Tensions soar as Syrian fight nears Israeli border — with possible Iranian military presence
It was yet another sign that the Syrian civil war, with a possible Iranian military presence, has arrived on Israel’s doorstep.
Russia
Republicans are running out of time
Republicans are running out of time. Today they control all of Washington. Come January, they may be confined to the White House.
US Ambassador Says Russia Trying to Destabilize NATO, ‘Flip’ Turkey
Days before President Trump meets with NATO partners ahead of a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S. ambassador to NATO warned Sunday that Moscow is attempting to destabilize the transatlantic alliance – among other things, by trying to draw away Turkey.
Russia blocks Security Council statement on Syria
Russia on Thursday blocked the UN Security Council from adopting a statement on the situation in southwestern Syria, where rebels are under intense bombardment, diplomats said after an urgent meeting requested by Sweden and Kuwait.
Mueller Taps More Prosecutors to Help With Growing Trump Probe
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is tapping additional Justice Department resources for help with new legal battles as his year-old investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 election continues to expand.
Judge tosses suit alleging Trump campaign conspired with Russia in DNC hack
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that President Donald Trump’s campaign and former Trump adviser Roger Stone conspired with Russia and WikiLeaks to publish hacked Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 presidential race.
Judge: Rosenstein empowered Mueller to probe even ‘indirect’ or ‘potential’ Russian ties
Special counsel Robert Mueller was granted wide latitude by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to pursue any alleged contact between Russia and the Trump campaign not matter how ‘stale’ it is, a judge said.
Iranian-backed militia, Syria threaten to cut off rebels near Golan
On Monday elements of the Iranian-backed Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas and the Syrian regime’s Republican Guard were reported to be leading the Syrian regime’s offensive near the Golan, attempting to cut the Syrian rebels territory in half.
Golan Heights: Israel Deploys Tanks And Artillery In Warning To Assad’s Syria
Israel beefed up its tank and artillery deployment on the Golan Heights frontier with Syria on Sunday, cautioning Damascus’ forces to keep a distance as they sweep rebel-held areas over the border.
‘Looking forward to it’: Trump says he can succeed where others failed with Putin summit
The odds for success are slim and the political risk will be huge for President Trump when he sits down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland next month, but the dealmaker in chief is relishing his turn to go toe-to-toe with the former KBG colonel.
Syrian rebels resume peace talks with Russians after Jordan mediates
Talks between the Syrian opposition and Russian negotiators to reach a ceasefire in a rebel-held town in southwestern Syria have resumed after mediation by Jordan that has been seeking a ceasefire, an opposition spokesman said.
EU leaders agree to extend economic sanctions on Russia
European Union leaders agreed on Friday to extend their economic sanctions against Russia for annexing Crimea from Kiev and backing rebels fighting government troops in east Ukraine, an EU official said.
Syrian army makes advances in southwest offensive
The Syrian army battled rebels in an important town in southwest Syria on Thursday, a media unit run by its ally Hezbollah and a war monitor said, as intensifying air strikes killed dozens of people in the area.
Trump will demand of Putin a total Iranian exit from Syria — report
US President Donald Trump intends to demand from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a full Iranian pullout from Syria territory, making the subject a priority in talks between the two leaders planned for next month, the Arabic-language Al-Hayat newspaper reported Thursday.
Trump-Putin summit set for July
Washington and Moscow agreed Wednesday to a summit next month between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a powwow that is guaranteed to provoke criticism from Mr. Trump’s critics at home and in foreign capitals.
Russian jets strike rebel-held town in south Syria, Breaking Ceasefire Deal
Russian jets struck an opposition held town in southwest Syria on Sunday, opposition sources said, in the first air cover provided by Moscow to an expanding Syrian army offensive to recapture the strategic area bordering Jordan and the Israeli Golan Heights.
U.S. spending bill would halt transfer of F-35s to Turkey
A U.S. Senate committee passed a spending bill on Thursday including a provision to block Turkey’s purchase of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets unless it drops a plan to buy S-400 missile defense systems from Russia.
UN ‘deeply concerned’ about 750,000 Syrians in the south
A spokesman says the U.N. is ‘deeply concerned’ about the safety of an estimated 750,000 people in southern Syria amid an unraveling cease-fire.
Russia-to-Germany undersea pipeline unnerves U.S., riles region
It has driven a wedge between America and its allies, given Russia a chance to put a stranglehold on European energy markets and may even threaten U.S. national security, some observers suggest, by potentially doubling as a spy device.
Russia argues the Marine Corps’ beefed-up presence in Norway is an attack
Russia just can’t let it go that Norway recently decided to invite several hundred more Marines to the region for cold-weather training.