united states

Darth Vader’s Star Wars Lightsaber Goes to Auction

Darth Vader's lightsaber, used to chop off Luke Skywalker's hand in Star Wars classic The Empire Strikes Back, went on display in London on Wednesday, ahead of its US sale next month. The prop has been described as the "Holy Grail" for Star Wars fans, with millions prepared to end up like Skywalker and give their right arm to own the iconic ...

Trump-Putin Meeting Agreed for 'Coming Days', Venue Set: Kremlin

The Kremlin said Thursday that a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was set for the "coming days", with the two sides already having agreed the venue "in principle." The summit would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, and comes as ...

Farewell to a Giant: Latin Music Legend Eddie Palmieri Dies at 88

Eddie Palmieri, who revolutionized Latin music and played a major role in the salsa explosion in New York City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 88, according to the artist's official social media account. The "legendary pianist, composer, bandleader, and one of the most influential figures in Latin music history, passed away in his New Jersey ...

Lebanon’s Moment of Truth: Disarm or Disintegrate

There’s a phrase I’ve heard a lot in Beirut lately. It's whispered between sips of Turkish coffee, murmured across newsrooms and tossed around military circles like a live grenade: “Either we get our country back, or we become a geography with a flag.” And this week, for the first time in nearly two decades, the Lebanese government ...

United Airlines Flights Grounded in the US

Thousands of US air passengers were facing delays Wednesday after United Airlines halted many departures in the wake of a systemwide problem. So-called "mainline flights" -- those moving between major hubs -- were grounded for over an hour before engineers were able to get things up and running again. "We are working with customers to get them ...

Disney Lifts Forecast as It Readies ESPN Streaming Launch

Disney on Wednesday lifted its full-year earnings forecast after reporting higher quarterly profits, as the company readies the launch of a new ESPN sports service. Profits for Disney's fiscal third quarter were $5.3 billion, about double the year-ago level as the entertainment giant added 1.8 million subscribers to its Disney+ streaming ...

Zelensky Says Spoke with Trump after US Envoy's Moscow Visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that he had spoken by phone with US President Donald Trump after Washington's envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow for talks earlier in the day. "I spoke with President Trump. This conversation happened after President Trump's representative, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow," Zelensky posted on ...

Apple to Invest Additional $100 Billion in US

Apple will invest an additional $100 billion in the United States, taking its total pledge to $600 billion over the next four years, a senior White House official said Wednesday. The announcement, which was first reported by US media, will be officially made later Wednesday at 4:30 pm (2030 GMT) at a White House event with President Donald ...

Putin Holds 'Constructive' Talks with US Envoy Witkoff ahead of Sanctions Deadline

Russian President Vladimir Putin held "constructive" talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a US deadline for Russia to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions. US President Donald Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has ...

Putin Meets US Envoy Witkoff Ahead of Sanctions Deadline

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump on Moscow to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions. Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to ...

America's Middle East Dilemma and Opportunity

Whatever you think about events since October 2023, a fundamental shift in the balance of power has occurred in the Middle East. The dilemma for Washington and its regional partners is what to do now to bring lasting security for all those who in the past were compelled to live in the shadow of threats and violence by Iran and its Arab proxies. ...