US Treasury, UAE sanction Iran money exchange network

(Worthy News) – The US Treasury on Thursday said it had sanctioned six individuals and three entities accused of funneling “hundreds of millions” of dollars to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Al Quds Force (IRGC-QF).

In Washington, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin accused “the Iranian regime and its Central Bank” of misusing banking access in the UAE to acquire US dollars to fund the IRGC-QF’s “malign activities, and to arm its “regional proxy groups.”

They had concealed the acquisition of funds and transfers, Mnuchin asserted, adding that the treasury was acting with the UAE. [ Source: Deutche Welle (Read More…) ]

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Congress releases every Russian Facebook ad that ran during election

(Worthy News) – House lawmakers released the thousands of Facebook ads Russian operatives used to sow division in the U.S. before and after the 2016 election, ranging from blatant political messages to lighthearted memes.

Why it matters: Americans have heard for months about the Russian ad campaign — from political leaders, the media and office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller — but they haven’t been able to see its full breadth until now.

The release of more than 3,500 ads, which appeared on both Facebook and Instagram, shows in sweeping details what the campaign looked like and how it was targeted at unsuspecting Americans. [ Source: Axios (Read More…) ]

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UN takes first step toward landmark global environmental pact

(Worthy News) – The UN General Assembly on Thursday voted through a resolution establishing a framework for a global pact for the environment, an initiative put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron last September.

The resolution asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to create a working group that is to identify, assess and come up with potential remedies for possible gaps in existing international environmental law. Its report is due to be presented to the General Assembly session starting in September.

The global pact is intended to be the first international legally binding agreement to gather and harmonize all environmental laws in one document, according to the French permanent mission to the UN. [ Source: Deutche Welle (Read More…) ]

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White House Examining Plan to Help Iranian People Oppose Regime

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration is examining a new plan to help Iranians fighting the hardline regime in Iran following America’s exit from the landmark nuclear deal and reimposition of harsh economic sanctions that could topple a regime already beset by protests and a crashing economy, according to a copy of the plan obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

The three-page white paper being circulated among National Security Council officials in the White House offers a strategy by which the Trump administration can actively work to assist an already aggravated Iranian public topple the hardline ruling regime through a democratization strategy that focuses on driving a deeper wedge between the Iranian people and the ruling regime.

The plan, authored by the Security Studies Group, or SSG, a national security think-tank that has close ties to senior White House national security officials, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, seeks to reshape longstanding American foreign policy toward Iran by emphasizing an explicit policy of regime change, something the Obama administration opposed when popular protests gripped Iran in 2009. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]

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Hamas terror chief hopes to see hundreds of thousands storm Israel-Gaza fence

(Worthy News) – The Gaza leader of Hamas said Thursday he hopes to see hundreds of thousands of Palestinians breach the border fence from Gaza into Israel at protests to coincide with next week’s US embassy move to Jerusalem.

In his first major briefing to international media since becoming head of the Gaza terror group in 2017, Yahya Sinwar implied he would like to see thousands of Palestinians crossing into Israel as part of the culmination of more than a month of protests.

Asked what he wanted to see from protests on Monday and Tuesday, Sinwar pointed out Israel has never specifically defined its borders. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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School District Accused of Punishing LGBT Students By Forcing Them to Read the Bible

(Worthy News) – An Oregon school district is accused of forcing LGBTQ students to read the Bible for punishment.

The allegations are detailed in a March 6 letter from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to North Bend School District Superintendent Bill Yester. The letter claims that a building administrator demanded that LGBTQ students read the Bible as a form of punishment.

The World reported Tuesday that the North Bend School District initially denied the allegations. However, the administrator involved in the case later admitted in an interview with state officials that the claims were true. [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

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4 Christians Serving 10-Year Prison Sentence in Iran Lose Appeal

(Worthy News) – Four Christians found guilty of acting against Iran’s national security have lost an appeal against their prison sentence.

In May 2016, security agents raided the homes of Yousef Nadarkhani, Mohammadreza Omidi, Yasser Mossayebzadeh and Saheb Fadaie in Rasht, a city some 200 miles northwest of Iran’s capital city Tehran.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the men were charged with being a threat to Iran’s national security and accused of promoting “Zionist Christianity”. [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

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‘Operation House of Cards,’ the IAF mission to cripple Iran’s presence in Syria

(Worthy News) – During two pre-dawn hours, Israeli F-15 and F-16 fighter jets evaded “dozens of missiles” and dropped “many dozens” of bombs on over 50 Iranian targets throughout Syria as the Israel air force carried out an extensive campaign, dubbed “Operation House of Cards,” to try and destroy Iran’s military presence in the country.

The mission — the largest air campaign carried out by Israel in Syria in over 40 years — was “very successful,” a senior air force officer said Thursday, but warned that Israel believes that Iranian forces in Syria are still in possession of surface-to-surface missiles that could again be fired at Israel.

In light of that threat, the Israeli military remained on high alert on Thursday evening. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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Trump readies crackdown on foreign ‘freeloading’ in bid to lower prescription drug prices

(Worthy News) – President Trump is set to propose the most comprehensive plan to tackle prescription drug prices in history, the White House boasted Thursday, setting a high bar for an upcoming address in which Mr. Trump plans to put “American patients first” by cracking down on “freeloading” by foreign nations and requiring Medicare to give a leg up to seniors.

Senior administration officials say developed nations tamp down drug prices for their own citizens, knowing they can rely on Americans to subsidize the costly research that goes into developing life-savings cures here at home.

Yet Mr. Trump, who just rattled Europeans by withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal, plans to lean on other nations again by outlining ways he can force foreign consumers to pay more in a major Friday address. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

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Israel, Cyprus, Greece push East Med gas pipeline to Europe

(Worthy News) – The leaders of Israel, Cyprus and Greece said Tuesday they are determined to push ahead with plans for a pipeline that would supply east Mediterranean gas to Europe as the continent seeks to diversify its supplies.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the East Med pipeline a “very serious endeavor” that was important for Europe, which is looking for new sources of energy.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said the three countries aim to sign an agreement this year to nudge the pipeline project forward. [ Source: Israel Hayom (Read More…) ]

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