Morning Brief: US Lawmakers Meet China’s Premier, Taliban Reject Trump’s Bagram Push, Western Nations Recognize Palestine State

· Guy D. McCardle

UN officials, staff, delegates, and guests gather in the General Assembly hall for the UN’s 80th commemoration. (@UN/X)

Good morning, it’s Monday, September 22, 2025. The Pentagon faces backlash over new press rules, while US lawmakers push China for military dialogue. The Taliban rejected Trump’s call to retake Bagram Air Base, and the US Navy sank another suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. At the UN, Gaza and Ukraine dominate as the UK, Australia, and Canada recognize a Palestinian state. Cross-border strikes killed civilians in Russia and Ukraine, NATO jets intercepted a Russian spy plane, and Kim Jong Un praised past talks with Trump but refused denuclearization.

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US Lawmakers Meet China’s Premier, Call for Stronger Military Dialogue

A bipartisan US congressional delegation met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Sunday, marking the first House visit since 2019 and only the second congressional trip to China in recent years.

Led by Representative Adam Smith of the House Armed Services Committee, the group emphasized the need for deeper military-to-military communication alongside discussions on trade and economic issues.

Li welcomed the visit as an “icebreaking trip” to improve ties, while Smith stressed the importance of avoiding miscommunication between the two militaries.

The delegation includes both Democrats and Republicans and will remain in China until Thursday.

Relations between Washington and Beijing remain strained over trade disputes, Taiwan, China’s support for Russia, and South China Sea claims.

President Donald Trump announced he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a regional summit in South Korea in October and plans to visit China early next year.

 

Pentagon Imposes New Restrictions on Journalists, Press Groups Warn of Censorship

The Pentagon will now require credentialed journalists to sign a pledge barring them from reporting information not officially approved for release, including unclassified material.

Those who refuse risk losing access under the new 17-page directive, which tightens press restrictions first introduced under the Trump administration.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the policy, saying the press cannot freely roam the Pentagon and must follow rules.

Press freedom advocates, including the National Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and editors at major outlets, condemned the move as censorship and a violation of First Amendment protections.

The directive follows recent leaks that embarrassed the Defense Department, including details of planned military strikes and a reported briefing for Elon Musk.

Critics argue the policy represents a broader government effort to control media coverage of the military.

 

Taliban Rejects Trump’s Push to Retake Bagram Air Base, Cites US Commitments

The Taliban government rejected US President Donald Trump’s call to retake Bagram Air Base, stressing that ceding Afghan soil was “out of the question.”

Trump, during a recent UK visit, claimed the US was in talks with Afghanistan about regaining the base and warned of consequences if the demand was ignored.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed the remarks, urging the US to act with “realism and rationality” and reminding Washington of its Doha Agreement pledge not to threaten Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

Defense Ministry chief of staff Fasihuddin Fitrat echoed the rejection in a televised speech.

The dispute comes as the Taliban faces economic struggles and seeks international recognition while maintaining limited engagement with the US, including a recent prisoner exchange and hostage release.

 

Dominican Republic Seizes Cocaine After US Navy Sinks Speedboat in Caribbean

Dominican authorities said Sunday they recovered 377 packages of cocaine from a speedboat destroyed by the US Navy during an anti-narcotics mission in the southern Caribbean.

The vessel, allegedly carrying about 1,000 kilograms of drugs, was intercepted 80 nautical miles south of Isla Beata with cooperation between the Dominican Navy and US forces. Officials called it the first joint operation between the two countries against narco-terrorism in the region.

The Trump administration has deployed eight warships and a submarine to the Caribbean, claiming the flotilla has destroyed three drug boats so far.

Human rights groups and some US lawmakers have condemned the strikes as extrajudicial killings, while the White House links the operations to drug routes from Venezuela.

President Nicolás Maduro rejects US accusations and denounced the naval buildup as an attack on his country.

 

Israeli Military Says It Killed Hamas Sniper, Brother Rejects Claim

The Israeli military announced Sunday that it had killed Majed Abu Salmiya, describing him as a Hamas sniper preparing an imminent attack in Gaza City.

His brother, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, disputed the claim, saying Majed was 57, visually impaired, and suffering from chronic illnesses. Mohammed called the military’s statement false and an attempt to justify civilian casualties, noting that both his brother and sister-in-law died in the strike.

The deaths occurred amid intensified Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City.

Gaza’s civil defense reported at least six more deaths from strikes Sunday, while nearly 90 people were killed across the territory Saturday, most of them in Gaza City.

 

World Leaders Gather at UN Amid Gaza War, Ukraine Conflict, and Funding Crisis

The United Nations General Assembly opens this week at a time of deep global turmoil, with leaders from about 150 countries set to address wars in Gaza and Ukraine, US policy shifts, climate change, artificial intelligence, and widening inequality.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that international cooperation is under historic strain and urged leaders to move beyond “posturing and promises.”

Gaza is expected to dominate discussions following a UN report accusing Israel of genocide, which Israel rejects, and as the Assembly prepares for a high-level meeting on a two-state solution.

US President Donald Trump, in his first UN appearance of his second term, is expected to speak Tuesday, alongside other leaders including Syria’s interim president and Iran’s president.

The UN also faces a budget crisis, with major US funding cuts forcing a planned 15 percent reduction in 2026.

 

UK, Australia, Canada Recognize Palestinian State, Israel Rejects Move

The United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, citing the need to preserve hopes for a two-state solution amid Israel’s war in Gaza and continued settlement expansion in the West Bank.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the decision was not a reward for Hamas but a step to revive peace prospects, joining over 150 nations that already recognize Palestine.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the move, declaring a Palestinian state “will not happen” and threatening unilateral measures, including possible annexation of West Bank territory.

Hamas praised the recognition as a victory for Palestinian resistance, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it an important step toward a just peace. Portugal later announced its recognition, and France is expected to follow during the United Nations General Assembly.

Analysts said the decision carries symbolic weight, particularly given the UK’s historic role in the Middle East, but warned that without US support, the move is unlikely to change conditions on the ground.

 

German and Swedish Jets Intercept Russian Surveillance Plane Over Baltic Sea

German and Swedish fighter jets intercepted a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying without a flight path or radio contact over the Baltic Sea on Sunday.

Two German Eurofighters and two Swedish Gripen jets tracked the plane in international airspace before handing off monitoring duties and returning to base.

The incident ended without confrontation but followed recent airspace violations, including three Russian fighter jets entering Estonia on Friday and NATO forces downing Russian drones over Poland.

European nations remain on heightened alert as the war in Ukraine continues to raise concerns of spillover into NATO territory.

 

Cross-Border Strikes Kill Civilians in Russia and Ukraine as Tensions Rise in Region

Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s Belgorod region killed two civilians Sunday, while Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Donetsk region left one man dead, officials said.

The attacks followed a large-scale Russian missile and drone barrage Saturday that killed at least three people across Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that over 1,500 drones, 1,280 guided bombs, and 50 missiles had targeted Ukraine in the past week and urged tougher European Union and US sanctions.

Meanwhile, Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat after three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace Friday, an incident Russia denies. US President Donald Trump said Washington would support Poland and Baltic states if Russian aggression continues, as he prepares to meet Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly.

 

Kim Jong Un Praises Trump Memories, Rejects Denuclearization as Precondition for Talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the Supreme People’s Assembly on Sunday that he still holds positive “fond” memories of his meetings with US President Donald Trump and is open to renewed dialogue with Washington if the US drops its demand for denuclearization.

Kim ruled out any talks with South Korea, which he labeled a permanent enemy, and reiterated that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons, calling them essential to regime survival.

Kim’s remarks come as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung heads to the UN General Assembly to press for renewed negotiations, and as Trump prepares to visit South Korea for the upcoming APEC summit, sparking speculation about a potential meeting.

Analysts say Kim’s nuclear buildup, deepening ties with Russia and China, and rejection of unification with the South are part of a strategy to force Washington to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiate from a position of strength.

 

Sources: News Agencies