UN nuclear agency asks Iran to explain uranium samples found at warehouse
The head of the UN’s nuclear inspection agency Monday called on Tehran to explain the findings of a test conducted in April.
EU
Pennsylvania to become latest state offering gender-neutral IDs
Last spring, Dexter Rose walked into a Philadelphia Driver and Photo License Center with a ‘Request for Gender Change’ form. Handwritten on the form was a box with the single letter ‘X’ scribbled in under gender.
IDF kicks off large exercise simulating war against Hezbollah
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday launched a large-scale exercise simulating war against Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian forces in the north of the country.
Iran slated to begin work on advanced centrifuges as damage control for nuclear deal fails
Iran will begin work on advanced centrifuges that allow for faster enrichment of uranium, AP reported Thursday.
Iran poised for faster centrifuges as nuclear deal collapses
Iran was poised Thursday to begin work on advanced centrifuges that will enrich uranium faster as the 2015 nuclear deal unravels further and a last-minute French proposal offering a $15-billion line of credit to compensate Iran for not being able to sell its crude oil abroad because of U.S. sanctions looked increasingly unlikely.
UK and Israeli leaders agree on need to stop Iran getting nuclear weapon
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during a meeting in London on the need to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, Downing Street said on Thursday.
Putin: Russia To Produce Previously Banned Missiles, Deploy Them Only If U.S. Does
President Vladimir Putin says Russia will produce missiles banned until last month when a treaty forbidding them ended but would deploy them only if the United States did.
Trump administration unveils Fannie, Freddie overhaul, urges Congress to act
The U.S. Treasury on Thursday said the government should draw up a plan to begin recapitalizing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while calling on Congress to pen a comprehensive housing reform that would allow them to be safely freed from government control.
Boko Haram scatters villagers near predominantly Christian site of schoolgirl kidnappings
Another Boko Haram attack in northern Nigeria has caused all the villagers of a local town to flee.
Hong Kong leader pulls extradition bill, but too little too late, say some
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday withdrew an extradition bill that triggered months of often violent protests so the Chinese-ruled city can move forward from a ‘highly vulnerable and dangerous’ place and find solutions.
U.S. trade deficit shrinks, gap with China remains elevated
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly in July, but the gap with China, a focus of the Trump administration’s ‘America First’ agenda, surged to a six-month high.
US adds new sanctions and reward to further pressure Iran
The Trump administration stepped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday, imposing sanctions on an oil shipping network with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and offering a reward of up to $15 million for anyone with information that could disrupt its faltering economy even further.
Secretary of State Pompeo Declines to Sign Risky Afghan Peace Deal
The U.S. is closing in on a deal with the Taliban that is designed to wind down America’s 18-year war in Afghanistan, but the best indication of how risky the pact maybe is this: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is declining to sign it, according to senior U.S., Afghan and European officials.
Major defeat for British PM as lawmakers seize Brexit agenda
On a day of humiliating setbacks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a major defeat in Parliament on Tuesday night as rebellious lawmakers voted to seize control of the Brexit agenda, prompting the embattled prime minister to say he would call for a new general election.
UN Atomic Agency Confirms Iran Breach of Nuclear Deal, Could Enrich Up to 20% by Friday
The UN nuclear watchdog announced Friday that Iran had made good on its threat to enrich uranium above the prescribed limits of the 2015 nuclear accord.
Iran warns EU over nuclear commitments as deadline for further steps looms
Iran said on Monday it would further reduce its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal if European parties failed to shield Tehran’s economy from sanctions reimposed by the United States after Washington quit the accord last year.
UK PM Johnson threatens election ahead of Brexit battle in parliament
Prime Minister Boris Johnson implicitly warned lawmakers on Monday that he would seek an election if they tied his hands on Brexit, ruling out ever countenancing a further delay to Britain’s departure from the European Union.
Hezbollah: flare-up with Israel over but a ‘new phase’ has started
Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader said on Monday that while a flare-up with Israel at the border was over, the episode had launched a ‘new phase’ in which the Iran-backed group no longer has red lines.
IAEA report raises suspicion Iran is hiding ‘undeclared nuclear material’
A forthcoming report from the International Atomic Energy Agency has stoked concerns that Iran is hiding illicit nuclear activity, according to government officials familiar with the agency’s still-unpublished assessment.
Hong Kong Protestors March for 13th Straight Weekend Despite Ban on Demonstration
Hong Kong protestors marched out Saturday night in spite of city officials having banned a petition for a demonstration commemorating the 5th anniversary of China’s ruling against fully democratic elections in the former British colony.