(Updated on October 1, 2024)
– Congress works less than half the year, with the House averaging 147 legislative days annually.
– Senate members have slightly more legislative days, averaging 165 days each year since 2001.
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German and US top diplomats hold talks on Iran MoU
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has held talks with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, in Washington, DC, and reaffirmed support for the US-Iran MoU.
In a statement on X, he said the deal was an âimportant stepâ and that âit creates an opportunity for diplomacy in what remains a highly fragile situation.â
He added: âThe priority now is to reach a sustainable solution that ensures safe and free passage through the #StraitOfHormuz and, in particular, addresses Iranâs nuclear programme, which must never again pose a threat.â
Turkey Calls For „Liberating Jerusalem“, Netanyahu Slams „Dictator“ Erdogan
(June 10, 2026)
„Just as we witnessed the liberation of Damascus, Aleppo, and Karabakh, God willing, one day we will also witness the liberation of Jerusalem,“ Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said during a speech at a conference.
„Just as in the past, those lands will be ours once again,“ Ciftci vowed, and said, „God willing, they will come under our sovereignty and dominion once more.“
„Because we have a global leader like Recep Tayyip Erdogan at our helm,“ he said. „A world leader.“
Israeli attacks in Syria and Lebanon threaten TĂŒrkiye, President Erdogan says
(June 10, 2026)
„TĂŒrkiye‘s security begins not in Hatay, but in Aleppo, Damascus and Beirut. Neither will we tolerate any faits accompli in our brothers‘ countries, nor will we turn a blind eye to aggression,“ he said, stressing that the country‘s security extends beyond its borders.
President Erdogan also referred to what he described as Israelisâ „delusion of the Promised Land,“ saying TĂŒrkiye was fully aware of its ultimate objective.
„By the will of God, we will never allow this,“ he said.
US denies Iranian claim of strike on Fifth Fleet headquarters
(3 June 2026 01:18 BST)
Earlier, the IRGC said that it responded to American attacks by targeting a US base in the region.
„We targeted the US Fifth Fleet headquarters with missiles and drones in response to the attack on Qeshm Island,“ it said.
Atomwaffensperrvertrag: Keine Einigung
Themen waren unter anderem die Atomprogramme des Irans und Nordkoreas.
Here‘s how US military may use its assets to guide ships through Strait of Hormuz
Analysts do not expect the destroyers to be escorting merchant ship convoys through the strait.
US military to begin effort to „restore freedom of navigation“ in Strait of Hormuz
The mission, beginning Monday, âwill support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor,â CENTCOM said in a statement Sunday evening.
âOur support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,â said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
US military support for the effort will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, and 15,000 service members, the statement said.
A US official told CNN that âProject Freedomâ is not an escort mission.
GefÀhrliche Apps · Im Netz der DatenhÀndler
(April 7, 2026)
Grundlage dieser Dokumentation ist eine der bislang gröĂten Recherchen dieser Art: Ein Team aus Bayerischem Rundfunk, netzpolitik.org, Le Monde und weiteren Partnermedien hat rund zehn Milliarden Standortdaten ausgewertet. Eine Spurensuche, die um die halbe Welt fĂŒhrt: zu einer Ă€gyptischen Exiljournalistin in Berlin, die bedroht wird. Nach BrĂŒssel, wo hochrangige Mitarbeiter der EU-Kommission betroffen sind. Nach Washington, wo Politiker ein Sicherheitsrisiko fĂŒr US-Agenten in Europa sehen. Oder an die ukrainische Front, wo Soldaten in den DatensĂ€tzen ihre eigenen Stellungen wiedererkennen.
What is the 15-point plan given by US to Iran to end the West Asia war?
(March 25, 2026)
Though the full 15-point plan is not yet available, it mainly focuses on Iranâs ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, including a demand to end uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, reported the NYT, citing sources.
Justice Department opens investigation into Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor
Walz, in a post on X, did not explicitly address the news reports, but said: „Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.“
The killing of Renee Macklin Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week became a flashpoint for the simmering opposition to federal agents operating within the state.
Venezuelan boat strikes lack legal justification, Democrats say
There is no U.S. law that explicitly authorizes the U.S. Navy to attack or sink ships at sea outside of a congressionally authorized war or valid self-defense situation, legal experts and Democratic lawmakers say.
The strikes began in September, but Trump administration discussions about them began soon after Trump moved back into the White House in January
Trump says land strikes in Venezuela will ‚start very soon‘
Amid a buildup of U.S. military forces near Venezuela and strikes on alleged drug boats, President Donald Trump told U.S. troops on Thanksgiving that the military operation will soon include strikes on land.
âIn recent weeks, youâve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers,“ Trump said during a call with military service members that alluded to the boat strikes, adding: „Weâll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but thatâs going to start very soon.“
Trump says airspace above and around Venezuela should be considered closed
Venezuela‘s communications ministry, which handles all press inquiries for the government, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump‘s post.
The U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
FBI scheduling interviews with 6 lawmakers who encouraged military members to refuse ‚illegal orders‘
On Monday, the Department of War announced that it has opened a formal review into allegations of misconduct against Kelly over the video.
The Pentagon said it may even call Kelly, a retired Navy captain, back to active duty to face court-martial proceedings or other administrative actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Four of the other Democrats are former military, but not retired and therefore are not subject to the UCMJ, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Slotkin is a former CIA officer.
Security Council adopts US resolution on Gaza stabilisation force
The Security Council has just voted in favour of the resolution.
The vote tally was as follows: 13 votes in favour, zero against and two abstentions, including Russia.
A reminder that this resolution contains language that outlines a potential future path to Palestinian statehood.
President Joseph Aoun receives World Bank delegation, affirms Lebanon‘s commitment to ceasefire agreement
During the meeting, emphasis was made on „the depth of the partnership between Lebanon and the World Bank for nearly seventy years and the pivotal role the WB has played in supporting Lebanon throughout various difficult stages, from wars to economic and social crises.“
The President of the Republic thanked the delegation for „the continuous support that the World Bank provides to Lebanon,“ and presented the progress achieved so far in terms of the ongoing reforms, particularly with regard to strengthening governance and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund to rebuild confidence in the countryâs financial sector and attract investments.
‚Disappointing‘: ICJ grants Israel another extension in South Africa genocide case
On 29 December 2023, South Africa accused Israel, before the ICJ, of breaching the Genocide Convention of 1948.
The subsequent hearing, a couple of weeks later, drew huge attention as Israelâs war was formally challenged on the world stage for the first time since the start of the genocidal war.
For cases of such complexity, the ICJ often takes years to come to a judgement. ICJ experts have previously explained that the judgment is expected to be made by early 2028.
Turkiye emphasises readiness to join task force in Gaza
Guler said important sessions were held at the NATO defence ministers meeting yesterday, including discussions over the alliance and its ongoing humanitarian efforts, according to a statement from the ministry.
What issues are still to be resolved in the Gaza ceasefire deal?
âNo one expects that the force would fight Hamas,â a western diplomat told the Financial Times. They argued that the mere presence of the force would make it harder for either side to resume the conflict even if it did âabsolutely nothingâ.
There are reasons for scepticism about whether the ISF could reliably prevent either side from acting, as illustrated by a recent grenade attack by an Israeli drone near UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. There may be wider lessons from that deployment. You might have a model similarly mandated to patrol and report on ceasefire violations. But in southern Lebanon, they have been pretty toothless.
Map of Gaza shows how Israeli forces will withdraw under ceasefire deal
In the first phase of the ceasefire plan, Israel will remain in control of nearly 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.
(…)
In addition, Israel will continue to control all crossings in and out of Gaza, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Venezuelan fighter jets conduct âshow of forceâ near US Navy vessel
A set of Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters Thursday, two days after the U.S. said it struck a Venezuelan drug vessel, according to a Defense Department statement posted to X.
Two Venezuelan F-16s conducted the aggressive maneuver over the USS Jason Dunham, an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer, in a clear âshow of force,â a U.S. defense official confirmed to Navy Times.
Satellite images show Israel building up forces for a possible ground invasion of Gaza, sources say
Commercial satellite images show the Israeli military building up troops and equipment near the border with Gaza that would support a possible new ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave, according to three U.S. officials and a former official who viewed the imagery.
The images show troop movements and formations that the four sources recognized as signs of an imminent major ground operation.
Touhid leaves Dhaka to attend UN conference on Palestine issue in NY
Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain left Dhaka for New York on Sunday morning to attend the United Nations high-level international conference on the âPeaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solutionâ.
The foreign adviser is scheduled to return on early Friday after attending the ministerial meeting, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.
Iranâs Pezeshkian under fire for backing renewed talks with US in Tucker Carlson interview
A day after stating he saw âno problemâ in resuming indirect talks with the US over Tehranâs nuclear programme, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday faced backlash from critics who accused him of being âtoo softâ in response to last monthâs attacks on the country, according to a report.
Two MPs ‚astounded‘ after being denied entry to Israel
Two Labour MPs say they are „astounded“ to have been denied entry to Israel while on a trip to visit the occupied West Bank.
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang said it was „vital“ parliamentarians were able to witness the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory first-hand.