Live updates on faith, culture, politics, and humanitarian issues impacting Christians across the globe.
Islamic State Gains Ground in Syria
Posted on Monday, November 2, 2015
The Islamic State has continued to make gains in central Syria amid a barrage of Russian airstrikes that have mostly targeted rebel groups elsewhere in the country, according to reports.
Al Qaeda leader hints at ‘unity’ with Islamic State
Posted on Monday, November 2, 2015
U.S. intelligence officials say al Qaeda has seen its standing as the leader of the global jihad movement "dented," and regard an audio recording reportedly released over the weekend by the group's leader as an attempt to reclaim…
Crunch talks for Merkel on refugee crisis as thousands more arrive
Posted on Sunday, November 1, 2015
Nearly 10,000 refugees continued to arrive in Germany daily, police said on Saturday, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country's stretched border staff ahead of a crunch meeting between Angela Merkel and a Bavarian ally on…
New U.S. Combat Mission in Iraq Is Not New
Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2015
When Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Tuesday that the U.S. would begin "direct action" against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq, it sounded like a new mission for U.S. forces in a country where the president has…
Angry China shadows U.S. warship near man-made islands
Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2015
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed close to one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday, drawing an angry rebuke from Beijing, which said it had tracked and warned the ship and called in the…
Russia reportedly just sent its version of Delta Force to Syria
Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Russia has confirmed sending special forces troops to Syria over the past few weeks to support its mission backing the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
U.S., allies demand U.N. council action after Iran missile test
Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2015
The United States, Britain, France and Germany sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council's Iran sanctions committee on Wednesday notifying it of Tehran's recent missile test and demanded action in response to what they said was…
Russia, US agree on Syria; Iraqis won’t seek Russian strikes
Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2015
The U.S. and Russia on Tuesday put into practice new rules designed to minimize the risk of air collisions between military aircraft over Syria, while Iraqi leaders pledged they would not invite Russian airpower over their nation.
EU, US open new round of free trade talks
Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2015
EU and US negotiators in Miami on Monday started the 11th round of trade talks seeking to create a trade and investment zone encompassing 800 million people and nearly half of global economic output.
As Russia reasserts itself, NATO opens biggest exercises in years
Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2015
NATO and its allies opened their largest military exercise in more than a decade on Monday, choosing the central Mediterranean to showcase strengths that face threats from Russia's growing military presence from the Baltics to Syria.
US confirms Iran tested nuclear-capable ballistic missile
Posted on Monday, October 19, 2015
The United States has confirmed that Iran tested a medium-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, in "clear violation" of a United Nations Security Council ban on ballistic missile tests, a senior US official said on Friday.
