President Trump directs Defense Department to ‘immediately begin the process’ of establishing ‘space force’ as sixth military branch
President Donald Trump declared Monday he will move to make a new branch of the military focused solely on space.
Security
UN chief warns Gaza violence is close ‘to the brink of war’
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the escalation of violence in Gaza is ‘a warning to all how close to the brink of war the situation is,’ and he is urging Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers to recommit to the cease-fire that ended their 2014 war.
North Korea’s Kim visit Beijing; South Korea, U.S. halt military drill
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, where he will likely brief Chinese President Xi Jinping on his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump last week, as Washington and Seoul agreed to suspend a major joint military exercise.
Netanyahu: Iran has brought 80,000 Shiite fighters into Syria
Israel has attacked Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim militias in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, casting such actions as potentially helping to stem a Syrian Sunni Muslim refugee exodus to Europe.
UN report confirms debris from missiles that hit Saudis from Iran
The United Nations has determined that debris from five ballistic missiles launched from Yemen into Saudi Arabia since July 2017 contained components manufactured in Iran and shared key design features with an Iranian missile, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a new report.
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.
Kushner, Greenblatt to visit region for peace plan talks
Senior Trump administration officials will visit the Middle East next week to consult regional governments on their plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
In a first, Haley proposes U.N. General Assembly vote to condemn Hamas
The Trump administration is responding to a scheduled Wednesday vote in the UN General Assembly condemning Israel’s recent actions in Gaza with a counter-vote, in which the 193-nation body would separately vote to condemn Hamas.
US changes tactics at UN: From defending Israel to offensive
The United States has decided to change tactics at the United Nations and instead of merely settling for defending Israel, it is now going on the offensive against countries that refuse to condemn the Hamas terror organization.
Trump, Kim sign ‘comprehensive’ joint document as historic summit nears end
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un signed a ‘comprehensive’ joint document at the end of their historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday.
Chinese hackers ‘steal US navy data on undersea warfare and supersonic missiles’
China’s state hackers have reportedly stolen a large amount of highly-sensitive US navy data on its undersea warfare, including plans for supersonic anti-ship missiles on submarines.
Arab states call emergency UN General Assembly session on Gaza
The UN General Assembly will convene for an emergency session on Wednesday regarding Gaza, where a version of a resolution vetoed last week by the US in the Security Council condemning Israel will receive a wider vote.
Hezbollah is helping Hamas build rocket factories, training camps
Israel has complained to the UN Security Council, saying that Hamas is working with Hezbollah to establish missile factories and training camps in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria reported Saturday.
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.
IDF gears up for massive Friday protests in Gaza amid peak tensions
The Israeli military is preparing for massive riots along the Gaza security fence on Friday afternoon, potentially on par with violent clashes that took place on May 14, in which tens of thousands of people participated and some 60 Palestinians were killed, a senior army officer said Thursday.
Social Security says system’s costs will exceed income this year
The Social Security program’s costs are expected to exceed its income this year, marking the first time that has happened since 1982 and forcing the U.S. government to dip into the retirement system’s trust fund to pay benefits to participants. The program’s trustees said the shortfall trend could worsen in the decades to come.
Palestinian ‘Naksa Day’ protests come amid heightened Gaza tensions
Palestinians are gearing up for Tuesday’s ‘Naksa Day’ . The day is commemorated as the ‘setback’ when Israel took over the West Bank and Gaza as well as East Jerusalem during the Six Day War. Along with Nakba Day and Land Day it makes up one of the key Palestinian protests of the spring and summer every year. This year the events come after months of protests along the Gaza border in which more than one hundred Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes.
U.S. will ‘unquestionably’ veto U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza
Ambassador Nikki Haley ‘will unquestionably veto’ a ‘morally bankrupt’ draft resolution on the violence between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, she announced late Thursday.
Haley calls Security Council response to Gazan volleys ‘outrageous’
Nikki Haley, US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the UN, tore into the organization on Wednesday for what she characterized as a lackadaisical response to the firing of over 70 rockets on Israel from Gaza the day before.
U.S., North Korea enter second day of nuclear talks
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and high-ranking North Korean official Kim Yong Chol enter a second day of meetings in New York on Thursday as they try to settle nuclear weapons disagreements and set the stage for an historic summit between their two leaders.