Category: World

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the new minerals agreement with the United States as a deal that brings “equal” benefits to both countries, despite falling short of the explicit security guarantees Kyiv had sought. He said the long-awaited accord marks a major step in Ukraine’s recovery efforts, opening the door to significant US investment without creating new debt. But Zelensky said more pressure was needed on Russia after its military response to the minerals accord signed on Wednesday was missile strikes on Kyiv and other towns that left at…

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US President Donald Trump ousted his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, on Thursday and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim replacement in the first major shakeup of Trump’s inner circle since he took office in January. Trump, in a social media post, said he would be nominating Waltz to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, adding that “he has worked hard to put our nation’s interests first.” Earlier in the day, sources said Trump had decided to force Waltz out of his White House…

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DUBAI: A fourth round of talks between the United States and Iran, which had been due to take place in Rome on Saturday, has been postponed and a new date will be set “depending on the US approach”, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday. “US sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy,” the official told Reuters. “Depending on the US approach, the date of the next round of talks will be announced.” Oman, which mediated earlier sessions of the…

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Elon Musk is preparing to reduce his role in the Trump administration’s efficiency drive, as his leadership of the informal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) increasingly collides with the financial and reputational needs of Tesla, AFP reported. US President Donald Trump acknowledged Musk’s decision during a cabinet meeting, saying the billionaire would be welcome to remain but was being pulled back toward his core businesses. Musk’s association with controversial government spending cuts has led to growing brand damage for Tesla, including a surge in calls for consumer boycotts and a series of…

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The US economy unexpectedly shrank in the first quarter of 2025, as a rush of imports, driven by the anticipation of sweeping new tariffs, undermined domestic growth, AFP reported. President Donald Trump, however, deflected responsibility, placing the blame on the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. According to preliminary data from the US Commerce Department, GDP fell at an annualised rate of 0.3% in the first three months of the year. This marked the first contraction in over two years, and fell well short of the 0.4% expansion economists had forecast. The…

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WASHINGTON: The United States and Ukraine on Wednesday signed a minerals deal after a two-month delay, in what President Donald Trump’s administration called a new form of US commitment to Kyiv after the end of military aid. Ukraine said it secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earths, which are vital for new technologies and largely untapped. Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine’s mineral wealth as compensation for the billions of dollars in US weapons sent under former president Joe Biden after Russia…

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BEIJING: The United States has approached China seeking talks on US President Donald Trump’s singling Beijing out for exuberantly high tariffs, said Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday. “The United States has proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue,” Yuyuan Tantian said in a post published on its official Weibo social media account, citing anonymous sources. Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, on Wednesday said “as far as I know, there have been no…

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WASHINGTON: The US says it will step away from peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if both sides don’t come up with clear plans to end the war. “It’s time for serious proposals,” said a US State Department spokesperson. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said time is running out and the US might soon focus on other priorities if there is no progress. The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office,…

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WARREN: President Donald Trump visited Michigan on Tuesday to mark 100 days since taking office, using a rally to highlight what he sees as his key achievements. While he praised his administration’s work on defence and trade, many Americans remain unsure about his handling of the economy. Speaking briefly at a National Guard base, Trump touted his administration’s investments in defence and praised the foreign policy record of his first administration, from 2017 to 2021. He said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was doing a “great job”, without mentioning recent disclosures…

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President Donald Trump has eased his administration’s aggressive tariff stance on the auto industry, offering carmakers a temporary reprieve that drew cautious praise from leading automakers and industry groups, Reuters reported. In an executive order signed Tuesday, Trump introduced changes designed to reduce the impact of overlapping levies on foreign-made vehicles and parts. The policy gives companies a two-year grace period to shift supply chains to the United States, with the aim of reducing American dependence on imported cars and components. Trump, visiting Detroit on his 100th day in office, framed the…

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