Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that his contacts with U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his administration had “inspired hope” as both sides began talks on how to restore relations and end the war in Ukraine.

Massive protests were underway in Greece on Friday on the second adversary of the nation’s deadliest train crash after a report blamed human error, outdated infrastructure, and significant systemic failures for the head-on collision killing 57 people.

Two young men in Indonesia’s strict Islamic-ruled Aceh province were publicly caned Thursday after an Islamic Shariah court convicted them of having sex with each other, witnesses said.

Poland’s Supreme Court has thrown out an appeal by the Swedish furniture giant IKEA against a Christian employee who was fired for criticizing the LGBTQ+ movement quoting the Bible.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned Wednesday that Iran had accelerated its production of near-weapons-grade uranium amid mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump effectively launched a trade war against the European Union, saying the 27-nation bloc was formed “to screw” the United States and that he seeks to introduce 25 percent tariffs on imported EU goods.

While hosting the first Cabinet meeting since his recent inauguration, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that war-torn Ukraine “could forget about” joining the NATO military alliance.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has survived a vote of no confidence in parliament over his controversial deal with China, which protesters said threatened the country’s future as a “Christian nation.”

European Union leaders are preparing an emergency summit after Germany’s likely new chancellor suggested that the transatlantic NATO military alliance may effectively collapse by June.

Iran has reportedly put its defense systems around its nuclear sites on high alert amid fears of an imminent attack by Israel and the United States.

With the ceasefire at risk due to Hamas’ refusal to release hostages, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have raised readiness levels in the Southern Command and postponed leave for combat soldiers and operational units, the Israeli military announced Monday night.

President Donald Trump warned Hamas on Monday, demanding the release of all hostages in Gaza by noon Saturday. “If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock — I think it’s an appropriate time — I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump stated, threatening to cancel the ceasefire deal.

In a warning to Israel, Egypt announced Sunday that it would host “an emergency Arab summit” this month to discuss what it called “serious” developments for Palestinians.

President Trump expressed frustration with the Israel-Hamas ceasefire after footage showed gaunt and frail Israeli hostages being released, comparing their appearance to Holocaust survivors. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he warned, “At some point, we’re gonna lose our patience.”

Iran’s supreme leader has appeared to condemn United States President Donald J. Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to take over Gaza and turn it into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), following the Trump Administrations withdrawal from the Council this past Tuesday . Saar accused the council of systematic bias against Israel while neglecting real human rights issues worldwide.

Jordan is reportedly preparing for war with Israel if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to expel Palestinians into its territory.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Tuesday restricting transgender drugs and surgeries for minors.

President Donald Trump’s first week in office has seen US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal partner agencies arrest more than 3,500 undocumented migrants, including dozens of members of the notoriously criminal Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

In a move that may significantly broaden religious rights in America, the US Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from an Oklahoma Catholic school that seeks to become the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school, the Hill reports.

Blocking government funding for abortions both in the US and abroad, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump on Friday reinstated the Mexico City Policy and the Hyde Amendment.

President Trump is implementing a significant restructuring of the U.S. military through three executive orders, addressing those thrown out for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine, banning transgender service members, and banning the use of “invented and identification-based pronouns.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott surged additional Texas military resources to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) to assist President Donald Trump with his border security efforts.

The national debt continues to rise at a breakneck pace, with Americans bearing a greater and greater debt burden.

While Christians in northern Nigeria remain extremely vulnerable to killings and kidnapping by Islamic terrorists, especially Fulani militant herdsmen, two abducted pastors were released from captivity on January 5, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Amid a surge in persecution against Christians in India, believers are rejoicing that a pastor and his wife were released on bail after 20 months in prison on false charges of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity, Global Christian Relief (GCR) reports.

A Christian woman in India’s Odisha state is recovering after she was stripped naked and brutalized until she blacked out by Hindu nationalists enraged at her faith in Christ, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Investigators demanded Friday that Nigeria’s government ends “the reign of terror” against Christian communities after scores of Christians were killed by Islamic fighters in the last days of 2024.

Numerous Christians in and around Los Angeles were preparing to pray Sunday without a church building as many houses of worship were destroyed in the American city’s worst wildfires on record.

Nearly 400 Christian leaders and 30 church groups have urged India’s government to defend the Christian minority after hundreds of attacks against Christians, including more than a dozen around Christmas.

Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau state have been warned to spend the next few weeks on high alert against attacks by Fulani radicalized Islamic herdsmen as three more believers were murdered on Monday (January 6), bringing the number of such killings to 11 since early December, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.