Around the World
Putin Meets Assad, Says 'Foreign Armed Forces Will Start Leaving Syria'
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Thursday, Russian news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Turkey probed over shipment of Israeli-made electronic equipment to Iran
Turkey is reportedly under investigation by the United Nations over a shipment of Israeli-made electronic equipment to Iran in violation of a Security Council resolution which prohibits the transfer of nuclear-related products to the Islamic Republic.
Google's Selfish Ledger is an Unsettling Vision of Silicon Valley Social Engineering
Google has built a multibillion-dollar business out of knowing everything about its users. Now, a video produced within Google and obtained by The Verge offers a stunningly ambitious and unsettling look at how some at the company envision using that information in the future.
France freezes assets of 3 people, 9 firms over Syria chemical weapons
France said on Friday it had frozen the assets of three people nine companies suspected of involvement in the development of chemical weapons in Syria.
Pentagon stands firm: No talk of scaling back U.S.-South Korean military drills
Despite threats from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to cancel a planned summit with President Trump set for next month, the Pentagon on Thursday insisted there’s absolutely no discussion of scaling back the joint U.S.-South Korean military drills that have put that landmark meeting in jeopardy.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel girds for first Friday of Ramadan amid heightened tensions
Israeli police were gearing up for another possible day of mass Palestinian protests Friday, with officials saying that the points of friction may move from the Gaza border to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Erdogan hosts Islamic summit to back Palestinians, condemn Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday hosts for the second time in half a year a summit of the world’s main pan-Islamic group seeking to show solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel after deadly clashes at the Gaza border Monday in which some 60 Palestinians were killed by IDF fire.
Iran's Khamenei: Palestine will be liberated from the enemies
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei said Thursday that 'Palestine will be liberated from the enemies and Jerusalem will be its capital.'
Russian missile defense system took direct hit during Israeli strikes in Syria
Russia relies heavily on foreign military sales to boost its economy. So the Kremlin scrambled to avoid bad publicity for one of its weapons systems last week after it took a direct hit during Israeli airstrikes in Syria.

Inside the United States
Trump poised to unveil policy cutting funds for abortion providers
The Trump administration is poised to roll out a new policy that would place additional restrictions on Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health organizations administering abortions, a new report says.
California resistance to Trump administration includes at least 32 lawsuits, including everything from health care and DACA to the border wall
President Donald Trump heard a group of local officials from California vent frustration Wednesday about the state's so-called 'sanctuary' laws. He called the controversial policies 'a disgrace' and vowed 'to take care of it.'
'Excited and scared': Hawaii volcano spews huge cloud of ash
A volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted anew Thursday with little sound and only modest fury, spewing a steely gray plume of ash about 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) into the sky that began raining down on a nearby town.
Trump signs new environmental executive order
President Trump is starting his own government-wide environmental sustainability and energy efficiency program through an executive order he signed late on Thursday.
Gina Haspel confirmed as CIA's first female director
President Trump’s pick to head the CIA is a seasoned spymaster who has avoided the limelight during a 32-year career that has included stints running overseas 'black sites' where dangerous terrorists were waterboarded.
US Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low: What's Behind the Decline?
The number of babies being born in the United States continues to fall, with the birth rate reaching a new record low in 2017, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brown signs bill protecting undocumented immigrants in California courts
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Thursday to limit when a person’s immigration status can be disclosed in open court, a measure aimed at keeping crime victims and witnesses from exposing themselves to possible deportation when they take the stand.

Christian News
Nepal Four Churches Targeted in Arson Attacks
Four Christian Churches in Nepal have been attacked over a five-day period by unidentified assailants. The attacks, which began on the 9 May, targeted Mahima Church in Dhangadhi, Emmanuel Church in Kanchanpur and Emmanuel Church Budor in Doti, Western Nepal. Hebron Church in Panchthar, Eastern Nepal was also targeted.
Turkey Is Accusing American Churches of Conspiracy in Case Against Andrew Brunson, Sen. Tillis Says
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday shared more details about Turkey's case against imprisoned American Pastor Andrew Brunson and slammed prosecutors for claiming that churches in the United States are conspiring to undermine the Turkish government.

Around the World
Seoul pushes for successful Trump-Kim talks as North warns
South Korea said Thursday it’s pushing to reset high-level talks with North Korea and will communicate closely with Washington and Pyongyang to increase the chances of a successful summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on resolving the standoff over the North’s nuclear weapons.
E.U. leaders struggle to save Iran economic ties from U.S. sanctions
European Union leaders agreed on Wednesday to try to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive and maintain their reviving economic cooperation with Tehran after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact.

Gulf states put Hezbollah leadership on their terror lists
Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, placed 10 leaders of Lebanon's Hezbollah on their terrorism lists on Wednesday, including Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy Naim Qassem, Saudi state news agency SPA said.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Erdogan: Turkey will not allow Israel to steal Jerusalem from Palestinians
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had 'collapsed' in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem.
Hamas official: 50 of those killed in Gaza Monday were members
Fifty of the Palestinians killed in a protest in the border region between the Gaza Strip and Israel earlier this week were Hamas members, Hamas Politburo member Salah Bardaweil said on Wednesday.
Israel says Hamas curbed Gaza protests after Egyptian warning
Palestinian protests on the Gaza-Israel border have dropped off over the past two days, amid reports that Egyptian officials intervened to restore calm.

Inside the United States
Senate intel committee: Russian officials conspired to help Trump
Breaking with the House, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday endorsed a U.S. intelligence finding that Russia secretly tried to interfere with the 2016 election to boost Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton, calling the accusations of Russian meddling 'accurate and on point.'
Rudy Giuliani: Mueller told Trump's legal team he can't indict the president
Special counsel Robert Mueller told President Trump's legal team that he cannot indict a sitting president, according to Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's attorneys.
U.S. has more than 2,000 probes into potential or suspected terrorists: FBI Director
The FBI is pursuing 1,000 investigations into suspected 'lone wolf' militants and another 1,000 into 'domestic terrorists,' FBI director Christopher Wray told a congressional committee on Wednesday.
'Ballistic blocks' shoot from Hawaii volcano, may mark start of violent eruptions
'Ballistic blocks' the size of microwave ovens shot from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano on Wednesday in what may be the start of explosive eruptions that could spew huge ash plumes and hurl smaller rocks for miles (km), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Giuliani says FBI may have placed spy in Trump campaign
President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani suggested on Wednesday that the FBI may have placed a spy in Trump’s presidential campaign.
Trump met federal disclosure requirement by reimbursing Cohen for Stormy Daniels payment: Government
President Trump complied with financial disclosure requirements in reporting a payment of more than $100,000 to attorney Michael Cohen, who paid hush-money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, the Office of Government Ethics said Wednesday.

Christian News
Rwanda Is 95 Percent Christian. So Why Is It Shutting Down Thousands of Churches?
Over the past two months, authorities have closed more than 7,000 churches across Rwanda for failing to comply with health, safety, and noise regulations.

Around the World
North Korea cancels talks with South, threatens to pull out of U.S. summit
North Korea sent shock waves through the Trump administration’s hope for a history-making summit with Kim Jong-un, angrily canceling a planned meeting with South Korean officials Wednesday to protest joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises and calling into doubt President Trump’s announced meeting with Mr. Kim in Singapore in less than a month.
Iran in Panic Mode, Scrambles to Save Nuclear Deal
The Iranian ruling regime is racing to save the landmark nuclear deal after President Donald Trump bucked European powers and walked away from the agreement with a vow to reimpose a package of harsh sanctions on the Islamic Republic, according to U.S. officials and regional experts who say the hardline regime is scared about losing the sweetheart deal.
'I gave the US trucks and ammunition to Al Qaeda': The chaotic US effort to arm Syrian rebels
U.S. military equipment and ammunition, sent to Syria as part of a failed Obama administration plan to find and arm moderate forces to defeat ISIS, were instead simply handed over to an Al Qaeda group, according to the man who said he himself brokered the deal.
South Korea: Military exercises with U.S. to continue despite angry reaction from North Korea
South Korea’s Defense Ministry says the military exercises between Washington and Seoul will go on despite an angry reaction from North Korea that broke off a high-level meeting between the Koreas.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Iranian Ayatollah: ‘We Will Turn Tel Aviv And Haifa To Rubble’
A leading Iranian ayatollah vowed in weekly prayer service in Tehran that the Islamic Republic 'will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to rubble,' according to a translation of his remarks.
Following US lead, Guatemala moves embassy to Jerusalem
Guatemala has opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so after the United States.
Turkey expels Israeli consul in spat over Gaza violence
Turkey has ordered the Israeli consul general in Istanbul to return to Israel 'for some time', a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday (May 16), in a diplomatic spat which follows the killings of 60 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces.
Two killed as Palestinians protest the 'Nakba' in West Bank, Gaza
Two Palestinians were shot dead as over 4,000 people in the West Bank and Gaza took part in protests Tuesday to mark the establishment of Israel, one day after Israeli forces along the Gaza border killed 60 Palestinians.
Senior Hamas Official: This Is Not ‘Peaceful Resistance,’ It Is Supported by Our Weapons
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahhar said the riots on the Israel-Gaza border are 'not peaceful resistance' but rather, are supported by its 'military force.'

Inside the United States
Judge overturns California's assisted suicide law
A California judge on Tuesday overturned the state's assisted suicide law on grounds that the state Legislature illegally passed the measure two years ago.
Maryland Becomes the 11th State to Ban Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has signed a bill into law that bans sexual orientation conversion therapy for youth, making it the eleventh state to do so.
Federal judge rejects Manafort's bid to dismiss Mueller indictment
A federal judge on Tuesday rejected an attempt by Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman, to get an indictment against him dismissed by claiming that special counsel Robert Mueller’s appointment was flawed.
Devin Nunes: Congress has seen no 'credible evidence' justifying the Russia investigation
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said Monday that Congress has yet to see any solid rationale for the Justice Department's decision to launch the Russia investigation against President Trump, and said he's hoping to see more when he meets with officials Wednesday.
Senate demands transcript of Russian wiretaps, FBI interview that nabbed Michael Flynn
President Trump’s former attorney says there are 'reports' that retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn referred to his own wiretap when he was interviewed by two FBI agents in January 2017.

Christian News
Beijing house churches investigated, shut down
Two house churches in Beijing reported that authorities in the past week have investigated churches and pressured landlords to cancel the leases on houses of worship.

Around the World
Iran FM in Moscow as Russia moves to save nuclear deal
Iran’s foreign minister was in Moscow on Monday as Russia tries to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive in the wake of Washington’s pull-out, pushing it into rare cooperation with Europe.
U.S., China still 'very far apart' on trade: U.S. ambassador
The United States wants China to give a timetable on how it will open up its markets to U.S. exports as the two countries are still 'very far apart' on resolving trade frictions, U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad said on Tuesday.
Pompeo reaches out to European counterparts amid Iran tensions
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to German, French and British counterparts in recent days to discuss cooperation over Iran, a State Department spokeswoman said on Monday a week after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel girds for second day of violence amid fears protests may spread
Israeli forces were gearing up Tuesday for a second straight day of Palestinian protests and the prospect that they may spread, after hours of bloody clashes on the Gaza border Monday left at least 58 Palestinians dead and thousands more injured.
Unfazed by Gaza riots, Jerusalem celebrates itself — and Donald Trump
Despite the festive atmosphere, guests of Monday’s inauguration of the American embassy in Jerusalem were acutely aware of the deadly violence taking place at the same time along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians say baby, killed by tear gas, among 58 Gaza dead
The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry said Tuesday morning that a baby was among those killed during violent border clashes along the territory’s border with Israel the previous day, bringing the overall death toll in the day’s bloody events to 58.

Inside the United States
Supreme Court clears path for states to legalize sports gambling
The Supreme Court cleared the way for a massive expansion of legal sports gambling in the U.S., ruling Monday that a federal law that had effectively limited betting mainly to Nevada is unconstitutional.
New volcanic fissure in Hawaii opens; brings total to 19
Hawaii County Civil Defense officials reported a new fissure opening on Monday, bringing the total number of fissures in the volcanic eruption outbreak to 19.
STD cases hit record high in California
A state report finds the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases in California reached a record high in 2017.
Mueller may have a conflict — and it leads directly to a Russian oligarch
Special counsel Robert Mueller has withstood relentless political attacks, many distorting his record of distinguished government service.
After a Record Hurricane Season in 2017, Forecasters Warn U.S. to Brace for More This Year
Parts of the country are still cleaning up after 2017’s devastating hurricane season, but forecasters are already sounding a warning bell about 2018. And even though hurricane season doesn’t officially begin until June 1, the first named storm could arrive as soon as this weekend.
Melania Trump treated for benign kidney condition, in hospital
President Donald Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, underwent a surgical procedure on Monday to treat a benign kidney condition and will remain at Walter Reed medical center for the rest of the week, the first lady’s office said.

Christian News
Islamic Extremist Suicide Bomber Family Attacks Three Churches in East Java, Indonesia
Islamic extremists in Indonesia, including a family of suicide bombers that targeted three churches, launched multiple attacks yesterday and today that reportedly killed at least 12 people not including the assailants.