News brief: Big stories of the day

Iran's supreme leader,Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on TuesdayIran would respond to Britain's "piracy" over the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar.

China on Tuesday rebuffed a suggestion fromUS President Donald Trumpthat Beijing needs a trade deal with the United States because its economy is slowing, saying this was "totally misleading" and that both countries wanted an agreement.

Democratic congresswomen targeted in a xenophobictirade by President Donald Trumphit back Monday, saying he was trying to distract attention away from his policies with his "blatantly racist attack."

Talks on gettingNorth Korea to abandon its nuclear weaponsare at risk because the United States looks set to break a promise not to hold military exercises withSouth Korea, North Korea said on Tuesday.

Twenty-two Taliban terrorists and one civilian were killed in a counter-terrorism operation launched by the Special Operation Forces of Afghan National Police in the country's eastern province of Logar, the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs said on Tuesday.