GAZA | Xinhua | A joint U.S.-Israeli initiative to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip has triggered strong backlash from Gazans, who say the plan undermines their dignity and sidelines established international relief channels. Palestinians displaced by months of conflict voiced deep mistrust of the effort, accusing Washington and …
Read More »The deplorable rise of MAGA Catholicism
In 2020, Trump – who is far from a devout Christian – claimed that Biden was “against God” and “against guns.” To an ultra-conservative culture warrior, the connection is clear: we love guns, so God must, too. COMMENT | IAN BURUMA | Some popes fit their times to perfection. Pope …
Read More »REPORT: US prepares more Russia sanctions
LONDON, UK | TASS | The US has put together new sanctions against Russia meant to step up pressure on Moscow in the course of talks to end the conflict in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing sources. The potential targets include state-controlled Russian energy giant Gazprom and major companies involved in the natural …
Read More »US, China trade war
Beijing holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand COMMENT | LINGGONG KONG | When Donald Trump pulled back on his plan to impose eye-watering tariffs on trading partners across the world, there was one key exception: China. While the rest …
Read More »Ukraine to hold peace talks with UK, France, U.S. on Wednesday
KIEV | Xinhua | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that Ukraine will hold peace talks with the United Kingdom, France, and the United States in London on Wednesday. “Already this Wednesday, our representatives will be working in London,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X after phone talks …
Read More »US tariffs will make global trade shrink, says WTO
The world trade body previously expected global goods trade to expand by 2.7% in 2025 but it now forecasts it will fall by 0.2% ANALYSIS | CHARLOTTE EDWARDS | The World Trade Organization (WTO) has forecast that global trade will fall this year because of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It …
Read More »Official data shows foreign visits to U.S. plummet in March
SACRAMENTO, the United States | Xinhua | Foreign travel to the United States saw a sharp drop in March, according to the latest data released Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The agency reported an 11 percent fall in inbound visitors compared to the same month last year, marking …
Read More »US and Russia are negotiating in bad faith
US President Donald Trump is threatening to impose yet more sanctions on Russia, in order to pressure President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire deal in Ukraine COMMENT | NINA L. KHRUSHCHEVA | The US and Russian delegations that just met in Istanbul had made it clear that they were …
Read More »US-Ukraine minerals deal resembles colonial exploitation of Africa
NEW YORK, the United States | TASS | The US-Ukraine agreement on mineral reserves, if signed, will be somewhat similar to the penal agreements that European colonizers made with the peoples of African countries, Bloomberg reports. According to the agency, the US access to Ukrainian subsoil resources is now taking “a form …
Read More »Why are the U.S and Iran talking in Oman and what’s at stake?
MUSCAT, April 9 | Xinhua | The long-standing tensions between the United States and Iran are once again in the spotlight, as both sides prepare for indirect high-level talks scheduled for Saturday in Oman’s capital of Muscat. While U.S. President Donald Trump describes the engagement as a “direct” dialogue, Iran …
Read More »