Trump says he will wipe out Turkey’s economy if it wipes out the Syrian Kurds
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would devastate Turkey’s economy if Ankara’s incursion in Syria wipes out the Kurdish population there.
EU
EU demands Turkey halt Syria operation as NATO chief urges ‘restraint’
EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday demanded Turkey halt its military operation against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, telling Ankara a political solution was the only way to end the Syrian conflict.
Trump bars envoy’s testimony, escalating impeachment fight
President Donald Trump intensified his fight with Congress Tuesday over the Democrats’ impeachment investigation, as the administration blocked a US diplomat from testifying behind closed doors about the president’s dealings with Ukraine. House committee chairmen said they would subpoena the envoy to force him to appear.
Turkish army pushes into Syria, people flee as air strikes, artillery hit border town
Turkey launched a military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria on Wednesday just days after U.S. troops pulled back from the area, with air strikes and artillery hitting YPG militia positions around the border town of Ras al Ain.
Negotiations between Britain, EU end without Brexit deal
alks between Britain and the European Union over London’s departure from the 28-nation bloc ended Wednesday without an agreement, and without an idea of when negotiators may try again.
Report: Iran Plans to Start Using More Advanced Centrifuges
Iran plans to start using a new array of advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium, the country’s nuclear chief said Monday according to state television, in a move likely to intensify pressure on Europe to save Tehran’s collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.
House Democrats Subpoena Pentagon, Prepare to Depose Sondland in Impeachment Inquiry
Three U.S. House of Representatives committees are set to question Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, on Tuesday to find out more about the interactions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials.
‘Islamic State’ resurgence a ‘very real possibility’ after US exits Syria
For months, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send troops into neighboring Syria. Then, on Saturday, he announced he would deliver on his promise and send Turkish air and ground forces into the country. Erdogan plans to create a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syrian border. The purpose of this is to push back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are led by the predominantly Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara considers the Kurdish militia a threat to its national security.
Commerce Dept.: U.S. trade deficit has grown by nearly $1B
The U.S. trade deficit has grown by nearly $1 billion after the Trump administration imposed new tariffs against Chinese products, the Commerce Department said in a report Friday.
Iran not ‘drawing back’ militarily after Saudi attack – U.S. admiral
Iran has not drawn back to a less threatening military posture in the region following the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Arabia, the top U.S. admiral in the Middle East told Reuters, suggesting persistent concern despite a lull in violence.
U.S. Supreme Court to tackle gay rights, guns, abortion and Trump
The U.S. Supreme Court’s new term opens on Monday with the conservative majority in a position to take a more aggressive rightward turn on divisive issues including abortion, gay rights and gun control while also refereeing legal brawls involving President Donald Trump.
EU court: Facebook can be forced to remove content worldwide
The European Union’s highest court ruled Thursday that individual member countries can force Facebook to remove what they regard as unlawful material from the social network all over the world — a decision experts say could hinder free speech online and put a heavy burden on tech companies.
U.S. State Department Approves Sale Of Second Batch Of Javelin Missiles To Ukraine
The U.S. State Department has approved $39.2 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine, including a second batch of the world’s deadliest anti-tank missiles to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia-backed separatists.
U.N. Security Council likely to meet next week over North Korea missile launch: diplomats
The U.N. Security Council will likely meet behind closed doors on North Korea next week, diplomats said on Thursday, after Pyongyang said it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile ahead of fresh nuclear talks with Washington.
Boris Johnson delivers ‘final offer’ for Brexit deal to EU, says ‘we can, we must and we will’ leave bloc
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has submitted the U.K.’s ‘final offer’ for a Brexit deal to the European Union on Wednesday. ‘We can, we must and we will’ leave the bloc before the Oct. 31 deadline, he insisted.
U.S. widens trade war with tariffs on European planes, cheese, whisky to punish subsidies
The United States on Wednesday said it would slap 10% tariffs on European-made Airbus planes and 25% duties on French wine, Scotch and Irish whiskeys, and cheese from across the continent as punishment for illegal EU aircraft subsidies.
Khamenei: We’ll further breach nuke deal until we get ‘desired results’
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday threatened that Iran would further breach the international accord that set limits on its nuclear program until it obtains the ‘desired results.’
Hong Kong protesters rampage as police call for curfew
Hong Kong demonstrators clashed with police into the early hours of Thursday, throwing petrol bombs and venting their anger over the shooting of a teenager earlier in the week, as months of anti-government protests showed no sign of letting up.
Final proposal: UK PM Johnson to unveil Brexit offer to EU
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday unveil his final Brexit offer to the European Union and make clear that if Brussels does not engage with the proposal, Britain will not negotiate further and will leave on Oct. 31.
Boris Johnson defends leaked Brexit plan after EU criticism
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended his government’s proposals for an amended Brexit deal after extracts of the plan were reported by media outlets and criticized by the Republic of Ireland.