Page 3 - United States

Iran includes 'acceptance of enrichment' in Farsi version of ceasefire plan

Iran in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan included the phrase "acceptance of enrichment" for its nuclear programme, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists. It wasn't immediately clear why that term was missing. However, US President Donald Trump had said ending Iran's nuclear programme entirely was a key point of the war. Trump, after Iran issued its 10-point plan, had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating.

TikTok ad leader Khartoon Weiss to step down in latest high-profile exit

Other recent departures have included global head of creators, Kim Farrell, who left earlier this year, and Blake Chandlee, who departed in 2025 after leading advertising and marketing

Pakistan invites US, Iran for talks in Islamabad 'to settle all disputes'

Pakistan on Wednesday invited the US and Iran for talks in Islamabad on Friday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a social media post announced that the US and Iran, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. "With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately," he said. Sharif said Pakistan has invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 for face-to-face talks aimed at reaching a conclusive agreement "to settle all disputes". The prime minister expressed hope that the proposed "Islamabad Talks" would help achieve sustainable peace and stability in the region. The development follows Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict that began on Feb 28 and had reached a turning point after US Preside

US slams attack on Israeli consulate in Istanbul, commends Turkiye response

Gunfire erupted near the Israeli Consulate in the Besiktas district of Istanbul on Tuesday, prompting an immediate security intervention

Sergio Gor meets US Comm Secy, discusses US-India commercial roadmap

US envoy to India Sergio Gor met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick here and discussed the commercial roadmap for the two countries and the opening up of a market of 1.4 billion people for American products. In a social media post, Gor said he discussed with Lutnick a new Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to connect India's AI scale with the American AI ecosystem and also strong participation from New Delhi in the upcoming SelectUSA Summit near here. "Productive meeting with Secretary @HowardLutnick on the US-India commercial roadmap. We discussed a new MoU connecting India's AI scale with the American AI ecosystem, strong Indian participation at the upcoming @SelectUSA Summit, and growing Indian pharma investment in the United States to boost competition, and strengthen supply chains," Gor said in a post on Tuesday. In a separate post, the US Department of Commerce said Lutnick and Gor were working to open a market of 1.4 billion people to American products. "Today, Secreta

Trump announces two-week ceasefire if Iran opens Strait of Hormuz

In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared Iran's official statement in the name of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

Iran envoy warns of 'proportionate' action if Trump follows attack threats

An Iranian envoy says Tehran will "take immediate and proportionate" action if US President Donald Trump follows through on his threats to attack the country's "whole civilization." Tehran's United Nations representative, Amir-Saeid Iravani, said Trump's threats that a "whole civilization will die" if Iran does not make a deal "constitute incitement to war crimes and potentially genocide." During a Security Council session on the Strait of Hormuz, Iravani urged the international community to call out Trump's rhetoric before it's too late. "Iran will not stand idle in the face of such egregious war crimes. It will exercise, without hesitation, its inherent right of self-defence and will take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures," he said.

Kidnapped US journalist Shelly Kittleson freed in Baghdad, says official

American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, has been released, an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, said Kittleson was freed in the afternoon. He did not share her current whereabouts but said that prior to her release, she had been held in Baghdad. The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement earlier in the day that it had decided to free the journalist, and officials with the militia told The Associated Press that members of the group previously detained by Iraqi authorities would be released in exchange.

Trump says US can 'take out' Iran in one night as Tuesday deadline nears

Trump earlier in the day reiterated that the deadline he has set for Iran to reach a deal remains final, warning of consequences if an agreement is not reached

Use of Strait of Hormuz must be guaranteed in any US-Iran deal: UAE

UAE official Anwar Gargash said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be weaponised, stressing that its security is not a regional bargaining chip but a global economic imperative

A harrowing race against time to rescue a downed US airman in Iran

For the Iranians, the Air Force colonel whose fighter jet had been shot down was possible leverage. For the US military, finding him was a moral imperative

Paramount in talks to secure $24 bn funds from Gulf for Warner takeover

The merger would combine major studios and networks such as CNN and CBS, enabling them to compete more aggressively as streaming draws audiences away from traditional linear TV

US court reinstates $656 mn judgment against PLO, Palestinian Authority

A USD 656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities has been reinstated by appeals judges, following a US Supreme Court ruling in favour of Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel. The decision from the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals comes a decade after it first tossed out a verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority on the grounds that US courts couldn't consider lawsuits against foreign groups over overseas attacks that were not aimed at the United States. But the appeals court reinstated the judgment in light of a Supreme Court ruling last June upholding a 2019 law enacted by Congress to allow the victims' lawsuits to go forward against the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority. "We conclude that the original judgment for the plaintiffs should be reinstated. That conclusion is consistent with the plain import of the Supreme Court's decision," the judges said in a decision dated March 30. "Our ..

US troops fighting for Jesus, says Hegseth; Pope Leo XIV disagrees

Throughout his first year as pontiff, Leo has been careful not to wade into US politics and has avoided direct confrontation with the White House

Reimagined by crises: Why the United States' Constitution is doomed to fail

A sweeping history traces the US Constitution's roots to medieval England, arguing it was shaped by crisis and expansion rather than pure ideals of liberty

US judge halts Trump's push for race data in college admissions process

A federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren't considering race in admissions. The ruling from US District Court Judge F Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs The federal judge said the federal government likely has the authority to collect the data, but the demand was rolled out to universities in a "rushed and chaotic" manner. "The 120-day deadline imposed by the President led directly to the failure of NCES (National Centre for Education Statistics) to engage meaningfully with the institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address the multitude of problems presented by the new requirements," Saylor wrote. President Donald Trump ordered the data collection in August after he raised concerns that colleges a

Trump warns Iran to open Hormuz Strait or face 'hell' in 48 hours

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deadline, set to expire on April 6, was nearing its end, reiterating his demand that Tehran either "make a deal" or ensure the strategic waterway remains open

Tamil Nadu-born Rini Sampath in race to become Washington DC mayor

Tamil Nadu-born Rini Sampath has become the first South Asian candidate to be on the ballot for the primary for the election for the mayor of Washington DC. The 31-year-old government contractor from the Democratic Party has based her election campaign on the theme 'Fix the Basics' and the promise of "A new DC". "I'm not a politician. I don't owe any special interest groups. It's time for an outsider who is relentlessly focused on fixing our basic city services," Samapth says on her campaign website. Born in Theni in Tamil Nadu, she came to the US as a seven-year-old and has been a resident of Washington DC for more than a decade. "It's clear we have a real path to victory. In just four weeks, we made the mayoral ballot as the first South Asian candidate in DC history to do it. That's what a lean, people-powered campaign can accomplish. Imagine what we could do with the resources to reach every voter across the city," she said. Washington DC is dominated overwhelmingly by Democrat

75 women expected to benefit from BofA settlement in Epstein case: Lawyers

Lawyers say up to 75 women who were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein since 2008 may benefit from a USD 72.5 million fund set up as part of a settlement Bank of America reached with lawyers representing the women. US District Judge Jed S Rakoff gave the deal preliminary approval Thursday and set a final approval hearing for August 27. He also ordered lawyers to submit to him by Friday a broader list of publications to be used to notify Epstein victims that the settlement fund exists. The judge said he wanted to ensure "nobody is left out." Lawyers for women abused by Epstein had sued the bank, saying it ignored suspicious financial transactions involving Epstein that occurred while he was abusing girls and women from June 2008 to his arrest in early July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. Epstein died in August 2019 in a Manhattan federal jail. The death was ruled a suicide. At the hearing Thursday, attorney David Boies said lawyers for the victims believed between 60 and 7