Around the World
China Shuts Down US Consulate in Retaliatory Move
Chinese officials entered and took control of the U.S. Consulate in the city of Chengdu early on Monday, 72 hours after ordering its closure in retaliation for the U.S. decision to shut China’s consulate in Houston. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had called the mission in Houston a “hub of spying and intellectual property theft."
New poll shows global lack of confidence in government handling of COVID-19
A new survey has shown that citizens around the world are losing confidence in their governments over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Yahoo News reports. Publishing their report on Saturday, Kekst CNC communications consultancy said: "In most countries this month, support for national governments is falling." The survey came as officials reported over 280,000 daily new cases worldwide on both Thursday and Friday.
Ukraine, Pro-Russian Rebels Launch Tense Ceasefire
Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists began a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Monday as part of efforts to end their six-year conflict.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel, Hezbollah trade fire in 'security incident' near Lebanese border
The Israeli military confirmed on Monday there had been a "security incident" on the country's northern border with Lebanon and said its forces were engaged in "ongoing combat" with Hezbollah militants.

Inside the United States
CDC: COVID-Involved Deaths Increased in Weeks Ending July 4 and July 11--But Still 77.5% Below April Peak
After falling for ten straight weeks, COVID-involved deaths in the United States began rising again during the week that ended on July 4 and continued to rise in the week that ended on July 11, according to data published by the CDC.
George Soros contributes record $50M to back 2020 Democratic efforts
Liberal billionaire George Soros is breaking his own record by pouring more than $50 million into Democratic campaigns and causes just months before the November election.
Black Lives Matter's anti-police brutality crusade obscures violent, Marxist agenda
Beyond Black Lives Matter’s drive to eliminate police brutality is a far more extensive leftist ideology that would upend American economic and social life, according to an examination of BLM leaders’ writings and interviews.
Recent Supreme Court ruling being used to force hospital into performing transgender surgery
A recent US Supreme Court ruling has opened the door for a lawsuit that seeks to force a Catholic hospital to carry out transgender surgery, PJ Media reports. Brought by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Maryland lawsuit is relying on the case of Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) to make its case. In Bostock, Justice Neil Gorsuch led the Court’s four liberals to redefine a person’s “sex” as including transgender identity and sexual orientation. At the time of this ruling, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned that Gorsuch’s decision would pave the way for the kind of case that has now been filed.

Christian News
71% of churches meeting for in-person worship, study finds
For most U.S. congregations, in-person worship has returned to mid-March levels despite a nationwide rise in coronavirus cases, a new report says.
More than a thousand gather for religious service on California beach after church closures
More than a thousand people gathered on a beach in California to hold a worship service while churches are closed over coronavirus concerns.
Barclays bank closes account of Christian Charity that help people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction
The leading British bank Barclays has closed the account of a Christian charity which tries to help people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction, Premier Christian News reports.