Around the World
US Announces New Sanctions Against Syria
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Syria, tightening pressure on President Bashar al-Assad and his government, amid concerns the war-torn country’s population will suffer.
Turkey Eyes Libyan Bases for Lasting Military Foothold, Source Says
Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognized government are discussing possible Turkish use of two military bases in the North African country, a Turkish source said on June 15, with a view to a lasting Turkish presence in the south Mediterranean.
Hezbollah: US sanctions will “starve” Syria and Lebanon
The leader of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah said Tuesday that new US sanctions are intended to “starve” both Syria and Lebanon, the Times of Israel (ToI) reports.
North Korea Deploys Troops Amid Increasing Tensions with South Korea
A day after destroying an inter-Korean liaison office, North Korea continued to increase tensions with South Korea Wednesday, when Pyongyang announced it was sending troops to the Kaesong Industrial Zone and to Mt. Kumgang, both areas that had once been the sites of joint economic ventures between the two countries, UPI reported. The move follows two weeks of Pyongyang making angry threats against Seoul because Northern defectors have been sending balloons with information leaflets over the border.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu's new idea: Sovereignty in 2 stages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told various officials over the past few days that he is considering a two-stage plan to implement Israel's declaration of sovereignty in the Jordan Valley parts of Judea and Samaria.
Boris Johnson: Israel’s planned annexation breaches international law
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank would “amount to a breach of international law.”
Archaeologists briefly pause Jerusalem dig in fear of damage to ancient road
The Israel Antiquities Authority briefly halted an underground excavation in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem due to fears of a structural collapse in the area, according to a Monday report in Haaretz. According to the report the authority made the decision after finding out the land around the dig was sinking.

Inside the United States
Republican U.S. Senator Scott unveils police reforms, Democrats push for broader changes
U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a law enforcement reform bill on Wednesday as a rival to more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress sought to curb racial discrimination and police abuses three weeks after the death of George Floyd.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to review Keystone Pipeline ruling
The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal judge’s decision and grant a permit to allow the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to continue.
Supreme Court decision ignites religious liberty battle
Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County, a Supreme Court decision extending employment protections to gay and transgender people, kicks off a new religious liberty battle.

Christian News
U.S. State Park Bans Blind Woman For Evangelism
Authorities in the U.S. state of Rhode Island have banned a blind woman from a public park and library for speaking about her faith in Christ, her lawyers confirmed Wednesday.
UK Parliamentary Report Warns of Christian Genocide in Nigeria
Thousands of Christians in Nigeria have been murdered by Muslim militants in recent years, and now a UK parliamentary report has warned of an "unfolding genocide" in the African state, Christian Today reports. The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG-FoRB) said in its report that armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen have caused “untold human and economic devastation” for Christian farming communities.