Myanmar junta preparing for December election, top general says
The chief of Myanmar’s ruling junta vowed on Thursday to hold a free and fair election in December, as he urged armed opponents in a widening civil war to renounce violence and pursue dialogue. Min Aung Hlaing during a speech…
Zelenskiy says Russian conditions for Black Sea ceasefire ‘unrealistic’
KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire on the Black Sea were “unrealistic,” and that Russia was trying to drag out talks in order to grab more land. He also said that lifting…
Israel intercepts two missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthis
DUBAI – The Israeli military said on Thursday it had intercepted two missiles launched from Yemen before they crossed into Israeli territory, after sirens sounded in several areas in Israel including Jerusalem. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have been launching missiles and…
Partner of Ukraine fighter facing Russian prison sentence demands his release
KYIV – Kateryna Bondarenko had little doubt that her boyfriend, a fighter with Ukraine’s Azov regiment captured by the Russians in 2022, would receive a long prison term when a military court handed down its sentence. That did not make…
Exclusive-How Syria’s sectarian violence spread to capital, terrorizing Alawites
DAMASCUS -Close to midnight on March 6, as a wave of sectarian killings began in western Syria, masked men stormed the homes of Alawite families in the capital Damascus and detained more than two dozen unarmed men, witnesses said. Those…
Washington told EU to brace for more tariffs before any talks, envoys say
BRUSSELS – Washington has told the European Union it should not expect any trade negotiations before the United States has imposed more tariffs on the bloc next week, EU diplomats said on Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has already…
Turkey detains nearly 1,900 in protests over jailed mayor, rejects international criticism
ISTANBUL/ANKARA -Turkey said on Thursday it rejected “prejudiced” international statements over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and protests it triggered, following the detention of nearly 1,900 people since the nationwide demonstrations began eight days ago. Imamoglu, President Tayyip…
Six Russians dead, 39 tourists rescued after submarine sinks in Red Sea off Egypt
CAIRO -Six Russians died on Thursday and 39 foreign tourists were rescued when a viewing submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the local governor’s office said on Facebook, adding that no passengers or crew were still…
US to give $73 million to aid Rohingya refugees, State Dept. says
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration said on Thursday it will provide $73 million in new financial aid to Rohingya refugees through the U.N. World Food Programme, amid concerns that aid cuts could deepen the crisis for the world’s largest stateless…
Detention of South Sudan’s VP Machar cancels peace deal, his party says
The detention of South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar has effectively collapsed the peace deal that ended the 2013-2018 civil war, his party said on Thursday. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan called for restraint, saying the country…
Who is Riek Machar, South Sudan’s embattled vice president?
The reported house arrest of Riek Machar, the former bush rebel leader who became South Sudan’s First Vice President, marks the latest turn in the turbulent relationship with his rival, President Salva Kiir, after a five-year civil war. The two…
US arrests El Salvadoran man on gun charge, alleges MS-13 ties
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia -U.S. prosecutors charged an El Salvadoran man on Thursday with illegal possession of a firearm, hours after federal officials arrested him in an early morning raid in Virginia and alleged he was a leader of the MS-13 international…
Trump pick to lead markets watchdog willing to work with DOGE on ‘efficiencies’
Paul Atkins, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, told lawmakers on Thursday he would work with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency or others engaged in cost-cutting efforts at the Wall Street regulator. Atkins…
Trump to cut programs that fight child labor abroad, Washington Post reports
U.S. President Donald Trump has plans to immediately end U.S.-backed programs that combat child labor, forced labor and other abuses in dozens of countries around the world, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The cuts are expected to end 69…
Republicans divided on spending cuts as they try to pay for Trump’s tax cuts
WASHINGTON -U.S. congressional Republicans are struggling over how to pay for President Donald Trump’s multi-trillion-dollar tax-cut and immigration reform agenda, with the fate of the Medicaid healthcare program and the nation’s debt ceiling hanging in the balance. The debate has…
Exclusive-White House installs Trump loyalists at federal HR agency after ‘five things’ email
WASHINGTON – The White House has installed two Trump loyalists at the federal HR agency after allies of billionaire Elon Musk blindsided top Trump officials with a surprise government-wide email last month demanding workers summarize five things they achieved at…
Exclusive-Trump administration is pointing spy satellites at US border
WASHINGTON -The Trump administration has directed two intelligence agencies to train their satellite surveillance capabilities on the U.S.-Mexico border region as part of a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration and drug cartels. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National…
These universities are in Trump’s crosshairs. Many don’t know why
NEW YORK -When Muhlenberg College learned in January 2024 – as pro-Palestinian protests were sweeping campuses across the United States – that it was under investigation for discriminating against Jewish students, the small liberal arts institution in Pennsylvania took action….
Kennedy to slash 10,000 jobs in major overhaul of US health agencies
WASHINGTON -U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to reshape federal public health agencies on Thursday, including cutting 10,000 employees and centralizing some functions of the FDA, CDC and others under his purview. The…
Brazil central bank raises long-term inflation forecasts, sees challenging path to target
BRASILIA – Brazil’s central bank raised its inflation projections on Thursday for the long-term despite anticipating weaker economic activity this year, and said that this scenario makes reaching its 3% target challenging. After forecasting inflation at 5.1% for 2025 last…