Canada to approve new NAFTA free trade deal next week
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday Canada will move next week to formally approve the new North American trade agreement.
World News
Angered by EU Approach to Nuclear Deal, Iran Threatens to Withdraw From NPT
Iran warned Monday it will withdraw from the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Germany, France, and Britain refer their dispute over the Iran nuclear deal to the U.N. Security Council.
Critics see Putin’s constitutional changes as an attempt to extend his rule
Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a draft bill for sweeping constitutional changes Monday, in what some see as an effort by the leader to extend his two-decades-long rule after leaving office in 2024.
Russia Supports Iran Joining Moscow-Beijing Security Bloc
Just days after the Iranian regime fired missiles at military bases in Iraq and accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, Russia’s foreign minister has reiterated that Moscow supports full membership for Tehran in a Eurasian security bloc sometimes viewed as an aspiring counterweight to NATO and the West.
Putin fast-tracks effort to extend his rule in Russia
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday fast-tracked work on constitutional changes that could keep him in power well past the end of his term in 2024 while lawmakers quickly sealed his choice for new prime minister.
Iran’s Rouhani says ‘no limit’ to uranium enrichment, producing more than before Obama-era deal
A defiant Iranian President Hassan Rouhani boasted Thursday that there is ‘no limit’ to his country’s level of uranium enrichment — just days after European powers raised concerns about the Islamic Republic backing away from a 2015 nuclear deal.
Doubts linger after U.S. and China sign initial trade deal
China will boost spending on U.S. products in exchange for the rolling back of some tariffs under an initial trade deal signed by the world’s two largest economies on Wednesday, defusing an 18-month row but leaving numerous thorny issues unresolved.
‘A Bloodless Revolution.’ Putin’s Plan to Rewrite Russia’s Constitution Could Allow Him to Lead for Years to Come
In his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, Putin announced his wish to reform the Russian constitution. ‘I truly believe that it is time to introduce certain changes to our country’s main law,’ Putin said. Shortly afterward the government resigned en masse, not in protest but seemingly to pave the way for these reforms.
U.S., China set to sign massive purchases deal, easing trade war
The U.S.-China trade war is set to enter a new, quieter phase on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sign an initial trade deal that aims to vastly increase Chinese purchases of U.S. manufactured products, agricultural goods, energy, and services.
Britain, France, Germany formally accuse Iran of breaking nuclear deal
Britain, France, and Germany formally accused Iran on Tuesday of violating the terms of its 2015 agreement to curb its nuclear program, which eventually could lead to the reimposing of U.N. sanctions lifted under the deal.
Protests in Iran ignite following Ukrainian jet gaffe
Protests in Iran continued for a third day on Monday after the regime admitted over the weekend to accidentally downing a Ukrainian passenger jet carrying 176 people, killing everyone on board.
Iran admits downing of Ukrainian jet a ‘mistake’
Iran conceded on Saturday to having made a ‘disastrous mistake’ in shooting down a Ukrainian airliner that was carrying 176 passengers, an allegation the regime initially denied.
Russia warship comes close to colliding with US ship in Middle East
An American Navy ship was approached by a Russian Navy ship in the north Arabian sea last Thursday when the Russian ship made an ‘aggressive’ maneuver, US officials said, Russian officials, responding by pointing the finger at the US.
Trump says China trade deal may be signed shortly after January 15
U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced last month that the Phase 1 trade deal with China would be signed on Jan. 15, said on Thursday the agreement could be signed ‘shortly thereafter.’
Trump returns to “maximum pressure,” avoids military confrontation following Iranian strike
President Trump announced that the US would not be responding militarily to a barrage of 16 missiles launched from Iran in the early hours of the morning Wednesday that hit Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq and damaged aircraft hangers and a US helicopter.
Pentagon Says a ‘Dozen Missiles’ Were Fired From Iran at Iraqi Bases With US Troops
Iranian officials said missiles were launched at U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation after Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani’s death in Baghdad, according to Iranian state-run media outlets, in an attack that was later confirmed by the Pentagon.
Red flag over Iranian Mosque at Soleimani funeral has eschatological overtones, means all-out war
An extremely portentous symbol was raised over one of Iran’s holiest mosques in the city of Qom Sunday for one of the myriad funeral rallies of fallen IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, says a researcher at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.
Europe Frets as Iran Nuclear Deal Appears Near Collapse
The fate of the Iran nuclear deal appears to hang in the balance following an announcement by the regime that it will no longer comply with the curbs on its nuclear program, imposed by the 2015 agreement.
Iran abandons nuclear deal after Soleimani killing
Iran vowed Sunday to defy the limits placed on its nuclear enrichment by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and completely abandon the deal, in a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani that also saw a red flag of Islamic martyrdom and vengeance raised over his funeral service in Qoms.
First signs of revenge from Iran for death of Soleimani in Syria, Iraq, Kenya
Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias fired three missiles at the Conoco gas fields in Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria and six rockets were fired into the Green Zone in Baghdad that houses the US embassy Sunday as tensions flared across the region.