It has become a familiar refrain: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he is “changing the face of the Middle East.” It is, he says, “a war of rebirth.” It is, in a sense, undoubtedly true. Israel has troops in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. It’s vowed to demilitarize huge swaths of all three – backed by an unquestioning ally in the White House. The war in Gaza, which Israel restarted earlier this month, looks increasingly like it will lead to occupation for months or even years to come. But Netanyahu is a master tactician, not a master strategist, former Israeli national security officials…
Author: Daniel Peterson
Police in southern India said Saturday that they arrested two men in connection with allegations of gang rape of an Israeli and a local woman. The Israeli and her homestay operator were stargazing along with three male travelers, an American and two Indians, in Koppal town in southern Karnataka state on Thursday night, police official Ram L. Arasiddi said. According to an initial investigation, three men on a motorbike approached them while asking for money. Following arguments, the three men pushed the male travelers into a nearby water canal and sexually assaulted the women, Arasiddi said. One of the Indian tourists drowned…
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will again postpone enforcement of the TikTok sale-or-ban law for 75 days. The delay comes after Trump’s tariff announcement derailed a deal that had been set to transfer control of the app’s US operations to American ownership, a source familiar with the deal told CNN. “My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump on Friday signed an executive order formalizing the delay…
The dramatic arrest of the Philippines’ controversial former president in March sent shock waves through much of the world – and cast a renewed spotlight on the other leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was whisked off to the Netherlands to answer for alleged crimes against humanity, had long been under scrutiny over a brutal anti-drugs crackdown. But even after years of on-and-off investigations, during which Duterte taunted the court and told it to “hurry up,” his detention came as a surprise to many experts. “We have had other high-ranking individuals brought before the court,” including several former…
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte has called for general elections to be held on April 12, 2026, saying she hopes the call can “put an end to a period of instability” that the country has experienced in recent years. “We hope for the good of Peru that the 2026 elections will not only allow our citizens to exercise their right to vote but also put an end to the period of instability that has led Peru to have six presidents in recent years,” she said. Boluarte had until next month to call the elections, according to a proposed schedule by the National Elections Board, which…
Speaking at a charity gala dinner Thursday night in Los Angeles, former second gentleman Doug Emhoff condemned the decision by his law firm to preemptively come to an arrangement with the Trump administration to avoid an executive order targeting the firm, sources tell CNN. Emhoff is a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, which this week agreed to a deal with President Donald Trump, which the president said includes the firm providing at least $100 million in pro bono legal services throughout his second term. It’s the third example of a high-profile firm cutting a deal with the White House as Trump has…
Erik Prince, founder of the controversial security contractor formerly known as Blackwater, joined in law enforcement operations on Saturday in Guayaquil, one of Ecuador’s most violent cities, according to local officials. The operations saw 10 houses raided and 40 people detained, Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg said. “Since early this morning, the security block together with the American Erik Prince, a security expert, and the Ministers of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo and the Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, were deployed in territory in Guayaquil, especially in the suburbs, attacking criminals and outlining strategies to strengthen the great actions of our…
Mexico’s economic minister Marcelo Ebrard praised the “preferential treatment” received by Mexico after US President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new global tariffs. On Wednesday, Trump detailed new tariffs on many countries including a minimum 10% “baseline” tariff on imports. Neighboring Mexico and Canada, though still subject to prior tariffs, were exempt from the new reciprocal tariffs. “There are no additional tariffs to Mexico and that is good for the country,” Sheinbaum said at a Thursday morning press conference, touting her government’s relationship with the Trump administration. “This has to do with the good relationship we have constructed with the US government, based…
Canada said on Wednesday that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drugs smuggling charges earlier this year, and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told reporters that all four had been dual citizens and said Ottawa would ask for leniency for other Canadians facing the same fate. “There are four Canadians that have been executed and therefore we are strongly condemning what happened,” she said, adding that all four had been convicted on drugs charges. Separately, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said that Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian man sentenced to death in 2019 for drug smuggling, had…
Pope Francis made a surprise public appearance on Sunday, the first time the leader of the Catholic Church has been seen in public since leaving hospital two weeks ago. Francis greeted crowds at the Vatican and seemed to be in good spirits. He was seated in a wheelchair and wearing what appeared to be a nasal cannula aiding his breathing. The 88-year-old pontiff spent five weeks in hospital with pneumonia in February and March. According to his medical team, the pope came close to death during the illness. Francis appeared in better health than when he was last seen in public, which…