Russia accused of threatening Dutch warship on patrol with Britain’s HMS Defender
The Dutch Defence Ministry said Russian fighter jets repeatedly flew low over the ship and carried out “mock attacks” off the coast of Crimea last week.
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Mexico high court mandates permits for personal pot use
Mexico’s Supreme Court ordered the government Monday to issue permits for the personal use of marijuana and for the growing of limited amounts of pot plants, after the country’s Congress took too long to approve a limited legalization law.
DR Congo persecution: Islamic terror group believed to have bombed church; “Please Pray”
It is believed that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Islamic terror group were responsible for planting the bomb which exploded inside a Catholic church just before the start of a confirmation ceremony in Beni City, DR Congo on Sunday, International Christian Concern reports. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the ADF has terrorized DR Congo for decades.
Global Coalition Fears Islamic State Expansion in Africa
Western powers are promising recent successes by the Islamic State across Africa will not go unanswered, backing plans for a task force to focus on the terror group’s spread from Iraq and Syria to the African continent.
Iran-backed militias said to fire projectiles at US base in Syria
Pro-Iranian militias fired several shells at a US base in eastern Syria’s Al-Omar oil field on Monday night, causing damage but no casualties, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Putin, Xi Agree To Extend 20-Year-Old Friendship Treaty
Russia and China extended a 20-year-old friendship treaty, the latest in a series of moves that have drawn Moscow and Beijing closer together.
‘Mega comet’ 60 miles wide is about to fly through the solar system
Comet 2014 UN271 was first observed during a mission called the Dark Energy Survey in 2014, but skywatchers didn’t realize that the data was showing a comet until just this month.
With Reagan’s Arrival, 2 US Carriers Are Now Supporting Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal
The Ronald Reagan carrier strike group is now in the Middle East to help support the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the Navy announced Friday.
U.S. Airstrikes Target Iran-Backed Militia; Several Killed
The U.S. confirmed Monday that it launched airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria.
Czech Aftermath Of Deadly Tornado
The Czech Republic struggles with the aftermath of one of the most devastating and deadliest tornadoes in the nation’s modern history. Authorities said at least five people were killed and hundreds injured after buildings, including a church, suffered damage.
Iraq, Egypt and Jordan hold joint summit in Baghdad
Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq agreed to bolster security and economic cooperation at a tripartite summit on Sunday that saw an Egyptian head of state visit Iraq for the first time in three decades.
US carries out air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Syria
The United States said on Sunday it carried out another round of air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria, this time in response to drone attacks by the militia against US personnel and facilities in Iraq.
Iran: Nuclear site images won’t be given to IAEA, since inspection deal expired
Iran said Sunday it will not hand over images from some Iranian nuclear sites to the UN nuclear watchdog, as the monitoring agreement between the sides has expired, according to state media.
YouTube takes down Xinjiang videos, forces rights group to seek alternative
A human rights group that attracted millions of views on YouTube to testimonies from people who say their families have disappeared in China’s Xinjiang region is moving its videos to little-known service Odysee after some were taken down by the Google-owned streaming giant, two sources told Reuters.
Hungary’s Premier Won’t Withdraw Anti-LGBT law
Hungary‘s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vowed not to withdraw a law that bans sharing with minors content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment.
Chinese defection rumors coincide with Communists’ loyalty drive
Rumors about the defection of a high-ranking Chinese intelligence official to the United States circulated recently at the same time that the ruling Chinese Communist Party staged an unusual loyalty campaign to bolster ideological purity within the ranks of the 93 million-member ruling party.
War with China would pose “significant challenge” for America, says Chairman of Joint Chiefs
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress Wednesday that, while the US military currently remains stronger in every way than the Chinese military, it would be a “significant challenge” for America to sustain a war with China, the Washington Times reports. Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley gave his assessment while testifying at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on the 2022 defense budget of $753 billion.
Scores killed in Ethiopian airstrike on Tigray market
At least 64 people have been killed and 180 injured in an Ethiopian airstrike on a market in the war-torn Tigray region, according to local health officers, doctors, local residents and witnesses.
Year’s final supermoon rises Thursday
Summer is officially underway in the Northern Hemisphere, and the new season will kick off with a full moon unlike any other until next June.
Attack on Iranian nuclear site damaged centrifuge production facility
The attempted attack on an Iranian nuclear site outside Tehran that was reported on Wednesday targeted a facility used in the construction of centrifuges needed to enrich uranium, Iranian opposition sources said.