U.N. rights experts urged 57 states on Monday to repatriate nearly 10,000 of their citizens – women and children associated with Islamic State fighters – held in camps in northeast Syria in âsub-humanâ conditions without legal process. Under international law, these states have a duty to repatriate their citizens and, …
Read More »Pompeo to UN: Ending Iran arms ban would mean âsword of Damoclesâ over region
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed the UN Security Council on Tuesday to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran before it expires in October. Speaking at the virtual briefing, Pompeo warned that its expiration would risk the stability of the region. âIran will hold a sword of Damocles …
Read More »Covid-19 crisis affecting China influence in Europe
Just when China influence over Europe seemed to expand into full blast, the Covid-19 crisis seems to have put a serious stop to it. The biggest geopolitical prize in the raising USA â Chinese challenge is the European Union, formerly anchored securely in the Western side but in recent years …
Read More »US warship sails though Taiwan Strait for second time in a month
A U.S. warship has sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait for the second time in a month, Taiwanese and U.S. militaries said on Friday.Taiwan and US militaries are on heightened alert amid increased activity by China’s armed forces near the island, and a Chinese aircraft carrier passed near the island …
Read More »Capitalism is not a moral Virtue, itâs like fire
[I wrote this blog piece  in October 2016, on the eve of the US presidential election. Given all the discussion today of what kind of a system we are trying to protect and restore under Corona Virus, I thought it would be relevant to revisit it on the eve of …
Read More »White House petition to investigate Bill Gates gains almost 400K signatures in few weeks
A petition to investigate the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for âcrimes against humanityâ and âmedical malpracticeâ has amassed more than 385,000 signatures from concerned citizens. Almost four times the number required to get a response from the White House. By Arthur Blok The âWe the Peopleâ petition asks the …
Read More »Donald Trump warns China could face ‘consequences’ over outbreak
US President Donald Trump warned that China could face consequences if it was “knowingly responsible” for the coronavirus pandemic, as he ratcheted up criticism of Beijing over its handling of the outbreak. “It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn’t,” Trump said at a White …
Read More »Bernie Sanders endorses Joe Biden for US President
Bernie Sanders has endorsed the Democratic candidate and former vice president Joe Biden for president, a week after the progressive senator ended his campaign. The announcement on Monday was made in an event Mr Biden streamed live online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Appearing on a split screen and with …
Read More »Erdogan releases tapes of Khashoggi murder
Turkey has given recordings on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, France and Britain, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. Turkish sources have said previously that authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting the murder. Speaking ahead of his departure for France …
Read More »US developing bioweapons in secret lab in Georgia: Russia
Russia has called on the United States to explain experiments with biological and chemical weapons in Georgia, with various Russian officials warning Washington that Moscow wonât tolerate such trials near its borders. Major General Igor Kirillov, chief of Russiaâs Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, revealed during an interview with …
Read More »Trump says allegations against Kavanaugh ‘totally political’
President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed the allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior levied against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, calling them “totally political.” “And for people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago and never mentioned it and all of a sudden …
Read More »If ending Syriaâs war means accepting Assad and Russia have won, so be it
Just when it seems the Syrian war cannot get more complex, it does. In the skies above the Mediterranean, Syrian missiles shoot down an allied Russian surveillance plane after mistaking it for an Israeli bomber. In the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the Russian and Turkish presidents produce a plan …
Read More »Iran warns it will veto Opec decisions harming its interests
Iran said it will veto any Opec decision that harms the Islamic Republic and warned that some oil producers are trying to create an alternative suppliersâ forum that supports US policies hostile to the government in Tehran. Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the agreement that the Organisation of Petroleum …
Read More »University of Michigan professor refuses to write a letter for student to study abroad in Israel
A University of Michigan professor refused to write a recommendation letter for a student to study abroad in Israel, claiming it was part of an “academic boycott” of the country. John Cheney-Lippold, an associate professor in the American culture department, rejected student Abigail Ingber’s request in an email, a screenshot …
Read More »U.S. backed in corner as Syria, Russia plan bloody assault in Idlib with chemical weapons in arsenal
With Bashar Assad and his Russian allies on the verge of victory in Syriaâs civil war, the Trump administration is facing new pressure to respond forcefully and prevent a bloodbath of historic proportions â but analysts say the U.S. has virtually no good options, as seven years of muddy American …
Read More »Palestinian official says US will never present Middle East peace plan
The United States will not present its long-awaited plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace any time soon and is instead trying to unilaterally change the terms of reference for any future proposal, a senior Palestinian official said on Saturday. Echoing deep scepticism among the Palestinians, Arab countries and analysts, Saeb Erekat, the …
Read More »A tale of two oil markets: Brent bulls split from US optimists
For oil investors, this is both the best of times and the worst of times, depending on which crude benchmark you trade. While money managers pile up on bets that Brent futures will rise as supplies from Iran shrink, even Hurricane Florence wasnât enough to get investors excited in the …
Read More »Pompeo accuses Russia of actively working to undermine North Korea sanctions
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia on Friday of actively working to undermine international sanctions on North Korea and said the enforcement of the steps was essential to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. âRussia has actively attempted to undermine the U.N. Security Council resolutions, the …
Read More »Russia launches biggest war games since Cold War
Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War, involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia. China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in “Vostok-2018”, with many Chinese armoured vehicles and aircraft. Mongolia is also sending some units. The last Russian exercise of similar scale was …
Read More »White House expected to warn of sanctions, other penalties if international court moves against Americans
The United States will threaten Monday to punish individuals that cooperate with the International Criminal Court in a potential investigation of U.S. wartime actions in Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the decision. The Trump administration is also expected to announce that it is shutting down a Palestinian diplomatic office …
Read More »From humble beginnings: this Palestinian museum in the US has big ambitionsÂ
In nine months from start to finish â the time it takes to carry a baby to term â Palestinian businessman Faisal Saleh set up the first museum of Palestinian art and culture in the United States. He did it on a shoestring budget, housing the galleries in the ground-floor …
Read More »Chinaâs Trade Surplus With U.S. Hits New Record
Chinaâs trade surplus with the U.S. hit another record monthly high in August as the worldâs second-largest economy faced the threat of more tariffs from the Trump administration. Chinaâs trade surplus with the U.S. widened to $31.05 billion last month from $28.09 billion in July, while its total trade surplus …
Read More »Yemen’s Hadi to go to U.S. for medical treatment: government source
Preparations are under way to transfer Yemenâs President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to the United States tonight to receive medical treatment, a Yemen government source told Reuters on Sunday. The head of the countryâs internationally-recognized government, who has lived in exile in Riyadh since the Iranian-aligned Houthi group captured the Yemeni capital …
Read More »Pentagon chief: Ankara’s decision to buy Russian S-400 concerns Washington
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis says his country is concerned about Turkeyâs intent to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems and that Washington takes a dim view of such a move. In a press briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Mattis warned Ankara against buying the missile defense system …
Read More »Su-57 and MiG-35 Land Russian Orders During Army 2018
During the Army 2018 military-technical forum held August 21-26 at Kubinka, west of Moscow, the Russian defense ministry signed a total of 32 contracts with 20 Russian manufacturers. The value of the orders exceeded 130 billion roubles (nearly $2 billion) and calls for the delivery of 600 pieces of equipment …
Read More »World War 3 fears: Russia threaten NUCLEAR WEAPONS to Syria in response to US sanctions
Vladimir Gutenev, first deputy head of the economic policy committee of the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, said it is time for Russia to draw its own red lines. Among such measures, the official said the deployment of Russian tactical nukes in countries such as Syria, …
Read More »Judge Invalidates Key Parts Of Trump’s Executive Orders On Unions
A federal judge in Washington has struck down keys parts of President Trump’s executive orders that would have made it easier to fire federal employees. The ruling, seen as a victory for public-sector unions, follows the president’s signing of three executive orders in May that aimed to give agencies more …
Read More »Stocks rally after speech by Fedâs Powell, oil prices surge
Global equity markets rose on Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the US central bankâs policies are best to keep the economy humming, spurring new highs on Wall Street, while oil surged on signs Iran sanctions may crimp worldwide supply. The benchmark S&P 500 stock index notched its …
Read More »Former CDC Director Arrested And Charged With Sexual Misconduct
Dr. Thomas Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was arrested and charged on Friday after he was accused of groping a woman, law enforcement officials said. Detective Sophia Mason of the New York Police Department told NPR that the public health expert allegedly “grabbed …
Read More »Pentagon alarmed at drop in Iraq refugees to US
Military officials are sounding the alarm inside the Trump administration about the sharp drop in admission to the United States of Iraqi refugees who have helped American troops in battle, said two US officials aware of the internal discussions. The Pentagon is concerned that not providing safe haven to more …
Read More »Erdogan capitalizes on Trumpâs effort to break and isolate Turkey
When President Trump tried to strong-arm Turkey into releasing a detained American pastor this month, he gambled that a barrage of punishing measures â market- rattling economic sanctions and humiliating public rebukes â would force President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to quickly relent. That has not happened. More than three weeks after the …
Read More »Chinaâs military âlikely training for strikesâ on US targets: Pentagon
China has been quietly training its pilots for long-range bomber missions â and the Pentagon now fears that the country is âlikelyâ practicing for World War III. âOver the last three years, the [Peopleâs Liberation Army] has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions …
Read More »Need for steady gas supply trumps US concerns
The Nord Stream II gas pipeline from Russia to Germany and into the European network seems to be on course despite US pressure and challenges from Ukraine and other European countries. While all this is going on, construction of another pipeline is underway to supply Turkey and Europe with gas. …
Read More »My son, Osama: Bin Laden’s mother speaks out
On the corner couch of a spacious room, a woman wearing a brightly patterned robe sits expectantly. The red hijab that covers her hair is reflected in a glass-fronted cabinet; inside, a framed photograph of her firstborn son takes pride of place between family heirlooms and valuables. A smiling, bearded …
Read More »Head of alleged Syrian chemical weapons facility dies in bombing
The head of a Syrian research facility that western countries say was part of a chemical weapons programme has been killed in a car bombing, the pro-government Syrian newspaper al-Watan has said. Aziz Asber was the director of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre in Masyaf, near Hama, which …
Read More »Defense Budget Shifts Military’s Focus From Terrorism To China And Russia
It may seem counter-intuitive and head-scratchingly odd, but Congress nearly always approves defense spending bills before the armed services committees â which actually oversee the Pentagon â vote on how the money will be spent. Not this year. The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 …
Read More »Iran readying massive military exercise in Persian Gulf, officials say
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard is expected to soon begin a major naval exercise that could demonstrate its ability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for global energy supplies, US officials say. The exercise in the Persian Gulf could begin as soon as the next two days, …
Read More »Flooding in the Mid-Atlantic is shaping up to be ‘potentially dangerous, even life-threatening’
More than 30 million people from the North Carolina coast to central New York could be impacted by flooding Wednesday. Numerous flash flood watches and warnings are in effect throughout the Mid-Atlantic after the accumulation of record rainfall in the last few weeks. “To repeat from earlier today, this is …
Read More »US-backed White Helmets evacuated from Syria; Assad winning ‘decisively’
The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad on Monday blasted Israel, the United States and other nations for evacuating hundreds of Syrian Civil Defense “White Helmets” rescue workers and their families from Assad’s advancing forces. The rescue was organized by Israel, which has otherwise avoided direct intervention in the brutal civil war …
Read More »Boeing faces a significant setback with the spacecraft it is designing to fly NASA astronauts
The spacecraft Boeing plans to use to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station suffered a significant setback when, during a test of its emergency abort system in June, officials discovered a propellant leak, the company confirmed. In a statement to The Washington Post, Boeing said it has âbeen …
Read More »Trump considers tapping US oil reserve as prices at the pump rise
The Trump administration is actively considering tapping into the nationâs emergency supply of crude oil as political pressure grows to rein in rising gasoline prices before congressional elections in November, two people familiar with the situation said. No decision has been made to release crude from the 660-million-barrel stockpile, known …
Read More »Donald Trump tells NATO allies to pay more for defense, raising tensions ahead of summit
President Trump is telling NATO allies they must pick up more of the costs for defense of the alliance, ratcheting up tensions as he prepares to join Western leaders at a summit in Brussels next week. In letters sent last month to the leaders of allies from Canada to Germany, Trump echoed …
Read More »New Details Emerge About Deadly Shootings In Capital Gazette Newsroom
The man charged with murdering five people in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday had previously been investigated over threatening comments toward staff members, Anne Arundel County Police Department Chief Tim Altomare said Friday. NATIONAL Capital Gazette Keeps Working, And Publishing, After 5 Die In Newsroom Shooting …
Read More »Russia Slams U.S. Ahead Of UN Report On Syria Chemical Attacks
Moscow has charged that the United States and its allies fabricated evidence to implicate Syrian government forces in chemical-weapons attacks against civilians. Russian Defense Ministry official Igor Kirillov, commander of the radiation, chemical, and biological protection forces, said on June 22 that an alleged attack in the town of Khan …
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