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Iran says it will continue nuclear talks with the US, shrugging off Trump's threats
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president said his country will continue talks with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program but will not withdraw from its rights because of US threats. "We are negotiating, and we will negotiate, we are not after war but we do not fear any threat," President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a speech to navy officials broadcast by state television Saturday. "It is not like that they think if they threaten us, we will give up our human right and defini
May 18, 2025 -
Israel launches a new military operation in Gaza, Netanyahu tells negotiating team to stay at talks
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Saturday it launched a major military operation in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a negotiating team to remain in Qatar for indirect talks with the militant group. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Operation Gideon Chariots was being led with "great force." Netanyahu had vowed to escalate pressure with the aim of destroying the militant group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades. The
May 18, 2025 -
US Midwest, South hit by severe weather
LONDON, Kentucky (AP) — At least 27 people have been killed by storms systems that swept across part of the US Midwest and South, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announcing Saturday that 18 of the deaths came in his state and 10 others were hospitalized in critical condition. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department
May 18, 2025 -
Trump says he will call Putin, then Zelenskyy to push for Ukraine cease-fire
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — US President Donald Trump said he plans to speak by phone early this week with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, followed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of various NATO countries, about ending the war in Ukraine. Trump said the call with Putin will be about stopping the "bloodbath" in Ukraine. "Hopefully it will be a productive day, a cease-fire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end," Trump wrote Satu
May 18, 2025 -
Gaza air strikes kill 94 as manhunt unfolds in West Bank
Palestinian rescuers reported 94 people killed Thursday in Israeli strikes on blockaded Gaza, where a US-backed organisation said it intends to begin distributing aid by the end of the month. In the occupied West Bank, raids were ongoing and roads blocked after Israel's military chief vowed to find the perpetrators of an attack that killed a pregnant Israeli woman. "Ninety-four martyrs have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn today," civil defence agency spokesman Mah
May 15, 2025 -
Trump floats possible new F-55 warplane and F-22 upgrade
The US is examining the possible development of a twin-engined warplane to be known as the F-55, as well as an upgrade to its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor called the F-22 Super, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday. Trump was speaking at a meeting of business leaders, including the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace, in Doha, a day after announcing a string of business deals, including an order from Qatar for 160 Boeing commercial jets. Trump referred to the proposed F-55 as both an upgrade t
May 15, 2025 -
Qatar Airways orders 160 Boeing twin-aisle jets during Trump visit
Boeing landed its biggest deal for widebody airplanes on Wednesday, when state carrier Qatar Airways placed firm orders for 160 jetliners plus options to buy 50 more during President Donald Trump's visit to the Gulf Arab country. The deal for Boeing 777X and 787 planes with GE Aerospace engines was worth $96 billion, according to the White House. It is a win for Trump on a high-profile visit to the region, even though it will be years before the jets are delivered. The sale is also a boost for B
May 15, 2025 -
Trump's big Syria announcement surprised his own sanctions officials
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- When US President Donald Trump announced in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would lift all sanctions on Syria, the decision -- which will boost a country devastated by 13 years of war -- took many in the region by surprise. It also caught some in his own administration off guard. In Washington, senior officials at the State Department and Treasury Department scrambled to understand how to cancel the sanctions, many of which have been in place for decades, accordi
May 15, 2025 -
Bypassed by Trump, Israel dismayed but silent
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Israel's right-wing government has maintained a diplomatic silence this week as US President Donald Trump fired off a blizzard of announcements that have shaken Israeli assumptions about their country's standing with its most important ally. Trump's decision to bypass Israel during his current visit to the Middle East had already been seen as a marker of the his administration's increased focus on lucrative business deals with wealthy Gulf countries, including Qatar, which
May 15, 2025 -
South African leader and Trump will meet next week
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are scheduled to meet at the White House next week following allegations by Trump — and denied by South Africa — that “genocide” is being committed against white farmers in the majority Black country. The meeting, announced Wednesday by the South African government and set for May 21, also comes after the US welcomed 59 white South Africans as refugees this Monday, the start of what the Trump adm
May 15, 2025 -
Chicago museum's fossil yields insights on famed early bird Archaeopteryx
A new analysis of a pigeon-sized Archaeopteryx fossil in the collection of the Field Museum in Chicago is revealing an array of previously unknown features of the earliest-known bird, providing insight into its feathers, hands, feet and head. The specimen, unearthed in southern Germany, is one of the most complete and best preserved of the 14 known fossils of Archaeopteryx identified since 1861. The discovery of the first Archaeopteryx fossil, with its blend of reptile-like and bird-like feature
May 15, 2025 -
Putin, Trump to skip Ukraine's peace talks
WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will not attend what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years, the Kremlin sending instead a group of experienced technocrats. Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday "without any preconditions." Late on Wednesday, the Kremlin said the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defense Mi
May 15, 2025 -
World No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner gifts a racket to tennis fan Pope Leo XIV
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has made peace with Jannik Sinner. The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open. Leo, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player and fan and had said earlier this week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist. But at the time, Leo joked "we can't invite Sinner," an apparent reference to the English meaning o
May 15, 2025 -
Japan’s 'washi' paper used to mend historical documents at US National Archives, overseas museums
WASHINGTON (Japan News/ANN) — The US National Archives in Washington is making good use of traditional Japanese "washi" paper to repair historical documents. Washi is light, strong, water-resistant and endowed with a beautiful texture. Since washi can last more than 1,000 years if kept correctly, it is highly appreciated among those in charge of preserving international documents. The National Archives, which was established in 1934, houses as many as 13.5 billion pages of documents, including t
May 15, 2025 -
Who let the bots out? Robot dogs on the job in Singapore
SINGAPORE (Straits Times/ANN) — They detect intruders, inspect danger zones and guide the blind. Robot dogs have found no shortage of work in Singapore — taking on jobs in underground maintenance areas, construction sites and even in social services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one such robot dog named Spot was deployed as a safe distancing ambassador in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. More recently, another robot dog accompanied PSP candidate Tony Tan on a walkabout as part of his election campaignin
May 15, 2025