Billionaire philanthropist George Soros penned an op-ed in The Guardian Tuesday in which he argued that anti-EU forces in the U.K., Germany, Italy and elsewhere are driving the European bloc toward the same fate suffered by the Soviet Union in 1991.
On the last day of the 2014 Gaza War, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a secret meeting with a special envoy from the Saudi king. In the meeting, Saudi Arabia proposed a joint diplomatic initiative on relaunching Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, rebuilding Gaza and confronting Iran, three sources briefed on the effort told me.
South Africa’s largest state-owned company, the utility Eskom, is currently in a financial crisis that threatens the broader economy. According to a former high-ranking government official, the crisis stems mainly from two of the world's largest coal plants financed nearly a decade ago that have dramatically underperformed expectations and now threaten billions of dollars in losses.
Russia is planning to sever itself temporarily from the global internet, ostensibly to prepare the country to deal with a digital attack that would leave it cut off.
Why it matters: That's Russia's stated intent, but experts believe the goal is actually to wrest more control over the country's domestic internet.
China is a long way from having a vibrant pharmaceutical industry, but is still pressing toward that goal.
Driving the news: A new report is out from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) about China's "Made in China 2025" policy. It notes "China's intention for competing at the higher end of the value chain by innovating new drugs, increasing the quality of its products, achieving self-sufficiency in the domestic market, and increasing exports."
Crowds filled the streets of Tehran today to mark the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, with President Hassan Rouhani declaring Iran would survive the economic “difficulties” ahead and would never “let America become victorious.”
Flashback: On Feb 11, 1979, after prolonged demonstrations against the U.S.-backed shah, the army proclaimed itself neutral and the revolutionaries announced their victory. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, recently returned from exile, became supreme leader.
A secret deal for the sale of drones from an Israeli company to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that failed in 2009 caused a deep rift in relations between Israel and the Gulf state. Former U.S. and Israeli officials tell me the crisis was only resolved after two years of efforts by the Obama administration and Israel's Mossad intelligence service.
High-level delegations from over 40 countries will meet in Warsaw, Poland, this week to discuss the future of the Middle East in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). For Washington, represented by Vice President Pence and Secretary Pompeo, the meeting will be a major test for their vision of a Middle East that excludes diplomatic relations with Iran.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) "unequivocally" apologized Monday for her tweets on Israel, which used stereotypes often perceived as anti-Semitic, saying that she is "grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating [her] on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes."
The backdrop: Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leadership condemned Omar's comments earlier in the day and requested an apology, saying her "use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters is deeply offensive."
