1 hour ago Trump says Ukraine talks with Putin off for now, doesn’t want ‘wasted meeting’

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his plan for a swift meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was on hold because he doesn’t want it to be a “waste of time”. It was the latest twist in Trump’s stop-and-go effort to resolve the war in Ukraine. The decision to hold off on the meeting in Budapest, Hungary, which Trump had announced last week, was made following a call on Monday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “I don’t want to have...

Politics

7 h. ago Europe, Ukraine prepare plan to end war, proposing peace board headed by Trump

European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia’s war along current battle lines, pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s renewed demands to the US for Kyiv to surrender territory in return for a peace deal. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee implementation of the proposed plan, according to people familiar with the matter. Once Russia follows Ukraine in agreeing to a ceasefire and both sides commit to halting territorial advances, the...

Politics

6 d. ago US judge blocks Trump’s plan to fire thousands of workers during shutdown

A federal judge in California on Wednesday ordered US President Donald Trump’s administration to halt mass lay-offs of federal workers during a partial government shutdown while she considers claims by unions that the job cuts are illegal. During a hearing in San Francisco, US District Judge Susan Illston granted a request by two unions to block lay-offs at more than 30 federal agencies while the case proceeds. The decision is likely to be appealed quickly, but it offers a reprieve for federal...

Events

7 d. ago Trump threatens to violently disarm Hamas as Gaza ceasefire is tested

Hamas handed over more bodies of deceased hostages to Israel on Tuesday, one sign of progress after a number of apparent setbacks in the day since US President Donald Trump touted his plan to end the Gaza war. The bodies were returned after Israel announced it would cut in half the number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into Gaza in a move to punish Hamas for what Israel called the militant group’s violation of its agreement to transfer remains under the ceasefire deal reached last...

Events

7 d. ago Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to stop flying over Russia on US routes

Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to stop flying over Russia on US routes  Reuters

Politics

7 d. ago ‘History shows otherwise’: Anwar casts doubts about Gaza ceasefire deal

As US President Donald Trump continues to hail the peace plan to end the Israel-Gaza conflict, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged caution, saying he was not invited to the ceasefire signing ceremony in Egypt due to his concerns over the deal’s details and its durability. On Monday, Israel began releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during the first phase of the deal, while Hamas militants released 20 surviving Israeli hostages kidnapped during its assault on southern Israel...

Events

8 d. ago Australia rushes minerals plan ahead of Trump meet to counter China’s curbs

Australia is formulating a plan for its critical minerals reserve that will focus on sales of future production, limiting the need for a physical stockpile, industry sources said, as Australian and US leaders prepare to meet next week. Australia’s critical minerals task force hosted a call last week with miners and project developers across a range of metals as it steps up industry consultations, according to four sources familiar with the matter. The task force is seeking by the end of the year...

Politics

1 week ago ‘Nothing left’: Palestinians return to rubble in Gaza as truce takes effect

Tens of thousands of Palestinians headed back to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip on Friday as a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in a deal that raised hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war. All the remaining hostages were set to be released within days. Questions remain over who will govern Gaza as Israeli troops gradually pull back and whether Hamas will disarm, as called for in US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who unilaterally ended...

Politics

1 week ago Trump is shaking down US trade partners – in a reverse Marshall Plan

In what Martin Wolf at the Financial Times called “pure gangsterism”, US President Donald Trump has extracted pledged investments of at least US$1.5 trillion from America’s trading partners. This amounts to the Marshall Plan in reverse. The scheme Washington initiated in 1947 essentially provided economic aid to Europe and later Japan. Of the US$13 billion provided, 90 per cent were grants. But in the US-Japan trade deal, seen as a political trophy for Trump, money will flow in the other...

Politics

1 week ago In a reverse Marshall Plan, Trump is squeezing US allies for cash

In what Martin Wolf at the Financial Times called “pure gangsterism”, US President Donald Trump has extracted pledged investments of at least US$1.5 trillion from America’s trading partners. This amounts to the Marshall Plan in reverse. The scheme Washington initiated in 1947 essentially provided economic aid to Europe and later Japan. Of the US$13 billion provided, 90 per cent were grants. But in the US-Japan trade deal, seen as a political trophy for Trump, money will flow in the other...

Politics

1 week ago Israeli military says Gaza ceasefire in effect, as troops begin withdrawal

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time, the Israeli military said on Friday, adding that troops were withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines. The announcement came hours after Israel’s cabinet approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning. The Israeli...

Events

1 week ago Trump says Gaza hostages should be released on Monday or Tuesday

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the Gaza hostages should be released on Monday or Tuesday and that he hopes to attend a signing ceremony in Egypt and address the Israeli Knesset. Trump opened a White House cabinet meeting by discussing a deal reached on Wednesday under which the hostages held by Hamas militants are to be released in the first phase of a broader Gaza plan. He said he believed it would lead to “lasting peace.” Trump said under the plan, Gaza is going to be “slowly...

Politics

1 week ago Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of Gaza peace deal

Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza deal, allowing for the release of all Israeli hostages, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday. “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said on social media. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and...

Politics

1 week ago Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan

Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could open the way to ending a bloody two-year-old war that has upended the Middle East. Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants’ cross-border attack that triggered Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt yielded an agreement on the initial stage of Trump’s 20-point framework to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave. The...

Politics

1 week ago Hamas submits prisoner list to Israel amid ‘optimism’ of Gaza talks

Hamas said on Wednesday that “optimism” was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the militant group submitting a list of prisoners it wants to be released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages under a deal. The talks aim to thrash out a plan to implement a 20-point peace proposal put forward last month by US President Donald Trump, to which both Israel and Hamas have responded positively. The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages,...

Events

1 week ago Did Indonesia fall into ‘diplomatic trap’ over Trump’s Gaza peace plan?

Indonesia has backed US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to end the war in Gaza, presenting it as a constructive step towards resolving the two-year conflict and easing humanitarian suffering in the besieged enclave. But the decision has stirred backlash at home, with analysts suggesting that Indonesia – long a vocal supporter of Palestinian statehood – may have stepped into a “diplomatic trap” that benefits Israeli and US interests more than those of Palestinians. “The government’s...

Politics

2 w. ago Israel shells Gaza on war anniversary, amid Hamas talks on Trump plan

Israeli tanks, boats and jets pounded parts of Gaza on Tuesday, giving Palestinians no respite on the anniversary of the Hamas attack that led to two years of war and underlining the challenges at talks on US President Donald Trump’s plan to halt the conflict. With no ceasefire in place, residents said Israel pressed on with its offensive after Hamas and Israel began indirect negotiations on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on key issues such as Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas’...

Politics

2 w. ago Israel, Hamas hold indirect peace talks in Egypt on eve of Gaza war anniversary

Israeli and Hamas officials launched indirect talks on Monday at an Egyptian resort on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary. The talks, which went on for several hours, unfolded amid many questions about the plan presented by US President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group – a key Israeli demand – and the future governance of Gaza. Trump has indicated that an agreement on Gaza could pave the way for a...

Politics

2 w. ago Israel, Hamas hold indirect talks in Egypt on eve of Gaza war anniversary

Israeli and Hamas officials launched indirect talks on Monday at an Egyptian resort on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary. The talks, which went on for several hours, unfolded amid many questions about the plan presented by US President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group – a key Israeli demand – and the future governance of Gaza. Trump has indicated that an agreement on Gaza could pave the way for a...

Politics

2 w. ago Weekend news: China offers huge US investment plan to ease Trump

Weekend news: China offers huge US investment plan to ease Trump-era security restrictions  investingLive

Politics