Middle East

Trump Says Increasing Tariffs on Canada by 10 Percent
Trump Says Increasing Tariffs on Canada by 10 Percent

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was hiking tariffs on Canadian goods by an additional 10 percent, in the latest fallout over a Canadian anti-tariff ad that featured late US leader Ronald Reagan. The announcement came two days after Trump said he had terminated all trade talks with Canada over what he called the "fake" ad ...

Les Mains de Mamie Redefine Haute Couture
SpotlightLes Mains de Mamie Redefine Haute Couture

At first glance, Catherine’s flat in Saint-Étienne looks like any other French retiree’s home. Balls of yarn are scattered on the armchair, patterns are scribbled on scraps of paper, an old measuring tape lies nearby, and the television murmurs in the background. But for the past three years, her hands have been knitting for more than just ...

Japan’s Takaichi Makes Strengthening US Alliance Her Top Priority
Japan’s Takaichi Makes Strengthening US Alliance Her Top Priority

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she told US President Donald Trump in a telephone call on Saturday that strengthening the alliance between their countries was her "top priority." The call came days before Trump's planned visit to Tokyo on a regional tour and was the first between the two leaders since Takaichi took ...

Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders on Gaza Truce During Asia Trip
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders on Gaza Truce During Asia Trip

US President Donald Trump will meet Saturday with the emir and prime minister of Qatar – a key ally in preserving the fragile Gaza peace deal – during a refueling stop on his way to Asia, officials said. The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One late in the day when it lands at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the regional headquarters for ...

Iran Declares Major Private Bank Ayandeh Bankrupt Amid Mounting Debt and Sanctions
Iran Declares Major Private Bank Ayandeh Bankrupt Amid Mounting Debt and Sanctions

Iran declared one of the country's largest private banks bankrupt, with its assets absorbed by the state, official media reported Saturday, in a rare move in the country grappling with international sanctions. Founded in 2012, Ayandeh Bank had a network of 270 branches across the country, including 150 in the capital, Tehran, alone. But it had ...

Rubio Vows to Recover Bodies of Hostages Still Held in Gaza
Rubio Vows to Recover Bodies of Hostages Still Held in Gaza

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed Saturday to secure the return of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza, as he met with the families of two captives during his visit to Israel. "We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas," Rubio said on X. "Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay ...

Peaceful Voting but Little Suspense in Ivory Coast Election
Peaceful Voting but Little Suspense in Ivory Coast Election

Ivorians were voting Saturday between incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, the overwhelming favorite seeking a fourth term in power, and an opposition hobbled by the barring of leading candidates. Ouattara, 83, has wielded power in the world's top cocoa producer since 2011, when the country began reasserting itself as a West African ...

Salam to the Pope: Lebanon’s Freedom Is 'a Right for All'
Salam to the Pope: Lebanon’s Freedom Is 'a Right for All'

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that “the unity, sovereignty, and freedom of Lebanon are a right for all its children,” following his meeting with Pope Leon XIV at the Vatican. In a message posted Saturday on platform X, Mr. Salam added that “peace in the region can only be built on justice, particularly on the right of the Palestinian ...

Trump Embarks on High-Stakes Asia Tour
Trump Embarks on High-Stakes Asia Tour

US President Donald Trump headed for Asia on Saturday for high-stakes trade talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, saying that he would also like to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his trip. Trump is set to meet Xi in South Korea on the last day of his regional swing in a bid to seal a deal to end the bruising trade war between ...

Lebanon’s Last Chance: Disarm Hezbollah or Risk Collapse
AnalysisLebanon’s Last Chance: Disarm Hezbollah or Risk Collapse

Lebanon’s long‑simmering debate over Hezbollah’s disarmament has sharpened into a defining confrontation between state sovereignty and a foreign‑backed militia. In Washington, the issue is becoming the centerpiece of US regional policy. For President Trump’s administration, Hezbollah’s disarmament is not merely a security objective but ...

US Imposes Sanctions on Colombia President
US Imposes Sanctions on Colombia President

The United States on Friday announced sanctions on Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, who Washington has accused of failing to curb illicit drug trafficking, alongside his wife and son. "President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement unveiling the ...