EU hosts Taliban in Brussels, drawing condemnations

The EU has defended its decision to hold limited talks with Afghanistan's "de facto authorities" as necessary — to deport failed asylum seekers who commit crimes or are deemed dangerous. Tap for th...

Israeli gunfire kills two in Lebanon, breaking ceasefire

Israeli soldiers fired on a group of people near a bulldozer clearing a road in the al-Deir neighborhood of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, the local mayor and a state news agency said. Tap for the full brief.

US gives Philippines solar-powered sea drones amid China tension

The Philippines is taking delivery of the drones, which can operate for up to 30 days without crews, as tensions between the Philippines and China have risen — amid Beijing's installation of a stru...

DOJ probes coffee chain over refusal to serve pro-Israel lawmaker

The Justice Department said it opened a probe into a New York City  coffee shop chain which posted online that it would have turned away pro-Israel U.S. Representative Dan Goldman had it recognized...

SKorea will take NKoreans captured by Ukraine if they choose to defect

South Korea will accept all North Korean POWs who fought for Russia and were captured by Ukraine — if they choose to go to South Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Tap for the full brief.

Taiwan to stage five days of drills

Taiwan will hold a five-day combat readiness drill this week, the defense ministry said yesterday — as part of modernization plans to shift its training focus to more realistic exercises simulating...

Ukraine strikes missile electronics plant in Russia’s Voronezh

Ukraine's military said it had hit a plant producing electronics for missiles in Russia's Voronezh region today — the latest blow to Russia's defense industry inflicted by Ukrainian long-range stri...

UK's Starmer resigns as PM

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today he was quitting, paving the way for a transfer of power to frontrunner Andy Burnham — who could become Britain's seventh leader in 10 years as early as next m...

US strikes vessel in Caribbean, killing two

The U.S. military on Sunday said it struck a vessel in the Caribbean, killing two people, alleging that the vessel was operated by "designated terrorist organizations" that it did not identify. Tap...

Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Lebanon hours after ceasefire

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 20 people on Saturday, Lebanon's state news agency NNA said — a day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect. Tap for the full brief.

Pentagon tells Congress it needs $80B more for Iran war costs and other bills

The Department of Defense needs $80 billion to cover costs from the Iran war as well as other non-war-related bills, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this wee...

Ukraine, Germany sign agreement on anti-ballistic capabilities

"By this winter, we should already see concrete outcomes from our joint work on anti-ballistic defense,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday. “This is something we all need, not ...

Lebanon ceasefire agreed, US official says after US-Iran talks in Switzerland scrapped

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon today, a U.S. official said — after an escalation in fighting there jeopardized the chances of an interim agreement on ending the war in Iran. ...

US acting spy chief seeks to fire hundreds of staff

According to two sources, acting U.S. spy chief Bill Pulte Pulte showed up at his new job yesterday after asking for a list of every employee in the office — so he could assess whether to fire them...

Explainer: How Trump's Iran deal compares to Obama's JCPOA

President Donald Trump has said the deal he has reached with Iran is superior to the one former President Obama sealed in 2015 — while Trump's critics say he has gotten much less and given up much ...