Two Earthquakes Hit Iran ‘Close to Nuclear Power Plant’
Two earthquakes measuring 4.9 and 4.5 in magnitudes hit Iran on Wednesday, Jan. 8, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
World Headlines
Putin, Erdogan Call for De-Escalation After Iran Missile Attack
Hours after Iran fired missiles at U.S. soldiers in Iraqi military bases, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a de-escalation between both parties.
Trump Asking NATO to Become More Involved With Middle East in Wake of Iran Missile Strikes
President Donald Trump said he’d be asking the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, to get more involved with the Middle East after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi bases hosting U.S. troops on Jan. 7.
Ukraine investigating ‘all possible causes’ of plane crash in Iran
A Ukrainian passenger jet crashed minutes after takeoff from Iran Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew.
Iran believed to possess more than 2,000 ballistic missiles, Pentagon officials say
U.S. defense officials believe Iran is sitting on a stockpile of thousands of ballistic missiles and powerful munitions, following the country’s attack early Wednesday on American coalition forces in Iraq.
Putin makes unannounced visit to the Middle East
Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Syria where he has held talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syrian state media and Russia’s Interfax said on Tuesday.
Erdogan seeks a “greater Turkey” through Libya conflict
MPs in Turkey passed a bill approving the deployment of troops to Libya last Thursday in support of the embattled UN-backed government there, shoring up a relationship that experts say is a consolidation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s idea of a ‘greater Turkey’ resembling the Ottoman Empire.
Honduras to designate Hezbollah as terrorist group
The office of Honduras’s President said Tuesday that the central American country will recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist group, following a recent decision by the German Bundestag to do the same.
US officials say “major” retaliation expected from Iran following Soleimani funeral
The US is anticipating a ‘major’ reprisal from Iran within the next day or two, according to unnamed officials, as the three-day mourning period for fallen Iranian general Qassem Soleimani wraps up across the Islamic Republic.
‘It was a mistake’: Pentagon backtracks on Iraq troop withdrawal amid chaos over general’s letter
The most senior U.S. military officer said that a letter appearing to announce an American troop withdrawal from Iraq was ‘a mistake’ and should not have been sent to officials in Baghdad.
US deploys 6 B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia in Indian Ocean after Soleimani strike
The U.S. Air Force is deploying six B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia, an island base in the Indian Ocean, amid the rising threat from Iran after the U.S.-led airstrike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Fox News confirmed Monday.
Venezuela dictator Maduro takes over legislature in move condemned by Pompeo
Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro took over his country’s National Assembly Sunday, consolidating his power by co-opting the legislature largely considered the South American nation’s last democratic institution.
Brushfires in Australia could become “mega blaze”
Australian brushfires have burned over 12 million acres in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, encompassing an area twice as big as Maryland, as officials over the weekend suggested the inferno may metastasize into a ‘mega blaze.’
Trump warns Iran: US has targeted ’52 Iranian sites’ and will ‘hit very fast and very hard’ if needed
President Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Saturday through a series of Twitter messages intended to deter the country from retaliating after the U.S.-ordered airstrike that killed Iran’s Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week.
US base in Kenya attacked by Somali Islamic terrorists
A military airstrip in Kenya was attacked by Al Qaida-linked Al Shabab early Sunday, destroying several American aircraft, as US and Kenyan military shored up defenses against the Somalian terrorist organization.
Iranian regime offers $80 million for the head of Trump
The Islamic regime in Iran offered a reward of $80 million dollars on Sunday for the head of US President Donald Trump, following a US airstrike on Friday at the Baghdad International Airport that killed the chief of Iranian operations abroad.
Police in Hong Kong arrest hundreds on New Year’s Day
Hong Kong police arrested 400 people on New Year’s Day after what began as a peaceful protest deteriorated into protestors forming human chains and passing bricks to each other, police firing on them with tear gas.
Wildfires destroy hundreds of homes, cause thousands to flee in Australia in one week
Wildfires sweeping through Australia have caused thousands to flee and burned 381 homes to the ground in the last week, with officials not expecting the fires to let up until significant rainfalls come in a few months.
Iran militia in Iraq vows to legislate U.S. out of the country
The Iranian militia group Kataeb Hezbollah vowed to seek the expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraqi territory Thursday through legal channels after protests manufactured by Iran wreaked havoc on the U.S. embassy earlier in the week.
Surge of IS Violence Seen in Syria
Islamic State militants have increased their terror activity in recent weeks in Syria, carrying out deadly attacks against Syrian regime troops and U.S.-backed forces.