NTD News Today

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Taiwan was a major topic of discussion during his summit with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and added that he had not yet decided whether to proceed with a major U.S. arms package for the island.

Trump also said he thinks Xi is seriously considering releasing detained pastor Ezra Jin in China, but that the case of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai "is a tough one." Lai was sentenced to 20 years in jail in what Amnesty International calls a "travesty of justice" and an attack on press freedom.

The Beijing summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping concluded its first day on May 14 with a notable flashpoint: Taiwan and U.S. arms sales to the island.

According to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi warned Trump that the two countries risked “clashes and even conflicts” if the Taiwan issue was not handled carefully.

The White House released a brief readout of the meeting between Trump and Xi. It made no mention of Taiwan, instead focusing extensively on the Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz, and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, testified on Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Cooper said that "Iranian-supported terror groups attacked U.S. troops and diplomats more than 350 times" in the 30 months prior to Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. China rolled out the red carpet for the U.S. president, with tech giants and business chiefs eyeing deals under Xi’s communist regime.

The South Carolina Supreme Court on May 13 overturned lawyer Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence over the fatal shootings of his wife and younger son. The justices unanimously ruled the conduct by the court clerk “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility.”

Murdaugh will remain in prison. He pleaded guilty to 22 counts of federal financial crimes for stealing about $12 million from his clients and is serving 40 years.

The U.S. annual inflation rate rose to 3.8 percent in April, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Economists had forecast a reading of 3.7 percent. Core inflation, which strips out the volatile energy and food prices, edged up to 2.8 percent, above the consensus estimate of 2.7 percent.

President Donald Trump is set to depart for Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Talks will focus on trade, technology, and security. Trump also plans to raise other issues, including Taiwan, Iran, and Russia. He also said he'll bring up the cases of imprisoned Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai and Chinese pastor Ezra Jin during discussions with Xi.

The White House is expecting a response proposal on Friday from the Iranian regime about ending the war. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that a ceasefire was still holding despite a flare-up in the conflict after three U.S. Navy destroyers were attacked as they moved through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a new congressional redistricting map, approved by voters in a referendum last month, that favors Democrats. The court ruled that the Democratic-controlled Legislature failed to follow constitutional procedures when advancing the ballot measure.

The Department of War released its first batch of UFO-related documents that had been slated for public release. The records include high-profile incident accounts, photographic evidence, eyewitness testimonies, and public reports dating back 80 years.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is heading to the White House on Thursday for talks with President Donald Trump. Brazil's finance minister says tariffs and organized crime will be key topics. The visit follows tensions last year after the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Brazilian imports, which Trump linked to the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro—a case Trump called a "witch hunt." The talks are also expected to touch on Brazil's rare earth mineral reserves.

Dutch officials say that dozens of passengers left the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship on April 24. That was nearly two weeks after the first passenger died on board. Oceanwide Expeditions said 29 passengers disembarked, while Dutch officials put the number closer to 40. The passengers, from at least 12 countries, returned home before authorities began tracing potential contacts.

President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran on Wednesday, saying that if the regime doesn't come to an agreement, the “bombing starts,” and it will be "at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.” Trump also said that if Iran honors what has been agreed to, Operation Epic Fury could end and the Strait of Hormuz could reopen.

The World Health Organization said three individuals, two of them seriously ill, were evacuated on Wednesday from a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and marooned for days off the coast of Cape Verde. Ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions said the MV Hondius, which has nearly 150 people on board, is expected to head next to Spain's Canary Islands, but the regional government says it's opposed to the idea. Three people have so far died in the outbreak.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said Project Freedom, the U.S. effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury, and is "defensive in nature."

Hegseth said hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit the strait, and that U.S. Central Command is in active communication with ships, shipping companies, and insurers. Hegseth also said the blockade of Iranian ports is in full effect.

Voters are heading to the polls in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan on Tuesday, with key primary races and one closely watched special election underway.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday that U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are operating in the Arabian Gulf in support of Project Freedom. CENTCOM also confirmed that after the launch of Project Freedom, two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized and in critical condition, Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s spokesman, posted on X on May 3.

Goodman provided no other information about the nature of Giuliani’s condition or the reason for his hospitalization. President Donald Trump commented on Truth Social after learning of Giuliani’s hospitalization, praising the former mayor for his work.

President Donald Trump said on April 30 that gasoline prices would plummet once the war with Iran ends.

Speaking during a press event in the Oval Office, Trump linked elevated fuel costs directly to the ongoing Iran conflict and the continued closure of key shipping routes, while expressing the conviction that ample global supply would quickly push prices lower once unrestricted crude transit resumes in a post-war environment.

Authorities have released a new video that shows the moment an alleged gunman attempted to breach security at Saturday’s White House Correspondents' Dinner. Trump said the suspect shot a Secret Service officer.