Rouhani says Israel biggest threat to world peace
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday described Israel as ‘the most terrifying threat to the peace and stability of the region and the world.’
World News
Trump defends ‘America ‘first,’ threatens to cut foreign aid budget in U.N. speech
President Trump told the United Nations on Tuesday that the U.S. is guided by patriotism instead of globalism, rejecting the authority of world bodies such as the International Criminal Court, the World Trade Organization and a U.N. migration initiative even as he praised the U.N. itself as a force for peace.
Russia to supply Syria with S-300 anti-missile system
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Moscow will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks, following the downing of the Ilyushin IL-20 by the Syrian forces, who tried to repel an IAF attack.
EU, Iran set financial “vehicle” to ease trade between them
Five world powers and Iran agreed late Monday to establish a financial facility in the European Union to facilitate payments for Iranian imports and exports including oil, a key move sought by Tehran following the U.S. pullout from the 2015 nuclear deal and its re-imposition of sanctions.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten to avenge military parade attack
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to exact ‘deadly and unforgettable’ vengeance for an attack on a military parade that killed 25 people, including 12 of their comrades, and Tehran accused Gulf Arab states of backing the gunmen.
Pompeo: No end to NKorea sanctions until ‘denuclearization’
Top U.S. diplomat Mike Pompeo said Sunday that economic sanctions on North Korea won’t be reduced until it completes ‘denuclearization’ after leader Kim Jong Un offered to close the North’s main nuclear site in exchange for U.S. concessions.
U.S. blacklists Russian entities tied to election meddling
The Trump administration on Thursday blacklisted 33 Russian individuals and entities, including a billionaire and several companies accused of interfering in American politics, limiting their ability to conduct business internationally.
Russian bombers intercepted by British jets after ignoring air traffic control, UK says
A pair of Russian nuclear-capable bombers buzzed the British coastline along the North Sea on Thursday while ignoring repeated radio calls, according to the U.K.’s ministry of defense.
Brexit deadlock: Theresa May urges EU to compromise
European leaders gathered in the Austrian city of Salzburg on Thursday for the second day of an informal summit. One of the main issues are the deadlocked negotiations on Brexit, the final agreement on which is supposed to be laid out in October. Immigration, a major policy point for Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose government holds the rotating EU presidency, and security in the bloc are the other major talking points.
U.S.-backed Syrian forces launch offensive on last ISIS bastion
A major offensive launched by U.S.-backed Syrian forces in the country’s east will likely lead to the downfall of Islamic State’s last major stronghold, but will not spell the end of the extremist group, analysts believe.
Trump imposes tariffs on $200B more of Chinese goods
The Trump administration will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires.
Putin-Erdogan deal on Syria demilitarized zone heads off showdown, pending bloodbath
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he had struck a deal with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to table a planned offensive against the Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib, a last-minute agreement that led all sides of the 7-year-old conflict to breathe a sigh of relief despite a host of unanswered questions about whether the so-called demilitarized zone will hold.
U.S. backed in corner as Syria, Russia plan bloody assault in Idlib with chemical weapons in arsenal
With Bashar Assad and his Russian allies on the verge of victory in Syria’s civil war, the Trump administration is facing new pressure to respond forcefully and prevent a bloodbath of historic proportions — but analysts say the U.S. has virtually no good options, as seven years of muddy American policy toward Syria has left Moscow holding all the cards.
Typhoon Mangkhut hits mainland China, lashes Hong Kong, dozens dead in Philippines
The world’s strongest storm this year, Typhoon Mangkhut, continued its path of destruction across Southeast Asia over the weekend, reaching mainland China on Sunday afternoon after pummeling Hong Kong and killing dozens in the Philippines.
Bigger, stronger and faster than Florence: Super typhoon Mangkhut heads for Philippines at 280km/h
Countries across south-east Asia are issuing emergency alerts and thousands are being evacuated as two typhoons barrel down on the region.
EU must grasp world role as U.S. retreats, Juncker says
The European Union must flex its muscles as a world power, EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday, as he spoke critically of U.S. President Donald Trump’s retreat from international engagement.
Philippines typhoon: Millions in the path of the year’s strongest storm
The most powerful typhoon of the season is closing in on the northern Philippines, where officials ordered precautionary evacuations and closures of schools and offices and urged farmers to quickly harvest their crops to reduce damage.
Iran, in shadow proxy war with Saudis, expands its Pakistan influence
Iran is stepping up its involvement with political and militant Shiite groups in Pakistan, in what foreign affairs experts see as an escalating shadow proxy war with Saudi Arabia in a country with the world’s second-largest Muslim population.
Putin, Xi together for the third time this year as Russia launches largest war games since Cold War
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in far-eastern Russia on Tuesday, the same day the Kremlin began its biggest military exercise since the Cold War.
US, Canada will meet Tuesday, earlier than expected on NAFTA
The U.S. and Canada will resume high-level talks on Tuesday, which is earlier than expected, on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).