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World
Trump, Xi agree Strait of Hormuz must remain open
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed during a summit in Beijing that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to energy transit and that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, the White House said on Thursday.
US charges Iraqi suspect in alleged Iran-backed attack campaign
Federal prosecutors say an Iraqi man linked to Iran-backed groups helped direct attacks in Europe and plotted violence against U.S. Jewish sites in a case spanning several countries.
Xi warns Trump Taiwan rift could lead to conflict at Beijing summit
China's Xi Jinping delivered his most direct warning yet to a U.S. president on Taiwan during a Beijing summit with Donald Trump, saying disagreements over the self-ruled island could lead to 'clashes and even conflicts.'
Trump, Xi meet in Beijing as Iran war tests diplomacy
Trump and Xi reached a joint pledge on Iran's nuclear programme and Hormuz shipping in a high-stakes Beijing summit that also saw Xi deliver a blunt warning on Taiwan.
Trump to Meet Xi as Iran Ceasefire Falters, Hormuz Remains Blocked
President Trump heads to Beijing for a three-day summit with Xi Jinping as the Iran ceasefire teeters and the Strait of Hormuz stays blocked, pushing oil above $104.
Trump Says Iran Ceasefire on 'Massive Life Support'
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the month-long ceasefire with Iran is surviving on "massive life support," comparing the truce to a patient whose doctor has delivered a near-certain terminal prognosis, after Tehran submitted a 14-point counter-proposal Trump rejected as "totally unacceptable."
Nigerian fishermen feared dead in Chad strikes on Boko Haram
More than 40 Nigerian fishermen are feared dead after Chadian air strikes targeting Boko Haram camps struck islands on Lake Chad where both militants and fishing communities live.
Trump says Iran ceasefire on 'life support' as Beijing summit looms
President Trump says the Iran ceasefire is on "massive life support" and warns of potential combat operations days before departing for a Beijing summit with Xi Jinping.
One Nation wins Farrer, taking first lower-house seat in Coalition rout
David Farley took 57.3 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote in the southwestern New South Wales seat, ending a Coalition hold that had stood since the late 1940s and giving Pauline Hanson's One Nation its first directly elected House of Representatives seat.
Iran warns of attack on US bases after tanker strikes test ceasefire
Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy threatened a heavy assault on US bases if its oil tankers are attacked again, as a fragile month-old ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz appeared to hold. The warning followed a US strike on two Iranian vessels on Friday.
US awaits Iran ceasefire response as Rubio meets Qatari mediators
The United States was waiting for Iran to deliver a formal ceasefire proposal on Saturday as Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Miami. A Qatari LNG tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz in a confidence-building test.
Suicide bombing kills 14 police officers in northwest Pakistan
A suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 14 officers and wounding three. A newly formed militant faction linked to the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility.
Putin says Ukraine war coming to an end as ceasefire holds
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believes the war in Ukraine is coming to an end, his first public signal of a possible off-ramp since a US-brokered three-day ceasefire took effect and both sides began exchanging 1,000 prisoners each.
Cargo ship hit off Qatar and Kuwait reports drones as ceasefire frays
A cargo ship caught fire after being struck off Qatar's coast and Kuwait reported a drone incursion overnight, the sharpest test yet of the month-old ceasefire over the Strait of Hormuz as Washington awaits Tehran's reply to its latest terms.
Taiwan officials press Trump for reassurance ahead of Xi summit
Senior Taiwanese officials have pressed the Trump administration for reassurances ahead of his state visit to Beijing this week. Their concern is not declared U.S. policy but an off-script remark to Xi Jinping that Beijing could read as a rhetorical concession on the island.
Trump eyes Italy and Spain for next round of NATO troop cuts
President Trump is weighing further US troop withdrawals from Europe, with Italy and Spain in the frame after 5,000 service members were pulled from Germany. Allied capitals are bracing for the announcement and coordinating contingency plans as Madrid faces particular pressure.
China holds rare earths and Hormuz cards as Trump heads to Beijing
President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on May 14 for a state summit with Xi Jinping. Analysts and Taiwan officials say critical-minerals leverage, the Middle East energy fallout, and a contested Taiwan policy stack the meeting on Beijing's side.
Trump Rejects Iran Ceasefire Response as Drones Hit Gulf Shipping
President Donald Trump rejected Iran's response to a US ceasefire proposal as drones struck commercial shipping off Qatar and entered UAE and Kuwaiti airspace. Tehran demanded a permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and guarantees for shipping security.
Trump rejects Iran ceasefire response as totally unacceptable
President Donald Trump rejected Iran's ceasefire response on Sunday as 'totally unacceptable,' hours after Tehran demanded war reparations and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The breakdown raises the prospect of renewed U.S. military operations to reopen the key oil shipping lane.
Iran ceasefire holds as Bahrain detains 41 over Revolutionary Guard ties
A tenuous ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to hold on Saturday after US strikes on two Iranian tankers, while Bahrain said it had arrested 41 people accused of links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Iran war pushes tariff and rare earth talks down Trump-Xi summit agenda
The May 14-15 Beijing summit was meant to lock in tariff and rare-earth deliverables. The Iran war has rewritten the agenda. Hormuz, not soybeans, will dominate leader-level time as Trump becomes the first US president back in China since 2017.
Reform UK candidate exposed for racist posts wins Sunderland council seat
Glenn Gibbins, exposed days before polling for Facebook posts demanding Nigerians in his town be 'melted down' to fill potholes, was elected to Sunderland City Council on Reform UK's slate. Reform took 58 of 75 seats and ended a 52-year Labour grip on the authority.
Putin holds stripped-back Victory Day parade as Ukrainian drones loom
President Vladimir Putin marked the 81st anniversary of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany on Friday without the tank columns and missile launchers that defined past Red Square parades. The Kremlin tightened anti-drone defences over Moscow as a Trump-brokered three-day ceasefire formally began with no signal of de-escalation.
Britain deploys HMS Dragon to Hormuz as Iran ceasefire frays
The British Ministry of Defence will deploy HMS Dragon to the Middle East to pre-position for a UK and French coalition mission to safeguard Strait of Hormuz shipping, even as a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran shows fresh signs of strain.
Trump pledges to raise Jimmy Lai case in Xi summit talks
Donald Trump heads to Beijing this week pledging to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai in talks with Xi Jinping. Activists call the meeting a narrow window to free the 78-year-old before his 20-year sentence runs.
