The United Arab Emirates will lift a ban on its citizens travelling to Lebanon that was imposed during a diplomatic row in 2021, according to a joint statement on Thursday. In 2021, the UAE imposed a travel ban on its citizens and withdrew diplomats from Beirut in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after a Lebanese minister criticised the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen.
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White it's not know what access DOGE has and to what extent, Donald Trump asserted that DOGE will not touch Social Security. "Social Security will not be touched, it will only be strengthened," Trump recently said adding that he would "weed out" undocumented people from the benefits. “We have illegal immigrants on Social Security and we’re going to find out who they are and take them off… we’re not going to stand for that.â€
US President Donald Trump will visit Los Angeles to inspect wildfire damage, continuing his disagreement with California Governor Gavin Newsom over disaster management and federal aid policies. Trump criticized the state's water management policies, while California officials defended their practices and cited different causes for water issues during fires.
Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, launching 43 missiles and 74 drones targeting western Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy condemned the strikes and called for more international security assistance. Meanwhile, Russian forces reportedly captured a village in the Donetsk region amid ongoing conflict.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create the United States' first sovereign wealth fund, which could be used to purchase TikTok. This fund aims to monetize American assets for public investment. Trump's decision follows his previous election promise to fund major national projects. TikTok was briefly taken down as the law requires its Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell it to an American owner or face a ban.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit Washington to finalize a significant economic partnership with the US, focusing on Ukraine's rare earth minerals sector. The deal comes amid Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy and pressure for Ukraine to allocate future revenue to the US.
President Biden commuted the sentence of Rita Crundwell, who embezzled $54 million from the town of Dixon, Illinois. Crundwell, originally sentenced to nearly 20 years, was released to house arrest in 2021 and is now free. Dixon officials expressed outrage at the clemency, calling it a travesty of justice.
The Senate advanced Pete Hegseth's nomination for Defense Secretary with 51 Republican votes despite opposition from GOP senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. Murkowski cited concerns over Hegseth's leadership preparedness and past misconduct. The final confirmation vote could occur soon. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer questioned Hegseth's reliability in crises.
Russian special forces infiltrated a gas pipeline to launch a surprise attack on Ukrainian units in the Kursk region. The operation is part of Moscow's efforts to reclaim areas taken by Ukraine's earlier offensive. Fierce fighting continues, with heavy losses reported on both sides.
Haley Stevens, a US Representative, has announced her candidacy for Michigan's open US Senate seat, emphasizing the economic challenges stemming from President Trump's tariff policies. Stevens aims to protect Michigan's auto industry, criticizing Trump's "chaos and reckless tariffs" that she believes jeopardize thousands of jobs. She joins a competitive race with other prominent Democrats and Republicans vying for the seat.
Lights flickered back to life in Spain and Portugal early Tuesday after a massive blackout hit the Iberian peninsula stranding passengers in trains and hundreds of elevators while millions saw phone and internet coverage die. Trains were halted across the country and late Monday, the transport minister said there were still 11 trains with stranded passengers who needed help.