Taiwan approves $25 billion U.S. arms purchase after political deadlock
Taiwanese lawmakers have approved funding for a $25 billion purchase of U.S. weapons after a political deadlock, according to the supplied report.The decision was taken with time running out, and lawmakers were said to fear they could lose support if they did not act quickly.The row does not specify which weapons are included in the package.The approval is significant because it points to a major defence commitment at a time of heightened concern over Taiwan's security.It also suggests the issue had become politically urgent enough to break the deadlock.The move comes amid broader debate over military spending and support for... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 08 May 2026 16:31 LONDON
US senators question military role in Israel's Lebanon displacement campaign
Twelve Democratic senators have written to the head of US Central Command, raising concerns about the possible US military role in Israel's use of evacuation zones in Lebanon.The letter says mass displacement orders may breach international law.The lawmakers addressed the letter to Brad Cooper, who leads CENTCOM.They said the practice of declaring evacuation zones has been used to permanently displace people and destroy homes and towns.The senators said such zones do not remove the legal responsibility to determine whether people or civilian facilities are legitimate military targets.Signatories include Peter Welch, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Chris Coons.The... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 22:34 LONDON
US lawmaker introduces bill to limit Iran war powers
A Republican member of the US House of Representatives has introduced legislation aimed at limiting the use of military force in Iran and bringing the fighting to an end this summer.Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan is behind the proposal, which was introduced on 7 May.The bill seeks to place limits on military action in Iran as the conflict continues.The move adds a congressional dimension to the war, with lawmakers now being asked to weigh in on how and when force can be used.Barrett is also facing a difficult re-election campaign, according to the report.The proposal matters because it could shape... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 18:03 LONDON
European Investment Fund defends past support for spyware-linked Paragon
The European Investment Fund has defended a past investment that indirectly reached Israeli company Paragon Solutions, after renewed scrutiny over spyware use against journalists and civil society figures.The fund said the financing met its eligibility criteria.Gauthier Monjanel, an adviser to the fund's chief executive, told lawmakers in the European Parliament's civil liberties committee on Thursday that the EIF continues to support cyber security because it sees it as important for protecting citizens.He said the company had developed lawful interception technology focused on law enforcement.Monjanel added that any illegal use of the technology remains unacceptable.The comments came after reporting linked the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 17:00 LONDON
New York budget deal bars ICE masks and limits state cooperation
New York state lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul have reached a budget agreement that would bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks in the state.The deal would also prohibit state and local officials from formally cooperating with ICE.The confirmed details in the supplied row are limited, but the policy change is tied to the wider budget package announced on 7 May.The agreement is part of New York's $268 billion budget.The measures matter because they would set new limits on how federal immigration enforcement operates in the state.They also mark a clear political response from New York officials to... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 15:02 LONDON
EU pressure grows over Slovakia rule-of-law concerns and possible fund freeze
MEPs are urging the European Commission to consider freezing EU funds for Slovakia over concerns about possible misuse of money and weakening anti-corruption safeguards under Robert Fico's government.The call follows criticism of what lawmakers and campaigners describe as the dismantling of Slovak anti-corruption agencies, along with legal changes that they say have allowed some people convicted of corruption to walk free.The European Parliament urged the Commission last week to consider using the rule-of-law conditionality mechanism.The concern is that EU money may no longer be adequately protected if institutions meant to guard against fraud and corruption are weakened.One MEP involved in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 14:30 LONDON
Iran reviews latest US ceasefire proposal amid Strait of Hormuz standoff
Iran has said it is reviewing a United States peace proposal aimed at ending the war, even as the two sides exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.Iran has not formally responded to the latest plan, and officials quoted in the reporting say a large divide remains between the two sides.The proposal is reported to include demands that Iran not develop a nuclear weapon, halt uranium enrichment for at least 12 years and hand over an estimated 440kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent.In return, the US would gradually lift sanctions, release frozen Iranian assets and withdraw its... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 11:30 LONDON
Solomon Islands PM Jeremiah Manele ousted in no-confidence vote
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, ending months of political uncertainty and setting in motion the process to choose a new leader.Lawmakers voted 26 to 22 against Manele on Thursday, after a session marked by a heavy police presence outside parliament.Parliament was then adjourned so the governor general can make arrangements for the election of a new prime minister.The result removes the head of government in a country that has been in political impasse since March, when cabinet resignations and the exit of two coalition partners weakened Manele's Government for National Unity and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 08:02 LONDON
US lawmakers press for transparency on Israel's nuclear capability
A group of 30 Democratic lawmakers has urged the US State Department to break with longstanding silence over Israel's nuclear capabilities.The letter, sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, says the issue has become more urgent amid the US-Israel war on Iran.The lawmakers asked what nuclear weapon capabilities Israel has, including details on warheads and launchers.They also sought information on the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, which has long been believed to be central to Israel's nuclear programme.In the letter, dated May 4, the members of Congress said they needed fuller information on the nuclear balance in the Middle... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 07 May 2026 00:00 LONDON
Trump gives 4 July ultimatum to EU over trade deal implementation
US President Donald Trump has given the European Union until 4 July to comply with a trade deal agreed last year or face higher tariffs.He said the warning followed a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and said he had agreed to give the bloc until the US marks its 250th anniversary.Trump said the EU had signed a "historic trade deal" and should cut its tariffs to zero.Von der Leyen said the bloc was making "good progress towards tariff reduction" and remained committed to implementing the agreement.The latest warning matters because it adds pressure to already fragile... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 06 May 2026 22:30 LONDON
Howard Lutnick questioned by lawmakers over Epstein ties
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick spent hours in a closed-door session with the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, as lawmakers questioned him about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.The hearing took place behind closed doors, and the supplied material says Lutnick appeared for hours before the committee.No further details were provided on the questions asked or the evidence discussed.The session matters because it places a senior member of President Donald Trump's cabinet under congressional scrutiny in a politically sensitive inquiry.The House Oversight Committee is one of the main panels responsible for examining executive branch conduct.The issue has drawn attention because of... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 06 May 2026 14:31 LONDON
Trump-backed challengers win Indiana Republican primary races
At least five Trump-backed candidates have won Republican primary races in Indiana after President Donald Trump endorsed challengers against seven GOP lawmakers who had opposed his redistricting push.The confirmed wins came in contests involving Republican incumbents who broke with Trump over the redistricting effort.The supplied material says the challengers were backed by Trump, but does not identify the individual races or candidates.The result matters because it shows Trump's influence remains strong in Indiana Republican primaries and could reshape the state party's balance of power.It also underscores the political cost for lawmakers who resisted his redistricting plan.The races were triggered by... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 06 May 2026 02:30 LONDON
Irish lawmakers call for sanctions after Gaza flotilla interception
Irish lawmakers have called on the government to investigate and impose economic sanctions on Israel after a Gaza-bound flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece last week.People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger raised the issue in the Dáil, saying a response was needed after what she described as Israel's "criminal action".She asked Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee when the government would sanction Israel.According to the supplied rows, dozens of activists were detained in the interception, including seven Irish citizens who were later released.Ms McEntee said Ireland continues to advocate for Palestinian rights and a two-state... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 05 May 2026 20:00 LONDON
Romania government toppled in no-confidence vote
Romania's government has collapsed after MPs backed a no-confidence motion against prime minister Ilie Bolojan in parliament.Lawmakers voted 281 to 233 in favour of the motion in the 464-seat chamber, ending Bolojan's tenure after less than a year in office.The motion was tabled by the Social Democrats, or PSD, and the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians, or AUR.Bolojan's centre-right National Liberal Party, or PNL, and its coalition allies did not vote.The result leaves Romania in political limbo and forces the president, Nicusor Dan, to begin consultations on naming a new prime minister and trying to rebuild a governing... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 05 May 2026 14:00 LONDON
Epstein victims urge New York lawmakers to change estate law
Four women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein are asking New York lawmakers to change state estate law so they can pursue lawsuits against his estate.The request is aimed at allowing claims for punitive damages, which are currently blocked when a person has died.The only confirmed detail in the supplied material is that New York State law prevents people from seeking punitive damages from the estate of someone who has died.The victims are seeking a change to that rule.If lawmakers were to act, it could open a legal route for civil claims tied to Epstein's estate.At present, the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 04 May 2026 23:01 LONDON
US troop cuts in Germany draw criticism from top Republicans and NATO concern
Two senior US Republican lawmakers have criticised the Pentagon's decision to cut 5,000 US troops stationed in Germany, saying the move could undermine deterrence and send the wrong signal to Russia.Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers, who chair the Senate and House armed services committees respectively, said the troops should be moved further east rather than withdrawn from Europe.Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the decision followed a thorough review and took account of theatre requirements and conditions on the ground.NATO said it was seeking clarification from Washington.The dispute matters because Germany hosts more than 36,000 active-duty US troops and remains a... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 03 May 2026 06:29 LONDON
