Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Nikki Haley resigns as Trump's UN ambassador

Nikki Haley resigned on Tuesday (9) as the US ambassador to the United Nations, in the latest departure from President Donald Trump's national security team.

Meeting Haley in the Oval Office, Trump said that Haley had done a "fantastic job" and would leave at the end of the year.


"She told me probably six months ago," Trump told reporters, that '"I want to take a little time off.'"

A successor will be named "in the next two or three weeks," he said.

Haley was coy on her reasons for quitting, saying only that it was "important to understand when it's time to stand aside" after a string of challenging jobs.

Responding to media speculation, she insisted that she was not planning to run for president against Trump in 2020, when she might be seen as a more moderate Republican alternative.

"No I'm not running," she said emphatically.

- Trump's UN hawk -

The former governor of South Carolina, Haley took the diplomatic job with little experience in foreign policy, but quickly became the full-throated voice at the United Nations for the often unpopular Trump agenda.

Haley has pressed for a hard line on Iran, justified US cuts to foreign assistance and earlier this year led the United States in bolting from the UN Human Rights Council, accusing it of bias against Washington and close ally Israel.

At the recent UN General Assembly session, Haley took the highly unusual step for a senior diplomat of joining street protesters against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, shouting from a megaphone that the leftist leader should leave office.

However, there was embarrassment at the international diplomatic get-together when the audience in the hall burst into laughter during Trump's keynote speech, where he claimed that his government had achieved more in two years than "almost any other administration in the history of our country."

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley had long been seen as a rising star in the Republican Party which has eagerly sought female and ethnic minorities to broaden the appeal beyond its traditional white demographic.

Haley, whose given name was Nimrata Randhawa, was elected governor in 2010 of deeply Republican South Carolina and, during the 2016 campaign, had criticized Trump over his remarks on immigrants before their political reconciliation.

- Muscular presence -

Haley's is the latest resignation in a turbulent White House, where Trump is already on his third national security adviser and second secretary of state before even the midterm elections.

She insisted that she was going out on a high and would remain loyal to Trump.

"Countries may not like what we do but they respect what we do," she said, echoing the president's often-stated aim to make the US a more muscular presence on the international stage.

She listed hawkish policies to pressure Iran and the Palestinians, and the ground-breaking diplomatic outreach to communist North Korea.

"All of those things have made a huge difference in the US standing, but I can tell you that the US is strong again. The US is strong in a way it should make all Americans proud," Haley said.

More For You

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

Foreign Office minister Catherine West, health secretary Wes Streeting and equalities minister Seema Malhotra during the Holi Reception in London.

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

THE recent health and life sciences agreement between the UK and India will strengthen cooperation on healthcare innovation and security in both countries, health secretary Wes Streeting said.

Speaking at the Holi reception organised by the 1928 Institute, who are the secretariat for the India All-Party Parliamentary Group, in London on Monday (24), he added that the contribution of British Indians has been pivotal in the growth of the NHS since its inception in 1948, and a robust partnership between the two nations will ensure we have a healthcare provider 'fit for the future'.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-steel-iStock

An aerial view of Steel Plant Industry in Scunthorpe. (Photo: iStock)

British Steel to shut blast furnaces, up to 2,700 jobs at risk

BRITISH STEEL, owned by Chinese group Jingye, confirmed on Thursday that it will shut down its blast furnaces and steelmaking operations in England, attributing the decision to market challenges, tariffs, and rising environmental costs.

The closures, first proposed in late 2023, could lead to the loss of up to 2,700 jobs at the company’s main UK site in Scunthorpe, northern England, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil has garnered significant media attention with its direct action protests

Getty Images

Just Stop Oil ends direct action campaign after major policy success

The environmental activist group Just Stop Oil has announced an end to its disruptive direct action protests, declaring a significant victory in its campaign to halt new oil and gas developments. In a statement released by the organisation, the group confirmed it had successfully influenced government policy to abandon new fossil fuel exploration, marking a major turning point in the movement’s goals.

“Just Stop Oil's initial demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history,” the group’s statement read. It went on to claim responsibility for having kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the ground, while legal victories in the courts have ruled new oil and gas licences unlawful.

Keep ReadingShow less
submarine-crash-reuters

People walk next to an ambulance in front of the hospital where the bodies of foreigners who were killed when a tourist submarine sank off Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, and whose nationalities are still unknown, are kept. (Photo: Reuters)

Six foreign tourists die after submarine sinks off Egypt’s Red Sea coast

SIX tourists died on Thursday when a submarine carrying visitors sank near Hurghada, a resort city on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, state media reported.

According to the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, all the deceased were foreigners. The report also said 19 others were injured in the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
EU Warns Citizens to Stockpile Essentials Amid War Concerns

Not all EU countries currently have the same level of preparedness

Getty Images

European Union urges citizens to stockpile food and supplies amid risk of war

The European Union (EU) has advised its 450 million citizens to stockpile essential items, including food and water, to prepare for potential emergencies. This call to action is part of a broader strategy to improve disaster preparedness across the 27-nation bloc, as it faces increasing risks from war, cyberattacks, climate change, and public health crises.

The EU’s recommendation comes in light of recent global developments that have raised concerns about security and stability. Citizens are encouraged to have enough food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies to last at least 72 hours during a crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less