The Trump administration has denied a report that countries would be required to pay $1bn to join a proposed U.S.-backed peace initiative, after Bloomberg News said a draft charter set out a membership fee.
Bloomberg reported on Saturday that the charter envisaged member nations paying $1bn to remain on the so-called Board of Peace. According to the report, Donald Trump would serve as the board’s inaugural chairman, with member states appointed for renewable terms of up to three years.
Reuters said it could not immediately verify the Bloomberg report.
The White House dismissed the claim as "misleading", saying there was no minimum membership fee to join the board.
"This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity," the White House said in a post on X.
The U.S. State Department referred Reuters to previous social media posts about the board by Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, which made no reference to any payment requirement.
The Board of Peace is a U.S.-backed initiative announced by Donald Trump as part of a proposal to oversee the temporary governance of Gaza following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
According to U.S. officials, the board would supervise a transitional period in which Gaza would be administered by a Palestinian technocratic body, before potentially expanding its remit to address other international conflicts.
Trump is expected to serve as the board’s inaugural chairman
Invitations have been sent to leaders from several countries, although the White House has said the roles and responsibilities of individual members have not yet been finalised.
The plan has drawn criticism from rights experts and diplomats, who argue that a U.S.-led body overseeing governance in a foreign territory could undermine international norms and existing multilateral frameworks.
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Cuban aviation authorities have warned airlines of jet fuel shortages at nine airports, including Havana’s José Martí International Airport, from 10 February to 11 March, as a worsening energy crisis, intensified by U.S. sanctions, hits the country.
Venezuelan authorities said they were seeking court approval to put prominent opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa under house arrest on Sunday, shortly after he was seized by armed men in Caracas in what his son called a kidnapping.
Hong Kong’s most prominent media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday (9 February) to a total of 20 years in prison on national security charges. The verdict covers two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count related to publishing seditious materials.
Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, a date brought forward as indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Oman restart and Tehran presses its enrichment rights while ruling out missile negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
JD Vance arrived in Armenia on Monday (9 February), becoming the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit the country, as Yerevan and Washington agreed to cooperate in the civil nuclear sector in a bid to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus.
The death toll from the collapse of two residential buildings in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has risen to 15, state media said on Monday, as rescue teams wrapped up search operations and officials warned that more people could still be missing.
António José Seguro’s decisive victory over far-right challenger André Ventura marks an historic moment in Portuguese politics, but analysts caution that the result does not amount to a rejection of populism.
Cuban aviation authorities have warned airlines of jet fuel shortages at nine airports, including Havana’s José Martí International Airport, from 10 February to 11 March, as a worsening energy crisis, intensified by U.S. sanctions, hits the country.
The European Union has proposed extending its sanctions against Russia to include ports in Georgia and Indonesia that handle Russian oil, the first time the bloc would target ports in third countries, a proposal document showed on Monday.
China will offer firm support for "patriotic pro-reunification forces" in Taiwan and strike hard against "separatists", the top Chinese official in charge of policy towards the democratically-governed island said on Tuesday (10 February).
Buckingham Palace said it is ready to support any police investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew shared confidential British trade documents with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as King Charles expressed “profound concern” over the latest revelations.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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