Fed Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged Amid Concern for Below-Target Inflation
The Federal Reserve’s interest rate-setting body decided Wednesday to keep the benchmark Federal Funds target rate unchanged within the 1.5 to 1.75 percent range.
PLO
Pompeo on Mideast Peace Plan Opponents: ‘The Same Critics Who Have Failed for 70 Years’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday dismissed opponents of President Trump’s Mideast peace proposals as ‘the same critics who have failed for 70 years’ to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
All Palestinian groups set to meet Tuesday in rare move following Trump peace plan release
Palestinian leadership circled the wagons Tuesday against Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s long-awaited ‘Deal of the Century’ unveil, having previously called for a ‘day of rage’ and an ‘escalation of resistance’ against Israel for the plan.
IDF jets strike Gaza targets in response to launch of incendiary devices
Israeli jets struck a number of targets in the southern Gaza Strip late Saturday night in response to incendiary devices being launched over the border, the Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.
20,000 US Troops Have Surged Into Mideast Since Last Spring To ‘Counter Iran’
The top U.S. commander who oversees missions in the Middle East said that newly deployed troops might remain in the region for ‘quite a while.’
Putin, Pence arrive as world leaders gather for major Holocaust commemoration
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Israel on Thursday for a major Holocaust commemoration as speculation swirled that his trip could include an announcement on the fate of jailed Israeli-American Naama Issachar.
US ‘likely’ to deploy anti-missile system to protect American troops in Iraq
The Pentagon is likely deploying a missile-defense system to Iraq in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on an Iraqi base housing American troops earlier this month, U.S. defense officials tell Fox News.
PA tells Palestinians: The Western Wall belongs only to Muslims
The Western Wall belongs only to Muslims and must be defended even to the death, Palestinians living in the West Bank were told during a filler piece between programs on official Palestinian Authority TV and in a news article in the official PA newspaper.
Hamas official threatens more explosive balloons into Israel
Incendiary balloons Palestinians launched from the Gaza Strip recently were a signal to Israel to accelerate unofficial ‘understandings’ meant to ease the crippling blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory, a senior official from the Islamic militant group said Tuesday.
US and Britain to ‘reduce troops’ in Iraq under plan to defuse regional tensions
The Western troop presence in Iraq is to be scaled down under a plan to defuse regional tensions over America’s killing of Iranian general Qassim Soleimani.
Israel foiled 560 ‘significant’ terror attacks in 2019, says head of intel agency
Israel’s internal security agency says it has thwarted over 560 ‘significant’ terror plots, including suicide attacks, in the past year.
Riots in Lebanon’s Capital Leave More Than 150 Injured
Police fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets in Lebanon’s capital Saturday to disperse thousands of protesters amid some of the worst rioting since demonstrations against the country’s ruling elite erupted three months ago. More than 150 people were injured.
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.’
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.
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.
Michigan could add third gender option to driver’s licenses by 2021
The state of Michigan is considering adding a third gender option for residents applying for driver’s licenses.
U.S., China set to sign massive purchases deal, easing trade war
The U.S.-China trade war is set to enter a new, quieter phase on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sign an initial trade deal that aims to vastly increase Chinese purchases of U.S. manufactured products, agricultural goods, energy, and services.
Protests in Iran ignite following Ukrainian jet gaffe
Protests in Iran continued for a third day on Monday after the regime admitted over the weekend to accidentally downing a Ukrainian passenger jet carrying 176 people, killing everyone on board.
Mark Esper: Iran ‘probably and could have been’ targeting 4 U.S. embassies
Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran ‘probably and could have been’ planning to target the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and three other diplomatic facilities abroad in the days leading to the American strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
House Passes Three Bills To Advance 5G and Cyber Security in US
A package of bills designed to give the United States an advantage over China in the race to employ 5G, the fastest wireless networks available, were passed by the House on Wednesday.