Syria threatened with ‘stronger response’ if it uses chemical weapons in Idlib
Britain, France and the US have warned Syria it will suffer a “much stronger response” if it uses chemical weapons again.
World News
Iran nuclear chief announces completion of new facility to produce centrifuges
Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday announced to state media that the Islamic Republic had completed construction of a facility capable of producing advanced centrifuges at its nuclear plant Natanz, fulfilling threats that it would continue nuclear production in the event that the US withdraw from the 2014 nuclear deal and slap heavy sanctions on the country.
Syria’s Assad approves gas attack in Idlib despite warning, report says
President Bashar al-Assad has approved a gas attack in the Idlib province, which is the country’s last rebel stronghold, a report on Sunday said.
Trump administration to take tough stance against International Criminal Court
The United States on Monday will adopt an aggressive posture against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, threatening sanctions against its judges if they proceed with an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan.
U.S. has seen evidence of Syria preparing chemical weapons in Idlib: envoy
There is ‘lots of evidence’ that chemical weapons are being prepared by Syrian government forces in Idlib in northwest Syria, the new U.S. adviser for Syria said on Thursday, as he warned of the risks of an offensive on the country’s last big rebel enclave.
NAFTA talks make progress; U.S., Canadian officials to work into night
The United States and Canada have made progress in talks to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement, and officials from the two sides will work together into the night to flesh out areas for further discussion, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday.
Typhoon Jebi forces closure of Kansai airport, near Osaka in Japan
A major international airport in western Japan has been closed, with thousands of people evacuated, in the wake of deadly Typhoon Jebi.
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.’
Trump warns Syria not to ‘recklessly attack’ Idlib province
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies Iran and Russia not to ‘recklessly attack’ Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, warning that hundreds of thousands of people could be killed.
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.’
US military to cancel $300m in Pakistan aid over terror groups
The US military says it is canceling $300 million in aid to Pakistan over what it calls Islamabad’s failure to take action against militant groups.
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.
NATO Confirms Russian Naval Buildup Off Syria, Calls for Restraint
NATO confirmed a large-scale Russian navy buildup in the Mediterranean Sea off Syria on Tuesday. ‘The Russian Navy has dispatched substantial naval forces to the Mediterranean, including several ships equipped with modern cruise missiles,’ NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu confirmed to Haaretz in a statement.
Russia to hold biggest military drills since Cold War
Russia will flex its military muscles and hold the biggest war games since the Cold War era next month, including almost 300,000 troops and 1,000 aircraft, the Russian defense ministry said Tuesday, leading NATO to warn of a ‘more assertive Russia.’
Russia Deploys Fleet Off Syria While Claiming U.S. Preparing for Possible Strike
The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Monday it had noticed Washington was building up its military forces in the Middle East in preparation for what Moscow feared was a possible strike on Syrian government forces, Russian news agencies reported.
Trump makes trade agreement with Mexico to replace NAFTA, puts pressure on Canada to deal
President Trump heralded a tentative trade deal with Mexico on Monday as a big win for his get-tough trade policies, which he said put Canada on the spot to start its own negotiations with the U.S. or face higher tariffs on autos.
Iran and Syria sign deal for military cooperation
Iran and Syria signed a deal for military cooperation in a meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries in Damascus, the Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.
US and Mexico close to reaching NAFTA deal, sources say
The United States and Mexico look close to resolving key differences on the North American Free Trade Agreement and may have a complete deal worked out by as early as Monday, according to sources close to the talks.