World May 22 Family of American held by Syria demands accountability after learning he died in custody The family of an American psychotherapist detained in Syria says the U.S. government has informed them he has died in custody. Majd Kamalmaz was one of a half dozen Americans believed held by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, some of whom have…
World May 21 Taiwan’s president urges China to end threats as Beijing says independence is ‘dead end’ Taiwan has a new president with Lai Ching-te inaugurated this past weekend. In the past, he has called himself a “political worker for Taiwanese independence,” words that enrage Beijing, which sees the island as a break-away province to be reunited…
World May 20 International Criminal Court seeks war crimes charges for Israeli and Hamas leaders In an unprecedented announcement, the International Criminal Court said it was seeking warrants to arrest the leaders of Hamas and the elected leadership of Israel on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. President Biden called it “outrageous” and…
World May 17 New book ‘World on the Brink’ argues U.S. failing to deter Chinese invasion of Taiwan This week, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin inaugurated a “new era” of partnership, just before Taiwan inaugurates a new president on Monday. The new book, "World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for…
World May 16 Outgoing UN humanitarian chief on handling one of the worst years for global crises The U.N. warns the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is growing more acute. In southern Gaza, a quarter of the population faces catastrophic levels of food insecurity and in northern Gaza, nearly one in three children are severely malnourished. Nick Schifrin…
World May 15 Israeli defense minister publicly criticizes Netanyahu’s Gaza strategy Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against criticism of his Gaza strategy from within his own government. Israel's defense minister accused Netanyahu of “indecision” and leading Israel down a “dangerous course.” The public infighting comes as the Biden administration…
World May 15 Zelenskyy pleads for more support amid one of Russia’s largest offensives of the war Ukrainian troops fell back to defensive lines amid one of Russia’s largest offensives since the beginning of the full-scale invasion more than two years ago. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has postponed all foreign travel, and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken announced…
World May 14 Amid massive protests, Georgian parliament passes bill critics say will set back democracy The parliament in the country of Georgia passed a bill that requires aid groups and media that receive foreign funding to register as “organizations serving the interests of a foreign power.” Georgia is located between Russia and Turkey on the…
World May 13 Israel faces diplomatic pressure to avoid assault on Rafah The United Nations says more than 360,000 Gazans who fled to Rafah have now been forced to flee again as Israeli troops attack sectors of the city in a bid to rout Hamas. Also in Rafah, the first foreign U.N.
World May 10 Israel likely violated international humanitarian law in Gaza war, U.S. report says A highly anticipated report from the State Department concludes that the U.S. may continue to send weapons to Israel despite apparent Israeli violations of international humanitarian law. The long-awaited report comes just two days after the president said he would…