Pentagon: Threatened Turkish Incursion Into Syria Will Harm Anti-ISIS Drive and Destabilize Region

With Turkish leaders warning of an imminent military ground operation into northern Syria, the Pentagon said on Tuesday U.S. forces deployed there have reduced the number of joint patrols with their Syrian Kurdish allies – the targets of Turkey’s threatened invasion.  Read

UK Secularists Hail Census Data: ‘It’s Official – We Are No Longer a Christian Country’

For the first time ever, census data in England and Wales have found that fewer than half of the population considers itself to be Christian – and groups that reject religion says it’s time that reality is reflected in education, law, and public policy.  Read

WH Reaction to Chants of ‘Xi Jinping, Step Down’: ‘These Protesters Are Speaking For Themselves’

President Biden is “not going to speak for protesters around the world,” National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said on Monday when asked the president’s reaction to demonstrators in China chanting “Xi Jinping, step down.”  Read

Ahead of US-Iran Soccer Clash, WH Distances Itself From Altered Iran Flag Controversy

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby on Monday distanced the Biden administration from a decision by the U.S. Soccer Federation to temporarily post an altered version of Iran’s national flag on social media in support of Iranian protesters.  Read

Xi Jinping’s ‘Zero COVID’ Approach Ignites Public Unrest in China

 Simmering discontent over Beijing’s controversial “zero COVID” policy has boiled over into rare anti-government protests in several Chinese cities, with reports that some of the slogans being chanted are calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and for President Xi Jinping to resign.  Read

McCaul, Turner: ‘More Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability’ in Ongoing Support For Ukraine

Republicans in line to become chairs of two key committees in a GOP-led House said on Sunday future military aid to Ukraine needs to be subject to greater oversight. One expressed frustration about big price tag “Democrat bills” that include some spending not directly related to supporting Ukraine.  Read

McCaul: Mayorkas ‘Derelict in His Responsibilities’; ‘You Need the Facts, Evidence Before You Indict’

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been “derelict in his responsibilities” concerning the U.S.-Mexico border, House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Republican Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said on Sunday, but the GOP will need to “build a case” if it seeks to impeach him.  Read

Austin Meets With Chinese Counterpart, Who Says ‘China Bears No Responsibility’ For Tensions

Defense Secretary Gen. Lloyd Austin held talks with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday on a range of irritants in the relationship, with Beijing once again characterizing its claims to Taiwan as a “red line” that must not be crossed.  Read

McCarthy to Mayorkas: Resign, Or Risk Impeachment Over SW Border Crisis

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas should resign, or face the possibility of an impeachment inquiry next year over the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday.  Read

‘Xenophobia, Islamophobia and Racism’: Ilhan Omar Slams McCarthy’s Plan to Eject Her From HFAC

Alleging “xenophobia, Islamophobia and racism,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Monday denounced House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy for announcing plans to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the next Congress.  Read

Impassive and Silent, Iran’s National Team at World Cup Sits Out Anthem Extolling the ‘Imam’

As a soccer World Cup dogged with controversy continued on Monday, the sight of Iran’s national team standing silent during the playing of their national anthem before their opening game in Doha attracted significant media and social media attention.  Read

As World Cup Begins, Global Soccer Boss Parries ‘Western’ Criticism Over Host Nation Qatar

 The world’s biggest sporting event has kicked off in Qatar, and the global soccer governing body is in defense mode, hitting back at criticism more than a decade in the making over the decision to award the 2022 World Cup hosting rights to a rights-abusing Islamist autocracy.  Read

‘You’re Playing With Fire!’ IAEA Warns After Shells Land ‘Meters’ From Key Parts of Nuclear Plant

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Sunday decried renewed shelling at a major nuclear power plant in Ukraine, saying it had come “dangerously close” to key safety and security systems at Europe’s largest nuclear facility.  Read

Kremlin Says Ukraine Invasion ‘Does Not Depend on Climatic or Weather Conditions’

As Russia on Thursday launched more airstrikes targeting Ukrainian energy facilities, the Kremlin made clear that the onset of wintry weather would not affect its invasion, now in its 267th day.  Read

Blinken: Trio Found Guilty in Deadly Downing of Plane Over Ukraine Must Be ‘Held to Account

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday welcomed a Dutch court’s verdict finding two Russians and a pro-Russian Ukrainian guilty of murder for their role in the July 2014 shoot-down of a passenger plane over eastern Ukraine, and called for the three – who remain at large – to be “held to account.” Read

Kerry Resumes Climate Talks With Chinese Counterpart Amid Push for ‘Loss and Damage’ Fund

Days before the annual U.N. climate mega-conference wraps up, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry met on the sidelines this week with his Chinese counterpart, their first formal interaction since Beijing ended climate cooperation over Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan.  Read

Cruz Accuses the Biden White House of ‘Unleashing the FBI’ on Israel to Investigate Journalist’s Death

 Anyone involved the decision to launch an FBI investigation into the death of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli security operation “should be fired or impeached,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said this week, responding to a move that sparked strong pushback in Jerusalem.  Read

Russia Slaps Down US Claim That It’s ‘Ultimately Responsible’ For Poland Missile Explosion

The U.S. government on Wednesday backed Poland’s assessment that a deadly explosion in eastern Poland Tuesday was “was most likely the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile” that went astray, but said Russia was ultimately accountable, given the circumstances of the incident.  Read

Poland Says Two Citizens Were Killed When ‘a Russia-Made Missile’ Landed On its Soil

Poland’s foreign ministry confirmed overnight Tuesday that two Polish citizens had been killed when “a Russia-made missile dropped on the village of Przewodów,” an area about six miles from the Poland-Ukraine border.  Read

Biden: 'It’s Unlikely' That Missile Fired Into Poland Came From Russia

 President Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the latest barrage of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, calling them "merciless" and "totally unconscionable." But he stopped short of blaming Russia for the missile that landed in Poland, killing two people.  Read

Trump Declares 2024 White House Run: ‘America’s Comeback Starts Right Now’

Donald Trump formally announced on Tuesday night that he is running for the White House in 2024, seeking a rare non-consecutive second term in the face of multiplying legal hurdles and a divided Republican establishment.  Read

US Reporter Manhandled After Shouting Question About Human Rights Ahead of Biden-Xi Talks

As President Biden was about to start his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali on Monday, an American journalist who called out a question relating to human rights was shoved and pushed towards the floor by a man believed to be part of the Chinese delegation.  Read

UN Adopts Divisive Measure Supporting Russian ‘Reparations for Damage, Loss or Injury’ in Ukraine

The U.N. General Assembly on Monday approved a resolution supporting the establishment of an international mechanism “for reparation for damage, loss or injury” arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Read

16 Undetermined Races Will Decide Control of the House; GOP Edges Towards Majority

A week after Election Day, control of the House of Representatives lies in the hands of 16 undetermined races, more than half of them in California.  Read

Istanbul Blast ‘Smells Like Terrorism’ Says Turkey’s Erdogan Before Heading to G20

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed Sunday to a G20 summit shortly after saying that an explosion in central Istanbul that killed six people and wounded dozens more “smells like terrorism.”  Read

Iran Begins Sentencing Protesters to Death: ‘Enmity Against Allah,’ ‘Spreading Corruption on Earth’

 A court in Tehran on Sunday handed down what is believed to be the first death sentence relating to the anti-government protests that have gripped parts of the country for almost two months.  Read

Sullivan Plays Down Failure to Produce Joint Communique on Ukraine/Russa at East Asia Summit

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday played down the fact the East Asia Summit in Cambodia ended without a joint communique because of differences over Russia-Ukraine, saying that he had heard no support for the invasion of Ukraine from summit participants.  Read

Biden Will Meet With Xi at G20, to Lay Out ‘Our Red Lines’; Putin Won’t Go

Russia has officially notified the Indonesian government that President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the G20 summit in Bali next week, an event that could have witnessed awkward interactions with President Biden and other Western leaders who have depicted him as a war criminal. Read

State Dep’t Says Iranian Protesters Risking Death Are Calling for ‘Reforms’

On the 56th day of protests in Iran, State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a press briefing on Thursday that those taking to the streets were calling for “reforms” and “a better life.”  Read

Biden Says It’s His ‘Expectation’ That Aid to Ukraine Will Continue With a GOP-Controlled House

 President Biden expressed optimism on Wednesday that bipartisan support for helping Ukraine to confront the Russian invasion will continue in the new-look House of Representatives next year.  Read

Biden: ‘It Remains to Be Seen … Whether or Not Ukraine is Prepared to Compromise With Russia’

President Biden said on Wednesday it remains to be seen, following a Russian retreat from the occupied region of Kherson, “whether or not Ukraine is prepared to compromise with Russia.”  Read

Abortion-Related Ballot Measures: A Disheartening Night For Pro-Life Americans

 While abortion was indirectly on the ballot for many voters across the nation in Tuesday’s midterm election, it was also the subject of specific ballot measures in five states – with results disappointing for pro-lifers.  Read

State Dep’t: Kerry’s Handshake With Maduro at Climate Conference Neither Planned Nor Substantive

 U.S. climate envoy John Kerry was videotaped shaking hands and chatting briefly with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro at the U.N. climate conference in Egypt. The exchange drew critical attention on social media, given the frosty relationship between Washington and the left-wing firebrand.  Read

In Three Key Virginia House Races, Republicans Unseat One Incumbent, Fail to Eject Two Others

A closely-watched race between two U.S. Navy veterans in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District ended in victory Tuesday night for Republican challenger Jen Kiggans, who unseated two-term incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria, a member of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.  Read

Biden Congratulates Netanyahu – 4 Days After Final Election Results in Israel

 President Biden on Monday congratulated Binyamin Netanyahu on winning a new term as Israeli prime minister, in a call that came four days after final results were announced and the outgoing caretaker prime minister conceded defeat.  Read

On the eve of pivotal U.S. midterm elections, a shadowy Russian businessman indicted for interfering in past American elections “admitted” to having done so, and said he would continue in the future, prompting strong reaction from the State Department.  Read

With Accounts in 11 Languages, Iran’s Ayatollah Continues to Use Twitter to Spread Anti-US Views

 Amid concern in mostly liberal quarters that Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter will amplify harmful content, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday again used the platform – as he has done for years – to spread anti-America sentiment to his well over one million followers.  Read

Report: National Security Advisor Sullivan in Confidential Talks With Top Putin Aides

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has been engaged in confidential talks with top Russian aides in recent months, amid concerns about the Kremlin’s nuclear rhetoric, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.  Read

Afghanistan IG: We Can’t Fully Account for $1.1 Billion Spent Since Kabul Fell; Feds Won’t Cooperate

 The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has informed lawmakers that, “for the first time in its [14-year] history,” it is unable to provide Congress and taxpayers with “a full accounting” of government spending in the country – more than $1.1 billion since the Taliban takeover – because federal agencies won’t cooperate.  Read

US Ambassador Congratulates Netanyahu on Clear Election Win, But Biden Administration Holds Off

 U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides on Thursday congratulated Israeli opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu on his election victory, but administration officials in Washington continued to take a wait-and-see approach.  Read

As Missiles Fly, Ambassador Says US ‘Open to Dialogue’ With N. Korea, No Outreach Since Trump Administration

On a day when North Korea fired the largest-ever barrage of ballistic missiles towards its southern neighbor, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated Wednesday that the U.S. was “open to dialogue” with Pyongyang but that the last outreach occurred “during the Trump administration.”  Read

Ayatollah Accuses US of ‘Hybrid Warfare’; US Says It's ‘Not Pushing for the Downfall’ of the Regime

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday accused the U.S., Israel, and other enemies of mounting “hybrid warfare” against the Islamic Republic, as the Biden administration threw its support behind a campaign to expel Iran from the U.N.’s top gender equality body.  Read

Israeli Exit Polls Point to Possibility of a Netanyahu Comeback

 Exit polls in Israel’s election on Tuesday point to possible narrow victory for former Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc, an outcome which if confirmed would see the veteran former prime minister return to power just a year and a half after being ousted by a disparate coalition whose sole unifying issue was removing him.  Read

Putin Offers Support as Arab States Hold Summit Marked by Political Divisions, Absences

 The Arab League is holding its first summit in three years, soured by a bitter rift between host nation Algeria and neighboring Morocco, differences over how to deal with Syria, Turkey, and Iran, and a fracturing of pan-Arab solidarity as a result of normalization agreements with Israel.  Read

UN Rejects Russian Claims That Crimea Attack Violated Grain Deal; Says Shipments Will Continue

The implications of Russia’s suspension of participation in an agreement to provide safe transit for Ukrainian grain exports remained unclear on Monday, although wheat prices did rise significantly, adding to concerns about global food shortages.  Read

US Personnel Back in Int’l Criminal Court Crosshairs as Judges OK Afghanistan War Crimes Probe

More than a year after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, a previously on-hold International Criminal Court investigation into war crimes allegedly committed during the war in Afghanistan – by U.S. forces, Afghan forces, and the Taliban – is back on track.  Read