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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Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf state's KUNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a senior IRGC officer said Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz to include a far wider area.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as a “stupid proposal,” saying Tehran failed to commit to abandoning its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, while warning the fragile ceasefire was on “massive life support”.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Beijing on 14–15 May 2026 for a high-stakes summit aimed at managing rising tensions over trade, technology, Taiwan and the Iran conflict.
The man accused of attempting to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House gala last month pleaded not guilty to all charges in federal court on Monday.
Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf state's KUNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a senior IRGC officer said Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz to include a far wider area.
Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Spain, France are evacuating nationals as three deaths are confirmed. In the U.S., two passengers have been isolated after testing positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as a “stupid proposal,” saying Tehran failed to commit to abandoning its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, while warning the fragile ceasefire was on “massive life support”.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
Senior officials from China and Uzbekistan met in Beijing this week for talks on trade, infrastructure and bilateral cooperation, underscoring a relationship that has continued to deepen steadily in recent years.
Senior economic officials from China and the U.S. are holding two days of trade talks in Seoul this week ahead of a summit in Beijing, where Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to meet face to face for the first time this year.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer laid down the gauntlet to challengers on Tuesday (12 May), as he defied calls to resign at a meeting of Cabinet, telling ministers that there had been no official move to trigger a leadership contest.
Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency has launched a search and rescue operation for 14 people missing at sea after a wooden boat, strongly believed to be illegally transporting undocumented Indonesian migrants, capsized and sank off the country's western coast on Monday morning.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 12th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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