Iranians Threaten to Destroy the Tomb of Queen Esther and Mordechai

An Iranian group is reportedly threatening to destroy what local Jews believe to be the ancient burial site of Queen Esther and Mordechai in Hamedan in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Drought slashes Australian crop output to record low

Australia’s hottest and driest year on record has slashed crop production, with summer output expected to fall to the lowest levels on record, according to official projections released Tuesday.

Russia and Turkey agree on more talks on Syria amid crisis

Talks between Russia and Turkey meant to reduce tensions in northwestern Syria did not yield a ‘satisfactory result’ for Ankara, but both sides agreed to continue negotiations, a spokesman for Turkey’s president said Tuesday.

Locust plague begins to spread from Africa to Middle East and Asia

Locusts swarming across eastern Africa have now made their way out of the continent, into the Middle East, and as far as India, Pakistan, and China, though authorities in east Asia say they are not yet worried about the locusts coming further inland.

China’s Hurting Banks Brace for Worst-Case Economic Scenario

The impact of the spreading coronavirus risks bringing to life the worst-case economic scenarios contained in China’s annual banking stress tests. Last year’s exercise envisaged annual economic growth slowing to as low as 4.15% — a scenario which showed that the bad loan ratio at the nation’s 30 biggest banks would rise five-fold. Analysts now say that the outbreak could send first-quarter growth to as little as 3.8%.

Erdogan Threatens Military Escalation in Syria

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is threatening to escalate fighting against Syrian government forces following Monday’s killing of Turkish soldiers. The warning comes in the face of calls for restraint from Moscow, but Erdogan is facing growing domestic pressure for an uncompromising stance.

NATO official warns of rising China as new threat

A senior NATO official expressed concern about the rise of China as a global power in a speech recently, calling on the communist regime to join existing missile agreements with the US and Russia.

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