May asks MPs for ‘honourable compromises’ to back Brexit deal
Prime Minister Theresa May today asked Britain’s MPs to ‘stand together as democrats and patriots’ to back her Brexit deal.
EU
U.S.-backed force says it has taken positions in Islamic State Syria camp
U.S.-backed fighters have taken positions in Islamic State’s last enclave in eastern Syria, they said late on Sunday, after pounding the tiny patch of land by the banks of the Euphrates.
Hundreds Of IS Members, Families Surrender In Final Syrian Enclave
Hundreds of Islamic State (IS) militants and family members surrendered as U.S.-backed Syrian rebel forces moved closer to crushing the militants in their final sliver of territory in the eastern part of the country.
British Lawmakers to Seek 3-Month Brexit Delay
British lawmakers voted Thursday to seek a three-month delay in Britain’s scheduled March 29 split from the 28-nation European Union after overwhelmingly voting against holding a new Brexit referendum.
Brexit set for delay after May wounded by rejection of ‘no-deal’
The British parliament on Wednesday rejected leaving the European Union without a deal, further weakening Prime Minister Theresa May and paving the way for a vote that could delay Brexit until at least the end of June.
U.S. drops reference to ‘Israeli-occupied’ Golan Heights in annual rights report
The U.S. State Department changed its usual description of the Golan Heights from ‘Israeli-occupied’ to ‘Israeli-controlled’ in an annual global human rights report released on Wednesday.
European Parliament votes to suspend Turkey’s EU membership bid
The European Parliament has voted to formally suspend EU accession talks with Turkey, citing severe political and democratic backsliding under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
North Korea Covertly Building Missiles, Nuclear Arms at Civilian Sites
North Korea is covertly developing and testing nuclear arms and ballistic missiles at civilian facilities in a bid to prevent a “decapitation” military strike against its weapons plants and storage depots, according to a report by a UN panel of experts.
Iran warns Israel of ‘crushing response’ to any naval intervention
Iran’s defense minister warned Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would give a ‘crushing response’ if Israel followed through on a threat by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stymie Iranian oil shipments.
Brexit chaos: British Parliament overwhelmingly rejects May’s Brexit deal
British MPs overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal for a second time on Tuesday, pitching Britain into the unknown just 17 days before it is due to split from the European Union.
Turkey says it is discussing Syria offensive with Russia, U.S.
Turkey is discussing with Russia and the United States a potential military offensive in a region of northeast Syria controlled by Kurdish fighters, a Turkish defense official was cited as saying by state media on Tuesday.
Venezuela Blames U.S. for Record Blackout and Orders American Diplomats to Leave
With resentment percolating over a record-setting blackout, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro lashed out at the U.S., blaming the U.S. for the country-wide outages and ejecting American diplomats from the country on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
Last Islamic State enclave in eastern Syria pounded in U.S.-backed assault
Islamic State’s final enclave in eastern Syria was pounded with air strikes and artillery on Monday in a U.S.-backed assault aimed at wiping out the last shred of its territorial rule that once spanned a third of Syria and Iraq.
Brexit: UK and EU hail breakthrough in talks
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday that she had secured legal guarantees from the European Union that should convince British lawmakers to back her Brexit deal.
U.S. retail sales rise in January; December revised sharply lower
U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose in January, lifted by an increase in purchases of building materials and discretionary spending, but receipts in December were much weaker than initially thought.
Britain braces for make-or-break Brexit vote
British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to reveal on Monday what changes, if any, she has secured to her EU divorce deal, on the eve of a crucial vote in parliament less than three weeks before Brexit day.
Germany Fails to Classify Hezbollah as a Terrorist Organization
Germany will not designate Hezbollah, an Iranian-back Shiite group, as a terrorist organization according to various news reports.
White House Seeks Additional Wall Funding
On Monday, the White House will request from the U.S. Congress an additional $8.6 billion to help cover the wall that was promised by President Donald Trump to be built along the southern border with Mexico to fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking, Reuters reported.
Future conflicts will bring ‘widespread missile fire on Israel,’ cautions former IAF chief
All of Israel’s future conflicts will see major enemy fire on the civilian home front, meaning that air defense is more crucial than ever, a former Israel Air Force chief has told JNS following the start of an Israeli-American joint exercise.
EU joins in first scolding of Saudi Arabia at UN Human Rights Council
Germany and 35 other countries, including all 28 EU nations, joined in an unusually strong rebuke of Saudi Arabia to the UN’s top human rights body on Thursday in Geneva.