Weekly News Brief 6/20/24

Breaking World News

Mark Rutte Becomes NATO Secretary General After Romania Withdrawal Bid
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has withdrawn his bid for NATO’s leadership, clearing the way for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to become the military alliance’s secretary-general.

Terminally Ill Man Meets Government After Losing Right-To-Die Case In Hungary
A terminally ill Hungarian lawyer who lost his right-to-die case at the European Court of Human Rights has met Hungary’s government, which refused to allow active euthanasia.

France President Says Raped Jewish Girl Victim Of ‘Scourge of Antisemitism’
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Wednesday that schools in France are threatened by the “scourge of antisemitism” after a 12-year-old Jewish girl was raped in what police called “a hate crime” amid ongoing attacks against Jewish people.

Latest World News Headlines

North Korea, Russia Sign Military Pact – June 19, 2024

Russian Warships and Nuclear Submarine Have Now Left Cuba – June 19, 2024

Romania To Approve Mark Rutte As NATO Chief – June 19, 2024

Russia’s Putin In North Korea Shopping For Weapons – June 19, 2024

Iran Moving Towards Nuclear Bomb, Computer Models Suggest – June 18, 2024

Ukraine Strikes Russia Despite Nuclear Fears (Worthy News Radio) – June 18, 2024

US and Saudi Arabia Close to Negotiating a Security Pact – June 18, 2024

Iran Defiant in the Face of G7 Statement Condemning Its Nuclear Program – June 18, 2024

Pope Urges End To Massacres In DRC – June 18, 2024

Hungary Has the Right to Ban Assisted Suicide, Europe’s Top Human Rights Court Rules – June 18, 2024

Breaking Israel News

Number of Israeli Hostages Still Alive in Gaza “Could Be As Low As 50”, WSJ Report
The number of Israeli hostages who are still alive in Gaza following their capture by Hamas on Oct. 7 “could be as low as 50,” the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Thursday, June 20. The WSJ report cites hostage mediators and a US official with knowledge of current intelligence on the issue of Israeli captives in Gaza.

Just Over Half of Arab Israelis Feel They Have “Shared Destiny” With Jewish Israelis, Poll
A new poll shows that just over half (51.6%) of Arab Israeli citizens believe Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza has produced a sense of “shared destiny” between them and Jewish Israeli citizens, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports. Conducted by the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, the survey was presented during a conference titled “The Future of Israel” at TAU on Wednesday.

Hamas Is An “Idea” That Cannot Be Destroyed, Senior IDF Official Says
Amid Israel’s ongoing war to destroy Hamas’ terrorist capabilities in Gaza, a senior spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces has stated that the threat posed by Hamas cannot be eliminated because the jihadist group represents an “idea” that cannot be destroyed by military means, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Israel Warns Of ‘All-Out War’ With Hezbollah Despite US Envoy Visit – June 19, 2024

Israel Announces Approval of Offensive Battle Plans Against Hezbollah Following Terrorist Threat – June 18, 2024

Rafah Offensive Has Destroyed Half of Hamas, Israel Expects Full Control in Two Weeks – June 17, 2024

Netanyahu Dissolves War Cabinet After Gantz Departure – June 17, 2024

International Christian Speaker Nick Vujicic Encourages Wounded Israeli Soldiers – June 17, 2024

Eight Israeli Soldiers Killed In Rafah – June 15, 2024

Overall Palestinian Support for Hamas Increases to Double the Support for Fatah – June 13, 2024

Breaking U.S. News

In First Five Years, 79,000 of DACA Recipients Admitted to U.S. Had Arrest Records
Within five years of a new program created to prevent deportation of minors brought into the country illegally by their parents, nearly 80,000 were released into the U.S. with arrest records. The majority were between the ages of 19 and 22 when they were arrested, according to the latest available data published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

US Federal Budget Deficit Now Projected to be $1.9 Trillion for 2024
The US Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday published a new report showing the Budget Deficit for the 2024 fiscal year is now projected to be $1.9 trillion – an increase of around $400 billion from a projection offered in February.

ICE Agents Apprehend Fugitives Wanted for Violent Crimes Nationwide
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue to apprehend fugitives wanted for committing violent crimes. Many fled to and entered the U.S. illegally to avoid incarceration in their home country.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

Biden Announces Widespread Amnesty Plan for Illegal Immigrants – June 18, 2024

Kansas Sues Pfizer for Alleged Misleading Statements About Risks, Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccine – June 18, 2024

More Companies Announce Bankruptcies, Shutter Operations, Citing Inflation – June 18, 2024

Trump Makes His Case for Presidential Immunity – June 17, 2024

More Officials Issue ‘Imminent Terrorist Attack’ Warnings – June 17, 2024

Supreme Court Ruling Upholds Immigration Law and Deportation Process – June 16, 2024

Supreme Court Says Bump Stocks Don’t Turn Firearms into Machine Guns – June 16, 2024

Breaking Christian News

“Unbelievable Revival” Reported in Transnistria, Eastern Europe
Journalists with the US-based Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) have reported that, despite opposition from Moscow, a “remarkable” revival is underway in Transnistria, a Russian-controlled part of Moldova in eastern Europe.

India: 11 Christians Freed After Two Years Imprisonment Under Anti-Conversion Law
Eleven Christians in India’s Madhya Pradesh state have just been released from prison after being jailed in 2022 on baseless charges of forcing people to leave Hinduism for Christianity, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Indonesia: Established Church Faces Eviction for Proximity to Islamic University, “We Hold Onto Hope”
A well-established in Indonesia has been threatened with eviction from its worship center because a new Islamic university has been opened in proximity to it, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. 

Latest Christian News Headlines

DRC: Islamic State Affiliates Murder 80 Christians in Spate of Attacks, “These Attacks Continue Unabated” – June 17, 2024

5 Christian Sanitation Workers Killed In Pakistan – June 13, 2024

Pakistani Christian Young Man Brutally Tortured and Murdered by Employer – June 13, 2024

U.S. Megachurch Pastor Resigns Over “Sin” – June 12, 2024

China: Christian Taken Into Custody for Posting Commemoration of Tiananmen Square Massacre – June 12, 2024

DRC: Islamic Terrorists Murder Nine in Village Attack, “A Trail of Sorrow and Despair” – June 12, 2024

70,000 People Turn Out to Hear the Gospel in Central London – June 11, 2024

News from this Week 10/11/22

The following news is taken in whole or part from Worthy News Ministries.

Iran racing to expand enrichment at underground plant, IAEA report shows

Iran is speeding ahead in its expansion of uranium enrichment at the Natanz nuclear facility, according to a report in Reuters early Tuesday.

Numerous Killed In Massive Russian Strikes On Ukraine

Authorities say a massive wave of Russian missile strikes on cities across Ukraine, including the capital, killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the strikes saying they were in response to an attack on a bridge linking Russia and occupied Crimea and warned of more violence.

Multiple Explosions Rock Kyiv; Several Killed (Update)

Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and several other cities across the country, killing at least eight people and injuring many more, authorities and witnesses said.

Latest World News Headlines

Dozens Killed, Injured In Massive Russian Strike In Ukraine – October 9, 2022

Thailand Childcare Attack Kills 37 – October 9, 2022

U.S. aircraft carrier concludes drills with Japan, South Korea as North Korea fires another missile – October 9, 2022

‘A time bomb’: Anger rises in Kurdish city at heart of Iran protests – October 9, 2022

Iranian students clash with police as deadly regime crackdown nears 20th day – October 6, 2022

US strikes in Syria kill top ‘IS’ leaders – October 6, 2022

US to send $625 million in new aid to Ukraine – October 6, 2022

Breaking Israel News

Lebanon receives ‘satisfying’ updated US proposal for maritime deal with Israel

Lebanon on Monday received an updated draft of a US-brokered maritime agreement with Israel that satisfies its previous concerns and could imminently lead to a “historic deal,” Beirut’s top negotiator told Reuters.

IDF makes strides in space tech race with new satellites

Thousands of new nanosatellites will soon join the growing arsenal of space technology at the disposal of the Israeli military.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Israel to allow natural gas extraction off Gaza – October 9, 2022

Israel Poll: Netanyahu Would Have 61 Seats to Form Coalition – October 9, 2022

Gantz puts IDF on alert in north as Lebanese maritime border talks falter – October 6, 2022

Security cabinet to review terms of US-proposed maritime deal with Lebanon – October 5, 2022

Breaking U.S. News

U.S. Congress could be in for bruising debt-ceiling fight after midterms

If Republicans win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections, they expect to use a powerful and potentially dangerous tool as leverage in their dealings with Democratic President Joe Biden: The federal debt ceiling.

Doctors File Lawsuit Against California’s COVID-19 ‘Misinformation’ Law

The Liberty Justice Center is filing a lawsuit against the California Medical Board and the California Attorney General on behalf of two practicing doctors, alleging that the state’s COVID-19 Misinformation Bill violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

Democrats cram unrelated policies into defense bill – October 9, 2022

Judge says Durham can keep his witness list secret for Danchenko trial – October 9, 2022

Judge orders FBI to turn over information on laptop of homicide victim Democrat staffer Seth Rich – October 9, 2022

Biden pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession – October 6, 2022

Feds believe they have sufficient evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax, gun crimes, report – October 6, 2022

5th Circuit Court Strikes down DACA, Orders No New Applicants – October 6, 2022

US housing recession may be worse than in 2008 – October 6, 2022

Breaking Christian News

Afghanistan: Taliban behead Christian man on video

The International Christian Concern (ICC) nonprofit human rights organization reported Sunday it had just received a video of the Taliban beheading a Christian man in Afghanistan.

Nigeria: Christian woman on trial for blaspheming Islam in WhatsApp message

A Christian woman who was imprisoned without bail for blaspheming Islam in a WhatsApp message has gone on trial in Nigeria’s Bauchi state, Morning Star News (MSN) reported on October 5.

Latest Christian News Headlines

Belarus: Authorities ban Christian church congregation from holding worship services

Uganda: Two evangelists attacked after leading Muslims to Christ – October 10, 2022

Embattled Christian baker appeals ruling over gender transition cake request – October 6, 2022

Uganda: New converts to Christ severely beaten by Islamic extremists – October 4, 2022

Christians murdered by Islamic terrorists in Plateau, “a strategy to wipe out the Christian population” – October 4, 2022

Uganda: Two Christian women violently attacked, one killed – October 3, 2022

Alleged Abuser Of Pastor’s Child In Malaysia Jail (Update)  – October 3, 2022

Former Jailed Pakistan Christian In Thailand With Family (Worthy News Investigation) – October 3, 2022