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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MOSCOW/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia faced major Ukrainian assaults Friday, with Kyiv determined to bring the war to Russian territory more than two years after Moscow invaded Ukraine, triggering Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War Two. On Friday, Russia began evacuating people from parts of its western region of Lipetsk after a “massive attack” by Ukrainian drones, regional governor Igor Artamonov said. He wrote on social media early Friday that Lipetsk had “been subjected to a massive UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] attack.” He later reported explosions “far from civilian buildings” and damage to a local power facility. At least six people were injured, he said. Shortly afterward, Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti and TASS news agencies reported a fire had broken out at a military airfield outside Lipetsk, with a population of about half a million people. However, Artamonov denied reports on social media that the entire city was evacuated, calling it “Ukrainian psychological warfare.” VILLAGES EVACUATED Lipetsk lies about 460 kilometers (286 miles) south of Moscow and about 300 kilometers (190 miles) from Ukraine’s eastern border. Four villages were evacuated after a local emergency was declared in the Lipetsk municipal district. It came as elsewhere, Russian troops battled to push back Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region on the fourth day of one of the largest cross-border incursions of the war. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian military and border guards have blocked Ukrainian forces from pushing deeper into the region in southwestern Russia. It added that the army is attacking Ukrainian fighters trying to advance into the area from Ukraine’s Sumy region. “Attempts by individual units to break through deep into the territory in the Kursk direction are being suppressed,” the ministry said. TROOPS ADVANCING Ukrainian troops had advanced as much as 15 kilometers (9 miles) into Russian territory, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank. Kyiv has defended its tactics after Russia made gains on the battlefields. However, the clashes highlighted international concerns about a broader conflict involving the U.S. and Russia, both nuclear-armed nations. In a clear warning to the U.S. and allies supporting Ukraine, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in recent days it initiated a third and “final phase” of drills to practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. The exercises are being done in conjunction with Belarus, which has since last year played host to Russian tactical nuclear arms, raising concerns within the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. It came as Ukraine received its first deliveryof U.S. F16 fighter jets that Kyiv says are needed to protect its airspace against Russian missiles and drones. The post Ukraine Attacking Russia Amid Nuclear Worries appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. broadcaster ABC says both former U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have agreed to a September 10 televised presidential debate. It sets up the first face-off between the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. The announcement Thursday came shortly after Trump told a news conference that he had proposed three presidential debates with three television networks, saying he agreed to specific September dates. “We think we should do three debates,” Trump said, suggesting two additional debates, which he said would be hosted by Fox News and NBC, respectively. Harris confirmed that she will attend the ABC debate at an event in Michigan on Thursday and later said she would be open to additional debates. The network said the debate will be moderated by World News Tonight anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis. “I am looking forward to debating Donald Trump, and we have a date on September 10. I hear he’s finally committed to it, and I’m looking forward to it,” Harris said at the event in Detroit. Trump, the Republican candidate, debated President Joe Biden once in June. The two were slated to do so again on 10 September, but the frail Biden withdrew from the presidential race after a disastrous performance against Trump in the televised matchup. That enabled Harris to become the Democratic nominee. The post ABC Says Trump, Harris Debate On September 10 appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News TEHRAN/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – American authorities remained on high alert Friday after reports that Iran or its proxies tried to transport “operatives, money or materials” into the United States to conduct a terrorist attack. Worthy News learned that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency is alerting all field offices about Iranian efforts to cross through the southern or northern U.S. borders in a memo. The memo from the CBP’s Office of Field Operations agency urges staff to take a “heightened posture due to ongoing security threats,” added the well-informed Just the News outlet. It suggests that a recent coordinated attack from Iran-backed Hezbollah on the Israel-controlled Golan Heights soccer field that killed 12 children raised the threat of similar attacks against the West, including the U.S. Israel’s assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran was also cited in the alert “The seniority of the targets, the sensitive locations of the strikes, and their near simultaneity represents an escalation in tension in the region and raises concerns of additional reprisals from Iran and its regional proxies,” the memo explains. News about the memo comes as the United States has warned Iran of severe consequences if the Islamic Republic attacks Israel. Some dozen U.S. warships and air carriers are in the area to support Israel, officials say, amid concerns that a broader regional war will break out involving Iran, Israel, and Lebanon. The post Memo: ‘Iran Preparing Terror Attack In US’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have declined U.S. requests to contribute troops to a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza, Israeli and Arab sources say. In reported remarks about their opposition, Amman, Doha, and Riyadh said they fear that the troops would be seen as “protecting Israel from the Palestinians.” Worthy News learned Thursday that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are willing to participate in the effort. However, Jordan has to negotiate a delicate balancing act. With one in five people in Jordan, including the queen, of Palestinian descent, the desire for Palestinian statehood is close to the hearts of locals. The country’s rulers often speak out on the issue. Experts say Jordan is closer to Israel and the U.S. than many locals realize. PEACE AGREEMENT In 1994, Jordan signed a peace agreement with Israel. Behind the scenes, the two nations worked together on security-related issues, such as safety at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Fast-forward to 2021, when the U.S. and Jordan entered a defense cooperation agreement allowing U.S. forces, vehicles, and aircraft to enter and move around Jordan freely. In April this year, when Jordan allegedly helped shoot down Iranian missiles crossing its airspace heading toward Israel, locals saw it as a betrayal. Jordan maintains diplomatic relations with Tehran, but these tend to be chilly. Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, recently visited Iran to discuss escalating tensions in the region, a rare occasion in diplomacy to end Europe’s longest war. The post Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia Halt Peace Mission In Gaza appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israel’s security cabinet convened Thursday night in Tel Aviv’s underground command room, as the country braced for a potential Hezbollah attack from Lebanon. This marked the first meeting there since the April 13-14 incident when Iran launched 300 missiles and drones at Israel, nearly all of which were intercepted. The meeting took place in “the pit,” Israel’s underground command room, in order to drill for a potential war breaking out, as Israel braces for a possible retaliatory attack from Iran and its proxies following recent high-profile assassinations in Beirut and Tehran. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a rare warning to the Lebanese people in Arabic, stating that Israel will “fight Hezbollah with all its might” if the group continues to escalate tensions. Gallant emphasized Israel’s desire for peace and stability on both sides of the northern border but made it clear, “If Hezbollah continues its aggression, Israel will fight it with all its might.” رسالة وزير الأمن الإسرائيلي لأهل لبنان pic.twitter.com/qEZVSJOfb7 — יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) August 8, 2024 Israel has warned Hezbollah and Iran that any harm to Israeli civilians would cross a red line, triggering a disproportionate response, according to Channel 12. The network also reported that Israel is prepared to counter rockets and missiles, as well as prevent any cross-border incursions by land or sea. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav urged residents to stock up on food and water, warning they may need to stay in shelters for four to six days if Hezbollah attacks. He noted that Hezbollah’s arsenal is significantly more advanced than during the Second Lebanon War 18 years ago, with the group now equipped with highly precise missiles. “They are expected to fire 4,000 missiles at us daily,” Yahav stated. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Israel’s defense establishment is ready to respond to any attack with “highly significant action” wherever necessary—”not just in Lebanon.” Several outlets reported that CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla visited Israel on Thursday for the second time in less than a week. The United States Central Command announced Thursday that US Air Force F-22 fighter jets have joined the already bolstered U.S. military presence in the region. This deployment is part of adjustments to U.S. force posture aimed at addressing threats from Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist proxy groups. The post Israel’s Security Cabinet Convenes Amid Warning to Hezbollah of ‘Destruction’ if Attacked appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Biden Administration has cautioned Iran that its newly elected government and economy could face severe consequences if it launches a major attack against Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported. Following the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran, Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel. The Biden administration is urging Iran, its allies, and Israel to avoid military actions that could heighten regional tensions, aiming to support a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. “The United States has sent clear messaging to Iran that the risk of a major escalation if they do a significant retaliatory attack against Israel is extremely high,” an official told the Wall Street Journal. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the U.S. has directly conveyed a “message directly to Iran”, although he did not disclose specifics. U.S. officials lack clear insights into the scope and timing of a potential Iranian response, unlike before Iran’s April 13 missile and drone attack on Israel, which was in retaliation for Israel’s killing of a senior Iranian commander in Damascus. Latest intelligence suggests that if Iran responds, it might happen over the upcoming weekend. Over the past week, many observers have marked Tisha B’Av, beginning the night of August 12, as a potential date for conflict due to its historical significance of misfortune for the Jewish people. Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples on the same calendar day, centuries apart. Additionally, on this day, Jews were historically expelled from Great Britain, Portugal, and Spain in separate events, hundreds of years apart. In more recent history, World War 1 commenced on Tisha B’Av, and the call for the Holocaust’s “Final Solution,” which led to the murder of 6 million Jews, was also declared on this day. The post Biden Administration Warns Newly Formed Iranian Government Against Major Attack on Israel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Lauren Jessop | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Free speech suppression on college campuses and social media censorship often spur debates over how far the First Amendment should go to protect Americans’ rights to express their opinions – and who should be entrusted with those decisions. About 53% of Americans believe the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it protects, according to a new poll by the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE. The poll, conducted July 5-10, is the latest installment in the National Speech Index, a quarterly survey designed by FIRE and the Polarization Research Lab at Dartmouth College to gauge public opinion on freedom of speech. The 10-question survey consists of five permanent questions to track support for free speech and the First Amendment over time and five rotating questions to capture public opinion about topical and newsworthy speech-related issues. “Evidently, one out of every two Americans wishes they had fewer civil liberties,” said FIRE’s Chief Research Advisor Sean Stevens. “Many of them reject the right to assemble, to have a free press, and to petition the government. This is a dictator’s fantasy.” Additionally, the report states that 69% of those surveyed believe the country is on the wrong track regarding free speech. Only 5% believe their rights are “completely” secure, and 12% “not at all” secure. Approximately 65% of respondents have some level of trust in the government to fairly decide on what speech is considered threatening or indecent. However, only 32% said they were “not at all” comfortable with the government limiting the free speech of pro-Hamas protesters. “Not only do many Americans want to take a machete to the First Amendment, but it’s unclear whether they understand its bounds,” said FIRE’s press release. It also states that a plurality of respondents said this spring’s campus pro-Palestinian protests should have been allowed to continue on free speech grounds. The organization noted that while many protests were “lawful,” some included “tent encampments, vandalism, and the occupation of buildings” – which are not justifiably protectable “in the name of free speech.” “Americans have little tolerance for certain forms of protected speech and a lot of tolerance for unprotected conduct, when it should be the other way around,” Stevens said. “This poll reveals that the state of free speech in America is dire.” Pointing to previous surveys, Stevens told The Center Square that many Americans have little to no trust in the government to regulate free speech, but at the same time, other data suggest many are ready to censor views they don’t like. They want someone to do it, but don’t trust the government or social media companies to do it fairly, he said. Stevens highlighted one encouraging result: there seems to be rare bipartisan agreement between Democrats and Republicans — 61% and 52%, respectively — that they are not comfortable with the government regulating the speech of pro-Hamas protesters. “I know what’s being said probably offends a lot of people,” he said. “But that’s a strong free speech stance there.” However, half of Democrats and only one-fifth of Republicans think America is on the right track when it comes to free speech in general. Other survey work focused on the encampment protests and how campus administrations addressed them. Stevens said the results show increased concern over the state of free speech among liberals, progressives and people on the left compared to six months ago. “There is more awareness now that their ox is being gored and they see how the calls for censorship can be wielded against them just as easily,” he said. Other findings show the percentage of respondents who are “very” or “somewhat worried about being fired over complaints about their speech fell from 28% in April to 20% in July. They note that the survey was conducted prior to the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump. The number of people who self-censor “fairly” or “very” often also decreased to 23% from 27%. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Poll: Majority says First Amendment ‘Goes Too Far’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, rest through it all! Hebrews 11:6-7 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Luke 17:26-27 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. The Bible tells us that the last days would be like the days of Noah. As the mass of humanity witnesses the signs of increasing violence and evil manifesting in ways that seemed incomprehensible even just a decade ago, we are focusing on the peace that faith brings through the present storm. Though the ark he built for the flood was perhaps not the most luxurious boat ever made, Noah and his family were able to abide in God's rest through the most terrible weather in human history. The worldwide flood during Noah’s time devastated the entire world, yet Noah and his family were saved in the midst of it. Noah's very name in Hebrew confirms the example he provides for us, who must endure the current 'Days of Noah'. The name Noah (נֹחַ) is derived from the Hebrew word "lanuach" (לָנוּחַ), meaning "to rest", and is connected to "lenacham" (לנחם), meaning "to comfort", from which we get "yenachamenu" (He will comfort us). Friend, He will comfort us, even while the world experiences chaos, wars, and rumors of wars. True rest and comfort can only be found in the rest that God provides. Learn to rest in Him, for He has provided the perfect ark through which we will weather any storm and be comforted in times of trouble. We may be living in the "Days of Noah", but we need not be shaken. By faith, Noah made it through, we can do it the same way. Until next week, Shabbat Shalom! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (Baltimore, MD) Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Britain Tackling Anarchy Amid Anti-Islam Riots (Worthy News In-Depth) British police stepped up patrols Thursday after much of the nation plunged into anarchy with anti-immigration and anti-Islam protesters rioting in towns and cities across the country following the killing of three girls, allegedly by the U.K.-born teenage son of Rwandan parents. China ‘Tails’ Four-Nation Exercise In South China Sea Maritime saber-rattling continued in disputed South China Sea waters Thursday after the Philippines said three Chinese navy ships “tailed” a joint military exercise it began with three Western allies. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia Halt Peace Mission In Gaza Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have declined U.S. requests to contribute troops to a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza, Israeli and Arab sources say. Israel’s Security Cabinet Convenes Amid Warning to Hezbollah of ‘Destruction’ if Attacked Israel's security cabinet convened Thursday night in Tel Aviv's underground command room, as the country braced for a potential Hezbollah attack from Lebanon. This marked the first meeting there since the April 13-14 incident when Iran launched 300 missiles and drones at Israel, nearly all of which were intercepted. Biden Administration Warns Newly Formed Iranian Government Against Major Attack on Israel The Biden Administration has cautioned Iran that its newly elected government and economy could face severe consequences if it launches a major attack against Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported. Inside the United States Memo: ‘Iran Preparing Terror Attack In US’ American authorities remained on high alert Friday after reports that Iran or its proxies tried to transport “operatives, money or materials” into the United States to conduct a terrorist attack. Poll: Majority says First Amendment ‘Goes Too Far’ Free speech suppression on college campuses and social media censorship often spur debates over how far the First Amendment should go to protect Americans’ rights to express their opinions – and who should be entrusted with those decisions. Federal Government Borrowed $5 Billion a Day in Fiscal Year 2024 So far in the fiscal year 2024, the federal government has had to borrow about $5 billion every day. Oklahoma Asks SCOTUS to Prevent Federal Gov. From Withholding Funds Over Abortion Ban Oklahoma has appealed to the US Supreme Court to prevent the federal government from withholding Title X federal funding to its family planning services over the state’s refusal to refer women for abortions following its ban on the procedure, the Washington Times reports. NYC: Surge in Antisemitic Incidents Continues Highest number of Jews outside Israel, New York City has continued to see an alarming surge in antisemitic incidents since the Oct.7 Hamas attack on Israel triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, the Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) reports. Christian News Vietnam: Christians Raise Concerns About Country’s New President Christian advocates have expressed concern that the August 3 election of communist President To Lam as Vietnam’s new leader will make life more difficult for Vietnamese believers. Even before Lam’s election, Communist-ruled Buddhist-majority Vietnam ranked 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. Indonesia: Authorities Foil Planned Suicide Bombing of Two Churches Security officials in Indonesia have thwarted an Islamic terrorist plan to suicide bomb two church sites in East Java, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. View the full article

By Tom Gantert | The Center Square (Worthy News) – So far in the fiscal year 2024, the federal government has had to borrow about $5 billion every day. The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday the federal budget deficit was $1.5 trillion for the first 10 months of fiscal year 2024, which covers October through July. The CBO stated that the $1.5 trillion deficit for the first 10 months of FY 2024 was $103 billion less than the deficit recorded during the same period last fiscal year. The federal budgeting agency projects the deficit for 2024 will be $2.0 trillion. The deficit for fiscal year 2023 was $1.7 trillion. But the CBO says the differences in the deficits those years could be attributable to budgeting “timing shifts”. “We’re nearly at the end of fiscal year 2024, and while most of America is focused on the momentum in the race for the White House, beneath the surface our nation’s fiscal health has continued to worsen,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, in a media release. “We’ve just surpassed $35 trillion in gross debt, and today’s CBO projections estimate we’ve borrowed another $242 billion in July, or $5 billion each day this fiscal year. Our fiscal trajectory cannot be left on autopilot – the stakes are far too high and the consequences far too steep to leave our national debt climbing in perpetuity.” The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which was founded by Peter Peterson, the former secretary of commerce for President Richard Nixon, tracks the national debt at $35.08 trillion, or $104,193 for every person in America, as of Aug. 8. “Historically, our largest deficits were caused by increased spending around national emergencies like major wars or the Great Depression,” the foundation stated on its website. “Today, our deficits are caused mainly by predictable structural factors: our aging baby-boom generation, rising healthcare costs, and a tax system that does not bring in enough money to pay for what the government has promised its citizens.” The think tank Truth in Accounting states the real national debt is closer to $156.8 trillion if unfunded Social Security and Medicare promises were included. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Federal Government Borrowed $5 Billion a Day in Fiscal Year 2024 appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Christian advocates have expressed concern that the August 3 election of communist President To Lam as Vietnam’s new leader will make life more difficult for Vietnamese believers. Even before Lam’s election, Communist-ruled Buddhist-majority Vietnam ranked 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. Prior to his election as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, Lam led Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security – an agency which cracked down on human rights activists and members of minority religions including Christians, ICC said. “This move is bad news for Christians in Vietnam and Vietnamese Christians from minority ethnic groups who have fled Vietnam to other nations,” ICC said in its report. “To Lam’s record against Vietnamese Christians and human rights defenders is well documented,” ICC said. “As a ministry supporting and strengthening suffering Christians, we must watch Vietnam even closer to ensure Christians there can endure the coming trials they are almost certain to face under this new Communist Party leadership.” In a recent website statement about the situation facing Christians in Vietnam, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains: “For many Christians in Vietnam, following Jesus can bring intense hostility and even violence. Most believers belong to ethnic minority groups, like the Hmong, and face social exclusion, discrimination, and attacks.” Christians who live in so-called “Communist villages” are also vulnerable [to persecution], Open Doors said. “Since most of them belong to ethnic minorities like the Hmong, the Communist authorities are particularly suspicious of them.” The post Vietnam: Christians Raise Concerns About Country’s New President appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Oklahoma has appealed to the US Supreme Court to prevent the federal government from withholding Title X federal funding to its family planning services over the state’s refusal to refer women for abortions following its ban on the procedure, the Washington Times reports. The state petitioned the Supreme Court on Wednesday August 7, after the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against it on the issue, the Times said. Oklahoma banned abortion except to save the life of the mother after the Supreme Court ruled in the case 2022 case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that there is no constitutional right to abortion and that the issue should be decided by individual states. In its brief to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Oklahoma referred to 2021 rule issued by Biden’s administration’s Health and Human Services Department which requires states to give “grantees to offer abortion counseling and referrals,” if they want federal Title X funding for their own health departments. Title X of the Public Health Service Act is the only federal grant program that provides individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. “HHS has stripped Oklahoma’s Health Department of $4.5 million solely because OSDH will not provide abortion referrals. And it will soon do so again,” the brief reads. “These Title X funds are vital to Oklahoma’s provision of family planning services.” The post Oklahoma Asks SCOTUS to Prevent Federal Gov. From Withholding Funds Over Abortion Ban appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Security officials in Indonesia have thwarted an Islamic terrorist plan to suicide bomb two church sites in East Java, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. The foiled plan was to have been carried out by a 19-year-old member ISIS sympathizer and member of an Islamic extremist group and his parents, MSN reports. Known only by his initials H.O.K, the youth was arrested on July 31. Anti-terrorist agents with Special Detachment 88 apprehended H.O.K as he made his way to way dispose of evidence in Jalan Langsep, Sisir village, Batu City, in Malang Regency, East Java, Spokesperson Aswin Siregar told reporters. “H.O.K. is a supporter of ISIS or Dawlah Islamiyah,” Aswin told reporters. H.O.K and his accomplices planned to carry out suicide bombings using Triaceton Triperoxide (TATP) explosives at two Christian churches in Malang Regency, East Java, Aswin said. “He accessed various sites containing recommendations or propaganda from Dawlah Islamiyah,” Aswin explained. “Then he also got information from social media, so that he felt like carrying out the suicide bombing.” Batu police arrested H.O.K.’s parents on July 31, and detained several other people for questioning in connection with the foiled attack, MSN reports. Increasingly affected by extremist Islamism, Indonesia ranks 42 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post Indonesia: Authorities Foil Planned Suicide Bombing of Two Churches appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Highest number of Jews outside Israel, New York City has continued to see an alarming surge in antisemitic incidents since the Oct.7 Hamas attack on Israel triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, the Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) reports. The New York Police Department reported 30 antisemitic incidents across NYC in July alone, three times more than were reported in the same month last year, JTA reports. “Last month, Jews were targeted in more hate incidents than all other groups combined, as they have been nearly every month since October 2023,” JTA said in its report. “There were 52 total hate crimes reported to police last month, including five targeting Asians, one against Black people, five based on gender, eight based on sexual orientation, one based on religious bias, and two against white people. The NYPD did not record any hate incidents against Muslims or Hispanic people,” JTA noted. The number of reported hate crimes against Jews in NYC was at its highest in October last year, shortly after the Hamas Palestinian terror group invaded Israel and killed 1,200 mostly civilian men, women, children, babies, and elderly people. Hamas took 254 hostages from Israel to Gaza during the same attack. NYC saw 69 reported hate crimes against Jews that month. The post NYC: Surge in Antisemitic Incidents Continues appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News LONDON (Worthy News) – British police stepped up patrols Thursday after much of the nation plunged into anarchy with anti-immigration and anti-Islam protesters rioting in towns and cities across the country following the killing of three girls, allegedly by the U.K.-born teenage son of Rwandan parents. With tensions rising, Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting, or COBRA, with senior police leaders and officials Thursday while several rioters were jailed. Ahead of the meeting on a visit to a mosque in Solihull, the prime minister said it was “important we don’t let up” after mass p.rotests failed to materialize on Wednesday. He told broadcasters that Thursday’s meeting would “ensure we reflect on last night but also plan for the coming days.” Starmer said Wednesday went “much better than was expected” and added, “We are not going to give up on our efforts here.” He spoke as police reportedly mobilized 6,000 officers to intervene in 30 locations. Officials said planned targets for riots include London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. Starmer reiterated that the “most important lesson” for those involved in disorder is that they are seen to be arrested and charged. He credited the deployment of extra police and quick sentencing of people involved in disorder for the lack of unrest on Wednesday. LESS DISORDER The prime minister said there was less disorder than expected last night because Britain could demonstrate that the “criminal justice system is working speedily.” He stressed that the lengthy prison sentences handed down to two rioters at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday sent a “powerful message” to potential agitators. Steven Mailen, 54, and his partner Ryan Sheers, 29, both pleaded guilty to violent disorder after 200 people gathered in the city on 31 July. Jailing them for two years and two months each, the judge said the pair were “at the very forefront of the mob” and tried to push through a police cordon. Mailen, a former postmaster and school governor, was described as “one of the main instigators” of the large-scale disturbance. Sheers, formerly a McDonald’s worker, was bitten on the hip by a police dog during the incident. Earlier, several other rioters were sentenced, including an 18-year-old young man. Many more are expected to face jail time as some 400 violent protesters were detained, officials suggest. RIOTS SPREADING Riots spread since July 29 when three girls aged between six and nine were killed during an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event for children in the seaside town of Southport, in northern England. Axel Rudakubana, 17, was charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, one of, and one of possession of a bladed article. His case was later heard at Liverpool Crown Court, where he sat in the dock covering his face with a grey sweatshirt and did not speak to confirm his name. Judge Andrew Menary did not impose reporting restrictions on Rudakubana’s identity, which had not previously been reported, as he is under 18. Rudakubana, whose parents migrated from Rwanda, was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing in October. Although he was born in Britain and police said there was no (Islamic) terrorism motive, riots have erupted at anti-immigration protests in towns and cities across Britain in the last week. The violence included attacks by far-right groups on hotels housing asylum seekers and on mosques in riots that injured hundreds of people, many of them police officers. Additionally, Asian-owned shops have been targeted, raising concerns, including in the Philippines.“I am worried about my children in the U.K. The British are harassing Asian immigrants,” Clarita Orfrecio, a Christian, told Worthy News. BBC STAR It came amid questions about the personality of Southport stabbing suspect Rudakubana, whose deeds sparked the riots. British media reported that he once starred in a BBC network ‘Children in Need’ commercial, though the footage has since been removed. At age 11, Rudakubana played Doctor Who in the advert, wearing the iconic trenchcoat and tie once sported by David Tennant when he starred in the TV series. The clashes have highlighted years of grievances by those describing themselves as patriots who say record levels of illegal and legal immigration are “undermining British society.” Some activists, described as “far-right” by authorities, argue that immigration has fuelled violence and crime, including assaults on women and girls. They say migrants have been housed and treated favorably by politicians, but rights groups say that is untrue. Some on the right also accuse the police of treating “patriotic” protesters more severely than they do people involved in, say, recent pro-Palestine marches or Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020. The government and the police have rejected the characterization of British policing, with Mark Rowley, the UK’s most senior officer, calling it nonsense. Anti-racist groups say looting of shops and attacks on police and mosques betray the actual motive of those behind the violence that has broken out at many of the protests. However, on Thursday, there was concern that the public may become less aware of ongoing violence as tech giants were pressured to remove content. Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, recalled that the director of public prosecutions of England and Wales, Stephen Parkinson, warned that sharing online material of riots could be an offense. “We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media to look for this material and then follow up with arrests,” he said in footage posted on X and confirmed by Worthy News. “This is actually happening,” Musk wrote on X. (With additional input from the Philippines) The post Britain Tackling Anarchy Amid Anti-Islam Riots (Worthy News In-Depth) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MANILA (Worthy News) – Maritime saber-rattling continued in disputed South China Sea waters Thursday after the Philippines said three Chinese navy ships “tailed” a joint military exercise it began with three Western allies. The two-day exercise by the Philippines, the United States, Canada, and Australia was the first exercise by the four nations. It followed the first Philippines-Japan joint exercise in the South China Sea last week, signaling to Beijing that several nations will not tolerate its perceived military posturing. Southeast Asian states reject China’s claim on 90 percent of the water, which is rich in fishing stocks, is believed to have oil and gas deposits, and sees $3 trillion of annual trade transit. The South China Sea is disputed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. Those tensions surfaced Wednesday with the Philippines military saying three Chinese navy vessels had “tailed” the four-nation exercise. ‘ILLEGAL ENCROACHMENT’ China’s military later said it had only organized a combat patrol near the Scarborough Shoal area, which Manila calls Bajo de Masinloc and China refers to as Huangyan Island. However, the Philippines military maintained, “Aside from the usual illegal encroachment and presence of Chinese maritime militia vessels, we have not monitored any purported exercise or combat patrols.” Manila and Beijing have recently clashed in the area, accusing each other of aggressive behavior and damaging the marine environment. Several collisions and confrontations have occurred on the water. Christians in the Philippines told Worthy News they pray that no war will break out between the two Asian nations. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China’s extended claims on the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected. The latest standoff added to regional unrest with China’s military increasingly active around Taiwan, the democratically ruled island nation that Beijing claims as its own. The post China ‘Tails’ Four-Nation Exercise In South China Sea appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The UK has suspended flights over Beirut, Lebanon, and Tehran, Iran. Earlier, an Egyptian official stated that Iran had warned airlines to avoid flying over Iran between 4:30 am and 7:30 am Tehran time due to military exercises. In response, Egypt has ordered a halt to flights over Iranian airspace, according to Sky News Arabic. For the past week, Iran and its terrorist proxies have threatened to retaliate Israel for the assassinations of two terrorist leaders last week. On Tuesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated that while the assassinations are successes for the Jewish state, they do not constitute a victory. “Israel’s waiting is part of our response, the battle is also psychological,” Nasrallah said Tuesday, adding that “we will act cautiously and carefully.” Meanwhile, the U.S. is collaborating with regional coalition countries to repel the ‘Axis of Evil’ attack expected to be launched by Iran, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The post U.K and Egypt Suspend Flights Throughout the Middle East appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that U.S. forces intercepted one drone and two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Red Sea. Since joining the war against Israel initiated by Hamas on October 7, the Iran-backed Houthis have been launching drones and missiles at Israel and attempting to disrupt maritime traffic in the Red Sea region. “These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security,” stated CENTCOM in a recent statement. Meanwhile, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that the US and British coalition conducted two airstrikes on Yemen’s southwestern province of Taiz late Tuesday. The coalition has not yet confirmed these attacks, and there have been no immediate reports of casualties. The post U.S. Shoots Down Houthi Missiles and a Drone Over the Red Sea appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, be protected even through the "perfect" storm! Genesis 6:14 "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch." Genesis 6:17 "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die." Continuing from yesterday concerning storms; not sure we can place Noah's flood, a worldwide conflagration, in that category, but if there really is such a thing as a "Perfect Storm", that was...and Noah and his family were, anyway, prepared. And it's been said that we are in the recapitulated, "Days of Noah"; [Matthew 24:37]. "Make thee an ark of gopher (גפר) wood...". There's been much discussion about the identity of this "gopher wood". Some scholars say Cedar, some, Cypress, while others suggest an alternative reading, which once again demonstrates how the Hebrew language is used by the Holy Spirit in a suggestive and layered, even poetic manner, to point to "types" and profound spiritual truths. Whatever the species of the "gopher" wood, the similarity between the term, 'gopher' (גפר), and the Hebrew for "pitch", 'kafar' (כָּפַר), is noticeable and significant, to the point that some commentators suggest that the species of wood is not what's indicated here, but only the fact that the wood was "covered", "pitched", or "laminated" with something sticky, inside and out, to protect it from the flood waters. But now, the spiritual point: The word for “pitch”, (כָּפַר) also means, "to cover, to cancel, to atone". The same root is used speaking of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, 'kaporet' (כפרת), where the blood was to be applied. The word for 'atonement' or 'ransom' is the word, 'kapara' (כפרה). It's the same word that's used for the Biblical feast of the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippurim. (יום הכפורים), the day when Israel's sins were atoned by the sacrificed lamb or goat. So, whatever "gofer" or "kafar" were in the construction of the Ark, their similar sound and meaning point to a "covering", a source of protection from the flood, which of course, was the sole purpose of Noah's Ark. But they also point to this other "covering", the "atonement" which covers sins, a reference to the "Lamb of God"... So, Friend, that vessel, Noah's Ark, is a type, a prophetic reference to Yeshua, our "Ark of Salvation" and His atoning (covering) work on the cross. He was our 'kapparah', our atonement, the Lamb who covered our sins. There is no storm, no flood, no catastrophe that can nullify Yeshua's salvation; if your faith in Him is genuine, your sins, you yourself, are "covered".... through the "Perfect Storm", in the days of "Days of Noah", whatever. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (Baltimore, MD) Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World U.K and Egypt Suspend Flights Throughout the Middle East The UK has suspended flights over Beirut, Lebanon, and Tehran, Iran. Earlier, an Egyptian official stated that Iran had warned airlines to avoid flying over Iran between 4:30 am and 7:30 am Tehran time due to military exercises. In response, Egypt has ordered a halt to flights over Iranian airspace, according to Sky News Arabic. U.S. Shoots Down Houthi Missiles and a Drone Over the Red Sea U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that U.S. forces intercepted one drone and two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels over the Red Sea. Biden Under More Pressure To Prevent Iran-Israel War (Worthy News In-Depth) U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson demands that U.S. President Joe Biden will release any blocked American lethal aid to Israel after several soldiers were injured in an attack on an American military base in Iraq. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Sinwar, Orchestrator of Oct. 7 attack, Named as New Hamas Chief The Hamas Palestinian terror organization has named Yahya Sinwar, the man who is believed to have orchestrated the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, as its new highest-ranking leader, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports. Inside the United States Harris, Walz Campaigning For instance First Time; Trump Candidate Hits Back Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz spent their first full day as running mates, vying for attention with ex-President Donald J. Trump's running mate, who was also in the area. Feds Crack Down on Half Billion-Dollar Guatemalan Smuggling Operation A multi-agency operation led to the indictment of a major transnational criminal organization based in Guatemala smuggling thousands of foreign nationals through Mexico into New Mexico and throughout the United States. Hawaii: Maui Wildfire Lawsuits Settled For Over $4 Billion Hawaiian Electric Industries and six other defendants have agreed to pay over $4 billion to compensate plaintiffs affected by the wildfires that devastated Hawaii’s island of Maui one year ago, the Associated Press reports. Google Created An Illegal Monopoly Over Online Searches, Judge Rules In an important victory for federal authorities taking on Big Tech market control, a district judge in Washington DC has ruled that Google violated antitrust law by creating an illegal monopoly to become the world’s default search engine, Reuters reports. Christian News India: Dozens of Tribal Christians Forced to Return to Hinduism, “Christians Who Convert From Hinduism Are the Most Vulnerable to Persecution” Local Hindu leaders have forced more than 100 tribal Christians in eastern India’s Odisha state to undergo a formal ceremony symbolizing a rejection of Christianity and a return to Hinduism, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Nigeria: Prominent Christian Politician Found Dead After Abduction From Church Prominent Nigerian evangelist and politician Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor, who was abducted from her church in Nigeria’s Delta state on July 30, was found dead in a river on August 1, her body naked and showing signs of torture, the Gist Mania news outlet reports. Worthy Insights Netanyahu warns of proactive attack as Tehran speaks of Israel’s annihilation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and Hezbollah of proactive attacks, while Tehran spoke of the Jewish state’s annihilation and the region braced for the possibility of a second direct confrontation between the two arch-foes. Billionaire Ackman: Democratic Party Needs ‘Massive Loss’ to Reform Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called for voters to deal Democrats "a massive loss" in the November election so that the party "will reform itself." After Attack, Druze Israeli Soldiers, Residents Refute Global Myth of Israel as ‘Apartheid State’ Israel is often accused in international arenas of racism and even of operating as an Apartheid state, yet the recent attack on a Druze minority community in the Golan Heights tells a different story. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WISCONSIN (Worthy News) – Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz spent their first full day as running mates, vying for attention with ex-President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, who was also in the area. Harris and Waltz held a rally in Wisconsin a day after Harris announced she had chosen him to become America’s next vice president if elected. Following the rally, the Harris-Waltz campaign headed to Michigan for another event, Former U.S. President Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, was also in battleground territory Wednesday. His itinerary included stops in the same two states as the Harris-Walz campaign, even the same cities, but without Trump. At the same time, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose electorate could help determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in favor of either Democrats or Republicans, was in court Wednesday: Kennedy fought a lawsuit by a group challenging the New York address he lists as his home on ballot access petitions. Unlike a rally in Philadelphia, where neither Harris nor Walz mentioned Biden by name, the vice president began her remarks in Wisconsin by praising the president. “And let me say … I want to bring greetings from our incredible president, Joe Biden,” Harris said in Eau Claire. “He loves Wisconsin, and I know we are all deeply grateful for his lifetime of service to our nation and for all he continues to do.” CROWD RALLYING The crowd at the rally then chanted, “Thank you, Joe! Thank you, Joe!” “That’s right. I’m gonna tell him what you said,” Harris replied. Walz also mentioned a topic circulating this election cycle: fertility treatment or in vitro fertilization (IVF). “When Gwen and I decided to have children, we went through years of fertility treatments, and I remember each night praying that the call was gonna come and it was gonna be good news,” he said. “The phone would ring, tenseness in my stomach, and then the agony when you heard the treatments hadn’t worked. So it wasn’t by chance that when we welcomed our first child, our beautiful daughter, we named her Hope,” he added as the crowd cheered around him. IVF was at the center of discussion earlier this year when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that embryos are children, causing several clinics in the state to put treatments on hold. Then, in June, Senate Republicans blocked a Democrat-led bill to protect access to reproductive treatments, including IVF. On the other side of the ballot, Vance’s comments about childless people have been criticized. BORDER CROSSING The Ohio senator has said he supports IVF but was one of the Republicans who voted to block the Senate bill. Separately in Wisconsin, Vance blasted Harris on the massive number of migrants crossing the border. He said his mother’s battle with addiction could have been worse under a Harris administration. “I really believe that if the poison that Kamala Harris is letting come across the border in 2024 was coming across the border 15 years ago, or 12 years ago,” Vance stressed. “I never would’ve gotten that second chance with my mom, and we would have never had the opportunity to see her build a wonderful relationship with her three grandchildren,” he said, alluding to the fentanyl crisis and his own mother’s longtime battle with addiction. Vance has said he could see himself in the Trump administration as a spokesperson on combatting drug abuse. He has mentioned his mother’s past struggle with addiction on the campaign trail, and during his speech at the Republican National Convention, Worthy News established. The post Harris, Walz Campaigning For instance First Time; Trump Candidate Hits Back appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – A multi-agency operation led to the indictment of a major transnational criminal organization based in Guatemala smuggling thousands of foreign nationals through Mexico into New Mexico and throughout the United States. In the U.S., the organization primarily operated in New Mexico, Arizona, California and western Texas in the El Paso region. Once in border states, illegal foreign nationals were smuggled to Virginia, Florida and other states thousands of miles away, facilitated through the U.S. banking system. U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez for the District of New Mexico announced a grand jury indictment issued in May had been unsealed in which eight leaders of the Guatemala-based Lopez Human Smuggling Organization were charged with “conspiracy to bring in, transport, and harbor illegal aliens.” The Lopez Human Smuggling Organization is believed to have generated between $104 million and $416 million in illicit proceeds from human smuggling operations between September 2020 and April 2023, Uballez said. So far, law enforcement officials have arrested six alleged members of the organization in California, Arizona and Florida in a coordinated, multistate enforcement operation. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned the organization and froze its members’ assets. According to the indictment, Ronaldo Galindo Lopez-Escobar, known as “Tio Roni,” 46, of Malacatan, Guatemala, leads the organization in Guatemala. He and nine co-defendants were charged “with conspiracy to bring in, transport and harbor illegal aliens” in May. He remains a fugitive. Elvis Bersai Lopez-Ambrosio (“Pepe”) and Whiskey Hans Lopez-Ambrosio (“Hands”) worked with Mexican cartel human smugglers to move foreign nationals from Guatemala through Mexico into southern New Mexico. They include Jumilca Sandivel Hernandez-Perez and La Linea Cartel member known by several names: “Chikis,” “Chiquis,” “Enano,” and “Chicken.” Once the foreign nationals were smuggled into New Mexico, Elvis and Whiskey allegedly oversaw the next level by managing “mid-level smugglers.” They include Eli Adonis Esteban-Lopez and Wenry Gabriel Gomez-Lopez, who allegedly helped manage the day-to-day operations, and Karen Stefany Hernandez-Vanegas, who managed the money, according to the indictment. Hernandez-Vanegas allegedly received deposits and made payments to co-conspirators nationwide using the U.S. banking system, peer-to-peer money transfer applications, and in bulk cash payments. Elvis allegedly instructed co-conspirators to open U.S. bank accounts to be able to receive “smuggling fees from smuggled aliens on Elvis’s behalf and in a manner that would be untraceable to Elvis,” according to the indictment. He then instructed his co-conspirators to withdraw the funds and either give him the funds, convert the funds into assets including real estate, or send the funds to Lopez-Escobar or others in Guatemala. He allegedly used wire transfers through money service businesses “to minimize the trackability of the funds to Lopez-Escobar,” according to the indictment. The organization also allegedly “purchased fraudulent Mexican documents and paid cartel fees to facilitate the movement of migrants through Mexico,” the Treasury Department said. “As their business grew, the organization acquired buses to transport greater numbers of migrants to the United States” and operated stash houses along the U.S. southwest border to illegally house those they were smuggling. To fund their operations, they relied on several “U.S. banks and money service businesses to receive payment from the family members of those being smuggled and to pay other members of the organization, located in Mexico and Guatemala, for their smuggling services,” the Treasury Department said. If convicted on current charges, members of the Lopez organization face between 10 and 20 years in federal prison. The action comes after the leaders of two Texas-based smuggling operations were sentenced to dozens of years in prison for orchestrating an elaborate human smuggling and stash house enterprise in south Texas that stretched from Honduras to Boston. OFAC also recently sanctioned other transnational criminal organizations allegedly involved in human smuggling. Last month, it sanctioned a Tijuana, Mexico-based Abdul Karim Conteh Human Smuggling Organization and a Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua human smuggling and trafficking operation specializing in “gender-based violence, money laundering, illicit drug trafficking, and other criminal activities.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Feds Crack Down on Half Billion-Dollar Guatemalan Smuggling Operation appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Hamas Palestinian terror organization has named Yahya Sinwar, the man who is believed to have orchestrated the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, as its new highest-ranking leader, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports. The move follows the assassination of former Hamas leader and front man, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran last week. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the Haniyeh’s death, but Iran has vowed revenge against the Jewish state. Sinwar was chosen by Hamas’s 50-strong Shura Council made up of officials elected by Hamas members in four chapters: Gaza, the West Bank, the diaspora, and security prisoners in Israeli jails, TOI said. Sinwar’s ascendance means the center of Hamas leadership returns to Gaza: Haniyeh notoriously operated from luxury locations in Qatar while his people suffered in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces have been hunting Sinwar in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack triggered the ongoing war between Hamas and the Jewish state. Around 1,200 people – mostly civilians – were killed during the Hamas attack and 251 people, including women, children, and elderly, were kidnapped to Gaza. Sinwar has proved elusive, and is believed to be hiding in Hamas’ vast network of tunnels beneath Gaza’s civilian infrastructure “The hunt for Sinwar will not stop until we catch him, dead or alive,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari has said in a statement. Sinwar “is now the most powerful figure in Hamas, formally too,” Palestinian affairs analyst Ohad Hemo noted during an Israeli Channel 12 TV broadcast. “That was already essentially the case, now it’s official. It’s a show of faith [by Hamas], whose leadership is rapidly shrinking,” Hemo added. The post Sinwar, Orchestrator of Oct. 7 attack, Named as New Hamas Chief appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Hawaiian Electric Industries and six other defendants have agreed to pay over $4 billion to compensate plaintiffs affected by the wildfires that devastated Hawaii’s island of Maui one year ago, the Associated Press reports. Breaking out on August 8, 2023, the fires claimed the lives of 102 people; US President Joe Biden issued a federal major disaster declaration on August 10, 2023. Hawaiian Electric and co-defendants including county officials faced a flurry of lawsuits in the wake of widespread destruction estimated at $5 billion, AP reports. In a statement about the settlement reached on July, 26 Hawaii Governor Josh Green said $4.037 billion would be paid out on claims for damages that have already been filed. “My priority as governor was to expedite the agreement and to avoid protracted and painful lawsuits so as many resources as possible would go to those affected by the wildfires as quickly as possible,” Green said. “It will be good that our people don’t have to wait to rebuild their lives as long as others have in many places that have suffered similar tragedies,” Green added. Payments are expected to be made from the middle of next year, following judicial approval Hawaiian Electric said in a statement. The post Hawaii: Maui Wildfire Lawsuits Settled For Over $4 Billion appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Local Hindu leaders have forced more than 100 tribal Christians in eastern India’s Odisha state to undergo a formal ceremony symbolizing a rejection of Christianity and a return to Hinduism, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. On Sunday, July 28, around 120 tribal Christians from two villages in the Koraput district of Odisha state underwent a ceremony known as “ghar wapsi” or “homecoming,” ICC reports. “The ghar wapsi ceremony includes Hindu and tribal rituals to ‘cleanse’ former Hindus who had accepted Christ and wash away any remnants of the Christian faith,” ICC explained in its report. Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad Dharma Prasar, a fringe fundamentalist Hindu group, were reportedly present during the ceremony at a local temple where the ceremony occurred. The Christians are understood to have reconverted to Hinduism after local authorities stopped providing their families with subsidized food staples, like rice and lentils, ICC said. “Christians who convert from Hinduism are the most vulnerable to persecution across India, particularly communities who have faced historical oppression or discrimination such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.” the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization notes in a website report. Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party for nearly 10 years, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post India: Dozens of Tribal Christians Forced to Return to Hinduism, “Christians Who Convert From Hinduism Are the Most Vulnerable to Persecution” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – In an important victory for federal authorities taking on Big Tech market control, a district judge in Washington DC has ruled that Google violated antitrust law by creating an illegal monopoly to become the world’s default search engine, Reuters reports. The case against Google was filed by the Trump administration in 2020 and was heard from September to November last year. In his ruling Monday, Washington DC District Judge Amit Mehta wrote: “The court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. Google controls about 90% of the online search market and 95% on smartphones.” Emphasizing that Google spent vast sums of money – $26.3 billion in 2021 alone – to create its monopoly, Mehta wrote: “The default is extremely valuable real estate. Even if a new entrant were positioned from a quality standpoint to bid for the default when an agreement expires, such a firm could compete only if it were prepared to pay partners upwards of billions of dollars in revenue share and make them whole for any revenue shortfalls resulting from the change.” “Google, of course, recognizes that losing defaults would dramatically impact its bottom line. For instance, Google has projected that losing the Safari default would result in a significant drop in queries and billions of dollars in lost revenues,” Mehta added. Google is expected to launch appeals in the US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, and the US Supreme Court if necessary. “The legal wrangling could play out into next year, or even 2026,” Reuters noted in its report. The post Google Created An Illegal Monopoly Over Online Searches, Judge Rules appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Prominent Nigerian evangelist and politician Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor, who was abducted from her church in Nigeria’s Delta state on July 30, was found dead in a river on August 1, her body naked and showing signs of torture, the Gist Mania news outlet reports. The gunmen who abducted Ms. Onyemaechi first shot and killed her driver and bodyguard before taking her away in their car. Known also as Ada Anioma, Mrs Mrakpor was a Christian member of Nigeria’s People’s Democratic Party and had represented Aniocha North-Aniocha South-Oshimili North-Oshimili South in the federal House of Representatives since 2015. She was married to Delta state Attorney General Peter Mrakpor. On July 30, Mrs. Mrakpor was dragged out of her Bible study group at the King Jesus and I Church in Asaba, capital of Delta state, by unidentified armed men, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. “Her police security men were killed before she was dragged into a car and [driven] off by the gunmen,” Church member Kenneth Ohen told MSN. The attack caused a pandemonium in the church building as members scattered for safety, MSN said. The reasons for the kidnapping are not known and the family was not asked for a ransom. “The kidnappers, who did not demand ransom or communicate with the victim’s family, transported Mrakpor by speed boat along the River Niger from Otu-Ogwu road in Asaba,” Gist Mania reported. “They set her car on fire to eliminate any evidence. Her body showed signs of severe torture, including heavy bruising, indicating that she was flogged and mistreated before her death. Her murder has left the community in shock and mourning,” Gist Mania said. The post Nigeria: Prominent Christian Politician Found Dead After Abduction From Church appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article