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I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with this worldwide news update.
The U.S. on Wednesday paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, the latest dramatic reversal in what had been vital military cooperation as Washington helped Kyiv battle a brutal Russian invasion. Reuters correspondent Freddy Joyner reports. The move stands to significantly hamper Ukraine's ability to defend itself in the midst of the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War. And it further piles pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cooperate with U.S. President Donald Trump's demands in convening peace talks with Russia. On Monday, Washington halted military aid to Kyiv following a disastrous Oval Office meeting last week, in which Trump and Zelenskyy engaged in a shouting match before the world's media. The clash delayed the signing of a Ukraine-U.S. minerals deal. But on Tuesday, Trump said he received a letter from Zelenskyy in which the Ukrainian leader said he was willing to come back to the negotiating table. The White House says it's now reconsidering. Reuters correspondent Freddy Joyner. The White House on Wednesday said U.S. officials have had ongoing talks and discussions with Hamas officials. AP correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. It's the first known direct engagement since the State Department designated Hamas a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. "These are ongoing talks and discussions," and comes with the Israel-Hamas cease-fire in the balance. White House spokesman Caroline Levitt says Israel has been consulted. Egyptian and Qatari officials had been serving as mediators with Hamas for the U.S. and Israel since the 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war. Sagar Meghani, Washington. This is VOA News. A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration on Wednesday upholding a lower court decision that the government cannot withhold payment to foreign aid organizations for work they've already performed. Reuters correspondent Zachary Goelman reports. Pursuing what he has called a, quote "America First" agenda, Trump ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid in his first day back in office. That order and ensuing stop-work orders halting U.S. Agency for International Development operations around the world have jeopardized delivery of life-saving food and medical aid, throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos. Aid organizations accused Trump in lawsuits of exceeding his authority under federal law by stepping into an area that's a matter for Congress. A Washington-based U.S. district judge last month ordered the administration release approximately $2 billion in funding to contractors and grant recipients. Trump appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. His solicitor general wrote in a filing that the lower court order should be blocked, saying it would, quote, "unlawfully commandeer federal payment processes." But Chief Justice John Roberts and fellow conservative Amy Coney Barrett joined the court's three liberal members in rejecting the Trump administration's appeal. Reuters correspondent Zachary Goelman. The United States Justice Department has charged eight leaders or members of a Chinese hacking company, two additional hackers, as well as two Chinese law enforcement officials in a global cyber espionage campaign that's been targeting U.S. agencies, dissidents and news organizations. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports. Law enforcement officials accused the Chinese government of paying private companies and contractors to target people of particular interest to Beijing. There are two indictments. One charges officials with a private hacking company known as iSoon. The other charges two Chinese hackers in a for-profit hacking campaign that targeted U.S. technology companies, think tanks, defense contractors and health care systems. Donna Warder, Washington. President Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers. Worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the big three automakers - Ford, General Motors and Stellantis - on Wednesday. "So does he expect them to be able to shift production within a month? He told them that [he] they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff. That's the ultimate goal." :White House press secretary Caroline Levitt. That wraps up this update, but the world and news never stop. For additional updates, visit our website, voanews.com. I'm Joe Ramsey, VOA News. |