U.S. President Donald Trump

May 12, 2026 9:45 AM

Trump to discuss Taiwan arms sales, jailed HK tycoon Jimmy Lai with Xi

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would discuss the topic of arms sales to Taiwan and the case of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week. "I'm going to have that discussion with President Xi," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Washington's longstanding support for Taiwan's defense. "President Xi would like us not to, and I'll have that discussion. That's one of the many things I'll be talking about." China claims...

May 11, 2026 10:43 PM

Suspect in Trump attempted assassination pleads not guilty

The man accused of attempting to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump at a White House reporters' gala last month pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday. Cole Allen, 31, of California, did not speak in court as his attorney Tezira Abe entered the plea on his behalf. The charges include attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer and firearms offenses. Prosecutors allege Allen fired a shotgun at a U.S. Secret Service agent and stormed a security checkpoint in ...

May 11, 2026 7:11 PM

Iran war raises stakes for US and China ahead of Trump–Xi talks

The Iran war has strained U.S.–Chinese ties further and looks set to dominate the May 14 to 15 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart and host in Beijing. Below are the key issues at stake for Washington and Beijing as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran reshapes calculations in their broader relationship: IRAN CEASEFIRE TALKS U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that the two presidents will discuss the Iran war, and urged China to "join us in this int...

May 9, 2026 10:25 AM

Trump hopes for extension to agreed three-day Ukraine-Russia ceasefire

Russia and Ukraine confirmed on Friday that they had agreed to a U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire that will run from May 9 to May 11, and U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped it would be extended. Trump's announcement of the temporary ceasefire on Truth Social earlier in the day also said each country, locked in more than four years of conflict, would exchange 1,000 prisoners of war. "I'd like to see a big extension," Trump told reporters on Friday evening. "It could be." Both Kyiv and ...

May 8, 2026 4:38 PM

Global perceptions of US fall below Russia under Trump, survey finds

Global perceptions of the U.S. have deteriorated for a second consecutive year and are now worse than views of Russia, an annual study on democracy published on Friday showed, as U.S. President Donald Trump's policies continue to severely strain the NATO alliance. The Denmark-based Alliance of Democracies Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said the U.S. was also most frequently named in response to which country posed the greatest threat to the world, after Russia and Israel. The survey...

May 8, 2026 3:01 PM

Pope Leo, after Rubio meeting, asks God to inspire leaders to calm tensions

Pope Leo asked that God would inspire world leaders to calm global tensions and reduce hatred in an address on Friday to mark his first anniversary as head of the Catholic Church, a day after he met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican. Leo, who has drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump after criticizing the Iran war, asked worshippers to pray that global governments would turn away from violence. In a visit to Pompei, a modern city about 245 km (152 miles) south of Rome n...

May 8, 2026 10:02 AM

Trump’s China visit adds sparkle to July 4 celebrations for fireworks maker

Emblazoned on a box of Chinese fireworks is a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump raising his fist in defiance after a failed assassination bid in 2024, juxtaposed with the U.S. flag and the slogan "Fight for America". This year's celebrations for U.S. Independence Day on July 4 will be "a lot better" than last year, said Wilson Lam, U.S. business manager for Black Scorpion Fireworks in China's southern city of Liling. Last year manufacturers were struggling with tariff hikes of more than 1...

May 7, 2026 4:22 PM

US and Iran inch towards short-term deal to end fighting

The United States and Iran are edging toward a limited, temporary agreement to halt their war, sources and officials said on Thursday, with a draft framework that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues unresolved. The emerging plan centres on a short-term memorandum rather than a comprehensive peace deal, underscoring deep divisions between the two sides and signalling that any agreement at this stage would be an interim step. Hopes that even a partial deal could lead to...

May 7, 2026 10:22 AM

North Korea not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, KCNA reports

North Korea is not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, state media KCNA reported on Thursday, as Pyongyang continues to reject international pressure and sanctions to dismantle its nuclear programme. Kim Song, North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations, said in a statement that the U.S. and some countries were "tarnishing the atmosphere" at the 11th NPT review conference being held at U.N. headquarters, bringing up the issue of North Korea's nuclear we...

May 7, 2026 9:24 AM

Son of Hamas Gaza chief injured in Israeli strike, five others killed

Israel struck and critically wounded the son of the Hamas militant group’s top negotiator on Wednesday in air strikes that also killed at least five people across the Gaza Strip, according to medics and Hamas sources. Azzam Al-Hayya, son of Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas' exiled Gaza chief who had been leading indirect talks with Israel over the Palestinian enclave's future, was wounded in a strike that also killed another person in Gaza City, they said. Hayya had already lost three sons in previous...