News Round Up and Comment

It was another week of abundant news stories and Jim was ready to present them to you from a Christian perspective. Here's a sample from the broadcast: --President Trump has insisted that the U.S. maintains total control of the Strait of Hormuz. --The U.S. has publicly rejected Israeli Defense Minister Katz's declaration that Israeli troops will remain in Southern Lebanon for the long term. --U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. military will finish withdrawing its troops from Iraq by the end of September. --A Syrian court sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Asaad and his younger brother to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria's 14 year conflict that left about half a million people dead. --The Trump administration has reached an agreement with Syria and Israel for the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove nuclear material stored at a covert site in Syria. --Pakistan's defense minister has called for Islamic nations to set aside their differences and join Islamabad's defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey to form a military alliance along the lines of NATO. --Colombia has become the second nation to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. --The U.S. Senate adjourned last weekend after a long night of votes in a debate that resulted in a failure to pass the Save America Act. --Senate Majority Leader John Thune sent the Senate home for 37 days yet scheduled 11 pro forma sessions to block President Trump from making any recess appointments.