Displaying items by tag: USA

Florida’s supreme court historically backed abortion rights, but now has more conservative justices. In a victory for abortion opponents, an appeals court overturned a judge’s ruling from January 2018 stating there was no need to make a person wait 24 hours before having an abortion. They argued that the law violates privacy rights and places roadblocks in the way of women seeking abortions. The 24-hour time gap will now give the person time to consider more deeply the act of abortion and ensure they give ‘informed consent’. This case could become a key test for anti-abortion lobbyists.

Hollywood might seem like a spiritual wasteland, but faith is not absent from Tinseltown. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington lends his voice to ‘The Bible Experience,’ an audio Bible featuring top African-American stars. Tyler Perry, Hollywood's current golden boy writer and actor, is against filmmakers who keep their faith ‘in the closet’. Patricia Heaton, a winner of two Emmys, is not shy about making her faith or her opinions heard, including advocating on behalf of an anti-abortion group. Mel Gibson’s film ‘Passion of the Christ’ changed Hollywood attitudes, waking up producers to the box-office potential of Christian audiences. Multibillionaire oilman Philip Anschutz bankrolls some of the most critically-acclaimed and financially successful Christian ethos films of recent years, including ‘Ray’ and ‘The Chronicles of Narnia'.

Last week we prayed for God to direct the UK’s defence ministry and the Royal Navy as they organise safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, either individually or in groups. This week the foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced, ‘The Royal Navy will join a US-led taskforce to protect merchant ships travelling in the Gulf.’ The decision goes against plans laid out by his predecessor, Jeremy Hunt, for a European-led mission in the area which was not favoured by some European countries invited to participate. The US/UK move comes amid growing tensions between the two western powers and Iran over the shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.

On 29 July Iran said that talks with the USA would be possible if based on an agenda that could lead to tangible results, but Washington is not seeking dialogue. Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, appealed to Mr Trump to ignore the advice of his hawkish advisers and seek a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Iran. Mr Trump has occasionally expressed interest in negotiations, but will not ease sanctions on Iran. Recently France, Italy, and Denmark gave support for a British plan for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. On 31 July Britain invited military representatives of the US and other countries to a meeting in Bahrain to discuss this initiative. See

The U.S. charge d’affaires in Kyiv has condemned Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine after reports of deadly attacks on medical personnel and called on Moscow and the “forces it backs” to end the fighting “immediately.”

“Attacks by Russia-led forces on medical personnel show a complete lack of respect for human life, international standards, and the Minsk agreements," William B. Taylor said on July 2 in a statement on the embassy's Facebook page.

“We call on Russia and the forces it backs to end the fighting immediately, protect civilians and humanitarian personnel, and withdraw armed forces and weapons,” he wrote.

Taylor is the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was brought back to serve as charge d’affaires in Kyiv last year.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry on July 1 said one of its soldiers was killed after Russia-backed separatists opened fire at a medical vehicle in the eastern region of Donetsk.

The ministry said two other servicemen -- a soldier and a military physician -- were injured in the anti-tank-missile attack on July 1. Officials said that the medical specialist died later from wounds at the hospital.

The Defense Ministry said on July 2 that separatist fighters violated a cease-fire 25 times in a 24-hour period, using 120- and 82-millimeter mortars that are banned under the Minsk peace agreements.

The ministry said Ukrainian armed forces had killed three separatists and wounded five others.

Separatists in Donetsk said one of their fighters had been killed and another one wounded by Ukrainian armed forces.

Since April 2014, some 13,000 people have been killed in fighting between Kyiv's forces and the separatists who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Cease-fire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have contributed to a decrease in fighting but have failed to hold.

A new cease-fire agreement was reached on March 8, but both sides have accused each other of repeated violations since then.

On July 1, Ukraine's embassy to Britain posted on Twitter the photos of the nine Ukrainian soldiers it said were killed by "Russia-led forces in occupied Donbas" in June, referring to the areas under separatist control.

With reporting by Interfax for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

More at: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-envoy-demands-russia-forces-it-backs-immediately-end-fighting-in-eastern-ukraine/30033542.html?ltflags=mailer

Pray: For a lasting cease-fire agreement.
Pray: For a long term negotiated resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Pray: That Russia would withdraw its support and involvement with the separatist forces.

Currently events in the gulf are operating just below the threshold of all-out war between Iran and the UK/USA over the Straits of Hormuz. On 24 July Al-Jazeera reported that President Rouhani has suggested that, if the United Kingdom releases its tanker seized off the coast of Gibraltar earlier this month, his country will return a British-flagged vessel it apprehended last week. Rouhani made the purported offer during a weekly cabinet meeting, assuring an ‘appropriate response from Iran’ if the UK stepped away from the ‘wrong actions in Gibraltar’. Boris Johnson will immediately have to deal with the crisis over Iran and the deployment of a European-led maritime protection mission which the previous Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced on 22 July. Six tankers have been sabotaged in six weeks: see

In 2003 the Americans left Saudi Arabia, but now hundreds of American troops will deploy to an airbase outside Riyadh as tensions spike between Iran and its allies and the Trump administration and crown prince Mohammad bin Salman. The deployment of American troops in the kingdom was never popular with Saudis, and comes as their Arab allies desert the crown prince’s war in Yemen. Bringing the Americans back now underscores the king’s deep concern about the regional situation. The American violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action last year, a move Riyadh encouraged, has set Washington and Tehran on a collision course. Iran cannot allow its oil exports to be curbed by sanctions. The government-controlled Saudi press has openly called for American military action in response to Iranian attacks on oil tankers.

Donald Trump’s administration has proposed a rule to tighten food stamp restrictions that would cut about 3.1 million people from the programme. Currently 43 US states allow residents automatically to become eligible for food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if they receive benefits from another programme, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - TANF. The proposal, which would save the government $2.5bn a year, requires people receiving TANF to pass an income and assets review to determine eligibility for SNAP. Trump said many Americans now using SNAP do not need it, given the strong economy and low unemployment, and should be removed to save taxpayers $15bn. At present SNAP provides free food to 40 million, 12% of the total population. Last year a Trump-backed effort to pass restrictions through a farm bill was blocked by Congress, following a month-long, partisan debate.

A leaked email to the press from the UK’s ambassador in Washington described the White House as ‘uniquely dysfunctional and divided under Trump’. The UK government began an inquiry while President Trump verbally attacked Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch and Theresa May. Next, Sir Kim was disinvited to Washington’s diplomatic functions even though Teresa May said she had full faith in him. Sir Kim has now resigned, saying, ‘The current situation makes it impossible for me to carry out my role.’ Many believe the diplomatic telegrams were leaked to British media by sympathisers of Donald Trump who wanted to embarrass the ambassador. Many expect the White House to take credit for Sir Kim’s resignation, implying that the British do what the US wants them to do. It reinforces the feeling that ‘other ambassadors need to be careful with what they say - if it's leaked, they won't get their government’s support.’ Liam Fox said the leak was unprofessional, unethical, unpatriotic and whoever did it had maliciously ‘undermined the defence and security relationship with the US’

President Hassan Rouhani has said that on 7 July his country would exceed the 3.67% uranium enrichment limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal by ‘as much as necessary, as much as we need’. Iran will reverse this action if the other parties to the deal - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia - abide by their commitments. The agreed enrichment limit is sufficient for power generation, but far below the 90% level needed to manufacture nuclear weapons. Rouhani also said Iran would restart construction of a heavy water reactor, and bring it to the condition that ‘according to you, is dangerous and can produce plutonium’. Iran has often threatened such action unless it gets some relief from the sanctions imposed on the country. The five other signatories of the deal are struggling to keep it afloat after US president Donald Trump walked out of it last year.