SWABI, Pakistan -- Pakistani opposition parties, including the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, staged demonstrations on February 8 to mark the first anniversary of the country’s general elections, which triggered widespread allegations of vote-rigging.

The opposition parties are demanding that new elections be held in the country, which the current coalition government made up of Khan’s rivals -- the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) -- have rejected.

WATCH: Pakistani Opposition Rallies In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

Pakistan PTI Public Rally in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Feb 8

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Khan’s PTI and other opposition parties allege that the Pakistani military rigged the February 8, 2024, elections in favor of the ruling PML-N. The allegations have been denied by the PML-N, the military, and the Pakistani Election Commission.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has also rejected the request to void the election, which prompted the United States, Britain, and the European Union to voice concerns about the way the vote was conducted and to urge an investigation.

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Other parties participating in the February 8 demonstrations, included the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), PTI and Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi).

Ali Amin Gandapur, a key Khan ally and chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, repeated the allegations of widespread fraud in a video address to party workers ahead of the so-called “Black Day” demonstrations on February 8.

Caravans of demonstrators from across the province traveled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district, where thousands gathered to call for Khan’s release.

Ahead of the demonstrations, the federal government in Islamabad and provincial authorities in Balochistan and Punjab enacted measures to restrict public gatherings, citing security concerns.

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Ex-Pakistani PM Khan Sentenced To 14 Years In New Graft Case

Scores of PTI members and leaders over the past two years have been targeted for protesting the jailing of Khan and the military's alleged meddling in politics.

Khan last month was sentenced to 14 years in prison on fresh corruption charges in a case he denounced as politically motivated. His wife was also convicted and sentenced to seven years.

The 72-year-old former cricket superstar-turned-politician, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been in jail since August 2023.

Mourners including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gathered in Lisbon on February 8 to commemorate the Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the world's Shi'ite Ismaili Muslims, who died in the Portuguese capital at the age of 88 earlier this week.

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Mourners at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon included community leaders, Portuguese officials, and foreign dignitaries who arrived to pay their respects to the wealthy philanthropist known for juggling religious matters with his business interests.
Following the announcement of Aga Khan’s death on February 5, Trudeau noted that he had been a “dear” family friend and praised him as “a friend to all Canadians, and to everyone who dreams of a more peaceful world.”

Following the funeral service, the late leader of a multiethnic community scattered across several countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America is to be buried at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt on February 9.

The Ismaili Imamat announced on February 5 that his son, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, was named his successor as the hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims.

There are at least 2.5 million Ismailis in the world, with some estimates going as high as 15 million. The largest Ismaili community is in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region.

Born Prince Karim al-Husayn Shah in Geneva on December 13, 1936, the Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather in 1957 as the 49th imam of the Ismailis at the age of 21.

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He spearheaded international development projects that benefited both Ismailis and many others in some of the poorest regions of Asia and Africa under the auspices of his Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which invested in many fields, including education, health care, rural development, and microfinance, as well as in cultural initiatives.

The projects -- implemented in partnership with governments, organizations, and communities -- provided employment opportunities and economic self-reliance, as well as better education and health care for the very poor.

In media interviews and speeches, the Aga Khan said that one of the "continuing objectives" of his projects was trying to improve people's quality of life and to contribute to the elimination of poverty.

The Muslim leader, who endeavored to present moderate Islam and promote religious tolerance, said assisting the poor by providing them economic opportunities would help prevent extremism.

The Aga Khan said that in some of the poorest regions of the world, violence and terrorism "come from poverty" and that "changing the basics of the quality of life and [by] replacing despair with hope" would help stop the situation "from becoming explosive."

He often called on his followers and their leaders not to exclusively help Ismailis but anyone who is in need.

"He was an example for humanity for all around the world. He served all his life for the people, not only for the Ismaili Community, he was not only a symbol for the Ismaili Community," Shahnaz Hussaini, a 34-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, told the Associated Press after the announcement of his death on February 5.

The Aga Khan had seen his Ismaili community and many of his philanthropic projects and properties face difficult challenges in volatile regions around the world.

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Amid Crackdown In Restive Region, Tajikistan Targets Properties Linked To Aga Khan

Most recently, the Tajik government appropriated several major AKDN properties -- including a hotel, a private school, and a city park -- in the restive Gorno-Badakhshan region.

The Aga Khan inherited a vast fortune, and his net worth had been estimated at between $800 million and several billion dollars.

In 2009, Forbes put the Aga Khan among the 15 richest royals in the world. He was known for a jet-setting lifestyle and was the owner of opulent residences, a multimillion-dollar yacht, and aircraft, though he denied he led a "lavish" lifestyle.

He is survived by one daughter, three sons, and several grandchildren.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with acting Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya and two other leaders of the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group in Tehran on February 8, Iranian state media reported.

The reports gave no details about the meeting and only posted photos of Khamenei meeting Hayya, Muhammad Darwish, the head of Hamas's leadership council, and senior Hamas official Nizar Awadallah.

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Iran supports Hamas in its war with Israel and views the Palestinian group as a key ally in its broader strategy to oppose Israeli and Western influence in the Middle East.

The meeting came on the same day that Hamas freed three more Israeli hostages taken in an October 2023 attack on Israel.

Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben-Ami, 56, and Or Levi, 34, were first handed over to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the released hostages had already crossed into Israel and will undergo initial medical examinations. The hostages had been in captivity for 491 days.

Before they were handed over to the Red Cross, the hostages -- looking pale and exhausted -- were paraded on a stage before a crowd in Gaza by Hamas members, a move that Israel condemned.

"The shocking images we saw today will not pass without response," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

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In exchange for the released hostages, Israel is set to free 183 Palestinian prisoners, 18 of whom were sentenced to life in prison.

Israeli authorities on February 8 began the process of this prisoner release, freeing dozens of Palestinians from incarceration.

The truce and the hostage release, agreed on January 15 after months of negotiations, is the first step in a multistage process aimed at ending the 15-month conflict in Gaza.

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The conflict broke out when Iran-backed Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.

Israel retaliated by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed over 46,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.

With reporting by Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. financial assistance to South Africa, the White House said on February 7.

The order cited a law that took effect last year on land expropriation, the country’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, and its move to reinvigorate relations with Iran.

“The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests,” Trump's order said.

The order said South Africa’s new law seizes the agricultural property of ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensating them. Afrikaners are mostly white descendants of early Dutch and French settlers.

The order also said the United States will promote the “resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.”

The United States allocated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, the most recent U.S. government data shows.

Trump has complained about South Africa's land policy, saying that "South Africa is confiscating land" and "certain classes of people" are being treated "very badly." In addition, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump has named as his "efficiency czar," has accused South Africa of having "openly racist ownership laws" and suggested white people were the victims.

The question of land ownership is politically charged in South Africa due to the dispossession of land from blacks during colonialism and apartheid. White landowners still own three-quarters of South Africa's freehold farmland. This contrasts with 4 percent owned by black people, who make up 80 percent of the population, according to the 2017 land audit.

President Cyril Ramaphosa defended South Africa's land policy last week, saying the government had not confiscated any land and the policy was aimed at ensuring equitable public access to land.

"The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution," Ramaphosa said on X.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on February 5 cited the land policy in announcing that he will not attend a Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers meeting later this month in South Africa.

The absence of the United States at the G20 will be a blow to the meeting. Rubio also will miss an opportunity to meet his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as Trump pushes for diplomacy on the Ukraine war.

Washington has also complained about the case brought by South Africa at the ICJ against Israel, accusing the close U.S. ally of genocide over its military assault on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Israel says it has acted in self-defense following a deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

The order didn't elaborate on South Africa's ties to Iran except to say that they were reinvigorated to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.

With reporting by Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not confirmed that he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week but said the coming weeks may be "very intensive in diplomacy."

Trump said on February 7 that he is likely to meet with Zelenskyy next week. The site of the meeting "could be Washington," he said, adding that he would not be going to Kyiv.

He also said he would "probably" be speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon but did not give a time frame. Zelenskyy said it is important that he and Trump meet in person before the U.S. president meets with Putin.

Zelenskyy did not confirm a meeting with Trump but said diplomacy would be ramping up.

"The coming weeks may be very intensive in diplomacy, and we will do what’s needed to make this time effective and productive. We always appreciate working with President Trump," he said shortly after Trump spoke.

"Weʼre also planning meetings and talks at the teams’ level. Right now Ukrainian and American teams are working out the details. A solid, lasting peace shall become closer."

In his comments earlier at the White House, the U.S. president reiterated that he is interested in tying continued military aid to access to Ukraine's raw materials.

"One of the things we're looking at with President Zelenskyy is having the security of their assets. They have assets underground, rare earth and other things, but primarily rare earth," he said.

"We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things,” Trump said on February 3.

He said on February 7 that the United States wants "an equal amount of something" in exchange for U.S. support. “We would like them to equalize," Trump said.

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Ukraine Needs U.S. Weapons. Trump Wants Its Rare Earth Minerals In Return.

More than four dozen minerals, including several types of rare earths, nickel, and lithium, are considered critical to the U.S. economy and national defense. Ukraine has large deposits of uranium, lithium, and titanium.

Ukraine floated the idea of opening its critical minerals to investment by allies last year when it presented its plan to end the war and now suggests it could be open to a deal.

"If we are talking about a deal, then let's do a deal. We are only for it," Zelenskyy said on February 7, emphasizing Ukraine's need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement of the war.

"Strong security always has many elements, and each one matters," he said on X. "Ukraine possesses some of the largest strategic resource reserves in Europe, and protecting Ukraine also means protecting these resources."

Less than 20 percent of Ukraine's mineral resources, including about half its rare earth deposits, are under Russian occupation, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters published on February 7. Moscow could open those resources to North Korea and Iran if it maintains its hold on the territories.

"We need to stop Putin and protect what we have -- a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine," he told Reuters.

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Zelenskyy is likely to further discuss the idea with allies next week at the Munich Security Conference.

Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said this week he plans to attend the conference, but denied a report that he will present Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine at the gathering, which starts on February 14.

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, said he had spoken to Kellogg about the battlefield situation, the safety of Ukrainian civilians, and meetings at the annual security conference. He also said Ukraine is looking forward to Kellogg’s visit later this month.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa

Large crowds of people protested in cities across Slovakia, voicing concerns that Prime Minister Robert Fico is turning the EU member state toward Russia and calling for him to step down.

Tens of thousands turned out on Bratislava's Freedom Square for the second time in two weeks. Participants held up their mobile phone flashlights while chanting "Resign, resign," "Russian agent," and "Slovakia is Europe."

They demanded that any cooperation with Russia be stopped immediately, accusing the prime minister of collaborating with autocrats and attempting to turn Slovakia into an autocracy.

Demonstrations were held in 41 locations in Slovakia, up from 28 two weeks ago, and in 13 cities abroad, the Associated Press cited organizers as saying. News website Dennik estimated the crowd on Freedom Square at up to 45,000.

The street protests were the biggest since 2018, when the killings of an investigative reporter and his fiancee sparked political upheaval that culminated in the collapse of Fico's previous government.

Fico returned to power in 2023, starting his fourth stint as prime minister, and swiftly caused concern among critics that he is undermining democracy and shifting the country closer to Russia as it presses ahead with its war on Ukraine. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in December.

Fico, who survived an assassination attempt last May, has halted military aid to Ukraine, vocally opposed future membership of Ukraine in NATO, and spoken out against EU sanctions on Russia. Tension increased following his claims that opponents were planning to turn protests into attempts to overthrow the government.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is likely to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week, as U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine gather force, and Zelenskyy said it is important that the two meet in person before Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I will probably be meeting with President Zelenskyy next week," Trump said on February 7. He said the site of the meeting "could be Washington," adding that "I'm not going [to Kyiv.]"

Trump has repeatedly vowed to bring a swift end to Russia's war against Ukraine, which later this month enters its fourth year since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of the neighboring country on February 24, 2022. The meeting would be their first since Trump began his new term on January 20.

Trump spoke one week before the start of the February 14-16 Munich Security Conference, where the largest war in Europe since 1945 is certain to be among the main topics of discussion.

Zelenskyy is expected to attend the annual gathering, as is Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.

Trump again mentioned Ukraine's natural resources, saying he wants "an equal amount of something" in exchange for U.S. support. "We would like them to equalize," he added.

"One of the things we're looking at with President Zelenskyy is having the security of their assets. They have assets underground, rare earth and other things, but primarily rare earth," he said.

Kellogg earlier this week denied a report that the United States will unveil a peace plan for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference.

Trump and members of his administration have provided few details about any specific proposal for ending the war, but Kellogg said recently that both sides would have to "give a little bit," meaning make compromises.

Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters on February 7 said it is "very important" that he and Trump meet before Trump meets with Putin, saying otherwise it will "look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine."

"It is still important for partners to discuss their issues first, and then have a conversation with the enemy," Reuters quoted Zelenskyy as saying. No specific plans for a meeting between Trump and Putin have been announced.

Zelenskyy repeated his call for firm Western security guarantees for Ukraine as a part of any truce or peace deal, and said it is crucial that the West determine a broad strategy before holding talks with Moscow, Reuters reported.

Zelenskyy said that his team has had regular contacts with Kellogg and with Trump's national-security adviser, Michael Waltz.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed the prospect of nuclear talks with the United States, insisting that negotiations would not address Iran's problems days after President Donald Trump talked of making a deal where Iranians could "get on" with their lives.

"The reality that we must understand is that negotiating with America has no effect in resolving the country's problems," Khamenei said on February 7 in an annual address to Iranian Air Force officers.

The supreme leader, who has the final say on all state matters, insisted it would "not be intelligent, wise, or honorable" to negotiate with Washington.

His comments come as Iranian officials have for months been signaling Tehran's openness to talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump himself has called for a new nuclear deal with Iran, saying he wants Iran to "peacefully grow and prosper" as long it does not have nuclear weapons.

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Trump Brings Back 'Maximum Pressure' -- And Offers Iran An Olive Branch

The Republican president on February 4 brought back the "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that was the cornerstone of his policy toward the Islamic republic during his first term in office, though Trump also said he would like to start working on a "verified nuclear peace agreement."

In 2018, Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. He also reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under the terms of that agreement.

Khamenei pointed to Trump's abrogation of the nuclear deal as evidence that "negotiating with America is pointless."

The Iranian leader's comments have caused a stir on social media, with some saying his remarks effectively rule out talks with the United States. Others argue that he did not issue a formal ban on negotiations with Trump and his comments should not be taken at face value.

Precisely 12 years ago, during his 2013 address to air force officers, Khamenei charged that "negotiating with America will not solve problems."

As he was delivering those comments, Iranian and American officials were preparing to hold another round of secret talks that eventually paved the way for negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Ukraine has marked six months since it launched an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "brought the war home for Russians” and could serve as a bargaining chip in any future peace negotiations.

"Today marks six months of the Kursk operation. With our active operations on Russian territory, we have brought the war home to Russia," Zelenskyy said in in his nightly video address on February 6.

Ukrainian forces launched the incursion on August 6, capturing swaths of territory in the Kursk region, including the town of Sudzha.

Meanwhile, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said on February 7 that Ukrainian forces advanced up to 5 kilometers into the Kursk region, seizing at least one settlement southeast of Sudzha. The report, based on geolocated footage, confirms that Ukrainian troops have taken control of the small hamlet of Kolmakov, while also making advances near the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Fanaseyevka.

Pro-Russian military bloggers acknowledged Ukrainian tactical gains, stating that Kyiv's forces had penetrated Russian defensive lines by up to 5 kilometers.

The “Dva Mayora” Telegram channel confirmed that Ukrainian troops were spotted in Fanaseyevka and Cherkasskaya Konopelka, although it claimed that Ukraine failed to achieve its primary objective of reaching the larger village of Ulanok.

The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that all Ukrainian attacks in the Cherkasskaya Konopelka-Ulanok direction were repelled. Moscow has not officially acknowledged the depth of Ukraine’s incursions.

The ministry claimed Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses, including more than 200 soldiers and dozens of vehicles. The battlefield report could not be verified.

The General Staff of Ukraine's military made brief reference to military activity in the Kursk region in an assessment of fighting on February 6, only saying that five clashes had taken place since the beginning of the day.

Ukraine has said its foothold in Kursk could be a useful bargaining chip in potential peace negotiations with Russia.

"At some point, when the war moves toward a diplomatic resolution, you will see just how important this operation was," Zelenskyy said on X on February 5.

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Zelenskyy’s office said a day later that Ukraine is ready to open a humanitarian corridor to let hundreds of Russian civilians living in border areas seized by Ukraine to return to Russian-controlled territory.

More than 1,500 civilians are still living in areas of the Kursk region. Some have become angry at Russian authorities over lost contact with family members believed to be without communication on the other side of the front line.

"We are ready to open a humanitarian corridor from Kursk region to the depths of Russia in response to an official request from the Russian Federation," Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement.

"Apparently, the Russians do not want such a humanitarian corridor, because we have not received a corresponding request from them," the statement said, accusing Moscow of "indifference" to the fate of its own citizens.

Escalating Attacks On Ukrainian Civilians

Since the Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s border regions some 130,000 people have fled the area. Self-exiled Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told Current Time that, for the first time since World War II, Russia has lost control over its internationally recognized territory to a foreign military force, highlighting the irony of President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric about "defending Russian lands."

Displaced Russians have expressed growing frustration with the government’s handling of the situation, staging protests and demanding housing, financial aid, and better security measures.

Kyiv says more than 16,000 Russian troops have been killed in battles in the Kursk region over the past six months, with 909 Russian soldiers captured.

The Russian Defense Ministry says Ukraine has suffered 57,000 casualties (killed and wounded) in the same time frame. Both sides have refused to disclose their own losses.

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Ukraine Has Launched A New Offensive Into Russia. Why And Why Now?

As Ukraine pushes forward in Kursk, Russian forces have escalated attacks on civilian areas, particularly in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. A Russian missile strike on the Myropil community overnight destroyed a residential apartment building, killing at least two people, with more victims feared trapped under the rubble, local authorities said on February 7.

In general, Ukrainian authorities said, Russia launched 112 drones from multiple locations, including Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Bryansk, and Shatalovo. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that 81 drones were successfully shot down over the Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyy, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolayiv, and Odesa regions.

While most drones were intercepted, the Kyiv, Sumy, and Khmelnytskiy regions sustained damage. A fire broke out in the Brovary district in the Kyiv region due to a drone strike on a garage, though no casualties were reported.

Despite mounting civilian casualties, Russia continues to deny targeting civilian infrastructure, claiming its strikes focus on military objectives. However, Ukrainian officials and international watchdogs classify these attacks as war crimes, citing the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and residential buildings.

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Kellogg Rejects Report That Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan Will Be Revealed Next Week

Also on February 7, Ukrainian presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said Kyiv has high expectations for an upcoming visit from Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special representative for Ukraine and Russia, set to take place after February 11. Yermak stated that Ukraine aims to provide the U.S. administration with a comprehensive assessment of the battlefield situation, mobilization efforts, and military supply needs.

Yermak emphasized the importance of direct U.S.-Ukraine communication, stating that "no peace plans can be made without Ukraine’s involvement."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has denied the U.S. State Department’s claim that his country had reached a deal allowing U.S. warships to transit the Panama Canal for free.

Mulino said he was surprised by the U.S. State Department’s statement on X that U.S. government vessels “can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the U.S. government millions of dollars a year.”

Mulino on February 6 rejected that statement and asked Panama’s ambassador to the United States to dispute it. The ambassador is scheduled to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on February 7.

Mulino said he had told U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on February 5 that he could neither set the transit fees nor exempt any vessels from paying from them.

The Panama Canal Authority also said it had "not made any adjustments” to the fees.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met with Mulino and canal administrators and visited the critical trade route earlier this week, said on February 6 from the Dominican Republic that he respects Panama's legal process, but the United States has a treaty obligation to protect the Panama Canal if it comes under attack.

"That treaty obligation would have to be enforced by the armed forces of the United States, particularly the U.S. Navy,” Rubio said. “I find it absurd that we would have to pay fees to transit a zone that we are obligated to protect in a time of conflict.”

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Rubio delivered a message from Trump when he met with Mulino, saying that that China's presence was a threat to the waterway and a violation of the U.S.-Panama treaty.

The treaty calls for the permanent neutrality of the American-built canal.

China's business with the canal is mainly carried out through Hong-Kong based Hutchison Holdings, which operates two ports near the entrances to the waterway under a 25-year concession renewed in 2021.

Rubio last week said under the current status, China could theoretically use the ports to shut down the canal should a conflict break out between the United States and China.

China has denied it plays any role in the operation of the canal and that it respects Panama's control over the waterway.

"Never ever has China interfered," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said last month and added that Beijing recognizes the canal as "a permanently neutral international waterway.”

The Panamanian president said his meeting with Rubio on February 2 was cordial and respectful. He indicated it was possible to review some Chinese businesses in Panama, including the port concession.

Mulino announced after Rubio's visit that Panama would not renew its memorandum of understanding to join China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He also announced further steps to cooperate on immigration, a major policy matter with the U.S. administration.

The BRI is Chinese leader Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy initiative, and the globe-spanning infrastructure project has led to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment around the world.

With reporting by AP

The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States held what she said was a “thorough discussion” with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who has been tasked with finding a resolution to the war in Ukraine.

The meeting on February 6 between Oksana Markarova and Kellogg took place after Kellogg rejected a report that he would present a peace plan for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference next week.

Markarova said it was her first meeting with Kellogg since his appointment, though the two had met before.

"We held a thorough discussion with the special envoy and his team and my colleagues," Markarova said on Facebook.

Ukraine has been trying to establish close relations with the new administration under Trump, who has said he wants to bring a quick end to the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on February 5 in his nightly video address that Ukraine had been "significantly intensifying" its contacts with the Trump administration, adding that it also has had "quite meaningful contacts with other partners."

Zelenskyy, who will lead Ukraine’s delegation at the Munich Security Conference, said on February 6 that he is certain that there is no official U.S. plan yet, suggesting that any formal plan should be coordinated with Kyiv.

Andriy Yermak, chief of Zelenskyy's office, said the Ukrainian delegation would present the country’s position on ending the war and their views on how “a long and lasting peace” can be achieved.

“It’s necessary that the leaders and the experts in politics who will be in Munich realize that this is momentum,” he told the AP. “That we are very near to really ending this war by a just and lasting peace, but (it’s) necessary to be together [and not give] Russia an opportunity to divide the world, to divide partners.”

Zelenskyy has voiced confidence that Trump can pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ending the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. He also has said Trump knows Ukraine’s positions, including the things on which there can be no concessions.

Kellogg said last week that Trump has a “solid” strategy to end the war within months. But Trump himself has said little since his inauguration about how he will seek to settle the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin announced on February 5 an increase in contacts with the United States regarding the push to seek a resolution of the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was ready to negotiate with Zelenskyy despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to hold talks with him because his term expired last year.

Zelenskyy has dismissed that notion, saying no election can be held while martial law remains in place.

Kellogg said on February 5 on the conservative U.S. broadcaster Newsmax that Ukraine would reach a point when it would have to hold and election.

"The sign of a healthy democracy is the willingness and the ability to have an election, even in the time of war," he said.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on February 6 quoted senior Russian parliamentarian Leonid Slutsky as saying preparations for a meeting between Putin and Trump were at an "advanced stage."

Slutsky, head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, said the meeting could take place in February or March.

"It will be about Ukraine, the Middle East and, more generally, issues of world politics and international relations in the near future. I am sure that this meeting will be a milestone," Slutsky said.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order slapping sanctions on officials with the International Criminal Court for opening investigations targeting the United States and Israel.

Trump's order said the court in The Hague “has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”

The executive order, signed by Trump on February 6, said those actions “set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel,” including members of the U.S. military.

The order refers to an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his actions toward Palestinians in Gaza and recent actions by the court that endanger members of the U.S. military.

The order was signed after Netanyahu visited Trump at the White House on February 4. It notes that neither the United States nor Israel are members of the court.

Trump’s order imposes sanctions, including barring ICC officials, employees, and family members from entering the United States and freezes any assets they hold in U.S. jurisdiction. The sanctions also apply to anyone deemed to have helped the court's investigations.

SEE ALSO:

ICC Arrest Warrant Will Dog Netanyahu Even If He Never Faces The Hague  

The ICC issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif -- who Israel says is dead.

The warrants are for "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."

Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people, mostly Israeli citizens, and took hundreds of others hostage. A subsequent Israeli offensive aimed at neutralizing Hamas has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly in the Gaza Strip.

Trump in 2020 during his first administration imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban on the ICC's then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials and staff. The move came after Bensouda launched an investigation into allegations of war crimes against U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions soon after taking office in 2021.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan,Khan later effectively dropped the United States from the Afghan investigation.

With reporting by AFP

The U.S. Justice Department is disbanding a program aimed at seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs started after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

A memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi issued on February 6 said the effort, known as Task Force KleptoCapture, will end.

"This policy requires a fundamental change in mindset and approach," Bondi said in the memo.

The program was designed to strain the finances of wealthy associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin and punish people who facilitated sanctions violations.

Bondi said resources now devoted to seizing the assets of oligarchs and enforcing sanctions will be redirected to “the total elimination of Cartels and TCOs” -- an acronym for transnational criminal organizations.

Task Force KleptoCapture was announced on March 2, 2022, just a few weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It brought indictments against aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions evasion and seized yachts belonging to oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Charges Russian Oligarchs, State-Owned Bank CEO, And U.S.-Based 'Facilitators'

Bondi also ended the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was established in the first administration of President Donald Trump to police disinformation campaigns aimed at sowing discord and undermining democracy.

The task force was dedicated to investigating violations of the law requiring foreign agents to register with U.S. authorities. Bondi said the decision the scale back the policing of foreign interests had been made to "free resources to address more pressing priorities, and end risks of further weaponization and abuses of prosecutorial discretion."

Attorneys assigned to the task force will return to their previous posts. The changes will be in effect for at least 90 days and could be renewed or made permanent, according to the memo.

Some Republicans have accused the government of abusing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to unfairly target political operatives, such as Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign manager.

He was indicted as part of a federal probe into Trump's role in Russia's influence campaign during the 2016 U.S. election. Manafort was convicted of several offenses, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal and lying on FARA documents, but he was ultimately pardoned by Trump.

FARA was also used to pursue Mike Flynn, Trump's first national-security adviser, who lied to the FBI about contacts with Russians.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP

France and the Netherlands delivered fighter jets to Ukraine, giving Kyiv a major boost in its ability to defend Ukrainian airspace amid an almost daily barrage of Russian attacks.

In Paris, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a post on X on February 6 that an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5 fighters had arrived in Ukraine, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had also taken possession of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.

"The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a long-awaited reinforcement - the first French fighters Mirage 2000 and F-16s from the Kingdom of the Netherlands," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

"These modern fighting machines are already in Ukraine and will soon take on combat missions, strengthening our defense and ability to effectively resist Russian aggression."

Lecornu said in a post on X that with "Ukrainian pilots on board after training for several months in France, they will now help defend the skies over Ukraine."

Paris announced it would deliver Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine in early 2025, armed with air-to-ground missiles and electronic warfare countermeasures.

Ukraine has long sought modern Western fighter jets, especially F-16s and Mirage fighters. In 2023, several allied nations agreed to transfer F-16s to Ukraine with U.S. approval, and the first batch arrived in August 2024.

"This is another step in strengthening Ukraine’s security," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the arrival of the planes, which can fly at double the speed of sound.

"With the latest deliveries, we are also continuing to expand our F-16 fleet, with the Netherlands fulfilling its commitments to support this effort," he added.

Israeli aviation expert David Sharp told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service's Donbas.Realities in an interview that the newly acquired jets will replace older Soviet Su-24s and can employ Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles.

They will also be key in short- and medium-range combat missions and "of course, against Shahed drones and cruise missiles."

"As hunters of these, they're better than Soviet planes, which means they can save Ukrainian lives every night," he added.

WATCH: Archive Footage Of Mirage 2000-5 Fighter Jets

Video: French Mirage 2000-5 Fighter Jets

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The announcement comes as Ukraine looks to blunt widespread Russian air attacks and gains on the front lines as the war approaches its third anniversary on February 24.

At the same time, Kyiv has been taking the offensive where it can to strengthen its position as the West looks to jump-start talks toward a cease-fire and eventual peace agreement.

SEE ALSO:

Kellogg Rejects Report That Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan Will Be Revealed Next Week

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on February 6 an overnight drone strike on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airbase in Russia's Krasnodar region.

According to Ukrainian military officials, the base served as a key location for the storage, preparation, and deployment of Shahed drones and the maintenance of aircraft supporting Russian operations in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions.

Russian Telegram channels and residents of the town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk reported the drone strike, with videos circulating online showing flames near the airfield.

UGC Footage Of The Drone strike In Krasnodar Verified By RFE/RL

The head of the local district confirmed that air defense systems had been activated in response to drone activity.

At the same time, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight downed 28 Ukrainian drones -- 13 over the Sea of Azov, eight over the Rostov region, six over Krasnodar Krai, and one over Astrakhan.

In another incident, three people were allegedly killed by a Ukrainian drone strike inside Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram that the incident took place near the village of Logachyovka, which has been banned declared off-limits due to ongoing drone attack threat since late October 2022.

The Polish Prosecutor-General's Office has launched an investigation into Prime Minister Donald Tusk after the head of the country's Constitutional Tribunal accused him and other senior ruling party officials of operating as an “organized criminal group” in order to mount a “coup d’etat.”

The move comes after Bogdan Swieczkowski, the chief justice of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal and an ally of the Polish opposition party PiS, said he sent a document to prosecutors outlining moves by the government that disregard court rulings, while also alleging Tusk's government has “unlawfully taken over” public media.

Tusk, whose government has refused to recognize the Constitutional Tribunal that was created under the previous right-wing government, appeared to brush off the allegations, posting a video on social media showing him playing table tennis while claiming he has bigger concerns than the investigation.

"Relax. We have serious things to do now. We will get to it eventually," he said while playing table tennis.

The social media post also has a laughing emoji next to the phrase "coup d'etat."

SEE ALSO:

A Russian Airline Bomb Plot? What We Know About The Polish PM's Accusations

President Andrzej Duda, who was a candidate for PiS in the 2015 presidential election that brought him to power, blasted the government's actions as "blatant constitutional violations."

But he stopped short of endorsing the coup accusations.

Tusk was elected prime minister in December 2023 after his party, Civic Platform, formed a pro-European coalition government with 248 votes in parliament against 201 from the opposition.

The vote froze PiS out of power even though it had won elections earlier that year, taking just over 35 percent of the total vote.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has confirmed that he will take part next week in the Munich Security Conference but rejected a report that he will reveal the White House's peace proposal while in Germany.

Kellogg said he looks forward to speaking at the annual conference and discussing “Trump’s goal to end the bloody and costly war in Ukraine,” and that he also plans to “meet with America’s allies who are ready to work with us.”

Since Kellogg revealed that he will speak at the conference, which is scheduled to take place February 14-16, there has been speculation that he will unveil Trump’s plan to end the war. Bloomberg news on February 5 quoted unidentified sources as saying that Kellogg would present the plan during the conference.

Kellogg flatly rejected the report in an interview with the news outlet Newsmax, saying "No we're not."

"The person that's going to present the peace plan is the president of the United States, not Keith Kellogg. That (presenting the peace plan) is not going to happen next week at all."

In comments on February 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will lead Ukraine’s delegation at the conference, said he is certain that there is no official U.S. plan yet, suggesting that any formal plan should be coordinated with Kyiv.

"Maybe I'm mistaken... but I'm sure that what's in various publications...is not President Trump's official plan, because I'm sure that our teams are going to work together," Zelenskyy said. "There can be no separate plan from somebody, not even from the United States."

Zelenskyy added that even before Trump's inauguration on January 20, "we had the opportunity to listen to each other, to hear about visons [of peace] and about things that are priorities and things on which there can be no concessions from the Ukrainian people. That is, he knows [our] position."

Zelenskyy voiced confidence that Trump can pressure Putin into ending the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"Putin is afraid to speak with me about an end to the war. I don't know why. He is a grown man, but he's afraid to be left alone with me. I don't know. But nonetheless, I think that Trump will be able to force him to end the war."

Andriy Yermak, chief of Zelenskyy's office, said the Ukrainian delegation will present the country’s position on ending the war and their views on how “a long and lasting peace” can be achieved.

“It’s necessary that the leaders and the experts in politics who will be in Munich realize that this is momentum,” he told the AP. “That we are very near to really ending this war by a just and lasting peace, but (it’s) necessary to be together [and not give] Russia an opportunity to divide the world, to divide partners.”

Kellogg said last week that Trump has a “solid” strategy to end the war within months. The comment came amid behind-the-scenes talks and back-channel negotiations to find a way to bring the nearly 3-year-old Russian invasion to an end.

He and other officials have hinted at a plan to achieve what Trump allies call “peace through strength.” The plan includes potentially freezing the conflict and leaving Russian-occupied territories “in limbo.” It also includes providing security guarantees to Ukraine, but it is not specified what they would be.

The Kremlin announced on February 5 an increase in contacts with the United States regarding the push to seek a resolution of the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was ready to negotiate with Zelenskyy despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to hold talks with him because his term expired last year.

Ukraine has not been able to organize elections because it has been under martial law since the war started.

Kellogg said on February 5 on the conservative U.S. broadcaster Newsmax that Ukraine would reach a point when it would have to hold and election.

"The sign of a healthy democracy is the willingness and the ability to have an election, even in the time of war," he said.

According to Kellogg, the United States is considering the possibility of putting pressure not only on Moscow, but also on Kyiv to come to the table. He warned on February 2 that both sides will have to make concessions if they hope to negotiate a settlement to the war.

Zelenskyy "has already indicated he will soften his position on land," Kellogg said on February 1. "And Putin is going to have to soften his positions as well." Trump has insisted he wants to end the war quickly, and said he wants to meet Putin as soon possible.

Zelenskyy said on February 5 in his nightly video address that Ukraine had been "significantly intensifying" its contacts with the Trump administration, adding that it also has had "quite meaningful contacts with other partners."

Zelenskyy said in an interview published on YouTube on February 4 that he would agree to direct talks with Putin but the United States and European Union must take part.

"If people believe we must move to the diplomatic track, and I believe we are ready to move to the diplomatic track, there must be the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, and Russia."

Asked in the interview with British journalist Piers Morgan how he would feel sitting opposite Putin at a negotiating table, Zelenskyy said: “If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup."

He added: "I will not be kind to him, I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too."

The German government said on February 5 that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance would attend the Munich Security Conference. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced that Vance would attend. The conference confirmed that Vance would attend on X.

DUSHANBE -- The Tajik Supreme Court has delivered guilty verdicts in a controversial high-profile treason case, handing lengthy prison terms to former senior government officials and politicians who were accused of plotting to overthrow authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon.

After a monthslong trial that occurred behind closed doors inside a detention center known for its strict security measures, the court gave 27-year sentences to both Tajik Ex-Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and the leader of the opposition Democratic Party and ex-lawmaker Saidjafar Usmonzoda.

Shokirjon Hakimov, first deputy leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan; Ahmadshoh Komilzoda, a former deputy chairman of the Democratic Party; Akbarshoh Iskandarov, an ex-speaker of parliament; and Nuramin Ganizoda, a retired colonel from the State Committee for National Security, were all given 18 years in prison.

Abulfaiz Atoi, a former Foreign Ministry press secretary, received a 17-year prison term.

SEE ALSO:

Tajikistan's Secret Trial: A Plot To Seize Power Or A Government Fearful Of Being Overthrown?

The court also sentenced journalist Rukhshona Hakimova to eight years in prison. Authorities have not disclosed the specific nature of the reporter's alleged crime, citing state confidentiality. However, reports suggest that her prosecution on a treason charge was linked to an article she wrote about China’s influence in Tajikistan.

The defendants were denied public hearings, and their families were barred from attending the proceedings. Lawyers were also bound by nondisclosure agreements and independent media were denied access to the courtroom.

SEE ALSO:

'Real Journalism Is Dying' -- Tajikistan's War On Independent Media

Authorities cited national-security concerns as the reason for the secrecy.

Despite the clandestine nature of proceedings, however, sources close to the investigation told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that many of the accused rejected the charges made by the Prosecutor-General's Office.

Iskandarov and Komilzoda, for instance, stated that their convictions were based on insufficient evidence, according to the sources.

During earlier hearings in December 2024, several defendants also reportedly denied all the allegations and complained of being coerced by investigators.

SEE ALSO:

Tajikistan Increases Pressure On Opposition At Home, Abroad

With few details about the trial emerging, the lack of transparency has fueled speculation that it was politically motivated.

Authorities have framed the case as an attempt to prevent an overthrow of the government, but human rights activists and international observers have said the trial is part of a broader crackdown on dissent.

With Tajikistan’s judicial system largely under the government's control, it's likely that any appeals lodged against the sentences will have little impact.

Rahmon, who has run Tajikistan with an iron fist for more than three decades, has been criticized by international human rights groups over his regime's stifling of political pluralism, independent media, religious freedoms, and civil society.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and said Washington will not renew funding for the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees.

Trump signed an executive order on February 4 just before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country has long accused both UNHRC and the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) of bias against Israel and antisemitism.

The executive order said the United States helped found the United Nations after World War II to prevent future global conflicts and promote international peace and security. But some UN agencies “have drifted from this mission and instead act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism,” it said.

UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated as foreign terrorist organizations, according to the order, while UNHRC has protected human rights abusers by allowing them to use the organization to shield themselves from scrutiny.

The executive order also said the United States would review involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The executive order said UNESCO has demonstrated failure to reform itself, continually demonstrated anti-Israel sentiment over the past decade, and failed to address concerns over mounting debts.

SEE ALSO:

Israel's Ban On UN Agency 'Beyond Catastrophic' For Palestinians

The order also set up a broad review of U.S. funding for multilateral organizations to be completed within 180 days. The review is to determine in part which organizations, conventions, and treaties “are contrary to the interests of the United States" and whether they can be reformed.

Trump also pulled the United States out of the Human Rights Council during his first term in office. The U.S. ambassador to the UN at the time, Nikki Haley, accused the council of “chronic bias against Israel” and pointed to what she said were human rights abusers among its members.

President Joe Biden renewed support for the 47-member UNHRC, but announced in September that the United States would not seek a second consecutive term.

The council's activities include reviews of countries' human rights records and specific allegations of rights abuses.

UNRWA is currently providing humanitarian assistance to many of the 1.9 million people displaced by the war in Gaza who depend on its deliveries for survival.

U.S. funding of UNRWA was halted in January 2024 by Biden after Israel accused 12 of its employees of involvement in Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack.

A series of probes found some "neutrality related issues" at UNRWA, but no evidence for Israel's chief allegations, and most other donors that had similarly suspended funding resumed their financial support.

Trump said based on the UN's “great potential” the United States would “continue to go along with it,” but added that the primary purpose of the United Nations should be settling conflicts.

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Guterres has worked tirelessly to implement many reforms and increase efficiency and innovation.

Stephane Dujarric added that U.S. support for the United Nations has saved countless lives and advanced global security.

"The secretary-general looks forward to continuing his productive relationship with President Trump and the U.S. government to strengthen that relationship in today’s turbulent world," Dujarric said.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a proposal on February 4 under which displaced Palestinians would leave the Gaza Strip, allowing the United States to take ownership of the coastal territory and develop it economically into a “phenomenal” place where many nationalities could live in peace.

Trump said this would occur after the resettlement of the Palestinian people to other countries to get them out of what he said was a “hell hole” of demolished buildings following more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

Trump made the surprise proposal at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying such a drastic move is necessary because other ideas to end decades of conflict between the Palestinian people and Israelis have not worked.

His proposal on the Gaza Strip would see the United States taking it over and would appear to upend years of U.S. policy calling for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump said the United States would work to dismantle all unexploded bombs and other weapons in the territory and clear away destroyed buildings before economically developing the area.

"If it's necessary, we'll do that, we're going to take over that piece, we're going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it'll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of," Trump added.

SEE ALSO:

As Netanyahu Visits The White House, Could Trump's Gaza Plan Happen?

The president did not immediately offer details on where the Palestinians would be resettled, but said he would support resettling them "permanently" in other countries. Earlier in the day he repeated his call for Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab states to take in Gazans. Hamas has adamantly insisted it wants to remain in Gaza.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Trump may have floated this idea to raise the stakes after Arab countries refused his request to take in Palestinians.

"Now, he’s cranking up the pressure: If you won't take them, we’ll remove them ourselves and take control of Gaza," Dubowitz said on X. "Classic Trump: Go to the extreme, making what once seemed outrageous suddenly look like the reasonable middle ground."

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement that its call for an independent Palestinian state was a "firm, steadfast, and unwavering position."

The statement noted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler, has said Saudi Arabia will not stop working toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Trump said he had discussed his proposal with Netanyahu during their meeting at the White House. He also said he had raised it with other leaders of countries in the Middle East and claimed it had been met favorably.

Netanyahu said Trump sees a different future for the Gaza Strip, which he said has been the source of so many "trials and tribulations" for the Israeli people.

"He has a different idea," Netanyahu said. "It's something that could change history and it's worthwhile really pursuing this avenue.”

Just two weeks into his second term, Trump was hosting Netanyahu to discuss the future of the Gaza cease-fire, the release of hostages, and a renewed push for a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order on February 4 to restore his "maximum economic pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program.

Ahead of a meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump signed a presidential memorandum reinstating a policy that Trump imposed during his first administration.

Trump's memo orders the U.S. Treasury Department to impose "maximum economic pressure" on Iran through sanctions and enforcement mechanisms on individuals and entities that violate existing sanctions.

It also directs the Treasury and State departments to implement a campaign aimed at "driving Iran's oil exports to zero."

U.S. sanctions on Iran's energy sector have been in place since 2018, when Trump during his first term in office withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Iranian oil sales plummeted as a result.

But in recent years, a combination of Iran mastering sanctions-evading tactics and Washington's reluctance under the Biden administration to strictly enforce the sanctions led to Iran increasing its exports.

"I would expect tougher U.S. action against countries involved in the movement, or where tankers engage in ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude," said Gregory Brew, an Iran and energy analyst at the U.S.-based Eurasia Group.

The rise in Iran's oil sale is in part due to China's appetite for Iranian oil. Tehran offers Beijing a steep discount to take its sanctioned oil, making it worthwhile for China to take on the risk of bypassing U.S. sanctions.

"On paper, China doesn't take any Iranian oil, it's always camouflaged in China's customs data as Malaysian or [Emirati] crude oil," said Brew.

"But China is likely to respond negatively to any sanctions that touch its own banks, refiners, or ports. If the sanctions are limited to tankers or intermediaries, I doubt we'll see much of a reaction from Beijing."

As he signed the memo, Trump described it as very tough but also said he was open to a deal with Iran and expressed a willingness to talk to the Iranian leadership.

"With me, it's very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. Asked how close Tehran is to a weapon, Trump said, "They're too close."

SEE ALSO:

The Farda Briefing: Iran Wants To Negotiate With U.S., But What Will It Concede?

Aside from abrogating the nuclear deal, Trump in his first term ordered the killing of one of Iran's top generals in 2020, for which Iran has vowed vengeance.

After signing the memo, Trump commented on Iranian threats against him that were revealed by the Justice Department last year during the U.S. presidential campaign. Trump said there would be a drastic response if he were assassinated.

"I’ve left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left,” he said.

Vice President J.D. Vance would become president if Trump died, and he would not necessarily be bound by any instructions left by Trump.

Later on February 4, during a joint news conference with Netanyahu, Trump said he wanted Iran to be peaceful and successful, praising Iranians as an “unbelievable group of people.”

He said he hated imposing the maximum pressure campaign during his first term in office and “hate to do it just as much now.”

But he reiterated his staunch opposition to Tehran developing a nuclear weapon and said if Iran becomes a nuclear-armed nation, that would be “very unfortunate” for them.

"I say this to Iran, who's listening very intently: I would love to be able to make a great deal. A deal where you can get on with your lives," Trump said at the news conference.

The president said Iran would find it very beneficial if it can convince him that they won’t develop a nuclear weapon, saying if that were the case, “I think they are going to have an unbelievable future.”

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week appeared to green-light talks with Trump's administration in the hopes of lifting sanctions. Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier appealed to Trump to "choose rationality" and resume nuclear negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would agree to direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end almost three years of war, but he would do so if that is the only way to bring peace to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also warned against lifting sanctions against Russia and raised the question of whether nuclear weapons would be the answer to Ukraine's need for security guarantees. The Ukrainian president made the comments in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan posted on February 4 on YouTube.

On holding talks to end the war, Zelenskyy said: "If people believe we must move to the diplomatic track, and I believe we are ready to move to the diplomatic track, there must be the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, and Russia."

Asked how he would feel sitting opposite Putin at a negotiating table, Zelenskyy said: “If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup."

He added: "I will not be kind to him, I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too."

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Call For Elections In Ukraine: A Step Toward Peace Or A Gift To Putin?  

The interview comes as U.S. President Donald Trump -- who has pledged to end the war -- pushes for a solution to end the fighting. Trump has said he is ready to talk with Putin about a cease-fire in Ukraine, while Putin has said he is open to discussions with Trump on issues such as the Ukraine war and energy prices, but ruled out speaking directly to Zelenskyy.

Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, on February 2 warned both sides will have to make concessions if they hope to negotiate a settlement to the war.

Zelenskyy "has already indicated he will soften his position on land," Kellogg said. "And Putin is going to have to soften his positions as well."

In the interview released on February 4, the Ukrainian president also said that offering Russia any respite from sanctions would increase the risk of a second invasion.

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Peace Will Take 'Hundreds Of Years,' Say Ukrainians Near Russian Border

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His comments on Ukraine having nuclear weapons arose in response to a question about security guarantees. He said if Ukraine's accession to NATO drags on for years or decades, allowing Ukraine to have nuclear weapons could be a sufficient guarantee of security to deter Putin from another attack.

Zelenskyy reiterated that a roadmap for Ukraine to join NATO is still Kyiv's favored way to end the fighting and get security guarantees. But he said it was “absolutely fair” to raise a question about nuclear missiles.

“Will they give us missiles in such quantity that we can stop Russia? I am not sure about this, but I think it would help. Otherwise, what missiles can stop Russia's nuclear missiles?” he said.

Kyiv has struggled on the battlefield to hold back Russian forces, and Zelenskyy conceded in the interview that Ukraine is unlikely to recapture some of the territory it lost to Russia.

"Regrettably, the support that is provided by our partners is insufficient to push Putin fully out of our territories," he said.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Russian forces have launched a deadly missile strike on the eastern frontline city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, killing at least five and injuring dozens, the head of the regional military administration said.

"Enemy strike on Izyum. According to preliminary data, the occupiers used a ballistic missile," Oleh Synyehubov wrote on Telegram. He initially said that four civilians had been killed, but later updated the death toll to five.

According to Synyehubov, Russian forces struck the central part of the strategically important city, which links up key road networks and supply routes.

Initially, 17 people were reported injured, five of whom were hospitalized. The number of injured has now increased to 38 people, including one 15-year-old girl.

According to preliminary data, Russia used ballistic missiles in the attack.

Local authorities reported that the strike hit an administrative building and damaged another administrative facility nearby, as well as multistory residential buildings. The regional military administration said there are no military facilities in this area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said rescue operations are still ongoing at the site of the incident and offered condolences to the families of the dead.

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Pregnant Woman Among 5 Killed In Russian Missile Strike On Izyum, Ukraine

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"Such brutality is intolerable," he said on Telegram. "We must put pressure on Russia by using every available means -- military force, sanctions, and diplomatic efforts -- to stop this terror and protect lives."

The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian regions, causing widespread destruction in civilian areas with drones, rockets, artillery, and various types of bombs.

The Kremlin has denied it targets civilian areas despite evidence of such attacks.

Within minutes of U.S. tariffs taking effect, China responded with measures of its own on American imports, opening a new chapter in trade tensions between the two countries.

The rapid-fire response from Beijing was announced after Trump's 10 percent tariff across all Chinese imports came into effect on February 4. The Chinese tariffs will impose 15 percent levies on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as 10 percent tariffs for crude oil, farm equipment, and some cars. China's Finance Ministry said that the measures will start on February 10.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Tariffs On Canada, Mexico Suspended For 30 Days

China's Commerce Ministry and its Customs Administration also announced separate moves that impose export controls on critical minerals tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, and molybdenum based on national security grounds. Beijing also announced an antitrust probe into Google.

The tit-for-tat tariffs mark a renewal of the trade war waged by Beijing and Washington during U.S. President Donald Trump's first term in office.

During the first trade war, Trump deployed tariffs to try to get China to bend on trade issues and China replied with tariffs of its own. U.S. tariff rates on Chinese goods rose sixfold to 19 percent, while Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods nearly tripled to 21 percent, shaking markets as the world's two largest economies ramped up economic tensions.

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Washington says the current U.S. tariffs were levied on China for not halting the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. When the measures were first announced on February 2, Beijing said that it would file a legal case against the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and “take corresponding countermeasures,” without elaborating further.

China is the main source of the supply of many leading critical minerals and many of those banned for export in the new Chinese measures are used in the production of electronics and high-tech devices.

The exchange of tariffs between Beijing and Washington comes after Trump suspended his threat of 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Those agreements were reached on February 3 and include a 30-day pause in return for concessions on border and crime enforcement with the two neighboring countries.

No such agreement was reached with Xi, and the White House said that Trump does not plan to speak with the Chinese leader until later this week.

Democratic members of Congress have challenged the Trump administration's apparent attempt to fold the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the State Department, a move that calls into question funding for aid programs around the world, including billions of dollars in development aid to Ukraine.

The lawmakers gathered outside the main office of the USAID in downtown Washington on February 3 to criticize what they called an “illegal maneuver” by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has been tasked by President Donald Trump with downsizing the government.

The Democratic lawmakers held the gathering as a protest after reports that agency employees had been told not to report to work on February 3 and subsequently were locked out of their government e-mail and other accounts as a gutting of the agency appeared to be under way.

“We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” Musk said on X on February 3.

The lawmakers who spoke outside the agency’s main office in Washington defended the work of the USAID and said the actions interfered with congressional power.

“We don’t have a fourth branch of government called Elon Musk. And that’s going to become real clear,” said Representative Jamie Raskin (Democrat-Maryland).

He added that he didn’t know what Musk’s motivations were, “but they’ve got nothing to do with what has been lawfully adopted by the people of the United States of America through the Congress of the United States. We’re going to defend USAID all the way.”

Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat-Connecticut) said the move created a constitutional crisis and vowed to fight it.

“The people get to decide how their taxpayer money is spent. Elon Musk does not get to decide,” he said, also speaking alongside Raskin at the USAID building.

Murphy called the move an attempt to “turn this government over to a handful of unelected billionaires and corporate interests, and we are not going to let them do that.”

USAID is an independent government agency established by Congress in 1961 and has a workforce of approximately 10,000 people around the world. It is the U.S. government’s main international aid arm and receives tens of billions of dollars from Congress annually to fund programs in some of the world's poorest countries.

These include anti-poverty programs, health programs, disaster relief, and programs to promote democracy and defend human rights.

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A recent report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said USAID in fiscal year 2023 managed more than $40 billion in combined appropriations to support projects in around 130 countries. The top three recipients of aid were Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Jordan. Afghanistan is also one of the top 10 recipients of USAID funding.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is the acting director of USAID but said he has delegated that authority so he would not be running its day-to-day operations. He informed Congress of the reorganization of the agency in a letter, saying some parts of USAID might be absorbed by the State Department and the remainder may be abolished.

The move is “not about ending the programs that USAID does,” but about taking policy direction from the State Department, Rubio said.

Speaking in El Salvador during a visit to South America, Rubio said he has been frustrated with USAID for years by what he said was the agency’s refusal to respond to State Department policy directives. The agency “has to be aligned with American foreign policy,” he said.

Rubio stressed that the money that USAID receives are taxpayer dollars, but the agency has become a “global charity separate from the national interest.”

In an interview with Fox News later on February 3, he said: “I think we’re going to be the most generous nation on Earth in a way that makes sense, that’s in our national interest.” The State Department posted a transcript of the interview at its website.

Members of Congress took aim at Musk, the world's richest man, when news broke early on February 3 that employees had been sent e-mails on February 2 telling them not to report to work the next day.

Senator Patty Murray (Democrat-Washington) accused Musk of taking the actions against USAID while SpaceX stands to make millions of dollars in profit from government contracts with the Pentagon.

Murray told a news conference at the Capitol that the freeze of already approved funds for USAID is putting “trust at the lowest level” seen in a lifetime and asked what funds would be seized next.

But the White House was adamant that the agency must be reformed, publishing a statement highlighting the "waste and abuse" it said existed at USAID, including $1.5 million to "advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities."

It also singled out funding for the production of a “transgender opera" in Colombia, a “transgender comic book” in Peru, and for “sex changes and LGBT activism” in Guatemala.

“The list literally goes on and on -- and it has all been happening for decades,” the statement said. “Under President Trump, the waste, fraud, and abuse ENDS NOW.”

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

A British court has sentenced former soldier Daniel Khalife to 14 years and three months in prison for spying for Iran and escaping prison.

Khalife, whose prison break in 2023 made international headlines, was found guilty of spying for Tehran last November.

The judge, Parmjit Kaur Cheema-Grubb, described Khalife during his sentencing on February 3 as a "dangerous fool" who was initially driven by "a selfish desire to show off" rather than intending to harm the interests of the United Kingdom.

"The mere fact you started on this dangerous and fantastical plan demonstrates your immaturity and lack of wisdom," Cheema-Grubb said.

London-born Khalife, 23, joined the British Army in 2017, and it was not long before he started collecting sensitive information and sharing it with Iranian agents. He was paid in cash and insisted to his handlers that he would rise through the army ranks "very easily."

Khalife escaped from London’s Wandsworth Prison in September 2023 while awaiting trial and spent three days on the run, sparking a massive manhunt.

With reporting by the BBC