Catalonia referendum: 90% of voters back independence, Catalan officials say
Preliminary results show that 90% of those who voted in Catalonia’s independence referendum backed leaving Spain, Catalan officials say.
War
Israel Is Going to War in Syria to Fight Iran
Israeli officials believe that Iran is winning its bid for dominance in the Middle East, and they are mobilizing to counter the regional realignment that threatens to follow. The focus of Israel’s military and diplomatic campaign is Syria. Israeli jets have struck Hezbollah and Syrian regime facilities and convoys dozens of times during Syria’s civil war, with the goal of preventing the transfer of weapons systems from Iran to Hezbollah. In an apparent broadening of the scope of this air campaign, on Sept. 7 Israeli jets struck a Syrian weapons facility near Masyaf responsible for the production of chemical weapons and the storing of surface-to-surface missiles.
Bali volcano has ‘quite big’ chance of eruption; 120,000 flee
Indonesian officials said more than 120,000 people have evacuated Bali as authorities warned a volcano could erupt in a matter of hours.
Trump border wall construction begins
Homeland Security said it began construction Tuesday on the prototypes for President Trump’s new border wall.
Moore’s runoff victory in Alabama inspires anti-establishment Republicans
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was left licking his wounds following one of the roughest days of his lengthy political career Tuesday, having failed on a third Obamacare repeal push and then watching his chosen candidate lose a GOP primary runoff in Alabama.
Turkey’s Erdogan threatens ties with Israel over support for Kurds
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said Israel should ‘review’ its support for Iraqi Kurdish independence, warning the Jewish state’s support for the bid could negatively affect diplomatic ties between Ankara and Jerusalem.
Trump: military option for North Korea not preferred, but would be ‘devastating’
President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday that any U.S. military option would be ‘devastating’ for Pyongyang, but said the use of force was not Washington’s first option to deal with the country’s ballistic and nuclear weapons program.
Senate GOP shelves Obamacare repeal
Senate leaders on Tuesday canceled plans to vote on an Obamacare repeal this week, marking a third straight failure for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and fellow Republicans who have been unable to fulfill their campaign promise.
Iran points at US and warns of new nuclear arms race
Iran’s deputy foreign minister pointed at the United States in warning on Tuesday that a new nuclear arms race and new competition to modernize nuclear weapons are starting.
Trump cuts Obama’s refugee target in half, takes more Christians than Muslims
President Trump, in just eight months in office, has succeeded in upending U.S. refugee policy, cutting by more than half the 110,000-refugee target that the Obama administration had bequeathed him and dramatically shifting the demographics of who is accepted.
Violent crime, homicides in U.S. on rise: FBI
Violent crime rose by 4.1 percent and homicides by 8.6 percent in 2016, according to FBI crime data released Monday, marking a second straight year of increases.
North Korean official says Trump has ‘declared war,’ threatens to shoot down U.S. warplanes
A top North Korean official said Monday that President Trump has “declared war on our country,” and warned that Pyongyang could shoot down any U.S. warplanes flying nearby.
Russian defense minister to make first official visit to Israel next month
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will make his first official visit to Israel in mid-October to discuss the Jewish State’s ongoing concerns regarding Iran’s presence in Syria.
Trump aide Greenblatt returning to Israel for peace talks: official
President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace negotiator, Jason Greenblatt, is returning to Israel to continue the peace track after the president met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last week in New York, a White House official said on Sunday.
Church apologizes after hosting fashion show ‘glorifying demon worship’
An Anglican church in London has apologized for allowing a Turkish fashion designer to use its altar as a runway for models who donned outfits with demonic symbolism, including inverted crosses and devil horns, for what was publicized as a satanic fashion show.
GOP heads toward showdown on Obamacare
Senate Republicans on Sunday unveiled the latest version of an Obamacare overhaul bill as they face a five-day window for passage and dwindling support within their own party.
Merkel celebrates fourth-term victory; right-wing nationalists win seats in German parliament
German voters delivered Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats a fourth consecutive term and the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party a spot in the parliament in Sunday’s federal election, which was widely seen as a referendum on Ms. Merkel’s performance over the past 12 years.
Iran releases video of new ballistic missile being test-fired
Iran’s state media showed video Friday of the successful test-launch of a new ballistic missile capable of reaching portions of the Middle East, including Israel.
Israeli jets reportedly strike weapons convoy outside Damascus
Israeli warplanes early on Friday morning struck a Hezbollah weapons convoy outside Damascus, Arabic-language media outlets reported.
Defying Trump, Iran says will boost missile capabilities
Iran will strengthen its missile capabilities and will not seek permission from any country to do so, President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday in an undisguised snub to demands by U.S. President Donald Trump.