United States

Trump Says 'Ball is in China's Court' on Tariffs

US President Donald Trump believes it is up to China, not the United States, to come to the negotiating table on trade, the White House said Tuesday as tensions escalate between the world's two biggest economies. "The ball is in China's court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them," said ...

Trump Ramps Up Conflict against Defiant Harvard

President Donald Trump escalated his war against elite US universities Tuesday with a threat to strip Harvard's tax-exempt status if the country's most famous educational establishment refuses to submit to wide-ranging government oversight. Harvard stands out for defying Trump, in contrast to several other universities and a string of powerful ...

Hamas Says 'Lost Contact' with Group Holding Israeli-American Hostage after Strike

Hamas's armed wing said Tuesday it had "lost contact" with the group holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander following an air strike on their location in Gaza. "We announce that we have lost contact with the group holding soldier Edan Alexander following a direct strike on their location. We are still trying to reach them at this moment," ...

Nuclear Deal or Not, Hezbollah Must Disarm

The Shia of Lebanon who pledge allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei should ask themselves these questions: Why do they boycott American products when Khamenei invites Americans to invest in Iran and promises Washington $4 billion in contracts? Why do these Shia have to live in tents, erected atop their razed homes, and not surrender ...

Israel Demands Hostage release for Gaza Ceasefire

Hamas said Monday that Israel has offered a 45-day ceasefire if it releases half of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, which the United Nations said is now in the grip of its worst humanitarian crisis since the start of the war. A Hamas official told AFP that Israel had also demanded that the Palestinian militants disarm to secure an end to the ...

Harvard Sees $2.2 Billion in Funding Frozen After Defying Trump

Elite US university Harvard was hit with a $2.2 billion freeze in federal funding Monday after rejecting a list of sweeping demands that the White House said was intended to crack down on campus anti-Semitism. The call for changes to its governance, hiring practices and admissions procedures expands on a list Harvard received on April 3, which ...

US Opens Door to Tariffs on Pharma, Semiconductors

The United States opened the door Monday to tariffs targeting high-end technology and pharmaceuticals, feeding the uncertainty gripping the global economy in a trade war that Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned can have "no winner." After weeks of indications such a move was coming, the US Commerce secretary formally announced ...

Ukraine-US Hold 'Constructive' Talks on Minerals Deal

Talks last week between the United States and Ukraine on a proposed minerals deal were "constructive," a senior official familiar with the discussions told AFP on Monday. "The meeting was normal, no problems; everyone says that they talked constructively," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, after a meeting in Washington on ...

EU Tariffs on US Goods Suspended Until July 14

The EU's retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth 21 billion euros will be on hold until July 14, Brussels said on Monday, to give time for negotiations with Washington. The European Union was hit with a 20 percent rate as part of Trump's sweeping tariffs on April 2, before he suspended the measures for 90 days a week later. To give breathing room ...

Aoun Highlights LAF Role and Reform Progress

President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Monday that the Lebanese Army (LAF) is “fully carrying out its responsibilities” in the areas vacated by Israeli forces, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, emphasizing the army’s capability to ensure the safety and protection of Lebanese citizens. Speaking during a meeting at Baabda ...

Trump Says no One 'Off the Hook' on Tariffs but Markets Rise

Markets on Monday welcomed a US tariffs reprieve for electronics, but President Donald Trump warned no country would get "off the hook" in his trade war -- especially China. The world's two largest economies have been locked in a fast-moving game of brinkmanship since Trump launched a global tariff assault that particularly targeted ...