Eritrean Christians Caught Between Persecutors
Eritrean Christians are being forced to choose between living under a dictatorship that imprisons believers for their faith, or risking their lives by escaping Eritrea by way of Sudan.
Year: 2015
Assad Uses Chem Weapons as Syria Battles Spread
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s army has used chemical weapons at least 29 times in the past year, according to testimony delivered Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Fed holds off on interest rate hike, downgrades economic forecast
Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday kept the central bank’s benchmark short-term interest rate near zero, opting against the first increase since 2006 after determining the economy still isn’t strong enough to handle it.
Hamas rejects unilateral dissolution of Palestinian unity
Hamas said Wednesday it rejected any unilateral dissolution of the Palestinian unity government after senior officials reported that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced the government would resign.
Sirens in Israel as Syrian rebels launch anti-government offensive
Rebels in southern Syria announced a major offensive on Wednesday to capture remaining positions held by the Syrian military in Quneitra province, near to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The shelling set off sirens on the Israeli side of the border, warning of incoming rockets or shells.
U.S. Allies in Syria Cut ISIS Supply Line
A quick and successful offensive by Kurdish fighters and allied rebels in a northern Syrian town has boosted a U.S.-backed effort to choke off Islamic State’s supply routes and offered a template for regaining territory from the extremist group.
Russia to increase nuclear arsenal as U.S. plans more firepower in Europe
Russia announced Tuesday that it will expand its nuclear arsenal, sparking concerns about a renewed arms race as old Cold War rivals Moscow and Washington plan to increase their military capacity amid rising tensions over Ukraine.
North Korea says hit by worst drought in 100 years
North Korea has been hit by what it describes as its worst drought in a century, which could worsen chronic food shortages in a country where the United Nations says almost a third of children under five are stunted because of poor nutrition.
Pope Calls for a ‘New Global Political Authority’
Pope Francis will this week call for changes in lifestyles and energy consumption to avert the “unprecedented destruction of the ecosystem” before the end of this century, according to a leaked draft of a papal encyclical. In a document released by an Italian magazine on Monday, the pontiff will warn that failure to act would have “grave consequences for all of us”.
Government debt threatens to send U.S. economy into death spiral, CBO warns
Rising federal debt threatens to choke economic growth within a decade, beginning a death spiral that will sap revenue from government programs even as demands grow, forcing the government to borrow even more, Congress’ budget watchdog said in a frightening report Tuesday.
Boehner, House Republicans Working to Resurrect Trade Bill
House Republicans are working to revive the trade bill squashed last week by Democrats led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Christians: Is ISIS Influencing Muslims in Territories, Israel?
Muslims in both the Territories and Israel are becoming much more aggressive towards Palestinian Christians.
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.
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.