Washington

Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to the United States on Friday. As he departed Washington, senior U.S. government officials saw him off at the airport, where a 21-gun salute was fired in a formal farewell gesture. The visit and its ceremonial send-off are drawing wide attention, with observers weighing what the trip signals for the state of U.S.-China relations.

President Trump says he expects talks with Iran to begin this week, telling Axios this shortly after his administration turned down an Iranian proposal. The comments point to renewed diplomatic activity between Washington and Tehran despite the rejected offer. Officials and observers will be watching whether the talks materialise and what terms the US is now seeking.

US intelligence agencies assess that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons, according to a Washington Post report. The finding highlights Riyadh's hedging as regional tensions persist and talks over a potential civil nuclear program and a defense pact with Washington continue. It also raises questions about proliferation risks if Iran's nuclear program advances further.

A US assessment warns that Saudi Arabia could still seek nuclear weapons despite ongoing diplomatic engagement with Washington. The finding raises questions about the future of non-proliferation in the Gulf, especially as Riyadh continues to insist it would match any Iranian nuclear capability. Analysts say the warning could complicate efforts to conclude a US-Saudi defence and normalisation package.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Beijing for Washington, in what is described as his first state visit to the US capital since 2015. President Trump is expected to greet him personally on the tarmac rather than at the White House, a gesture some observers read as a sign of warmth ahead of high-stakes US-China trade and diplomatic discussions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran no longer trusts negotiations with Washington, in an interview with Al Jazeera. He said Qatar and Pakistan are acting as intermediaries, relaying Tehran's messages to the United States. The remarks signal a further breakdown in direct US-Iran diplomacy, with third-party countries now carrying communication between the two sides amid heightened regional tensions involving Israel and the US.

Mike Waltz, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, said Iran was not negotiating 'in good faith' in efforts to end the war. The accusation, reported by The Guardian, adds to diplomatic tension around the conflict and suggests Washington sees Tehran's engagement in talks as insincere, complicating prospects for a ceasefire.

Japan is partially turning off the tap of decades of cheap money, moving to support the yen after prolonged currency weakness. The shift in monetary policy is being framed as an effort to defend the currency, with coverage suggesting Washington's position — described as an 'American friend' — played a supporting role in Tokyo's decision to rein in ultra-loose policy.

Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from a China-led cross-border currency platform, according to the Financial Times. The move is seen as a setback for Beijing's efforts to build alternatives to the dollar-based global payments system, and observers are weighing what it signals about the Gulf kingdom's financial alignment with Washington versus its deepening economic ties with China.

Iran is asking Washington to clarify its position after President Trump rejected a proposed cease-fire, according to a New York Times report citing developments around the Strait of Hormuz. The move signals mounting tension between Tehran and the U.S. administration, with diplomats seeking to understand whether negotiations over the cease-fire proposal can continue or have collapsed entirely.

Russia has accused European governments of obstructing peace negotiations over Ukraine, while Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "settle" with Vladimir Putin. The statements highlight growing pressure on Kyiv to reach a deal and deepen tensions between Washington, Moscow and European allies over how to end the war.

US intelligence agencies assess that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons. The finding underscores longstanding concerns in Washington and elsewhere that Riyadh could pursue a nuclear weapons option, particularly amid regional rivalry with Iran and questions about the scope of any future US-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement.

Iran says it remains committed to a negotiated, diplomatic resolution after Donald Trump rejected a proposed peace plan. The statement, picked up by Reuters and other international outlets, signals Tehran's effort to keep talks alive despite Washington's dismissal of the proposal. Observers are watching to see whether the rejection hardens positions or pushes both sides toward new negotiation terms.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is prepared for a 'doomsday war' if the United States resumes military attacks, while stressing that Tehran remains open to diplomatic negotiations. The statement underscores Iran's dual posture of military deterrence and willingness to talk as tensions with Washington persist.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Washington for a summit that has drawn criticism over whether it produced real diplomatic results or served mainly as political theatre. Commentators have dubbed the spectacle 'diplotainment', questioning whether headline-grabbing moments masked a lack of concrete agreements. Observers are parsing the outcomes for signals on trade, technology and broader US-China relations.

Chinese state announcements say Beijing and Washington agreed to a $30 billion tariff reduction and to open a dialogue on artificial intelligence during Xi Jinping's visit. The news, reported by Reuters, suggests a tentative easing of tensions between the two economic rivals on trade and technology. Details are sparse so far, and readers should note the figures come from the Chinese side; US confirmation and the fine print of the deal are not yet clear.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Iran is under pressure to make concessions on its nuclear program in order to revive stalled peace negotiations with the United States. The report suggests Washington and its partners want concrete steps from Tehran before talks can resume, amid ongoing tensions over Iran's nuclear activities and sanctions.

Iran says only diplomacy can resolve the ongoing conflict, responding after Donald Trump rejected a proposed peace plan. The statement underscores Tehran's position that negotiation, not military pressure, is the path forward, while Washington's refusal of the plan signals a hardening stance. The exchange highlights widening differences over how to de-escalate the conflict and what terms any settlement might require.

US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron clashed publicly at the United Nations over Gaza, exposing a divide between the two leaders on how to handle the conflict. The confrontation drew wide attention as the UN assembly weighed responses to the war, with the split between Washington and Paris underscoring broader international disagreement over the path forward.

President Trump has rejected a proposal from Iran that included a 7-day timeline, reportedly part of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme. The rejection signals continued deadlock between Washington and Tehran, with US officials dismissing the plan as insufficient while Iran has framed its offer as a serious concession. Diplomats warn the standoff raises the risk of renewed escalation in the region.

Donald Trump has said he expects new negotiations with Iran to take place, while Tehran insists no talks are currently planned. The conflicting statements leave the outlook for diplomacy between Washington and Tehran uncertain, and observers are watching closely for any move toward resumed discussions amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.

Iran is pushing for a diplomatic resolution after Donald Trump rejected a proposed peace plan, according to a report from Modern Diplomacy. The rejection leaves open questions about what avenue, if any, remains for negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and analysts are watching how Iran responds to the diplomatic setback.

Saudi Arabia has signalled it would be open to developing nuclear weapons, according to reports carried by major US outlets including The New York Times and The Seattle Times. The remarks raise fresh questions about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and about Riyadh's nuclear ambitions at a time of ongoing regional tensions and talks over normalisation and security guarantees with Washington.

President Trump said on Saturday he rejected Iran's latest cease-fire proposal, which would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz and resumed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for concessions from the United States. The rejection marks another turn in a cycle of proposals and counteroffers between the two countries, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on terms to end the standoff.

President Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping chokepoint for global oil supplies. The refusal comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran over the Persian Gulf. Attention now turns to how Iran responds and whether the dispute will escalate further, with broader Middle East developments also drawing international focus.

The United States and China have reached an agreement to reduce tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods, following a summit in Washington between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The deal marks a step toward easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, though details of which products will be affected have not yet been fully outlined.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres delivered remarks suggesting that the world's major powers have overstated their strength, saying 'their power isn't so super'. The comments are being read as a veiled criticism of Donald Trump and Washington's unilateral approach to global affairs. The speech has drawn wide attention as a rare rebuke of great-power politics from the UN's top official.