The Fort Worth Press

Austin says US 'can be secure only if Asia is'

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday the Asia-Pacific region remained a "priority" for Washington, saying the United States was secure "only if Asia is".

Hindu holy city votes as India's six-week election ends

India's six-week election reaches its final day of voting Saturday, including in the holy city Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used as a staging post for his Hindu nationalist agenda.

Helmet-wearing Biden aims to emulate back-to-back Super Bowl champs

Was it a sign that Joe Biden is preparing for a bruising election battle ahead?

Hamas says Israel's Gaza ceasefire proposal 'positive'

Hamas on Friday said it "considers positively" an Israeli roadmap towards a full Gaza ceasefire announced by US President Joe Biden, who urged an end to the almost eight-month war.

Ukraine gets draft approval for $2.2 bn IMF payout

Ukraine is set to receive a $2.2 billion payout from the IMF after successfully meeting the terms of an existing loan program, the Washington-based financial institution said Friday at the end of a five-day staff mission to the country.

'Time for this war to end': Biden pushes Israeli plan for Gaza truce

US President Joe Biden said Friday Israel had offered a new roadmap towards a permanent peace in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the surprise deal as it was "time for this war to end."

Pandemic agreement talks could continue for another year

Negotiations towards a global agreement on how to handle future pandemics seemed on course Friday to be extended for up to a year as countries try to bridge their differences.

Biden says Israel offers new roadmap to end Gaza war

US President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel was offering a new roadmap towards a full ceasefire in Gaza that he urged Hamas to accept, saying it's "time for this war to end".

NATO chief seeks 'at least' 40 bn euros a year in Ukraine aid

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Friday urged members to commit to providing Ukraine at least 40 billion euros ($43 billion) a year in military aid, seeking to ensure long-term support as war with Russia grinds on.

Israel offers new 'roadmap' to end Gaza war, says Biden

US President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel had offered a new roadmap towards a permanent peace in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the surprise deal as it was "time for this war to end."

South African parties jostle to set terms of coalition talks

South African parties on Friday jostled to set out their stalls ahead of talks on a possible coalition government, with the ruling ANC on course to lose the absolute parliamentary majority it has held for three decades.

UN mission in Iraq to end after two decades

At the request of Baghdad, the UN Security Council unanimously decided Friday that the United Nations political mission in Iraq will leave the country at the end of 2025 after more than 20 years.

Trump lashes out at 'sick' opponents in 'unfair' trial

Donald Trump lashed out in rambling, angry comments Friday at his "sick" opponents and "fascists" after what he called a "very unfair" trial that made him the first former US president to become a convicted felon.

Sick of strays, Turkey weighs dog crackdown

The clip shows people rushing to help an older woman knocked over by one of the many stray dogs on Istanbul's streets. It is the kind of canine run-in that plays continuously on Turkey's social media.

Israel troops push into central Rafah

The Israeli army said Friday its troops pushed into central Rafah, escalating its nearly eight-month war with Hamas despite international objections over any offensive in the southern Gaza city.

S.Africa set for political shake-up as ANC loses majority

South Africa's ruling ANC was on track Friday to score its worst electoral result ever, with the latest tallies showing voters deserted the party in droves and ended its 30-year political dominance.

Trump to address media after felony conviction

Newly convicted felon Donald Trump was set to address journalists Friday in his first public act since a stunning guilty verdict in a New York criminal court threw the 2024 presidential campaign into uncharted territory.

Taiwan govt to return bills expanding powers to parliament

Taiwan's premier said Friday the controversial bills expanding parliament's powers will be sent back to the legislature, citing worries about their constitutionality after they drew thousands of protesters angered by government overreach.

S. Korea military warns of more trash-filled balloons from North

More trash-filled balloons from North Korea are expected to litter the South from Saturday, Seoul's military said, days after Pyongyang began its campaign to punish its neighbour.

Yemen rebels threaten 'escalation' as US, UK strikes said to kill 16

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthis on Friday threatened to escalate attacks on Red Sea shipping after overnight strikes by the United States and Britain killed 16 people, according to rebel media.

US-China to resume military-to-military dialogue in 'coming months': Austin

The United States and China will resume military-to-military communications "in the coming months", US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday, as Beijing hailed the "stabilising" security relations between the countries.

NATO downplays Kremlin threat over US weapons as 5 killed in Kharkiv

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg Friday downplayed Kremlin threats of escalation after President Joe Biden secretly lifted restrictions on Ukraine using US-supplied weapons against targets inside Russian territory, as five people were killed in an overnight strike on Kharkiv.

Israel pummels Gaza as troops push into central Rafah

Israeli forces on Friday struck targets across the Gaza Strip, with witnesses reporting air raids around the southern city of Rafah, the latest focus of the nearly eight-month war.

Battered, empty Myanmar town shows price of victory against junta

Gutted buildings, vacant windows and blocks bombed to rubble show the price paid by the western Myanmar town of Pauktaw for victory against the junta in the country's civil war.

US, Chinese defence chiefs meet in Singapore

The US and Chinese defence chiefs held rare direct talks in Singapore on Friday, offering hopes for more military dialogue that could help prevent disputes over Taiwan and other flashpoint issues from spinning out of control.

North Korea's Kim supervises rocket launcher test

North Korean state media on Friday released images of leader Kim Jong Un supervising tests of a multiple rocket launcher system, a day after Seoul accused Pyongyang of firing a volley of short-range ballistic missiles.

US says Russia using N. Korea missiles in Ukraine

Russia is using North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine, a new Pentagon report says, citing debris analysis to confirm long-standing allegations that Pyongyang has been sending weapons to Moscow.

In conflict-torn Libya, artist's family turns home into museum

A seemingly ordinary villa in the heart of Tripoli holds a lifetime of works by the late Libyan artist Ali Gana, whose family has turned his house into a unique museum.

Deadly strikes on Kharkiv as Biden lets Ukraine use US arms inside Russia

Russian strikes killed three people in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the regional governor said early Friday, hours after the United States authorised Kyiv to use American weapons to hit targets inside Russia in defence of the embattled region.

US, Chinese defence chiefs set to meet in Singapore

The US and Chinese defence chiefs were in Singapore on Friday for a major security forum where they are set to hold rare direct talks, with Taiwan and other flashpoint disputes expected to dominate the three-day event.

N. Korea's Kim supervises rocket launcher test: state media