Concerns Growing Over Press Crackdown in Hungary
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has urged the European Union to help end an alleged government crackdown on independent media in Hungary.
War
Netanyahu and Pompeo say Trump peace plan remains on the table but give no timeline for Israeli annexation plans
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s peace plan was still on the table, although neither leader gave any indication as to when Israel would extend sovereignty to those parts of the West Bank the plan provides for, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Trump cuts DACA time in half in major rewrite of Obama program
The Trump administration announced a major rewrite of DACA on Tuesday, saying it will keep the program going — for now — but all new applications will be rejected and those renewing their status will be limited to just one year.
Third church looks to Supreme Court for protection from state-ordered worship restrictions
A Chicago church on Tuesday announced its intentions to appeal to the Supreme Court, following an unfavorable ruling from an Illinois federal appeals court upholding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s worship ban.
Google is working on “smart tattoo” for the human body
Tech giant Google has announced it is developing a smart tattoo that will turn the human body into a touchpad through embedded sensors. The “SkinMarks” project seeks to create the next generation of wearable technological devices, Google reported Monday. The project is partly funded by Google Faculty Research Awards.
Many Christians Killed In New Nigeria Attacks
Christians in northwest Nigeria have plunged into mourning after at least 10 people were killed and 11 seriously injured in a massive attack by suspected Muslim militants, rights activists say.
Israel, Hezbollah trade fire in ‘security incident’ near Lebanese border
The Israeli military confirmed on Monday there had been a “security incident” on the country’s northern border with Lebanon and said its forces were engaged in “ongoing combat” with Hezbollah militants.
Recent Supreme Court ruling being used to force hospital into performing transgender surgery
A recent US Supreme Court ruling has opened the door for a lawsuit that seeks to force a Catholic hospital to carry out transgender surgery, PJ Media reports. Brought by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Maryland lawsuit is relying on the case of Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) to make its case. In Bostock, Justice Neil Gorsuch led the Court’s four liberals to redefine a person’s “sex” as including transgender identity and sexual orientation. At the time of this ruling, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned that Gorsuch’s decision would pave the way for the kind of case that has now been filed.
New poll shows global lack of confidence in government handling of COVID-19
A new survey has shown that citizens around the world are losing confidence in their governments over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Yahoo News reports. Publishing their report on Saturday, Kekst CNC communications consultancy said: “In most countries this month, support for national governments is falling.” The survey came as officials reported over 280,000 daily new cases worldwide on both Thursday and Friday.
Ukraine, Pro-Russian Rebels Launch Tense Ceasefire
Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists began a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Monday as part of efforts to end their six-year conflict.
Iran moves mock US aircraft carrier to sea as tensions ratchet up
Iran has moved a mock aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the US, satellite photographs released Monday show, likely signaling the Islamic Republic soon plans to use it for live-fire drills.
German Court Sentences Ex-Camp Guard Over Mass Murder
A German court has convicted a 93-year-old former Nazi SS concentration camp guard for complicity in the murder of thousands of prisoners. Bruno Dey was among the last World War Two-era Nazi suspects to face trial in Germany.
Trump and Putin talk on phone about arms control and COVID-19 economic recovery
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone Thursday and discussed arms control and economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington Times reports. Although this is the first time the two leaders have talked since allegations emerged that Russia had offered bounties for Afghan militants to kill US soldiers, neither the White House nor the Kremlin made mention of this issue in their statements about the call.
Europe On Edge Amid Rise Of Coronavirus Infections
Spain and several other European nations are taking new measures to halt an increase in reported coronavirus cases. The decisions come amid fresh warnings by authorities of a widespread “second wave” of infections.
Declassified FBI documents show briefing to Trump and Flynn used as pretext to investigate campaign
Declassified FBI documents show the counterintelligence briefing the bureau gave to Donald Trump and his national security team during the 2016 campaign was used as a pretext to gather investigative evidence on the Trump campaign and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.
US-Canada border to remain closed for another month
Because of the number of COVID-19 cases in the US, American and Canadian officials have agreed to keep the border between the two nations closed to all except commercial and essential traffic for another month. Two recent surveys have shown that a large majority of Canadians support the continued closure of the border, VOA News reported Tuesday.
2020 Atlantic hurricane season breaks another record with earliest ever ‘G’ storm
Tropical Storm Gonzalo has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, the earliest such “G” storm in hurricane season history.
Earthquake triggered Tsunami warning off Alaskan Peninsula
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in a large section of coastal waters off the Alaskan Peninsula triggered a tsunami warning that called for local residents to evacuate to higher ground Tuesday night, Anchorage Daily News (ADN) reports. The warning was finally canceled at 12.30 am Wednesday when officials said the tsunami no longer posed a threat on land.
Appeals court allows Alabama voter ID law to go forward
Federal appeals judges upheld a lower court Tuesday and rejected claims that an Alabama law which requires voters to show government-issued photo identification at the polls is racially discriminatory.
U.S. accuses Chinese nationals of hacking spree for COVID-19 data, defense secrets
The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday indicted two Chinese nationals over their role in what the agency called a decade-long cyber espionage campaign that targeted defense contractors, COVID researchers and hundreds of other victims worldwide.