HONG KONG – A senior U.S. official on Thursday urged China and Russia to match declarations by the United States and others that only humans, and never artificial intelligence, would make decisions on deploying nuclear weapons.

The United States has imposed new sanctions on hundreds of companies and people tied to Russia’s weapons development program, as well as more than a dozen Chinese entities accused of helping Moscow find workarounds to earlier penalties

WASHINGTON/DUBAI  – The Biden administration and Saudi Arabia are finalizing an agreement for U.S. security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance, even as an Israel-Saudi normalization deal envisioned as part of a Middle East “grand bargain” remains elusive, according to seven people familiar with the matter.

BOGOTA – Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday he will break diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza.

The European Union and United Nations abruptly rescheduled the launch of an anti-human trafficking program this week after being confronted with questions on the choice of venue: a Phnom Penh hotel owned by a Cambodian tycoon who has another property that has been used by human traffickers

ABU DHABI – The United States, Britain and the European Union are pressing the United Arab Emirates to show it is cracking down on firms evading sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, according to three sources aware of the diplomatic outreach.

Energy and environment ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations have committed to phase out coal power by 2035

Twenty years after Poland joined the European Union, its finance minister says the country is still not ready to adopt the euro currency

THE HAGUE – Judges at the International Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled against issuing emergency orders to stop German arms exports to Israel, while expressing deep concern about “catastrophic living conditions in Gaza”.

RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA – Brazil’s Senate on Tuesday approved a bill maintaining tax incentives for the meetings and conferences sector until the end of 2026, which now needs President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s approval to become law.