US Air Force'S F-22 Raptor fighter jets have arrived at Kadena Air Base, the American air base in Japan, marking the latest fighter rotation supporting operations across the Indo-Pacific region. While deployed to the Keystone of the Pacific, the F-22s will operate alongside heavy, reconnaissance, and fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft assigned to the Air Force's 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, s
A U.S.-led resolution to defend freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is set to be introduced for voting in UN Security Councilin the coming days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that at President Donald Trump's direction, the United States, alongside its Gulf partners Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar, drafted the resolution. The draft res
President Donald Trump says he is suspending 'Project Freedom," an operation he announced to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in diplomatic talks with Iran to end the Middle East war. However, in announcing the pause on social media, Trump vowed to maintain the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. He did not give any detail to substantiate his claims of progress in pe
The European Union and Armenia held their first ever Summit in Yerevan, reinforcing cooperation in the areas of connectivity, security and defense, economic development and people-to-people contacts. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "This first EU-Armenia Summit elevates our...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Pope Leo this week. Announcing his visit, the State Department said Rubio will travel to Rome for a three-day tour beginning Wednesday to advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican. Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere, it added.
Ukraine carried out multiple counter attacks on Russian targets Sunday after deadly Russian air raids on Ukrainian cities. At least 10 people were reportedly killed and dozens of others injured in Russian drone and missile attacks in Kherson, Odesa, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy at the weekend. A high-rise residential complex in Moscow was hit in a rare overnight Ukrainian drone attack in the h
Iran has warned of serious consequences to US military's plan to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Major General Ali Abdollahi, the head of Iran's central command, warned, "Any foreign armed force, especially, the aggressive US army," which tries to enter the Strait, will be attacked. "Any American interference" in the vital trade route would be "considered a violation of the c
The Department of State has announced it will provide up to $100 million in foreign assistance funding toward coordinated G7 efforts to ensure the continued containment of fissile nuclear material at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. For three decades, the United States and G7 partners have led efforts to secure nuclear material at the Chernobyl plant, with the United States providi
The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on 35 entities and individuals that oversee Iran's shadow banking architecture, facilitating the movement of the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars tied to sanctions evasion and Iran's sponsorship of terrorism. These networks allow Iran's armed forces—including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—to access the international financial syst
Rising oil prices linked to the Middle East crisis are driving up the cost of plastics, with impacts spreading across global supply chains. According to UN trade and development body, UNCTAD, the price of key materials such as polyethylene has surged sharply in recent weeks, reflecting the steep rise in crude oil prices. When oil prices surge, the impact goes far beyond fuel. It runs through glo
With top diplomats gathered at UN Headquarters to review the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the UN Secretary-General warned that it must evolve to survive the age of AI and other new technologies. For the first time in decades, the number of nuclear warheads is on the rise. Nuclear testing is back on the table and global military spending jumped to $2.7 trillion in 2025.
European Institutions have agreed on a Roadmap to achieve "One Europe, one Market" by the end of 2027. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, as the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed the "One Europe, One Market Roadmap On the sidelines of the Informal meeting of Hea
The U.S. Government has imposed sanctions on a Cambodian senator who controls scam compounds throughout the country, as well as 28 individuals and entities in his network, for defrauding Americans. The U.S. Department of the Treasury said Southeast Asian scam operators within this network have stolen...
The Justice Department has announced $300 million in funding to prevent and prosecute fraud and other crimes nationwide. The new Special Attorneys Program notice of funding opportunity will support state, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecuting agencies in designating qualified prosecutors to serve as Special Attorneys within the Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division or Criminal Di
With no progress in sight in easing tensions in the Middle East crisis, and the Strait of Hormuz continues to remain blocked, oil prices again crossed the $100 mark, rising for the fourth consecutive session. Brent crude is inching towards $104 per barrel on Thursday, increasing by 1.87 percent, while the US-traded WTI rose above $94. Even as President Donald Trump announced that he would extend
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.