Top UN Official Hopes Upcoming Envoys’ Meeting Could Lead to ‘Pathway to Recognition’ of the Taliban

The U.N. plans to host a meeting of Afghanistan envoys from around the world at the beginning of May, and the U.N.’s deputy secretary-general says she hopes it will put the international community on the path towards “principled recognition” of the Taliban.  Read

Afghanistan IG: I Can’t Assure US Taxpayers That They Aren’t Funding the Taliban

 The United States has dedicated more than $8 billion to Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal, and the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGAR) told lawmakers on Wednesday that he could not give an assurance that U.S. taxpayer dollars were not going to the Taliban.  Read

Former DNI: Lab Leak ‘Is the Only Explanation’ for COVID Supported by Intelligence, Science, and Common Sense

 A leak from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, “is the only explanation” for the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic that is supported by U.S. intelligence, science, and common sense, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told lawmakers in Tuesday. Read

UN ‘Officially’ Expresses Concern Over Alleged U.S. Spying on U.N. Secretary-General

 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that the world body has “officially” voiced its concern to the U.S. government about reports indicating that the U.S. has been intercepting the communications of Guterres and other U.N. leaders.  Read

Iran’s President Threatens to Destroy Israeli Cities, Urges US to Leave Region

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi marked the regime’s annual “Army Day” on Tuesday by warning Israel that any hostile move against Iran would lead to the destruction of major population centers and calling on the United States to withdraw its troops from the region.  Read

WH: ‘Brazil is Parroting Russian and Chinese Propaganda’ About Ukraine

The White House said on Monday Brazil was “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda” about the role of the West in the conflict in Ukraine, unusually sharp criticism for a country which the Biden administration routinely describes as a key “partner.”  Read

Twitter Labels Canadian Broadcaster ‘69% Government-Funded Media’

 A widening controversy over Twitter’s decision to label media outlets that receive government funding took a new twist Monday night when the platform changed its label for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to “69% Government-funded Media.”  Read

China’s US-Sanctioned Defense Minister Visits Moscow, Hails a ‘New Era’ in Relations

China’s new defense minister, visiting Moscow on his first visit abroad since his appointment, says China-Russia relations have “entered a new era” and “surpass any military-political alliances of the Cold War.” Read

Son of Shah Visits Israel to Promote ‘Ancient Bond’ Between Iranians and Jews, as Regime Stokes Terror

The son of the late Shah of Iran is due to arrive in Israel on Monday for a visit rich in symbolism at a time when the clerical regime that deposed his father is stepping up its support for Palestinian terrorist groups in their shared campaign against the Jewish state.  Read

Int’l Community Urges Sudan’s Warring Generals to Stop Fighting As Death Toll Nears 100

The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday in response to the outbreak of fierce fighting in Sudan that has killed almost 100 people, including U.N. humanitarian workers, in Africa’s third-largest country.  Read

Biden Fumbles While Recounting Rugby Yarn in Ireland

 The “All Blacks” is the nickname for New Zealand’s national rugby union team, one of the world’s best. Read

Macron’s ‘Strategic Autonomy’ Push Is Like Europe ‘Shooting Into Our Own Knee,' Polish PM Says

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday that European “strategic autonomy” – the concept being championed by French President Emmanuel Macron – amounts to Europe “shooting into our own knee,” pivoting towards China and away from the United States. Read

In China, Brazil’s President Calls for Alternative to US Dollar in International Trade

Brazil’s leftist president began a visit to China on Thursday by taking a swipe at the U.S. dollar and asking why the group of leading emerging economies known as BRICS could not use a currency other than the greenback to trade with each other.  Read

ICC’s Arrest Warrant for Putin Poses Headache for South Africa Ahead of Summit Putin’s Due to Attend

 The International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of war crimes in Ukraine is posing a challenge for South Africa as it prepares to host a meeting this year that Putin is scheduled to attend.  Read

After Macron’s Divisive Comments, Lithuania Urges Europe to Foster Transatlantic Unity, Back Taiwan

The foreign minister of Lithuania, one of Europe’s leading critics of the autocratic regimes in Beijing and Moscow, warned fellow European countries on Wednesday not to repeat past mistakes made in relation to Russia, in their dealings with China. Read

Trump: ‘The Biggest Problem We Have in the Whole World’ Is ‘Nuclear Warming,’ Not Global Warming

“Nuclear warming” is a far greater threat to the world than global warming, “and all it takes is one madman and you’re going to have a problem the likes of which the world has never seen,” former President Trump said in an interview aired on Tuesday.  Read

Biggest-Ever US-Philippines Drills Begin; U.S. Reaffirms Mutual Defense Pledge in South China Sea

 The United States and the Philippines began their largest-ever joint military drills on Tuesday, one day after China ended military exercises around Taiwan that included mock strikes against the self-governing island which it seeks to bring under its control.  Read

DoD: Leaked Documents ‘Present a Very Serious Risk to National Security’; US Trying to ‘Reassure’ Allies

As investigations continue into the source of a leak of classified Defense Department documents, a Pentagon official said Monday the U.S. is engaging with allies to “reassure them of our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and fidelity to our security partnerships.”  Read

Netanyahu Vows to Restore Security ‘On All Fronts’ After Terror Attacks, Rocket Fire

Israel’s embattled prime minister pledged on Monday evening to restore security after a turbulent few days saw violent clashes on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, deadly acts of terrorism, and cross-border rocket fire including the biggest barrage from Lebanon since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.  Read

Lindsey Graham Says He Worries China Is ‘Setting the Stage’ For Blockade of Taiwan

 As China’s People’s Liberation Army continued war games near Taiwan including simulated attacks against the island, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) voiced concern on Sunday that Beijing may be “setting the stage” for a possible blockade of Taiwan.  Read

Macron: Europe Shouldn’t Take Sides on Taiwan; Rubio: ‘Does Macron Speak For All of Europe?’

 French President Emmanuel Macron ended a high-profile visit to China telling reporters that Europeans should look to their own interests and not become “followers” when it comes to Taiwan.  Read

Congressional Delegation Visiting Taiwan Dismisses Chinese ‘Intimidation’ Attempts

 House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and members of a bipartisan delegation visiting Taiwan shrugged off attempted “intimidation” by the Chinese Communist Party, saying they would not be deterred from demonstrating their support for the island democracy.  Read

Taiwan Braces for Chinese ‘Countermeasures,’ Monitors PLA Navy Movements

After Beijing’s warning of “countermeasures” in response to Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California, Taiwan’s military is closely watching Chinese military movements in waters around the island which China claims as its own.  Read

Pompeo: Biden Ditched Our ‘Conditions-Based’ Approach to Afghanistan Exit; ‘Trying to Pass the Buck’

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday President Biden’s decision to ditch his predecessor’s “conditions-based” plan on withdrawing from Afghanistan had led to the “collapse” in the summer of 2021.  Read

Russia Denies ‘Widely-Circulated Myths’ About Deporting Ukrainian Children; Western Diplomats Walk Out

 Russia on Wednesday rejected allegations that it has deported thousands of Ukrainian children from Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces during its invasion, characterizing their transfer as a humanitarian “evacuation” effort.  Read

UN Official Criticizes Fireworks Inside Islam’s Third-Holiest Mosque, Upsetting Palestinian Envoy

Amid skirmishes between Israeli security forces and Muslim young men who reportedly barricaded themselves inside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, the Palestinian representative at the U.N. expressed dissatisfaction after a senior U.N. official included the Palestinians in his criticism, rather than directing it solely at Israel.  Read

‘A Reaction Will Follow,’ Moscow Warns, After Finland Joins NATO

 With a handover of documents in Brussels on Tuesday, the border between NATO and Russia more than doubled in length, a further consequence of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.  Read

Iran’s Ayatollah Sees a Succession of Increasingly Weaker US Presidents; Israel's Demise

Iran’s supreme leader launched a vitriolic attack Tuesday on the United States and Israel, charging that a fast-declining U.S. has had a succession of presidents, each weaker than the one before, and that Israel’s internal divisions are hastening its anticipated demise. Read

In Setback for the West, UN Rights Council Passes Measure Opposing Economic Sanctions by Largest-Ever Margin

The U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday adopted a resolution opposing economic sanctions such as those used by the United States and its Western allies in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese government’s atrocities in Xinjiang.  Read

Philippines Opens Four More Bases to Rotating US Forces; Biggest Ever Joint Drills Set to Begin

In an expansion of the U.S. military presence in a longstanding Asian ally on China's doorstep, the Philippines has approved the use of four more military bases for rotational U.S. forces to operate, train, and exercise with their local counterparts.  Read

Ambassador: Russia Won’t Follow UN Rule on Vacating Security Council Chair When Ukraine is Discussed

 Launching Russia’s month-long presidency of the U.N. Security Council, Moscow’s U.N. ambassador said on Monday he would not relinquish the chair when Ukraine is on the agenda, arguing that other countries that are “directly involved” in the conflict have not done so when they held the rotating presidency.  Read

Saudi Arabia, Egypt Signal an Approaching End to 11-Year Isolation of Syria’s Bashar Assad

The two most influential countries in the Arab world have signaled their readiness to move towards rehabilitating Syrian President Bashar Assad, in a further setback to U.S. interests in the region. Read

Saudi Arabia, Six Other OPEC+ Members Announce Surprise New Oil Production Cuts

 Saudi Arabia and half a dozen other members of OPEC+ announced on Sunday that they plan to cut up to a combined 1.15 million barrels of oil a day from May until the end of 2023, calling the decision a “precautionary measure” aimed at ensuring market stability.  Read