Washington, June 2 (IANS) A new round of direct Israel-Lebanon talks has commenced here after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had secured commitments from Israel and Hezbollah aimed at easing regional tensions.Lebanese authorities have confirmed that Hezbollah has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a “mutual cessation of attacks” with Israel, according to a statement by the Lebanese presidency on Monday, citing the Lebanese embassy in Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.Lebanese authorities h…
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Washington, June 2 (IANS) Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure lawmakers on Tuesday that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, despite concerns raised by President Donald Trump’s recent comments that arms sales to Taipei could be used as a negotiating tool in discussions with China. Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said Washington continues to support preserving the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and dismissed suggestions that the administra…
Washington, June 2 (IANS) Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said European allies must take greater responsibility for their own defence, arguing that the United States can no longer bear a disproportionate share of security obligations while facing growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio defended the Trump administration’s push for higher NATO defence spending and said many European countries w…
Washington, June 2 (IANS) Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday indicated that the Trump administration could consider sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets as part of a future nuclear agreement, if Tehran agrees to surrender highly enriched uranium and permanently curb its enrichment activities. The comments offered one of the clearest public signals yet that the administration is prepared to use sanctions relief as leverage in negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from …
Johannesburg, June 2 (IANS) President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to rally behind the country’s national team as it prepares for its first FIFA World Cup appearance since 2010, with an opening match against Mexico on June 11.In his weekly newsletter published on Monday, Ramaphosa said Bafana Bafana, the nickname of the country’s men’s football team, carries the hopes and aspirations of more than 62 million South Africans as it heads to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Mexi…
United Nations, June 2 (IANS) Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was elected the next president of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, narrowly defeating Cypriot diplomat Andreas Kakouris.Rahman will head the Assembly in September when its next session begins and succeed Annalena Baerbock.External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar congratulated Rahman and offered to work with him in promoting shared goals.“Congratulations to FM (Foreign Minister) Dr Khalilur Rahman of Ba…
Washington, June 2 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday delivered a forceful defence of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, telling lawmakers that every diplomatic decision must be judged by whether it advances the interests of the United States.Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said the administration had reoriented US foreign policy around national security, economic strength and sovereignty after what he described as “years of misplaced prior…
Washington, June 2 (IANS) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Iran has agreed to discuss parts of its nuclear programme that it had previously refused to negotiate, raising the prospect of new talks after recent U.S. military action against Tehran. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said Iran’s military capabilities had been significantly weakened and that Tehran was now willing to engage on issues it had long kept off the table.”There is the prospe…
Washington, June 2 (IANS) Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that the United States cannot afford to lose its technological edge to China, telling lawmakers that maintaining American leadership in artificial intelligence has become a critical national security priority. Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said the United States and China would remain strategic competitors for years, if not decades, even as both countries continue to engage diplomatically.”Ch…
New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) The FIFA World Cup 2026 will mark the beginning of a completely new era in international football as the tournament expands from 32 teams to 48 teams for the first time in history.The tournament, which begins on June 11, will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will also be the biggest World Cup ever organised, in terms of both the number of participating nations and the number of matches.For football fans, the new format may appear confusing a…