Bessent spoke at the House Appropriations subcommittee about the latest tariff negotiations and claimed the U.S. was in negotiations with 17 trade partners. However, he noted that one major trade partner has not spoken to the U.S. yet.

Shara capped a remarkable turnabout for the leader of the rebel uprising that ousted Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Trump has said he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria. President Trump met on Wednesday with the new president of Syria,

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the only way a breakthrough will happen in the efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine would be through direct talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin,

Vladimir Putin stays away; Zelenskyy says Russian line-up looks "decorative." Not clear yet when talks will begin. "I feel disrespect from Russia," Zelenskyy said. "No meeting time, no agenda, no high-level delegation.