Around the World
EU 'ready to examine' more Brexit assurances to Britain
The European Union 'stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided' to Britain over the Irish backstop and their tentative divorce agreement, a draft seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.
Defying Trump, U.S. Senate advances measure to end support for Saudis in Yemen
In a rare break with President Donald Trump, the Senate voted on Wednesday to move ahead with a resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in the war in Yemen and lawmakers vowed to push for sanctions against the kingdom in the new year.
EU rules out Brexit renegotiation, again
The EU is not preparing a legal document on the backstop, as requested by British prime minister Theresa May, for the EU summit starting on Thursday (13 December) - as EU officials are calling the political crisis unfolding in London a mess.
Pentagon's new strategy means balancing act in Africa for U.S. special ops
The Pentagon’s decision to draw down 10 percent of its counterterrorism operations in Africa comes as Russia and China are aggressively ramping up efforts to expand their influence on the continent.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF official: Hezbollah unable to produce precision weapons
Hezbollah's missile arsenal has been static for years and the organization lacks the industrial ability to convert, upgrade or produce precision weapons, Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Tamir Heyman said Tuesday.
Israel fills vacuum in terror fight as U.S. reduces troop levels
Israel is moving quickly to fill a security vacuum in Africa as the United States reassigns forces from the terror-plagued continent to focus on rivals such as China and Russia.

Inside the United States
GOP leaders still lack funding plan as shutdown looms
Top House Republicans are at a standstill on exactly how to keep the government open next week amid mounting fears of a Christmastime shutdown on Capitol Hill.
House joins Senate to pass farm bill
The House passed a new farm bill Wednesday sending the legislation, which passed the Senate earlier in the week, to the White House for President Donald Trump's signature.

Christian News
Church of England to offer baptism-style services to transgender people to celebrate their new identity for first time
The Church of England has encouraged its clergy to create baptism-style ceremonies for transgender people to welcome them into the Anglican faith.

Around the World
U.K.’s May Faces Biggest Crisis as Confidence Vote Reports Swirl
Theresa May faces the greatest crisis of her turbulent time as U.K. prime minister, with growing media reports that Conservative lawmakers were on the brink of forcing a confidence vote in her leadership.
Australia reportedly set to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital
Australia is reportedly set to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Australian public television station SBS reported on Tuesday.
Pakistan rejects US rebuke on religious freedoms
Pakistan on Wednesday condemned a U.S. decision to add it to a list of nations that infringe on religious freedom, calling the move 'unilateral and politically motivated.'
Trump Admin. Declares War on Russian, Chinese, Iranian Propaganda
The State Department has launched a new effort to counter propaganda and disinformation campaigns launched across the globe by a host of rogue nations, including Russia, China, and Iran, according to senior U.S. officials who briefed the Washington Free Beacon on the new undertaking, which they say will put the United States 'on the offense' against these countries.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu: Hezbollah will get ‘unimaginable blow’ if it attacks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the north Tuesday for the second time in less than a week, said that the uncovering of the third Hezbollah attack tunnel is part of the process of 'systematically dismantling' these weapons.
IDF unearths third tunnel, Hezbollah releases photos of operation
Israel’s military announced that a third Hezbollah tunnel was unearthed on Tuesday, just hours after dozens of close-up pictures and videos of IDF troops taking part in Operation Northern Shield were released by Hezbollah including a map indicating where Israel’s military is currently operating.

Inside the United States
Trump stares down Dems in wall fight: 'Proud to shut down the government for border security'
President Trump said Tuesday he would be “proud” to shut the government down unless he gets a massive infusion of cash to build his border wall, and suggested if Congress doesn’t concede, he would use the military to erect more fencing anyway.
Christian groups win Obamacare birth control battle
Christian organizations do not need to comply with Obamacare's birth control mandate, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
'This has spiraled downward': Trump, top Democrats put raw partisan divide on full display
President Trump and congressional Democratic leaders ripped off the bandage over their raw, partisan disagreements Tuesday in open bickering that offered a glimpse of the divided government to come in the next two years.
More than 3,000 illegals caught in one day: DHS
The government snared more than 3,000 immigrants who illegally attempting to cross into the U.S. in just one day last week, the Trump administration’s top border official told Congress on Tuesday, saying the situation qualifies as a full-blown 'crisis.'
Kavanaugh, Roberts side with liberal judges on Planned Parenthood case
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review whether states can block Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from their Medicaid programs, passing on a pair of cases that would have served as the first major abortion test for the court’s new conservative majority.

Around the World
U.S., China trade negotiations could be derailed by diplomatic, legal issues
Washington and Beijing labored to keep trade negotiations on track Monday amid diplomatic and legal flaps jolting business relations between the two economic superpowers, including a Chinese court ruling against Apple.
Theresa May heads for talks with EU leaders after Brexit vote delay
Prime Minister Theresa May is headed to mainland Europe for talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss concerns raised by British lawmakers about her faltering Brexit plan.
Brexit ruling: UK can cancel decision, EU court says
The European Court of Justice has ruled the UK can cancel Brexit without the permission of the other 27 EU members.
Unprecedented EU poll finds 90% of European Jews feel anti-Semitism increasing
Nearly 90 percent of European Jews feel that anti-Semitism has increased in their home countries over the past five years, and almost 30% say they have been harassed at least once in the past year, reveals a major European Union report published on Monday.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Temple-ready altar dedicated on last day of Hanukkah by activist groups
On the last day of Hanukkah – which literally means 'dedication' – a new altar built in accordance with all the Jewish laws pertaining to the Temple vessels and infrastructure was unveiled and nominally dedicated for use in the yet-to-be built Third Temple by several Temple activist organizations.

Inside the United States
Trump foes scrambling to derail 'cruel' rule requiring immigrants to show they aren't public burden
The Trump administration is now on the clock to finalize one of the biggest changes to legal immigration policy in a generation, after the official comment period ended Monday on a plan to require immigrants to show they aren’t a public burden if they want to extend their visas or get on the path to citizenship.
Judge rules Trump administration justified in ending Obama-era immigration program
The Trump administration provided adequate justification for its decision to end a program that reunited hundreds of immigrants from Central America with family members in the U.S., a federal judge ruled Monday.
Democratic leaders to Trump: Drop border wall plans
Democratic leaders have a message for President Donald Trump on the eve of their meeting Tuesday: Drop a proposal to spend $5 billion on the border wall to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Trump corners Democrats with threat to kill NAFTA: 'It is going to force Congress to act'
Democratic congressional leaders are loath to acknowledge it, but President Trump has them cornered with his threat to terminate NAFTA if his new trade deal with Mexico and Canada isn’t approved.

Christian News
Iran said to arrest over 100 Christians in crackdown on conversions
Iranian authorities have reportedly arrested over 100 Christians in the past few days, as they seek to crack down on conversions and what they claim is proselytizing by evangelicals.
100 Christians snatched in overnight raids on underground Chinese church
About 100 worshippers at an unofficial church in southwestern China were snatched from their homes or from the streets in coordinated raids which began on Sunday evening.

Around the World
Russia building up forces near Crimea amid tensions with Ukraine, satellite photos show
Two weeks after Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels in the contested Kerch Strait, satellite images obtained exclusively by Fox News on Sunday show that additional forces may be headed to the region.
Iran increases testing of ballistic missiles that can reach Europe
Tehran has 'significantly expanded' its missile testing, including a missile that can reach European countries, the German daily Die Welt reported on Sunday.
Macron plans 'important announcements' after fourth week of protests
More than 1,000 people were arrested during another weekend of protests in France, as President Emmanuel Macron plans to hold talks with business leaders and trade unions Monday.
Armored vehicles deployed in Paris as France hit by fresh ‘yellow vest’ protests
Armored vehicles rolled through central Paris on Saturday as riot police clashed with 'yellow vest' demonstrators, who set fire to barricades and hurled rocks in the latest demonstrations against French President Emmanuel Macron.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hezbollah's second-in-command: All of Israel in our missile range
The entire State of Israel is within range of Hezbollah’s missiles, the group’s deputy secretary-general Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Sunday.
IDF urges Lebanese residents to leave 2 towns over ‘explosive’ Hezbollah tunnels
The Israeli Army on Sunday urged residents of two Lebanese border towns to evacuate their homes, telling them that the Hezbollah terrorist group had put them in danger by digging attack tunnels, from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, which the IDF is currently working to destroy.
Israel fired warning shots across its northern border
The IDF fired warning shots across its tense Lebanese border to halt an attempted infiltration as it continued to publish information on a third Hezbollah attack tunnel.

Inside the United States
U.S. appeals court will not restore Trump asylum order
A U.S. appeals court handed President Donald Trump a defeat on Friday when it refused to allow his order barring asylum for immigrants who enter the country illegally to take effect, while a court challenge proceeds.
Trump backs $750 billion defense budget request to Congress: official
U.S. President Donald Trump has backed plans to request $750 billion from Congress for defense spending next year, a U.S. official said on Sunday, signaling a Pentagon spending hike at a time of potential belt-tightening elsewhere in the government.