____ (2022-07-18). The West Is Experiencing a Contraction of Its Power, Not Necessarily Its Decline. transcend.org 15 Jul 2022 – With the same ease with which they foresee being able to reduce Russia (one of the largest nuclear power in the world) to a vassal state or bring it to ruin, they foresee neutralizing China (which is on its way to becoming the first world economy) and soon provoking a war in Taiwan, (like the one in Ukraine) to achieve that purpose. On the other hand, the history of empires shows that contraction goes hand in hand with decline, and that decline is irreversible and entails much human suffering.

Staff (2022-07-18). Anthony Blair: Estamos llegando al final del dominio político y económico de Occidente. cubadebate.cu El expremier de Gran Bretaña, el laborista Tony Blair, advirtió que el mundo está "llegando al final del dominio político y económico de Occidente", que se encuentra en camino hacia la multipolaridad y que que China "ya es la segunda superpotencia del mundo".

Dave DeCamp (2022-07-18). Biden Promises Not to 'Walk Away' From the Middle East at GCC Summit. news.antiwar.com President Biden on Saturday vowed that the US would not "walk away" from the Middle East during a summit attended by regional leaders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The summit was attended by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan, known as the GCC+3. Biden's message to the Gulf monarchs and other …

Staff (2022-07-18). Petro and Maduro Working to Bring Colombia and Venezuela Closer, Report Reveals. orinocotribune.com President-elect of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, is taking the first steps to fulfill his promise to build bridges with Venezuela. | On Saturday, July 1, a memo was published by the Colombian far-right magazine In addition, a source who requested a…

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2022-07-18). Russia-Iran relations take a quantum leap. peoplesdispatch.org When the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan first spoke about a potential Iran-Russian drone deal, Moscow kept quiet and

José Luis Granados Ceja (2022-07-18). Venezuela Condemns Washington Coup Plots As Bolton Doubles Down. venezuelanalysis.com Bolton stood by his comments about Venezuela, saying that Washington's support for coup plots were "necessary to protect [US] interests."

Staff (2022-07-18). Iván Duque's Desperate Farewell: Venezuela Denounces New Attack on Pipeline Network. orinocotribune.com Caracas, July 17, 2022 ( Through his twitter account, El Aissami posted photographs of the attack where flames and smoke can be seen in sections of pipeline installed on the Venezuelan plains. In recent days, Venezuelan authorities have also reported discrete operations capturing illegal extract…

Mitchell Bonga (2022-07-18). Michigan activists put pro-abortion constitutional amendment on ballot. liberationnews.org Dubbed the Reproductive Freedom for All amendment, this would constitutionally protect and guarantee the right to abortion, miscarriage management, contraception, prenatal care and in-vitro fertilization.

Fight Back (2022-07-18). Collective statement: Biden in occupied Palestine and the 'Jerusalem Declaration'. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement on Biden in Palestine and the Jerusalem Declaration, signed by 80 organizations, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). | The joint declaration of U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid reveals not only the fundamental bankruptcy of the imperialist and Zionist systems they represent but also underlines the necessity to act and stand now in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance, to liberate their land from the river to the sea. This strategic partnership of violence, warmongering, repression…

WSWS (2022-07-18). Biden concludes Mideast trip focused on US conflict with Russia, China. wsws.org The US war drive against Russia and China was the driving force of the US president's four-day trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia.

TeleSUR, mcs, JL (2022-07-18). Fallece César "Pupy" Pedroso, ícono de la música popular cubana. telesurtv.net Su último material discográfico salió al mercado en 2021 bajo el nombre de Re-percusión, e incluyó 11 temas de su autoría.

Staff (2022-07-18). Reto visual: Tienes diez segundos para encontrar las cinco letras 'Y', ølo lograste? cubadebate.cu El último reto visual que está arrasando en las redes sociales consiste en encontrar las cinco letras 'Y' que están camufladas en un mar de letras 'X'. Para resolverlo, solo dispones de diez segundos, así que deberás poner tu máxima atención y ser muy rápido. øEstás preparado? Tu tiempo empieza °Ya! Cuéntanos en los comentarios si lo lograste.

Kamal Iranidoost (2022-07-18). Iran FM thanks Iraq for efforts to advance regional dialogue. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — In a telephone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart, Iran's foreign minister thanked Baghdad's efforts and constructive role in the formation and promotion of regional talks which strengthen regional security.

TeleSUR, JCM (2022-07-18). Irán acusa a EE.UU. de crear tensión y crisis en Medio Oriente. telesurtv.net "Estados Unidos ha buscado una vez más crear tensión y crisis en la región apelando a la política fallida de iranofobia", afirmó el portavoz de la cancillería de Irán.

Staff (2022-07-18). Cuba se lleva el título en torneo del Caribe de baloncesto femenino. cubadebate.cu El equipo cubano de baloncesto se coronó campeón del CBC Women's Championship 2022, al vencer este domingo a República Dominicana en la final celebrada en el Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva. La selección cubana ahora sueña con clasificarse a los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe de San Salvador 2023.

Staff (2022-07-18). Aplican medida disciplinaria a boxeador Andy Cruz. cubadebate.cu Como resultado de exhaustivos análisis se ha decidido su expulsión de la estructura deportiva cubana, informa una nota de la comisión nacional de este deporte. La medida ha sido adoptada ante las reiteradas indisciplinas cometidas por este, incluidas su ausencia de los entrenamientos previos al Torneo Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón 2022.

Staff (2022-07-18). México reitera protección y asilo a Julian Assange. cubadebate.cu El presidente de México, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, informó este lunes que había enviado una carta a su homólogo estadounidenses, Joe Biden, para pedir la libertad del activista y fundador de WikiLeaks, Julian Assange. Del mismo modo, reiteró su ofrecimiento de "protección y asilo" para Assange, quien está acusado en EE.UU. de filtración masiva de documentos confidenciales.

Staff (2022-07-18). Nelson Mandela: "Uno de los más extraordinarios símbolos de esta era" (+ Video). cubadebate.cu El líder sudafricano Nelson Mandela, quien este 18 de julio cumpliría 104 años de edad, nos recordaba que "mientras la pobreza, la injusticia y las grandes desigualdades persistan en nuestro mundo, ninguno de nosotros puede descansar realmente". Mandela fue desde muy joven un luchador incansable contra toda manifestación de injusticia social.

TeleSUR, JL (2022-07-18). Venezuela denuncia ataque contra sistema gasífero en Oriente. telesurtv.net "Elevamos nuestra denuncia al país, y los pueblos del mundo, sobre un nuevo ataque al sistema gasífero del Oriente venezolano", denunció El Aissami.

Staff (2022-07-18). Sistema Energético de Cuba: Actualización y perspectivas (+ Video). cubadebate.cu El Ministro de Energía y Minas Liván Arronte Cruz y directivos de la Unión Eléctrica comparecen este lunes en la Mesa Redonda para informar sobre la situación actual del sistema eléctrico nacional tras el incendio en la caldera del bloque 2 de la termoeléctrica "Lidio Ramón Pérez", de Felton, Holguín.

Staff (2022-07-18). Estados Unidos participó en 3 golpes de Estado, reveló investigación (+ Video). cubadebate.cu Una investigación del Cline Center de la Universidad de Illinois señaló que desde 1982 hasta 2019 Estados Unidos participó en 3 intentos de golpe de Estado, de los cuales 1 fueron exitosos. El revelamiento cobró importancia en los últimos días luego de las declaraciones del ex asesor de Seguridad Nacional de la Casa Blanca, John Bolton, en las que confesó que había participado en el planeamiento de golpes de Estado a países extranjeros.

Staff (2022-07-18). Aumenta las amenazas contra políticos estadounidenses. cubadebate.cu Uno de los incidentes más recientes ocurrió hace menos de una semana cuando un hombre fue detenido por supuestamente amenazar con matar a la representante Pramila Jayapal (demócrata de Washington), que lidera el Caucus Progresista del Congreso.

TeleSUR, hvh, JCM (2022-07-18). Líder supremo Jamenei indulta o baja condenas a presos en Irán. telesurtv.net De acuerdo con medios oficiales, el líder supremo persa puso en libertad o redujo las penas a 2.272 prisioneros.

Staff (2022-07-18). Ghana declara un brote de la enfermedad de Marburgo, un virus zoonótico de la misma familia que el Ébola. cubadebate.cu Marburgo es una fiebre hemorrágica vírica altamente infecciosa de la misma familia que el virus del Ébola. Es sólo la segunda vez que se detecta esta enfermedad zoonótica en àÅfrica Occidental. La OMS se ha puesto en contacto con los países vecinos de alto riesgo y están en alerta.

Staff (2022-07-18). Fotos ganadoras de los Audubon Photography Awards 2022, las aves en sus entornos naturales. cubadebate.cu En un mundo lleno de distracciones interminables, eso es un regalo. Desde la acción audaz de una rapaz hasta el detalle más sutil en los patrones de plumas de la perdiz nival, tómese un momento para deleitarse con lo que de otro modo se perdería. Cubadebate comparte algunas de las imágenes ganadoras del Audubon Photography Awards 2022.

Rqorinoco (2022-07-18). One Year After July 11, 2021. orinocotribune.com By Ike Nahem — Jul 11, 2022 | "The heroism of normality in Cuba does not generate headlines." | -Cuban revolutionary journalist Rosa Miriam Elizalde | July 11, 2021 in Cuba quickly went from legitimate, valid, peaceful street protests to violent provocations and destructive acts directed by US clients in Cuba. Thousands of people in many cities, towns, and working-class neighborhoods took to the streets in response to harsh, deteriorating conditions — the worst of the Covid Delta infections, hospitalizations, and deaths on the island before the application of the Cuban-vaccines; the electricity blacko…

Barry Sheppard (2022-07-18). Biden's Middle East trip a failure. greenleft.org.au United States President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East was all about re-setting relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia, despite their ongoing state violence and repression, reports Barry Sheppard.

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2022-07-17). The Belarus Tactical Group: Belarusians in the DUK SS International. libya360.wordpress.com Laurent Brayard Denis Prokhorov The Belarus Tactical Group was in fact a squad that grew out of a small company founded by Belarusian neo-Nazi activists who came to Ukraine to fight in the Donbass. They initially joined various battalions, most notably the Azov Battalion, but some also participated in the Maidan Revolution during the winter…

Vijay Prashad (2022-07-17). On Marxism and decolonisation. mronline.org IN 1959, one of the revolutionary leaders in Cuba, Haydée Santamaria, a hundred years old this year, arrived at a cultural centre in the heart of Havana, Cuba.

Benjamin Norton (2022-07-17). Biden's Saudi 'reset' is about China & Russia, and CIA fallout with MBS. multipolarista.com US President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia to pressure Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to cut ties with China and Russia, after he killed CIA ally Jamal Khashoggi and purged rivals in the royal family most loyal to Washington.

Maria Paez Victor (2022-07-17). What Does the UBER Scandal Have to Do With Venezuelan Special Economic Zones? orinocotribune.com By María Páez Victor &#1 ; 13 July 2022 | "The greatest challenge facing societies has always been how to conduct trade and credit without letting merchants and creditors make money by exploiting their customers and debtors." | (Michael Hudson)(1) | It is necessary to examine the mega-taxi industry of UBER. Its path is like one of Aesop's Fables that highlights a deep morale. | Except that it is not a fable. | A few days ago, the British newspaper The Guardian,(2) has revealed a huge scandal related to the UBER taxi industry. It is well known that this company is based on not giving employment to drivers but any…

Staff (2022-07-17). Iran urges for regional dialogue; Arab NATO to get nowhere. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — The head of Iran's Strategic Foreign Relations Council Seyed Kamal Kharrazi has said Tehran is ready to hold regional dialogue with important countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar and other countries.

Staff (2022-07-17). Cubanas en la final del Campeonato del Caribe de baloncesto (+ Fotos). cubadebate.cu Cuba dominó ampliamente un partido en el que las jamaicanas hicieron lo posible por dar batalla y en la primera mitad mostraron una mejor cara que en la fase previa. Sin embargo, no pudieron nunca hacer frente a un ordenado conjunto anfitrión. De esta forma Cuba venció en todos los cuartos con pizarras de 22-11, 20-13, 32-4, 23-8, y mantuvo el invicto en el torneo.

____ (2022-07-17). Iran's export of minerals hit 7.6% growth in Q1. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — A study on the performance of large companies in mining and mineral sector indicates that $3.275 billion worth of minerals were exported from the country in the first three months of this year.

____ (2022-07-17). Iran-Europe trade value tops ‚Ǩ2bn in five months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — The value of trade exchanged between Iran and Europe in the first five months of the current year in 2022 exceeded ‚Ǩ2 billion as compared to the same period of last year.

Dave DeCamp (2022-07-17). Biden Disputes Saudi Account of MbS Meeting on Khashoggi. news.antiwar.com President Biden told reporters on Sunday that one of Saudi Arabia's top diplomats Biden met with MbS in Saudi Arabia on Friday and told reporters afterward that he raised the issue of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was killed by Saudi agents at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul in 2018. US intelligence later concluded that MbS ordered the killing. | Biden said he conf…

_____ (2022-07-17). Argentina And Mexico Increase Commercial Ties With Cuba. popularresistance.org Cuba has ramped up commercial ties with Argentina and Mexico this week as it looks toward Latin America to break out of the blockade imposed by the United States. Havana is currently hosting a trade conference with Mexican businesses to attract investment and on Tuesday Argentina formalized a wide-ranging cooperation agreement to boost the agricultural sector. | The Mexico-Cuba trade conference, hosted at the Hotel Nacional, concluded today with the signing of 12 investment agreements in renewable energy, textiles, food, information technology, and other areas. The conference was inaugurated by Cuba's President M…

_____ (2022-07-17). Two Weeks Of National Strike In Panama. popularresistance.org The protests began on July 1 after the government showed no interest in addressing the issue or meeting with activists for negotiations to solve the crisis. | The last two weeks were marked by massive mobilizations against the high cost of living and an escalating economic crisis in Panama. Movements with the People United for Life Alliance have presented a list of 32 demands to the government to address the crisis but the government has refused to take serious action. The protests have seen broad participation from people across Panamanian society such as workers, fisherfolk, Indigenous communities, students, ed…

Editor (2022-07-17). "The American Production System": The Rise and Fragmentation of a Manufacturing Empire. scheerpost.com By Yan Peng / Manufacturing is the industrial foundation of the United States' rise to world system hegemony and the material basis on which the United States has been able to maintain its hegemony to date. Within the political shell of the United States, a manufacturing empire continued to evolve under the name "The American System. The concept of the American System has two connotations, one refers to the 19th century A…

Kamal Iranidoost (2022-07-17). Iran welcomes Azeri-Armenian FMs meeting: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — Iran welcomes the meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Seyed Abbas Mousavi wrote on his Twitter page.

Staff (2022-07-17). República Dominicana: Hallan un rara flor y una avispa en una piedra de ámbar de 30 millones de años. cubadebate.cu Preservados en una piedra de ámbar de hace 30 millones de años, George Poinar, científico de la Universidad de Oregón, descubrió en una mina de las cordilleras del norte de la República Dominicana los restos fosilizados de una rara flor, y los de una avispa.

TeleSUR, lvm, JGN (2022-07-17). Conoce los principales desafíos que enfrentan los niños en el mundo. telesurtv.net El Día del Niño, jornada para promover su bienestar y derechos, es una efemérides que es celebrada en diferentes fechas en cada país. En Venezuela y Panamá se festeja el tercer domingo de julio.

Anonymous669 (2022-07-17). Iranian Forces Tested Ababil-3 Combat Drone In Syria's Deir Ezzor: Monitoring Group. southfront.org An Ababil-3 "Atlas" combat drone armed with two Almas anti-tank guided missiles. Source: the Fars News Agency. | Iranian-backed forces had tested an Ababil-3 drone in the eastern Syrian governorate of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on July 17. | According to the London-based monitoring group, the drone was launched from the area of al-Mazra'a near the town of al-Mayadin in the southern Deir Ezzor countryside. During the test, the drone flew over Deir Ezzor's desert, where it stuck…

____ (2022-07-17). Saudi leaders meet with Biden over bilateral ties. ecns.cn Saudi Arabian leaders on Friday met with visiting U.S. President Joe Biden in the city of Jeddah to discuss bilateral relations, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Staff (2022-07-17). Que la educación no se escape en el transporte urbano. cubadebate.cu La tensa situación económica que atraviesa Cuba, las trabas que limitan el arribo de combustibles al país, el precio del petróleo en el mercado internacional, el deterioro del parque automotor de ómnibus. Sí, todo eso lo conocemos, pero, øpor qué a esa precaria situación hay que agregarle el oportunismo de algunos conductores y la falta de conciencia de otros?.

____ (2022-07-17). Iran defeats Turkmenistan in 2022 CAFA Women's C'ship. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — Iran defeated Turkmenistan 4-0 in the 2022 CAFA Women's Championship on Sunday.

Jessica Dos Santos (2022-07-17). Petro, Lula, and the 2024 Venezuelan Election. commondreams.org I'm absolutely sure I don't want any of the opposition "leaders" anywhere near Miraflores Palace. On the other hand, I feel that institutional Chavismo needs to change its way of doing politics…

TeleSUR, jeq, JGN (2022-07-17). Cinco libros que debes leer del poeta cubano Nicolás Guillén. telesurtv.net En sus trabajos Nicolás Guillén trató el tema del afroamericano en Cuba como ningún otro autor lo había hecho con anterioridad.

Staff (2022-07-17). Roxana Gómez: Semifinalista mundial por tercera vez consecutiva (+ Videos). cubadebate.cu Roxana Gómez llegó erguida a la última curva, la vista al frente, la meta cada vez más cercana. Por delante de ella dos mujeres, igual de veloces y también enfocadas en terminar la carrera entre las tres primeras del heat, condición necesaria para avanzar con seguridad hasta las semifinales de los 400 metros planos.

Staff (2022-07-17). Raidel Martínez: El discípulo aventajado. cubadebate.cu Cuando Raidel Martínez regresó a casa luego de concluir la temporada pasada de la Liga Profesional de Japón, apenas descansó. El diestro nacido hace 25 años en el poblado de Galafre Viejo en Pinar del Río, venía de firmar otra tremenda campaña en la tierra del Sol Naciente, y de consolidarse como uno de los mejores lanzadores cubanos de la actualidad.

Kamal Iranidoost (2022-07-17). Iran basketball defeats Japan in Asian cup. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — The national Iranian basketball team beat the powerful team of Japan in Group C of the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup on Sunday.

TeleSUR, JL (2022-07-17). Gobierno de Venezuela denuncia ataque terrorista contra sistema gasífero en Oriente. telesurtv.net "Elevamos nuestra denuncia al país, y los pueblos del mundo, sobre un nuevo ataque al sistema gasífero del Oriente venezolano", denunció El Aissami.

____ (2022-07-17). Iran, Italy ink MoU on cultural, scientific cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — Iran's Pars Higher Education Institute of Art and Architecture and Sapienza University of Rome signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral cooperation in cultural and scientific fields.

Xiaolu Sun (2022-07-17). Classic version of Don Quixote returns to Cuba. america.cgtn.com The classic Don Quixote returns to the stage in Cuba. CGTN attended rehearsals at the ballet company headquarters where masters, ballerinas, and other dancers were hard at work. Find out more.

Staff (2022-07-17). US seeking to create tension, crisis in West Asia region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed the claims leveled against Tehran during Biden's visit to the region, adding that these false allegations affirm Washington's seditious and tension-inducing policy in West Asia.

Staff (2022-07-17). Front pages of Iran's English dailies on July 17. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — Here are the front pages of Iran's English language dailies on Sunday, July 17.

____ (2022-07-17). Headlines of Iran's Persian dailies on July 17. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — Mehr News agency takes a look at headlines of Iran's Persian-language dailies on Sunday, July 17.

Staff (2022-07-17). La Tira de los Lectores: Flores en mi jardín. cubadebate.cu Vuelve La Tira de los Lectores, esta vez dedicada a las flores. Hace unos días lanzamos esta convocatoria y hoy publicamos tus imágenes en nuestra página y redes sociales.

Staff (2022-07-17). Cuba y Cabo Verde promueven la cooperación bilateral en salud y educación. cubadebate.cu Cuba y Cabo Verde suscribieron hoy en La Habana un comunicado conjunto sobre la cooperación bilateral en materia de educación y salud. La avenencia sienta las bases para el desarrollo de investigaciones conjuntas en los campos de la ciencia de la educación y de la salud pública y formación de personal sanitario.

Kamal Iranidoost (2022-07-17). Speculation about Putin's assassination 'wishful thinking'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — The Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral said Russia is the 'biggest threat' to the UK but dismissed speculation President Putin could be 'toppled'.

Kamal Iranidoost (2022-07-17). Afghanistan's security, stability benefits entire region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) —In the meeting held with the Taliban acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Iranian envoy to Kabul said that security and stability in Afghanistan will benefit the entire region.

Staff (2022-07-17). Condena ALBA-TCP sanciones impuestas por Estados Unidos a Nicaragua. cubadebate.cu La Alternativa Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América- Tratado de Comercio de los Pueblos (ALBA-TCP) condenó las medidas coercitivas unilaterales impuestas por Estados Unidos contra de 23 jueces y fiscales de Nicaragua. El bloque remarcó que esta medida impuesta de manera ilegal e ilegítima busca desestabilizar política y socialmente a ese país.

____ (2022-07-17). Iran calls for urgent release of Iranian citizen from UK jail. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — While criticizing British government's opposition to return an Iranian citizen imprisoned in UK prison, the Deputy Chief of Iranian Judiciary for International Affairs called for his immediate release.

TeleSUR, hvh, JCM (2022-07-17). Fallece en Cuba el comandante José Ramón Balaguer. telesurtv.net Desde 1957 se incorporó a la lucha clandestina bajo las órdenes de Frank País para luego integrar el Segundo Frente.

Staff (2022-07-17). Biden disputes Saudi account of Khashoggi murder discussion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 17 (MNA) — US President Joe Biden on Saturday differed with Saudi Arabia in their account of discussions at a bilateral summit about the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

_____ (2022-07-17). Biden The Warmonger Gets Played By The Saudis. popularresistance.org Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — On the second day of his trip to Saudi Arabia, President Joe Biden met with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates—along with Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq to discuss security issues, but particularly to push for a united front against Iran. Biden has spent much of his trip to the Middle East reinforcing the regional policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, rather than implementing the policies on which he campaigned for president. And he is rightly taking heat for his meetings yesterday with S…