President Donald Trump has feuded with European allies over their reluctance to step up support for war on Iran.
The decision to reduce the US deployment to Germany comes amid a row between the two allies over Iran.
US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order expanding sanctions on Cuba, authorising penalties not only against Cuban officials but also on foreign companies and financial institutions that do business with the island. The order significantly broadens Washington’s ability to exert economic pressure, allowing US authorities to target third-country actors deemed to support the Cuban government, in a move that could have implications for global firms, including those in China and...
Trump says the Iranian offer sent via Pakistan contains terms he's not satisfied with.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was dissatisfied with Iran’s latest proposal for peace talks, as negotiations between the two sides remain stalled despite a weeks-long ceasefire. “At this moment, I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering,” Trump told reporters. Iranian state media reported that Tehran had submitted a new proposal aimed at ending the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the proposal was...
US President Donald Trump sang the praises of King Charles after the latter’s state visit this week. He even lifted some tariffs on Scotch whisky as a favour to the British monarch. The king delivered a diplomatic masterclass on the trip, mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism. It’s unclear, though, whether it will make a major difference to a transatlantic relationship troubled by divisions over issues including the Iran war. “In the short term probably yes, in the long term probably...
Amid transatlantic tensions over the Iran war, Trump has threatened to reduce troops in Germany.
As US-UK relations nosedive, questions are mounting over whether Trump might shift Washington's position on the islands.
The US-Israeli war on Iran enters a third month and efforts for Washington and Tehran to resume talks remain stalled. These are major takeaways from the events overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that Iran is “dying to make a deal”. When asked whether talks with Tehran have stalled, Trump said only a few people know the status of talks with Iran. He also pointed to uncertainty over the Iranian leadership: “We have a problem...
American Airlines has resumed flights as Donald Trump moves to rebuild ties following the abduction of Nicolas Maduro.
With Congress again failing to curb US President Donald Trump’s authority over Cuba, the centre of gravity in US policy towards the island is shifting decisively back to the White House – and to a narrower, more consequential question: what comes next? Tuesday’s 51-47 Senate vote to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution on Cuba does not change policy on its own. It was widely expected, reflecting a long-standing pattern in which Congress has struggled to assert its war powers authority...
Berlin says 'prepared' for fewer US troops, as Trump says German chancellor should focus on European affairs, not Iran.
Chinese investment in the US is unlikely to recover meaningfully from its mid-2010s collapse even if President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump reach a bilateral deal when they meet in Beijing next month, according to a report released on Thursday. Rhodium Group, an American research firm that tracks China’s cross-border investment, said Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States had “fallen significantly from its 2016 peak, and remained at low levels for the past five...
As a rift widens among Republicans over US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, a top Korean-American leader said Seoul must recognise that President Donald Trump is heavily influenced by a faction he calls “new neocons”. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson broke sharply with the president in a Wall Street Journal interview on Saturday, calling him a “slave” to hawkish interventionists willing to deploy military force. Kim Dong-seok, the 68-year-old head of the Korean American Grassroots Conference,...
His remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.
The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran has continued to shatter global markets. These are the major takeaways of what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, discussing the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Trump said that the conversation was “very good” and that the US was “going to come up with a solution relatively quickly” over its continuing conflict with Iran. He also said that the US was...
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is considering reducing the number of its troops in Germany, amid a row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war. “The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said on social media. The United States had more than 35,000 troops in Germany in 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service,...
The United Nations is bloated, costly, badly in need of reform, and too often works against US interests, but pulling out of the international organisation would see China expand its influence and leave Washington at a major disadvantage, according to testimony before a House oversight committee on Wednesday. The hearing came as the administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed an “America first” overhaul of international funding, leaving the UN, over the past 18 months, at what...
Donald Trump said that Vladimir Putin told him he’d “like to be involved” in settling Iranian nuclear enrichment.
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla commemorated victims of the September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda attack on New York on Wednesday, laying a floral bouquet at the memorial where the World Trade Centre’s twin towers once stood. The royal visit to lower Manhattan came at a time of tensions between Britain and the US, with President Donald Trump having criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for what he says is his lack of help in the US and Israel’s war with Iran. Michael Bloomberg, a former New...
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US counterpart Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday, adding that the two leaders discussed the Middle East war and Ukraine. The call lasted more than 90 minutes and was “frank and businesslike”, Ushakov told reporters during a phone briefing. “We had a good talk, I’ve known him a long time,” Trump said. The US president, speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, said...
The King and the US president exchanged several jokes during their speeches at a state banquet.
UK King Charles gave US President Donald Trump a taste of his own medicine at a White House state dinner on Tuesday when he joked that without the British, Americans would be speaking French. As the heads of state traded jokes during their dinner toasts, Charles referenced previous comments by Trump aimed at European allies he accuses of freeloading on defence since World War II. “You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be...
The acting US ambassador to Kyiv Julie Davis will step down from her post and retire, a US official and the State Department said on Tuesday, amid a lull in US-brokered talks to achieve a ceasefire and end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Financial Times first reported Davis’ departure and said it was because of differences of opinion with President Donald Trump’s policies and that Davis had grown frustrated with her role over his dwindling support for Ukraine. The State Department pushed...
US President Donald Trump hailed the "cherished bond" between the United States and the United Kingdom.
US president says German chancellor 'doesn't know what he's talking about', defends war on Iran as necessary.
Britain’s King Charles arrived at the White House on Tuesday for a meeting with US President Donald Trump, as part of a state visit intended to underscore unity between the two long-time allies, despite deep divisions over the Iran war. Charles and Queen Camilla were greeted by the president and first lady Melania Trump for a morning visit to the presidential mansion while hundreds of guests stood on the South Lawn with the Washington Monument in the distance. Cannons boomed, temporarily...
The White House confirms Trump met his national security advisers on Monday to discuss the plan.
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla were greeted at the White House by US President Donald Trump.
The coming summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump offers a window to stabilise bilateral ties through trade deals, but former diplomats and business figures have urged the leaders to move beyond commerce during their talks. At a forum held by the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG) in Beijing on Sunday, analysts and former officials called on the leaders to address issues such as healthcare, climate change, technological decoupling and AI...
Nato is considering ending its recent practice of holding annual summits, six sources told Reuters, a move that could avoid a potentially tense encounter with US President Donald Trump in his final year in office. Trump’s administration has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of the US-led defence alliance’s 31 other members, most recently berating some for not providing more help to US military operations against Iran. The frequency of Nato summits has varied over the alliance’s...
Military spending in the Asia-Pacific rose at the fastest pace for 16 years in 2025 as US allies felt “growing uncertainty” over whether Washington would honour its security commitments, according to a new report. Total global spending reached US$2.89 trillion, an increase of 2.9 per cent from 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank said in its annual report on military expenditure published Monday. That marked the 11th consecutive year of increases and...
The US president says he saved eight Iranian women from execution, but Iran says otherwise.
Prime Minister said that “Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned”
Trump says Iran did not make a satisfactory offer, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departs Pakistan.
Iran had earlier said there were no plans for a direct meeting with a US delegation led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trump fury over Europeans' refusal to join Iran war.
Trump later suggests that next talks will be over phone, saying 'If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!'
Iran says its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is already in Pakistan but that there is no meeting planned between Iran and the US.
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump extends Iran ceasefire, claims interception of ‘gift from China’ US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute extension of the ceasefire with Iran following a request from Pakistan’s top leadership, even as he appeared to...
US President Donald Trump reposted a video and comments from a conservative pundit calling India a “hellhole”, prompting the South Asian country on Thursday to criticise the remarks as “inappropriate”. The comments come ahead of a planned visit next month to India by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who would seek to turn the page on recent tensions between the normally friendly powers. Trump late on Wednesday reposted on social media a video and a screed apparently written by someone else...
US President Donald Trump will meet Lebanese and Israeli envoys at a new round of peace talks on Thursday, with Beirut seeking a one-month extension of a shaky ceasefire set to expire. With Trump struggling to push Iran into a deal on the wider regional war, the US is hoping for progress on Lebanon, which Israel has pounded in response to Hezbollah fire. The talks, previously planned at the State Department like the first round last week and to be led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were...
The MEA response came after Opposition members and former diplomats criticised the government for not offering a stronger response to the U.S.
US President Donald Trump told the BBC on Thursday that British King Charles’ coming state visit to the United States could “absolutely” help rebuild strained ties between the two countries. Charles heads to the US on Monday for a four-day trip, with transatlantic tensions over the Iran war and scandals linked to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein threatening to intrude on the landmark visit. Asked by the BBC whether Charles’s visit could help repair the relationship between the US and UK,...
Sarah Smith asked the president about King Charles's upcoming visit, the state of the so-called special relationship and the war with Iran.
In a phone interview with the BBC's North America editor, the president discussed next week's visit and his relationship with the UK PM.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had agreed not to execute eight women protesters in a sign of respect for him, while officials in Tehran denied the executions had been planned and accused the US president of spreading falsehoods. “Very good news,” Trump said in a social media post a day after granting a unilateral ceasefire in the war started by the US and Israel on February 28. Trump said four of the eight women would be released immediately and four would be sentenced...
All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz as the world waits for a new round of US-Iran peace deal talks to ease the global energy crisis, while the extended ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump remains up in the air. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. Peace talks? It remains unclear when the two sides will return to the negotiating table. Trump on Wednesday said there was “no time frame” for when the war on Iran might come to an end. During an interview with Fox...
The on-again, off-again US-Iran peace talks are casting doubt on whether Donald Trump will make his planned visit to Beijing in a few weeks, though the war could raise the diplomatic stakes of the trip if it does go ahead, Chinese observers say. Hours before a two-week ceasefire was set to end, the US president announced on Tuesday that he was prolonging the fragile truce with Iran. That came after Vice-President J.D. Vance’s trip to Pakistan for a second round of peace negotiations was first...
US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute indefinite extension of a ceasefire with Iran and downplayed reports about an intercepted ship carrying a “gift from China” to Tehran. The US would avoid military action against Iran “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal”, Trump said on social media on Tuesday. He cited a request from Pakistan as a reason for reversing earlier threats to resume bombing if no deal was reached. Prospects for new...
The US president's decision marked the second time in as many weeks he has backed off a threat to escalate the war, buying more time
Nicaraguan President has criticised his US counterpart Donald Trump, over the war on Iran.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that US forces had intercepted a “gift from China” to Iran. Speaking ahead of the expiry of the current two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, Trump told CNBC that Tehran had “probably done a little bit of restocking” and implied that Beijing had been helping its efforts. He added: “We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China. “Perhaps, I don’t know, but I was a little surprised, but very good relationship...
Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA in 2018, branding it 'the worst deal ever' and seeking stronger terms.
As the clock ticks down to the end of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, all eyes are on whether they can return to the negotiating table in Pakistan, while the stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz continues. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump defended his war against Iran in a series of social media posts. He said he would not lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “until there is a ‘DEAL’”. “I read the Fake News...
The United States and Iran on Monday each warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked on a ceasefire, with uncertainty on talks that US President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan. The White House said Vice-President J.D. Vance was ready to fly back to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, which was visibly preparing for a second round of talks on ending the war that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken global markets. But Tehran’s cleric-run government declined to confirm...
The US president's comments come amid uncertainty over whether Iran will attend peace talks in Pakistan this week.
A senior Cuban diplomat on Monday confirmed recent talks in Havana with US officials, as the communist-led island faces a deep crisis over US President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign. “I can confirm that a meeting between delegations from Cuba and the United States was recently held here in Cuba,” Alejandro Garcia, the foreign ministry’s director of Cuba-US affairs, told the Communist Party newspaper Granma. Garcia said the negotiators included assistant secretaries from the US State...
Attack comes hours after US President Donald Trump announced he is sending his team to Islamabad for possible talks.
Trump announces talks in Islamabad despite accusing Iran of violating truce, as he warns Tehran of severe repercussions.
Pope Leo sought to downplay his feud with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, saying reporting about comments he has made so far during his Africa tour “has not been accurate in all its aspects”. Speaking to reporters in English aboard his flight to Angola for the third leg of his ambitious 10-day Africa tour, the first US pope said comments he made two days earlier in Cameroon decrying that the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” were not aimed at Trump. That speech, said...
The pontiff says his remarks have been misinterpreted after a spat with the US president.
In June 2021, from a podium in the Cornish countryside, former US president Joe Biden told a relieved Europe that “America is back at the table”. The comment – made after a summit of the Group of Seven rich nations – became a galvanising force for reinvigorated transatlanticism after the first term of Donald Trump had left it in tatters. When Russia invaded Ukraine eight months later, the G7 became the forum of choice for cooking up punitive sanctions against Russia. It was also the venue for...
The political drama culminates with the IRGC announcing that the Strait of Hormuz is once again restricted.
US President Donald Trump says the US will “have to start dropping bombs again” if no US-Iran deal is reached.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday night he was looking forward to his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next month and predicted it would be “special”. Hours after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz had reopened, Trump posted on social media: “China’s President Xi is very happy that Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening; I look forward to meeting Xi. “Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic. I look forward to being with President...
Iran has rejected suggestions by Donald Trump that it has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium.
In rapid-fire posts, Trump says Iran will give up nuclear material and 'never close' Hormuz, but questions remain.
Pakistan's civilian and army leaders shuttle between key capitals as Trump says he may visit Islamabad to sign a deal.
In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that has blocked hundreds of ships and sent energy prices soaring worldwide. “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!,” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian...
US President Donald Trump announced the 10-day ceasefire between the two countries.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu was appointed as the Delhi Lieutenant Governor on March 5
Abed Abou Shhadeh, a political commentator in Israel, says the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is ‘problematic'.
Donald Trump said Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon's Joseph Aoun may meet at the White House.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 21:00 GMT on Thursday, said US President Donald Trump.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomes Trump announcement of 10-day truce that takes effect Thursday.
Pope Leo blasted leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants”, in unusually forceful remarks in Cameroon on Thursday after US President Donald Trump attacked him again on social media. Leo, the first US pope, also decried leaders who used religious language to justify wars and urged a “decisive change of course” in a meeting in the biggest city in Cameroon’s anglophone regions, where a simmering conflict going back nearly a decade has left...
Far too many world leaders have chosen to mollify the bullying US president. Pope Leo has shown there's another way.
US president says the leaders of the two countries will speak for the first time in 34 years on Thursday.
Since January, the Trump administration has blocked foreign oil to Cuba. Will the island's cigars survive the crisis?
Japan's announcement comes at a time when the country is looking to rapidly expand its defence exports.
Pope Leo has said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, after US President Donald Trump attacked him for a second time this week on social media. Speaking on Wednesday during his flight from Algeria to Cameroon for the second leg of a whirlwind 10-day Africa tour, the first US pontiff urged respect for all people and said his travels so far had shown the importance of pursuing dialogue between different communities. “Although we have different beliefs, we have different...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said he would not “yield” to pressure to join the Iran war after US President Donald Trump threatened to scrap a UK trade deal. “We’re not going to get dragged into this war. It is not our war,” Starmer told parliament. “I’m not going to change my mind. I’m not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war,” the Labour leader added. In a phone interview with Sky News, Trump threatened to alter an agreement struck with Britain...
US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns that the ongoing war on Iran will derail his coming visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. In an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo aired on Wednesday, Trump said he did not think the war would change the dynamic of his coming visit to China. “[Xi is] somebody that needs oil. We don’t,” he said. Trump said he exchanged letters with Xi, asking that China not to give weapons to Iran. “He wrote a letter saying that...
The US president says he is 'shocked at her', delivering a blunt public rebuke to one of his closest European allies.
American views on China have softened ahead of a high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in May, with positive sentiment nearly doubling since 2023, a survey by the Pew Research Centre has found. While a significant majority of Americans still regard China as a competitor to the US rather than a partner, fewer call the world’s second largest economy an adversary than in 2025, according to the survey, which was conducted in March and released on...
Roelf Meyer will replace the South African ambassador who was expelled from the US by President Donald Trump in 2025.
Britain’s King Charles will have tea and a private meeting with President Donald Trump during his US state visit later this month, as the UK government hopes his “soft power” can heal a damaging rift between the allies caused by the Iran war. The monarch and his wife Queen Camilla head across the Atlantic on April 27, a four-day trip ostensibly to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence from Britain but one that now has far greater significance amid a growing spat between Trump and Prime...
US President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, will accompany the president on his trip next month to China, a spokeswoman for the family organisation said on Tuesday. Two sources earlier said members of Trump’s family, including Eric, were considering joining Trump on his highly anticipated May 14-15 visit, potentially to contribute to US-China business relations. The spokeswoman said that Eric, who manages his father’s business empire, would go in a personal capacity. “Eric...
US President Donald Trump told an Italian newspaper on Tuesday he was “shocked” by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and had expected her to be more courageous, delivering a blunt public rebuke to one of his closest European allies. Meloni had been a vociferous supporter of Trump, but she has criticised his decision to go to war with Iran, and on Monday, denounced his weekend criticism of Pope Leo as “unacceptable”. Trump responded in an interview with Corriere della Sera, saying Meloni was...
Negotiating teams from America and Iran could return to Islamabad as early as the end of this week, days after 21 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital ended without a deal, Reuters reported. US President Donald Trump on Monday said that “we’ve been called by the other side” and “they want to work a deal”. A limited or temporary settlement remained possible as the two sides were cautiously approaching a de-escalation despite a total deficit of trust, according to analysts. But they warned that...
Donald Trump says he won't apologise after attacking Pope Leo XIV as “WEAK”.
Donald Trump says Iran wants to make a peace deal “very badly” after talks in Islamabad ended without agreement.
What does Donald Trump’s naval blockade of Iranian ports look like and can it achieve what the US president wants?
Donald Trump’s threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz “forces Beijing into a political dilemma” and could potentially derail the US president’s coming summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, analysts said. After talks in Pakistan between the US and Iran ended without a deal on Sunday, Trump said in a social media post that the US would seal off the strategically vital chokepoint. In a narrower order issued later, the US military said American forces would blockade only “maritime traffic...
Analysts warn Washington's blockade could harm the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Other US allies criticise Trump's move, including France, Spain and Turkiye, and China also condemns the plan.
The US announced a blockade against ships calling at Iranian ports, ramping up pressure on the Middle East nation after marathon peace talks over the weekend ended without a deal. Action was due to start Monday at 10am New York time (10pm Hong Kong), according to US Central Command. Vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports won’t be affected, it said. President Donald Trump had earlier said that the blockade would cover all ships using the vital waterway. “Any Iranian...
Leo, who last year became the first US-born pope, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran.