US Open to Direct Talks With Taliban, Officials Say
The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said Monday.
Media
Analysis: Iran role in Syria key item at Trump-Putin summit
When President Donald Trump meets Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday, the Syrian conflict will be one of the most immediately pressing issues on a wide-ranging agenda.
25 Preachers Accused of ‘Forced Conversions’ in India
Authorities in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand have accused 25 evangelists of allegedly trying to convert tribal Hindu villagers to Christianity.
Syria says Israel struck Iran-operated airbase near Homs
Syria on Sunday accused Israel of targeting an air base in the central Homs province known to be operated by Iranian forces, claiming that its air defenses were activated in response to the attack and hit an Israeli jet.
Feds widen investigation into Facebook’s sharing of data with Cambridge Analytica: Report
The federal investigation looking into how Facebook shared user information with data firm Cambridge Analytica has widened to include three agencies, according to a new report.
Palestinians: Calling Jerusalem Israel’s capital is ‘incitement’
The Palestinians consider statements such as ‘Jerusalem is the capital of Israel’ and ‘Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people’ as a form of ‘incitement,’ according to a report released on Sunday by the PLO Department of Culture and Information.
Syrian rebels resume peace talks with Russians after Jordan mediates
Talks between the Syrian opposition and Russian negotiators to reach a ceasefire in a rebel-held town in southwestern Syria have resumed after mediation by Jordan that has been seeking a ceasefire, an opposition spokesman said.
Syrian army makes advances in southwest offensive
The Syrian army battled rebels in an important town in southwest Syria on Thursday, a media unit run by its ally Hezbollah and a war monitor said, as intensifying air strikes killed dozens of people in the area.
At least 5 killed in ‘targeted attack’ on Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis
A man with a shotgun and a beef against his local newspaper stalked into the offices of the Annapolis Capital Gazette on Thursday and opened fire on the newsroom, killing five people and wounding two others, police said.
Nearly 30 Percent of Christians Share Their Faith on Social Media, Reaching Nonbelievers: Barna
Nearly three in 10 Christians have shared their faith with non-believing friends and acquaintances on social media, according to a report by the Barna Group.
Trump readies full-court press on border wall funding
President Trump will launch a full-court press for tougher immigration laws and generous wall funding this summer as Capitol Hill braces for a budget battle in September, sources with knowledge of his plans told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday, as the president teased the strategy in a meeting with congressional appropriators.
Sarah Sanders’s Red Hen moment shows mob, media mentality
Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s booting from a Virginia restaurant is just a symptom of a much wider illness of left-wing intolerance. It’s part of a growing pattern of intimidation and mob scenes against Republican officials. Grass-roots activists share in the blame, of course, but the largest single accelerant is the mainstream media.
Erdogan wins sweeping new powers after Turkish election victory
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan won sweeping new executive powers on Monday after his victory in elections that also saw his Islamist-rooted AK Party and its nationalist allies secure a majority in parliament.
Turkey election: Erdogan wins re-election as president
Turkey’s long-standing leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a new five-year term after securing outright victory in the first round of a presidential poll.
Southern Poverty Law Center Could Be Hit with 60 Lawsuit Landslide
As many as 60 Christian or conservative organizations attacked as ‘hate groups’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center are considering legal action against the Left-wing group.
‘Divisive’ billboard proclaiming ‘America is a Christian nation’ removed in Dallas
A sign near a Dallas highway proclaiming that ‘America is a Christian nation’ was removed by the billboard company after it had drawn criticism, including from the city’s mayor.
President Trump directs Defense Department to ‘immediately begin the process’ of establishing ‘space force’ as sixth military branch
President Donald Trump declared Monday he will move to make a new branch of the military focused solely on space.
U.S. walks fine line with Kurdish allies by joining Turkish forces on patrol in Syria
U.S. and Turkish military patrols have begun operating in the highly strategic northern Syrian enclave of Manbij, heading off a feared clash between the two NATO allies but potentially leaving the Pentagon’s Kurdish allies in the region shortchanged once again.
Syria says US-led strike hits troops in east, US denies
Syrian state media reported Monday that an airstrike against pro-government forces in the far east of the country caused casualties, while Iraqi officials said 20 Shiite paramilitaries were killed just across the border.
Palestinians fire rockets at southern Israel as IDF pounds Gaza
Palestinians fired three rockets at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip early Monday morning, the army said, after Israeli aircraft hit a number of targets in the coastal enclave in response to numerous arson attacks by Palestinians the day before.