Federal court temporarily blocks Air Force COVID-19 vaccine mandate
A federal court on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction to block the enforcement of the Air Force’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Military
60,000 US soldiers to face “adverse actions” for refusing COVID-19 vaccine
Around 40,000 National Guard and 22,000 Reserve soldiers will be subject to “adverse administrative actions,” including the loss of pay and benefits because they refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Military news reports.
IDF exposes ‘Hamas sites’ in Gaza civilian areas, in bid to explain future strikes
The Israel Defense Forces accused Gaza’s Hamas terror group of building up military infrastructure in civilian areas and adjacent to schools, mosques and businesses Wednesday, in an apparent bid to pre-emptively justify collateral damage from any future strikes in the densely populated enclave.
Israel says Russians fired at its jets over Syria in May in ‘one-off’
Israel said on Tuesday that its military jets came under Russian anti-aircraft fire over Syria in May but they missed their target, describing the confrontation as a “one-off incident”.
As NATO Grows, China and Russia Seek to Bring Iran, Saudi Arabia Into Fold
In the East, however, security and economy-focused blocs led by Beijing and Moscow are looking to take on new members of their own, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, two influential Middle Eastern rivals whose interest in shoring up cooperation on this new front could have a significant impact on global geopolitical balance.
Indonesia: Christian Pastor murdered in Papua province
A Christian pastor was among ten people murdered by separatist gunmen in Indonesia’s Papua province on July 16, the Christian Post (CP) reports. The West Papua National Liberation Army, or TPNPB, the military wing of Papua’s main separatist group, claimed responsibility for the killings.
Russian Missiles Hit Port Threatening “Beacon Of Hope” Food Deal
Explosions rocked a critical Ukrainian port city Saturday, threatening a landmark food that the United Nations chief described as a “Beacon of Hope” for a hungry world.
Russia tests U.S. air defenses in midst of Ukraine war
Two Russian maritime patrol aircraft tested the U.S. and Canadian air defense zone two weeks ago in a show of force in the midst of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine and nuclear saber-rattling, the commander of the Northern Command said Friday.
Syria says Israeli airstrikes near Damascus kill 3 soldiers, wound 7
Israeli fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes on areas near the Syrian capital Damascus shortly after midnight on Friday, killing three soldiers and wounding seven others, Syria’s official state media reported.
3 Syrian soldiers killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes near Damascus
Three Syrian soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded in alleged Israeli airstrikes that targeted sites near Damascus on Thursday night, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
US federal government received nearly $4 trillion in record tax income this fiscal year
The US federal government collected a record $3,835,390,000,000 in total taxes in the first nine months of this fiscal year, the new Monthly Treasury Statement of Receipts and Outlays of the United States Government (MTS) reports. The Fiscal Year-to-Date (FYTD) budget deficit through June was $515 billion, a $1.723 trillion (-77%) decrease from the same period last year.
Russia using mercenary group Wagner to reinforce Ukraine frontlines, UK says
Russia has been employing mercenaries from the private military contractor Wagner to reinforce its regular troops fighting on the front line in Ukraine, according to the British Defense Ministry.
Hungary Hit By Worst Social Unrest Since Elections (Worthy News In-Depth)
Tense protests continued in Hungary’s capital till the early hours of Thursday after the government announced “an energy emergency” and effectively raised taxes for hundreds of thousands of small entrepreneurs as the nation’s currency plunged to record lows while inflation reached the highest levels in decades.
Sri Lanka PM Orders Military To Restore Order
Christians and other Sri Lankans facing shortages faced uncertainty Wednesday as the prime minister of Sri Lanka ordered the military to “do whatever is necessary to restore order” after protesters stormed his office.
Israel U.S. sign ‘Jerusalem Proclamation’, pledge to deny Iran nuclear weaponry
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday, signed a pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons, closing ranks after long-running disputes between the allies over global diplomacy with Tehran.
Turkey: Agreement reached on Ukrainian grain with Russia, UN
Talks between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and UN officials on resuming Black Sea exports of Ukraine grain resulted in an agreement to form a coordination center in order to ensure the safety of routes, the Turkish defense minister said on Wednesday.
House to vote on constraining US arms sales to Saudis on eve of Biden trip
Progressives are looking to constrain the Biden administration’s ability to send weapons and enter security agreements with Saudi Arabia as President Biden gears up for a controversial visit to strengthen ties with the country.
US military announces successful hypersonic missile test
The US military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced Wednesday it has successfully tested a hypersonic missile manufactured by defense giant Lockheed Martin.
Nato and EU sound alarm over risk of Ukraine weapons smuggling
Nato and EU states are pushing for better tracking of weapons supplied to Ukraine in response to fears that criminal groups are smuggling them out of the country and on to Europe’s black market.
Sudan: Four Christians face death penalty for refusal to renounce faith
Four Christian men in Sudan’s Darfur face the death penalty after being tortured and charged with apostasy for refusing to renounce their faith, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported.