France squashed Trump-Putin meeting in Paris, Kremlin says
A top Kremlin foreign affairs aide says the French government requested that President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump back away from plans to meet during their Paris visit.
War
Intense clashes with Gaza break out as Hamas commander said killed in IDF raid
Israeli special forces conducted a raid in the Gaza city of Khan Younis on Sunday night, apparently killing several suspected Hamas terrorists, including a senior commander in its military wing, and bringing the region back to the brink of war.
GOP Senate candidate Rick Scott files bombshell lawsuits accusing Dem Florida election officials of trying to ‘steal the election’
Accusing Democrats of ‘rampant fraud’ and a coordinated effort to ‘steal’ elections, Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott filed explosive lawsuits late Thursday against the top election officials in two heavily Democratic counties, as they continue to report new votes and three major races in the state appear headed for recounts.
Over 180 Christians Still Detained by Thailand Authorities for Over 2 Months
A group of 181 Christian refugees fleeing religious persecution in Vietnam has been detained in Thailand for the last two months.
Israel, Greece drill air forces as Syria builds up arms
Following the delivery of advanced Russian air defense systems to Syria, the Israeli Air Force held joint drills with the Hellenic Air Force in Greece over the last 12 days, as part of the growing defense cooperation between the two countries.
Pompeo abruptly cancels meeting with North Korean diplomat over nukes
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has postponed without explanation a planned meeting with a top North Korean official in New York Thursday meant to pump new momentum into talks over Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal.
Security agency chief warns of deceptive calm: We foiled 480 major terror attacks this year
The Shin Bet security agency has thwarted 480 Palestinian terrorist attacks so far in 2018, agency Director Nadav Argaman told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday.
Trump, Putin to meet at G-20 summit this month
President Trump said he’ll probably meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month at the Group of 20 nations summit in Argentina.
Iran President Warns of ‘War’ as US Sanctions Resume
Iran greeted the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions on Monday with air defense drills and an acknowledgement from President Hassan Rouhani the nation faces a ‘war situation,’ raising Mideast tensions as America’s maximalist approach to the Islamic Republic takes hold.
Abbas, Sisi meet as Gaza deal in the works
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday in Sharm el-Sheikh, as part of his country’s efforts toward a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Trump presidency faces high stakes in midterm elections
President Donald Trump has been acting like a candidate on the ballot this week, staging daily double-header rallies and blasting out ads for Republicans up for election on Tuesday. Given the stakes for his presidency, he might as well be.
Britain pushes for U.N. Security Council action on Yemen crisis
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Monday he would push for new action at the United Nations Security Council to try to end hostilities in Yemen and find a political solution to the war there.
Northern California rattled by swarm of earthquakes
A swarm of earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault, the largest measuring a 4.1 magnitude, rumbled through the Hollister area and the Salinas Valley Friday morning. CBS San Francisco, citing officials, reports the quakes rattled nerves but caused no major damage.
Pompeo: Meeting with top North Korean officials in New York will ‘advance the ball’ on nuke deal
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet with North Korea’s No. 2 official in New York next week, as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing diplomatic effort to persuade Pyongyang to embrace complete denuclearization on the peninsula.
Egypt attack: Gunmen target bus with Coptic Christians
At least seven people have been killed in Egypt by gunmen who opened fire on a bus carrying a group of Coptic Christians, officials say.
Netanyahu’s surprise trip boosts Trump’s grand Mideast strategy
Despite regional turmoil, President Trump’s grand Middle East strategy to unite Israel with the Saudis and other Gulf Arab powers against Iran and lay the groundwork for a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is making unexpected progress away from the limelight.
Israel’s Netanyahu warns Europe of possible attacks by Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling Iran the ‘most potent force of militant Islam’ and is warning Europe of possible Iranian attacks on its soil.
Israel said to warn Beirut it will strike Hezbollah rocket factories
Israel has reportedly sent a message to the Lebanese government via Paris demanding that it act against the Hezbollah terror group’s rocket factories in the country, saying if Lebanon refused to do so, Israel could take military action.
US, Britain push for Yemen ceasefire as relations with Saudis cool
The United States and Britain, Saudi Arabia’s biggest arms suppliers, are stepping up their pressure for a ceasefire in the Yemen war, the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disaster.
Despite mounting pressure, Netanyahu says Israel seeking to prevent war in Gaza
Israel’s top priority in dealing with the ongoing violence on Gaza is to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into Israel and to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.