Author: Matthew Lee
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It’s U.S. against most of U.N. council on Iran sanctions
UNITED NATIONS • The United States and most of the rest of the U.N. Security Council dug in their heels Thursday on diametrically opposed positions over the restoration of international sanctions on Iran. In increasingly intense rhetorical terms, U.S. officials insisted they had acted legitimately in triggering a so-called “snapback” mechanism that would re-impose all…
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Postal Service halts some operational changes after outcry
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing mounting public pressure and a crush of state lawsuits, President Donald Trump’s new postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics blamed for widespread delays and warned could disrupt the November election. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would “suspend” several of his initiatives…
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U.S. ratchets up China tensions, closing Houston consulate
WASHINGTON • The United States ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, escalating tensions between the world’s largest economies as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure against China ahead of the November election. Beijing denounced the order Wednesday as “outrageous” and said it would draw a firm response if not reversed. The physical closure…
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Chinese grad students may be next hit by U.S.-China tensions
WASHINGTON • The Trump administration might soon expel thousands of Chinese graduate students enrolled at U.S. universities and impose other sanctions against Chinese officials in the latest signs of tensions between Washington and Beijing that are raging over trade, the coronavirus pandemic, human rights and the status of Hong Kong. President Donald Trump said he…
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U.S., Taliban set peace signing for America’s longest war
WASHINGTON • America’s longest war may finally be nearing an end. The United States and the Islamists it toppled from power in Afghanistan are poised to sign a peace deal Saturday after a conflict that outlasted two U.S. commanders-in-chief and is now led by a third eager to fulfill a campaign promise to extricate America…
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Trump peace plan delights Israelis, enrages Palestinians
WASHINGTON • President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East plan Tuesday, winning immediate praise from a beaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but a swift rejection from the Palestinians, who called it “nonsense.” Trump’s plan calls for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, but it falls far short of minimal Palestinian demands and…
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U.S. imposes visa rules for pregnant women on ‘birth tourism’
WASHINGTON • The Trump administration is imposing visa rules aimed at restricting “birth tourism,” in which women travel to the United States to give birth so their children can have U.S. citizenship. The regulations, which take effect Friday, address one of President Donald Trump’s main political priorities. The regulations seek to chip away at the…
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U.S. won’t grant Iran foreign minister visa for UN visit
WASHINGTON • The U.S. won’t issue Iran’s foreign minister a visa to travel to the United Nations this week, contending there was not enough time to process the request. Mohammed Javad Zarif told “CBS This Morning” on Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed the U.N. secretary-general, who in turn relayed the information to…
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Trump meets Russian official at White House
WASHINGTON • The Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday was the second for Russia’s foreign minister. The president of Ukraine is still waiting for his first. Trump sat down with Sergey Lavrov at a moment of high drama in Washington — just hours after House Democrats announced articles of impeachment against Trump…
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U.S. considers sending several thousand more troops to Mideast
WASHINGTON • The Pentagon is considering sending several thousand additional troops to the Middle East to help deter Iranian aggression, amid reports of escalating violence in Iran and continued meddling by Tehran in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the region. John Rood, defense undersecretary for policy, told senators Thursday that Defense Secretary Mark Esper…