Syria: Monk Abducted from Monastery
A Syrian Catholic monk of the Mar Elian Monastery has been abducted by armed jihadists.
Year: 2015
Iran Sending More Fighters to Yemen According to U.S. Intelligence
Iran has dispatched additional paramilitary forces to Yemen to aid pro-Tehran rebels seeking to take control of the strategic southern Arabian state, the Washington Free Beacon reported citing U.S. intelligence reports.
ISIS-Linked Group Claims Responsibility for Attack on Hamas in Gaza
A jihadist group with Islamic State ties claimed responsibility for a Friday mortar attack at a Hamas base in the Gaza Strip.
NATO and Russia Stage Rival Air Combat Exercises
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the third major Russian military exercise over the past three months in response to six-member states of NATO beginning military exercises this week over the Arctic.
US Won’t Seek High Court Review in Immigration Case
The government will not ask the Supreme Court to review a judge’s decision that put on hold President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Russia Masses Heavy Firepower on Border with Ukraine
Russia’s army is massing troops and hundreds of pieces of weaponry including mobile rocket launchers, tanks and artillery at a makeshift base near the border with Ukraine, a Reuters reporter saw this week.
US-China war inevitable unless Washington drops demands over South China Sea
China’s armed forces are to extend their operations and its air force will become an offensive as well as defensive force for the first time, in a major shift in policy that will strengthen fears of accidental conflict.
Obama’s Islamic State Strategy Sparks Doubt With Pentagon officials
Beneath the glowing battle reports about Iraq from U.S. military spokesmen in recent months, there remains a strong undercurrent of dissatisfaction among the Pentagon rank and file with the Obama administration’s Islamic State strategy.
Israeli Warplanes Strike Gaza Targets After Rocket Attack
The Israeli Air Force attacked four targets in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday morning, following an earlier rocket attack on Israeli territory.
Federal court blocks Obama’s immigration plan
A federal appeals court refused Tuesday to allow President Obama’s program to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation from going into effect.
Two pastors in Sudan face death over Christian faith
Two Christian pastors from South Sudan who traveled north to Sudan and were arrested on charges of spying could face the death penalty when their trial begins next week, according to their attorneys.
Muslims Defy Courts to Forcibly Build Mosque
A Muslim mob in Deder, Ethiopia, has forced a Christian man from his home in order to build a mosque on his land despite court rulings that guaranteed the Christian’s property rights.
Hezbollah seizes hills from al-Qaida in Syrian province bordering Israel
Hezbollah fighters captured two hilltops from al-Qaida’s Syria-wing Nusra Front in areas close to the Lebanese border and have killed dozens of enemy combatants, Hezbollah-run al-Manar television reported Monday.
Iran Declares ‘Successful’ Negotiations with Russia on S-300 System
Moscow and Tehran have concluded negotiations on the delivery of the Russia’s long-range S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Iran, which should take place “within a short period,” said Iranian Deputy Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, on a visit in Moscow on Monday.
US Rejects Nuclear Disarmament Document Over Israel Concerns
The United States on Friday blocked a global document aimed at ridding the world of nuclear weapons, saying Egypt and other states tried to “cynically manipulate” the process by setting a deadline for Israel and its neighbors to meet within months on a Middle East zone free of such weapons.
Ireland Backs Gay Marriage in Landslide Vote
Ireland’s referendum saw 62.1 percent of Irish voters say “yes” to changing the nation’s constitution to define marriage as a union between two people regardless of their sex. With the move, Ireland became the first country in the world to approve gay marriage in a popular national vote. Nineteen other countries, including most U.S. states, have legalized the practice through their legislatures and courts.
FBI used Patriot Act to obtain ‘large collections’ of Americans’ data, DoJ finds
As lawmakers and security agencies braced for a potential loss of the heart of the Patriot Act, a long-delayed Justice Department report showed that the FBI uses the surveillance authorities it provides for “large collections” of Americans’ internet records.
Russia Deployed Nuclear-Capable Gear, NATO Commander Says
Russia has deployed equipment during the conflict in eastern Ukraine that can be used for nuclear weapons, NATO’s top military commander said.
U.S. Forces ‘Closely Monitoring’ Iranian Warships Near Yemen
U.S. military forces are “closely monitoring” an Iranian ship bound for Yemen that is said to contain aid for the warring factions in that country, according to multiple Pentagon officials.
Iran: If Israel attacks, Hezbollah will ‘destroy Tel Aviv’
A senior Iranian military official warned on Thursday that any Israeli attack would unleash a firestorm of missiles on its cities fired by the Islamic Republic’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.