Israel orders its military to prepare plan for Palestinians to voluntarily leave Gaza
It comes after President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. may "take over" the enclave and "develop" it, sparking outrage among Palestinians and across the Middle East.
Trump's plans for a 'Riviera of the Middle East' in Gaza condemned
LONDON — President Donald Trump’s unprecedented announcement that he was planning to seize control of the Gaza Strip and oust 2.2 million Palestinians, temporarily at least, has provoked shock and disbelief around the world, with some officials and analysts saying it would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Many wonder whether it’s even practically possible, instead suggesting it might be more a diplomatic gambit or a distraction technique rather than an actual policy plan.
U.S. lawmakers move to ban China's DeepSeek from government devices
A bipartisan congressional bill is being introduced to ban China's DeepSeek artificial intelligence software from government devices. U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are introducing the legislation on national security grounds, saying the company's technology presents an espionage risk.
Year of the Snake comes with a bite for Chinese consumers facing an economic slowdown
For people in China facing an economic slowdown, every yuan counts these days. During the last Lunar New Year holiday, construction worker Huang Peng took a high-speed train to his hometown in Heilongjiang Province, traveling more than 500 miles in about six hours. This year he took a slow train instead, paying 160 yuan ($22) to sit upright for 18 hours. For Huang, that was a far more affordable option than the high-speed train ($92) or even a bed on the slow train ($40).
Trump is talking tougher toward Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine
The bromance between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has noticeably fizzled in the new term, though Trump has yet to reveal the extent to which he’ll pressure Russia to end its grinding war with Ukraine. Since taking office, Trump has dropped talk of Putin’s strategic "genius" and “savvy.” In a conspicuous rhetorical shift, Trump has instead been warning that the Russian president he once called "very smart" is leading his country to ruin by prolonging the war.
Postal Service to resume accepting China shipments
The Postal Service's move to stop accepting packages had come in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to impose a new round of 10% tariffs on all goods coming from China.
USPS temporarily suspends some inbound packages from China and Hong Kong
The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it’s temporarily suspending all inbound packages from China and Hong Kong Posts. The change is effective immediately and will remain “until further notice,” according to an alert posted to the agency’s website. Letters and large envelopes, referred to as “flats,” sent from China and Hong Kong won’t be impacted, the USPS said.
The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a city in Congo declare a unilateral ceasefire
The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s key city of Goma announced a unilateral ceasefire in the region Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The M23 rebels said the ceasefire would start Tuesday. The announcement came shortly after the U.N. health agency said at least 900 people were killed in last week’s fighting in Goma between the rebels and Congolese forces.
Trump says he will continue funding Ukraine's war effort — but he wants something rare in return
President Donald Trump says he wants access to Ukraine’s bonanza of rare earth and critical minerals in exchange for the billions of dollars in military aid Washington has been supplying to Kyiv. It’s an idea previously suggested by Republican senators and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who sought to appeal to Trump’s dealmaker persona as a way of keeping alive Washington’s support of Kyiv.
China hits back at Trump with new tariffs on U.S. products
China retaliated immediately Tuesday as a 10% U.S. tariff on all Chinese goods went into effect, announcing a series of measures including its own levies of 10% to 15% on some U.S. products. Starting Feb. 10, China will impose an additional tariff of 15% on coal and liquefied natural gas and a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement automobiles and pickup trucks, the government said.