Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., has been chosen by the House GOP Steering Committee to chair the Foreign Affairs Committee in the next Congress. Mast, a vocal supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, was selected over contenders including Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Ann Wagner, R-Mo., according to Axios.
The U.S. House is poised to vote on the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025, authorizing $895.2 billion for the military, with $849.9 billion allocated directly to the Department of Defense. The 1,813-page bipartisan bill supports service members, defense infrastructure, and U.S. military capabilities.
President-elect Donald Trump announced that Alina Habba, Michael Needham, and Michael Anton will join the White House team. Trump also nominated Christopher Landau for Deputy Secretary of State.
While former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) faced criticism for meeting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, prominent Democratic leaders, including then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), had also met with Assad in the past. Pelosi’s 2007 visit to Damascus, where she conveyed a peace message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, drew backlash from the Bush administration.
In a sweeping military operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian weaponry and chemical facilities following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Over 24 hours, Israeli forces also entered strategic Syrian territories, including the demilitarized zone and Mount Hermon, to counter emerging threats.
The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has sparked warnings of a looming migrant crisis. With President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia over the weekend, European leaders welcomed the regime's fall, but the resulting instability may drive millions of Syrians toward Europe, echoing the 2015 migrant crisis.
Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of its crown prince, has attempted to portray itself as a progressive force on the global stage by committing to fight violence against women and heading a UN commission.
Syria is teetering on the edge of collapse as radical Islamic terrorist groups rapidly advance through key regions, taking advantage of years of weak leadership under President Bashar al-Assad.
A federal appeals court upheld a law requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the app by January 19 or be banned in the United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government on Friday, accusing its anti-Israel policies of fostering antisemitism after an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue. The Adass Israel synagogue was firebombed during morning prayers, injuring one and causing extensive damage. Worshippers inside reported masked assailants throwing incendiary devices through the windows.
