Category World News

Trump says ‘very good’ phone call with Xi builds on fragile trade truce

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Published On 24 Nov 2025

As relations appeared to be gaining new life since the pair’s meeting last month in South Korea, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping held a comprehensive phone call on topics including trade and Taiwan.

The US president praised the two countries’ “extremely strong” relationship hours after the call on Monday, praising the “very good” morning call that included an exchange of invitations to each other’s nations and announcing that he and Xi had spoken about the war in Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking, and a farming agreement.

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Trump said, “We now have a clear focus on the big picture, and we have agreed that communication is crucial,” and that he is looking forward to doing so. President Xi will travel to the US later this year, and President Trump has accepted an invitation to visit China in April.

Trump made no mention of Taiwan discussions. According to a report from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi told Trump that the island’s return to China was an “integral part of the post-war international order” created through the US-China joint campaign against “fascism and militarism.”

Xi made the comments as his nation squared off against Japan over the future of the self-governing island, which China views as its territory. Sanae Takaichi, the country’s prime minister, recently stated that the military of Japan was prepared to defend Taiwan.

Trump told Xi that the US, which continues to be Taiwan’s most important partner and supplier of weapons, “understands how important the Taiwan question is to China.”

The Trump administration’s most recent push to end Ukraine’s war also coincided with the phone call. China has asserted that it is a neutral force in the conflict. In a call on Monday, Xi stated that he was in favor of “all efforts that promote peace,” and that he hoped the crisis would be “at its core” in a letter to the Foreign Ministry.

As a result of a trade war between the two countries that rocked global markets, the two men had a personal conversation almost a month after they had met in person in Busan, South Korea.

Beijing agreed to end export restrictions on crucial minerals for a year as a result of a tentative agreement reached at the meeting in October.

After shunning the product for months, Washington announced it would lower tariffs on Chinese goods and that Beijing would increase purchases of soya beans from US farmers.

Trump claimed on Monday that he and his Chinese counterpart had spoken about “Fentanyl, Soybeans, and other Farm Products.”

‘Reckless’: Rights group decries Germany lifting arms embargo on Israel

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Published On 24 Nov 2025

Amnesty International has criticised the German government’s decision to lift an arms embargo on Israel, calling it “reckless” and “unlawful.”

In August, Germany lifted nearly all arms sales to Israel as a result of growing domestic pressure. As Israeli forces continued to conduct a contentious ground operation in Gaza City, that was inevitable.

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However, Sebastian Hille, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, announced last week that the policy had been reversed, citing the Gaza ceasefire on October 10. He claimed that things have “fundamentally stabilized” the enclave.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns, said in a statement on Monday that “the time is absolutely not here to ease this pressure.”

Germany’s decision to temporarily suspend arms shipments to Israel sends the wrong message to Israel, according to Guevara-Rosas, saying that it is reckless, unlawful, and sends the wrong message to it. It allows it to continue to commit genocide, war crimes, and apartheid against Palestinians and to unlawfully occupy the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, without fear of consequences.

She described Germany’s adolescence as “one of the few forms of meaningful pressure put forth by the international community against Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”

Israel has been accused of violating the ceasefire and of denying Gaza assistance on numerous occasions. At least 69,733 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and at least four have been killed on Monday.

Beyond the United States, which has repeatedly refused to take advantage of the billions of dollars in weapons it gives to its allies, Germany is the second-largest supplier of weapons to Israel.

According to Amnesty, which cited government data, Germany has exported export licenses worth more than 485 million euros ($559m) between October 7, 2023, and May 12, 2025.

Anti-tank weapons and gearboxes for the Merkava tanks used in Gaza were among the weapons that were transferred.

France seeks progress on nuclear talks as Iran top diplomat to visit Paris

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This week, France will host Iran’s foreign minister in Paris for discussions that will include stalled nuclear negotiations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed on Monday that Araghchi, the country’s ambassador to Iran, will visit on Wednesday for talks Paris hopes will bring Iran back into full cooperation with the IAEA as a result of a lapsed nuclear deal.

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Before the meeting, Barrot stated, “This is an opportunity for us to call on Iran to fulfill its obligations to the IAEA and to resume cooperation with the organization quickly.”

Two French nationals who were detained in Iran but are still unable to leave the country are also being discussed by French officials. Both are currently residing in Tehran’s French embassy, and Paris has repeatedly pressed for their return.

Tehran has indicated that it feels little urgency to resume indirect discussions with the United States regarding Iran’s nuclear program’s future.

Iran declared earlier this month that it was “not in a hurry” to resume negotiations despite mounting pressure following the return of UN sanctions and the expansion of the country’s economy.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi asserted that position, saying Tehran would remain open to dialogue if Washington approached discussions “from an equal position based on mutual interest.”

He criticized “illogical and unfair” the claims made by US officials about demands for direct talks, zero enrichment, restrictions on missile capabilities, and restrictions on support for regional allies.

He said, “It seems they are not in a hurry.” We are also not in a rush, either.

Iranians’ top diplomat added that regional politics are changing in Iran’s favor.

He said, “I occasionally tell my friends that Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal who has committed every atrocity, but he did something to demonstrate to the entire region that Israel is the main enemy, not Iran, and not any other country.”

After Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites, a sixth indirect US-Iran nuclear discussion broke out in June, evoking a 12-day war that claimed the lives of more than 1, 000 Iranians and damaged billions of dollars.

After the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, the two sides reached a truce.

Iran, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, and the United States all unilaterally abdicated their nuclear weapons from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed by US President Donald Trump in 2018.

Iran has since continued to violate the agreement’s terms, contending that the US withdrawal has ended it. Iranian officials maintain that Iran’s nuclear program is being developed solely for civilian purposes.

RSF announces unilateral three-month ‘humanitarian truce’ in Sudan

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BREAKING,

Published On 24 Nov 2025

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have declared a seemingly unilateral three-month humanitarian truce during the country’s civil war.

Hemedti, a commander of the RSF, made the announcement in a recorded address on Monday. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which was in conflict, did not immediately confirm that any agreement had been reached.

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Late on Sunday, Al-Burhan rejected a call for a ceasefire between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. He expressed particular disapproval of the UAE’s grouping, which has long refuted claims that it is funding and arming the RSF.

Hemedti claimed on Monday that the RSF sought to improve civilian protections and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid in collaboration with the Quad, the African Union, and the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) bloc.

The RSF had previously stated earlier this month that it had consented to the Quad’s request for a ceasefire, but soon the Quad began to use drone strikes on SAF-held territory.

Hemedti added that the unilateral pause was the first step in achieving a political solution to the conflict, which broke out in April 2023 as a result of an shoddy power-sharing agreement between al-Burhan and Hemedti.

The commander added that the RSF had approved of the use of a field-monitoring system and that it was “absolutely committed” to holding accountable those who have “committed violations against civilians.”

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan as a result of fighting, displaced 14 million or more, and created a humanitarian crisis on both sides, who are accused of abusing the situation.

El-Fasher was seized last month by the RSF.

In what observers have called an effort to conceal evidence of mass killings, RSF fighters have been pictured burning and burying bodies in large numbers in satellite images.

Since Sunday, when al-Burhan called the proposal back-backed “the worst proposal ever,” it was unclear whether al-Burhan’s position had changed at all.

He claimed that the agreement “effectively eliminates the existence of the armed forces and… the dissolution of all security agencies” while “maintaining the rebellious militia in its positions.”

Pentagon says it is investigating US senator over ‘illegal orders’ video

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Former US Navy aviator and astronaut Mark Kelly is the subject of an investigation by the Pentagon for his participation in a video that exhorted members of the military to reject “illegal orders.”

The US military rarely acts against retired officers. However, Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers who were involved in the video were repeatedly charged with criminal offenses as a result of President Donald Trump’s repeated requests for criminal charges.

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Pete Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon, later stated later on Monday that Kelly is facing legal action because he is the only lawmaker in the video who is a retired Navy captain who is subject to military law.

Hegseth wrote on X that the Department is “revisiting his statements and actions, which were made known to all troops while explicitly using his rank and service affiliation, giving the impression that his words were being read and interpreted with authority.”

Kelly’s actions “discredit the armed forces” and “will be addressed appropriately.”

The senator quickly defied the Pentagon’s decision by refusing to speak.

It won’t work, according to Kelly in a statement, “if this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from carrying out our duties and holding this administration accountable.” Bullies who care more about their own power than the protection of the Constitution say, “I’ve given too much to this country.”

Kelly is accused of “acts intended to interfere with the armed forces’ loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline,” according to the Pentagon.

In other words, speech intended to incite a rebellion was described as traitor by Trump last week and went so far as to argue that the legislators should receive the death penalty for sedition.

One of six former military and intelligence officers featured in the video, which was released on November 18, was Kelly, a former US Navy captain who now represents Arizona in the Senate.

“Our laws are simple. In the video, they said, “You can refuse illegal orders.

The Pentagon emphasized that service members are required to “obfy lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful” in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which spells out military laws and guidelines.

In a statement from Monday, it stated that “a service member’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.”

Kelly may be required to return to “active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures,” according to the Pentagon.

The UCMJ holds that retired military personnel who continue to receive benefits after their service are subject to military law.

Former service members are hardly ever prosecuted by military courts, especially for alleged crimes committed after their enlistment.

Democrats have been furious over Trump’s response to the lawmakers’ videos, which they claim amounts to a death threat, in recent days.

Democrats claim that the video simply confirms a fact about military law: service members are required to take an oath to the Constitution in order to reject orders they believe to be in violation of US law.

Following the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk in September and Melissa Hortman’s June murder, the US is still reeling from political violence.

Trump’s first death sentence was on Thursday, causing a slew of negative comments. “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH”! Trump used social media to express his views.

Trump later reacted to the outcry by saying in a social media post that the video’s creators “SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW.”

The Pentagon’s action on Monday indicates that Trump-appointed federal agencies are willing to address the president’s political grievances.

In now-dismissed cases that some claim were political, the Department of Justice filed criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.

James was facing mortgage fraud allegations, while Comey was facing lying charges.

The Pentagon’s Kelly investigation received additional support later on Monday. If the ranks are disordered and chaotic, “you can’t have a functioning military.” And that’s what these Democratic lawmakers were encouraging, according to Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

US judge dismisses criminal charges against James Comey, Letitia James

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Letitia James, the former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and James Comey, the former FBI head, have been charged with criminal offenses by a federal judge in the United States.

District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie found Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor in charge of the two cases, to be an unlicensed person, which in turn rendered the indictments invalid.

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The administration of President Donald Trump, who personally requested criminal charges against James and Comey, faces a significant setback with this decision.

However, James and Comey, two well-known Trump critics, may not yet be finished.

Currie’s decision to dismiss the criminal charges was made without prejudice, allowing for a second case to be brought up.

However, she did state that Halligan “had no legal authority” to file the indictments, which raises questions about how her role as prosecutor will develop in the future.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Currie as a “partisan judge” in the wake of the ruling and said the administration would contest the decision.

Leavitt remarked, “I know there was a judge who was clearly trying to shield Letitia James and James Comey from being held accountable, and that’s why they took this unprecedented action to remove these two individuals’ indictments.”

“But very soon, the Department of Justice will file an appeal.” Lindsey Halligan, in our opinion, is not only legally appointed to this position, but she is also.

Halligan is appointed prosecutor by Trump.

Halligan had been appointed as Virginia’s Eastern District’s interim US attorney in September.

Trump and Halligan’s predecessor, Erik Siebert, reportedly refused to charge James because there was no such thing as proof, sparking a public outcry.

That sparked a furore in the White House. On September 19, Siebert resigned, and Trump later announced his own firing on social media.

Trump claimed that he had no case and that he even lied to the media. No, I fired him, and many attorneys and legal experts concur that there is a GREAT CASE.

The president also addressed California’s Adam Schiff, a US senator, and attorney general Pam Bondi in the message, praising the Department of Justice’s need to move forward with the investigation into James, Comey, and other US senators.

What about Leticia, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, and Comey? They are all indecent, according to Trump, but nothing can be done.

He signaled that Halligan would assist in bringing charges against Bondi right away.

Trump remarked, “We can’t delay any longer; it’s destroying our reputation and credibility.” “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED NOW!” “!

Halligan had no prior experience with prosecution, and her principal area of practice was insurance law. She previously represented Trump in court.

Halligan had already secured an indictment against Comey for allegedly obstructing a Senate hearing and lying to Congress within days of taking up her position as US attorney.

Then, on October 6, Halligan filed a second indictment against James, claiming she had committed mortgage fraud.

On October 16, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, was the subject of a third indictment.

All three have disputed guilt and asserted that the accusations were political retribution. Comey, James, and Bolton have all publicly criticized Trump, and James has even successfully prosecuted him for bringing a case of civil fraud against him in New York.

James and Comey are suing dismissal.

The defendants’ attorneys have used a number of means to get the cases dropped before going to trial.

Judge Currie heard James and Comey’s first petition’s opening arguments on November 13.

Because Halligan did not receive judicial approval, they claimed that her appointment as US attorney was unlawful.

Interim US attorneys typically have a 120-day window of service. Federal judges in the district may elect candidates after that time.

Bis the Senate could choose a permanent occupant for the position, Siebert had served for 120 days and had obtained judicial approval to continue as acting US attorney.

However, Halligan was unable to get the judges’ approval. According to Comey and James’ attorneys, that made her appointment as a US attorney illegal.

However, the Justice Department’s attorneys claimed that the problem was merely a “paperwork error” and that Attorney General Bondi had also approved of the indictments.

However, Currie’s courtroom hearings raised serious questions about the indictments’ validity.

In a separate decision on November 17th, Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick addressed concerns raised by Currie that Comey’s case’s grand jury transcript was insufficient.

The prosecution’s statements were made inaccurately, and there was a “disturbing pattern of profound investigative mistakes,” he claimed, as per the records. He also made a point that the grand jury was required to see that Comey’s most recent indictment had never been fully presented.