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Foreign Affairs (News/Activism)

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  • King Charles issues coded challenge to Trump over NATO and Ukraine

    04/29/2026 3:56:56 AM PDT · by McGruff · 8 replies
    POLITICO ^ | April 28, 2026 | Jack Blanchard
    British monarchs deliver their political messages in code — and the reference we just heard Charles make to 9/11 is worth unpacking. “In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time … we answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder,” the king said. Make no mistake — this is a carefully targeted rebuff to Trump and his allies in Congress that, contrary to the president’s repeated claims over recent weeks, NATO was in fact there to help in America’s hour of need. Charles...
  • King Charles urges checks on executive power as Trump hosts royal visit

    04/29/2026 2:17:20 AM PDT · by E. Pluribus Unum · 14 replies
    The Washington Post ^ | April 28, 2026 9:49 p.m. EDT | Michael Birnbaum
    In a speech to Congress, the monarch avoided naming the president but highlighted democratic norms, Ukraine and Western unity.King Charles III urged Americans and Britons to draw on their shared heritage to defend democratic values, including checks on executive power, as he exhorted U.S. lawmakers to address global problems collectively in an era of unusually sharp divisions. In the course of his first state visit to the United States as monarch, Charles stayed scrupulously nonpartisan over the course of a 28-minute address to a joint meeting of Congress. But he promoted what he described as centuries of common interests, including...
  • US ambassador to Ukraine to step down amid stalled talks to end Ukraine war

    04/28/2026 10:44:47 PM PDT · by McGruff · 6 replies
    REUTERS ^ | April 28, 2026 | Humeyra Pamuk and Jasper Ward
    The acting U.S. ambassador to Kyiv Julie Davis will step ​down from her post and retire, a U.S. official and ‌the State Department said on Tuesday, amid a lull in U.S.-brokered talks to achieve a ceasefire and end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Financial Times first reported Davis' departure and said it was ​because of differences of opinion with President Donald Trump's policies and ​that Davis had grown frustrated with her role over his ⁠dwindling support for Ukraine. A career member of the U.S. Foreign Service with more than three ‌decades ⁠of experience, Davis assumed her duties as charge d'affaires...
  • Trump: Iran Is ‘In A State Of Collapse’ And Wants Hormuz Open ‘As Soon As Possible’

    04/28/2026 9:16:35 PM PDT · by Red Badger · 32 replies
    100 Percent Fed Up ^ | April 28, 2026 | Staff
    President Trump says Iran is “in a State of Collapse” and wants the Strait of Hormuz opened “as soon as possible” while talks continue. That is the pressure point right now: Tehran wants relief, global energy markets want the waterway open, and the U.S. blockade is still being used as leverage. Fox News highlighted Trump’s latest comments Tuesday afternoon: NEW: President Trump says Iran tells him it is in a "State of Collapse" and wants the U.S. to open the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/C95ebyxa70— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 28, 2026Axios put Trump’s Tuesday claim in the...
  • The UN Appoints Iran to Serve As a Vice President at Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference

    04/28/2026 8:00:20 PM PDT · by SeekAndFind · 30 replies
    Townhall ^ | 04/28/2026 | Dmitri Bolt
    The United Nations, in its infinite wisdom has appointed the Islamic Republic of Iran to serve as one of the 34 Vice Presidents of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference on Monday, which is set to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The decision was made by a bloc of non-aligned and other states, typically composed of developing and non-nuclear countries. BREAKING: The U.N. just elected the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the Vice Presidents of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference.Bravo to the U.S., UAE, Australia, UK, France and Germany for objecting.Last time, only 🇺🇸 spoke out: https://t.co/bmhFp2gKEw https://t.co/Ije4bXbV7u...
  • Is the IDF anti-Christian? Examining the evidence after the Lebanon statue incident

    04/28/2026 7:57:02 PM PDT · by SeekAndFind · 18 replies
    Christian Post ^ | 04/28/2026 | Mikale Olson
    In recent days, a disturbing video and photos have circulated widely on social media showing two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in southern Lebanon destroying a statue of Christ on the cross. The soldiers reportedly tore the statue down and smashed it with a hammer while another filmed the act. The incident occurred in the Christian village of Debel during routine operations against Hezbollah terrorists. As a Christian who has followed the Israel-Hezbollah conflict online, I found the images as shocking and indefensible as anyone else.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) itself confirmed the event in an official statement released shortly...
  • Benefit Concert for Bondi Beach Victims Canceled; Choir Refused to Sing Along With Jews

    04/28/2026 7:49:53 PM PDT · by SeekAndFind · 12 replies
    Hotair ^ | 04/28/2026 | David Strom
    Sure, it's not antisemitism. It's a political statement against Bibi Netanyahu or something. A benefit concert for the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre in Australia has been canceled because the choir that was scheduled to sing refused to share the stage with a Jewish choir group. You can't make this up. I used to love visiting Australia. This is very sad. https://t.co/2RRrABKrF7— Thrill Science ✡️ עם ישראל חי (@ThrillScience) April 28, 2026Surprised to find an action like this from the cultural elite? I'm not. A choral concert fundraiser for the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack at a...
  • Power Play

    04/28/2026 4:09:34 PM PDT · by ChildOfThe60s · 11 replies
    Real Clear Defense ^ | 4/27/26 | Christopher J. Little
    From 1973 to 1977 the National Hockey League was the wild west, and Bob “Gasser” Gassoff—a 5’10”, 190-pound wrecking ball who skated for the St. Louis Blues—was one of the best enforcers in the game. His job was not to score. It was to protect the players who did. High-stick, slash, board or manhandle a Blues skill player and Gasser would drop the gloves and answer the bell, over and over, until somebody turtled or a referee had the stones to break it up. He skated to the penalty box bloodied and sometimes missing his jersey, then flashed a trademark...
  • Trump slams Merz, Germany after chancellor’s Iran ‘humiliation’ remarks

    04/28/2026 2:59:30 PM PDT · by McGruff · 15 replies
    The Hill ^ | April 28, 2026
    President Trump slammed the chancellor of Germany on Tuesday after Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran. “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago.” “No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” he wrote. Merz, speaking to students Monday in Germany, said...
  • Keir Starmer urged to issue work from home order to help Brits save fuel

    04/28/2026 6:35:30 AM PDT · by delta7 · 15 replies
    Mirror ^ | 15 Apr 26 | Graham Hiscott
    The government has been urged to encourage Brits to work from home to prevent energy shortages in the wake of the war in Iran....
  • United Arab Emirates leaving OPEC, effective May 1

    04/28/2026 5:52:39 AM PDT · by TexasGunLover · 15 replies
    CNBC ^ | Tue, Apr 28 20268:31 AM EDT | Spencer Kimball Emma Graham
    The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it will exit OPEC on May 1. “This decision follows a comprehensive review of the UAE’s production policy and its current and future capacity and is based on our national interest and our commitment to contributing effectively to meeting the market’s pressing needs,” the UAE energy ministry said in a statement.
  • Trump reviews latest Iranian proposal to end war

    04/28/2026 5:07:54 AM PDT · by BlackVeil · 62 replies
    SBS Australia ^ | 27 April 2026 | Staff
    ... Iranian sources earlier disclosed Iran's latest proposal, which would set aside discussion of its nuclear program until the war is ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved...
  • U.S. is ‘being humiliated by Iran,’ says Germany’s Merz, as Europe’s patience wanes

    04/28/2026 4:44:01 AM PDT · by Oldeconomybuyer · 52 replies
    CNBC ^ | April 28, 2026 | by Holly Ellyatt
    The U.S. is being “humiliated” by the Iranian regime, Germany’s chancellor has said, as disquiet among European leaders over a prolonged conflict in the Middle East gradually intensifies. “The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday. “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible,” Merz added, speaking to students in Marsberg in Germany. The comments...
  • Merz suggests Ukraine may have to accept territorial loss to help pave way for EU membership

    04/27/2026 7:46:07 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 77 replies
    Reuters ^ | April 27, 2026
    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested on Monday that Ukraine may have to accept that parts of its territory could remain outside Kyiv's control in ​a future peace deal with Russia, linking such concessions to ‌the country's prospects for joining the European Union. "At some point, Ukraine will sign a ceasefire agreement; at some point, hopefully, a peace treaty with Russia. Then it may ​be that part of Ukraine's territory is no longer Ukrainian," Merz ​told students at the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium in Marsberg, a town in ⁠North Rhine-Westphalia, on Monday. "If President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy wants to communicate this to his ​own population...
  • Escaping the Hormuz Trap: The 70-year history of oil transit crises suggests engineering will prove more effective than diplomacy.

    04/27/2026 7:59:42 PM PDT · by SeekAndFind · 39 replies
    Foreign Policy ^ | 04/27/2026 | John B. Bowlus
    Barring regime change in Iran or a durable diplomatic resolution to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the West is now facing its most fundamental challenge to its energy security since the Arab-Israeli wars of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. To escape the Hormuz trap—a crisis in oil, gas, and petrochemicals transit that will slowly degrade the global economy over the months and years to come—the West must revisit a familiar pattern. For nearly three decades during those wars, Arab states seeking to pressure Israel and its Western backers repeatedly weaponized Middle Eastern oil transit chokepoints by blocking canals...
  • Two Theaters, One Crisis: Admiral Harry Harris on Iran War’s Impact on East Asia

    04/27/2026 5:22:56 PM PDT · by Pelham · 4 replies
    U.S. Naval Institute ^ | April 19, 2026 | Admiral Harry Harris
    Host Bill Hamblet speaks with Admiral Harry Harris on how a war with Iran could reshape global strategy across two theaters. The discussion explores impacts on U.S. commitments, Indo-Pacific stability, China’s role, and regional security dynamics, highlighting how crises in the Middle East reverberate across East Asia’s strategic and economic landscape.
  • Your Magasty: Trump and Melania greet King Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House as security worries overshadow historic meeting

    04/27/2026 3:57:53 PM PDT · by Albion Wilde · 71 replies
    DailyMail ^ | By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER and JON MICHAEL RAASCH, US POLITICAL REPORTER and RE
    ouching down in the nation's capital under a cloud of security and fierce political tension, King Charles III and Queen Camilla officially kicked off their four–day state visit on Monday. Donald Trump and Melania Trump were on hand to welcome the royal couple at the White House in the afternoon. Amid West Wing construction and fresh security concerns following the terrifying shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend, the royals were greeted by the President and First Lady...
  • Number of immigrants in EU reaches record high of 64.2 million in 2025, study shows

    04/27/2026 3:17:03 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 29 replies
    Reuters ^ | April 22, 2026 | Maria Martinez
    The number of immigrants residing in the European Union climbed to ​a record high of 64.2 million in ‌2025, up about 2.1 million from a year earlier, according to a report published on Wednesday by the ​Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration ​at RFBerlin. The figure compares with 40 million ⁠in 2010, the report said, citing Eurostat and ​U.N. Refugee Agency data. Germany remained the bloc's biggest ​host of foreign-born people at nearly 18 million, 72% of them of working age, while Spain posted the ​fastest recent growth, adding about 700,000 to bring ​its foreign-born population to 9.5 million....
  • Brazil's Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro neck and neck in second‑round poll

    04/27/2026 2:44:31 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 5 replies
    Reuters ^ | April 27, 2026
    Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro are statistically tied in a simulated runoff for this year's presidential election, a BTG Pactual/Nexus poll showed on Monday. • Leftist Lula would receive 46% of the vote in a second-round matchup, compared with 45% for right-wing Bolsonaro. • In a March survey, they were tied at 46% each. • In three first-round simulations, Lula was seen capturing 41% of the vote, while Flavio would take between 36% and 38%, depending on other candidates. • In Brazil, if no candidate gets more than 50% of valid votes, the two...
  • King Charles Can Save the Falkland Islands

    04/27/2026 2:05:42 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 50 replies
    National Review ^ | April 27, 2026 | Elliott Abrams
    British control of the Falkland Islands, which the United States helped the Brits reconquer in the 1982 Falklands War, now seems to be at risk. There are news reports that the Trump administration’s list of ways to punish recalcitrant NATO allies includes siding with Argentina over control of the Falklands. London’s Express reported that Donald Trump’s Pentagon officials are exploring ways the United States can punish NATO countries for failing to support the Iran war, including by reportedly reviewing Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands. . . . An option included in the message is to consider reassessing US diplomatic...