Missionaries Face Two Months Hostage Crisis
A U.S. mission group has thanked for prayers as it remembers that precisely two months ago, 17 American and Canadian missionaries were kidnapped in Haiti.
PLO
US Navy fires laser weapon in Mideast amid drone boat threat
The Navy announced Wednesday it tested a laser weapon and destroyed a floating target in the Mideast, a system that could be used to counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
India State Tables Anti-Conversion Law Amid Anti-Christian Violence
Christians were concerned Wednesday as the Hindu-led government of India’s southwestern state of Karnataka was to table a harsh anti-conversion law amid attacks against churches.
US Supreme Court Forces Christian Doctors To Take COVID Vaccines
Christian doctors and others refusing COVID-19 jabs are weighing their options after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt New York’s vaccination obligation for health care workers.
NASA craft ‘touches’ sun for 1st time, dives into atmosphere
A NASA spacecraft has officially “touched” the sun, plunging through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona.
Putin makes repeated calls for ‘immediate’ NATO talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday stepped up private and public calls on Western leaders to end the eastward expansion of NATO. In phone conversations with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and then later with French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin called for “immediate” negotiations with NATO and the US.
Russian Christian School Attack Injures Eight
As many as eight people were injured after a Russian teenager tried to blow himself up in an apparent suicide attack outside a Christian school and a monastery, officials said Monday.
Thousands Hiding For La Palma’s Volcano Gas
Tens of thousands of people on Spain’s troubled island of La Palma faced uncertainty Tuesday after authorities watched toxic gases from an ongoing volcano eruption.
Four states enlist National Guard to help battle health care staffing crisis
Four states – Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire and New York – are deploying the National Guard to battle the COVID-19 healthcare staffing shortage.
Iran warns of ‘heavy price’ over reported US-Israeli military drill plans
A top Iranian military official warned on Saturday of a “heavy price for aggressors,” state media said, after a report of US and Israeli plans for possible military drills to prepare for strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites if diplomacy fails.
Iran Preparing For Rocket Launch As Nuclear Talks Falter
There were signs Monday that Iran prepared for a space launch amid tense talks over its tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
G7 Warn Russia To Stay Out Of Ukraine
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Sunday that “the world’s largest economies are united” in warning Russia that an invasion of Ukraine would have “massive” — though largely undisclosed — consequences. She commented at the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool, England.
Britain Court Approves Extradition Julian Assange To U.S.
A British appellate court has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he is wanted in espionage charges.
Russia Warns Of ‘Genocide’ In Ukraine As Invasion Fears Grow
U.S. President Joe Biden tried to calm down his Ukrainian counterpart in a long phone call amid increasing fears Friday of an imminent Russian invasion.
Pentagon says U.S., Israel to talk Iran but declines comment on strike plans
The Pentagon said on Thursday that officials will discuss shared concerns about Iran with visiting Defense Minister Benny Gantz later on Thursday, but it declined to comment on a Reuters report about discussions on possible Iran-focused military drills.
Hezbollah Planned To Kill Israeli, US Diplomats In Colombia
New details have emerged about an alleged Iran-backed plot by Islamic militant group Hezbollah to kill Israeli and American citizens, including diplomats, in Colombia.
US Senate Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to block President Joe Biden’s COVID vaccine and testing mandate for large employers in a warning to the White House ahead of turbulent mid-term elections next year.
Biden’s COVID measures lose favor with voters as courts reject vaccine mandates time and again
President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates have been rejected time and again in the federal court system, leaving little chance for their survival. At the same time, Americans are steadily losing confidence in Biden’s handling of the pandemic as well as his presidency overall.
Pentagon warns China is preparing for military campaign to take over Taiwan
China’s military is actively preparing for a potential attack against Taiwan and the Pentagon is working closely with the island’s military to deter a direct assault and develop asymmetric weapons to fight off Beijing, senior Biden administration officials told Congress on Wednesday.
Mossad chief, Gantz in DC to urge tougher stance on Iran
Mossad head David Barnea and Defense Minister Benny Gantz took rearguard action in Washington to try to change the West’s approach to negotiations with Iran, as they were set to resume in Vienna on Thursday.