Turkey intensifies offensive against US-backed Kurds
Turkey has begun a major new offensive in northwestern Syria, in a bid to oust Kurdish militia from the area.
World News
Iran Threatens U.S. Navy Ships Amid Massive War Drills
Iranian military leaders claimed Monday that they threatened two American-led vessels in international waters amid a series of new war drills being carried out by the Islamic Republic, according to regional reports and U.S. military officials who confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon contact with the Iranian vessels.
Turkish forces push into Syria, battle Kurdish militia
Turkey’s army and rebel allies battled US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria’s Afrin province on Sunday (Jan 21), stepping up a two-day-old campaign against YPG fighters that has opened a new front in Syria’s civil war.
Rift between U.S., Turkey widens as Ankara presses Syrian offensive
The U.S. and Turkey moved closer to an open rift Sunday, with the Trump administration expressing deep concern as Turkish ground forces crossed into northern Syria in a bid to rid the area of U.S.-backed Kurdish militias.
US lawmakers aim to tighten terms of Iran nuclear deal
A bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives on Thursday aimed at tightening the terms of the Iran nuclear deal, despite Tehran’s rejection of changes to the accord.
India test-fires missile amid perceived threats from China, Pakistan
India tested its longest-range intercontinental missile on Thursday, the defense ministry said, part of efforts to build a nuclear deterrent against neighboring Pakistan and China.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Saudi Arabia Sides with Israel and U.S., A ‘Betrayal’ of 1.6 Billion Muslims
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused Saudi Arabia of double-crossing the Palestinians and betraying 1.6 billion Muslims by siding with the U.S. and Israel on regional affairs.
Tillerson says US troops to stay in Syria to counter Assad and Iran
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that US troops will remain in Syria not just to fight jihadists but also to counter the power of Bashar al-Assad and his ally Iran.
Russian, Iranian Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria and Iran Nuclear Deal
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the conflict in Syria and the Iran nuclear deal in a phone conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Iran tortures and kills protesters; West mostly silent as 8,000 citizens arrested
Iran’s rulers have inflicted death by torture and gunfire on citizen protesters in a crackdown since the Dec. 28 street uprising erupted, the main opposition group said Tuesday.
Turkey’s Erdogan vows to destroy U.S.-backed ‘terror army’ in Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to destroy a 30,000-man border security force in Syria, trained and equipped by Washington, characterizing it as a ‘terror army’ designed to infringe on the country’s sovereignty in the region.
Putin: Communist ideology similar to Christianity, Lenin’s body like saintly relics
Russian President Vladimir Putin has likened communism to Christianity and Vladimir Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square to the veneration of the relics of saints.
A Message to North Korea? US Sends 3 B-2 Stealth Bombers to Guam
The U.S. Air Force has sent three B-2 nuclear-capable stealth bombers to Andersen Air Force Base on the island territory of Guam.
Russia, US hold talks about nuclear pact, Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is holding negotiations with Washington regarding a pivotal nuclear arms pact.
Iranian FM in Russia for talks on nuclear deal, Syria
Iran’s foreign minister is visiting Moscow for talks focusing on the future of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and the situation in Syria, where both nations support President Bashar Assad.
Dollar bruised by worries over China’s stance on US bonds
The dollar nursed its losses against the yen on Thursday, having suffered its biggest one-day drop in nearly eight months following a report that China was ready to slow or halt its purchases of US Treasuries.
Strong quake in Caribbean Sea shakes Honduras, Mexico and Belize, sparks tsunami warning
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 that struck near remote islands belonging to Honduras on Tuesday was felt across northern Central America, prompting a tsunami warning for parts of the Caribbean.
U.S. to decide on Iran sanctions waivers on Friday: State Department
The Trump administration is expected to decide on Friday whether to continue to waive U.S. penalties on Iran, as agreed under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the State Department said on Tuesday.
2 Koreas say they seek breakthrough at rare border talks
Senior officials from North and South Korea began the rivals’ first formal talks in about two years Tuesday to discuss how to cooperate in next month’s Winter Olympics in the South and how to improve their long-strained ties.
Battle looms for rebel-held Syrian province after IS defeat
Syrian government forces and allied militiamen are advancing on the largest remaining rebel-held territory in the country’s north, forcing thousands of civilians to flee toward the border with Turkey in freezing winter temperatures.