Focus Washington - Page 46 of 118 from

U.S. Carrying out Retaliatory Strikes After Deadly Iran Attack

March 12, 2020 Focus Washington

The United States is carrying out retaliatory strikes in Iraq in response to a rocket attack on Wednesday that killed two U.S. troops and a British service member at a base north of Baghdad, two […]

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Iraq Military Base Hit by Airstrike, Two Americans, One British Dead

March 12, 2020 Focus Washington

A base in Baghdad where U.S. military staff was housed has been hit by an airstrike, leaving two Americans and one British national killed, USA Today reported. A U.S. military spokesperson in Iraq confirmed three military coalition […]

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Russia Passes Bill Allowing Putin to Stay in Power Past 2024

March 11, 2020 Focus Washington

The Russian parliament approved a sweeping constitutional reform in the third and final reading Wednesday, a move that will allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power for another 12 years after his current term […]

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Erdogan Threatens Retaliation If Syria Truce Is Broken

March 11, 2020 Focus Washington

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday his country will not shy away from even stronger military action in northwest Syria’s Idlib region if last week’s truce is broken, Reuters reported. Turkey and Russia, which […]

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Turkish, Russian Defense Ministers Discuss Idlib, Syria

March 10, 2020 Focus Washington

Turkish and Russian defense ministers held a phone conversation on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, Anadolu Agency reported. Hulusi Akar and Sergey Shoygu exchanged views on ways to […]

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U.S. Starts Troop Pullout, Seeks End to Afghan Leaders’ Feud

March 10, 2020 Focus Washington

The United States began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Tuesday, taking a step forward on its peace deal with the Taliban while also praising Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s promise to start releasing […]

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Xi Visits Wuhan, Signaling Tide Turning in China’s Coronavirus Battle

March 10, 2020 Focus Washington

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday made his first visit to Wuhan since a coronavirus outbreak forced an unprecedented lockdown of the central city of 11 million people, in a sign that authorities’ efforts to […]

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Detained Saudi Princes Reportedly Being Held in Villas, Allowed to Call Families

March 9, 2020 Focus Washington

Two senior princes detained in a crackdown against potential rivals of Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince are being held in private villas and have been allowed to call their families, according to a person with […]

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China Turns to Propaganda to Right Image in Virus War

March 9, 2020 Focus Washington

As the rest of the world grapples with a burgeoning virus outbreak, China’s ruling Communist Party has deployed its propaganda playbook to portray its leader as firmly in charge, leading an army of health workers […]

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Turkey Says Ceasefire Holds in Syria’s Idlib

March 7, 2020 Focus Washington

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday there had been no violations of the ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib, as part of an agreement with Russia, while Russia said there have been a few shootings […]

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Iran Coronavirus Death Toll Jumps to 145

March 7, 2020 Focus Washington

Iran’s official death toll from the new coronavirus rose by 21 on Saturday, with a lawmaker among the latest fatalities, while the government accused Washington of hampering Tehran’s response to the virus, AFP reported. Health […]

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Saudi Arabia Detains Senior Royals for Alleged Coup Plot

March 7, 2020 Focus Washington

Saudi Arabia has detained three senior Saudi princes including Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the king’s nephew, for allegedly planning a coup, sources with knowledge […]

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32 Dead in Kabul Attack

March 7, 2020 Focus Washington

Gunmen in the Afghan capital of Kabul attacked a ceremony attended by opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah on Friday, killing 32 people and injuring another 58, CNN informs. Women and children were among the dead, Health […]

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Arab Voters Key to Blocking Netanyahu-Led Hard-Line Majority

March 6, 2020 Focus Washington

A surge in Arab voter turnout was key to depriving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist allies of a parliamentary majority in this week’s Israeli election, The Associated Press writes. Undercutting Netanyahu’s ambitions was […]

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Russia-Turkey Truce Holds in Syria Despite Minor Violations

March 6, 2020 Focus Washington

Opposition activists and a war monitor reported a complete absence of Russian and Syrian government warplanes in the skies of Idlib and a relative calm in the area Friday morning, following a cease-fire deal brokered […]

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Jews and Saudi Arabia

March 4, 2020 Lisa Clayton

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations – the umbrella organization of some 50 American Jewish groups – traveled to Saudi Arabia last month. The delegation, headed by executive vice president Malcolm Hoenlein, newly installed […]

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U.S. Conducts Airstrikes on Taliban in Afghanistan

March 4, 2020 Focus Washington

The U.S. launched an airstrike against the Taliban in Afghanistan on Wednesday, days after the Trump administration signed a deal with the military group, The Hill reported. A spokesperson for the U.S. military said the […]

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Netanyahu Ahead in Israeli Elections, but Short of Majority

March 3, 2020 Focus Washington

Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an uncertain path to staying in office on Tuesday, even as preliminary results showed his Likud party pulling ahead of its opponents in the country’s third election in […]

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U.S. Peace Deal Leaves Afghans to Determine Post-War Landscape

March 3, 2020 Focus Washington

Now that the U.S. has signed a deal with the Taliban to eventually leave Afghanistan, it will soon be up to Afghans on both sides of the conflict to decide what peace will look like, […]

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Israelis Vote in Third Election in a Year

March 2, 2020 Focus Washington

Israelis were voting Monday in the country’s unprecedented third election in less than a year to decide whether longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stays in power despite his upcoming criminal trial on corruption charges, The […]

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U.S. and the Taliban Sign Historic Agreement

March 1, 2020 Focus Washington

The U.S. and the Taliban have signed a deal after 18 years of war in Afghanistan. It calls for the withdrawal of American and NATO military forces from the country within 14 months, NPR reported. […]

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Turkey Strikes Syrian Planes and Airports

March 1, 2020 Focus Washington

Turkey shot down two Syrian warplanes over Idlib on Sunday and struck a military airport well beyond its frontlines in a sharp escalation of its military operations following the death of dozens of Turkish soldiers […]

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Pope Francis Resumes Individual Official Audiences, Cancels Group Meetings

February 29, 2020 Focus Washington

Pope Francis, who has been suffering from what the Vatican says is a “slight indisposition,” resumed official audiences with individuals in his residence on Saturday but three with groups were canceled, Reuters informs. A statement […]

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Erdogan Asks Putin to Step Aside in Syria

February 29, 2020 Focus Washington

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that he had asked President Vladimir Putin for Russia to step aside in Syria and leave Turkey to deal with Syrian government forces alone, after 34 Turkish soldiers […]

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U.S.-Taliban Set to Sign Troop Withdrawal Deal

February 29, 2020 Focus Washington

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Qatar’s capital city, Doha on Saturday to witness the signing of a historic deal with Taliban insurgents in an effort to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan, Reuters […]

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Riyadh, Washington Join Forces Backing Syria Opposition in Idlib

February 28, 2020 Focus Washington

The U.S. and Saudi officials met in Riyadh to discuss their mutual support for the Syrian opposition forces in Idlib, American officials said in a tweet, Middle East Monitor reported. The embassy made the announcement on […]

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Israel Strikes in Syria for Second Time in One Day

February 28, 2020 Focus Washington

Israeli helicopters struck Syrian military positions in the Quneitra province in the Syrian Golan Heights and wounded three Syrian soldiers, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported overnight Thursday, Haaretz reported. Earlier Thursday, Syrian state TV […]

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Turkey Will Not Stop Syrian Refugees Reaching Europe After Troops Killed

February 28, 2020 Focus Washington

Turkey will no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe, a senior Turkish official said, as Ankara responded on Friday to the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in an air strike by Syrian government forces […]

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U.S. Forces Return to Saudi Arabia to Deter Attacks by Iran

February 28, 2020 Focus Washington

Nearly 17 years after U.S. troops largely pulled up stakes from the kingdom, the U.S. is now back in force, The Wall Street Journal reported. In a base of tents in the desert about 60 […]

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Britain on Trade Collision Course With EU

February 27, 2020 Focus Washington

Britain unveiled a negotiating mandate on Thursday for talks with the European Union that puts it on a collision course with Brussels, saying it was ready to walk away if “good progress” was not made […]

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