China’s Xi visits Saudi Arabia to cement Gulf Arab ties
December 7, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to attend meetings with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations crucial to his country's energy supplies as Beijing tries to revive an economy battered by its strict coronavirus measures.
North Korea’s Kim calls for meeting to review state affairs
December 1, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for a major political conference before year's end at which he is expected to address his increasingly tense relations with Washington and Seoul over the expansion of his nuclear and missile programs.
US OKs $1B arms sale to Qatar during key World Cup match
November 29, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a $1 billion arms sale to Qatar in a transaction unveiled during halftime of the key World Cup 2022 match in Doha between Iran and the United States.
UK’s Rishi Sunak says ‘golden era’ with China over
November 28, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared Monday that the U.K.'s “golden era” of ties with China was over in his first major speech on foreign policy, describing China's growing authoritarianism as a “systemic challenge to our values and interests."
EU-Med forum: South needs investment, immigration policies
November 24, 2022 GMTMADRID (AP) — More investment and polices regulating immigration are needed for countries on the southern Mediterranean basin that have been hit hard by the food and energy crisis brought on by Russia's war in Ukraine, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Thursday.
Estonia changes tack, won’t side against Israel in UN votes
November 15, 2022 GMTHELSINKI (AP) — Estonia’s foreign minister says the Baltic country has changed its policy toward Israel and will no longer vote for U.N. resolutions condemning Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
EU, UK target senior Iran officials over protest crackdown
November 14, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on two Iranian ministers and several senior police and military officials, including members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, over their alleged roles in the security crackdown against massive anti-government protests.
At global summits, Biden aims to assert America’s leadership
November 6, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will aim to assert America’s global leadership during his upcoming trip to Southeast Asia that will be shadowed by a verdict on his presidency after Tuesday’s elections.
Cruz lambasts Democrats as he stumps for Ogles in Tennessee
October 27, 2022 GMTFRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday lambasted Democrats' leadership on inflation, crime and foreign policy as he urged Tennessee voters to send Republican Andy Ogles to Congress.
Kentucky’s Rand Paul relishes outsider role in 3rd term run
October 26, 2022 GMTLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Rand Paul was a political outsider more than a decade ago when the renegade Republican rode a conservative tea party wave right past the GOP establishment in Kentucky, bringing his libertarian-leaning brand to the U.S.
At federal trial, financier navigates friendship with Trump
October 25, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — As wealthy financier Tom Barrack built a private equity empire that relied on his close contact with Middle East leaders, he encountered a stumbling block: his friendship with Donald Trump.
On witness stand, Trump ally denies foreign influence charge
October 24, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A California billionaire known as an ally of Donald Trump used his testimony at his federal trial on Monday to question Trump's leadership on foreign policy, saying the former president was clueless about the dynamics in the Middle East.
Sweden’s top diplomat: We’ll fulfil deal with Turkey on NATO
October 24, 2022 GMTSTOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden's center-right government will fulfil all requirements under a deal with Turkey to join NATO and will concentrate external relations to its immediate neighborhood while dropping the previous administration's “feminist foreign policy," the country's top diplomat said Monday.
Demings goes on attack against Rubio in Fla. Senate debate
October 19, 2022 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida went on the attack Tuesday in her first debate against Republican Sen.
German foreign minister urges caution in China relationship
October 18, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Germany must avoid repeating with China the mistakes that it made in its relationship with Russia over recent years, the German foreign minister said Tuesday.
Annalena Baerbock said Germany must face up to a “competition of systems" between countries that believe in international law and cooperation and authoritarian regimes.
German chancellor calls for EU reforms, military autonomy
October 15, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called for reforms of the European Union to make it fit for the admission of new countries as well as more military autonomy of the 27-country bloc.
Biden global strategy tackles China, Russia, domestic needs
October 13, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The White House laid out a national security strategy Wednesday aimed at checking an ascendant China and a more assertive Russia even as it stressed that domestic investments are key to helping the U.S.
Top EU diplomat laments slow start for Ukraine training plan
October 10, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top diplomat criticized Monday the bloc’s slow pace of action in setting up a military training mission for the Ukrainian armed forces, as foreign ministers prepare to discuss the plan next week.
Marcos Jr. reaffirms US ties in first 100 days of presidency
October 7, 2022 GMTMANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been reaffirming ties with the United States in a key turnaround from the often-hostile demeanor his predecessor displayed toward Manila’s treaty ally.
A bump and a miss: Saudi oil cut slaps down Biden’s outreach
October 7, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday effectively acknowledged the failure of one of his biggest and most humiliating foreign policy gambles: a fist-bump with the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince associated with human rights abuses.
US approves sale of advanced missiles to Gulf ally Kuwait
October 6, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has approved a $3 billion sale of advanced medium-range missiles to Kuwait to help the tiny oil-rich Gulf country defend itself.
The State Department notified Congress on Thursday of the planned sale, which comes amid heightened tensions in the region that many blame on Iranian proxies, notably in Iraq, Kuwait’s northern neighbor.
Tillerson testifies at corruption trial of Trump adviser
October 3, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Rex Tillerson, who served a turbulent term as secretary of state under former President Donald Trump, was called as a government witness Monday at the trial of a Trump ally accused of leaking intelligence to the United Arab Emirates.
EU, Israel hold high-level talks for first time in a decade
October 3, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and Israel on Monday held high-level talks for the first time in a decade, with the Europeans pressing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid about how to put a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians into place.
EU, US question Serbia’s EU commitment after Russia deal
September 26, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The European Union and the U.S. on Monday questioned Serbia’s proclaimed commitment to join Europe’s 27-nation bloc after Belgrade signed an agreement with Moscow pledging long-term “consultations” on foreign policy matters amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
EU candidate Serbia and Russia sign foreign policy agreement
September 24, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia has signed an agreement with Russia for mutual “consultations” on foreign policy matters, the Balkan country’s media reported Saturday.
Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic signed the agreement Friday along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the U.N.
Live updates: U.N. General Assembly
September 22, 2022 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Latest on the U.N. General Assembly:
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is promising new sanctions against Russia after an escalation of its war in Ukraine.
Potential jurors quizzed on Trump in inaugural chair’s trial
September 20, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Potential jurors in the criminal trial of Donald Trump's inaugural committee chair have been quizzed by the judge on a tricky topic: What do they think of the former president?
China’s Xi heads abroad to promote strategic role
September 13, 2022 GMTBEIJING (AP) — President Xi Jinping is using his first trip abroad since the start of the pandemic to promote China's strategic ambitions at a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin and other leaders of a Central Asian security group.
EU official says Serbia, Kosovo agree on IDs in step forward
August 27, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief announced Saturday that Serbia and Kosovo have agreed on how to resolve a dispute over their identity documents, settling one of the problems that have sparked the latest tensions between the former Balkan war foes.
EU-mediated Serbia-Kosovo meeting ends without agreement
August 18, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo failed Thursday to reach an agreement on longstanding border and mutual recognition issues that have spiked tensions in the Balkans and added to Europe's instability during the war in Ukraine, the European Union's foreign policy chief said.
At 75, India’s Kashmir challenge shifts foreign policy focus
August 10, 2022 GMTSRINAGAR, India (AP) — For decades, India has tried to thwart Pakistan in a protracted dispute over Kashmir, the achingly beautiful Himalayan territory claimed by both countries but divided between them.
Top Chinese, South Korean diplomats pledge closer ties
August 10, 2022 GMTBEIJING (AP) — The top South Korean and Chinese diplomats pledged Tuesday to develop closer relations and maintain stable industrial supply chains at a time of deepening rivalry between Beijing and Washington.
Serbia, Kosovo leaders set for EU-backed talks on Aug. 18
August 5, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to meet in Brussels this month to discuss ways to end the stalemate in European Union-brokered talks aimed at improving relations between them as ethnic tensions simmer, a European Commission spokesman said Friday.
Pelosi to Taiwan would be career capstone, despite warnings
July 28, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched her political career being tough on China -- a new congresswoman who dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a 1991 visit with other U.S.
Western European powers press Iran to agree to nuclear deal
July 27, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Western European powers are pressing Iran to agree to a revival of its 2015 nuclear deal after a months-long standstill in negotiations, warning that what's on the table now is “the best possible deal.”
Guatemala’s president visits Ukraine, expresses solidarity
July 25, 2022 GMTGUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei visited Ukraine on Monday and expressed his solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Giammattei met with Zelenskyy in the capital, Kyiv, becoming the first Latin American president to make the trip.
Biden’s global promises held back by politics at home
July 24, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Soon after taking office, President Joe Biden went to State Department headquarters to tell the rest of the world that the United States could be counted on again after four years of Donald Trump’s bull-in-the-china-shop foreign policy.
EU promises more Ukraine war aid; calls for sanctions unity
July 18, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign ministers promised another 500 millions euros in military aid to Ukraine’s war chest to beef up the defense of the nation as the bloc's foreign policy chief exhorted member states not to waver in their commitment to sanctions against Russia.
EU officials encourage Montenegro to press on with reform
July 14, 2022 GMTPODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Senior European Union officials on Thursday praised Montenegro for siding with the bloc's policies against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine and urged the small Balkan nation to press on with reforms needed to advance toward EU membership.
Mexico, US presidents to meet amid newly tense relationship
July 11, 2022 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S.-Mexico relationship — a straightforward tradeoff during the Trump administration, with Mexico tamping down on migration and the U.S. not pressing on other issues — has become a wide range of disagreements over trade, foreign policy, energy and climate change.
In Mideast, Biden struggling to shift policy after Trump
July 10, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden took office looking to reshape U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, putting a premium on promoting democracy and human rights.
EU, US urge North Macedonia to move forward on EU bid
July 9, 2022 GMTSKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — European Union and U.S. leaders are urging North Macedonia’s parliament to accept a French proposal that will move the tiny Balkan country closer toward EU membership and overcome objections by Bulgaria.
Marcos plays balancing act in meeting with China’s FM
July 6, 2022 GMTMANILA, Philippines (AP) — New Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with China’s top diplomat Wednesday to take up long-simmering disputes in the South China Sea, as he waded into foreign policy dilemmas that include the U.S.-China rivalry in the region.
Iran says it’s ready for new talks with US on nuclear deal
June 30, 2022 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran said Thursday it is ready for new indirect talks with the United States to overcome the last hurdles to revive its tattered 2015 nuclear deal with major powers amid a growing crisis over the country's atomic program.
US officials back in Venezuela in a bid to rebuild ties
June 28, 2022 GMTCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Senior U.S. government officials have quietly traveled to Caracas in the latest bid to bring home detained Americans and rebuild relations with the South American oil giant as the war in Ukraine drags on, forcing the U.S.
Iran and EU say Vienna nuke talks will resume in coming days
June 25, 2022 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The European Union and Iran agreed on Saturday to resume negotiations in Vienna in the coming days over Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
The agreement could help relieve tensions after the talks stalled for months, while Iran enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels under decreasing international oversight.
Biden juggles principles, pragmatism in stance on autocrats
June 11, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — As a candidate for president, Joe Biden was not shy about calling out dictators and authoritarian leaders as he anchored his foreign policy in the idea that the world is in a battle between democracy and autocracy.
US Transportation Dept. lifts restrictions on Cuba flights
June 2, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday made it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, lifting flight restrictions that were established during the Trump administration.
Harris calls water security a foreign policy priority
June 1, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday the U.S. is safer if people in other countries have sufficient water to drink, grow food and safely dispose of sewage, emphasizing that water access is a foreign policy priority.
China criticizes US as tensions rise in South Pacific
May 27, 2022 GMTBEIJING (AP) — China on Friday criticized a speech by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on relations between the world’s top two economic powers, saying the U.S.
Trump’s inaugural chair pleads not guilty to latest charges
May 24, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The chair of former President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the latest charges in an indictment accusing him of secretly working for the United Arab Emirates to influence Trump’s foreign policy.
Australian Labor topples conservatives; PM faces early tests
May 21, 2022 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s center-left opposition party toppled the conservative government after almost a decade in power, and Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese in his Saturday election victory speech promised sharper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while he faces an early foreign policy test.
Kirby to lead Biden’s national security communications team
May 21, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday named Pentagon press secretary John Kirby to be the new National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications.
Kirby "will coordinate interagency efforts to explain United States policy and will serve as a senior administration voice on related matters," the White House said in a statement.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby moving to White House
May 20, 2022 GMTPentagon press secretary John Kirby is joining the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter, adding star power to the President Joe Biden's National Security Council.
Kirby, who also served as the top spokesman at the Pentagon and the State Department during the Obama administration, is expected to take handle strategic communications for the NSC, as the West Wing navigates a range of foreign policy challenges, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to North Korea's nuclear program.
Prosecutors detail charges against Trump’s inaugural chair
May 19, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors have spelled out more details of the allegations against the chair of former President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, who’s accused of secretly working as an agent for the United Arab Emirates to influence Trump’s foreign policy.
Putin warns Finland NATO membership would harm relations
May 14, 2022 GMTHELSINKI (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his Finnish counterpart Saturday that relations between the two neighbors could be “negatively affected" if Finland follows through with plans to apply for NATO membership.
Biden names envoy to SE Asia bloc, stressing US attention
May 14, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday announced he's nominating one of his top national security aides as ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, aiming to underscore his administration's commitment to the Pacific region.
UAE’s long-ailing leader Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed dies at 73
May 13, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates' long-ailing ruler and president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, died Friday, the government announced in a brief statement. He was 73.
Top EU diplomat hopeful for deal at Iran nuclear talks
May 13, 2022 GMTWEISSENHAUS, Germany (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief said Friday he is hopeful that stalled talks with Iran over the country's nuclear program can reach an agreement.
The talks between Tehran and world powers are deadlocked in part over Iran's demand for the United States to lift a terrorist designation on the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Mexican president to talk development, migration on tour
May 4, 2022 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador plans to begin a lightning, five-day tour Thursday to four Central American countries and Cuba to discuss his government’s approach to development and ways it might help alleviate the pressure to migrate.