The Israeli government has designated nearly 2,000 acres in the West Bank as state-owned land in a move described by rights groups as the biggest land grab on occupied Palestinian territories in decades. The expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank is illegal under international law. In 2016, the …
Read More »Trump scores major election victory
Former President Donald Trump won a landslide victory in the first Republican primary of the 2024 presidential race, taking home three times more delegates than his closest opponent and over 50% of the popular vote. With more than 95% of the votes counted following Monday’s caucus in Iowa, Trump had …
Read More »Russia and Ukraine conduct major New Year’s prisoner exchange
The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that on Wednesday 248 of its service members have been released from Ukrainian captivity. Kiev has claimed that 230 of its personnel have been exchanged with Moscow. The swap of captured personnel was the result of a “complex negotiation process” facilitated by the “humanitarian mediation” of the United Arab …
Read More »Russian nuclear forces conduct major test
Russia has conducted a major exercise aimed at testing its strategic nuclear forces, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. The drills involved all three components of the nuclear triad: intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-armed submarines, and strategic bombers, the statement said. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, the drills focused on …
Read More »US warning Israel against major attack on Hezbollah – NYT
The administration of US President Joe Biden is trying to dissuade Israel from a large-scale attack on Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Islamist military group, fearing that it would throw the entire Middle East into turmoil, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing sources. According to US and Israeli officials interviewed …
Read More »Hamas launches major attack on Israel
Militants have launched rockets from Gaza into southern and central Israel on Saturday morning, the IDF said. At least five people have reportedly been killed. “Hamas carried out a combined operation involving rocket fire and infiltrations by terrorists into Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement. At least five …
Read More »US lawmakers propose major cut to Ukraine aid
The US Senate has reached a provisional deal on a spending bill needed to avert a federal budget crisis, with lawmakers agreeing to slash nearly $20 billion in proposed aid for Ukraine following push-back by some Republicans. The upper chamber ended debate on the budget legislation on Tuesday night, garnering …
Read More »The Last Crusade: How the conflict between Russia and the West has fueled a major split in the Orthodox Christian Church
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 2023 may go down in history as a …
Read More »Threat from the skies: India steps up the fight against a major space danger
A spectacular display of celestial fireworks? The momentous arrival of aliens? Or was it a work-in-progress sci-fi flick? These questions weighed heavily on many minds as Melbourne’s night sky lit up for almost a minute on the night of August 7. The flame raced across the sky before breaking into …
Read More »Russian central bank announces major interest rate hike
The Bank of Russia raised interest rates by 350 basis points to 12% at an emergency meeting on Tuesday in a bid to halt the rapid depreciation of the ruble against world currencies. “Inflationary pressure is building up… The decision is aimed at limiting price stability risks,” the regulator said …
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