News of the World

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Russian missiles cross into NATO member Poland, kill 2: senior US intelligence official
Biden has promised to defend 'every inch' of NATO territory

Russian missiles flew over NATO territory and killed two people in Poland on Tuesday, a senior U.S. intelligence official told the Associated Press.
The Polish government has not immediately confirmed the report, but one spokesman, Piotr Muller, told the publication that top leaders were holding an emergency meeting over the "crisis situation."
Two people were reportedly killed after a projectile struck an area where grain was drying in the village of Przewodów, near the Ukrainian border.
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The Pentagon told reporters that it was taking the reports "seriously and looking into them" as well.
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"We've been crystal clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory," he said in reference to Article 5 of the NATO treaty wherein an attack against one NATO country is considered an attack against all members of the alliance.

Russia's Ministry of Defense denied the incident, calling the reports a "deliberate provocation in order to escalate the situation."

Poland Confirms ‘Russian-Made Missile Dropped’ on Village, Killing 2

Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed early Wednesday morning local time that a “Russian-made missile dropped” onto a village inside its territory near the Ukrainian border, killing two Polish citizens.

“At 3:40 pm, a Russia-made missile dropped on the village of Przewodów, district Hrubieszów, Lubelskie province, and resulted in death of two citizens of the Republic of Poland,” Polish MFA spokesperson Łukasz Jasina said in a statement.

“Therefore, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Zbigniew Rau summoned the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Polish MFA and demanded immediate and detailed explanation.”
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“Russian firepower has launched no strikes at the area between Ukrainian-Polish border. The wreckage published by Polish mass media from the scene in Przewodow have no relation to Russian firepower.”

Reports on Tuesday claimed two missiles hit near the Polish town of Przewodow. Polish news outlets showed a destroyed farm vehicle and an image of a crater.

House Republicans Nominate McCarthy for Speaker

House Republicans on Nov. 15 nominated House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker of the House.

The vote happened during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington as Republicans near gaining control of the House of Representatives, securing 217 of the 218 seats they need with more than a dozen races still uncalled.

During the closed-door vote, 188 Republicans voted to nominate McCarthy as speaker while 31 were opposed, The Epoch Times confirmed.

Moving into the vote, only a few positions were contested—most notably, the position of speaker of the House.
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This means that to fulfill his longtime goal of gaining the speaker’s gavel, McCarthy will need to convince all but a handful of Republicans to give him their backing.

If the Nov. 15 vote is any indication, McCarthy is still far short of the 218 votes he’ll need.

Some Republicans have attributed their opposition to McCarthy to the lackluster results he delivered for the party in the midterms.

Democrats Keep Control of Senate After Emerging Victorious in Key Races

Democrats will have at least 50 seats in the 100-seat chamber. Vice President Kamala Harris is president of the upper chamber, giving her the ability to cast the tiebreaking vote. The Georgia Senate runoff has been scheduled for December.
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In Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) held off venture capitalist Blake Masters, according to the projections. In Nevada, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) beat former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt. And in Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman prevailed over Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Republicans did win several closely watched races. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) beat Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. Author J.D. Vance trumped Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). And Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) bested former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley.

Fauci Responds to Republican Probe Threat After GOP Poised to Retake House

White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci said that he has “no problem at all” testifying before the House after it was projected that Republicans would win the majority in the lower chamber.

“I’d be more than happy to discuss anything that we’ve done over the last several years with this outbreak, since I have nothing to hide and I can defend everything we’ve done,” Fauci said at a STAT Summit in Boston.

While it is unclear what party will control the House of Representatives, Republicans need only one seat called in the party’s favor to get 218 seats. Several prominent lawmakers, including Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), have said they plan on investigating Fauci and whether his agency funded controversial research of viruses in China.

Several months before the midterms, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform committee, said in a statement that Fauci would be investigated regardless of whether he retires or not. It came as Fauci had made an announcement that he is stepping down from his federal government positions.

US Must Increase Taiwan Military Spending to Counter China

A top congressional advisory body recommends that the United States establish multiyear funding and other mechanisms to bolster Taiwan’s defenses against unprecedented aggression from communist China.

The recommendation proposes establishing a joint planning mechanism and encouraging increases in Taiwan’s defense spending to ensure that the island is arming itself to the best of its ability.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) released its annual report on Nov. 15, which said the measures would be necessary to deter an invasion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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Wong said that the CCP seeks to isolate the island from the rest of the world through diplomatic, economic, and military coercion. The regime’s goal is to compel Taiwan into accepting communist rule by any means necessary. To that end, he said, the United States and Taiwan would need to increase their cooperation to ensure their victory in the event of a conflict with China.

“We recommend the creation of an economic and security preparedness and resilience office to ensure that we ourselves are prepared to withstand and win long-term competition and conflict,” Wong said.
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Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe vowed this year to “start a war no matter the cost” to prevent the international recognition of Taiwan’s independence.

Likewise, CCP leader Xi Jinping said to President Joe Biden this month, “Cross-Strait peace and stability and ‘Taiwan independence’ are as irreconcilable as water and fire.”

Istanbul Bombing Aftermath Highlights US–Turkey Tensions

In a sign of strained ties between Turkey and the United States, Turkish officials declined to accept Washington’s condolences after a deadly bombing in the heart of Istanbul that left six people dead on Nov. 13.

According to Turkish authorities, who swiftly detained the alleged bomber, the attack was planned and carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Syrian offshoot, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey, along with the United States and the European Union, considers the PKK a terrorist group.

Yet despite the PKK’s close affiliation with the YPG, the latter enjoys the support of Washington, which continues to use it as a bulwark against the ISIS terrorist group in Syria.

“The United States funds, trains, arms, and provides intelligence to the YPG,” Abdullah Agar, a Turkish security expert and political commentator, told The Epoch Times.

“U.S. support allows the terrorist group to carry out these kinds of attacks,” he said. “This is the main reason for the ongoing tension between the United States and Turkey.”

The PKK, for its part, has denied any involvement in the Istanbul bombing.
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On the morning of Nov. 13, Istanbul’s centrally located Istiklal Avenue was rocked by a powerful explosion that left six people dead and another 81 injured.
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Located in Istanbul’s upscale Beyoglu district, the popular thoroughfare was teeming with tourists and shoppers at the time of the blast.
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Agar, who lectures on security issues at Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University, also noted that Istiklal Avenue is home to several foreign diplomatic missions.