Manila, Jul 12 (AP/PTI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed a call to China to comply with a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's vast claims in the South China Sea and warned that Washington is obligated to defend treaty ally Philippines if its forces, vessels or aircraft come under attack in the disputed waters.
09 July 2022; MEMO: Russia, on Friday, vetoed a bid to extend UN Security Council approval for 12 months of UN aid deliveries to some 4 million people in opposition-controlled north-west Syria from Turkiye, Reuters reports.
The resolution, drafted by Ireland and Norway, received 13 votes in favour, while China abstained. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to be adopted.
06 July 2022; MEMO: The United States, on Wednesday, imposed sanctions on a network of Hong Kong, Emirati and other companies that it accused of helping to deliver and sell Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia, applying pressure on Tehran as Washington seeks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reports.
05 July 2022; MEMO: The US Presbyterian Church has voted to declare Israel to be an "apartheid state" and has set aside "Nakba Remembrance Day" within the church calendar. The decisions were taken at the church's 225th General Assembly.
25 June 2022; MEMO: The US has confirmed that it would not support the rehabilitation of the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar Al-Assad, in any way.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ambassador Barbara Leaf conveyed that the US will not support efforts to normalise or rehabilitate Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
The New York Times is the latest US news agency to conclude that Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, was most likely killed by an Israeli soldier. A month-long investigation by The Times found that the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was fired from the approximate location of the Israeli military convoy, most likely by a soldier from an elite unit.
17 June 2022; MEMO: The United States yesterday imposed sanctions on Chinese and Emirati companies and on a network of Iranian firms that help export Iran's petrochemicals, a step that may raise pressure on Tehran to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reports.
21 May 2022; MEMO: The White House has not yet set a date for US President Joe Biden's visit to Israel, and this likely stems from the political crisis in Israel and the possibility of the government's collapse. This results from Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi's announcement of defection from the coalition, meaning the government is supported by a minority of 59 Knesset members.
20 May 2022; MEMO: After several high-profile defeats, America's most powerful pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is said to be pouring millions of dollars into influencing Democratic congressional primary races to counter growing support for the Palestinian cause. AIPAC is pouring money, energy and resources to block women candidates who, if elected, are likely to align with a group of progressive politicians known as "the Squad", which includes the likes of
18 May 2022; MEMO: A Pentagon investigation into a US air strike that killed dozens of people in Syria in 2019 found that the initial review of the attack by the military was mishandled with reporting delays but stopped short of calling for disciplinary action.
The inquiry found that most people killed in the attack were Daesh fighters and that military officials didn't violate the laws of war or deliberately conceal casualties, reports the New York Times.
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