Merz will be the first European leader to meet Trump since the start of the operation, which has blocked one of the world's key oil shipping lanes and thrown global air transport into chaos.
According to the AFP report, the explosion came after at least one jet was heard flying over the city and was followed by sounds of gunfire.
Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot who had commanded sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, was arrested on Wednesday.
Trump has said the US would only admit 7,500 total refugees from around the world in fiscal year 2026, while a much higher cap of 40,000 to 60,000 was discussed internally last year.
The message was conveyed during an unreported meeting between a US State Department team and the Syrian Communications Minister, Abdulsalam Haykal, in San Francisco.
Four others aboard were killed on Wednesday when Cuban forces returned fire on the Florida-registered speedboat off the northern coast of Cuba, Cuba's Interior Ministry said.
"I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes, or offices. I have nothing to add to that," Clinton said in a statement.
In recent weeks, Germany, France, Italy, and others have called for Albanese to step down over her criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, said the remarks were taken out of context.
Dr. Lynette Nusbacher, an American military historian, told The Telegraph that she deemed it “plausible” that Iranian-backed groups, including Hezbollah, are behind the construction of the tunnels.
Commissioner for Culture and Media, Wolfram Weimer, was reportedly planning to sack festival director Tricia Tuttle.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 420 drones and 39 missiles in another night of attacks on energy and other critical infrastructure.
