Dutch Police Detain Suspects In Shooting of Journalist
Dutch authorities say they have detained two suspects, including a rapper involved in shooting journalist Peter R. de Vries, known for his courageous reporting on the Dutch underworld.
Security
Haiti President Killed At 53, Plunging Impoverished Nation Into Uncertainty
Gunmen assassinated Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in an overnight raid on their home Wednesday, when the impoverished Caribbean country already endured gang violence, including kidnappings of church leaders and others.
Recent Iran blast appears ‘designed to disrupt supply of centrifuges to nuclear sites’
The reported June 23 blast that rocked a building linked to Iran’s nuclear program in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, appears to have disrupted the ability of the Islamic Republic to feed key nuclear program sites with new centrifuges.
Knesset fails to renew family reunification law as opposition MKs vote against government
After opposition MKs and a member of PM Naftali Bennet’s Yamina party voted against the new coalition government Tuesday, the Knesset failed to renew the temporary family reunification law which blocks the automatic granting of Israeli citizenship or residency to Palestinians who are married to Israeli citizens, the Times of Israel reports. Considered necessary to Israel’s security, the law has been renewed every year since its inception in 2003: that opposition MKs voted against its re-extension this time is understood as a political move to signal no confidence in the government.
U.N. urges Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to recommit to dam talks
The United Nations called on Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on Tuesday to recommit to talks on the operation of a giant hydropower dam, urging them to avoid any unilateral action, a day after Ethiopia began filling the dam’s reservoir.
Global Computer Attack By Suspected Russia Hackers
A Russia-linked crime group that attacked computer systems of companies worldwide has demanded $70 million paid in bitcoins to restore access.
Belarus Accuses US Of Supporting Coup, Closes Border With Ukraine
Belarus accuses the United States and several of its allies of organizing a coup and says it has closed its border with Ukraine from where weapons allegedly arrive. The autocratic president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, said the illegal arms deliveries were coordinated by Washington and some European nations.
Warning to Iran: Israel will defend itself against any external threat, Bennett says
In what has been understood as a warning to Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated Wednesday that Israel will always defend itself, by itself, against any external threat, the Jerusalem Post reports. The PM made his remarks as the UN Security Council in New York debated Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
Biden’s 2020 margins came from atheists, agnostics; Trump’s White evangelical backing rose: Study
People who don’t believe in God gave President Biden the winning edge in the 2020 popular vote, a Pew Research Study released this week revealed.
Iran said to restrict UN inspectors’ access to Natanz nuclear site after attack
Iran has reportedly restricted the access of United Nations inspectors to its uranium enrichment facilities at the Natanz nuclear site, citing security concerns after what it alleges was an Israeli attack on the facility in April.
UN Chief Calls On U.S. To Lift Iran Sanctions As Agreed In 2015
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to the U.S. administration to “lift or waive” all sanctions on Iran as agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
Trump visits Texas to tour U.S. border, says wall ‘really worked,’ completion ‘makes sense’
Former President Trump traveled Wednesday to Texas to tour the southwest U.S. border where he made a case for the completion of the security wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
Iran persecution: Three Christians sentenced to five years imprisonment for “propaganda”
As Iran continues a relentless campaign of persecution against Iranian believers, on June 26 the Revolutionary Court in Karaj, northern Iran sentenced three Christians to five years in jail for “engaging in propaganda against the Islamic regime,” Christians Worldwide Solidarity reports.
House Democrats take aim at Trump legacy in Homeland Security spending bill
House Democrats introduced a Homeland Security Department spending bill Tuesday that aims to wipe away large chunks of President Trump’s legacy, including restrictions on deploying agency personnel to police protests and clawing back more than $2 billion in border wall money that lawmakers had already approved.
Israel and America share the same values even if they sometimes disagree on policy, Lapid tells Blinken
Israel and the United States share the same basic values even if they may disagree on how to achieve their goals, Israeli Foreign Minister told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a meeting in Rome on Sunday, the Jerusalem Post reports. America is Israel’s most important and loyal ally, Lapid reiterated, adding that the two countries’ new governments come from a very long and strong tradition of close friendship and cooperation.
Christian Convert Loses Appeals Court Hearing
Iranian Christians have urged prayers for a Christian convert after an appeals court upheld his 10-month prison sentence for “propaganda against the regime,” Worthy News learned.
U.S. National Guard Preparing For Cyberwar
The U.S. National Guard is preparing for cyber warfare amid concerns about possible attacks on critical infrastructure in the United States, Worthy News learned.
Iraq, Egypt and Jordan hold joint summit in Baghdad
Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq agreed to bolster security and economic cooperation at a tripartite summit on Sunday that saw an Egyptian head of state visit Iraq for the first time in three decades.
‘Get out Abbas’: Thousands protest at funeral of activist who died in PA custody
Thousands marched through the streets of Hebron on Friday at the funeral of a Palestinian Authority critic who died in PA custody, with many calling for the end of President Mahmoud Abbas’s 16-year rule.
Chinese defection rumors coincide with Communists’ loyalty drive
Rumors about the defection of a high-ranking Chinese intelligence official to the United States circulated recently at the same time that the ruling Chinese Communist Party staged an unusual loyalty campaign to bolster ideological purity within the ranks of the 93 million-member ruling party.