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.
World Headlines
Merkel and Macron mold plans for EU reform
Proposals by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for reforming the European Union are to be discussed at the upcoming EU summit in late June. There is plenty of agreement between the two — but also some sizeable differences.
Syria says US-led strike hits troops in east, US denies
Syrian state media reported Monday that an airstrike against pro-government forces in the far east of the country caused casualties, while Iraqi officials said 20 Shiite paramilitaries were killed just across the border.
Saudi-led coalition conducts air strikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah airport
Houthi forces fought to keep control of the airport in Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah on Sunday as Saudi-led coalition air strikes struck the compound, in an offensive that could be a turning point in the three-year conflict.
Energized Turkish opposition puts Erdogan in real danger of losing power
A prolonged state of emergency after a failed coup attempt and a constitutional referendum that delivered Turkey’s president sweeping new powers should deliver strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an easy win in Turkey’s June 24 snap elections, a vote moved up from November 2019.
Magnitude 6.1 quake kills three, stops factories in Japan’s Osaka area
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Osaka, Japan’s second-biggest metropolis, early on Monday morning, killing three people, halting factory lines in a key industrial area and bursting water mains, government officials and broadcaster NHK said.
Trump to slap tariffs on nearly $50 billion in Chinese goods
President Trump is ready to slap tariffs on nearly $50 billion in Chinese goods, according to reports, reigniting fears of a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Gene-edited ‘designer babies’ offer miracle cures, questionable ethics
A generation of designer babies is both an exciting and a daunting prospect for scientists who dare to imagine a future free of genetic disease but can’t say how the effects of choice and accessibility will affect society.
UN report confirms debris from missiles that hit Saudis from Iran
The United Nations has determined that debris from five ballistic missiles launched from Yemen into Saudi Arabia since July 2017 contained components manufactured in Iran and shared key design features with an Iranian missile, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a new report.
Classified Israeli report raises doubts over Trump-Kim summit
A classified report from Israel’s foreign ministry raises doubts over President Trump’s optimistic statements about his summit with Kim Jong-un, and determines the U.S. retreated from its positions on several issues relating to North Korea’s nuclear program.
Turkey says its air strikes kill 26 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq
The Turkish military said on Friday air strikes its forces carried out killed 26 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq’s Qandil mountain region on June 12, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported.
U.S. says will “take firm, appropriate measures” against Syria violations
The United States will ‘take firm and appropriate measures’ in response to Syrian government violations in a so-called de-escalation zone in the country’s southwest, the State Department said on Thursday.
Nicaragua protesters stage national strike as clashes persist
A 24-hour general strike has brought much of Nicaragua to a standstill, as anti-government campaigners demand the resignation of President Daniel Ortega.
North, South Korea slated to hold military talks for first time in 10 years: Report
North and South Korea are slated to engage in high-level military talks on Thursday for the first time in more than 10 years, a new report states.
Pompeo clears the air: No sanctions relief for North Korea until ‘complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a press conference with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Thursday morning in Singapore to elaborate on the post Trump-Kim summit strategy for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
Hezbollah to be outlawed in Britain
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid plans later this year to outlaw Hezbollah in Britain, according to a report in the London-based Jewish Chronicle.
Putin and Rouhani meet in China, discuss joint efforts in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met in China on Saturday during a weekend summit of the Chinese- and Russian-led security bloc.
Saudis, allies launch long-awaited, high-risk assault on key Yemeni port
The Saudi-led coalition battling Iranian-backed Houthi separatists in Yemen launched a long-awaited, high-risk campaign to break the back of the insurgency, with American military assistance, in a mass offensive against a key rebel stronghold in the country.
EU Leaders Stress Need For a More United Europe after Trump’s Withdrawal From G7 Consensus
Europe must be ‘united’ in the wake of President Trump’s abrupt withdrawal from a G7 leaders’ communique, a senior European Union official told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Saudi-led coalition attacks Yemen’s key port of Hodeidah
A Saudi-led coalition launched an assault on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday in the biggest battle of a three-year war between an alliance of Arab states and the Iran-aligned Houthis.