(March 14, 2025)
Special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff left Moscow on Friday without a cease-fire deal in hand after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected President Trump’s terms to begin winding down the war with Ukraine.
Putin met with Witkoff late Thursday after having kept the American waiting since roughly 12:30 p.m., according to flight tracking data and Russian reports, but ultimately sent him home with “signals” for Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters.
“I believe that CNN and MSDNC, who literally write 97.6 percent bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat party, and in my opinion, they are really corrupt and they are illegal,” Trump said, again using his nickname for MSNBC.
He also bashed other outlets, including CBS, NBC, ABC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, for their reporting. He claimed that the mainstream outlets were influencing judges and “I don’t believe it’s legal.”
The deal is a major breakthrough that would bring most of Syria under the control of the government, which is led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that led the ouster of President Bashar Assad in December.
The deal was signed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
Russia‘s Defense Ministry claimed its forces had intercepted a massive strike of 337 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including 91 over Moscow Oblast, 126 over Kursk Oblast, 38 over Bryansk Oblast, and others over the Belgorod, Ryazan, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Oryol, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod regions.
The strike took place as Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are about to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss possible peace terms with Russia. Ukrainian officials are reportedly planning to propose a partial truce that would extend to aerial strikes and naval operations.
At least one person has been killed abd three injured as 69 UAVs heading toward the capital have been destroyed by air defenses
„We welcome this statement as part of the discussion on providing Ukraine with long-term security guarantees and ensuring security and peace in general,“ Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said at a briefing in Kyiv.
„As for this proposal specifically, we are in contact with our Italian colleagues to clarify the specifics of this proposal,“ Tykhyi said, adding that Ukraine still wants its partners to send troop contingents as part of any peace effort.
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In a post to his TruthSocial platform on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump threatened members of Hamas and residents of Gaza that they would be „DEAD“ if they don‘t do as he says: release all captives, and leave the enclave. (…)
„I have just met with your former Hostages whose lives you have destroyed. This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance. Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!“
„I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say,“ he said. „Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!“
Trump‘s warning echoed his „hell to pay“ threat before his January 20 return to the White House, which was followed by the ceasefire and hostages deal in mid-January that he claimed credit for before then-President Joe Biden left office.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized economic and travel sanctions targeting people who work on International Criminal Court investigations of U.S. citizens or U.S. allies such as Israel, repeating action he took during his first term.
Deportations and birthright citizenship: Donald Trump called for a crackdown on criminal “aliens” and signed an order to end automatic birthright citizenship for children of non-permanent residents. However, the order faces legal hurdles as birthright citizenship is enshrined in the US Constitution.
(b) Within 14 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to make operational preparations regarding the implementation of any decision I make to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., in relation to the existence of any qualifying invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States by a qualifying actor, and to prepare such facilities as necessary to expedite the removal of those who may be designated under this order.
„We carried out a military operation targeting a vital target of the Israeli enemy in Tel Aviv, using a hypersonic ballistic missile,“ Yemeni spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement aired by al-Masirah TV.
„The operation achieved its goal successfully,“ he said, adding that his group also carried out an attack using four drones and targeted „vital targets“ in Tel Aviv.
(January 3, 2025)
President Joe Biden has less than a month in office, but that might be enough time to leave a very big mess on President-elect Donald Trump‘s desk. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan presented Biden with plans to bomb Iranian nuclear sites before the end of his term „in a meeting several weeks ago,“ Axios reported on Thursday. A source told Axios that Biden‘s inner circle believes that he has both „an imperative and an opportunity to strike“ now.
On Dec. 11, over a dozen NYU students and faculty dropped flyers and hung banners throughout the Bobst Library while 13 people sat in on the administrative floor of thelibrary. The actionists were demanding a meeting with administrators, who had, in the spring during the Gaza solidarity encampment movement at NYU, promised students to disclose the university’s endowment, including all its investments in weapons manufacturers and ties to Israel and companies that profit off its occupation of Palestine.
The direct action was organized by student group Shut It Down NYU, which challenges what it sees as NYU’s ties to imperialism. Not only were the students’ demands ignored, but yesterday, 11 of them were suspended for a year on the pretext of participating “in coordinated and collective disruptive action” — the non-violent action at the library. Several more NYU students are currently going through disciplinary proceedings that could result in similar punishments.
Here is the press release we received from Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine:
Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republican voted against it.
“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” Representative Brian Mast, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a House speech before the vote.
Präsident Yoon Suk Yeol hat einen Rücktritt abgelehnt.
Stattdessen wolle er bis zum Ende kämpfen, erklärte er in einer am Donnerstag im Fernsehen übertragenen Ansprache und rechtfertigte dabei die Ausrufung des Kriegsrechts in der letzten Woche.
Die Parteichefin hat die schnelle Beteiligung an zwei Landesregierungen »beispiellos« genannt. Die zügige Zulassung zur Exekutive ist aber offensichtlich für nicht wenige Wähler der Partei gerade kein Grund zur Freude: Prompt schwächelt das BSW in Umfragen, und die ersten interessierten Diagnosen, die einen »Absturz« konstatieren, gehen in Druck.
Israel‘s parliament has expelled a prominent left-wing Jewish MP over his support for South Africa‘s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
Ofer Kassif, the only Jewish MP for the left-wing Hadash party, will be suspended for six month after accusing Israel of committign war crimes in Gaza.
In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, the Iranian Armed Forces Communications Center said, “We inform the brave and honorable Iranian people that hostile Zionist aircraft, in a blatant violation of international law, used airspace provided by the American terrorist army in Iraq early this morning to launch multiple long-range, air-launched missiles from 100 kilometers away from the Iranian border.” The statement was followed by calls to Iran’s media and experts to rely solely on official sources amid circulating rumors.
The missiles, reportedly fitted with warheads one-fifth the size of Iranian ballistic warheads, targeted radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and areas near Tehran, the statement noted.
“Thanks to timely intervention by Iran’s air defense, the damage was limited; several radar systems sustained minor damage, with some already repaired and others undergoing restoration.”
Am Rande der anstehenden NATO-Verteidigungsministerkonferenz werden Südkorea, Japan, Australien und Neuseeland ihr erstes Treffen abhalten.
Das Treffen zwischen den sogenannten IP4-Staaten, Ländern im Indopazifik, findet am Donnerstag im NATO-Hauptquartier in Brüssel statt.
Laut Berichten ist dies das erste Mal, dass sich die vier Länder ohne andere NATO-Mitgliedsstaaten treffen.
Bei dem Treffen wird voraussichtlich über Möglichkeiten zur Vertiefung der Zusammenarbeit mit der NATO diskutiert.
Two U.S. officials told Axios that during a call on Friday White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Israel‘s minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer that the U.S. expects „clarity and transparency“ from Israel about its plans to retaliate against Iran because it will have implications for U.S. forces and interests in the region.
– Call was ‚direct and very productive,‘ White House says
– Defence chief Gallant says retaliation to be ‚surprising‘
– Israel‘s UN envoy: ‚It will be painful for the Iranian regime‘
In an interview with the CBS television network aired on Monday night, the Democratic presidential candidate said Iran is the “obvious” answer when asked about the country she considers to be the US’s “greatest adversary”.
“Iran has American blood on their hands – this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles,” she said. “What we need to do [is] to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power. That is one of my highest priorities.”
The resolution urged Israel to „comply with international law and withdraw its military forces, immediately cease all new settlement activity, evacuate all settlers from occupied land, and dismantle parts of the separation wall it constructed inside the occupied West Bank“. It also demanded Israel return land and other assets it has seized since 1967.
Apart from the US, Argentina, Hungary and Paraguay also voted against the resolution. Other opposers were: Oceania‘s Palau, Micronesia, Nauru, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea, East Africa‘s Malawi and Europe‘s Czechia.
Czechia’s Explanation of Vote on the UN resolution regarding the advisory opinion of the ICJ on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in OPT, including East Jerusalem, and from the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in OPT. Stated by Ambassador to the United Nations, Jakub Kulhánek, on September 18, 2024
Mr. President,
Allow me to begin by reiterating Czechia‘s unwavering support for the people of the West Bank and Gaza in their pursuit of political aspirations for their own future statehood.
My country also stands ready to support any meaningful efforts to end violence in the region.
However, for these efforts to succeed, they must be the result of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, as this offers the only viable path to lasting security and peace for all.
MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. At least 14 drones were shot down by air defense forces during an attempt to attack Moscow and the Moscow Region. A 46-year-old woman died in Ramenskoye, while earlier information about the death of a 9-year-old child was not confirmed. Several people were injured.
The effects of the fall of UAV fragments in the area of Zhukovsky airport are being eliminated.
Moscow and Kyiv have both sought to buy and develop new drones, deploy them in innovative ways, and seek new ways to destroy them – from using shotguns to advanced electronic jamming systems.
Both sides have turned cheap commercial drones into deadly weapons while ramping up their own production and assembly to attack targets including tanks and energy infrastructure such as refineries and airfields.
Demoralized by the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, Palestinian American Samia Assed found in Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension — and her running mate pick — “a little ray of hope.”
That hope, she said, shattered during last month’s Democratic National Convention, where a request for a Palestinian American speaker was denied and listening to Harris left her feeling like the Democratic presidential nominee will continue the U.S. policies that have outraged many in the anti-war camp.
The Israeli Likud Party Knesset Member Revital Gotliv requested the death sentence or life imprisonment for Yuli Novak, the executive director of the Israeli rights group B’Tselem, for what she labeled as “the suspected serious crime of assistance to the enemy in war,” the Anadolu news agency reported.
Gotliv reportedly made her request in a letter addressed to the Israeli Chief Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, in which she demanded the detention and interrogation of Novak.
The move followed a speech delivered by Novak on September 4 at the United Nations Security Council.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sister and human rights activist Kerry Kennedy joins CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and shares her reaction to her brother announcing that he is suspending his campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump.
Multiple fights broke out in dueling protests between Israel and Palestine protesters.
Fireworks, tear gas and fights broke out just after 10:50 p.m. Tuesday night and continued early Wednesday morning as around 100 pro-Israel counter-protesters attempted to seize the barricade around and storm the ongoing Palestine solidarity encampment in Dickson Plaza.
The chaos comes as Chancellor Gene Block faces criticism for improper handling of the encampment and the same day the university deemed the encampment to be unlawful, threatening students inside with suspension and expulsion. Security and UCPD both retreated as pro-Israel counter-protesters and other groups attacked protesters in the encampment – led by Students for Justice in Palestine and UC Divest Coalition at UCLA – that followed similar ones across the country.
Just before midnight, a large group of counterdemonstrators, wearing black outfits and white masks, arrived on campus and tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the encampment. Campers, some holding lumber and wearing goggles and helmets, rallied to defend the encampment’s perimeter.
Kiesewetter sprach sich auch dafür aus, „extremistische Bereiche“ in den Blick zu nehmen. Konkret nannte er „AfD-Sympathisanten, die sich Russland freiwillig andienen“ sowie deutsche Kämpfer bei russischen Söldner-Truppen oder anderen russischen Kampftruppen, die nach Deutschland zurückkehrten.
2- What was the legal basis for Iran‘s attack?
Article 51 of the UN Charter states that „nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.“ This article recognizes the right of countries to defend themselves against armed attacks.
3- Is Iran‘s attack on Israel the beginning of a war?
In its attack, Iran used its less advanced weaponry in relatively low quantity. It also made sure that no infrastructure or civilian sites were hit during the operation. Iranian military leaders have explicitly explained that they are not looking for a war and that the attack was meant to send a message to Israel.
The Middle East was plunged into uncharted waters after Iran launched scores of missiles toward Israel late Saturday. Israel‘s military said „99%” of the more than 300 projectiles were intercepted by Israel and its partners.
Asked by the Barents Observer, the Joint Headquarters near Bodø, however, confirms that the planes were inside Norwegian airspace before flying out over international airspace in the Barents Sea.
“The activity included both Norwegian and international airspace,” says spokesperson Reidar Flasnes.
“We cannot detail the activity,” Flasnes says and points to the United States as in charge of Sunday’s flights. He adds that the flights are “approved by Norway’s Ministry of Defense.”