Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki calls for US-led Marshall Plan for Gaza

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki calls for US-led Marshall Plan for Gaza

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki al-Faisal has called for a US-led Marshall Plan for Gaza, rejecting President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan as “not selling anywhere.” Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the former Saudi intelligence chief dismissed Trump’s proposal as unworkable and instead urged Washington to help with the…

Ukraine has low chance of survival without US backing, Zelenskyy says on NBC

Ukraine has low chance of survival without US backing, Zelenskyy says on NBC

Ukraine has little chance of surviving Russia’s assault without US support, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday after phone calls this week by US President Donald Trump with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Probably it will be very, very, very difficult. And of course, in all the difficult situations, you have a chance. But…

China calls for all stakeholders in Ukraine war to be in peace process

China calls for all stakeholders in Ukraine war to be in peace process

China believes all stakeholders in the Russia-Ukraine conflict should participate in the peace talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, underscoring Europe’s role in them after a flurry of US messaging on how to end the war. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Wang said “we hope that all parties and stakeholders directly involved participate…

Russia detains 28-year-old US citizen for carrying cannabis-laced food in luggage

Russia detains 28-year-old US citizen for carrying cannabis-laced food in luggage

Russia has detained another US citizen, after customs officials found cannabis-laced marmalade in his luggage, Russian media said Friday, days after a Moscow-Washington prisoner swap that the White House called a diplomatic thaw and a step toward ending the fighting in Ukraine. Russian police said the 28-year-old American had attempted to smuggle a “significant amount”…

Russian forces take control of two settlements in eastern Ukraine: TASS

Russian forces take control of two settlements in eastern Ukraine: TASS

Russian forces have taken control of two frontline settlements in eastern Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. A ministry report said Russian forces had captured the village of Zelene Pole located between Pokrovsk, the focal point of Russian attacks in the region, and Velyuka Novosilka, a settlement that Russia’s military said it…

Trump team makes confused start to Ukraine diplomacy

Trump team makes confused start to Ukraine diplomacy

This was a disorienting week for those anxious over how the new Trump administration will fulfill Donald Trump’s vow to end the Ukraine war. As the US president took his first steps toward diplomacy over the nearly three-year conflict, comments from his top officials left many unsure what he has planned for the biggest security…

Arab proposal for Gaza in works, but Jordan can’t take more Palestinians: Minister

Arab proposal for Gaza in works, but Jordan can’t take more Palestinians: Minister

Arab countries are putting together a plan that would rebuild Gaza without displacing its people, guarantee security and governance, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Friday, adding that his country could not take more Palestinians. Arab countries were dismayed earlier this month after US President Donald Trump announced a plan to “clean out” Palestinians from Gaza and resettle…

North Korea says US should abandon military threats: Reports

North Korea says US should abandon military threats: Reports

North Korea said on Saturday that the United States should abandon military threats if it has concerns about its mainland safety, state media KCNA reported, citing an official at North Korea’s defense ministry. The KCNA report cited the head of US Northern Command recently commenting on North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles’ (ICBMs) capability of reaching the…

Chinese victims among four killed in Laos explosion

Chinese victims among four killed in Laos explosion

An explosion at a shop in northern Laos killed four people, including Chinese nationals, Beijing’s consulate general in the country reported. The “blast” happened Friday at a Chinese store in Oudomxay province, the Chinese consulate in Luang Prabang said in a statement. The cause was under investigation, the consulate and local media reported. Three people…

Saudi Arabia welcomes hosting Trump-Putin summit in Kingdom, commends call between the two

Saudi Arabia welcomes hosting Trump-Putin summit in Kingdom, commends call between the two

Saudi Arabia on Friday welcomed the recent phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed willingness to host a summit between the two presidents, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “The Kingdom expresses its welcome to hosting the summit in Saudi Arabia and reaffirms its ongoing efforts to achieve…

Hamas says expects talks on Gaza truce phase two to begin ‘early next week’

Hamas says expects talks on Gaza truce phase two to begin ‘early next week’

Hamas expects indirect negotiations with Israel for the second phase of an ongoing truce in Gaza to begin “early next week”, an official of the Palestinian militant group said Friday. “We expect the second phase of the ceasefire negotiations to begin early next week, and mediators are continuing discussions on this matter,” Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said….

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon wounded after Hezbollah supporters attack convoy, President Aoun condemned

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon wounded after Hezbollah supporters attack convoy, President Aoun condemned

UN peacekeeping troops in Lebanon were wounded late Friday night after Hezbollah supporters attacked a convoy carrying the outgoing deputy commander of UNIFIL. The perpetrators blocked Beirut’s airport road for a second consecutive day in protest over Lebanon’s refusal to allow Iranian planes to land. Video footage showed Hezbollah supporters carrying flags and chanting sectarian slogans as…

Traces of tear gas found on Ukraine battlefield

Traces of tear gas found on Ukraine battlefield

The world’s chemical weapons watchdog on Friday said it had once again found traces of tear gas on the frontline with Russia in Ukraine’s central-east Dnipropetrovsk region. The use of riot control agents such as tear gas as a method of warfare is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the non-proliferation treaty overseen by the…

EU’s Kallas: listening to Vance speech felt like US was trying to pick fight with us

EU’s Kallas: listening to Vance speech felt like US was trying to pick fight with us

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday that a speech by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security conference felt as if the United States was ‘trying to pick a fight’ with Europe. “Listening to that speech, they try to pick a fight with us and we don’t want…

With Musk at his side, Trump orders US agencies to plan for ‘large-scale’ staff cuts

With Musk at his side, Trump orders US agencies to plan for ‘large-scale’ staff cuts

President Donald Trump ordered US agencies on Tuesday to work closely with top adviser Elon Musk’s effort to shrink the federal workforce by identifying government employees who can be laid off and functions that can be eliminated entirely. With his four-year-old son by his side or on his shoulders, billionaire Musk stood next to Trump in the…