Ayoola Atitebi

Contradictory reports have emerged regarding a potential Gaza ceasefire agreement, with Hamas claiming acceptance of a US proposal while American officials strongly dispute the characterization. According to Al Jazeera sources, Hamas agreed to a ceasefire proposal during meetings with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha, Qatar. The reported deal includes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living captives held in Gaza across two stages, with President Trump guaranteeing the terms and Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. The agreement would also allow unconditional humanitarian aid entry from day one. However, Witkoff rejected claims that Hamas had accepted his proposal, telling Reuters the terms were "completely unacceptable." A US source close to Witkoff described Hamas's claims as "inaccurate" and their offer as "disappointing." Israeli officials also denied that the proposal originated from the US, stating no Israeli government […]

North Korea has condemned the United States' planned "Golden Dome" missile defense system, warning it could transform "outer space into a potential nuclear war field." The futuristic defense system, which President Donald Trump aims to deploy by the end of his term, is designed to counter "next-generation" aerial threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles targeting the US. Pyongyang's foreign ministry denounced the plan as representing "the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance," according to state media reports. North Korean officials accused Washington of being "hell-bent... to militarise outer space" and cautioned that the initiative might trigger "a global nuclear and space arms race." Given North Korea's adversarial relationship with Washington and its routine condemnation of US-South Korea joint military exercises, Pyongyang likely views the Golden Dome as a threat that could "significantly weaken" its nuclear capabilities, according to Hong Min, a […]

Donald Trump has described Vladimir Putin as "crazy" following Russia's largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began. The US president posted on Truth Social: "Something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely crazy. He is needlessly killing a lot of people." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov characterized this as "a very important moment which is connected to an emotional overload of everyone involved" but maintained Putin was making decisions "necessary for the security" of Russia. Russia launched 355 drones and nine cruise missiles against Ukraine between Sunday evening and Monday morning, according to Kyiv's air force. Ukrainian officials confirmed this was the largest drone attack since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "only a sense of total impunity" could enable Russia to "carry out such strikes and continue increasing their scale." Kyiv […]

President Donald Trump has reversed course on imposing tariffs against the European Union, extending trade negotiations until July 9 following a telephone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Trump announced Sunday that he would postpone the 50 percent tariff on EU imports that he had threatened to implement on June 1, just two days after declaring the punitive measures on Friday. The development represents another shift in US trade policy, adding to ongoing uncertainty surrounding Trump's approach to international commerce and its impact on global markets. "[Von der Leyen] said she wants to get down to serious negotiation. We had a very nice call," Trump told reporters. "She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out." Von der Leyen confirmed the positive nature of their discussion, stating that the EU was […]

The European Union has pledged to defend its interests following President Donald Trump's threat to impose 50-percent tariffs on all goods from the 27-member bloc. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic confirmed he spoke Friday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding the tariff threat. In a post on X, Sefcovic stated the EU remains "fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both" parties. "EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests," he said, emphasizing the Commission's readiness to work toward an agreement in good faith. Trump announced on Truth Social that he is "recommending" the substantial 50 percent duty on EU goods beginning June 1, claiming negotiations "are going nowhere." Speaking later from the Oval Office, the Republican president clarified […]