WASHINGTON - Charlie Daniels started his music career in the 1950s as a studio session musician playing fiddle.  Charlie also wrote music, which has been recorded by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and many others.  Daniels’ 1979 hit, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” won the 1979 Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance.  Charlie […]

WHITE HOUSE - As Americans prepare to gather for their Thanksgiving Holiday, President Bush is reminding them to remember their blessings and help those in need. The president traveled to the nearby state of Virginia to make his point
Usually, the President of the United States marks Thanksgiving with a proclamation, perhaps a low-key visit to […]

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan
PAKISTAN (ANS) – Despite the killing of over 100 people during a showdown between the two cleric brothers and Pakistan military in Islamabad in July the Islamists’ zealous adherence to their declared agenda of Islamizing Pakistan shows no signs of abating.
The rising Islamic militancy […]

By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ANS) – The White House offered condolences to the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, and said that the United States Government has provided an initial contribution of 2.1 million dollars for emergency relief.
A statement from press secretary Dana Perino said that the USS Essex and […]

JERUSALEM - Israeli officials say the United States is pushing Israel to offer a key concession to the Palestinians as a long-waited peace conference approaches.  
Israeli officials say the United States is pressing Israel to declare a complete freeze on construction in West Bank settlements. Israeli officials say that message was delivered to aides of Prime […]

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Civil War hobbyist says he has found two never-before-seen and extremely rare photos of President Abraham Lincoln at the site where he delivered his historic Gettysburg Address.
John Richter says he found the images of Lincoln in two large crowd photos taken the day of the president’s speech, November 19, 1863.
The photos […]

Says Religious Liberty and the Democratic Process are in Grave Danger 
By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ANS) – Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) blasted Pakistan’s crackdown on human rights defenders.
Franks’ prepared remarks were made regarding the state of emergency declared by President Pervez Musharraf on Nov.3.
One of the human rights defenders targeted was […]

WHITE HOUSE - American lawmakers are divided over funding the war in Iraq. President Bush says opposition Democrats are endangering troops in the field by not passing his request for funding. Democrats say Mr. Bush and the Republicans are blocking efforts to change course in Iraq.
Senate Republicans on Friday blocked a Democratic bill that sought […]

NEW YORK - The Caspian region of Central Asia is home to some of the world’s largest oil and gas discoveries in recent decades.  A top U.S. diplomat says western countries are eager to expand capacity and production, and support plans to build a second pipeline in the region.  But Russia and Iran, which border […]

LONDON - The first permanent gallery devoted to London’s historic involvement in the transatlantic slave trade is now open. The Museum in Docklands opened the gallery to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s abolition of the slave trade. 
The trade in human misery lasted for more than 300 years and in its heyday it made London […]

CAPITOL HILL - The U.S. Senate has failed to approve additional funding that the Bush administration wants for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  
White House spokesman Tony Fratto criticized the Democratic-led Senate for not approving President Bush’s $196 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before lawmakers left on a two-week recess, and […]

WHITE HOUSE - The President and Mrs. Bush are encouraging more people to adopt children. They marked America’s National Adoption Day with a ceremony at the White House.
More than 100,000 American children are currently in foster care, and they wait an average of three years to find a family willing to adopt them.
Marking National Adoption […]

NEW DELHI - A powerful cyclone has battered Bangladesh, killing at least 240 people and causing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands. Officials say advance preparation saved many lives, in a country accustomed to natural disasters.
Officials say the cyclone crashed into the country’s southern coast Thursday night with winds of up to 240 kilometers an […]

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
LONDON, UK (ANS) – Prince Charles, (The Prince of Wales) and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a special thanksgiving service at one of London’s largest black majority churches, Jesus House, where he paid tribute to the contribution of black churches to their communities.  
“The service, which took place on Wednesday, […]

STATE DEPARTMENT - The United States says Iran has provided only partial answers to the International Atomic Energy Agency about its nuclear program and intentions. Bush administration officials say they intend to push for another U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution against Iran but acknowledge resistance from China.
The State Department says that while Iran has apparently […]

JERUSALEM - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for the overthrow of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules the Gaza Strip.  The call was made during a crackdown by Hamas against journalists and members of the rival Fatah faction in Gaza. 
Just days after Hamas militants fired on a large crowd commemorating the third anniversary […]

PENTAGON - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says Pentagon funding shortfalls resulting from congressional debate about the conduct of the Iraq war could result in difficulty supplying the troops and significant layoffs in his department.
Secretary Gates says there is a “serious misconception” in the Congress that he can move money among accounts in his department […]

WHITE HOUSE - President Bush says America’s new top law enforcement official will bring clear purpose and resolve to the Justice Department. Mr. Bush attended the ceremonial swearing-in of Attorney General Michael Mukasey.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the ceremonial swearing-in at the Justice Department’s Great Hall. While Mukasey has been in the job […]

CAPITOL HILL - The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has approved a measure to provide $50 billion in short-term funding for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation, which passed the House by a vote of218 to 203, now awaits a vote in the Senate where Republicans have predicted it will not pass, and […]

WASHINGTON - A U.S. senator is concerned that the United States has become a safe haven for people who have been involved in war crimes and human rights violations in other countries. Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and Assistant Majority Leader in the Senate, held a hearing Wednesday to consider how the United States […]

NEW YORK - A new study shows significant increases in foreign language study in the United States since 2002.
The survey by the Modern Language Association of America finds that the study of Arabic has increased a whopping 127 percent, and the number of schools offering Arabic study has doubled since the last nationwide survey in […]

ISTANBUL - Shimon Peres became the first Israeli head of state to address Turkey’s parliament Tuesday when he spoke in Ankara. Speaking optimistically about prospects for peace with the Palestinians, Mr. Peres was joined by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met in Ankara where they signed an agreement […]

Secret Document Reveals Chinese Government’s Campaign Against Unregistered Churches 
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
MIDLAND, TX (ANS) – Christian Aid Association (CAA), based in Midland, Texas, says it has recently received a secret document from a “reliable government source” showing the Chinese government has been launching a nationwide campaign against unregistered Christian churches since July […]

WASHINGTON - President Bush is pushing the U.S. Congress to give him the extra money he says is needed for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Democrats on Capitol Hill are citing new concerns about the cost of the conflicts.
The president has a pending request on Capitol Hill for $50 billion in additional military […]

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been placed under house arrest ahead of a planned protest march against the emergency law imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Ms. Bhutto today repeatedly called on General Musharraf to resign as president and army chief.
Ms. Bhutto has given mixed signals about whether she would work with […]