US trade deficit narrows to $49.4 billion in February
The U.S. trade deficit fell for the second straight month in February, and the politically sensitive deficit in the trade of goods with China narrowed.
China
Trade agreement ahead? Treasury’s Mnuchin says China talks near ‘final round’
The nearly yearlong trade war between the U.S. and China that raised the prices on billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods may be nearing an end.
Israel’s Beresheet set to make history, land on moon today
Seven weeks after Israeli spacecraft Beresheet (Hebrew for Genesis) soared into the night sky at Cape Canaveral, Florida, commencing an epic 6.5 million km. journey, it is poised to make history on Thursday evening when it reaches the Moon.
Pro-Lifers Argue ‘the Tide Is Turning in America’ as Pain-Capable Abortion Ban Revived in Congress
Pro-life lawmakers are bringing back the fight to ban abortions after five months of pregnancy, saying that’s the point at which scientific evidence shows babies being aborted feel pain.
‘I Can Only Imagine’ Director Explains How His Movie Is Spreading the Gospel to China
The biggest faith-based movie of last year was, without a doubt, the film adaptation of MercyMe’s classic track, ‘I Can Only Imagine.’ The drama, which was based on the life story of Bart Millard, the artist who penned the hit Christian song, took in over $85 million at the box office despite a budget of just $7 million. All in all, it was a roaring success.
20 Christians Rounded Up in Shanghai As Chinese Government Seeks to Extinguish Belief
Twenty Christians, including one Taiwanese-American dual-citizen, were taken into custody in Shanghai yesterday as China continues its crusade against belief.
Despite Further Talks, No US-China Deal Yet
The U.S. president and the vice premier of China confirmed on Thursday that while significant progress has been made, there is no new trade agreement yet between the world’s two largest economies.
Church Members Vow legal, Constitutional Fight Following Fourth Chinese House Church Closure Since September
Members of Beijing’s Shouwang Church, which recently became the fourth Chinese house church to be closed since September, are ‘considering hiring lawyers’ after the government proceeded to shut down their alternative worship location last week, according to a source at China Aid.
U.S. disaster aid won’t cover crops drowned by Midwest floods
The Black Hawk military helicopter flew over Iowa, giving a senior U.S. agriculture official and U.S. senator an eyeful of the flood damage below, where yellow corn from ruptured metal silos spilled out into the muddy water.
U.S., China resume trade talks in Beijing after ‘productive working dinner’
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday he had a ‘productive working dinner’ the previous night in Beijing, kicking off a day of talks aimed at resolving the bitter trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.
China Building Long-Range Cruise Missile Launched From Ship Container
China is building a long-range cruise missile fired from a shipping container that could turn Beijing’s large fleet of freighters into potential warship and commercial ports into future missile bases.
Trump turns to trade fights with Congress, China and Europe now that the Mueller probe is mostly out of the way
President Donald Trump will throw himself fully into his battle to overhaul U.S. trade deals this week with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation — mostly — behind him.
Russian military planes carrying troops and Moscow defense official land in Venezuela
Two Russian air force planes arrived in Venezuela over the weekend, carrying about 100 troops and nearly 40 tons of cargo.
Trump hints at possible compromise in Chinese tariffs
President Trump hinted Friday at a possible compromise in the upcoming trade talks with China: leaving in place tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods but negotiating on the remaining $200 billion worth of goods currently subject to tariffs.
China Tells Christianity To Be More Chinese
The headlines out of China last week sounded ominous. In strident language not heard in a long time, the head of China’s Protestant church gave a speech supporting the government’s policy of reducing Western influence on religion and making it ‘more Chinese,’ a process dubbed sinicization in English.
U.S. farmers face devastation following Midwest floods
Midwestern farmers have been gambling they could ride out the U.S.-China trade war by storing their corn and soybeans anywhere they could – in bins, plastic tubes, in barns or even outside.
China trade talks to resume next week in Beijing
Top U.S. officials will travel to China next week in a bid to finalize a new trade deal, administration officials said Tuesday.
Pentagon Wants to Test A Space-Based Weapon in 2023
Defense officials want to test a neutral particle-beam in orbit in fiscal 2023 as part of a ramped-up effort to explore various types of space-based weaponry. They’ve asked for $304 million in the 2020 budget to develop such beams, more powerful lasers, and other new tech for next-generation missile defense. Such weapons are needed, they say, to counter new missiles from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. But just figuring out what might work is a difficult technical challenge.
Chinese Government Continues Crusade Against Christian Symbolism as Part of ‘Sinicization’
A cross was recently removed from Zhongxin Church in Henan, Province, China, and replaced with a Chinese flag, as the Chinese government continues its campaign to reinvent Christianity.
Qu’ran Desecration Hoax Forces 200 Christian Families to Flee Mob Violence in Pakistan
Two hundred Christian families were recently driven out of their homes in Karachi, Pakistan, after a Muslim couple instigated a mob against four women whom they claimed had desecrated a Koran.