Rubio:

China's a big country. It's got a billion-something people, the second largest economy in the world. They have nuclear weapons.

It would be crazy, it is insane for the United States and China not to have relations and interact with one another.

Rubio:

It's not good for anybody to rely on one country or one economy for 90% of anything, especially things like critical supply chains. This is a reality.

We want to diversify supply chains around the world. We've spoken clearly about it.

That's not an anti-China thing. That's just the reality that over-dependence on one source is not good, especially when there's been a willingness in the past to use it as leverage against each other.

The British Museum has decided to remove references to “Palestine” from its old Middle East exhibitions.

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Rubio: Iran Deal ‘Not Easy’ Amid Theological Rule

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said striking a deal with Iran is “not easy,” arguing that Tehran’s decisions are shaped by “radical Shia clerics” who base policy on theology, as he addressed global issues during talks in Budapest.

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Aviation workers struck at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, disrupting air traffic control operations at a key regional aviation hub.

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Indonesia says up to 8,000 troops will be ready by June for a possible humanitarian peacekeeping mission in Gaza, supporting Trump’s postwar reconstruction plan.

About 1,000 troops could deploy as early as April, pending government approval and international coordination.

Officials say the mission would focus on aid and civilian protection, not combat.

Source: POLITICO

Senator Graham meets with Netanyahu.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez:

We have less debt than the United States.

Of course, that in itself is not necessarily an achievement, because the U.S. economy is what it is.

Senator Graham:

The Iranian Ayatollah and his murderous regime are at their weakest point since 1979.

Their economy is in shambles, their military has been degraded, and their people are in the streets — Iranian people in the streets demanding an end to oppression.

All these forces are coming together. We must meet the moment.

Senator Graham:

The best answer to all the problems created by Iran is regime change.

Senator Graham on Iran:

There are no gaps between Trump and Bibi about what to do and how to do it.

There are two lines in the water right now: one is a diplomatic line trying to find a way to end this regime diplomatically that will advance our national security interest.

The other line is the military option. I think Trump is looking for which line can catch the biggest fish.

Senator Graham on Iran:

Apparently, I am commonly referred to as “Uncle Lindsey” in Iran.

Apparently, that is a good thing.

Senator Graham on Iran:

Could our soldiers be hit in the region? Absolutely, they could.

Can Iran respond if we have an all-out attack? Absolutely, they can.

I think the risk associated with that is far less than the risk associated with blinking, pulling the plug, and not helping the people as you promised.

Senator Graham on Iran:

We’re into weeks, not months, in terms of decision-making.

Senator Graham on UAE's MBZ:

Bibi wanted me to tell the press that he’s amazed by the level of cooperation and the significance of the partnership of the United Arab Emirates with Israel — that MBZ has done everything asked and then some, that they’ve been a stalwart partner, a reliable partner under difficult circumstances.

And I want to go there tomorrow, acknowledge MBZ’s leadership, and suggest that America improve its capability to defend the United Arab Emirates and the region.

Senator Graham on the IDF:

The wars of the future are being planned here in Israel.

If you are not one step ahead of the enemy, you suffer.

Senator Graham on Iran:

I think the regime will collapse with sustained pressure. It’s so weak. You know, they fly F-14s? A lot has happened since Top Gun 1. So their Air Force is — that’s a great movie, but it was made in the ’80s. So I don’t like their chances in the sky.

They have a lot of ballistic missiles. They could hurt us. They could do damage to Israel. But every day that goes by in the war, they get less capable and we get more, because we have such a dominant advantage.

There is risk associated with taking the regime down militarily. But the risk, compared to the risk of doing nothing, is small.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

If people praise us, we should not be deceived. If they criticize us, we should not surrender to that either.

A sound plan has scientific, logical, and legal standards.

We should not flatter people with exaggerated promises to please them.

Senator Graham on Iran:

We don’t need American troops on the ground in Iran.

Senator Graham on Iran:

How many times could we have stopped Hitler? A bunch.

Somebody probably asked in 1935, “What would Germany look like if you killed Hitler?” I wish somebody had tried successfully.

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NEW: Canadian PM Mark Carney is pushing a major EU–Indo-Pacific trade alliance to counter Trump-era tariff threats and “trade war coercion.”

Ottawa is “championing efforts to build a bridge between the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union, which would create a new trading bloc of 1.5 billion people,” Carney said in Davos.

The EU and the 12-nation CPTPP bloc are opening talks to align supply chains and negotiate “rules of origin,” making cross-bloc trade smoother and less tariff-heavy.

A Canadian official said, “The work is definitely coming along,” while a Japanese trade official called it “an interesting topic to explore.”

Goal: unite nearly 40 countries into a powerful economic counterweight to U.S. tariff pressure — though EU officials caution it’s “not part of the priority for actions for now.”

Source: Politico