UNITED STATES: President Donald Trump said today that Iran has been sent a proposal by the United States over its nuclear programme as negotiations between the two countries continue at “expert” level.

Mr Trump’s remarks represent the first time he’s acknowledged a US proposal is with Tehran after several rounds of negotiations between US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

VIETNAM: Thailand and Vietnam have upgraded their ties to strategic partnership, Vietnamese media reported today.

Vietnam now treats Thailand the same way as it does the United States, China and Russia, its main strategic partners.

The announcement came after Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh, in Hanoi.

UNITED STATES: New Jersey Transit train engineers brought New York and New Jersey commuter traffic to a standstill as they went on strike today.

The walkout comes after the latest round of negotiations on Thursday didn’t produce an agreement.

It is the state’s first transit strike in more than 40 years and comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labour agreement with management. 

CHAD: Former prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra was taken into custody by security forces on today, in what his party called an “abduction.”

Public prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye said that Mr Masra was arrested in connection with an inter-communal clash in Chad’s south-west province of Logone Occidental that killed 42 people.

Mr Masra is accused of inciting hatred and violence through social media posts that called on the population to arm themselves against a community in the area, according to the prosecutor.