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War details revealed in another chat

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is alleged to have shared details of a March attack on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis in a second message group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer. The second chat on Signal — which is a commercially available app not authorised to be used to communicate sensitive or classified national defence information — included 13 people and was dubbed “Defense Team Huddle”.

AP/Reuters

South America

Bukele proposes prisoner swap

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela, suggesting he would exchange Venezuelan deportees from the US his government is keeping imprisoned for what he calls “political prisoners” in Venezuela.

AP/Reuters

Politics

16 Apr 2025

Biden back on stage with warning

Former Democratic US President Joe Biden has made his first major speech since leaving the White House in January, issuing a warning over Social Security as the Trump administration cuts agency staff and shutters some of its offices. The speech in Chicago to disability advocates was a major re-emergence by Biden onto America’s political landscape, as President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, run by tech billionaire Elon Musk, makes massive cuts to the federal workforce.

AP/Reuters

16 Apr 2025

Iran

12 Apr 2025

Trump opens door for Iran deal

US President Donald Trump is betting that a beleaguered Iran is so vulnerable after a tumultuous 18 months in the Middle East that it might finally be ready to abandon its nuclear program. The renewed push to solve one of the most delicate foreign policy issues facing the White House and the Mideast will begin in earnest on Saturday when Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gather in Oman. Trump says he prefers a diplomatic solution, even as he warns that Iran will face “great danger” if talks don’t go well. But Iran’s nuclear advances since Trump scrapped an Obama-era agreement during his first term make finding a pathway to a deal difficult, and experts warn that the prospects of US military action on Iranian nuclear facilities appear higher than they have been in years.

AP/Reuters

12 Apr 2025

Russia

11 Apr 2025

Dual citizen freed in prisoner swap

A Russian-American who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia for donating to a charity aiding Ukraine has landed in Washington after being freed in exchange for a man the US had accused of forming a global smuggling ring to spirit sensitive electronics to Russia’s military. The exchange, which took place on the tarmac of an airport in Abu Dhabi, indicates significant detailed contacts between President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin and the administration of US President Donald Trump, who says he wants to strike a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

AP/Reuters

11 Apr 2025

Cost of living

US egg prices crack record

US egg prices increased again last month to reach a new record-high of $6.23 per dozen despite US President Donald Trump’s predictions, a drop in wholesale prices and no egg farms having bird flu outbreaks. The increase reported in the Consumer...

AP/Reuters

Syria

Turkey, Israel talks aim to avoid military clash

Turkish and Israeli officials have begun talks aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Turkish ministry sources and an Israeli political source said. The Turkish sources said the technical talks, in Azerbaijan, marked the beginning of efforts to set up a channel to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region.

AP/Reuters

Italy

King’s visit shores up Italy-UK ties

King Charles has underlined the importance of strong ties between Italy and Britain at a time of war in Europe as he delivered an historic speech to the Italian Parliament. Charles, on the third day of his state visit to Italy with Queen Camilla, became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Parliament in Rome, switching between English and Italian and drawing warm applause from lawmakers.

AP/Reuters

Ukraine

More Chinese recruits uncovered

Ukraine has expanded on its allegations that significant numbers of Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia’s invading army, saying it had gathered detailed intelligence on more than 150 mercenaries Moscow allegedly recruited through social medi...

AP/Reuters

Trade

02 Apr 2025

EU plans response to Trump tariffs

The European Union’s response to US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose sweeping new reciprocal tariffs on global trading partners will happen at the appropriate moment, a EU spokesperson says. Trump is set to announce sweeping reciprocal tariffs on global trading partners at 2000 GMT in what the White House has dubbed “Liberation Day”, threatening to disrupt decades of established trade practices. ”On our response, all I can say is that there will be one,“ EU spokesman Olof Gill said.

AP/Reuters

02 Apr 2025

Russia

31 Mar 2025

Trump issues tariff threat to Putin

US President Donald Trump says he is annoyed with Russian President Vladimir Putin and will impose secondary tariffs of 25 per cent to 50 per cent on buyers of Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump told NBC News he was very angry after Putin last week criticised the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership, the television network reported, citing a telephone interview early on Sunday.

AP/Reuters

31 Mar 2025

Accident

Early report out on jet that went belly-up in Toronto

The alert system on a Delta Air Lines jet that flipped upside down and burst into flames as it tried to land in Toronto last month indicated a high rate of descent less than three seconds before touchdown, according to a preliminary report. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which issued the report, continues to investigate the February 17 crash-landing.

AP/Reuters

Middle East

Scores dead, many flee as Israel action ramps up

Israeli strikes have killed at least 85 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight, according to local health officials. Hours later, Hamas fired three rockets at Israel without causing casualties, in the first such attack since Israel ended their ceasefire with a surprise bombardment of Gaza on Tuesday. Local medics said Israeli strikes targeted several houses in northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip. The strikes hit multiple homes in the middle of the night, killing men, women and children as they slept.

AP/Reuters