U.S. Congress

Every year the United States enacts a law titled the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It sets forth a comprehensive legal framework for the armed forces as well as measures for national and international security. The NDAA for 2020 became law on December 20, 2019.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said the attacks on the bases were "revenge for the killing of top Iranian General, the Quds Unit Commander Qasem Soleimani."

A stampede erupted on Jan. 7 at a funeral procession for a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike last week, killing 32 people and injuring 190 others, state television reported.

Today we celebrate the Global Family Day (One Day of Peace and Sharing).

January 1st is celebrated as a day of peace and understanding between people and nations. A day for the unification of humanity into one large family.

Despite the personal rapport often shared by their leaders, Turkey and the U.S. are currently at odds over a number of issues, but the U.S. interest in bases on Turkish soil endures, according to a foreign policy analyst.

At this difficult juncture in relations between Greece and Turkey, the Greek-American community played its own decisive role in the adoption into law by the US Congress of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, known as the East Med Act. By doing so, it has strengthened the position of Athens and Nicosia.

Russia will respond in kind to U.S. sanctions against the TurkStream and NordStream II projects, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Dec. 23.

Speaking at the upper chamber of the Russian parliament in Moscow, the Council of Federation, Lavrov said preparing a fitting response needs both time and analysis.

Just as Turkey is attempting with its EEZ agreement with Libya to create with its military a de facto situation at sea that tramples on Greece's legal rights, Athens is attempting to achieve a poitico-diplomatic encirclement of Turkey with the EU, Egpyt, Israel and other countries on board.

Germany accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs on Dec. 21 for imposing sanctions on companies working on a major project to supply Western Europe with Russian gas.    

The US Congress has decided to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21 years across the country, France Press reported.

The change passed by the Senate is part of a measure made to the budget bill. It will enter into force in about nine months.