Trump Signs COVID Relief Despite Misgivings
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has signed a massive 2.3 trillion dollar coronavirus relief and spending package, averting a government shutdown, despite calling it a “disgrace.”
NSA
Nigeria Fighters Kill and Kidnap Christians
Christian farming communities reportedly faced new attacks and abductions on Christmas Eve by suspected Islamic Fulani fighters who recently killed dozens of Christians.
China Detains Journalist Amid Corona Crackdown
China has detained a prominent journalist amid an intensified clampdown by the ruling Communist authorities on independent reporting.
Putin: Arms race with US ‘has already begun’
An arms race between Washington and Moscow “has already begun,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Calls for martial law and US military oversight of new presidential election draws criticism
The idea that the U.S. military would oversee a new nationwide presidential election — ordered under martial law by President Donald Trump — is “insane in a year that we didn’t think could get anymore insane,” a defense official tells Military Times.
US Sanctions Turkey For Purchasing Russian Missile System
The United States has sanctioned Turkey, a NATO military alliance ally after it defiantly bought a Russian anti-aircraft missile system.
NATO chief warns: ‘China is investing massively in new weapons’
China’s growing military power holds potential dangers for the transatlantic alliance, according to NATO’s civilian chief.
Egypt: 100 arrested in riot over Facebook comments “insulting” to Islam
A hundred people were arrested for assault and rioting Wednesday evening after a large group of Islamists attacked Coptic Christian houses and a church in the village of Deir El-Bersha in the Minya governorate, Agenzia Fides reports. The rioting was triggered by Facebook comments made by a young Coptic man that were considered insulting to Islam and the prophet Muhammed.
SCOTUS blocks New York State from re-imposing COVID restrictions on houses of worship
The US Supreme voted 5-4 to prohibit New York State from re-imposing COVID-19 restrictions on religious gatherings, Politico reports. The court’s emergency ruling issued late on Wednesday night represents a significant shift away from the decisions it made in May and July, when it upheld restrictions on churches in California and Nevada.
Kentucky attorney general sues Governor for banning in-person learning at religious schools
The attorney general of Kentucky has joined a lawsuit filed by a Christian school against Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., that seeks to prevent the implementation of a state COVID-19 ban on in-person learning, the Christian Post reports. Arguing the ban violates First Amendment rights, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined the suit filed Friday by Danville Christian Academy.
Britain signs interim trade deal with Canada amid continued negotiations with EU
While still trying to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, the United Kingdom has been able to agree to an interim trade deal with Canada, Fox News reports. The agreement offers a source of business security for Britain, which must reach an agreement with the EU by the end of the post-Brexit transition period on 31 December or move instead into World Trade Organization terms with the European trading bloc.
School stops giving Christmas gifts to children in need after complaint from atheist group
A middle school in Kansas has stopped participating in Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a Christian project which involves packing shoeboxes with toys and supplies for children in need, following a complaint from an atheist group that such participation is unconstitutional, Christian Headlines reports.
U.S. Targets al Shabaab Leaders With Sanctions
The U.S. State Department hit East African al Qaeda affiliate group al Shabaab with a series of sanctions to hold the group accountable for recent terrorist attacks.
Nineteen Pro-Life Laws Passed in 2020
Americans United for Life has reported that 13 states passed 19 pro-life laws in 2020, Lifesite News said Tuesday. Some of the new legislation includes provisions that require abortion providers to give women accurate information before they consent to terminate their pregnancy.
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.
‘Stop the Steal’ vs. ‘Count Every Vote’: Partisans on both sides call foul
Partisans for both President Trump and Joe Biden launched movements in Washington, D.C., to make sure that their candidate wins out.
Biden, Trump campaigns prepare for litigation over potential election outcome
The campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump have suggested that the outcome of today’s election may not be determined Tuesday night. Both are involved in litigation in multiple states, and preparing for an ultimate and potential battle at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump Wins Florida In U.S. Presidential Race
U.S. President Donald J. Trump won the State of Florida in Tuesday’s presidential election as investors contemplated a possible Democratic defeat, despite opinion polls.
Killing Of Swiss Missionary in Mali Prompts Prayers
The murder of Swiss evangelical missionary Beatrice Stöckli by Islamic militants in Mali has prompted an aid group to appeal for prayers.
WHO allows China to seize the reins of investigation into origin source of the coronavirus
Nine months after the beginning of the global coronavirus pandemic, there is still no public, independent investigation into the origins of the novel virus that came out of China.