Hurricane Florence weakens to Cat 2 storm but storm surge expected to hit ‘catastrophic levels’
Hurricane Florence late Wednesday has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm but it is still considered an extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm.
War
Iran, in shadow proxy war with Saudis, expands its Pakistan influence
Iran is stepping up its involvement with political and militant Shiite groups in Pakistan, in what foreign affairs experts see as an escalating shadow proxy war with Saudi Arabia in a country with the world’s second-largest Muslim population.
Al-Qaeda leader: Moving embassy to Jerusalem is proof the US is enemy of Islam
Marking the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the leader of al-Qaeda on Tuesday called on Muslims to wage war against the United States throughout the world.
US braces for worst as ‘monster’ Hurricane Florence bears down
Motorists streamed inland on highways converted to one-way evacuation routes Tuesday as about 1.7 million people in three states were warned to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a hair-raising storm taking dead aim at the Carolinas with 140 mph (225 kph) winds and potentially ruinous rains.
Head of Iranian Nuclear Program: Consequences to Israel will be severe
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s nuclear program, warned Israel on Monday, ‘If nuclear scientists are killed in Iran, consequences will be severe.’
Putin, Xi together for the third time this year as Russia launches largest war games since Cold War
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in far-eastern Russia on Tuesday, the same day the Kremlin began its biggest military exercise since the Cold War.
Despite Deadly Attacks, Wycliffe Translators Focus on New Bible Translations in Indonesia
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization involving people in the advancement of Bible translation, wants to begin Bible translation in hundreds of languages in Indonesia in the next six months.
Palestinians send incendiary tires to Israeli shores
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on the beach in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday where they reportedly set afloat on rafts dozens of burning tires, in an attempt to reach Israel’s maritime border.
White House says it’s working to plan 2nd Trump-Kim meeting
US President Donald Trump has received a request from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a follow-up to their historic June summit, and planning is in motion to make it happen.
Expect a Storm Surge of 15-20 Feet in a Landfalling Category 4 Storm in the Carolinas
Landfalling Category 4 hurricanes are rare in the mainland U.S., with just 24 such landfalls since 1851—an average of one every seven years. Category 5 landfalls are rarer still, with just three on record. All but three of these 27 landfalls by Cat 4s and Cat 5s have occurred south of South Carolina’s latitude, so Florence will be in very select company if it manages to make landfall at Category 4 strength in North or South Carolina.
Iran Vows Strikes Outside Borders, ‘Beyond the Seas’
A top Iranian military leader warned on Monday that Iran is plotting strikes outside of its own borders and will even go ‘beyond the seas’ to carry out attacks on those it perceives as enemies, statements that further highlight Iran’s clandestine operations inside the United States and in Europe.
Syria threatened with ‘stronger response’ if it uses chemical weapons in Idlib
Britain, France and the US have warned Syria it will suffer a “much stronger response” if it uses chemical weapons again.
Bloodbath Expected as Russia, Iran, Syria, Turkey Unite for Final Showdown in Idlib
The United Nations is warning of catastrophic consequences facing civilians trapped in Syria’s Idlib province.
Strengthening Hurricane Florence Takes Aim at US Southeast
A rapidly strengthening Hurricane Florence churned across the Atlantic on Sunday toward a possible direct hit on the U.S. Southeast late this week, triggering warnings to people up and down the coast to get their emergency kits ready, map out escape routes and fill sandbags.
US ambassador sees Golan remaining in Israeli hands ‘forever’
US ambassador to Israel David Friedman expects the annexed Golan Heights to remain under Israeli control ‘forever’, according to an excerpt released Thursday of an interview he gave to an Israeli newspaper.
Syria’s Assad approves gas attack in Idlib despite warning, report says
President Bashar al-Assad has approved a gas attack in the Idlib province, which is the country’s last rebel stronghold, a report on Sunday said.
Trump administration to take tough stance against International Criminal Court
The United States on Monday will adopt an aggressive posture against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, threatening sanctions against its judges if they proceed with an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan.
Israel considered intervening in Syrian civil war before Russia stepped in
Israel considered military intervention in the Syrian civil war before Russia stepped in to aid President Bashar Assad, senior officials admitted Wednesday.
US says it will stay in Syria until jihadists defeated, demands Iran leave
The Trump administration is now pledging the US will remain in Syria until the ‘enduring defeat’ of the Islamic State group, a move that could signal open-ended American involvement in the war-torn country.
Political rows, worsening security greet Mattis in Afghanistan
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Kabul on Friday to meet the new commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan and discuss progress on talks with the Taliban, despite deteriorating security and turmoil within the Afghan government.