EU warns Turkey against ‘illegal’ Mediterranean gas exploration plans
The European Union has urged Turkey to drop plans to drill for oil and gas around Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean, saying such exploration was ‘illegal.’
Month: January 2020
14 states, NYC, DC sue Trump admin over work requirement rule that would cut 700,000 from food stamps
Calling it ‘arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion’ and contrary to law, 14 states, New York City and Washington, D.C., asked a federal court in a lawsuit Thursday to vacate a final rule that if implemented will cut off nearly 700,000 people from food stamp benefits due to the imposition of stricter requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents.
Italian far-right leader Salvini says he’d move embassy to Jerusalem if elected
Italian prime ministerial frontrunner Matteo Salvini has told an Israeli newspaper he would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital if he were elected.
Palestinian Authority daily calls for bloodshed during Holocaust memorial event
While dignitaries all over the world are set to descend upon Jerusalem this week, the Palestinian Authority’s official daily newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, is having none of it.
IDF begins work on underground defense system for northern border
The military on Sunday said it began construction of an underground defense system Sunday along its northern frontier with Lebanon to protect against cross-border tunnels.
Trump to decide on ‘Deal of the Century’ release date in coming days
US President Donald Trump is expected to decide in the coming days whether to present the White House’s Middle East peace plan before the Israeli election, Channel 13’s political correspondent Barak Ravid reported in the American news website Axios on Sunday.
Christian activist taken by regime during protests in Iran
Authorities in Iran arrested a Christian woman who converted from Islam during protests last week against the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet, though it is still not known whether she had any involvement with the demonstrations.
Open Doors: China ‘nearly single-handedly responsible’ for all church closures in 2019
Attacks on churches exploded in China in 2019, according to a new Open Doors USA report, increasing from 171 in 2018 to 5,576 in 2019, as the Chinese government attempts to ‘Sinicize’ faith.
Christian persecution skyrockets in 2019 according to new Open Doors report
Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA released its 2020 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, reporting a staggering increase of persecution around the world.
US threatens tariffs on Europeans unless Iran nuke deal scrapped
Iran accused European governments Thursday of sacrificing a troubled 2015 nuclear deal to avoid trade reprisals from US President Donald Trump, who has spent nearly two years trying to scupper the agreement.
Planned Parenthood launches $45M campaign for 2020 Democrats
Planned Parenthood is launching a new $45 million campaign to support Democrats in the 2020 elections, the organization’s most expensive campaign push in its history.
Almost 40% of the world’s countries will witness civil unrest in 2020, research claims
Almost a quarter of the world’s countries witnessed a surge in protest and unrest last year and that figure is set to rise further in 2020, according to a new study.
Putin fast-tracks effort to extend his rule in Russia
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday fast-tracked work on constitutional changes that could keep him in power well past the end of his term in 2024 while lawmakers quickly sealed his choice for new prime minister.
Senate approves Trump’s rewrite of North American trade deal
The Senate approved President Trump’s rewrite of the North American trade deal Thursday, handing him a second trade victory in as many days while he fights to remain in office.
Iran’s Rouhani says ‘no limit’ to uranium enrichment, producing more than before Obama-era deal
A defiant Iranian President Hassan Rouhani boasted Thursday that there is ‘no limit’ to his country’s level of uranium enrichment — just days after European powers raised concerns about the Islamic Republic backing away from a 2015 nuclear deal.
‘Assault on the Second Amendment’: Virginia Senate passes three gun control bills
Virginia Democrats took an important step toward passing several gun control bills they have prioritized during this year’s General Assembly session.
Trump removes faith-based groups from legal purgatory
The White House did it again on Thursday by proposing two administrative rule changes to stop government from discriminating against faith-based people and institutions. Both proposals are necessary and well reasoned.
Media label Tennessee religious liberty bill as ‘anti-gay’
For most major news organizations, accuracy often takes a back seat to ideology, which is why groups such as the Associated Press are mischaracterizing Tennessee’s new religious liberty bill as ‘anti-gay.’
Trump issues new rule ensuring prayer in schools is protected
President Trump issued updated rules on Thursday to ensure that public school students are allowed to engage in constitutionally protected prayer, calling his action ‘the Right to Pray.’
IDF strikes Hamas in Gaza in response to explosive balloons from Strip
Israeli aircraft attacked targets in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday for the second day in a row, as tensions rose on the volatile border.