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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most s...
President Donald Trump will meet Qatar’s prime minister in New York on Friday, days after Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Doha in a strike condemned across the region.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump is set to meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York on Friday. The announcement comes just days after a controversial Israeli airstrike in Doha attempted to eliminate senior Hamas figures, risking a setback to months of U.S.-backed mediation efforts in Gaza.
The White House did not release the specific agenda of the Trump-al-Thani meeting. However, the timing follows Israel’s strike in Qatar on Tuesday, which aimed to kill Hamas’s political leadership and drew widespread regional condemnation. Many warned that the incident could derail ceasefire negotiations and heighten already fragile tensions.
President Trump publicly criticised the Israeli move, calling it a unilateral action that failed to support either American or Israeli strategic interests. He also reaffirmed the importance of Washington’s alliance with Qatar, a key player in Gulf diplomacy.
Qatar has served as a primary mediator in the talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages and discuss a post-conflict roadmap for Gaza. Despite the attack, Prime Minister al-Thani insisted that Qatar would not retreat from its mediation role, accusing Israel of trying to sabotage peace prospects.
In addition to the White House meeting, al-Thani is scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a late Thursday statement from the State Department.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
Russia said its air defences downed 180 drones over the Moscow region overnight, with 620 drones reportedly targeting the area, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing growing pressure as his approval ratings fall and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gains support.
At least nine people were killed, including a child, in a fire at a hotel in India's eastern city of Kolkata on Wednesday, local police said.
France is set to expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris has described as a “deliberate assault” on two French embassy staff in Tehran last month, escalating tensions between the two countries.
South Korea and the United States are scaling back their annual joint military exercises following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump to substantially reduce American participation.
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