Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Strike on Kyiv Amid Oreshnik Threat 
Trump Weighs Taiwan Arms Deal as U.S. Denies Iran War Caused Delays 
Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Assault on Kyiv, Killing Civilians and Damaging Historic Sites 
Trump Says Iran Peace Deal Could Reopen Strait of Hormuz as Nuclear Talks Advance 
Putin Offers Debt Relief to New Russian Recruits Fighting in Ukraine 
Trump Faces Pressure as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Takes Over 
Iran Reopens International Internet Access After 87-Day Blackout 
Trump-Lai Call Remains Uncertain as U.S.-China Tensions Over Taiwan Intensify 
Cambodia King Pardons Opposition Leader Kem Sokha After Treason Conviction 
U.S.-Iran Talks Advance as Trump Signals Tough Stance on Hormuz and Nuclear Deal 
China Coal Mine Explosion Death Toll Revised to 82 in Shanxi 
Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 to Focus on Iran War, Taiwan Tensions and U.S. Role in Asia 
Canada Condemns Israel Over Gaza Flotilla Detentions as Diplomatic Tensions Escalate 
Japan Plans $19 Billion Extra Budget as Bond Market Faces Pressure 
U.S. Military Drill Over Caracas Raises Tensions in Venezuela 
US-Iran Framework Deal Raises Hopes for Strait of Hormuz Reopening 
Trump’s White House Ballroom Push Draws Criticism Amid Rising Gas Prices 
United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump surprised everyone after visiting the U.S. troops stationed in an Iraq base on Wednesday. However, Donald Trump also revealed he was concerned about his wife during their travel.
In a press conference after landing at the Al Asad Airbase in Baghdad, Iraq, the President said (via The Hill), “I had concerns about the institution of the presidency. Not for myself personally. I had concerns for the first lady, I will tell you.” Specifically, Mr. Trump was referring to the security aspect of their tour.
The POTUS then dished some information about the plane they flew in going to the Iraq military base. “But if you would have [seen] what we had to go through in the darkened plane with all window[s] closed with no light anywhere. Pitch black. I’ve been on many airplanes. All types and shapes and sizes. So did I have a concern? Yes, I had a concern,” Mr. Trump added. Photos of Mr. and Mrs. Trump’s visit to the American troops prove they traveled to and from the Iraq base safely.
The Trump administration faced scrutiny after there had been no apparent plans to visit any U.S. troops base during Christmas. But after the visit on Wednesday, it would seem as if the White House opted to keep a lid on the plans until the Trumps arrived in Iraq.
Reports noted that if the Trumps did not make the tour, it would have been the first time since 2002 that a U.S. President skips on a Christmastime visit to the U.S. troops. Though POTUS and FLOTUS did make it to Iraq, The Hill also pointed out that it marked the President’s first-ever trip to a combat zone since getting elected in early 2017.
Back home, the President is still in a political tug of war that resulted in yet another shutdown. But a Reuters poll revealed more Americans think Mr. Trump is at fault for the ongoing federal government shutdown.
A survey that conducted on Dec. 21-25 showed 47 percent of the adult respondents are blaming the Mr. Trump. 33 percent, on the other hand, agrees with the President that Democratic congressmen are to be blamed.
The latest federal government shutdown, that started on Dec. 22, followed Donald Trump’s insistence of including a $5 billion fund for his brand of border security a.k.a. his campaign promise of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico boundary. “If we don’t get what we want … I am proud to shut down the government for border security,” Trump told Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a televised meeting last Dec. 11 (via Politico).
