Iran Wants to Join Group of Top Emerging Economies to ‘Challenge Western Policies’

Iran says it’s applying to join the club of leading emerging economies known as BRICS –comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – as China continues its push to expand the grouping as a counterweight to Western-dominated multilateral forums.  Read

Only 9 Out of 30 Allies Are Meeting NATO’s Defense Spending Goal

Two years short of the target date for every NATO ally to devote at least two percent of its national GDP to defense, only nine of the 30 are currently doing so.  Read

Biden Announces Plans For ‘Permanent’ US Army Base in Poland

The United States will “establish a permanent headquarters for the U.S. Army Fifth Corps” in Poland, President Biden said on Wednesday, as he laid out plans to boost the U.S. military presence in Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Read

China to NATO: Don’t ‘Look for Imaginary Enemies in the Asia Pacific’

NATO should learn the lessons of the Ukraine crisis and not “look for imaginary enemies in the Asia Pacific,” China’s ambassador to the U.N. said on Tuesday.  Read

Zelenskyy Calls Russia a ‘Terrorist State,’ Urges UN to Expel It

As the U.N. Security Council met in emergency session in response to ongoing military attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia should be labeled a “terrorist state” and questioned the legitimacy of its participation in the meeting – and in the U.N. in general.  Read

‘Absolutely Sickening’: UN Security Council to Meet on Russian Missile Strike on Mall in Ukraine

 A deadly Russian missile strike on a crowded shopping mall in central Ukraine, relatively far from the focus of the fighting, drew shocked reaction from G7 leaders meeting in Germany, and the U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Tuesday.  Read

Democrat Congressman Assures Europeans Trump Won’t Return to Power; Republicans ‘Don’t Want’ Him

President Trump will not return to the White House, a liberal Democratic lawmaker told a European audience on Monday, assuring them that “mature” Republicans will ensure the party nominates a “cogent, sane, and healthy presidential candidate.”  Read

Russian Missiles Hit Civilian Targets in Kyiv as G7 Leaders Gather in Germany

Russian missiles hit a multistory residential building and a kindergarten in Kyiv early on Sunday, killing at least one person and injuring six others in what the city’s mayor called an attempt to “intimidate Ukrainians” on the eve of summits in Europe focused strongly on the war.  Read

SCOTUS Ruling Prompts Move in France to Enshrine Abortion Right in Constitution

Declaring the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade “catastrophic for women around the world,” French lawmakers are pressing for legislation to enshrine the “right” to abortion in their country’s constitution.  Read

EU Chief: Approving Candidate Status Strengthens Ukraine ‘In The Face Of Russian Imperialism’

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed a decision by European Union leaders to put his country on a path towards joining the bloc, the latest step in a long and costly tussle between the West and Moscow over the future of the former Soviet republic.  Read

Blinken Will Take Part in G20 Meeting Despite Presence of Russia’s Lavrov

 President Biden called earlier this year for Russia’s expulsion from the G20, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plans to attend a G20 ministerial next month will not stop Secretary of State Antony Blinken from taking part.  Read

Xi Condemns ‘Attempts to Expand Military Alliances’; Warns Against 'Boomerang' Sanctions

As President Biden prepares to attend back-to-back G7 and NATO summits dominated by the war in Europe, Chinese President Xi Jinping is rallying the bloc of major emerging economies known as BRICS, warning against the West’s “hegemony,” use of sanctions, and expansion of military alliances.  Read

UN Bans Travel for Two Taliban Officials in Retaliation for its Campaign Against Women and Girls

 Three months after the Taliban reneged on a promise to allow Afghan girls above grade six to return to school, the U.N. Security Council has retaliated – by removing two education officials from a list of Taliban officials exempted from a U.N. travel ban.  Read

WH: US Isn’t Forcing Africa to Shun Russia, But Putin ‘Needs to Be Held Accountable’

 The White House pushed back Tuesday on accusations that the U.S. is seeking to punish African countries for not siding with the West over Russia, saying nations have the right to make sovereign decisions – but also underlining the need for the invasion of Ukraine to carry costs for Moscow.  Read

Russia Claims NATO Ally Lithuania Is Blockading Kaliningrad, Warns it Will Respond

 Russia warned Monday that it would take action to protect its national interests if Lithuania did not reverse a decision to bar the transit by rail of certain items destined for Kaliningrad, the small Russian exclave that is separated from the rest of the country by the Baltic states.  Read

Israeli Government Disintegrates Ahead of Biden Visit

 President Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel, his first as president, will be to a country in the throes of a fresh political crisis, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett confirmed on Monday night that he aims to dissolve parliament ahead of elections in the fall.  Read

Grim Night For Macron As His Party Loses Absolute Majority; Big Gains For Far-Left, Far-Right

French President Emmanuel Macron lost his absolute majority in the National Assembly in an election Sunday that delivered official opposition status to a new left-wing alliance and a dramatic boost to the far-right National Rally.  Read

Zelenskyy: Expect Russia to Step Up Hostilities As ‘Historic Week’ Begins

Looking ahead to a week in which the European Union could grant “candidate status” to his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday night that Russia would likely ratchet up “hostile activity” in response.  Read

Lavrov ‘Not Interested’ in West’s Views on Foreigners Captured in Ukraine, Calls Them ‘Mercenaries’

Amid reports that two U.S. citizens fighting with Ukrainian forces against the Russians may have been captured, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday batted away Western concerns about two Britons recently sentenced to death by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine, saying that “mercenaries” are not combatants.  Read

‘Horrors’ Inflicted on Mariupol Will Affect Generations to Come, Says UN Human Rights Chief

 The devastation caused to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol by the Russian invasion will impact generations to come, and strongly suggests that international human rights and humanitarian law were seriously violated, a senior U.N. official told the Human Rights Council on Thursday.  Read

Zelenskyy Wins Key Support For First Step in Ukraine Joining European Union

The leaders of the European Union’s most powerful states confirmed their support Thursday for Ukraine to be given “candidate status” for membership in the bloc, and pledged to continue supporting Kyiv financially and militarily for as long as necessary.  Read

Kremlin: Xi Backs Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine, Noting ‘Legitimacy of Russia’s Actions’

 Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed direct support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, according to the Kremlin’s readout of their phone conversation Wednesday. Read

Citing ‘Stigmatization’ Concerns, WHO Plans to Rename Monkeypox

In a bid to avoid “stigmatization,” the World Health Organization plans to rename the virus long known as “monkeypox,” which was first reported in Africa decades ago but has emerged in dozens of countries outside the continent this year.  Read

Democracies, Autocracies Clash at UN Human Rights Council Over Xinjiang

Deep political divisions were on display at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday as democracies and autocracies backed competing statements condemning and defending China over its policies in its far-western region of Xinjiang.  Read

Saudis Promote Biden’s Meeting With Crown as a Highlight of His Visit, While White House Downplays It

The Biden administration is downplaying President Biden’s scheduled interaction in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – in stark contrast to the kingdom, which is characterizing the meeting as a high point of the president’s two-day visit next month.  Read

UN Human Rights Chief Says Decision to Step Down Is Unrelated to Criticism Over China Visit

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Monday that her decision not to run for a second term had nothing to do with the scathing criticism she is facing over her handling of the crisis in Xinjiang.  Read

‘Invisible Jihad’: Report Says Iranian Regime and Its Proxies Driving Exodus of Christians

 The clerical regime in Iran is pursuing a deliberate strategy of coercion against Christians within its sphere of influence across the Middle East, designed to drive them out, according to a new report.  Read

Biden Says He Has ‘Not Yet’ Decided on Visiting Saudi Arabia – Then Says He Is Going

President Biden said on Sunday that he has “not yet” decided if he will visit Saudi Arabia when he’s in the region next month – but then moments later said that he was going, tying the visit to security, including that of Israel, rather than to energy issues.  Read

Chinese Defense Minister Delivers Taiwan Warning: ‘We Will Fight to the Very End’

China’s defense minister warned on Sunday that his country will “fight to the very end” to stop Taiwan breaking away, and a senior People’s Liberation Army figure described the dispute over the island as the issue “that could most easily” trigger conflict between the United States and China.  Read

David vs. Goliath Battle at UN: Russia Fights for Seat on Influential Body It’s Held For 76 Years

In a little reported but intriguing struggle in New York, Russia is tussling with North Macedonia for a vacant seat on an influential United Nations body, as the invasion of Ukraine continues to impact Moscow’s global standing. Read

Virus Origins: WHO Experts Call For Further Investigation of ‘Lab Leak’ Theory, More Chinese Data

More than a year after a World Health Organization-convened group of experts effectively discounted the possibility that the coronavirus causing COVID-19 could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, another WHO-convened multinational team of scientists said in its first report released on Thursday that the theory needs “further investigations.”  Read

Golden Arches Are Replaced by Two Fries and a Patty As Ex-McDonalds Stores Reopen in Russia

Fifteen former McDonald’s outlets in and around Moscow are due to reopen this weekend under a new name and logo, weeks after the fast-food giant confirmed it was exiting the Russian market, one of hundreds of global brands to do so following the invasion of Ukraine.  Read

Russia, China Team Up Again Against the US by Supporting Iran at the UN Nuclear Agency

In a continuing pattern of jointly opposing the United States in multilateral forums, Russia and China on Wednesday voted against a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors, censuring Iran.  Read

No Summit Invitation For Venezuela’s Juan Guaidó, But He Gets a 17-Minute Call With Biden

The Biden administration did not invite the Venezuelan leader whom it recognizes as the country’s legitimate interim president to the Summit of the Americas, where it intends as host to “lift up a vision for the hemisphere that is fundamentally democratic.”  Read

UN Will Ask Russia and China to Explain Their Refusal to Condemn N. Korea Missile Launches

 The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday will ask Russia and China to explain their recent vetoing of a Security Council resolution responding to North Korean ballistic missile launches.  Read

Deadly Church Attack Prompts Calls to Return Nigeria to Persecution Blacklist

The massacre of dozens of Nigerian Christians on Pentecost Sunday has reignited calls for the State Department to return the West African nation to a religious persecution blacklist after removing it late last year – and then to impose sanctions.  Read

Serbia’s NATO Neighbors Block Lavrov’s Flight; US Says Serbia Should Align its Policies With Europe

 Serbia should focus on its aspirations to join the European Union and “aligning its foreign and security policies with the rest of Europe,” the U.S. State Department said on Monday, after Serbia’s neighbors refused to allow Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to cross their airspace en route to Belgrade.  Read

‘Maybe It’s Easier Not to Listen to the Truth,” EU Official Says, As Russian Walks Out of UN Meeting

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday walked out of a Security Council meeting focused on sexual violence in the war in Ukraine, after European Council president Charles Michel accused Moscow of war crimes and blamed it for sparking a global food crisis by invading its neighbor.  Read

Volley of North Korean Ballistic Missiles Prompts Tit-for-Tat Launches by US, South Korea

U.S. and South Korea forces early Monday fired eight ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean peninsula, in a tit-for-tit show of readiness after North Korea a day earlier launched eight short-range ballistic missiles.  Read

Russians Renew Missile Attacks on Kyiv, Reportedly From 1,000 Miles Away

 Russian forces on Sunday fired missiles at Kyiv for the first time since late April. President Vladimir Putin said that if the West delivers long-range missiles to Ukraine, Russia would retaliate by striking facilities that it has refraining from attacking up to now.  Read

Ukrainian Politicians Slap Down Macron’s Renewed Call Not to ‘Humiliate’ Russia

As Russian forces on Sunday targeted Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than five weeks, Ukrainian politicians hit back at another call by French President Emmanuel Macron for the West not to “humiliate” Russia if a diplomatic solution to the war is to be achieved.  Read

Verbal Protests, But No Walkouts, As N. Korea Becomes President of Disarmament Forum

 North Korea’s assumption of the presidency of the world’s only multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament prompted verbal protests on Thursday by mostly Western nations, but not the boycott or walkout that some non-governmental critics had called for.  Read

Lavrov Hails Deepening Russia-China Ties: ‘Tectonic Shifts in the Modern Geopolitical Landscape’

As China this week renewed its call on the U.S. and other Western countries to “stop fanning the flames” in Ukraine and halt sanctions against Moscow, Russia’s foreign minister expressed gratitude for Beijing’s stance on the war and hailed deepening bilateral relations.  Read

State Department Again Accuses China of ‘Genocide’

Days after China said a visit by the U.N. human rights chief had put to rest "lies and rumors” about the situation in Xinjiang, the State Department on Thursday restated the U.S. assessment that Beijing is committing “genocide” against minorities in the far-western region.  Read

Russia’s Lavrov: Kyiv Asking for Advanced Weapons to Draw the West Into War

 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov charged on Wednesday that Ukraine’s appeals for increasingly sophisticated weaponry from Western countries were designed to draw them into the war.  Read

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Playing ‘Hunger Games’ by Blocking Grain Shipments

 United Nations envoys are working to end an effective Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports that is preventing the shipment of millions of tons of grain, contributing to an already precarious global food situation.  Read

Administration Confident That Finland, Sweden Will Join NATO ‘Swiftly’ Despite Turkish Opposition

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO unless they meet Ankara’s demands on “terrorism,” but the State Department on Tuesday voiced confidence that the two aspirants would be admitted into the alliance – and quickly.  Read

Biden: We Will Provide More Advanced, Precise Rocket Systems to Ukraine

Amid fierce fightin in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, President Biden has confirmed that the United States will provide Ukrainian forces with some of the more advanced and precise rocket systems that Kyiv has been calling for, to bolster its defense against the Russian invaders. Read