Raul Castro resigns as Communist chief, ending era in Cuba
Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country’s 1959 revolution.
World News
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes southwestern Iran in area of nuclear site
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook southwestern Iran along the Persian Gulf on Sunday, followed by at least three moderate-strength aftershocks, state TV reported.
Syria to hold presidential election next month, second under shadow of civil war
Syria is to hold a presidential election on May 26, the parliament speaker announced Sunday, the country’s second in the shadow of civil war, seen as likely to keep President Bashar Assad in power.
Super typhoon Surigae explodes to Cat. 5 intensity
Super Typhoon Surigae surged in intensity from a Category 1 storm on Friday to a beastly Category 5 monster on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds estimated at 190 mph with higher gusts.
Grief-Stricken Britain Burying Prince Philip
A grief-stricken nation said farewell to Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constrained his life.
Hong Kong Court Jails Media Tycoon, Activists, For Pro-Democracy Rallies
A court in Hong Kong on Friday sentenced veteran pro-democracy leaders to prison terms of between eight and 18 months as Beijing remodels the city into one resembling any other on the Chinese mainland.
Iranian official admits Israel swiped nuclear archive
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel stole the country’s nuclear archive, in what appears to be the first public admission of the 2018 Mossad operation by an Iranian official.
Drone attack targets Iraqi base in Erbil that houses US troops: reports
An unmanned drone dropped explosives on a U.S.-led base near the Erbil airport in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq on Wednesday night, according to reports.
Iran enriches uranium to 60%, a short step from weapons grade levels
Iranian scientists have successfully enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, its highest ever levels, senior Iranian officials declared on Friday.
Pfizer CEO says third COVID booster shot ‘likely’ needed within a year of getting vaccinated, perhaps a yearly shot
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla predicted Thursday that people who have received the company’s COVID vaccine will “likely” need a third booster shot within a year to maintain protection against the virus.
DNI Avril Haines knocks WHO report that dismissed theory COVID-19 escaped from lab
U.S. intelligence agencies disagree with the findings of a recent joint World Health Organization-Chinese government probe that dismissed the theory that the COVID-19 virus outbreak could have resulted from an accidental escape from a Chinese laboratory, officials told Congress on Thursday.
Putin will block foreign warships from entering Black Sea via the Kerch Strait
Russia will block foreign warships and non-commercial vessels from transiting the Kerch Strait to access the Black Sea, according to reports from Ukrainian media. The strait lies between Crimea and Russia, and connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.
China’s ‘Guam Killer’ missile force rapidly expands
Deployment of China‘s new DF-26 intermediate-range missile, dubbed the “Guam killer” by Beijing, has rapidly expanded over the past year, according to a Pentagon intelligence report.
Iran and Turkey leaders discuss recent Israeli activity
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke on Wednesday to discuss “recent Israeli activities in the region,” and Israel’s normalization of relations with a number of Arab states last year, the Times of Israel said. According to Iranian media, Rouhani and Erdogan talked about regional and economic cooperation between their countries.
US Imposes Sanctions On Russia As Tensions Rise; 10 Diplomats Expelled
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday expelled 10 Russian diplomats in retaliation to Moscow’s interference in last year’s presidential election and the hacking of federal agencies.
Turmoil Over China’s First University In Hungary (Worthy News In-depth)
Political tensions are rising in Hungary over government plans to build the European Union’s first Chinese university campus in Budapest, the capital, despite security and social concerns.
US to announce new sanctions against Russia
The United States will soon announce new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities for alleged election interference and malicious cyber activity, Voice of America reports. It is expected that thirty organizations will be blacklisted and that some 10 Russian officials in the US will be issued with orders to leave the country.
China Sends 25 Warplanes Into Taiwanese Airspace
China sent 25 military planes into Taiwanese airspace on Monday, escalating tensions between the United States and Beijing.
US intelligence chiefs: ‘We don’t know’ Putin’s reason for military buildup on Ukrainian border
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reason for a major military buildup on Ukrainian borders remains a mystery, U.S. intelligence officials told lawmakers.
China and Russia pose greatest threat to US
In its annual survey of United States national security threats, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) reported Tuesday that China and Russia currently pose the greatest danger to America, the Washington Times reports.