A US-led naval coalition officially launched operations in Bahrain Thursday to protect shipping in the troubled waters of the Gulf, after a string of attacks that Washington and its allies blamed on Iran.

US-led coalition launches operation to protect Gulf waters

Germany will reach a NATO defence spending target by 2031, its defence minister said, missing a 2024 deadline agreed by the allies who are under heavy US pressure to beef up their military budgets.

Germany commits to NATO spending goal by 2031 for first time

A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to sign a long-awaited interim trade deal could be delayed until December as discussions continue over terms and venue, a senior official of the Trump administration told Reuters on Wednesday.

US-China trade deal signing could be delayed to December; London a possible venue: Report

It seems as if the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement has effectively ended. Is Iran using the nuclear programme to blackmail the world? Or did US sanctions force Iran to violate the deal?

WION Edit: Nuclear deal crumbles - Is Iran a victim or a villain?

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

Trump defiant at Louisiana rally after Democrat wins

By John Broich Since US troops left their region, roughly 180,000 Kurds of northeastern Syria have been displaced, and over 200 have been killed. Those Kurds, soldiers who’d battled the Islamic State and families, had hoped to secure a future Kurdistan state in areas now targeted by Turkish warplanes and patrolled by Russian mercenaries.

Why there is no Kurdish nation

Elon Musk, who garnered attention for quitting Twitter last week, is back on the social platform, with little explanation for the hiatus or the return. The chief executive of electric automaker Tesla, as well as the private space firm SpaceX, was tweeting late Monday to congratulate the crew of the free-flying spacecraft Dragon.

Elon Musk back on Twitter after break

A top ally of President Donald Trump admitted he told a Ukraine official that US military aid was contingent on Kyiv investigating Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed.

Top Trump ally admits tying Ukraine aid to Biden investigation

President Donald Trump offered Tuesday to help Mexico hunt the killers of nine Mormon women and children shot dead in a lawless border area and said the United States stood ready to back its southern neighbor in a "war" on the drug cartels.

Trump calls for 'war' on cartels as Mormons murdered in Mexico

The United States accused Iran on Tuesday of "nuclear extortion" and vowed no let-up in pressure after the clerical regime said it would resume uranium enrichment at the key Fordow plant.

US accuses Iran of 'nuclear extortion' with enrichment step

Facebook will outline on Wednesday plans to expand encryption across its Messenger platform, despite warnings from regulators and government officials that the enhanced security will help protect paedophiles and other criminals.

Facebook to expand encryption drive despite warnings over crime

The United States and Britain remain committed to reaching a post-Brexit bilateral free trade agreement, the White House said Tuesday, after President Donald Trump questioned whether such a deal is possible.

United States says committed to Britain trade deal after Trump expresses doubt

Military build-up on icy Norway-Russia border stirs uneasiness

A United States State Department report has said that Indian Mujahidin (IM), which has ties with Pakistan-based terrorist groups Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harakat ul-Jihad Islami, is using Nepal as a hub to carry out terrorist activities against Indians.

Nepal, now biggest operation hub for Indian Mujahidin: United States

Pakistan has not taken sufficient action against terrorist groups including Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which continue to operate, train, organise, and fundraise from the country, according to a recent United States government report.

Pakistan failed to take action sufficient against terrorist groups: United States

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday issued a joint statement reaffirming their strong support for the "irreversible" Paris Agreement on climate change, from which the US announced its exit this week.

China and France reaffirm support of Paris climate agreement, call it 'irreversible'

US Congressional report on Afghan Affairs has specifically mentioned that Pakistan has been playing 'an active but negative role' in Afghanistan while simultaneously, is fearful of strategic encirclement by India.

Pakistan fearful of strategic encirclement by India: US report on Afghan affairs

Witness transcripts in the impeachment probe into Donald Trump were made public for the first time Monday, with the former US ambassador to Kyiv telling investigators she felt threatened by the president in his call to Ukraine's leader.

First impeachment transcripts go public as White House stonewalls

American hurdler Dawn Harper Nelson is coming out of retirement to chase more Olympic gold, the 35-year-old has said. Harper Nelson, who gave birth to a daughter in April, said on Monday she was training for the 2020 Tokyo Games and hoped to win a third Olympic 100m hurdles medal.

Hurdler Harper Nelson ends retirement to chase Olympic gold

The rise of the civilisational state and of civilisational rather than national leaders is calling into question the concept of sovereign nation-states. That is evident in the consequences of the civilizational assault on minorities ranging from the Kurds in Syria and Turkey to Muslims in China, India and Myanmar to Islamophobia and mounting anti-Semitism in the United States, France and Hungary as well as sectarianism in the Middle East.

Adjusting to the new world order

The San Francisco startup that invented the groundbreaking Juul e-cigarette had a central goal during its development: captivating users with the first hit. The company had concluded that consumers had largely rejected earlier e-cigarettes, former employees told Reuters because the devices either failed to deliver enough nicotine or delivered it with a harsh taste.

Juul disregarded early evidence that it was hooking teens: Report

China's offshore yuan surged past 7 per dollar to four-month highs on Tuesday, benefiting from signs Beijing and Washington are approaching a trade deal and also from the Chinese central bank's decision to trim lending rates by only 5 basis points.

Chinese yuan surges to three-month high on trade optimism, 'tiny' rate cut

Israel's supreme court on Tuesday upheld a government decision to expel a senior Human Rights Watch official over his alleged support of a boycott of the country, the ruling said.

Israel supreme court upholds expulsion of Human Rights Watch official

Testimony by two of the "three amigos" charged with running Ukraine policy for President Donald Trump will be made public on Tuesday, as Democratic-led congressional committees release more transcripts from their impeachment investigation.

Testimony from two of Trump's Ukraine policymakers to become public

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