Syria: IS gives Christians Ultimatum
Islamic State jihadists have given Christians living in Qaryatain, Syria, just 48 hours to decide whether they will convert to Islam, pay the jizya tax, or be forced to leave town.
Year: 2015
Abbas set to annul Oslo accords, declare Palestine a state under occupation
The fog created by the ostensibly impending resignation of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to clear Monday, as details emerged indicating that the resignation threats were a diversion ahead of a dramatic move planned by the Palestinians: declaring Palestine a state under occupation and reneging on their obligations as detailed in the Oslo Accords.
Reid to prevent vote on Iran nuclear deal
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will try to prevent the Senate from voting on President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
Father of the euro fears EU superstate by the back door
The euro’s founding father has warned that Europe’s latest plan for an EMU-wide finance ministry is a dangerous attempt to smuggle through political union, and breaches the basic tenets of modern democracy.
Why Can’t the Kentucky Clerk Get Bail?
Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis has been jailed without bail since Thursday for refusing to allow her office to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
UN chief seeks to breathe fresh life into peace talks
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host a ministerial meeting of key global players trying to end the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Sept. 30 during the annual high-level session of the General Assembly, the United Nations announced Friday.
Iran announces Air Force war games, with focus on combat
Iran will launch war games Saturday involving a range of aircraft, in which the primary functions are air combat and destroying targets in the air and on the ground, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Friday.
Tehran brags at superpowers’ ‘surrender’ in nuclear deal
Iran’s defense minister hailed the nuclear accord struck with world powers as a ‘surrender’ by ‘the superpowers’ to ‘the majesty’ of Iran, a watchdog group said. The website of Iran’s leader, meanwhile, published a poster hailing Iran as the region’s ‘foremost military power.’
Israel to build smart fence on Jordan border
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon are set to announce Sunday the start of a multi-billion-shekel effort to construct a sensor-laden fence on the southern border with Jordan, the news site Ynet reported.
Russia ‘is building military base in Syria’
Russia is building a military base in Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s heartland, according to American intelligence officials, in the clearest indication yet of deepening Russian support for the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Iranian General: Military Buildup Won’t Stop Until ‘Full Annihilation and Destruction’ of Israel
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Commander (IRGC) stated Wednesday that Iran will not stop building up its military until Israel is annihilated.
Judge Orders Defiant Kentucky Clerk to Jail for Standing by Her Christian Beliefs
A Kentucky county clerk was jailed on Thursday for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, and a full day of court hearings failed to put an end to her two-month-old legal fight over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding same-sex marriage.
Palestinian prevents lynching of 5 lost American yeshiva students in Hebron
A Palestinian man saved five American yeshiva students from Brooklyn from being lynched in Hebron after they took a wrong turn Thursday on their way to the Cave of the Patriarchs.
U.S. Shadowing Russian Ship in Atlantic Near Nuclear Submarine Areas
U.S. intelligence ships, aircraft, and satellites are closely watching a Russian military vessel in the Atlantic that has been sailing near a U.S. nuclear missile submarine base and underwater transit routes, according to Pentagon officials.
Iran thumbs nose at US even as Obama rallies support for nuke deal
Even as President Obama was securing the Senate support necessary to assure passage of the nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran’s top defense officials were scoffing at U.S. claims the pact will restrict the Islamic Republic’s military ambitions.
Kenya: Attacks Against Churches Thwarted
About 120 miles from its border with Somalia, Kenyan police uncovered a stash of weapons after arresting 14 suspected members of al Shabaab last week.
Nigeria: Pastor decries killings by Boko Haram
A bishop of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria said that Boko Haram has killed thousands of his denomination’s members, destroyed most of his churches and left many of his pastors without a congregation, according to the Christian Post.
Kerry to outline US assurances to Israel, Gulf to lawmakers
Secretary of State John Kerry will send a letter to all members of Congress on Wednesday outlining US security commitments to Israel and the Gulf Arab states in light of the Iran nuclear deal.
Russia stalls on assigning blame for Syria chemical attacks
Russia is holding up Security Council approval to establish a new international body to assign blame for chemical attacks in Syria’s deadly conflict for the first time.
Obama secures votes to preserve Iran nuclear deal despite majority opposition
President Obama’s intense lobbying on Wednesday secured support from a 34th Senate Democrat, ensuring his Iranian nuclear deal will survive a veto battle with Congress and setting into motion the extraordinary imposition of a foreign agreement over the objections of large numbers of voters and big majorities in both the House and Senate.