Russia and the US wrapped up another round of consultations they held in Istanbul to normalize the operation of their embassies.   The meeting lasted 5 1/2 hours. Highlights of how they went. About the meeting On 10 April, Russian and US teams met in Istanbul for the second round of consultations on normalizing the operation of their embassies. It lasted 5 1/2 hours. The first such meeting took place on February 27. The closed-door talks then lasted more than six hours. At...

This verdict threatens her anticipated 2027 presidential bid, which she has called her “political death” if barred from running.   Head of the National Rally’s parliamentary faction Marine Le Pen has been sentenced to four years in prison and the immediate loss of her electoral rights for five years, according to the ruling of a Paris court in the parliamentary assistants case. Under the verdict, Le Pen will be required to wear an electronic bracelet for two of the...

The Red Sea, a key route for European imports and exports, with 12% of global trade passing through it, has been blocked by Yemen's Houthis since 2023.    🚢 Check out the damage European nations are facing. ▪️Shipping costs skyrocketed, with container freight rates from Asia to Europe jumping over 300% in some cases. The blockade forced European container ships to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 extra days to voyages.  ▪️Prolonged disruptions...

Fable one: Trump is appeasing Russia? Who wiped out the Wagner group in Syria? Who sold offensive weapons to Ukraine first? Who warned Germany not to become dependent on the Russian Nord Stream II deal? Who withdrew from an unfair missile deal with the Russians? Who cajoled and berated NATO members to meet their military investment promises made following the 2014 invasion of Ukraine? In contrast, who originally conceived a Russian “reset” in 2009? Who publicly virtue-signaled...

The move bars Karim Khan from the U.S. and freezes any U.S. assets he may have   Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has become the first person working for the court to be subjected to economic and travel sanctions by the Trump administration, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Friday. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to submit a...

The telephone talks between the leaders of the United States and Canada, Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau, have resulted in some easing of tensions between the countries, which have been under severe strain since Trump took office.As the American president reported on the Truth Social social network, they managed to reach a compromise, and he was satisfied with the results of the negotiations with the Canadian prime minister. In particular, they managed to agree that Washington will not impose...

What is being called "security chaos" is increasingly spreading in Syria, with fears it will worsen and threaten neighboring countries due to the lack of a strong central authority to maintain control.   Reports indicate that this "security chaos" has re-emerged in several cities, with numerous videos showing arrests, kidnappings, and even killings, as confirmed by Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Abdul Rahman told "Al-Hura" the American-based...

Moscow has never shied away from contacts with Washington, Joe Biden interrupted them, Russian President Vladimir Putin told VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin at the end of his visit to Moscow State University, commenting on his US counterpart Donald Trump's statements.   He also noted that the current Ukrainian leadership is illegitimate at the moment, which is dangerous because any result of negotiations with it may become null and void. Here are compiled the key statements of the...

Many Palestinian detainees will resume terrorist attacks, former Israel Prison Service assistant commissioner says.   Israeli officials confirmed on Thursday night that a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement was reached with Hamas, hours after the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem said that the Palestinian terror group had reneged on parts of the deal announced the previous day in an effort to extort last-minute concessions. With the gaps between the sides finally bridged,...

Five hundred Navy SEALs, veterans, and other supporters are planning to march in support of Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth as he appears before senators for his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.   That morning, his supporters will meet at the Vietnam Memorial Wall at 9 a.m. EST and march to different war memorials, including the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the D.C. War Memorial, and the World War II Memorial, and conclude near Capitol Hill with remarks from military leaders...

The winners and losers of 2024, here they are!   The Beltway consensus is that Americans will look back fondly on 2024. Other than the major war or two, the Biden years were a welcome interlude in Washington from the chaos and tumult of Donald Trump’s hyperactive tweeting. THE WINNERS: DONALD TRUMP: After the tumultuous 2016 and 2020 elections, the last thing the country needed was a contested election result. Donald Trump obliged, winning bigly in both the Electoral College...

The last meeting with the three European nations took place in November 2024   Iran will participate in another round of talks on its nuclear program with Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Jan. 13, the Islamic Republic’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday. The last meeting with the three European nations took place in November. London, Paris and Berlin last month called on Tehran to “reverse its nuclear escalation,” saying that there is no...