Middle East
Is “Rexit” Looming?: Tillerson Is Throwing Off Trump’s Shackles
After Charlottesville, he’s forging his own path on Saudi Arabia and North Korea. “He’s becoming more independent,” said a State Department staffer.<p>In his low-key way, <b>Rex Tillerson</b> has been going rogue. In recent weeks, the embattled secretary of state has adopted a seemingly deliberate independent …
North KoreaChess player banned by Iran for not wearing a hijab switches to US
A chess player banned from the Iranian national women's team for attending an international competition without wearing an Islamic headscarf has joined the US team.<p>Dorsa Derakhshani refused to wear the headscarf, known as the hijab, during the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess tournament in February, and …
IranIran nuclear deal: Mattis urges Trump not to withdraw from accord
US Defense Secretary Mattis has said it would be against US security interests to withdraw from the Iran nuclear accord. President Trump has often …
IranUS votes against UN resolution condemning gay sex death penalty, joining Iraq and Saudi Arabia
The US is one of just 13 countries to have voted against a United Nations resolution condemning the death penalty for having gay sex.<p>Although the …
Saudi Arabia'Who is a Jew?' can now be answered by genetic testing
The mass immigration of Jews from the FSU to Israel was seen as a welcome blessing, but many have experienced difficulties proving their Jewish …
IsraelSaudi Arabia Gets Cheapest Ever Bids for Solar Power in Auction
Saudi Arabia received offers to supply solar electricity for the cheapest prices ever recorded, marking the start of a $50 billion program to …
Renewable EnergyWho betrayed Anne Frank? New probe launched by ex-FBI agent
<b>(CNN) —</b> A new investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Anne Frank's hiding place in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, which eventually led to her death, has been launched by a retired FBI agent.<p>Led by Vince Pankoke, who formerly worked with the FBI to track Colombian drug cartels, …
European HistoryPractice What You Preach, Linda Sarsour
Sunday’s New York March for Racial Justice was devoted to improving race relations, combating mass incarceration and police brutality, and promoting …
Jewish CultureTrump's Envoy Was Not Wrong on Israeli Settlements
"I think the settlements are part of Israel." That's been U.S. policy for a long time.<p>Last week, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, was widely thought to have stepped in it.<p>In his first televised interview he said: "I think the settlements are part of Israel." He said that Israeli …
IsraelNetanyahu pledges to build in settlement, annex it to Israel
MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank (AP) — Israel's prime minister on Tuesday pledged to build thousands of new homes in one of the West Bank's biggest Jewish settlements and annex it to Israel.<p>The comments drew an angry condemnation from the Palestinians and created a new test for the Trump administration, …
IsraelMattis Contradicts Trump on Iran Deal Ahead of Crucial Deadline
WASHINGTON — Days before President Trump has to make a critical decision on whether to hold up the Iran nuclear deal, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis openly split with him on abandoning the agreement, the second senior member of the president’s national security team to recently contradict him.<p>Mr. …
NewsIsrael sees Assad winning Syria war, urges more U.S. involvement
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's defense minister said on Tuesday President Bashar al-Assad was winning Syria's civil war and urged the United States to weigh in as Damascus's Iranian and Hezbollah allies gain ground.<p>Avigdor Lieberman's comments marked a reversal for Israel, where top officials had …
SyriaPolice robots find explosives, guns, and ammunition at Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock's home
Police using specialised bomb-hunting robots to search the home of the Mandalay Bay gunman have uncovered a weapons stockpile including explosives, firearms, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.<p>Officers had to remove the garage door so a robot could enter Stephen Paddock’s three-bedroom bungalow …
Las VegasUS defense secretary breaks with Trump in backing Iran nuclear deal
James Mattis said it was in the US national security interest to remain in the agreement during a Senate hearing, making it harder for Trump to withdraw<p>The US defense secretary, James Mattis, has backed the nuclear deal with Iran, saying it is in the interests of national security to maintain it, …
News (U.S.)Iraq War vet in Vegas hotel helped cops locate shooter
An Iraq War veteran who was staying two floors above Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Sunday night helped cops …
Iraq WarA reasonable approach to the Iran deal
I vigorously opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) because I believed then — as I believe now — that the Obama administration, in its desperation for a legacy-creating deal, negotiated a weaker deal than we could have obtained. The JCPOA did not deliver anywhere/anytime inspections …
IranRepublicans might block Trump from killing Iran nuke deal
Even if the president declines to certify that Iran is in compliance, it's far from clear Congress would reimpose sanctions.<p>President Donald Trump might soon toss the Iran nuclear deal back to Congress to decide its fate — but it’s no sure thing that lawmakers would kill it for good.<p>Critics of the …
IranIS claims Damascus attack, capture of Russian soldiers
BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group on Tuesday claimed a pair of suicide bombings in Damascus that killed 17 civilians and policemen, and released a video purporting to show two Russian soldiers the extremists claim to have captured in fighting in eastern Syria.<p>The extremist group is trying to …
World NewsDubai has imposed a 50% 'sin' tax on soda — and it could have global consequences
• <b>The United Arab Emirates now taxes sugary drinks, partly as a way to lower obesity and diabetes rates.</b>• <b><br>Other countries are considering similar taxes, and are watching the UAE's experiment to see if it works.</b>• <b><br>Past soda taxes have had little success in improving public health, and evidence of a link</b> …
BusinessU.S. And Israel Split Over Palestinian Unity Push
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Trump administration is encouraging the Palestinian Authority to assume control of the Gaza Strip and leaving the door open …
Israel1938 again? Something is terribly wrong
When policy debates are won and lost in 140-character outbursts, something is terribly, terribly wrong.<p>On July 10, 2014, following an 11-hour flight …
OpinionSarsour Venomously Attacks Jews Again
On Sunday, at a “social justice” rally in New York, leftist icon and Women's March co-organizer Linda Sarsour, whose anti-Semitism has been …
Conservative ViewIran and Qatar discuss boosting ties in first Doha meeting since boycott began
Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and Qatari Emir Al Thani also addressed how to ease tension amid Gulf states. However, the meeting could feul Saudi …
World NewsIs the AK-47 the Most Lethal Weapon of All Time?
Back in 2016, fighters from the Free Syrian Army ran [3] American special-operations forces out of a town near the Turkish border, hurling insults …
Military HistoryAmid reconciliation talk, Netanyahu and Abbas in rare harmony on Hamas
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday came out forcefully against the current round of Palestinian unity talks between rival factions Hamas …
IsraelPlaying with Fire: Israel and its problematic friends solidify ties
By James M. Dorsey<p><i>Remarks at United Hebrew Congregation, Singapore, 3 October 2017</i><p>There are no nice guys in the Middle East, a region that is in the sixth year of transition. It’s a transition that is likely to take up to a quarter of a century. It’s a transition that is being exacerbated by states …
Saudi ArabiaKing Salman’s visit to Russia underlines Saudi pragmatism
A bit of history will be made this week, when King Salman arrives in Moscow on a four-day official visit — the first by a Saudi monarch in almost a …
RussiaU.N. says 78,000 civilians could be trapped in Iraq's Hawija
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Up to 78,000 people could be trapped in Islamic State-held Hawija in northern Iraq, the United Nations said on Tuesday, as security forces push to recapture the town.<p>Iraq started an offensive on Sept. 21 to seize Hawija, which fell to the hands of militants after the Iraqi army …
IraqDefense Secretary Mattis voices support for Iran deal ahead of deadline
Testifying beside Mattis on Tuesday, the top U.S. general said Iran is in compliance with the deal.
IranTrump prepares to decertify Iran deal — and then save it
The president's national security team finds a way for Trump to wound 'the worst deal ever' without killing it.<p>Donald Trump’s national security team has unanimously recommended that he decertify the Iran nuclear deal – but that he stop short of pushing Congress to reimpose sanctions on Tehran that …
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