EU and Asia— a match made in heaven or hell?
SINCE Chancellor Angela Merkel has been recently bogged down by negotiations on forming a new governing coalition for Germany, the scene has been left clear for another European leader to take center stage – and, no, I do not mean … Read More
US Speaks Its Mind on China’s Strengthening Relationship With Latin America
The United States must rethink its relationship with Latin America if it wants to respond to China’s influence. In the global competition between world powers, the battle in Latin America exemplifies how power is shifting toward Asia. China has been … Read More
Nigel Farage warns ‘Brexit betrayal’ would thrust Britain into crisis
LONDON (Reuters) – If Prime Minister Theresa May allows Brexit to be watered down or halted by supporters of European Union membership, then Britain will be thrust into the gravest constitutional crisis since World War Two, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage … Read More
Factbox: Who could wield the knife? Scenarios for a Merkel exit
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel is heading into her final term as German chancellor, a close ally conceded on Monday, intensifying the jockeying over the succession to Europe’s most powerful leader.Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader and German Chancellor Angela Merkel … Read More
Putin ready for war: Russia test fires air defence missile with menacing explosion video
VLADIMIR Putin’s latest anti-missile system – designed to protect the Kremlin and key Moscow installations from enemy strikes – has been successfully tested, say Russia’s defense ministry. Spectacular footage shows the tests at the Sary-Shagan range in Kazakhstan, just days … Read More
Israel squares off for showdown with Iran in Syria
Israel has viewed Iran’s growing footprint in neighbouring Syria with alarm [File: Omar Sanadiki/Reuters] A surge in Israeli-Syrian cross-border incidents has turned into the “biggest” confrontation between the two countries in decades, and confronted Russia with a new dilemma: how to preserve … Read More
Massive magnitude 6.0 EARTHQUAKE strikes ‘deep’ off USA islands
A MAGNITUDE 6.0 earthquake has struck 10 kilometres deep off the Northern Mariana Islands, less than a week after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake caused devastation in Taiwan, the US Geological Survey said on Monday. USGS The has been no immediate … Read More
Mike Pence raises prospect of U.S-North Korea talks
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and South Korea have agreed on terms for further diplomatic engagement with North Korea, which could potentially lead to direct talks with Washington without pre-conditions, according to Vice President Mike Pence. Speaking to the Washington Post … Read More
Turkey, Iran Threaten to Overwhelm West with Refugees
Migrants pass through Slovenia (Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images) Senior Iranian and Turkish officials have explicitly threatened to overwhelm Europe with new waves of Middle Eastern refugees if their demands aren’t met. To these Islamist republics, Muslim refugees are weapons … Read More
Pence: The United States is ready to talk with North Korea
Vice President Mike Pence. (Woohae Cho/Getty Images) Despite the mutual chilliness between U.S. and North Korean officials in South Korea last week, behind the scenes real progress was made toward a new diplomatic opening that could result in direct talks … Read More
Mideast tensions get even worse
(CNN)As if the broken, angry, dysfunctional Middle East needed another conflict, along came an unprecedented escalation between Israel, Iran and Syria to make the region even more volatile and dangerous. In the predawn hours of Saturday, an Iranian drone penetrated Israeli airspace … Read More
Mattis dismisses concerns of broader [conflict] after deadly conflict in Syria
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT: US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis dismissed concerns on Thursday that the United States was being dragged into a broader conflict in Syria, after a major clash with pro-Syrian government forces overnight that may have left 100 or more of … Read More
Fearing Russia, United States, Germany offer to host new NATO commands: officials
BRUSSELS/BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and Germany have offered to host two proposed new NATO commands aimed at deterring Russia, diplomats and officials said, in a show of support for the alliance’s military build-up that has echoes of the … Read More
House Passes Budget Deal to Raise Spending and Reopen Government
Speaker Paul D. Ryan arriving to vote on Friday. He expressed support for bringing a debate on immigration to the House floor. CreditEric Thayer for The New York Times WASHINGTON — The House gave final approval early Friday to a far-reaching … Read More
EU threatens to BLOCK sanctions against Iran in USA showdown
THE European Union is preparing for a showdown with the United States as Brussels considers new regulations to protect EU firms doing business in Iran in case Donald Trump scraps the 2015 nuclear deal and restores tough sanctions. AFP/GETTY Donald … Read More