International

WASHINGTON — A heated dispute over congressional authority to limit U.S. military operations in Iran turned physical Thursday, as Senate Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina confronted one another on the Senate floor during debate over a War Powers resolution.

The confrontation began as an unusually sharp exchange over the measure, which sought to direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities involving Iran absent specific congressional authorization.

WASHINGTON — The United States and Greenland have reached an agreement granting U.S.-flagged vessels expanded rights to transit Arctic waters, according to officials, opening a new chapter in Washington's efforts to increase its presence in the rapidly changing region.

President Donald Trump praised the agreement Friday, portraying it as both an economic opportunity and an environmental milestone.

WASHINGTON — A political controversy erupted Friday after photographs purportedly showing Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas vacationing together in Cancún circulated widely on social media, prompting sharp criticism from Democrats over the senators' absence from prominent 25th-anniversary commemorations of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The images, which were posted online by a tourist and quickly spread across social media, appeared to show the two Republican senators at a resort in the Mexican Caribbean. 

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday expressed surprise at the number of U.S. state names derived from Spanish and Indigenous languages, suggesting that they could be replaced with what he called “strong American names.”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would impose a 70% tariff on Canadian dollars entering the American financial system, dramatically escalating an already strained trade relationship with Canada.

The measure would represent an unprecedented expansion of the trade dispute beyond tariffs on physical goods. Trump said the policy was intended to address what he described as an unfair currency advantage enjoyed by Canada.

PATTAYA, Thailand — Senator Mitch McConnell was seen welcoming sailors as they disembarked from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during a port visit in Pattaya on Wednesday, making an appearance at the waterfront after vacationing in nearby Phuket.

McConnell, the longtime Kentucky senator, arrived at the dock as sailors came ashore from the carrier and associated vessels. He exchanged brief greetings with members of the crew and observed the arrival alongside local port personnel and other visitors.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” 

The order would rename one of the five Great Lakes and instruct federal agencies to use “Lake America” in official documents, maps and communications. The change would represent a significant departure from the lake’s longstanding name, which dates back centuries.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved Monday to soften President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb Oman, saying the United States would not carry out such an attack and pointing to limited remaining munitions.

“I assure the American people and our allies in the Gulf that we will definitely not be bombing Oman,” Hegseth said to reporters. “We simply don’t have enough bombs left.”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that Iran had once again agreed to an "unconditional surrender," describing the purported development as the seventh such occasion since the conflict began a few months ago.

Speaking briefly outside the White House, Trump said the latest agreement demonstrated what he characterized as his unique ability to secure major diplomatic outcomes.

"No other president could have done that," Trump said. "This is the seventh time they've surrendered unconditionally."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amid mounting public skepticism over escalating hostilities in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday that recent military developments were unfolding according to what he described as a "divine plan" that the Department of Defense had anticipated for years.