Feb 08 Three Israeli hostages exchanged for 183 Palestinian prisoners as Gaza ceasefire continues By Wafaa Shurafa, Mohammad Jahjouh, Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press Hamas-led militants released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages and Israel freed nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners Saturday in the latest exchange of a ceasefire agreement that has paused 16 months of war in Gaza. Continue reading
Feb 08 Trump orders freeze of aid to South Africa over post-apartheid land expropriation law By Zeke Miller, Associated Press President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday freezing assistance to South Africa for a law aiming to address some of the wrongs of South Africa’s racist apartheid era — a law the White House says amounts to discrimination against… Continue reading
Feb 08 State Department announces plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The State Department has formally told Congress that it plans to sell more than $7 billion in weapons to Israel, including thousands of bombs and missiles, just two days after President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White… Continue reading
Feb 08 War-torn Lebanon establishes its first full government in more than 2 years By Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press President Joseph Aoun announced in a statement that he had accepted the resignation of the former caretaker government and signed a decree with new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam forming the new government. Continue reading
Feb 07 Watch 3:32 Displaced Gazans return to face shattered homeland and uncertain future By Stephanie Sy, Sonia Kopelev President Trump said he is in “no rush to do anything” in Gaza. Earlier this week, he talked about the need for Palestinians to leave Gaza and for the United States to take over the area and develop it. Also… Continue watching
Feb 07 Watch 5:12 Top UN humanitarian official describes the current situation in Gaza By Geoff Bennett, Zeba Warsi One of the key United Nations agencies overseeing the provision of aid into Gaza is the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. Its leader, Tom Fletcher, just visited Gaza and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss… Continue watching
Feb 07 Trump administration temporarily blocked from placing 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, sided with two federal employee associations in agreeing to a pause in plans to put the employees on paid leave as of midnight Friday. Continue reading
Feb 07 WATCH: Trump talks trade with Japan’s prime minister By Aamer Madhani, Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press President Donald Trump said Friday he wants to slash the U.S. trade deficit with Japan as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to the White House for their first face-to-face meeting. Continue reading
Feb 07 Thousands to begin forced leave at USAID under Trump’s plan to gut the agency By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press A judge was holding a hearing Friday afternoon in the lawsuit from federal workers associations, who argue that President Donald Trump lacks the authority to shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation. Continue reading
Feb 07 Trump: Nippon Steel dropping bid for U.S. Steel, making investment instead By Associated Press The details remain unclear. President Donald Trump said he would meet with the head of Nippon Steel next week “to mediate and arbitrate.”… Continue reading