On May 2, U.S. law enforcement indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) on charges of taking at least $360,000 in bribes from companies controlled by the government of Azerbaijan. In exchange for money, Cuellar would attempt to shape the U.S. foreign policy towards Azerbaijan by spreading narratives favorable to that nation’s interests through speeches and legislative measures. While the challenge of undue foreign interference in U.S. politics is not new, the case of Azerbaijan highlights a...
When Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in France this week, the world’s conflicts were top of mind. Press reports tended to fixate on whether French President Emmanuel Macron could press Xi to distance himself from Russia. But ultimately, the leaders’ focus drifted farther south.In a wide-ranging joint statement, Xi and Macron “expressed their opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah,” called for an “immediate and sustainable ceasefire,” railed against the possibility of regional...
Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley threw his own military under the bus yesterday, trying to rationalize the killing and maiming of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the last six months of the Israeli war in Gaza. The following video is a stunning example of how far Israel's supporters in the United States will go to justify what is becoming one of biggest humanitarian catastrophes in the 21st century, sparked by relentless indiscriminate bombing in the densely packed Gaza strip,...
As President Biden’s first term draws to a close, his foreign policy record, particularly in the tumultuous Middle East, is marked by a series of major missteps. His handling of the Gaza conflict, where he has failed to exert meaningful pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war, has drawn widespread criticism. Additionally, his attempts to advance the Abraham Accords with Saudi Arabia have stagnated and failed to spur regional stability. However, it is Biden’s approach...
Six years after former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the disastrous consequences of this decision are still adding up. In addition to Iran being closer than ever to a nuclear weapons capability, now we must consider how the declining security situation in the Middle East has raised the stakes significantly. Trump promised a “better deal” but instead we got an increasingly costly blunder that may be impossible to fix.To fully understand the enormity of Trump’s...
An unlikely hero ended a wild, final home midweek game of the 2024 season
Ukraine’s security services said on Tuesday that they foiled a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine, which counts the protection of top Ukrainian officials among its duties, were identified as part of a group allegedly working with Russia’s FSB security agency to assassinate President Zelenskyy, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) head Vasyl Malyuk, and military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. This marks one of the...
[Watch] Shai Hope Runs Himself Out Following 'Freak' Deflection By Sandeep SharmaShai Hope faced an unfortunate run-out in DC vs RR (BCCI)In a rather unfortunate event during the high-stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Match 56 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals (DC) batter, Shai Hope’s innings came to an abrupt and unfortunate end, leaving the Rajasthan Royals (RR) breathing a sigh of relief after a ruthless assault by the home team.The match had already seen its share of...
Following immense pressure from Israel and its most fervent supporters, the Biden administration announced recently that it will keep giving weapons to five Israeli units that had committed “gross violations of human rights,” including a notorious battalion whose soldiers killed an elderly Palestinian-American man in the West Bank in 2022.The decision drew sharp backlash from legal analysts and former officials, who noted that the State Department’s own experts had found the units in violation...
Israel was supposed to be letting in more aid. But a move to seize the Rafah Crossing on the Gaza side and shut down all aid flowing into the strip indicates otherwise, as the crossing was a key pipeline for humanitarian assistance. Until now, it was the only crossing not controlled by Israel — it's supposed to be under the control of Egypt, per a 2007 agreement. According to an Israeli official, the operation "involved special ground troops and the Israeli air force" and "resulted in the...
The Biden administration’s Ukraine policy, though it lacks a coherent strategy, is at least centered on an explicit guiding principle: Russia must not be allowed to win in Ukraine. This sentiment is widely shared by U.S. allies across the Atlantic. "I have a clear strategic objective,” said French President Emmanuel Macron in a recent interview. “Russia cannot win in Ukraine.” But, even in this consensus position, there is a major fly in the ointment: there has not been enough serious...
[Watch] Rohit Gives Hardik 'A Pat On Back' As SKY's Stunning Catch Sends Shahbaz PackingPandya got Shahbaz in MI vs SRH [AP]Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya looked impressive with the ball in his side's IPL 2024 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. After dismissing Nitish Reddy with a sharp bouncer, Pandya returned to get the prized scalp of Shahbaz Ahmed when the batter was forming a consolidating stand with Marco Jansen. The incident occurred in the 16th over of SRH's...