Author: Hayden Doyle

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Dean Phillips isn’t likely to hurt Joe Biden in New Hampshire. But his entry into the Democratic primary could spoil Nikki Haley and Chris Christie’s electoral math here. The two Republicans are polling better than any other candidate with New Hampshire independents who are likely to pull a GOP ballot in the state’s open presidential primary. That’s a major boost in a state where independents make up the largest share of the electorate — and where the lack of a serious contest on the Democratic side meant many of them were poised to vote in the Republican…

The combat capabilities of Taiwan’s domestically built Hai Kun (海鯤號), or “Narwhal,” submarine are slightly superior to Japan’s submarines, a retired Japanese military officer said. Kazuki Yano, a former submarine fleet commander in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, made the comment in a TV program produced by BS Nippon Corp and aired earlier this month. Rira Momma, a professor of security studies at Takushoku University’s Institute of World Studies, was also invited to join the program. Seven countries are involved in the construction of the Hai Kun, including members of the AUKUS alliance, Yano said, describing it as the result of cooperation among…

Former President Donald Trump attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday at Florida’s annual Republican summit, calling him “a wounded falling bird from the skies.” The two 2024 presidential hopefuls were joined by several other candidates at the Republican party’s Freedom Summit at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, near Orlando, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. The candidates officially filed to appear in the state’s 2024 primary, then each addressed an enthusiastic crowd largely in red, white and blue attire, but it was Trump’s…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing on Tuesday for the start of a visit expected to underscore the two leaders’ shared vision for a new international order no longer dominated by the United States and its democratic allies. The meeting between the world’s two most powerful autocrats comes as geopolitical fault lines harden globally – first following Russia’s grinding invasion of Ukraine, launched just three weeks after the leaders’ last meeting in the Chinese capital in 2022 – and now as Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas threatens to spiral into a broader conflict that could…

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) has filed a lawsuit against the health system where a 10-year-old Ohio girl received abortion services last year after being denied in her home state, alleging the institution failed to enforce HIPAA. In July 2022, Indiana OB-GYN Caitlin Bernard, employed by IU Health, garnered national attention after sharing with the Indianapolis Star her account of providing abortion services to a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who had been raped. This story quickly drew the ire of conservatives, including Rokita, who accused Bernard of failing to abide by Indiana patient privacy and mandatory reporting laws. Rokita filed a…

Democrats in the California Legislature are trying a novel approach to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s March 5 primary ballot. But first they need a fellow state Democrat to get on board the long-shot effort. Nine California lawmakers wrote a letter to Attorney General Rob Bonta over the weekend, arguing that Trump isn’t eligible to be on the ballot for inciting an insurrection when a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The move, which comes amid several lawsuits to keep Trump off state ballots across the county, is unique because Bonta could use…

Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service on Monday, alleging its agents illegally released his tax information and that the agency failed to protect his private records. President Joe Biden’s son alleges the IRS unlawfully disclosed his tax return information and did not establish safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of his records. He is seeking, among other things, all documents involving the disclosure of the tax information, $1,000 for each unauthorized disclosure and attorneys fees. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, DC, does not name the two IRS agents turned whistleblowers as defendants. But the lawsuit is centered on…

Paul Whelan, an American convicted of espionage in Russia who has always called himself a political hostage, has been seen in video footage for the first time in three years. Arrested in 2018 in Moscow, where he had travelled for a friend’s wedding, the former US marine was handed a 16-year sentence after a closed trial. The US government designates Mr Whelan as “wrongfully detained”. However, Mr Whelan refused to give an interview. For his family, in the US and Canada, it’s a first glimpse of him since June 2020, when the BBC filmed his final appearance in a Moscow…

As Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR) pointed out recently, the nations of France, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Spain and Norway, all “require parliamentary approval for overseas troop deployments” to conflicts that have broken out on foreign soil. However, “by contrast, the Australian government has no obligation to notify, consult or seek approval from parliament”, explained the civil society group that, since 2012, has been pushing for this country to change how it makes this decision, which is commonly referred to as war powers. Indeed, at present, if Canberra wants to enter a foreign theatre of war, the National Security Committee makes that commitment, which is…

American companies should be ready to stop treating China as an economic competitor and start viewing it as a national security threat, Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate and former ambassador to the United Nations, said Monday. “I think China’s an enemy. I think we have to take them incredibly seriously. And the problem is, you can look at dollars and cents or you can look at a threat to America,” Haley said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “Companies and people have said for too long, ‘We’ll deal with China tomorrow.’ But China is dealing with us today. We’ve got to address this,” she…