WHO Sending Team to China to Probe Virus Origins, As Death Toll Passes 500,000

Six months after China first reported the outbreak of an unknown virus in Wuhan to the World Health Organization, the U.N. health agency says a team will head back to the country where the pandemic began to investigate the origin. Read

China Threatens to Restrict Visas for U.S. Critics of Its Moves Against Hong Kong

China’s rubber-stamp legislature gave final approval Tuesday to a controversial national security law for Hong Kong, after Beijing announced it will deny visas to U.S. officials who have been interfering in the territory’s affairs. Read

As Republicans Call For Answers, Trump Says Intel Did Not Find Russia-Taliban Claims ‘Credible’

President Trump said on Sunday night the intelligence community had not found claims that a Russian military intelligence unit paid terrorists in Afghanistan to kill U.S. troops to be “credible,” and had therefore not reported the allegations to him or Vice President Mike Pence. Read

Pelosi, Again, Charges that the Russians Have Some Sort of Leverage on Trump

Repeating what has become a familiar theme for her, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday insinuated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has some kind of leverage over President Trump. Read

Pompeo Announces New US-EU Dialogue: ‘The World is Now Confronting China’

The United States has agreed to establish with the European Union “a new mechanism for discussing the concerns we have about the threat China poses to the West and our shared democratic ideals,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday. Read

US, Sudan Near Compensation Deal For Embassy Bombings; Iran Still Harbors Suspects

As the U.S. and Sudan near a settlement over the deadliest terror attack ever against a U.S. diplomatic mission, Washington has unfinished business with another state-sponsor of terror, Iran, over the bombing of two East African embassies 22 years ago. Read

Trump: Some Troops Leaving Germany Will Move to Poland – ‘A Very Strong Signal to Russia’

President Trump on Wednesday confirmed that his plan to halve the number of U.S. troops in Germany is linked to an agreement reached with his Polish counterpart last year to send additional troops to Poland. Read

AOC-Endorsed Candidate Set to Defeat Longtime Rep. Engel; Can't Wait to 'Cause Problems'

Two years after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated a 10-term incumbent in a New York House Democrat primary, a left-wing candidate endorsed by the high-profile “squad” member looks set to repeat the accomplishment, with the loser this time a 16-term veteran backed by the party establishment. Read

Trump on Statue Vandalism: ‘We’ll Stop It, Don’t Worry ... Ten Years is a Long Time to Spend in Prison’

Addressing the toppling of statues of historical figures, President Trump reiterated on Tuesday night that those responsible could face ten-year prison terms, characterizing the perpetrators as ignorant and saying there were “spoiled rich people” among them. Read

Beijing Irked by US Photo of Empty China Places At US-Russia Nuclear Talks

The head of the U.S. delegation to nuclear arms control talks with the Russians in Vienna this week reproached China for not turning up, and said he plans to share with NATO on Wednesday information about Beijing’s “crash nuclear build-up." Read

Kim Jong Un Regime Prepares Propaganda Blitz As Korean War Anniversary Nears

Ahead of this week’s 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, the North Korean regime says it is printing millions of propaganda leaflets to be carried by hot-air balloon across the world’s most heavily-armed border, a tit-for-tat response to a long running campaign by anti-Pyongyang activists in the South. Read

Trump Confirms China Trade Deal is ‘Intact’ After Advisor’s Comment Causes Markets to Dive

President Trump on Monday night stressed that the “phase one” trade deal with China remains in place, hours after a comment by White House trade advisor Peter Navarro to the effect that it was “over” sparked a drop in U.S. stock futures. Read

UN Rights Council Adopts Toned-Down Measure on Racism in Policing; ACLU Disapproves

After pushback from U.S. allies, the U.N. Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on racism in law enforcement that stops short of establishing a commission of inquiry into police brutality and racism in the United States. Read

WH Trade Adviser: China ‘Spawned’ Coronavirus, ‘Open Question’ If It Was Deliberate

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday accused China’s government of having “spawned” the coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan late last year, saying that given its track record, in his view Beijing was “guilty until proven innocent.” Read

Pompeo Responds to Bolton Book: ‘A Traitor Who Damaged America’

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s response to explosive allegations in John Bolton’s new memoir has been keenly awaited, and in a brief statement on Thursday night he did not mince words, calling his former colleague “a traitor” and accusing him of “lies, fully-spun half-truths, and outright falsehoods.” Read

China Slams US Over Bill on Uighurs; Trump Administration Has Led Int’l Criticism of Abuses

Beijing on Thursday slammed President Trump’s signing of a bill providing for sanctions on the perpetrators of “gross human rights abuses” against minority Uighurs in western China, warning that unless the U.S. backs off, it will “respond resolutely,” and the U.S. will bear the consequences. Read

‘Yankee Imperialists’: Adversaries Line Up to Slam US at UN Human Rights Council

The United States may no longer be a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council, but it was in the spotlight in Geneva on Wednesday, as all the usual critics accused it of systemic racism in law enforcement and demanded a commission of inquiry into the issue. Read

UN Critic Asks Abusive Regimes, ‘Will Your Country Recuse Itself’ From Debate on Racism in U.S. Policing?

On the eve of a U.N. Human Rights Council “urgent debate” into racism in law enforcement in the United States, a monitoring group challenged certain members to “recuse” themselves, identifying by name major human rights violators in the council’s own ranks. Read

Rocks, Clubs Used in Deadly Border Clash Between Chinese and Indian Troops

Armed with clubs, rocks and nail-studded bamboo sticks, Chinese troops clashed with Indian soldiers along a disputed Himalayan border this week, killing an Indian commander officer and 19 others in the first deadly border clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors in more than four decades. Read

Jordan’s Refusal to Extradite Most-Wanted Terrorist Could Cost It US Aid

For seven years Jordan has refused to extradite to the U.S. a wanted Hamas terrorist with American blood on her hands, but now the kingdom is coming under fresh pressure, with warnings that its stance could cost it vital U.S. aid. Read

Trump Links Troop Reduction to German Defense Spending: ‘Until They Pay, We’re Removing Our Soldiers’

President Trump confirmed on Monday that he plans to reduce significantly the number of American troops stationed in Germany, characterizing the NATO ally as “the worst abuser” of U.S. largesse in Europe. Read

UN Human Rights Council to Hold 'Urgent Debate' on ‘Systemic Racism, Police Brutality' in US

The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold an “urgent debate” on Wednesday on the issue of racism and police violence in the United States, following a formal request from African countries and lobbying led by the ACLU. Read

New Coronavirus Cluster Rattles Beijing

At least two government officials in Beijing were fired on Monday after a 56-day run of no new coronavirus cases in the Chinese capital came to an abrupt end, with a cluster of dozens of cases reported in just four days. Read

Seoul on Alert After Kim Jong Un’s Sister Hints of Military Action

Fresh tensions have been simmering along the Korean DMZ for days, and a cryptic warning by Kim Jong Un’s sister that the regime’s “next action” against South Korea would come from the military – and “soon” – prompted an emergency security meeting in Seoul on Sunday. Read

Administration Says ‘Adversaries,’ Including Russia, Are ‘Manipulating’ ICC

The Trump administration believes America’s “adversaries,” including Russia, are using the International Criminal Court to attack the U.S., top officials said Thursday. They spoke after President Trump authorized punitive measures against ICC officials involved in investigating alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. Read

Afghanistan Troop Drawdown on Track, But General Says Conditions Not Met for Full Pullout

Amid questions about the Taliban’s willingness to cut ties with al-Qaeda – in line with an agreement signed with the U.S. earlier this year – U.S. Central Command commander Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said this week he does not believe the conditions have been met for a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan by next spring. Read

Biden on Supporting Reparations: Depends on Details, Whether It Includes Native Americans

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday declined to say whether or not he supports reparations for African Americans, telling a NAACP virtual town hall event it would depend on the details and whether Native Americans are included in a reparations program. Read

Pompeo Warns Pan American Health Organization, US Funding Requires Support for US Values

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called for reforms in another multilateral health body, warning the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) that those receiving U.S. taxpayer dollars must support U.S. values. Read

Cotton Tells Radio Host Noisy Kids in the Background Are Just ‘the New York Times Newsroom’

Taking a dig at the furor over the New York Times’ publication of an op-ed he penned, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Tuesday drew a hearty laugh from conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt after the sound of children yelling could be heard during a phone interview. Read

Despite ‘Impartiality’ Concerns, UN Says Staff May Protest in ‘Private Capacity’

A spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a briefing Tuesday that U.N. staffers are permitted to take part in anti-racism protests – in a private capacity – following a kerfuffle over an internal memo suggesting that doing so would jeopardize U.N. “impartiality.” Read

Turkey’s Erdogan Seeks to Link Antifa in US With US-Allied Syrian Kurdish Fighters

Latching onto President Trump’s criticism of radical left-wing Antifa elements that have hijacked George Floyd protests, Turkey’s Islamist president is trying, again, to get the U.S. to align with Ankara’s stance that Syrian Kurdish fighters are terrorists. Read

ACLU Invites ‘Scrutiny and Judgment’ From UN Body Whose Members Include Egregious Rights Violators

Relatives and supporters of African-Americans killed by police are calling for a U.N. inquiry – and in doing so are appealing to a body whose elected members include regimes accused of slavery, suppression of press freedom, and the sentencing to death of homosexuals and “blasphemers.” Read

U.N. Urged to Restore Sanctions on Iran for Stonewalling Nuclear Inspections

Iran’s continuing refusal to allow U.N. nuclear inspectors to access two suspect sites should prompt the reimposition of all U.N. sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, critics of the regime said at the weekend. Read

Ilhan Omar: Dismantle ‘Rotten’ Minneapolis Police Dep’t; City Council Members Pledge to Do So

A day after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called the Minneapolis Police Department “rotten to the root” and compared it to a cancer needing to be cut out, nine members of the Minneapolis City Council publicly announced their intention to dismantle the 153-year-old department. Read

After Pledging to Cut Ties With al-Qaeda, Taliban Promotes Suicide Bomber Graduation

The Taliban, which in an agreement with the U.S. four months ago pledged to cut ties with al-Qaeda and other terrorists, is promoting a propaganda video showing its top leaders presiding over a passing-out parade for suicide bombers. Read

Ayatollah: What Happened to George Floyd 'Is What the US Has Been Doing to The Whole World’

What a white policeman did to George Floyd “is what the U.S. has been doing to the whole world,” Iran’s supreme leader said on Wednesday, citing American military intervention in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Read

Group Representing US Troops Seeks Protection From ‘Unaccountable’ International Court

An organization representing current and former U.S. armed forces personnel is urging President Trump “to protect America’s service members, veterans, and families from the politically-motivated and inappropriate actions” of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating alleged war crimes in the Afghanistan conflict. Read

WHO Reverses Decision to Stop Hydroxychloroquine COVID-19 Trial

The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that it is resuming a global trial of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential COVID-19 treatment, which it suspended last week after a leading medical journal published a study raising concerns about its safety and efficacy. Read

Trump Signs Order Promoting Religious Freedom Globally by Using ‘Economic Tools’

An executive order signed by President Trump with little fanfare on Tuesday encourages the use of “economic tools” to respond to violations of religious freedom around the world, with possible options including sanctions, U.S. visa restrictions, and “realigning foreign assistance.” Read

Leaked WHO Recordings Reveal Frustration at China’s Delays on Releasing Crucial Virus Data

Senior World Health Organization officials in early January expressed deep frustration behind closed doors about China’s lack of cooperation and transparency about the emerging coronavirus outbreak, according to leaked recordings obtained by the Associated Press. Read

Iran Compares Death of George Floyd to US Sanctions Against the Regime

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif used his Twitter account on Monday to compare the death of George Floyd to U.S. sanctions against the regime he represents. Read

WHO Warns About Mass Gatherings and Coronavirus Spread: ‘This Is Not Over Yet’

Amid protests in the United States involving large numbers of people gathering in close proximity to each other, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that mass gatherings have the potential to exacerbate the transmission of the coronavirus. Read

China Trolls Trump Administration Over Violent Protests in U.S.

Stung by U.S.-led criticism of Beijing’s attempts to crack down on dissent in Hong Kong, Chinese officials and state media are using reports of protests in American cities to make political points about U.S. “double standards and hypocrisy.” Read

CAIR Wants Twitter to Suspend Trump for ‘Racist’ Use of the Word ‘Thugs.’ Obama Used It, Too

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is demanding that Twitter suspend President Trump’s “racist” account, over his recent tweeted warning that looters exploiting protests sparked by the death of George Floyd risk being shot. Read