UN ‘deeply concerned’ about 750,000 Syrians in the south
A spokesman says the U.N. is ‘deeply concerned’ about the safety of an estimated 750,000 people in southern Syria amid an unraveling cease-fire.
Russia
Russia-to-Germany undersea pipeline unnerves U.S., riles region
It has driven a wedge between America and its allies, given Russia a chance to put a stranglehold on European energy markets and may even threaten U.S. national security, some observers suggest, by potentially doubling as a spy device.
Russia argues the Marine Corps’ beefed-up presence in Norway is an attack
Russia just can’t let it go that Norway recently decided to invite several hundred more Marines to the region for cold-weather training.
Devin Nunes: ‘Hell to pay’ if Justice Department fails to turn over Russia documents this week
The Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said Sunday there will ‘be hell to pay’ if the Justice Department doesn’t comply with outstanding requests this week for information related to the Russian investigation.
Benjamin Netanyahu tells Vladimir Putin: ‘Iran has to withdraw from all of Syria’
Russian President Vladimir Putin can expect Israel to attack his Iranian partners anywhere they operate in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.
Trump and Giuliani go to war against Mueller as White House looks on
As President Trump seeks to de-escalate tensions with North Korea, he and his personal legal team are ratcheting up their rhetoric against special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Israel warned to avoid Syria strikes as World Cup kicks off in Russia
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament kicking off on Thursday, host nation Russia has made it clear that it expects Israel and other Middle Eastern states to avoid an escalation in the Syrian civil war during the month-long championship, Israel Hayom has learned.
U.S. says will “take firm, appropriate measures” against Syria violations
The United States will ‘take firm and appropriate measures’ in response to Syrian government violations in a so-called de-escalation zone in the country’s southwest, the State Department said on Thursday.
Putin and Rouhani meet in China, discuss joint efforts in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met in China on Saturday during a weekend summit of the Chinese- and Russian-led security bloc.
Rosenstein threatened to ‘subpoena’ GOP-led committee in ‘chilling’ clash over records, emails show
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened to ‘subpoena’ emails, phone records and other documents from lawmakers and staff on a Republican-led House committee during a tense meeting earlier this year, according to emails reviewed by Fox News documenting the encounter and reflecting what aides described as a ‘personal attack.’
Mueller worries Russia could use court case to spy on probe
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is worried that Russian intelligence services will use a criminal case in Washington to gather information about its investigation and U.S. intelligence-gathering methods.
Devin Nunes to DOJ: Hand over docs on alleged FBI informant by Tuesday or it’s ‘obstruction’
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes has set a Tuesday deadline for the Justice Department to provide documents related to an alleged FBI informant who spoke with members of President Trump’s 2016 campaign tied to the Russians.
Iran’s Rouhani criticizes U.S. ‘unilateralism’ over nuclear deal
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticized U.S. ‘unliteralism’ in withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and said on Sunday he appreciated efforts by China and Russia to maintain the agreement.
Trump Says Mueller’s Appointment Is Unconstitutional — Here Are 7 Reasons Why
President Donald Trump questioned the legality of the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller on Monday while indicating that he will let the Russia investigation proceed.
London ‘bridges’ falling down: Curious origins of FBI’s Trump-Russia probe
The bridge to the Russia investigation wasn’t erected in Moscow during the summer of the 2016 election.
Syria’s Assad threatens to attack area under US-backed Kurds
Syrian President Bashar Assad is threatening to attack a region held by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria if talks fail to bring the area back under Damascus’ authority.
U.S. Military Will Leave Syria Base in Deal with Russia, Reports Say
The U.S. has reportedly considered abandoning one of its most significant military installations in Syria as it prepared to enter into talks with Russia and Jordan over a deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country’s restive south.
In rare face-off, Russian jets reportedly intercept Israeli planes over Lebanon
In a rare incident, Israeli warplanes were reportedly intercepted by Russian fighter jets over Lebanon early Monday morning, despite an understanding in place between Moscow and Jerusalem to avoid conflict between the two countries.
Russia said to reach secret deal on pushing Iran away from Syria border
Israel and Russia have reached a secret agreement to distance Iranian forces from the border area in southern Syria, Israeli TV reported Monday, as Jerusalem and Moscow sent differing messages regarding the extent of their tolerance for Iran’s military presence in that country.
Poland offers US up to $2B for permanent military base
Poland wants a permanent U.S. military presence — and is willing to pony up as much as $2 billion to get it, according to a defense ministry proposal obtained by Polish news portal Onet.