WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: The U.S.-Iran truce framework, a 60-day diplomatic window intended to turn a temporary U.S.-Iran cessation of hostilities into a broader settlement has expired without a deal. President Donald Trump has ruled out extending the framework, Iran is warning that it could adopt a more offensive military posture, and Trump
ULAANBAATAR: UNCCD COP17 has opened in Mongolia with a more consequential mandate than its relatively low global profile suggests: turn land restoration and drought commitments into finance, resilience and implementation. Running from August 17 to 28 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.”, COP17 brings together the Convention’s 197 Parties
Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump are making a final push for an agreement before new Canada tariffs on nearly $20 billion in Canadian imports take effect on August 19. Canada and the United States are in last-minute negotiations ahead of a new round of Canada tariffs scheduled
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has identified more than 40 countries and jurisdictions as presenting elevated risks for Chinese goods being rerouted around U.S. tariffs, widening Washington’s scrutiny of China-linked global supply chains. A White House report released this week alleges that Chinese exporters are increasingly routing goods through third
A new UN negotiating document has revived efforts to secure the world’s first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution — but governments remain divided over how far the agreement should reach, particularly whether it should address plastic production itself or focus more heavily on product design, circularity and waste management.
Tehran says it is preparing to join the BRICS-backed New Development Bank, potentially expanding its access to development finance as war and sanctions constrain Iran’s economy — while testing how effectively emerging-market institutions can broaden financing options for countries facing international restrictions. Iran says it is moving toward membership in
A ship reportedly paid nearly $4 million to jump the Panama Canal queue as Middle East conflict disrupts major maritime routes just as falling water levels threaten capacity at one of the world’s most important trade arteries. PANAMA CITY — The Panama Canal is emerging as a critical pressure point
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund generated roughly $184 billion in the first half of 2026, powered by global equities and technology stocks — even as its chief executive warned that the economic conditions behind Norway’s extraordinary accumulation of wealth may not last. OSLO — Norway’s sovereign wealth fund generated
More than 4,400 cases have been confirmed as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record strains containment efforts — and scientists race to develop the first approved vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo virus. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the second-largest on record, with the
HAVANA — Independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council are accusing the United States of worsening Cuba’s humanitarian crisis through escalating economic pressure, as fuel shortages, prolonged blackouts and shortages of medicines strain essential services across the island. In a statement released Thursday, the experts condemned recent U.S.
