Ayoola Atitebi

The United States has initiated a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq and authorized the voluntary departure of dependents from multiple Middle Eastern locations, including Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, citing rising regional security concerns. US Central Command announced Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorized the departure of military dependents in the region while monitoring "developing tension." The State Department ordered nonessential personnel to leave the already limited-staffed US Embassy in Baghdad, emphasizing its commitment to "keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad." President Trump confirmed the evacuations Wednesday evening, stating the region "could be a dangerous place." He added, "We'll see what happens. We've given notice to move out, and we'll see what happens." Trump then referenced Iran directly: "They can't have a nuclear weapon, very simple. We're not going to allow that." […]

The United States and China have established a "framework" on trade following two days of negotiations in London designed to reduce tensions between the world's largest economies. While details of the framework announced Tuesday remain unclear, the development represents progress following Washington and Beijing's announcement of a 90-day tariff pause after Geneva talks last month. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reported that both sides worked to implement the "Geneva consensus" and had "pounded through" all major issues dividing the two nations. The framework requires approval from President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who discussed trade in a 90-minute phone call last week, before moving forward. "Once the presidents approve it, we will then seek to implement it," Lutnick told reporters outside Lancaster House. Lutnick suggested that US measures responding to China's slowdown in rare earth exports, a significant […]

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has publicly expressed regret over his recent criticisms of President Donald Trump following their highly publicized dispute. "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week," Musk wrote on his social media platform X early Wednesday. "They went too far." The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who recently stepped down from his position leading the Department of Government Efficiency, did not identify which specific criticisms prompted his apology. Musk's regret follows a series of aggressive attacks against Trump, including an unverified allegation that the administration withheld Jeffrey Epstein files to protect Trump from potential connections to the deceased financier and convicted sex offender. The conflict erupted after Musk, previously one of Trump's most influential supporters during his campaign and early presidency, publicly opposed Trump's comprehensive legislative package last week. Musk condemned what he called the […]

Canada has announced plans to significantly expand its military capabilities and reduce defense dependency on the United States through a comprehensive security investment strategy. Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the new security investment plan Monday, proposing over $9 billion in additional military funding this fiscal year. The investment would enable Canada to meet NATO's 2% defense spending target five years earlier than previously planned. "I call on all parties in Parliament to support these critical investments in our security and sovereignty. Our plan will help ensure that Canada is strong at home and reliable abroad," Carney stated. "We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America. We will invest in new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar drones and sensors to monitor the sea floor and the Arctic." The investments […]