UK - The United Kingdom defended the actions of the Trump administration in Iran, saying the United States is “entitled to defend itself” against Iranian aggression and deploying the Royal Navy to the Persian Gulf to protect shipping vessels flying the British flag. The Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, expressed support for America’s decision to take out Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, citing the violence committed in Iraq by Iran-backed militias. “During the last few months US forces in Iraq, who are based in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, have been repeatedly attacked by Iranian-backed militia”, Wallace said, in comments reported by The Telegraph. “General Soleimani has been at the heart of the use of proxies to undermine neighbouring sovereign nations and target Iran’s enemies. Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to their citizens”, the Defence Secretary concluded.

IRAQ - Iraq has voted to ban US troops from the country following the killing of Iran’s top military official in Baghdad. The Iraqi parliament has passed legislation to “end the presence” of foreign troops in the region. The bill prohibits foreign troops from using “its land, airspace or water”. US troops had been in the region primarily in assisting the fight against Islamic State. The US has around 5,000 troops deployed in Iraq. Muqtada al-Sadr, the populist leader of the largest bloc in parliament, has called for stronger action against the US. In a letter to the assembly, he said: "I consider this a weak response insufficient against American violation of Iraqi sovereignty and regional escalation.”

IRAN - Iran has placed an $80 million bounty on American President Donald Trump’s head following the death of General Qassem Soleimani who was killed last week. Following the attack, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: “Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”

Later on Sunday, he added: “The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World!"

NIGERIA - The communications director of the Catholic diocese of Maiduguri in Nigeria has confirmed that a bride-to-be and her bridal party were beheaded December 26 while en route to the December 31 wedding. “They were beheaded by suspected Boko Haram insurgents at Gwoza on their way to her country home,” Father Francis Arinse told Catholic News Service (CNS), regarding the alleged murders of Martha Bulus and her bridal party. CNS reported further the alleged murders of Bulus and her bridal party occurred on the same day that 11 Christian aid workers had been murdered:

Several international media outlets reported December 26 that the Islamic State group released a video showing it had beheaded 10 Christians and shot an 11th December 26. The news agencies said they were unable to confirm the contents of the video but described the victims as men. IS said the beheadings were payback for the late-October killing of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghadi.

UK - Vegans in the UK emboldened by a landmark legal case earlier this week could fight in the courts to have the £5 note changed because it is made with animal derivatives. On Friday a tribunal judge in Norfolk found holding a belief in “ethical veganism” should be afforded the same protection under the Equality Act as that given to religious groups. The latest round of £5 notes caused outrage in 2016 after the Bank of England confirmed they were made with tallow, which is derived from animal fat. More than 135,000 people signed a petition calling for the fivers to be taken out of circulation after the truth about its properties came to light.

USA - There has never been a greater threat of terror attacks on US soil than there is right now. In the aftermath of the killing of Iranian military chief Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian leaders are vowing revenge. Many of the talking heads on television are speculating that Iran may hit American targets in the Middle East, but what they are forgetting is that Iranian-backed terror groups already have a substantial presence in North America. In particular, Hezbollah has been involved in the North American drug trade for a very long time.

USA - The 2020s may one day be called the “decade of insanity,” given all the insane things believed by a surprisingly large number of people. The frantic beliefs of these people are, of course, driving them to the brink of insanity. When the masses can be convinced that they are all going to die, they tend to become rather crazed and irrational. And that’s where we are today in America, no longer the “land of the free” but rather the “cesspool of the insane,” led by psycho-terrorism organizations known as CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times. We are now living in the Age of Insanity, and it’s not looking any better for 2020 and beyond.

USA - The Golden State has decided to scrap the First Amendment with the passage of a new resolution that forbids religious leaders from opposing homosexuality from the pulpit. Evan Low and three dozen other members of the California State Assembly were successful in passing ACR 99, as it’s officially called, which dictates that Christian pastors and others must affirm the religion of LGBTQ before their congregations, even when doing so violates their own beliefs and convictions. With the help of Dr Kevin Mannoia, Azusa Pacific University‘s current chaplain and the former head of the National Association of Evangelicals, ACR 99 passed with flying colors, effectively stamping out religious freedom in California with the stroke of a pen.

UK - Veganism is a philosophical belief and is therefore protected by law, an employment tribunal has ruled. The landmark case was brought by Jordi Casamitjana who said he was sacked by the League Against Cruel Sports after raising concerns its pension fund was being invested into companies involved in animal testing. He claims he was unfairly disciplined for making this disclosure and that the decision to dismiss him was because of his philosophical belief in ethical veganism.

AUSTRALIA - Tennis great and long-time gay rights activist Martina Navratilova has attacked Margaret Court’s views on transgender athletes, saying the sport shouldn’t feel the need to publicly recognise the Australian’s achievements in view of her beliefs. The 77-year-old, who won a record 24 Grand Slam tennis singles titles, made the comments while giving a sermon at her Victory Life Church in the Australian city of Perth.

ZIMBABWE - Millions of Zimbabweans pushed into hunger by prolonged drought and economic crisis face an increasingly desperate situation Zimbabwe has seen drastic price increases - bread now costs 20 times what it cost six months ago, while the price of maize has nearly tripled over the same period. This year’s maize harvest was down 50 percent on 2018, with overall cereal output less than half the national requirement. “As things stand, we will run out of food by end of February, coinciding with the peak of the hunger season – when needs are at their highest,” said Niels Balzer, WFP’s Deputy Country Director in Zimbabwe.

UK - The UK has prepared its military in the Middle East as fears of World War 3 heighten following Washington's airstrikes which killed Iranian General Qasem Soleiman. The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, wrote on Twitter: “The US' act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani — THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al — is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation."

USA - On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Ingraham Angle,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (Republican for Louisiana) stated that the strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Quds Force “sent a strong message to Iran and any other terrorists around the world, this is serious business. If you come after America, we’re going to come after you with lethal strength and overwhelming strength.” Scalise said, “He won’t be able to kill anybody else. Because he’s been taken out. President Trump, I think, has sent a strong message to Iran and any other terrorists around the world, this is serious business. If you come after America, we’re going to come after you with lethal strength and overwhelming strength.”

USA - Representative Michael Waltz (Republican for Florida) on Thursday called for more “force” to push back against Iran following the US Embassy attack in Iraq. Waltz applauded President Donald Trump’s actions thus far but said Iran needs to be held “directly accountable,” adding the best way to get a “bully” to stop is to fight back. “We need to hold Iran directly accountable whether that’s through cyber or through sanctions or through even more direct means, but Iran will not back down until – you know, it’s like a bully – until it’s faced with force, it’ll continue to do this,” Waltz told “Fox & Friends.”

IRAN - Iran was not seeking war but remained unafraid of any potential future conflict, a top Iranian commander said on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump said Tehran orchestrated anti-US protests in Iraq. Trump accused Iran of driving mass demonstrations at the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday and said Tehran would be held responsible.