U.S., Russian Military Chiefs Meet In Switzerland On Syria, Avoiding Conflicts
The top U.S. and Russian military commanders on December 18 held talks on Syria, where both countries are militarily engaged, and on improving mutual communication.
World Headlines
India’s Modi refuses to budge on citizenship law despite mass protests
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to give in to protesters’ demands over a controversial new citizenship law even as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets for the seventh day as part of mass protests on Wednesday.
Baghdad must ‘take actions’ after strikes on US interests, Washington says
The United States has called on Baghdad to ‘take actions’ to protect US interests in the country after a flurry of attacks that have been blamed on Iranian-backed groups.
Hundreds of thousands protest in France over pension reform plans
Hundreds of thousands of French protesters took to the streets Tuesday in a pension reform standoff that has sparked nearly two weeks of crippling transport strikes, with the government vowing it will not give in to union demands to drop the overhaul.
Russian spy ship operating in ‘unsafe manner’ near U.S. submarine base
A Russian spy ship is conducting operations off the coast of the Eastern United States and has been engaged in unsafe activities near a U.S. nuclear missile submarine base, according to the Coast Guard.
3rd Night of Clashes as Lebanon Puts Off Talks on New PM
Supporters of Lebanon’s two main Shi’ite groups Hezbollah and Amal clashed with security forces and set fires to cars in the capital early Tuesday, apparently angered by a video circulating online that showed a man insulting Shi’ite figures.
President Trump Ends WTO Dispute Resolution Court, Opens New Era of Fair Trade
When President Trump ended the 24-year-old World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute resolution court by refusing to name two replacement judges, the move has launched a new era of fair trade.
Kudlow: U.S.-China deal ‘absolutely’ done, U.S. exports to China will double
The so-called Phase One trade deal between Washington and Beijing has been ‘absolutely completed,’ a top White House adviser said on Monday, adding that U.S. exports to China will double under the agreement.
U.S. carrier strike group harassed by Iranian vessels as it leaves Middle East
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was followed by a group of Iranian vessels as it left the Middle East, and was replaced by the USS Harry S. Truman strike group.
Mexico and US claim resolution to last-minute trade deal snag over factory inspections
The Trump administration said Monday that officials sent to Mexico to monitor labor compliance as part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade would not have unilateral authority to inspect factories, an attempt to allay Mexican fears.
Turkey, Russia ‘Very Close’ to Second Missile Defense Deal
Turkey could finalize terms for delivery of a second consignment of S-400 advanced missile defenses from Russia by April when the first batch will be ready to operate, Ankara’s defense industry chief said on Friday.
North Korea conducts another test at long-range rocket site
North Korea said Saturday that it successfully performed another ‘crucial test’ at its long-range rocket launch site that will further strengthen its nuclear deterrent.
Trump preparing to withdraw 4,000 troops from Afghanistan
President Trump is reportedly planning to withdraw 4,000 troops from Afghanistan as part of a pledge he made this summer to end American involvement in conflict in the area.
2019 saw attacks on houses of worship with alarming frequency worldwide
On December 1, a band of assailants opened fire on worshipers at a small-town Protestant church in Burkina Faso, an impoverished West African country where the Christian minority is increasingly a target of attacks. The victims included the pastor and several teenage boys; regional authorities attributed the attack to ‘unidentified armed men’ who, according to witnesses, got away on motorcycles.
Brexit looks to be forthcoming with Boris Johnson election victory
Prime Minister Boris Johnson coasted to a landslide victory as British election results trickled in overnight, positioning himself to be the man to deliver Brexit on the promised January 31st deadline.
Turkey could close Incirlik air base in face of U.S. threats: Erdogan
Turkey could shut down its Incirlik airbase, which hosts U.S. nuclear warheads, in response to threats of U.S. sanctions and a separate U.S. Senate resolution that recognized mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.
Two Chinese diplomats expelled from US after entering military base: report
Two Chinese diplomats have been secretly kicked out of the US after driving onto a sensitive military base in Virginia — the first such expulsions in more than 30 years, according to a report Sunday.
China to buy $50 billion in U.S. farm products in return for tariff concessions-U.S. sources
The White House has agreed to suspend some tariffs on Chinese goods and reduce others in return for Beijing’s pledge to hike purchases of U.S. farm products in 2020, sources said on Thursday, taking a step towards de-escalating the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
EU welcomes clear UK Conservative victory as clarity over Brexit
European diplomats on Thursday welcomed the clarity an apparently decisive election victory for the Conservative Party gave to Britain’s stalled withdrawal from the EU, but said it would be challenging to agree a trade deal by the end of 2020.
Iran ‘identified defused’ huge cyberattack by a foreign government
The Iranian telecommunications minister said Wednesday that Iran had foiled a large-scale cyberattack on its critical infrastructure by a highly sophisticated state-level team of hackers.