US affirms commitment to bring home Americans held abroad

STATE DEPARTMENT — The U.S. State Department held a flag-raising ceremony on Thursday for hostages and wrongful detainees, reaffirming the U.S. government’s commitment to securing the return of American citizens and lawful permanent residents detained abroad. “Our policies are 100% focused on returning people home,” said Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for hostages. He…

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Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 jobs at Veterans Affairs, memo says

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care and other services for millions of veterans, according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top-level officials at the agency…

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France provides military intelligence to Ukraine as US steps back

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Thursday that France is sharing intelligence with Ukraine, a move that followed the United States saying it was cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. The move comes as European Union leaders gathered Thursday in Brussels, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for a summit to discuss boosting defense spending and…

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US indicts 12 Chinese nationals in hacking-for-hire scheme

The U.S. Justice Department announced indictments Wednesday against 12 Chinese nationals accused in a global hacking campaign targeting U.S.-based dissidents, news organizations, government agencies and a large religious organization.  According to court documents, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of State Security used a network of private companies and hackers-for-hire to steal information and…

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White House confirms talks with Hamas continuing amid ceasefire uncertainty 

WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that U.S. officials have had “ongoing talks and discussions” with representatives of U.S.-designated terror group Hamas.  Confirmation of the talks in Doha, Qatar, come as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains in the balance. Leavitt declined to provide details on the substance of the talks.  “Look, dialogue and…

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US-Pakistan operation to capture ‘top terrorist’ signals deep counterterrorism cooperation despite cold ties, experts say   

ISLAMABAD  — The U.S. Justice Department plans Wednesday to present in a federal court in Virginia the alleged mastermind of the August 2021 bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The justice department said Islamic State Khorasan operative Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” was charged on March 2 with “providing and conspiring to provide…

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Powerful US storms kill 2 and bring threats from critical fire weather to blizzard conditions

NEW ORLEANS — Powerful storms killed two people in Mississippi, tore the roofs off an apartment building and a nursing home in a small town in Oklahoma and threatened more communities across the nation Tuesday with wide-ranging weather. The large storm system also brought blinding dust storms to the Southwest, blizzards with whiteout conditions to the…

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In speech to Congress Trump lauds administration’s early steps amid Democratic protest

President Donald Trump delivered remarks before a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening, lauding early steps taken by his administration to slash the bureaucracy, order steep tariffs on America’s closest trading partners, and pressure Ukraine to stop fighting against a Russian invasion. As Trump spoke, Democrats watched and made their protests clear. White House Bureau…

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China’s Liu Jiakun wins Pritzker Prize, ‘Nobel’ for architecture

NEW YORK — The Pritzker Prize, dubbed the “Nobel” for architecture, was awarded Tuesday to China’s Liu Jiakun, who was recognized for designs that celebrate “everyday lives.” “In a global context where architecture is struggling to find adequate responses to fast evolving social and environmental challenges, Liu Jiakun has provided convincing answers that also celebrate the…

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