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Hong Kong  —  US President Donald Trump’s request to delay a high-stakes summit with China’s leader Xi Jinping could work in Beijing’s favor, according to several Chinese sources familiar with the matter, potentially allowing both parties to sidestep complications related to the US’ war with Iran – China’s most important strategic partner in the Middle East. And if Trump loses his grip on the conflict that’s already threatening oil supplies and global economic growth, it could strengthen China’s hand in talks – if they go ahead at all –– according to experts. Beijing never formally confirmed the highly anticipated visit, and has yet to provide an official response to the proposed “5 - to-6 week” delay. Trump said this week that “China is fine with” delaying the meeting that, according to the White House, had previously been scheduled for March 31 to April 2. Beijing has remained vague on the delay – possibly giving itself more room to maneuver – but its tone remain...

The agreement signed by the Nigerian government and the UK Home Office on Thursday allows deported Nigerians to re-enter the UK in the future, according to Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior. It also said the agreement ensures the deportees are treated with dignity and that their rights are preserved under the Nigerian law. “The deal guarantees that returnees will be treated with dignity, rights retention under domestic law, and may re-enter in the future if they meet the applicable immigration requirements,” the ministry said in a statement. The agreement means that the Nigerian government will now recognise UK letters – an identification document issued to individuals without a valid passport – so people will no longer have to wait for emergency travel documents to be issued before they can be returned. Thousands of Nigerians live and work legally in the UK. However, many also overstay their visas and are thus considered to be in the UK illegally. Some have also b...

Switzerland has said ⁠it will not issue licences for companies to export weapons to the United States due to ⁠the ongoing war on Iran,  citing the country’s longstanding principle of neutrality. “The export of war materiel to countries involved ⁠in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict,” the government said in a statement on Friday. “Exports of war materiel to the USA ‌cannot currently be authorised,” it added. The announcement comes as the US-Israeli war on Iran nears the three-week mark, spurring a deepening humanitarian crisis across the wider Middle East and sending global energy prices soaring . It also follows a decision by the Swiss government to close its airspace to US military flights directly linked to the Iran war. Last weekend, it said it had rejected two US flyover requests on Iran-related war flights but permitted three others, also citing Switzerland’s neutrality law A  Swiss federal ac...

Beirut  —  The prime minister of Lebanon made an urgent appeal Thursday to President Donald Trump to intervene in the cause of peace, calling for an immediate ceasefire and direct talks with Israel. Nawaf Salam told CNN in an exclusive interview that he sought a ceasefire “yesterday, not tomorrow,” as the death toll from Israel’s onslaught against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reached 1,000. More than 100 of the dead are children, according to Lebanese officials. Asked what his message for Trump would be, Salam said: “To help put an end to the Lebanese conflict. I would like to reaffirm to President Trump our readiness to enter into immediate negotiations.” He called the US a “strategic partner” and said Trump “more than anyone else” could “play a decisive role” in ending the war. “So we call on a greater engagement of the US. I mean direct contact. We are ready for negotiations with Israel,” the prime minister said. The prospect of a negotiated end to the ...

The US is weighing lifting sanctions on some Iranian oil, as it scrambles to contain the impact of its war in Iran on energy markets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent put forward the idea in a Fox interview, saying it could make more oil available to global buyers. Around the world, energy prices are shooting up as the war takes a toll on shipping and production. If put into action, the move would mark a stunning reversal of longstanding American policy - and one with highly uncertain pay-off. Experts said it was likely to have a limited effect on prices, and could boost funds going to the Iranian regime that the US is attacking. "To put it mildly, this is bananas," said David Tannenbaum, director of Blackstone Compliance Services, a consultancy specialising in maritime sanctions. "Essentially we're allowing Iran to sell oil, which could then be used to fund the war effort." Before the war, China was the primary buyer of the oil coming out of Iran, s...

A key moment of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's official visit to the US was President Donald Trump's comment on a piece of shared history - Pearl Harbor. Asked by a Japanese journalist why the US had not warned its allies it was going to strike Iran on 28 February, Trump referenced the 1941 Japanese attack on US soil. "Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?," Trump said as the prime minister appeared to be opening her eyes wide and taking a deep breath. The Pearl Harbor attack led to the US joining World War Two, and the US later dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. The countries became close allies in later years after the war ended. Trump's remark appeared to draw some laughter from journalists and others present in the room in the White House, while Takaichi's reaction seemed to reflect some of the unease that surrounds the issue. Mineko Tokito, a senior reporter from Japanese newspaper...

KYIV, March 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine has deployed specialist teams to five Middle Eastern countries to ​help intercept drones and advise on air-defence measures, with officials saying they expect to conclude several significant agreements. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ‌teams had been sent to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, states that have come under fire during the Iran war .  He said that local air defence units were dealing with ballistic missiles, while Ukrainian specialists were focused on the waves of Iran's Shahed drones. "I believe no one has experience comparable to ours," Zelenskiy told journalists ​in audio messages on a WhatsApp chat, adding that 228 Ukrainian specialists were now in the region. "We are working with the Middle ​East – with leaders, at the technical level, and with ministries of defence. In general, we are preparing serious arrangements and ⁠agreements," he said. His security council ...

US President Donald Trump has said he believes that Vladimir Putin and Russia are helping Iran "a bit" amid the conflict with the US and Israel. In an interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged that the US also helps Ukrainian forces as they battle with Russian forces. According to some US media reports, Russia has been sharing the location of US military forces with Iran that could help guide missile and drone attacks across the Middle East. On Thursday, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said that Russia's government had assured the Trump administration that it was not providing intelligence to the Iranian government in Tehran. Asked by Fox about the potential of Russian intelligence being shared with Iran, Trump said that "I think he [Putin] may be helping them a bit, yeah". "He probably thinks we're helping Ukraine," Trump added. "They do it, and we do it." Citing US officials and a former Russian intellig...

The White House is seeking $200bn (£150bn) more in funding for the war in Iran, with President Donald Trump saying on Thursday its decision to ask Congress for the additional funds was based on a variety of factors. Earlier, a Trump administration official told the BBC that the defence department had asked the White House to approve the request. Asked about the funding on Thursday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the number, but told reporters: "It takes money to kill bad guys". Later, at a White House event, Trump was asked why so much money was needed given that he has said "Operation Epic Fury" would end soon, and he said it was a "very volatile war". He then said said the administration "was asking for a lot of reasons" including for military equipment. "We are being very judicious," he said. "We want to have vasts amounts of ammunition, but it was taken down by giving so much to Ukraine,...

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu  on Tuesday departed Abuja for a historic two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, where several key agreements and memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed to deepen bilateral cooperation. The President left the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 10 am, accompanied by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The visit follows an invitation by the British monarch,  King Charles III , who will host the Nigerian leader and his wife at Windsor Castle. President Tinubu was seen off at the airport by senior government officials and security chiefs, including the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila ; and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, among others. The visit is expected to culminate in the signing of a number of agreements and memoranda covering critical sectors, including trade and investment, energy tran...

Iran are not in a position to participate in the 2026 World Cup, says the country's Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali. The team are scheduled to play three group matches in the tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico and gets under way on 11 June. Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June. But their participation has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and other nations which host US military bases. Earlier on Wednesday, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said US President Donald Trump had told him Iran are "welcome to compete"  at this summer's finals. But in an interview with the IRIB Sports Network on Tuesday, Donyamali said: "Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our lead...

FIFA has cut over $100 million from its operating budget for this summer’s World Cup in North America, with multiple departments at the organization’s U.S. headquarters in Miami asked to make “efficiencies”. In an interview with CNBC in February , FIFA president Gianni Infantino said FIFA is projecting revenues in excess of $11 billion from the World Cup, which will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July. In FIFA’s 2024 annual report, it laid out a projected budget for the 2023-26 cycle, which forecast operational expenses of the World Cup at $1.12bn and an entire budget, including prize money and TV operations, of $3.756bn. The $1.12bn for operational expenses included $280m set aside for “technical services,” $159m on “event transport,” $145m on “safety and security,” and $79m on “guest management.” However, according to four different people, all of whom wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak publicly, FIFA’s sta...