Middle Eastern Politics Headlines at 8:31 p.m. GMT
Israel's Netanyahu dismisses his defense minister as wars rage. Protests erupt across country
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The TelegraphUyghur fighters in Syria vow to come for China next
A Uyghur militant group that helped to topple Bashar-al Assad has vowed to take the fight to China.
- Associated Press
China's Xi is likely to decline Trump's inauguration invitation, seeing it as too risky to attend
Chinese leader Xi Jinping would likely see President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to attend his inauguration as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump extended an invitation to the Jan. 20 ceremony.
- The Hill
Gingrich: Xi attending Trump inauguration would be ‘signal to the planet’
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) responded to President-elect Trump’s invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend Inauguration Day in January, saying his acceptance would send a global “signal.” “Look, I think Trump believes in constant offense, constant momentum, keeping things going forward,” Gingrich told Fox New’s Jesse Watters in an interview Wednesday. “I…
- BuzzFeed
People Can't Believe Donald Trump's Response To Being Asked About His Plans To Lower Grocery Prices
"Look, they got them up. I'd like to bring them down. It's hard to bring things down once they're up. You know, it's very hard." —Donald Trump
- The Observers
Fears mount for Syria’s minorities as video emerges showing rebel fighters executing suspects
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has become Syria’s new strongman, replacing the Alawite regime of Bashar al-Assad. Once a partner of al Qaeda, Jolani now speaks the language of tolerance and openness towards Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities. He has told his fighters to refrain from extrajudicial violence, but videos emerging on social media suggest that not all of his fighters are following his directive, raising concerns among members
- CNN
Why Israel captured Syria’s tallest mountain just hours after Assad fell
Israel wasted no time after Bashar al-Assad’s fall to bomb all the Syrian military assets it wanted to keep out of the rebels’ hands – striking nearly 500 targets, destroying the navy, and taking out, it claims, 90% of Syria’s known surface-to-air missiles.
- The Telegraph
Israeli troops can remain in Gaza after war, Hamas concedes in major U-turn
Hamas has reportedly agreed to allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza in a major about-turn that could unblock a hostage deal.
- BBC
Bloody siege ends Myanmar army control of western border
Insurgents seized Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war.
- The Telegraph
North Korean troops performing well on battlefield, say Russian bloggers
North Korean troops have captured a village from Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, Russian military bloggers have reported.
- The Telegraph
Russian missile scientist ‘assassinated by Ukrainian special forces’
A Russian scientist known for developing cruise missiles has been found shot dead in a snowy wooded area near Moscow.
- South China Morning Post
China's Wolf Warrior Lu Shaye heads home from France in shadow of controversy
China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, whose remarks about Ukraine and other former Soviet states caused uproar across Europe last year, is wrapping up his tenure in Paris. Lu, 60, one of the country's most prominent Wolf Warrior diplomats who is famed for his abrasive style, is expected to return to Beijing next month, according to French media. At a farewell reception at Beijing's embassy in Paris on Monday, Lu said he would continue to support the Chinese community in France "no matter where
- Robb Report
These Are the 25 Richest Families in the World for 2024
Leading the pack is the Walton family, who founded Walmart and have a combined net worth of $432.4 billion.
- The Daily Beast
Nancy Pelosi ‘Actively Working to Tank’ AOC’s Bid for Top Committee Role
Nancy Pelosi is reportedly campaigning against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) bid to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The former speaker of the House of Representatives is instead pushing Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to win the high-ranking role, and is “actively working to tank” AOC’s bid while “making calls” on behalf of Connolly, Punchbowl News reported Thursday. The report adds that Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering displays the sheer “amount of political capi
- BBC
Trump vows to end 'very costly' daylight saving time
Some have long called for the practice of changing the clock twice a year to end.
- The Hill
Senate Democrats livid with exiting Sinema, Manchin: ‘Pathetic’
Senate Democrats were livid after Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), two longtime members of their caucus, voted Wednesday to block President Biden’s nominee, Lauren McFerran, to serve another five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board. Senate Democrats blasted their votes to sink Biden’s nominee and hand Republicans a major victory as…
- The Independent
Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, now Middle East adviser, is ‘small-time truck salesman,’ not billionaire: Report
Boulos helped Trump secure Arab-American votes, but his resume presented by Trump’s transition team seems to be largely fabrication, according to an examination of education and business records
- The Independent
Who is Don Jr’s rumored new girlfriend Bettina Anderson?
Eldest Trump son was photographed holding hands with Anderson recently
- HuffPost
Polish Prime Minister Finds 'Quite' An Excuse To Clown Trump During Macron Meeting
Donald Tusk met with Emmanuel Macron following the French president's awkward exchange with Trump recently.
- The Independent
Russia signs $13bn-a-year oil deal with India in blow to Western sanctions
The 10-year deal is for the supply of 500,000 barrels of oil per day, or about 0.5 per cent of the world’s supply
- The Daily Beast
Why These Trump Enemies Say They WON'T Beg For Biden Pardons
Donald Trump’s “enemies” are collectively freaking out as Inauguration Day draws near, with the incoming president’s strong arm of the law in hot pursuit. Some are seeking get-out-of-jail-free cards from President Joe Biden in his twilight hours, but others worry seeking preemptive pardons may send a dangerous message. “I’ve done nothing wrong,” former Trump White House intelligence official Olivia Troye told the Daily Beast.