A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – The White House is actively considering a bold plan to turn over a big chunk of the U.S. war in Afghanistan to private contractors in an effort to turn the tide in a stalemated war, according to the former head of a security firm pushing the project.

Under the proposal, 5,500 private contractors, primarily former Special Operations troops, would advise Afghan combat forces. The plan also includes a 90-plane private air force that would provide air support in the nearly 16-year-old war against Taliban insurgents, Erik Prince, founder of the Blackwater security firm, told USA TODAY.

The unprecedented proposal comes as the U.S.-backed Afghan military faces a stalemate in the war and growing frustration by President Trump about the lack of progress in the war. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – At least 11 people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church service in southern Nigeria today that apparently was rooted in a conflict with a relative of one of the parishioners, authorities said.

At least 18 others were injured in the shooting at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Amakwa Ozobulu, near Onitsha of Ekwusigo Local Government Area (LGA) in tiny Anambra state, a state official said.

A police statement emailed to Morning Star News stated that “unknown gunmen” attacked. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Pentagon is considering a plan that allows the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes on ISIS in the Philippines, two defense officials told NBC News.

The authority to strike ISIS targets as part of collective self-defense could be granted as part of an official military operation that may be named as early as Tuesday, said the officials. The strikes would likely be conducted by armed drones.

If approved, the U.S. military would be able to conduct strikes against ISIS targets in the Philippines that could be a threat to allies in the region, which would include the Philippine forces battling ISIS on the ground in the country’s southern islands. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Central African Republic risks plunging deeper into a humanitarian crisis if the international community fails to respond to growing violence, said UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien on Monday.

“Violence is intensifying, risking a repeat of the devastating destructive crisis that gripped the country four years ago,” O’Brien told a special UN briefing. “The early warning signs of genocide are there. We must act now.”

Sectarian violence has plagued the nation since 2013, when an alliance of Muslim-majority rebel groups known as the Seleka overthrew then-President Francois Bozize. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday he believed his U.S. colleagues were ready to continue dialogue with Moscow on complex issues despite bilateral tensions.

Lavrov, who met U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of an international gathering in Manila, said the first thing that Tillerson asked about was Russia’s retaliation to new U.S. sanctions against Moscow.

“He was primarily interested … in details of those decisions that we grudgingly made in response to the law on anti-Russian sanctions,” Lavrov said. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Ohio State’s College of Engineering have developed a new technology, Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT), that can generate any cell type of interest for treatment within the patient’s own body. This technology may be used to repair injured tissue or restore function of aging tissue, including organs, blood vessels, and nerve cells.

Results of the regenerative medicine study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

“By using our novel nanochip technology, injured or compromised organs can be replaced. We have shown that skin is a fertile land where we can grow the elements of any organ that is declining,” said Dr. Chandan Sen, director of Ohio State’s Center for Regenerative Medicine & Cell Based Therapies, who co-led the study with L. James Lee, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering with Ohio State’s College of Engineering in collaboration with Ohio State’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A long-simmering dispute between two top White House aides has boiled into a public battle over the direction of US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, with a cadre of conservative groups pushing for the ouster of national security adviser H.R. McMaster.

In recent days, conservative groups and a website tied to Trump adviser Steve Bannon have targeted McMaster as insufficiently supportive of Israel and insufficiently tough toward Iran. They’ve expressed outrage about the firings of several aides regarded as sympathetic to their views. An online campaign — under the hashtag #FireMcMaster — prompted Trump to declare his support for his adviser.

In a volley of attacks from right-wing media, McMaster has been accused of being anti-Israel, having a short temper and collaborating with Obama-era officials. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Following a meeting between top Hamas officials and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday, a joint statement was released saying, “We concluded that it’s time to turn a new leaf in order to address our shared enemy.”

The delegation of Hamas officials included Saleh al-Arouri, the military commander who oversees West Bank terror cells. He is believed to have orchestrated the kidnapping of three Israeli teens in 2014.

Al-Arouri left Qatar in early June, following requests by Qatari officials that Hamas leadership leave the country. The Qatari decision came after its diplomatic breakdown with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, who accused Qatar of supporting terrorism. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Arab League is working to undermine Israel’s bid to win a seat on the UN Security Council next year, the Hebrew news site Walla reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed Israeli diplomatic official.

The official said Israel was “concerned” by the Arab League’s activities and would take steps to counter them.

Israel is the only country in the Middle East never to have held a Security Council seat. The 10 non-permanent spots — which are two-year terms — on the 15-member council (the five permanent members are the US, UK, France, Russia, and China, all of which have veto power) are allocated in accordance with regional blocs. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed Monday to intensify coordination against possible future Israeli “challenges” to al-Aksa Mosque, said PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

Maliki, at the close of the king’s first visit to Ramallah in five years, said a joint working group was being formed to focus on issues related to protecting the mosque, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The two sides also discussed the need to advance stalled Middle East peace efforts, according to Jordan’s official Petra news agency. [ Source (Read More…) ]