Vaughn Cockayne

Former ambassador casts doubt on status of Syria-Israel security agreement

Israel and Syria are much further away from reaching a deal than it appears, according to a former ambassador who suggested that stable peace between Damascus and Jerusalem may be a far way off.

December 11, 2025

Netanyahu behind stalled Israel-Syria negotiations, says report

Syria and Israel were preparing to sign a U.S.-brokered security agreement at the U.N. General Assembly in September until Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed out at the last minute, according to a new report.

December 9, 2025

DOJ operation busts $160 million network smuggling Nvidia chips to China

A multimillion-dollar smuggling enterprise focused on shipping advanced artificial intelligence chips to China has been disrupted by U.S. authorities, the Justice Department announced Monday.

December 9, 2025

Unidentified drones spotted three times above French intelligence base, authorities say

Unidentified drones were spotted above a French military intelligence base three times late last month, French authorities reported Tuesday.

December 9, 2025

Orban: Turkey guarantees Russian oil will continue to flow to Hungary

Turkey will continue to allow Russian oil to flow to Hungary, despite protests from European powers, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced Monday.

December 8, 2025

Rubio says Biden-era Australian nuclear-powered submarine agreement to proceed

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that President Trump has approved of the Biden-era Aukus security agreement, which would assist Australia in developing its own fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

December 8, 2025

U.S. envoy Howery to meet Greenland, Danish officials at joint summit amid strained relations

President Trump's ambassador to Denmark, Kenneth Howery, is in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, this week for a series of talks with foreign diplomats from Greenland and Denmark, even as the U.S. pushes for more control over the island nation and its mineral-rich resources.

December 8, 2025

Witkoff, Kushner to discuss Ukraine peace strategy with Russian President Putin in Moscow

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, are expected to meet Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war with Ukraine.

December 2, 2025

Ukrainian delegation en route to Washington after previous negotiator resigns

Ukrainian officials led by Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov are on their way to Washington on Saturday ahead of negotiations the next day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.

November 29, 2025

Moldova sounds alarm after Russian drones enter airspace for third time

Moldovan airspace was closed for over an hour on Friday evening after authorities discovered two Russian drones flying over the Eastern European country.

November 29, 2025

Value of State Department press briefings in question as Trump trims them

The State Department has not held a public press briefing in over three months, even as Washington's rivals intensify their communication campaigns to shape opinion and undermine U.S leadership narratives on the world stage.

November 29, 2025

Israeli anti-terrorist incursion into southern Syria kills 10

An Israeli military incursion to track down suspected terrorists in southern Syria killed 10 people and left five Israeli troops injured Friday morning, according to Syrian state media.

November 28, 2025

Leaked audio shows envoy Steve Witkoff coaching Putin adviser on how to pitch peace plan to Trump

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff advised a senior official close to Russian President Vladimir Putin last month on how best to pitch a Ukraine peace plan to President Trump, according to transcripts of leaked audio released Tuesday.

November 26, 2025

Ukraine, U.S. reach ‘understanding’ on Trump-backed peace deal, but major hurdles remain

Ukraine has agreed to the core terms of a U.S.-backed peace deal to end its war with Russia, but a final agreement still appears distant because of questions about whether Kyiv is willing to cede any of its territory to Moscow.

November 25, 2025

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine tours Puerto Rico as Caribbean tensions percolate

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is visiting Puerto Rico this week to meet with troops in U.S. Southern Command amid growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

November 25, 2025

Kremlin says U.S. has not discussed details of Ukraine peace plan with Moscow

The Kremlin insisted Friday that the U.S. has not disclosed the details of President Trump's 28-point Ukraine peace plan with Russia but hoped that negotiations could begin soon.

November 21, 2025

Syrian Jewish group wants Congress to end Caesar sanctions

Rabbi Yusuf Hamra, a founding member of the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation, called on Congress to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions this week, echoing calls from Trump administration officials and activists looking to eliminate economic burdens on Damascus.

November 20, 2025

Rare-earth magnet maker to build $1B factory in North Carolina in bid to expand domestic supply

Rare-earth magnet company Vulcan Elements revealed plans Tuesday to build a $1 billion factory in Benson, North Carolina, as U.S. companies look to compete with China over rare-earth dominance.

November 20, 2025

Zelenskyy meets with Erdogan, will see top U.S. military officials as push for peace intensifies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara on Wednesday and will get together with U.S. military leaders in Kyiv on Thursday amid reports that Washington is quietly working with Russia to iron out a peace deal.

November 19, 2025

Iran releases tanker seized in the Strait of Hormuz, ship’s manager confirms

Iran has released a Marshall Islands-based fuel tanker, the Talara, after holding the ship for five days, the vessel's manager announced Wednesday.

November 19, 2025