Obama Fights for Asia Trade Deal As Legacy Hangs in the Balance
The next 48 hours could determine whether Barack Obama’s presidency effectively has ended.
Month: June 2015
House wants answers on Obama’s ISIS strategy
House lawmakers, concerned that President Obama’s tweaks to his strategy against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria won’t reverse the extremist group’s recent gains, are putting pressure on the administration to do more.
Gay Pride Parade draws 180,000 to Tel Aviv
Some 180,000 people marched through Tel Aviv’s streets Friday in the city’s 17th annual Gay Pride Parade, the nation’s largest and oldest gay pride event.
Putin, Erdogan meet, discuss gas pipeline
The presidents of Russia and Turkey have met and discussed a proposal for a pipeline that would carry natural gas from Russia to Turkey.
US Ready To Move Heavy Weapons into E. Europe
The Pentagon is “poised” to station heavy weapons for up to 5,000 American troops in several Eastern European and Baltic countries to deter Russian aggression.
U.S. ambassador to U.N. visits Ukraine, slams Russian ‘aggression’
A senior U.S. diplomat, on a visit Thursday to Ukraine, has slammed what she called Russian “aggression” in the country.
US altered 40-year policy on ’67 lines without consulting Israel
President Barack Obama endorsed the Palestinian position on the 1967 lines in 2011 and by so doing altered more than 40 years of American policy without prior consultation with Israel, former ambassador to the US Michael Oren writes in a book to be published later this month.
Kenya: Shabaab Jihadists Close Schools
Almost 100 schools in northern Kenya have been closed as teachers — many of them Christians — are too afraid to teach as long as al-Shabaab’s jihadists continue to attack educational institutions with impunity.
India: Christian Families become ‘outcasts’
Hindu nationalists in India are warning that anyone who even mentions the name of Christ will be banished, boycotted and have all their land confiscated.
Iran: Appeals Court upholds Fathi’s Sentence
Last month an Appeals Court in Iran increased the prison sentence handed down to Pastor Farshid Fathi.
Chinese Officials Propose Rules on Church Crosses
Chinese provincial officials in Zhejiang have proposed a ban on the placement of all new crosses atop all Christian buildings.
Obama’s Trade Deal Barely Passes in Razor-Thin House Vote
The House on Thursday just barely advance legislation that would provide President Obama with “fast track” trade negotiating powers, overcoming the opposition of almost every Democrat and a significant block of conservative Republicans.
UN, Iran head for clash over nuclear inspections
The chief UN nuclear inspector said Monday that Iran has already committed to letting his experts see Iranian military sites and Iranian atomic scientists despite an alleged ban by Tehran, deepening a confrontation over how much openness Iran must accept under any nuclear deal.
Obama Prepares Plans for More Troops, New Base in Iraq to Fight ISIS
The United States is expected to announce on Wednesday plans for a new military base in Iraq’s Anbar province and the deployment of around 400 additional trainers to help Iraqi forces in the fight against Islamic State.
Israel Linked to Virus to Spy During Iran Nuclear Talks
When a cybersecurity firm discovered it had been hacked last year by a virus widely believed to be used by Israeli spies, it wanted to know who else was on the hit list.
After Six Years, Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations reaches “End Game”
President Obama’s GOP salesmen are telling fellow House members that fast-track trade promotion authority (TPA) will “constrain the president” to do what Congress wants when he negotiates the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sounds reassuring, but there’s one problem: It’s just not true.
GOP aiming for Friday Trade Vote
House leaders, confident but not yet certain they have the support to pass sweeping trade legislation, are aiming to bring the package to a floor vote by the end of this week – even as they rush to resolve a last-minute hangup over how to pay for aid to displaced workers.
Northern Command Chief: We must prepare for war in the north
GOC Northern Command, Aviv Kochavi stated on Tuesday, during a ceremony for those killed in the Second Lebanon War, that the calm in the north and the Golan could change in an instant and that Israel must prepare for war on both fronts.
U.S. tech industry appeals to Obama to keep hands off encryption
As Washington weighs new cybersecurity steps amid a public backlash over mass surveillance, U.S. tech companies warned President Barack Obama not to weaken increasingly sophisticated encryption systems designed to protect consumers’ privacy.
Heads of CIA and US military visit Israel ahead of Iran deadline
CIA Director John Brennan paid a visit to Israel last week, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top security officials to discuss the emerging agreement with Iran over its nuclear program and ways to ensure that it adheres to its terms.