Iran May Have Downed Passenger Plane Killing 176 People, U.S. Officials Say
U.S. officials believe that Iran shot down a Ukraine International Airlines passenger plane on Wednesday, according to CBS News, the Associated Press and multiple other news outlets citing anonymous government sources. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson supported the assessment, saying evidence indicates an Iranian surface-to-air missile downed the plane. […]
Iran denies shooting down Ukrainian plane, wants Canada, U.S. to release data
Iran on Friday denied Western allegations that one of its own missiles downed a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed outside Tehran, and called on the U.S. and Canada to share any information they have on the crash, which killed all 176 people on board. Western leaders said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by […]
Israeli strikes kill several Hashd al-Shaabi members near Iraq-Syria border: Reports
Air strikes against trucks and weapons depots in eastern Syria killed eight fighters of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi militia force overnight, according to a UK-based activist group. Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen news outlet said Israel was responsible for the strikes early on Friday in Albu Kamal on the Iraqi-Syrian border. Through a spokesman contacted by the AFP news […]
Bennett Promoting Merger of Right-wing Parties Ahead of Third Israeli Election
The heads of two right-wing parties are negotiating over a joint ticket that would include all the parties to the right of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud ahead of Israel’s March 2 general election. Hayamin Hehadash Chairman Naftali Bennett and Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Rafi Peretz met on Wednesday and on Thursday to discuss the issue. […]
‘What’s in It for Trump?’: White House Debating Release of Mideast Peace Plan Before Third Israeli Election
Despite Israel being in the midst of another election campaign, the Trump administration is once again considering whether to publish its Middle East peace plan. While no decision has been made, there is real debate within the White House about releasing the plan in the next few weeks. Some in the administration believe this is […]
United Methodist Church Announces Proposal to Split Over Gay Marriage
The United Methodist Church announced a proposal Friday to split the denomination over what it called “fundamental differences” regarding its beliefs on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. The proposal, signed by 16 church leaders from around the world, will be voted on at the church’s 2020 general conference in May. If passed, it would allow […]
Nancy Pelosi to Introduce Resolution Implying Pre-emptive Surrender to Iran
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wrote a letter to her Democrat colleagues in the House on Sunday to reveal a new “War Powers Resolution” that amounts to a pre-emptive surrender to Iran in ongoing hostilities. Pelosi’s letter begins with the declaration that President Donald Trump’s airstrike last week targeting Iranian General Qasem Suleimani, […]
Trump Envoy to Visit Israel, Discuss Middle East Peace Plan After Months of Standstill
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special assistant Avi Berkowitz, who is leading the Middle East peace plan, will arrive in Israel next week, signaling the White House hasn’t fully given up on promoting the initiative. The peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians has been in deep freeze since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form […]
SpaceX Launches 60 Starlink Satellites, Nails Rocket Landing in Record-Breaking Flight
SpaceX kicked off 2020 with the record-breaking launch of its third batch of Starlink satellites. Sixty of the internet-beaming satellites launched atop a used Falcon 9 booster on Monday, Jan. 6. The sooty Falcon 9 rocket roared to life at 9:19 p.m. EST (0219 GMT Tuesday), lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape […]
EU to explore further enlargement in 2020
Croatia, the youngest EU member, vowed to advocate for the bloc’s Balkan enlargement, and pledged to work for “a strong Europe in a world of challenges” in the upcoming six months, after taking over the European Council’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1. Members of the Croatian government will chair the reunions of the EU’s main […]