DefMin Motoc on fresh addition of three F-16 fighter jets: A moment well received by NATO

Minister of National Defence Mihnea Motoc considers that the addition to Romania’s Air Force of three new F-16 Fighting Falcons is an important moment for the country and sends a strategic message that is “well received” by NATO. “It’s a milestone moment in many respects, perhaps through the entire symbolism of the F-16s entering service with the Romanian Air Force.

Trump’s ambassador pick could drastically alter 2 of the…

President-elect Donald Trump tapped bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman to serve as the US ambassador to Israel on Thursday, raising questions about how Friedman’s far-right views will upend Washington’s longstanding approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Friedman, who has no diplomatic experience, is a fierce opponent of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine that would create two independent states on either side of the Jordan river.

Obama says partisanship in U.S. greater threat than Russian hacking

President Obama Friday said he is deeply frustrated by “hyper-partisan” attitudes that have left some Republicans more trusting of Moscow than Washington, calling such attitudes a greater danger to America’s national security than Russian hacking of U.S. elections. Obama reiterated his contention that “the Russians were responsible for hacking” the Democratic National Committee, starting in mid-2015, and that the U.S. will retaliate against Moscow for the meddling.

Clinton mega donor George Soros leads line-up of liberal…

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend a private Christmas with the Middleton family rather than joining the Queen at Sandringham Michelle bites back: The First Lady steps up the Obamas’ war with Trump as she tells Oprah Americans have no ‘hope’ now that he’s weeks from the Oval Office and suggests a ‘grown up’ should be in charge Russian-speaking hacker known as Rasputin breached US agency in charge of monitoring voting machines and tried to sell the info to ‘a Middle Eastern government’ Prove it or shut up, Russia tells CIA: Putin’s spokesman accuses US of being ‘extremely scurrilous’ over hacking allegations Trump is urged to enact Muslim surveillance program to prevent Islamic terrorism: ‘We can’t worry about political correctness,’ says GOP congressman Republican elector who plans to vote against Trump is a ‘9/11 faker’ whose claim to be a first responder at the Pentagon is FALSE … (more)

Pentagon demands China return intercepted Navy underwater drone

The Pentagon demanded that China immediately return a U.S. Navy underwater drone that was captured in the South China Sea, in a confrontation certain to exacerbate tensions in a region where the government in Beijing has sought to assert greater control. China “unlawfully seized” the unmanned underwater vehicle Thursday while it was being recovered by a U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship during routine operations 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, according to a Defense Department statement.