United States

Ukraine Watches U.S. Election with Mounting Anxiety

Ukrainians are nervously following the final days of the US presidential election campaign, some fearing a victory for Donald Trump could halt Washington's vital aid. Tuesday's US vote will take place as the war with Russia grinds through its third year, with the outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian army on the back foot against Russia's advancing ...

US Hiring Drops to Lowest Since Biden Took Office

US job growth slowed drastically in October, hit temporarily by hurricanes and labor strikes, in a final major economic snapshot at the end of a razor-edge presidential election campaign where cost-of-living worries dominated voter concerns. The world's biggest economy added 12,000 jobs last month, far below expectations and down from a ...

Qatar’s Diplomacy: Strengths and Limitations

For over a year now, Qatar has been acting as the principal mediator, alongside the United States and Egypt, in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023. However, this is not the first time this oil-rich Gulf emirate has emerged on the international stage. Qatar has established itself ...

US Claim Thousands of North Koreans Preparing to Fight in Ukraine

The United States revealed Thursday that up to 8,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing to fight in Ukraine, as Pyongyang heightens tensions with the launch of an intercontinental missile just days before the U.S. elections. Citing U.S. intelligence services, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that of the 10,000 North Korean soldiers, ...

Blinken Reports 'Good Progress' on Lebanon Ceasefire Agreement

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that negotiators have made "good progress" toward a deal that would bring a ceasefire in Israel's offensive in Lebanon. The top US diplomat said that Washington was "working very hard" on concluding arrangements on a deal that would include the withdrawal of Shiite militia ...

Saudi Arabia Hopes for Swift Non-Military Agreements with US

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Thursday that Riyadh could potentially move "quite quickly" on some bilateral agreements with Washington even if a mega-deal involving recognizing Israel remains out of reach. Since last year Saudi Arabia has been bargaining hard for a defence pact with the United States as well as assistance with a ...

Trump in a Garbage Truck, Harris in Wisconsin

Donald Trump pulled an election stunt with a garbage truck Wednesday as the White House campaign was forced off-piste by muddled remarks from President Joe Biden about the Republican's supporters that caused a headache for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Harris had hoped to spend the day expanding on the final week "closing argument" she made ...

US Officials Heading to Israel to Discuss Lebanon, Gaza Deals

Senior US officials were traveling to Israel on Wednesday to seek progress on deals to end the Gaza and Lebanon wars, the State Department confirmed. Amos Hochstein, the US pointman on Israel-Lebanon tensions, and Brett McGurk, the top White House official on the Middle East, will lead the talks with Israel. The two "are traveling to Israel to ...

Gaza Mediators Propose Ceasefire of Less than a Month

Mediators seeking a Gaza ceasefire are set to propose a truce of under a month to Palestinian militants Hamas, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wednesday. The discussions in Doha, which concluded Monday, included Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim ...

US Military Airstrikes Eliminate 35 Jihadists in Syria

American air strikes killed up to 35 Islamic State group members in Syria earlier this week, the US military said Wednesday. It is the latest in a series of operations in recent months by US and local forces in Iraq and Syria against the jihadists, who once held swathes of territory in both countries. "The strikes hit multiple ISIS locations in ...

Trump Reaches Out to the Lebanese-American Community with "Peace Letter"

Former President Donald Trump addressed the Lebanese American community in a letter that emphasized themes of unity and peace amid ongoing regional challenges. In his correspondence, Trump expressed his deep appreciation for the resilience and contributions of Lebanese Americans, underscoring their vital role in shaping both the cultural and ...