The administration of Donald Trump has informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it remains committed to securing the return of the final deceased Israeli hostage and to disarming Hamas, but will not make either a precondition for launching phase two of its Gaza peace plan, according to a Times of Israel exclusive.

Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a sweeping presidential memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 entities tied to the United Nations, in a major escalation of his “America First” agenda.

Fire safety inspections had not been carried out for several years at the Swiss mountain bar where a New Year’s party blaze killed 40 people and injured at least 116 others, local authorities confirmed Wednesday, as investigators widened a criminal probe into the tragedy.

The United States on Wednesday signaled to Russia and other powers that it intends to assert control over Venezuela and its oil sector by seizing two sanctioned tankers and unveiling a plan to channel Venezuelan crude sales through U.S.-approved mechanisms.

Russia and the United States edged closer to confrontation after U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, prompting sharp protests from Moscow and assertive statements from senior U.S. officials.

Questions have been raised about Italian security arrangements after pro-Palestinian protesters physically blocked passengers from boarding a flight to Tel Aviv at Milan’s main airport, forming a human barrier at the gate and delaying the departure for more than two hours.

New Year celebrations for Pakistan’s Christian minority have been overshadowed by the killing of a Christian father of three, the vandalism of a church, and renewed fears that strict Islamic blasphemy laws could fuel further violence against religious minorities.

Russia and the United States edged closer to confrontation after U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, prompting sharp protests from Moscow and assertive statements from senior U.S. officials.

At least 11 Christians were killed and 18 others seriously wounded when a drone operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) struck civilians traveling to Christmas celebrations in South Kordofan state on Dec. 25, according to local sources.

A Christian pastor was seriously injured after being attacked by a group of Muslim assailants wielding sharp objects in eastern Uganda, according to an exclusive report by Morning Star News.