Times Of Harvard

The Biden administration on Wednesday took aim at Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries for repressing religious freedom as it forges ahead with its aim of restoring human rights as a primary focus of American foreign policy. The condemnation was similar to that lodged by the Trump administration, which had been criticized for prioritizing religious freedom over other rights, and reflected continuity in the U.S. position that China’s crackdown on Muslims and other religious minorities in western Xinjiang constitutes “genocide.” Yet, a senior official said religious freedom is just one element in the administration's broader human rights strategy. Much as his predecessor did, Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the release of the State Department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report to lambaste China for severe restrictions on its citizens’ ability to worship freely. He also announced a travel ban on a former senior Chinese official the U.S. accuses of persecuti...

The United Arab Emirates has signed a deal with the United States to purchase 50 F-35 fighter jets and up to 18 MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to Reuters. The deal was signed about an hour before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, who said he will re-examine the agreements. While the final delivery date for the F-35s could not yet be confirmed, people familiar with the deal told Reuters that an initial proposal earmarked delivery for 2027. The deal goes back to November last year when the Trump administration told Congress of its intention to sell more than $23 billion of advanced weaponry to the UAE. “This is in recognition of our deepening relationship and the UAE’s need for advanced defense capabilities to deter and defend itself against heightened threats from Iran,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the time. In December, lawmakers repeatedly tried to block the controversial deal, but the US Senate successfully opposed resolutions seeking to prohibit the sale. Amnesty In...