US President Donald Trump said on May 3 that “very positive discussions” were under way with Iran on finding a solution to the crisis, but nevertheless added that the United States will soon start escorting ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, told state television that Tehran had submitted a 14-point plan “focused on ending the war,” and that Washington had responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators.
“I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
The US-Israel alliance launched attacks on Iran on Feb 28, killing the Islamic republic’s supreme leader. Tehran responded with strikes on US military bases and Israeli targets in the region.
READ MORE HERE
PHOTO: REUTERS
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 3 he would not give up on working with US President Donald Trump, despite a spat between the leaders over the ongoing conflict in Iran.
“I am not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship,” Mr Merz told public broadcaster ARD in an interview set to air the night of May 3. “Nor am I giving up on working with Donald Trump.”
Mr Merz sought to downplay any tensions with Mr Trump, arguing for instance that an abrupt public announcement that the US would pull 5,000 troops from bases in Germany was not surprising and should not be seen as retaliation.
READ MORE HERE
PHOTO: AFP
Three people have died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the WHO said on May 3, one a confirmed case of hantavirus – an illness usually transmitted to humans from rodents.
The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.
“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the WHO told AFP.
READ MORE HERE
PHOTO: REUTERS
Britain is set to enter talks to join the European Union’s £78 billion loan (S$135 billion) to Ukraine, the government said on May 3, in a further sign of deepening European defence ties under rising US pressure.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected on May 4 to tell a summit in Armenia’s capital Yerevan of the European Political Community – a discussion forum set up after Russia’s invasion in 2022 – that Britain wants to work with the EU to support Ukraine in getting vital military equipment, his office said.
The loan, approved by the EU in April, is set to cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs for the next two years, with the bulk of that amount earmarked for military spending as Kyiv defends itself against Russia’s four-year war.
READ MORE HERE
PHOTO: AFP
Teenager Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers’ world championship with a historic victory for Mercedes ahead of McLaren world champion Lando Norris in the dramatic Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
The 19-year-old Italian became the first F1 driver to claim his first three wins in a row from his first three pole positions, after triumphs in China and Japan had hoisted him to the top of the title race.
Driving with determination and elan, Antonelli struggled for ascendancy in the first part of the race before enjoying an “undercut” pit stop to win his duel with Norris in the closing stages.
READ MORE HERE
