WORLD

"At President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement sent to Newsweek.

Brown University's Stephanie Savell told Newsweek the president's "America is Back" rhetoric "is worrisome because it signals a potential return to a militarized status quo in which the US is exporting its militaristic approach and its weapons to many, many places."

The Pew survey found deep partisan divisions, with Republicans lacking confidence in the president on every major foreign policy issue.

While Singapore does not want to be party to any containment scheme against China, it remains keenly invested in maintaining U.S. military primacy in the region, said security analyst Collin Koh.

Ingrid Oliveira Bueno da Silva, 19, was reportedly stabbed to death by 18-year-old Guilherme Alves Costa after the pair met up to play Call of Duty at the teenager's home.

The head of U.S. European Command said America must win its contest with Russia and China to prevent "a global power war."

A court in Siberia sentenced mother and son Valentina Baranovskaya and Roman Baranovsky to two years and six years respectively.

Lawmakers from both parties proposed laws this week to counter Beijing's propaganda and pressure on American companies.

The U.S.S. Curtis Wilbur made the Navy's second Taiwan Strait transit under Biden on Wednesday, in a move showing Washington's "commitment to secure Taiwan against China's armed aggression," an analyst said.

An "awakening" to the challenges posed by Beijing has caused a shift in attitude in the United Kingdom, says Tom Tugendhat, chair of China Research Group.

A poll of Iranian citizens found that "about seven in ten (69%) thought Iran should not get involved in talks until the United States returns to the JCPOA and fulfills its obligations" as opposed to 28% who "thought Iran should immediately pursue a new nuclear agreement."

"The United States entered this war without a strategy and already left a mess behind," Afghan war refugee and former U.S. official Arash Yaqin told Newsweek. "But staying longer will mean more mess, more American casualties, and more Afghan deaths."