Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

American president Donald Trump aboard Air Force One in Abu Dhabi. (Reuters)

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Updated 17 May 2025

May 16, 2025 10:55

Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

Updated 17 May 2025

May 16, 2025 10:55

ABU DHABI: U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has an American proposal over its rapidly advancing nuclear program as negotiations between the two countries go on.
Trump's remarks represent the first time he's acknowledged an American proposal is with Tehran after multiple rounds of negotiations between U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Negotiations have gotten into the “expert” level — meaning the two sides are trying to see if they can reach any agreement on the details of any possible deal. But one major sticking point remains Iran's enrichment of uranium, which Tehran insists it must be allowed to do and the Trump administration increasingly insists the Islamic Republic must give up.
Trump discusses proposal on Air Force One
Trump made the comment aboard Air Force One as he ended his trip to the United Arab Emirates, the last stop on his three-nation tour of the Middle East that also included Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
At nearly every event he attended in the region, he insisted that Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb — something American intelligence agencies assess Tehran is not actively pursuing though its program is on the cusp of being able to weaponize.
A reporter asked Trump: “On Iran, has the U.S. given them a formal proposal? Has Steve Witkoff handed that over?”
“They have a proposal,” Trump responded. “But most importantly, they know they have to move quickly, or something bad is going to happen.”
Trump did not elaborate on the substance of the proposal and Iran did not immediately acknowledge having it. On Thursday, Araghchi spoke to journalists at the Tehran International Book Fair and said that Iran did not have any proposal from the Americans yet.
Araghchi also criticized what he called conflicting and inconsistent statements from the Trump administration, describing them as either a sign of disarray in Washington or a calculated negotiation strategy. Witkoff at one point suggested that Iran could enrich uranium at 3.67%, then later began saying that all Iranian enrichment must stop.
“We are hearing many contradictory statements from the United States — from Washington, from the president, and from the new administration,” Araghchi said. “Sometimes we hear two or three different positions in a single day.”
Talks have been held in Oman and Rome
Iranian and American officials have been in Oman and Rome for the negotiations, always mediated by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, a trusted interlocutor between the two nations. The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on half a century of enmity.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Israel has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities on their own if it feels threatened, further complicating tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Topics: Trump Iran

Anti-domestic violence groups are suing over the Trump administration’s grant requirements

Updated 8 sec ago

June 17, 2025 01:12

Anti-domestic violence groups are suing over the Trump administration’s grant requirements

The groups say the requirements, which Trump ushered in with executive orders, put them in “an impossible position”

Updated 8 sec ago

June 17, 2025 01:12

Seventeen statewide anti-domestic and sexual violence coalitions are suing President Donald Trump’s administration over requirements in grant applications that they don’t promote “gender ideology” or run diversity, equity and inclusion programs or prioritize people in the country illegally.
The groups say the requirements, which Trump ushered in with executive orders, put them in “an impossible position.”
If they don’t apply for federal money allocated under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, they might not be able to provide rape crisis centers, battered women’s shelters and other programs to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. But if the groups do apply, they said in the lawsuit, they would have to make statements they called “antithetical to their core values” — and take on legal risk.
In the lawsuit filed in US District Court in Rhode Island on Monday, the coalitions said that agreeing to the terms of grants could open them to federal investigations and enforcement actions as well as lawsuits from private parties.
The groups suing include some from Democratic-controlled states, such as the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, and in GOP-dominated ones, including the Idaho Coalition against Sexual and Domestic Violence.
The groups say the requirements are at odds with federal laws that require them not to discriminate on the basis of gender identity, to aid underserved racial and ethnic groups, and to emphasize immigrants with some programs and not to discriminate based on legal status.
The US Department of Justice, which is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not respond to a request for comment.
The suit is one of more than 200 filed since January to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive orders. There were similar claims in a suit over anti-DEI requirements in grants for groups that serve LGBTQ+ communities. A judge last week blocked the administration from enforcing those orders in context of those programs, for now.

Topics: trump administration United States

Nigerian state signs peace pact with criminal gangs: official

Updated 16 June 2025

AFP

June 16, 2025 20:23

Nigerian state signs peace pact with criminal gangs: official

Dozen bandit kingpins met with local officials to renounce violence. With no ideological leaning, the bandits are motivated by financial gains
As a mark of goodwill, the bandits surrendered weapons and released 17 hostages, with the promise to free more people they were holding

Updated 16 June 2025

AFP

June 16, 2025 20:23

KANO, Nigeria: Authorities in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state struck a peace deal at the weekend with criminal gangs to try to end years of violence, a government official said Monday.
Katsina is one of several states in northwestern and central Nigeria terrorized by criminal gangs that the locals refer to as bandits.
The gangs raid villages, kill and abduct residents as well as torch homes after looting them.
The gangs maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna states in the northwest region and Niger state in the country’s central zone and have carried out mass kidnappings of students from schools in recent years.
On Saturday, a dozen bandit kingpins met with local officials and community leaders in the town of Danmusa, where they renounced violence and pledged to turn a new leaf, Nasiru Mu’azu, Katsina state internal commissioner said.
“There was a peace meeting between 12 bandit leaders and the local community leaders in Danmusa where the bandits renounced their criminal activities and committed to peace,” Mu’azu said.
The bandits initiated the meeting, he said. “The community welcomed the overtures and agreed to a peace deal as long as the bandits are genuinely interested in peace,” he said.
As a mark of goodwill, the bandits surrendered weapons and released 17 hostages, with the promise to free more people they were holding.
Authorities in Katsina had earlier ruled out peace deals after the criminal gangs reneged on peace negotiations and returned to crime.
With no ideological leaning, the bandits are motivated by financial gains but their increasing alliance with jihadists from the northeast has been raising concern among authorities and security analysts.
In 2023, Katsina state governor Dikko Umar Radda established Katsina Community Watch Corps, comprising around 2,000 vigilantes to assist the military and police in fighting the bandits.
“We have been fighting the bandits for the past two years and the state governor has reiterated he will not negotiate from a position of weakness,” Mu’azu said.
“But since they on their own came forward and extended the olive branch, we have to give them that opportunity.”
In November last year, neighboring Kaduna state, which has rejected negotiation with bandits, signed a peace accord with the criminal gangs terrorizing Birnin-Gwari district.

Topics: Nigeria Katsina state Bandits

Hunger crisis deepens in global hotspots as famine risk rises, UN warns

Updated 16 June 2025

Reuters

AFP

June 16, 2025 23:21

Hunger crisis deepens in global hotspots as famine risk rises, UN warns

Conflict, economic shocks, and climate-related hazards blamed for harsh conditions in the worst-hit areas

Updated 16 June 2025

Reuters AFP

June 16, 2025 23:21

ROME: Extreme hunger is intensifying in 13 global hot spots, with Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali at immediate risk of famine without urgent humanitarian intervention, a joint UN report warned on Monday.

The “Hunger Hotspots” report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme blamed conflict, economic shocks, and climate-related hazards for conditions in the worst-hit areas.

The report predicts food crises in the next five months.

It called for investment and help to ensure aid delivery, which it said was being undermined by insecurity and funding gaps.

“This report is a red alert. We know where hunger is rising and we know who is at risk,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.

“Without funding and access, we cannot save lives.”

For famine to be declared, at least 20 percent of the population in an area must be suffering extreme food shortages, with 30 percent of children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.

In Sudan, where famine was confirmed in 2024, the crisis is expected to persist due to conflict and displacement, with almost 25 million people at risk.

South Sudan, hit by flooding and political instability, could see up to 7.7 million people in crisis, with 63,000 in famine-like conditions, the report said.

In Gaza, Israel’s continued military operations and blockade have left the entire population of 2.1 million people facing acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million at risk of famine by the end of September, the report said.

In Haiti, escalating gang violence has displaced thousands, with 8,400 already facing catastrophic hunger, while in Mali, conflict and high grain prices put 2,600 people at risk of starvation by the end of August.

Other countries of high concern include Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Nigeria.

“Protecting people’s farms and animals to ensure they can keep producing food where they are, even in the toughest and harshest conditions, is not just urgent — it is essential,” said FAO Director General QU Dongyu.

Some countries, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Lebanon, have improved and have been removed from the FAO and WFP’s Hunger Hotspots list.

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday it was drastically scaling back its global humanitarian aid plans because of the “deepest funding cuts ever” — leaving tens of millions of people facing dire straits.

OCHA said it was seeking $29 billion in funding for 2025 compared to the $44 billion requested initially in December, in a “hyper-prioritized” appeal.

“Brutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,” OCHA chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement.

“All we ask is 1 percent of what you chose to spend last year on war. But this isn’t just an appeal for money it’s a call for global responsibility, human solidarity, and a commitment to end the suffering.”

In late April, while visiting a hospital in Kandahar in Afghanistan, Fletcher warned: “Cutting funding for those in greatest need is not something to boast about ... The impact of aid cuts is that millions die.”

With 2025 nearly halfway through, the UN has received only $5.6 billion out of the $44 billion sought initially for this year — a mere 13 percent.

In total, the original plan covered more than 70 countries and aimed to assist nearly 190 million vulnerable people.

Even so, that plan acknowledged there were 115 million people the UN could not reach.

“We have been forced into a triage of human survival,” Fletcher said on Monday.

The mathematics “is cruel, and the consequences are heartbreaking.”

“Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can with the resources we are given,” he said.

Aid will now be directed so that it can “reach the people and places facing the most urgent needs,” with those in “extreme or catastrophic conditions” as the starting point, said Fletcher.

“This will ensure that limited resources are directed where they can do the most good — as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

Topics: Famine Hunger UN Food and Agriculture Organization

Norway’s king makes symbolic visit to Svalbard, in coveted Arctic

Updated 16 June 2025

AFP

June 16, 2025 15:41

Norway’s king makes symbolic visit to Svalbard, in coveted Arctic

the region around Svalbard has gained in geopolitical and economic importance as tensions mount between Russia and the West, not least with the ice sheet receding
Interest in the Arctic has intensified since US President Donald Trump’s threats this year to annex Greenland, which he says the US needs for reasons of national security

Updated 16 June 2025

AFP

June 16, 2025 15:41

OSLO: Norway’s King Harald made a highly symbolic visit on Monday to the country’s Svalbard archipelago, located in an Arctic region coveted by superpowers like the United States, Russia and China.
Situated halfway between the European continent and the North Pole, the region around Svalbard has gained in geopolitical and economic importance as tensions mount between Russia and the West, not least with the ice sheet receding.
Interest in the Arctic has intensified since US President Donald Trump’s threats this year to annex Greenland, which he says the US needs for reasons of national security.
“It was especially appropriate to come this year,” the 88-year-old monarch said after stepping off the royal yacht with his wife Sonja in Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s main town which is home to 2,500 people.
“We have seen increased attention being paid to the Arctic and Svalbard. This brings both challenges and opportunities,” he added.
The king was in Svalbard to take part in celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the entry into force of an international treaty that put the Svalbard archipelago under Norwegian rule.
Drawn up in Paris in 1920, the treaty gives the citizens of the nearly 50 signatories — including China and Russia — an equal right to exploit the archipelago’s natural resources.
As a result, Russia is able to maintain two settlements, including a mining community, in the small village of Barentsburg where a Lenin statue stands and Soviet flags are regularly flown — all in a NATO country.
China has meanwhile defined itself as a “near-Arctic state” and has displayed a growing interest in the region.
“When the royal yacht ‘Norge’ drops anchor with the royal standard atop the mast, this emphasizes, even more than King Harald’s words could say, that Norway is taking care of its rights and assuming its responsibilities,” said Lars Nehru Sand, a commentator at public radio NRK.
“The king is here to show that this is ours,” he said.

Topics: Norway King Harald Svalbard archipelago Arctic Greenland

UN refugee agency says will shed 3,500 jobs due to funding cuts

Updated 16 June 2025

AFP

June 16, 2025 15:47

UN refugee agency says will shed 3,500 jobs due to funding cuts

UNHCR carried out a review of its activities, expenditure, staffing and structures following a plunge in humanitarian funding
It has been among a host of UN and private aid agencies badly hit by funding cuts by the United States, which previously made up more than 40 percent of UNHCR contributions received

Updated 16 June 2025

AFP

June 16, 2025 15:47

GENEVA: The UN refugee agency said Monday it will cut 3,500 staff jobs — slashing nearly a third of its workforce costs — due to a funding shortfall, and reduce the scale of its help worldwide.
UNHCR carried out a review of its activities, expenditure, staffing and structures following a plunge in humanitarian funding.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been among a host of UN and private aid agencies badly hit by funding cuts by the United States.
The United States — which was by far UNHCR’s biggest donor — has slashed its foreign aid under a radical spending review ordered by US President Donald Trump. Other countries have also cut humanitarian spending.
Washington previously made up more than 40 percent of UNHCR contributions received — $2 billion per year, the agency’s chief Filippo Grandi told the UN Security Council in April.
“In light of difficult financial realities, UNHCR is compelled to reduce the overall scale of its operations,” Grandi said in Monday’s statement.
He added that UNHCR would focus “on activities that have the greatest impact for refugees” while streamlining its Geneva headquarters and regional offices.
The agency said it had had to close or downsize offices worldwide and implement a nearly 50-percent cut in senior positions in Geneva and at the regional HQs.
“In total, approximately 3,500 staff positions will be discontinued,” the statement said.
Additionally, hundreds of temporary workers have had to leave the organization due to the funding shortfall.
“Overall, UNHCR estimates a global reduction in staffing costs of around 30 percent,” the agency said.
It said that programs ranging from financial aid to vulnerable families, health, education, and water and sanitation had already been affected by cuts.
UNHCR said it was working with other organizations and refugee-hosting countries to try to mitigate the impact on refugees.
UNHCR estimates that it will end 2025 with available funding at about the same level as a decade ago — despite the number of people forced to flee their homes having nearly doubled over the same period to more than 122 million.
“Even as we face painful cuts and lose so many dedicated colleagues, our commitment to refugees remains unshakeable,” said Grandi.
“Although resources are scarcer and our capacity to deliver is reduced, we will continue to work hard to respond to emergencies, protect the rights of refugees, and pursue solutions — including returning home, as nearly two million Syrians have done since December.”
Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011, and ruler Bashar Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
Sudan is now the world’s largest forced displacement situation, with its 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people overtaking Syria (13.5 million), followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million).
At the end of 2024, one in 67 people worldwide were forcibly displaced, UNHCR said Thursday.

Topics: UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) UN Refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi

Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

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Anti-domestic violence groups are suing over the Trump administration’s grant requirements

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Nigerian state signs peace pact with criminal gangs: official

Nigerian state signs peace pact with criminal gangs: official

Police break up Nigeria protest as anger mounts over killings in southern state

Red Cross confirms office closures in Niger and the departure of its foreign staff

Hunger crisis deepens in global hotspots as famine risk rises, UN warns

Hunger crisis deepens in global hotspots as famine risk rises, UN warns

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Norway’s king makes symbolic visit to Svalbard, in coveted Arctic

Norway’s king makes symbolic visit to Svalbard, in coveted Arctic

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UN refugee agency says will shed 3,500 jobs due to funding cuts

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Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

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Anti-domestic violence groups are suing over the Trump administration’s grant requirements

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