Key Al-Qaida Leader Killed in Western Afghanistan
Authorities in Afghanistan said Tuesday an intelligence-led security operation had killed a key al-Qaida leader in a western region close to the Iranian border.
World News
France’s Macron Calls on EU Leaders to Work Together to Fight Islamist Terror
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a virtual mini-summit on Tuesday in a bid to win broader European support for hardening borders in the wake of several Islamist terror attacks.
Lebanese society and Christian community endangered by Hezbollah and regional actors
The head of a leading Christian advocacy group has urgently called for political reform that would protect Lebanese society – and its Christian community – from power-hungry actors like the leaders of Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, Real Clear Religion (RCR) reports.
Hungary Bans Gay Adoptions In Constitution To Protect ‘Order of Creation’
Hungary’s government has proposed a constitutional amendment defending “the order of Creation” that would require children to be raised according to Christian principles and bans adoption by same-sex couples.
Russian Peacekeepers Arrive In Nagorno-Karabakh
Hundreds of Russian peacekeeping troops have arrived in the contested enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, after Russia brokered a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Russia Brokers Peace Deal to Stop Caucacus Conflict; Will Deploy Peacekeepers
Russia has brokered a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, ending a six-week war between the two former Soviet republics that has killed and displaced thousands.
Hungary Introduces Corona Restrictions Amid Standoff With EU
Hungary’s controversial prime minister has introduced a nationwide curfew and other strict measures to halt the coronavirus pandemic citing a massive increase in deaths and hospitalizations across Europe.
Post-Brexit trade deal: UK and EU resume grid-locked negotiations
Stalled post-Brexit trade deal talks have resumed once again as British and European Union negotiators convened in London Monday, the Washington Times reports. Recent talks in Brussels left the two sides still far apart on the way forward following the UK’s official departure from the EU trading bloc in January. The parties have until December 31 to agree a trade deal before the post-Brexit transition period comes to an end. Hundreds of thousands of jobs on both sides may be lost in the event of a “no-deal Brexit.”
US to sell 50 F-35 stealth jets to UAE in $23 billion deal
The Trump administration formally notified Congress on Tuesday that it plans to sell 50 stealth F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of a broader arms deal aimed at deterring potential threats from Iran despite concern in Israel.
US sanctions leading Christian political ally of Hezbollah
The Trump administration announced Friday that it has placed sanctions on Lebanon’s ex-foreign minister, a key Christian parliamentary ally of the Lebanese Iran-backed group Hezbollah, PBS reports. The sanctions were placed on current lawmaker Gebran Bassil, who is a son-in-law of President Michel Aoun and head of the largest political bloc in Lebanon’s parliament.
Iran, China set to question US over human rights record at UN
The United States is facing its first review in five years at the UN’s main human rights body, with the detentions of migrant children and the killings of unarmed Black people during the Trump administration’s tenure among issues high on minds.
In Europe, Calls Grow Louder for United Front Against ‘Political Islam’
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is urging fellow European leaders to form a common front against what some leaders call “political Islam.”
Over 1,600 African Migrants Cross Sea To Spain as Europe Braces for Influx
Europe was bracing for another influx of people fleeing war and persecution, and poverty as over 1,600 African migrants were reportedly rescued at sea or reached Spain’s Canary Islands over the weekend.
Election Riots Rock Ex-Soviet Nation Georgia Over Alleged Fraud
Anger over an election moved far beyond U.S. borders Sunday with police in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, firing tear gas and water cannon at crowds protesting the results of last week’s parliamentary vote.
’Azerbaijan Captures Strategic Town In Nagorno-Karabakh’
Azerbaijan said Sunday its forces had captured a strategic town in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh where fighting with Armenia has raged for more than a month.
Kosovo’s President In Detention In Netherlands
Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci remained in detention in the Dutch city of The Hague on Friday, after resigning to face war crimes charges.
German Police Raid Homes After Islamist Attack In Austria
German police have searched four men’s homes over suspected links with a militant Islamist gunman who shot dead four people in central Vienna. The raids follow revelations that Austria had been warned of a possible attack by neighboring Slovakia.
Kosovo President Resigns Over War Crimes Allegations
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said Thursday he had resigned because a special court at The Hague indicted him for war crimes.
Brexit: Deadline looms but still no trade deal between EU and UK
As the UK veers towards the January 1 deadline for agreeing on a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, the EU’s chief negotiator said London was to blame for the two parties’ failure to reach even a basic agreement so far, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of jobs may be lost on both sides if no deal is agreed within the year-long transition period triggered when Britain officially left the EU trading bloc in January.
US exits Paris climate agreement
The United States formally left the Paris climate accord on Wednesday, becoming the first country in the world to withdraw from the international climate pact aimed at reigning in greenhouse emissions.