Hamas slams Biden remark about group backing away from Gaza truce deal as “misleading”

Hamas said on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden's comment that the Palestinian group was backing away from a Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel was "misleading". Tap for the full brief.

Kyiv says holding Kursk ground shows Kremlin red lines are bluffs

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday his country's assault on Russia's Kursk region showed that Kremlin threats of retaliation were a bluff, and he urged Kyiv's allies to loosen c...

Australia and Indonesia seal treaty-level defense pact

Australia and Indonesia agreed a treaty-level defense cooperation agreement which allow Australian and Indonesian militaries to operate from each other's countries, Australian Prime Minister Anthon...

Taiwan shows off missile firepower to reporters

Taiwan showed off its missile firepower on Tuesday, launching a battery of surface-to-air missiles in front of reporters during a visit to a sensitive test site on a remote part of the island's sou...

Lithuania starts building base for German troops near Russian border

Lithuania on Monday began construction of a military base, which will accommodate up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops once completed by the end of 2027, in the first permanent foreign deployment...

Hamas, Islamic Jihad claim responsibility for bomb blast in Tel Aviv

The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility on Monday for a bomb blast near a synagogue in Tel Aviv that Israeli police and the Shin Bet intelligence agency described as a ter...

Sudan sending delegation to Cairo to meet US and Egyptian mediators

Sudan's government said it will send a delegation to Cairo for discussions with U.S. and Egyptian officials on Monday, keeping open the question of participation in peace talks aimed at ending a 16...

Blinken warns Israel, Hamas of last chance to end Gaza war

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday that the latest push for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal was probably the best and possibly last opportunity, urging Israel and Ham...

US meets Myanmar opposition, pledges expanded support

U.S. officials met virtually with members of Myanmar's opposition movement on Friday and pledged to expand direct support to help a transition to civilian government and agreeing on the need to mai...

Philippines, China trade blame after vessels collide in South China Sea

The Philippines and China accused each other on Monday of ramming vessels and performing dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea, the latest flare-up after the two nations agreed last month to t...

Analysis: How Russia looked the wrong way as Ukraine invaded

In the hours before Ukrainian soldiers stormed across Russia's western border, there was no sign from Moscow that anything was amiss. Tap for the full brief.

Negotiators seek Gaza ceasefire as reported death toll exceeds 40,000

A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks was under way in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday, officials said, with Israel's spy chief joining his U.S. and Egyptian counterparts and Qatar's prime minist...

Ukraine racks up gains with Russia incursion, faces challenge holding territory

Ukraine has chalked up a string of victories more than a week since blindsiding Russia with a lightning cross-border assault, but the risks are piling up as its troops make plans to hold territory ...

US seeks to move alleged Mexican drug kingpin “El Mayo” to Brooklyn for trial

Federal prosecutors are seeking to move alleged Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada from Texas to face trial in the same Brooklyn courthouse where his Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Joaquin "E...

Turkey, Iraq sign accord on military, security, counter-terrorism cooperation

The neighboring countries have in recent years been at loggerheads over Ankara's cross-border military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants based in northern Iraq...