Vaughn Cockayne

Syria begins trial over ethnic violence in March

Syrian troops and Alawite minority members were on trial Tuesday as Damascus started legal proceedings against those accused of participating in violence that struck the country's coast in March.

November 18, 2025

China, Russia blast U.S.-drafted Gaza resolution after abstaining from U.N. vote

The foreign ministries of Russia and China sharply critiqued the U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza, which passed a U.N. Security Council vote on Monday, arguing the measure is too vague and inconsistent with international law.

November 18, 2025

Ukraine’s leader Zelenskyy to travel to Turkey for peace talks; Russia declines to participate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he would travel to Turkey on Wednesday to restart peace negotiations, but Moscow has denied that it is sending any representatives.

November 18, 2025

Canadian intelligence agency says it foiled Iranian, Russian plots

Canada's spy agency this year stopped a plot by Iranian intelligence services to target dissidents living in Canada, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service announced on Thursday.

November 14, 2025

EU officials debate training 3,000 Palestinian police officers from Gaza

Foreign ministers from across the European Union are reportedly considering a plan that would see the body train 3,000-strong Palestinian police officers who would eventually help keep the peace in Gaza, according to a paper circulated among member nations this week.

November 14, 2025

Damascus to intensify attacks on Hezbollah, Iranian forces in Syria, says U.S. envoy

Syria will step up its attacks on foreign terrorists in its country as Damascus looks to assist the U.S. in its goal of curbing the regional influence of the Islamic State, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack announced Wednesday.

November 13, 2025

China planning to block U.S. military contractors from rare earth imports: Report

China is reportedly working on a plan to block U.S. defense contractors from accessing rare-earth metals, despite efforts to ease import restrictions for other Western companies.

November 13, 2025

Treasury aims new sanctions at Iran’s missile, UAV programs

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced new sanctions on Wednesday targeting 32 people and entities that facilitate Iran's production of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

November 12, 2025

U.N. inspectors stopped from verifying Iran’s uranium stockpile since June

Inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency have not been granted access to Iran's damaged nuclear enrichment sites since June, according to a confidential report circulated to member nations.

November 12, 2025

Russia signals it is ready to restart peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul

Russia is prepared to begin a new round of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, the Russian news agency TASS reported Wednesday.

November 12, 2025

U.K. quits sharing Caribbean boat intel with U.S.: Report

Britain says it has stopped sharing intelligence about alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean with the U.S. over concerns that the Pentagon's strikes on the vessels may be illegal, according to a Tuesday report.

November 11, 2025

Russia promises to conduct atomic weapons tests if other nuclear-armed states do so

Russia will resume nuclear weapons tests only if other nuclear-powered nations do so, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.

November 11, 2025

Syria wants sanctions dropped as al-Sharaa prepares for White House visit

U.S.-based Syrian advocacy groups are urging Congress to scrap Caesar Act sanctions to fast-track Syria's post-civil war recovery and foster close relations between Washington and Damascus.

November 9, 2025

Pentagon revises cyber force generation model to increase lethality

The Department of Defense is revising its cyber force generation model to give U.S. Cyber Command more control over recruitment and training as the Pentagon works to counter China in the cyber domain.

November 7, 2025

U.S. to send troops to Damascus to oversee possible Syria-Israel pact: Report

America will send a force to an air base in the Syrian capital of Damascus to oversee a potential U.S.-brokered disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel, according to a new report.

November 6, 2025

Cuts to space funding threaten U.S. ability to compete with China, experts say

The Trump administration's recent cuts to domestic space institutions put the U.S. on the back foot when competing against China in the final frontier, some experts say, arguing that Washington should encourage investment in space technology to ensure security.

November 6, 2025

U.S.-South Korea nuclear-powered sub raises questions about nonproliferation

The U.S. decision to help South Korea build a nuclear-powered submarine could spell the end of the push for denuclearization in Northeast Asia and threatens to upset the global nonproliferation regime, some experts say.

November 5, 2025

Leaked memo: Pentagon to prioritize speed in new acquisition system

The Pentagon is looking to radically speed up the way it buys weapons and platforms by rewarding contractors who deliver on time, slashing review processes and offering new incentives to staffers, a leaked memo revealed this week.

November 5, 2025

Iran releases 2 French nationals after 3-year detention

Iran this week released two French citizens who had been imprisoned since 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday.

November 4, 2025

U.S. looks to target 7 ships with U.N. sanctions over North Korean coal, iron exports

The U.S. is expected to ask the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on seven vessels allegedly used to export coal and iron from North Korea in violation of the sanctions regime, according to new reports on Tuesday.

November 4, 2025