. [AFP] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to visit Germany on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has pledged muscular backing for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. Zelensky’s visit will focus on “German support for Ukraine and efforts to secure a ceasefire” with Russia to end more than three years of war, German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. During their Berlin talks from noon (1000 GMT), Zelensky and Merz are…

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk speaks at an opening ceremony for Tesla China-made Model Y programme in Shanghai, China January 7, 2020. [File] Sales of cars made by Elon Musk‘s Tesla slumped by more than half in April as Chinese electric carmakers saw their share surge, the continent‘s manufacturing association said Tuesday. While sales of electric cars rose overall in the 27 European Union nations, Tesla‘s share fell dramatically amid the spotlight on Musk‘s work with US President Donald Trump and the US company‘s ageing range. The European Automobile Manufacturers‘ Association (ACEA) said Tesla sales in April fell to 5,475…

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell on May 23, 2025, in New York City. [AFP] Equities were mixed Tuesday as investors awaited the latest developments in Donald Trump’s trade war, while the yen rallied after the head of Japan’s central bank flagged more interest rate hikes if the economy improved. With Wall Street closed for a holiday, there were few major catalysts to drive business, though investors remain on their toes after the US president’s threat of 50 per cent tariffs on European Union goods and subsequent delay reviving volatility.…

Britain’s King Charles III attends audiences with indigenous leaders at the official residence of the Governor General of Canada, in Ottawa on May 27, 2025. [AFP] King Charles III is to deliver a historic speech to open Canada’s parliament on Tuesday, with the nation, of which he is head of state, facing unprecedented threats from US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he intends to use the king’s first visit to the British Commonwealth nation since his coronation to highlight Canada’s sovereignty. “This historic honour matches the weight of our times,” Carney said. It was at the…

France’s President Emmanuel Macron (R) poses with his wife Brigitte Macron during a state dinner with Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong at the International Convention Center in Hanoi on May 26, 2025. [AFP] French President Emmanuel Macron denied Monday having a domestic dispute with his wife Brigitte after a video appeared to show her shoving his face away when they touched down for a visit to Vietnam, blaming disinformation campaigns for trying to put false meaning on the footage. The Elysee had been hoping that the visit to Vietnam would showcase France’s reach into the Indo-Pacific, but it has been shadowed…

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Osaka, western Japan on June 29, 2019. [AFP] From false claims of Americans panic-buying Chinese goods to bot-driven attacks on US brands, a tide of misinformation is casting a shadow over a temporary trade truce between Washington and Beijing. The world’s two biggest economies agreed earlier this month to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, a surprise de-escalation in their bitter trade war following high-level talks in Geneva. But an alternate reality is unfolding across social media platforms, including China’s Douyin and Weibo, where…

A photograph taken in Paris on April 8, 2025 shows a globe and a US flag with the inscription “tariffs” planted on Europe. [AFP] US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would pause his threatened 50-per cent tariffs on the European Union until July 9, after a “very nice call” with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Trump had threatened on Friday to impose the steep duties from June 1, voicing frustration that negotiations to avert a 20-per cent “reciprocal” tariff were “going nowhere”. But he agreed on Sunday to delay the tariffs until July 9 after…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House May 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened Apple and other smartphone manufacturers with a 25 percent tariff unless their devices are built in the United States. Trump initially said the tariff would apply only to Apple — an unusual move to single out a specific company in trade policy. However, he later expanded the threat to include all smartphone-makers. “It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair,” Trump…

A demonstrator holds a sing in Harvard Square after a rally was held against President Donald Trump’s attacks on Harvard University at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 17, 2025. [AFP] Harvard sued the Trump administration on Friday over its move to block the prestigious university from enrolling and hosting foreign students in a broadening dispute, a court filing showed. On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign nationals, throwing the future of thousands of students into doubt. President Donald Trump is furious at Harvard — which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners –…

US President Donald Trump with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025. [AFP] South Africans voiced anger Thursday at US President Donald Trump’s persistent false claim of a genocide against white farmers that was repeated in talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa. The talks between the two presidents on Wednesday were aimed at repairing relations that have nosedived since Trump took office in January, since threatening high trade tariffs and expelling the South African ambassador. “I am not happy,” university student Nicole Mbhele told AFP. “He made it seem…

US President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. [AFP] Stock markets mostly fell and US long-term borrowing costs surged Thursday as investors fretted over the US debt pile after President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax cut plan passed the House of Representatives. Wall Street’s three main indexes were mixed at the open, with the broad-based S&P 500 and Dow falling while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose. The yield on 30-year US government bonds climbed to 5.15 per cent following the House vote, nearing levels last seen in 2007…

 Destroyed buildings in the nothern sector of the besieged Palestinian territory on May 22, 2025. [AFP] 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 ceasefire”, but reaffirmed the military aimed to bring the entire territory under its control. Three days after Israel announced it would allow in limited aid, the United Nations “collected around 90 truckloads…

With Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) by his side President Donald Trump speaks to the press following a House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] 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 concerns about using an aircraft donated…

Former Mayor of New York City Mike Bloomberg speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 20, 2025. [AFP] Bloomberg, the financial data service used by traders around the world, was hit by an outage on Wednesday, briefly disrupting auctions of bonds in Europe. The Bloomberg terminal is the crown jewel of the media empire founded by US billionaire Michael Bloomberg in 1981 and counts some 350,000 users worldwide. The service, which costs subscribers tens of thousands of dollars a year, is ubiquitous in trading rooms, providing live pricing of company stocks, currencies, commodities, bonds and other financial…

A man walks past electronic boards showing the Japanese yen’s rate against the US dollar (L) and the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (R) along a street in central Tokyo on May 19, 2025. [AFP] A bond sell-off and declining dollar signalled investor unease Wednesday as Washington lawmakers contemplated a tax-cut bill that could push up the US deficit. At the same time, fresh tensions focused on a report that Israel was planning a strike on Iranian nuclear sites drove up crude prices, while lingering US-China trade tensions hit stock markets. Wall Street opened lower, while European…

Singer Chris Brown arrives on the red carpet for the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, California on March 29,2015. [Valerie Maacon, AFP] American R&B singer Chris Brown, former boyfriend of superstar Rihanna, was on Wednesday ordered released on bail in an assault case on condition he pay a £5 million guarantee to a UK court. Under the terms of his bail, the judge said the Grammy-winning Brown, 36, can continue his scheduled international tour which is due to start on June 8 in Amsterdam. If he fails to return to the UK, where he has a series of concerts…

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (right) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, on May 21, 2025. [AFP] Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas met in Beirut on Wednesday and backed placing all weapons under Lebanese state control, as they discussed efforts to disarm armed groups in Palestinian refugee camps. A joint statement from the Lebanese presidency said the two leaders shared the “belief that the era of weapons outside Lebanese state control has ended” and backed the principle that arms should be held exclusively by the state. Abbas’s three-day trip is his…

Participants attend Google’s annual I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California on May 20, 2025. [AFP] Google on Tuesday said it was beefing up online searches with even more generative artificial intelligence, as it presses on with embracing AI despite fears for its ad-based business model. CEO Sundar Pichai, speaking at the company’s annual developers event, said Google’s search engine would feature a new AI mode, as he boasted that “decades of research” were reaching fruition with the new technology. The search engine’s nascent AI mode goes further than the already launched AI Overviews which display answers to queries from…

People walk in an alley at the Burj al Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut. [Joseph Eid, AFP) The UK government on Tuesday paused free trade negotiations with Israel and slapped new sanctions on West Bank settlers to protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Foreign Secretary David Lammy also announced his ministry was summoning the Israeli ambassador over Israel’s expansion of its military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, launched in the wake of the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants. The UK government on Tuesday paused free trade negotiations with Israel and slapped new sanctions on West Bank…

French actor Oscar Lesage, Iranian actress Katayoon Latif, Franco-Malian actress Eye Haidara and Actor Augustin Dewinter jump during a photocall for the “Adami” Jeunes Talent at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) The bitter brotherly feud that sparked the creation of sports-shoe brands Adidas and Puma in the same small German town in the 1940s is to be turned into a television series with the help of family archives, its producers announced Sunday. Hollywood-based film producer No Fat Ego is backing the project, which…

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, in Tirana on May 16, 2025. [AFP] Hungary’s parliament on Tuesday approved leaving the International Criminal Court, which it calls “politically motivated”, becoming the third country after Burundi and the Philippines to take such a step. Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month that his European Union country would leave the ICC. Orban hosted Netanyahu despite an ICC arrest warrant. The global tribunal accuses the Israeli leader of war crimes in Gaza — allegations he rejects. In Hungary’s…

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella during the Microsoft Build 2025, conference in Seattle, Washington, on May 19, 2025.[AFP] Microsoft on Monday said its cloud servers will now host Grok from Elon Musk’s xAI, days after the chatbot went off the rails with talk of “white genocide” in South Africa. Musk told an event hosted by Microsoft that his company’s models “aspire to truth with minimal error,” adding that “there’s always going to be some mistakes that are made.” The Grok chatbot last week ignited controversy by answering unrelated user prompts with unbacked right-wing propaganda about purported oppression of white…

A man walks at a destroyed gas station after an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on May 20, 2025. [AFP] Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 44 people on Tuesday across the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, where Israel has intensified a military offensive aimed at crushing Hamas. Aid trickled into the Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time in more than two months, following intense international condemnation over Israel’s total blockade that has sparked shortages of food and medicine. The Israeli army stepped up its military offensive in Gaza on…

Britain’s PM Keir Starmer, Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, during the UK-EU Summit at Lancaster House in London on May 19, 2025. [AFP] The UK on Monday said its new economic agreement with the European Union eases customs checks on food and plant products to “allow goods to flow freely again”. The pact will add nearly £9 billion ($12 billion) to the British economy by 2040 and links the two sides’ emissions quotas to spare British…

Anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray and fellow pro EU activists wave flags as they protest near Lancaster House, the venue of the UK-EU Summit, in London on May 19, 2025. [AFP] Britain and the European Union on Monday reached a landmark deal setting out closer ties on defence and trade, launching a new chapter after the UK’s acrimonious exit from the bloc five years ago. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it “marks a new era in our relationship… We are agreeing a new strategic partnership fit for our times.” The defence deal will mean more regular security talks, Britain possibly…

FIFA president Gianni Infantino (left), US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during a signing ceremony after a state dinner at the Lusail Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025. [AFP] Qatar Airways posted a 28 percent jump in annual net profit to a record $2.15 billion on Monday, days after sealing a major Boeing deal during US President Donald Trump’s visit. “These record-breaking results are a testament to the hard work, skill and dedication of teams across all of Qatar Airways Group,” said the state-owned carrier’s chief executive, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. Qatar Airways Cargo, the…

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in a presidential panel at the opening ceremony of the Africa CEO Forum annual summit in Abidjan on May 12, 2025. [AFP] Securing South Africa’s trade ties with the United States will be a key aim of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington this week to meet Donald Trump, a minister in the delegation said Monday. Ramaphosa was to be accompanied by four cabinet ministers on the high-stakes visit and was expected to meet Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Ties between Pretoria and Washington have plummeted since Trump took office in January, and…

This picture taken from a position in southern Israel shows Israeli tanks deployed on the border with the Gaza Strip on May 17, 2025. [AFP] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel will “take control” of the whole of Gaza, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory. After Israel announced it would let limited aid into Gaza, the head of the World Health Organization issued a stark warning on the humanitarian crisis in the territory, saying that “two million people are starving”. On the ground, the Israeli military issued an evacuation call to Gazans in…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) is greeted by US Vice President JD Vance (R) and Second Lady Usha Vance prior to a Holy Mass for the Beginning of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, in St Peter’s square in The Vatican on May 18, 2025. [AFP] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the upcoming telephone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a brief meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Rome on Sunday, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP. Zelensky and Vance discussed “the situation on the front, preparations for the (Trump-Putin) conversation on…

Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Warsaw, Poland, on May 18, 2025, during the first round of the presidential elections.  [AFP] Poles began voting Sunday in a tight presidential election that will be decisive for the future of the country’s centrist government as well as for abortion and LGBTQ rights. Pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski is expected to get 30 percent, according to opinion polls, ahead of nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki’s 25 percent. That would put both through to the runoff on June 1 at a particularly fraught moment for Europe as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags…

International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief prosecutor Karim Khan poses for a picture at the ICC headquarters in The Hague on May 27, 2022. [AFP] The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has stepped aside pending the conclusion of a probe into a misconduct allegation against him, his office said Friday, as media reports cite accusations of sexual misconduct. News of Karim Khan’s leave has plunged the ICC, already under fire from critics and targeted by US sanctions aimed at the prosecutor, into further uncertainty. The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services announced its investigation in November, with reports saying Khan was…

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media accompanying him aboard Airforce One, after leaving Abu Dhabi. May 16, 2025. [AFP] Hundreds of Voice of America contractors are expected to lose their jobs over the coming days, campaigners said, as the Trump administration moves to dismantle the US government-backed news service’s parent agency. Most of VOA’s roughly 1,300 staffers have been placed on administrative leave and its broadcasts suspended after a March 14 executive order gutted the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees US-funded international media. The Trump administration decided to terminate “hundreds of contractors over the…

Japanese Junko Tabei, the first woman in the world to reach the summit of Mount Everest on 16 May 1975, and Mount Everest (8,848.86-metre), in Nepal. [AFP] On May 16, 1975, Japan’s Junko Tabei became the first woman to climb to the top of Mount Everest. Half a century later, the world’s highest mountain is set to record its thousandth ascent by a woman. Scaling the 8,849 metre-high (29,032-foot-high) peak has mainly been a male achievement. By May 2025 women had reached the top 962 times, while men had got there 11,955 times, according to an AFP analysis of figures…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to media after disembarking from the plane upon his arrival at Ankara airport, in Ankara, on May 15, 2025. [AFP] US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was to meet with top Turkish and Ukranian officials Friday after landing in Istanbul ahead of the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks in three years, a US official said. Rubio had on Thursday played down hope of progress at the meeting, saying “we don’t have high expectations,” but has nonetheless flown in to throw his weight behind the effort. Ahead of the talks, US and Turkish officials were expected to…

MrBeast arrives at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. [AFP] Mexico is seeking compensation from YouTube celebrity MrBeast’s production company, accusing it of using images of the country’s ancient archaeological sites to advertise a chocolate brand. A video of the social media star visiting Mayan ruins has been viewed around 60 million times since May 10 on YouTube, where he has 395 million subscribers. In the video, titled “I Explored 2000-Year-Old Ancient Temples,” the influencer explores the ancient Mayan cities including Calakmul and Chichen Itza in…

US rapper Chris Brown arrives for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. [AFP] American R&B singer Chris Brown, the former boyfriend of superstar Rihanna, is due to appear in a UK court on Friday after being arrested and charged over an alleged assault at a London nightclub in 2023, police said. Brown, 36, is known for mid-2000s hits such as “Kiss, Kiss” and a litany of legal troubles, including a felony conviction for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. He was arrested again in the early hours of Thursday at a hotel in Manchester, the Metropolitan…

Singer and model Cassie Ventura (L) and Rap mogul P Diddy (aka Sean Combs) arrive for the traditionnal Clive Davis party on the eve of the 60th Annual Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP) Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs on Thursday tried to chip away at the credibility of Casandra Ventura, the music mogul’s former girlfriend, after two days of her grueling testimony in his trial on sex trafficking charges. Ventura, the singer widely known as Cassie, told jurors that Combs raped, beat and forced her into drug-fueled sex parties during…

From left: Belgium Minister of Energy Mathieu Bihet, Elia Transmission Belgium CEO Frederic Dunon, Elia Group CEO Bernard Gustin during a visit to the control centre of Elia in Schaerbeek in Brussels, on May 6, 2025. [AFP] Belgium on Thursday officially abandoned plans to phase out nuclear power, with parliament voting to scrap a two-decades-old pledge and to allow for the construction of new reactors. Lawmakers in Brussels backed the new conservative-led government’s plan to revive the country’s nuclear industry with 102 votes in favour, eight against and 31 abstentions. “The Federal Parliament has just turned the page on two…

Customers enter a Walmart store on April 09, 2025 in San Leandro, California. [AFP] Walmart on Thursday reported another solid quarter behind sales gains in the United States, but warned of higher prices and continued uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariffs. “We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible but given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure,” Chief Executive Doug McMillon said in a conference call with analysts. Walmart executives welcomed the de-escalation of the US-China trade war announced earlier this week, but…

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomes his US counterpart Donald Trump at the presidential terminal in Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal was close on Iran’s nuclear programme that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling, as he boasted of raising “trillions of dollars” on a Gulf tour. He made the remarks in Doha before flying on to the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi on the third and final leg of a Gulf tour that began in Saudi Arabia. “We’re not going to be making any…

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (R) looks on as US President Donald Trump holds an autographed soccer ball during a signing ceremony following a state dinner at Lusail Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025. [AFP] Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, branded Donald Trump’s decision to lift US sanctions on his country “historic and courageous”, calling it a turning point for a nation shattered by war and isolation. Speaking in a televised address, Sharaa said the US president’s move “alleviates the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth and lays the foundations for stability in the region”.…

Messages written on a banner with an image of Pope Leo XIV at Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University in Chiclayo, northern Peru. May 12, 2025. [AFP] The election of the first US pope is a godsend to businesses in Rome, as big-spending pilgrims flocking to the Vatican are also expected to spend in the Eternal City. In the historical Trastevere district with its cobblestoned streets and ancient churches, shopkeepers say tourists from the United States are usually excellent customers — and tippers. “We’re really pleased, it’s great for business,” restaurant owner Cristiano Bolognesi told AFP following the election of Robert…

Internet giant Alibaba posted on Thursday a six percent increase in annual revenue, the latest positive sign for China’s tech sector despite persisting economic uncertainties that include sluggish spending and threatened trade. The Hangzhou-based company is one of the biggest players in China’s tech industry, with operations spanning retail, digital payment, artificial intelligence and entertainment. This year has seen its share price rollercoaster on a wave of investor enthusiasm about Chinese AI capabilities that began in January, followed by a steep drop last month triggered by US President Donald Trump’s global tariff blitz. The firm’s revenue during the fiscal year…

US President Donald Trump leaves the stage after addressing troops at the Al-Udeid air base southwest of Doha on May 15, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump on Thursday renewed talk of seeking a third term in office, which is barred by the Constitution, in a highly political address to US troops in Qatar. Speaking to uniformed soldiers at the Al Udeid base, Trump again falsely claimed to have won the 2020 election against Joe Biden. “We won three elections, ok? And some people want us to do a fourth. I don’t know. We’ll have to think about that,” Trump…

This image taken on April 26, 2023 in Toulouse, south-western France, shows a screen displaying the Tiktok social media platform’s logo and the European flag. The EU accused TikTok on May 15, 2025, of breaking digital rules after concluding that the Chinese-owned social media platform is not transparent enough about advertisements. [AFP] The EU accused TikTok on Thursday of breaking digital rules after concluding that the Chinese-owned social media platform is not transparent enough about advertisements. The European Commission “found that TikTok does not provide the necessary information about the content of the advertisements, the users targeted by the ads, and…

Congressional staff members attend a House Ways and Means Committee markup hearing in the Longworth House Building on Capitol Hill on May 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. House Republicans introduced their tax and immigration legislation this week, with the goal of getting President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” passed before the Memorial Day weekend. [AFP] President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday moved to scrap limits on several toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water, reversing what had been hailed as a landmark public health victory. The Environmental Protection Agency said it would retain maximum contaminant levels for just two of…

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (C-R) and US President Donald Trump (C-L) watch as US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (R) sign documents during a signing ceremony at the Royal Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025. [AFP]  US President Donald Trump said Wednesday Qatar Airways had placed a “record” order for 160 planes from Boeing, as he signed a raft of deals in Doha alongside Qatar’s emir. The order, which the White House said was Boeing’s largest ever for…

France’s Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau speaks during a session at the Nationale Assembly, French Parliament lower house, Paris. May 13, 2025. [AFP] France on Wednesday faced calls to bolster security for cryptocurrency firms, after armed men attempted to snatch the daughter and grandson of the Paymium platform from a Paris Street and a spate of similar violent incidents. Paymium urged the authorities “to immediately adopt measures to reinforce the protection of collaborators of companies in the cryptocurrency ecosystem”. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he would meet industry professionals later this week to discuss how to prevent future…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023. [AFP] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused French President Emmanuel Macron of siding with a “murderous Islamist terrorist organisation” after Macron criticised Israel’s blocking of aid to Gaza. “Macron has once again chosen to stand with a murderous Islamist terrorist organisation and echo its despicable propaganda, accusing Israel of blood libels,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said. “Instead of supporting the Western democratic camp fighting the Islamist terrorist organisations and calling for the release of…

Pope Leo XIV during a private audience with Italy’s tennis player Jannik Sinner, in The Vatican. [VATICAN MEDIA, AFP] Men’s world number one tennis player Jannik Sinner offered to rally with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, after being received by the head of the Catholic Church at the Vatican. The 23-year-old Italian star only returned to the circuit last Saturday, at the Italian Open, after serving a three month doping ban. Video released by the Vatican showed Sinner shaking the hand of the Chicago-born pope and presenting him with a racquet similar to his own. With a racquet in both…

Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey: what we know. [AFP] Ukraine and Russia are close to reviving direct peace talks for the first time since the last face-to-face discussions ended three years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to meet in Turkey on Thursday for talks on ending the war, after Moscow proposed staging direct negotiations. With less than 24 hours until negotiations are set to begin, details remain obscure. Here’s a breakdown of what is known and not about the talks so far: Who is expected to attend?  Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed…

People celebrate in Damascus’ Omeyyad square after US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions in Syria, on May 13, 2025. [AFP] Donald Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader on Wednesday after he offered sanctions relief in hopes of offering a new path to the war-battered country. Trump, in Riyadh on the first state visit of his second term, met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, an erstwhile Islamist guerrilla turned interim president after the December overthrow of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad. The two held brief talks ahead of a larger gathering of Gulf leaders…

Congressional staff members attend a House Ways and Means Committee markup hearing in the Longworth House Building on Capitol Hill on May 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya from Wednesday will look to forge a compromise deal on ramping up defence spending as allies scramble to satisfy US President Donald Trump’s demand to agree to five percent of GDP at a summit next month. The two-day gathering in the sun-baked Turkish seaside resort comes as diplomatic intrigue swirls over a possible meeting across the country in Istanbul between Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s…

US President Donald Trump greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the Saudi-US investment forum at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would lift sanctions on Syria to offer it a chance for “greatness” after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, as he cast himself as a peacemaker in the Middle East. On a state visit to Saudi Arabia primarily aimed at securing billions of dollars of investment, the billionaire president took aim both at the US left and right who he said had intervened in the…