Trump team and Canada officials resume talks to revamp NAFTA
Trump administration officials and Canadian negotiators are resuming talks to try to keep Canada in a North American trade bloc with the United States and Mexico.
Washington
Pentagon Plans to Deploy Space-Based Missiles
The Pentagon is studying the deployment of space-based missiles and new sensors to counter the growing threat of high-speed missile attacks from China and Russia, senior defense officials said Tuesday.
Former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl will be John McCain’s successor in the U.S. Senate
Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday publicly chose Jon Kyl, once one of the most powerful Republicans in the U.S. Senate, to succeed the late Sen. John McCain.
Democrats inject chaos into Brett Kavanaugh hearing with delay demands
Senate Democrats repeatedly interrupted the opening of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearing Tuesday morning in a failed bid to delay proceedings.
Global debt soars, along with fears of crisis ahead
Ten years after the worst financial panic since the 1930s, growing debt burdens in key developing economies are fueling fears of a new crisis that could spread far beyond the disruption sweeping Turkey.
Pompeo to toe hard line in Pakistan; no plan to resume halted U.S. aid
U.S. officials say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will toe a hard line with Pakistan’s new government when he visits Islamabad this week, roughly nine months after President Trump halted security aid to the South Asian nation on grounds it gives ‘safe haven to terrorists.’
Capitol Hill probes on Trump, elections may factor in November vote
Congress returns this week from its August recess and while the House Intelligence Committee has wrapped up its probe, lawmakers still face big questions regarding the Russian-meddling scandal, threats to the U.S. electoral system, the uses and abuses of social media sites and fresh clashes between the White House and the Department of Justice.
Bruce Ohr, FBI together attempted to flip Russian oligarchs to gather information on Trump campaign: Report
The FBI and Department of Justice partnered on a secret program aimed at flipping Russian oligarchs with potentially damaging information about the Trump campaign’s alleged involvement with the Kremlin, according to a New York Times report Saturday.
Iran said to give Iraqi militias ballistic missiles capable of hitting Israel
Iran has given ballistic missiles to Shi’ite proxies in Iraq and is developing the capacity to build more there to deter attacks on its interests in the Middle East and to give it the means to hit regional foes, Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources said.
With Kavanaugh on track for confirmation, Democrats regret triggering ‘nuclear option’
With attempts to attack Brett M. Kavanaugh’s record failing, Democrats over the weekend mounted a last-ditch bid to derail his confirmation to the Supreme Court by claiming that the vetting process is so bad that it demands a do-over.
Turkey calls US ‘wild wolves’, vows to abandon dollar in trade
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday vowed Ankara would pursue non-dollar transactions in trade with Russia and other countries, accusing the US of behaving like ‘wild wolves.’
Bruce Ohr named ‘half a dozen’ FBI, DOJ officials who knew about Trump dossier ties, GOP investigator says
Justice Department official Bruce Ohr gave lawmakers ‘a list of half a dozen’ senior FBI and DOJ officials who knew about his interactions with people tied to the Trump dossier, according to a GOP congressman.
Coptic Christians find strength in faith and community of asylum seekers in Virginia
Fayza Estephanos knows exactly how long it has been since she learned that two of her brothers were among 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians kidnapped and beheaded by the Islamic State in 2015 — three years, six months.
Russian military ‘drills’ point to imminent final clash in Syria
Russia’s navy announced it will open ‘large-scale drills’ in the Mediterranean on Saturday in the latest sign that a major Syrian government offensive against one of the last rebel strongholds in the country is imminent — a development that the United Nations warns could trigger a fresh refugee crisis in the Middle East nation’s 7-year-old civil war.
U.S., Canadian trade negotiators go down to wire with looming deadline for NAFTA deal
U.S. and Canadian officials on Thursday frantically tried to hammer out final sticking points for a deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, with one day left before President Trump’s deadline for an agreement.
Palestinian Leaders Bet Future on Trump Impeachment
Palestinian leaders are betting their future on President Donald Trump being impeached by Democrats following the mid-term elections, according to Arabic language comments by a senior Palestinian government leader who praised Special Counsel Robert Mueller for targeting Trump and his top allies.
US economy’s growth rate boosted to 4.2 percent
The U.S. economy grew 4.2 percent in the three months through June, slightly faster than initially reported and the most in four years.
FBI: No evidence proving Hillary Clinton’s email servers were compromised
An FBI official said Wednesday that the bureau has not found any evidence that Hillary Clinton’s email servers were compromised, after some reports suggested they were.
Trump warns Evangelicals of Democrats ‘violently’ overturning his agenda
President Trump has urged Evangelical leaders to get their followers to the polls in November or face Democrats overturning his conservative agenda ‘violently.’
Christian Schoolgirl Abducted by Boko Haram Is Still Alive
Jihadist militant organization Boko Haram confirmed a 15-year-old schoolgirl, kidnapped by the group in February, is still alive this week. The terrorist group released an audio recording yesterday of Leah Sharibu asking Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to work for her release.