United States President Donald Trump has signaled a sharp shift in his administration’s diplomatic posture toward Tehran, announcing on social media that Washington does not need an agreement with Iran and instructing Vice President JD Vance to pivot away from leading negotiations.

In a morning statement posted to Truth Social, Trump directed Vance, who had been spearheading diplomatic outreach to secure a ceasefire and broader resolution, to instead devote his complete attention to addressing alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-governed states and cities.

“We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed! We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!” Trump wrote, referring to frozen Iranian assets and U.S. naval control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The directive follows quiet diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran aimed at averting a renewed escalation into full-scale conflict.

The reassignment also distances Vance from stalled negotiations after the vice president publicly attributed recent Republican midterm election losses to voter dissatisfaction over the war with Iran, a conflict Trump agreed carried political costs, though he maintained the military intervention was justified to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Later in the day, during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump offered a more hawkish assessment of the standoff. While reiterating earlier remarks that immediate military action was unnecessary because U.S. forces maintain control over the Persian Gulf waterway, he stated he would not hesitate to resume strikes if conditions deteriorated.

“We control the Gulf in terms of the Hormuz Strait. We control it, totally control it. But the answer is, if I saw things going the other way, I would do that. And it’s possible I would do it right now,” Trump said, adding that he would view leaving office with Iran’s current leadership remaining in power as a defeat.

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Sweden has returned 39 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, 129 years after British forces looted thousands of cultural artefacts from the Benin Kingdom during the 1897 invasion.

The artefacts were formally handed over to Nigeria at a ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, November 12, by representatives of Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture. They will be received by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).

According to The Art Newspaper, the objects were among thousands taken by British troops who attacked and burned the Benin Kingdom before incorporating it into the British Empire.

The returned collection includes cultural objects known as Emwin Arre. However, six of the 39 artefacts will remain in Sweden under a 10-year loan arrangement.

Michael Barrett, curator for Africa at Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture, described the return as an important step towards addressing the colonial-era looting of cultural property.

The restitution adds to ongoing efforts to recover Benin artefacts held by foreign institutions. The Netherlands returned 119 objects to Nigeria in 2025, while Germany handed over 20 Benin Bronzes in 2022.

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The Malaysian police officer whose hand was severed by a Nigerian national has undergone a successful surgery to have his hand reattached.

Doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital successfully reattached the right hand of 26-year-old Lance Corporal Thierry Rodger anak Fendy after it was severed at the wrist in a Parang attack in Desa Amanpuri, Kepong, yesterday, November 11.

Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today, November 12, that the complex replantation surgery on Lance Corporal Thierry Rodger anak Fendy took eight hours.

The New Straits Times, citing an unnamed source, reported that the emergency operation was completed at 8.40am today, November 12.

Police said last night that officers, firefighters and Health Ministry personnel went to the Kepong residence following a report at about 4pm yesterday about a man behaving aggressively.

According to police and videos seen online, the suspect attacked the responding personnel with two machetes when the door was opened, severing the officer’s hand and injuring his head and body, while several firefighters and health personnel sustained minor injuries.

The suspect fled before being located near a playground at about 8pm, where he allegedly attacked officers attempting to arrest him, prompting police to fire several shots.

Police said the suspect passed away while being taken to hospital, while the injured officer was initially treated at Selayang Hospital before being transferred to HKL for surgery.

The suspect who attacked the police officer has been identified as Nigerian national, Osondu Chika Wisdom.

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