Weekly News Brief: 6/26/24

Breaking World News

International Court Indicts Top Russia Officials

The International Court of Justice (ICC) has indicted Russia’s former defense minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the staff of the Russian Armed Forces, for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

WikiLeaks’ Assange Pleading Guilty For Espionage
Julian Assange, the founder of the secrets-leaking website WikiLeaks, was freed by a court on the U.S. Pacific island territory of Saipan on Wednesday after pleading guilty to violating U.S. espionage law in a deal that will see him return home to Australia.

Several Killed As Crowd Storms Kenya Parliament
Kenya’s president condemned the deadly storming of parliament on Tuesday, the most direct assault on the government in decades, and said it was “a national security threat.”

Latest World News Headlines

EU Membership Talks With War-torn Ukraine – June 25, 2024

Africa Has Seen a Massive Surge in Islamic Jihadist Terrorism Since 2008, Top US General says – June 25, 2024

Wikileaks Says Jailed Founder Assange Left Britain After Striking Plea Deal With US – June 25, 2024

Dozens Killed In China Flooding – June 25, 2024

Hungary Fumes Over EU’s Use Of Russian Assets To Buy Weapons For Ukraine – June 25, 2024

Iran Enhances Underground Nuclear ‘Bunker’, Heightening Fears of Accelerated Weapons Development – June 24, 2024

Hungary Under US, EU Pressure Over LGTBQ+ Policies – June 24, 2024

Russia’s Dagestan Region Mourning As 19 Are Killed at Churches, Synagogues (Worthy News Radio) – June 24, 2024

Drone, Missile Strikes Kill Numerous People In Russia and Ukraine (Worthy News Radio) – June 23, 2024

15 Police Killed, 12 Injured In Shooting At Russian Synagogues and Churches (Worthy News In-Depth) – June 23, 2024

Breaking Israel News

Israel Court: ‘Ultra-Orthodox Must Serve In Army’ (Worthy News Focus)
In a historic move, Israel’s High Court of Justice has decided that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the army, prompting government anger but praise from the opposition.

Gallant Tells US: “Time Is Running Out” to Prevent Iran From Obtaining a Nuclear Bomb
Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant has told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that “time is running out” to stop Iran, the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, from obtaining a nuclear bomb, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

Wife of Israeli PM Accuses Israeli Army Chiefs Of ‘Coup’ Against Her Husband, Sources Say
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, has accused military chiefs of “attempting to carry out a coup against her husband,” Israeli sources say.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Hezbollah Is Using Beirut Civilian Airport to Store Iran-Made Weapons For Use Against Israel – June 25, 2024

U.S. Military Chief Doubts Ability to Support Israel in Conflict with Hezbollah – June 24, 2024

Netanyahu: Intense Rafah Military Operation Against Hamas Nearing End, Shifts Focus to Hezbollah – June 24, 2024

Armenia Officially Recognizes State of Palestine, Reprimanded by Israel – June 24, 2024

Thousands of Iran-Backed Fighters Ready to Join Hezbollah in All-Out War Against Israel – June 24, 2024

Netanyahu Points to ‘Dramatic Drop’ in U.S. Arms Deliveries – June 23, 2024

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Positioned in Mediterranean Sea Amid Tensions with Lebanon – June 23, 2024

Breaking U.S. News

Feds Can’t Find Foreign Nationals Released Into US As Terrorism Threats Heightened
Nine months after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General expressed alarm that under the Biden administration, DHS agencies couldn’t locate where illegal foreign nationals were after they released them into the U.S., ongoing problems persist and terrorism threats are heightened.

Louisiana: Families File Suit to Challenge Law Requiring the Ten Commandments to be Displayed in K-College Classrooms
Several families, including clergy, are suing the state of Louisiana over a new law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in an “easy-to-read, poster-sized” format in all public classrooms from kindergarten to colleges, Reuters reports.

Supreme Court Sides With Biden Administration Over Online Free Speech
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided in a landmark case that the Biden administration may pressure social media companies to restrict content it considers harmful, including topics related to COVID-19 and election security, in order to censor speech on the internet.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

US House Passes Bill to End Persecution of Falun Gong in China, Targets Forced Organ Harvesting – June 26, 2024

Judge Keeps Trump Under Partial Gag Order Ahead of Sentencing – June 25, 2024

Federal Judges Block Biden’s Plan to End Student Loan Repayments – June 25, 2024

Trump Encourages Christians to Vote, Supports Displaying Ten Commandments in Schools – June 24, 2024

Supreme Court Decision on Presidential Immunity Looms Large – June 24, 2024

Trump Calls for Drug Tests Before First Presidential Debate – June 24, 2024

Supreme Court Will Hear Tennessee Gender-Affirming Care Ban Case – June 24, 2024

Breaking Christian News

Pakistan: Court grants Bail to 52 Islamists Accused of Lynching Elderly Christian, “There’s Very Little Hope for Justice for the Victim”
Following reported pressure from a powerful hardline Islamic group, a court in Punjab Province, Pakistan last week granted bail to 52 Islamists accused of lynching 74-year-old Nazeer Masih Gill in Sargodha on May 25 over false blasphemy accusations, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Laos Detains Devoted Christian Villagers (Worthy News In-depth)
There was concern Tuesday about the plight of a Lao church leader and five other Christians who were detained in central Laos amid a crackdown on Christian worship in the openly communist Asian nation, representatives told Worthy News.

India: Rajasthan State Considering Implementation of Anti-Conversion Law
Lawmakers in India’s Rajasthan state are considering approving the type of anti-conversion law that has led to the intense persecution of Christians and other non-Hindus in Indian states that already have such legislation.

Latest Christian News Headlines

Iran: Five Christian Converts Sentenced to Prison Terms on Unspecified Charges, “Conversion From Islam to Christianity is Illegal in Iran” – June 25, 2024

Christians In Kyrgyzstan Fear More Hostilities Despite Law Rejection (Worthy News Focus) – June 24, 2024

Fire Hits Nigeria’s Christ Embassy Megachurch After Controversies – June 24, 2024

Christian Sports Ministry to distribute 200,000 Bibles – June 24, 2024

Iraq Forcing Christian Woman To Convert To Islam – June 22, 2024

Mob Kills Man In Pakistan For Koran ‘Desecration’ – June 21, 2024

Bodies Found Of Murdered Christian Passengers In Nigeria – June 20, 2024

Weekly News Brief 3/14/24

Breaking World News

Wilders Won’t Become Dutch Premier Despite Election Victory
The leader of the Dutch Anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) said Wednesday he won’t become the next prime minister of the Netherlands despite his party’s election victory, but he didn’t rule out such a role in the future.

Putin Warns West of Nuclear War: ‘Weapons Exist In Order to Use Them’
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West that his country was technically ready for a nuclear war although he was not rushing to use nuclear weapons, however, his nuclear saber rattling was a warning to the West as NATO troops are being considered for deployment in Ukraine and stated, “Weapons exist in order to use them.”

Several Killed in Russian Bomb and Drone Strikes, Aide Dissident Attacked (Worthy News Radio)
Ukrainian officials say at least three people were killed in overnight Russian drone and bomb attacks in eastern Ukraine as fighting intensifies. Elsewhere, the top aide of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was attacked outside his home in Lithuania amid growing fears of Russian operations in Europe. The reported Russian attacks come a day after Moscow acknowledged that Ukraine-backed paramilitary groups had entered Russia.

Latest World News Headlines

Ukraine-Backed Troops Enter Russia As Fighting Escalates – March 12, 2024

China, Iran, and Russia Launch Major Naval Drill – March 12, 2024

Europe Confronts Rising Terror Threats with Over a Million Asylum Seekers Arriving – March 12, 2024

Iran Authorities Killed, Tortured, Raped Civilians Connected to Mahsa Amini Protests – March 11, 2024

Dutch anti-Islam Leader Wilders Meets Israel’s President – March 11, 2024

Ukraine Condemns Pope ‘White Flag’ Suggestion As Russian Strikes Kill Several – March 11, 2024

Far-Right Surges In Portugal Elections – March 11, 2024

Dutch King Defies Muslim Calls To Stay Away From Opening Holocaust Museum – March 11, 2024

US Embassy Evacuated By US Military in Haiti – March 10, 2024

US Role In Yemen Increasing After Attacks (Worthy News Focus) – March 10, 2024

Breaking Israel News

Israel Eliminates Hamas Military Leader in Lebanon
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that an airstrike led to the death of a senior Hamas leader in Lebanon who was responsible for worldwide attacks against Jews.

Israel Edges Closer to Rafah Invasion, Defense Minister Hints
During a Wednesday visit to the Gaza Strip, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that a military operation by the Israel Defense Forces targeting Hamas units in Rafah will happen “soon.”

Israel: Researchers Hope Cosmic Rays Can Help Uncover History Of Ancient Jerusalem
Israeli researchers have installed a muon detector in a cavern under Jerusalem’s Old City in the hope it will use subatomic particles created by cosmic rays to send images of previously inaccessible ancient passageways, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

Latest Israel News Headlines

US Mulls Private Sea Operation For Gaza Ahead Of Military Port – March 12, 2024

Massive Rocket Barrage During Ramadan As Israel Approaches Full-Scale War with Hezbollah – March 12, 2024

Netanyahu Plans Invasion of Rafah Despite ‘Red Line’ Set by Biden – March 11, 2024

Clashes Between Police and Worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound on First Night of Ramadan – March 10, 2024

Five Killed In US Airdrop In Gaza As Israel Ponders Arming Civilians – March 8, 2024

US To Open Aid Port For Gaza – March 7, 2024

Israel Will Allow Unrestricted Muslim Access to Temple Mount During Ramadan, Netanyahu Says – March 6, 2024

Breaking U.S. News

Judge Dismisses Counts Against Trump In Georgia Election Interference Case
A state judge on Wednesday dismissed some of the charges against former President Donald Trump in the Georgia case that accuses the former president of trying to interfere with the 2020 election.

Trump, Biden Secure Party Nominations After Georgia, Mississippi Primary Wins
Former President Donald Trump picked up 59 delegates after winning Georgia Tuesday, and with another victory in Mississippi and an expected win in Washington state, he will exceed the necessary delegate count to become the presumptive Republican nominee.

White House Asked For Changes To Hur Report On Classified Documents
The White House asked Special Counsel Robert Hur to make changes to descriptions of President Joe Biden’s memory in Hur’s bombshell report on how the president handled classified documents.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

White House Bypasses Congress To Send $300 Million of ‘Emergency’ Military Aid to Ukraine – March 12, 2024

America Lost Over 140,000 Farms Between 2017-2022 – March 12, 2024

FBI Director: Smuggling Organizations Connected to ISIS Coming Through US Border – March 12, 2024

Biden Budget Packed With Tax Hikes, Increases National Debt – March 11, 2024

SCOTUS To Decide If Emergency Room Doctors Are Required To Perform Abortions – March 11, 2024

Court Hands Texas A Win In Lawsuit Over Federal Border Wall Construction – March 10, 2024

Fact Check: Biden’s Claim He Cut The Deficit Challenged As False – March 10, 2024

Breaking Christian News

Pakistan: Rights Advocates Demand Safeguards Against Blasphemy Law Abuses
Alarmed at the number of people charged and incarcerated for blasphemy in Pakistan, rights advocates are demanding legislative charges to protect against blatant Islamic extremist abuse of blasphemy laws to persecute not only those of minority faiths but Muslims as well, Christian Daily reports.

Africa: YWAM Missionary Deaths Highlight Inadequate Road Safety Across The Continent
he tragic deaths of 11 YWAM missionary leaders in a road traffic accident in Tanzania last month has highlighted the neglect of road safety measures across the African continent, Christian Daily reports. The 11 missionaries had been participating in the “Executive Masters in Leadership” course, based at YWAM Arusha, Tanzania when a truck suffered a brake failure and crashed into the bus they were traveling in on Feb. 24, killing them and severely injuring others.

Haiti: Churchgoers Increasingly Targeted For Abduction By Gangs, “We Must Bear Our Cross And Follow Christ”
 Posted on: Tuesday, March 12, 2024
As Haiti continues to struggle under the brutal grip of lawless gangs who have now succeeded in pressuring President Ariel Henry to resign, a Catholic archbishop is warning that churchgoers in the small Caribbean state are being abducted at an alarming rate, the Christian Post (CP) reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

India: Assam State Lawmakers Seek To Ban Christian Prayer For Healing – March 12, 2024

Slaughter of Christians Continue in Nigeria – March 12, 2024

Christian Women/Girls Increasingly Subject To Forced Marriage In Oppressive Countries, Report – March 12, 2024

Vietnam: Government Designates As “terrorists” Two Rights Groups Which Support Christian Montagnard Community – March 11, 2024

Gunmen Kidnap Hundreds Of Children In Nigeria – March 8, 2024

UK Police Will Pay Damages To Street Evangelist After Trying To Censor His speech – March 7, 2024

Liberty University Agrees To Pay Record $14 Million Fine For Violations Of Crime Reporting Legislation – March 7, 2024

Weekly News Brief: 2/2/24

Spain Declares Drought Emergency In Northeastern Catalonia Region


Spanish authorities have declared a drought emergency in and around Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city and the capital of its autonomous northeastern Catalonia region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Withdraw Officers from Syria Following Alleged Israeli Airstrikes (Update)


Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have reduced the number of their high-ranking officers stationed in Syria following a series of fatal strikes attributed to Israel according to the Reuters News Agency.

EU Leaders Agree On $54 Billion For Ukraine After Hungary Lifts Opposition (Worthy News Radio)


European Union leaders have agreed to create a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) fund for Ukraine after getting on board Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had threatened to veto the deal.

Latest World News Headlines

US Preemptively Strikes Houthi Missile It Says Posed “Imminent Threat” To Aircraft – February 1, 2024

China’s Forced Organ Harvesting From Minorities Highlighted At International Religious Freedom Summit – February 1, 2024

US Blames Iran-Backed Islamic Resistance Group For Attack That Killed 3 US Troops – January 31, 2024

NATO With Largest Exercise Since Cold War Amid Fears Of Large Conflict – January 31, 2024

Ambassador: Israeli Embassy In Sweden Target Of ‘Attempted Attack’ – January 31, 2024

Antisemitic Incidents in France Surge by 1,100% Following October 7 – January 30, 2024

Hungary Condemns EU Plan To Cripple Its Economy – January 30, 2024

Paris In Crisis As Farmers Besiege French Capital – January 30, 2024

Billionaire Musk’s Brain Chip Implanted In Human For First Time – January 29, 2024

World Awaits Biden’s Response To Death Of U.S. Service Members In Drone Strike – January 29, 2024

Breaking Israel News

Hostages Freed In Turkey As Police Detain Armed Man Protesting Israel’s War in Gaza


Seven workers seized at a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) plant in northwestern Turkey were freed after a nine-hour standoff with a gunman protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza, Turkish officials confirmed.

‘Biden Doctrine’: Steps to Unilaterally Recognize Palestinian State Despite Israel Opposition
The Biden Administration is considering a ‘new doctrine’ to unilaterally recognize a demilitarized Palestinian State despite strong opposition to statehood within Israel.

Defense Minister: ‘Israel Facing Imminent War With Hezbollah’


Israel’s defense minister has urged his nation to prepare for an imminent war with the massive Iran-backed Hezbollah militia based in neighboring Lebanon and a broader armed conflict in the Middle East.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Israel Flooding ‘Hamas Terror Tunnels’ As Battles Rage In Gaza, West Bank (Worthy News In-Depth) – January 31, 2024

Israeli Defense Minister Gallant Claims Half of Hamas Terrorists Have Been Wounded or Killed – January 30, 2024

Netanyahu: We Will Only Accept Total Victory; We Will Not Release Thousands of Terrorists – January 30, 2024

Hamas Rejects Hostage Deal, Hamas Fires Rockets into Central Israel – January 29, 2024

Jerusalem: Discovery of Byzantine-Era Weights May Point to Pre-Islamic Christian Presence on Temple Mount – January 29, 2024

World Remembers Holocaust Amid Rising Antisemitism (Worthy News Radio) – January 27, 2024

EU: ‘UN Likely Involved In Hamas Attacks Against Israel’ (Worthy News Investigation) – January 27, 2024

Breaking U.S. News

Tax Bill Heads to Senate, Faces Uncertain Future
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan tax bill with a vote of 357-70 late Wednesday, but that bill now faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

New York Officials Outraged Over Beating of NYPD Officers by Migrants
New York Republicans are calling for the deportation of a group of undocumented migrants who were released without bail after a brutal beating of two NYPD police officers in Times Square.

Colorado SOS Files Brief With U.S. Supreme Court in Trump Case
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case involving former President Donald Trump’s removal from the 2024 Colorado Republican presidential primary ballot.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

US Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged – January 31, 2024

California: Child Evangelism Ministry Accuses Public School District Of Unlawful Discrimination – January 31, 2024

FBI Director Wray Warns of Chinese Hackers Targeting America’s Infrastructure to ‘Wreak Havoc’ – January 31, 2024

US: Homelessness Surges As Pandemic-Era Safety Net Provisions Expire – January 31, 2024

US Civil War Fears As Texas Sets Up Wires At Mexico Border Over ‘Migrant Invasion’ (Worthy News In-Depth) – January 31, 2024

After Hours of Debate, House Committee Advances Mayorkas Impeachment Articles – January 31, 2024

Speaker Johnson Works On FISA Overhaul By April Deadline – January 30, 2024

Breaking Christian News

Hamas ‘Unlikely’ To Reject Hostage Deal; ‘Will Demand War Ends’ As Battles Rage (Worthy News In-Depth)
Hamas is unlikely to reject a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received from mediators this week but will not sign it without assurances that Israel has committed to ending the war, sources say.

Islamists Attack DRC Church, Villages, Killing 8; Dozens Kidnapped
Christians faced major challenges in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday after at least eight people died and thirty were taken hostage in Islamist attacks on a Pentecostal church and other targets.

Nicaraguan Regime Charges US Missionaries/Nicaraguan Pastors With Financial Crimes After Large Gospel Events
Nicaragua’s Attorney General has charged three US missionaries and 11 Nicaraguan pastors with money laundering and organized crime, months after the Christians led large Gospel outreaches in the country, CBN News reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

Pakistan: Govt. Announces Christian Children Can Study The Bible Instead Of Islam In School – January 31, 2024

Nigeria: Slaughter of Christians Continues, “More Believers Are Killed For Their Faith In Nigeria Than Everywhere Else In The World Combined” – January 31, 2024

National Day of Prayer and Repentance in Washington D.C. on Jan. 31 – January 30, 2024

Comoros: Christians Face Ongoing Persecution Following Reelection Of President Assoumani – January 30, 2024

US: Churches Open Doors To Homeless In Extreme Cold, Run Afoul Of Local Authorities – January 30, 2024

Eritrea Releasing Hundreds Of Christians; 300 Still Detained – January 30, 2024

Iran: New Testament Now Available in 12 New Dialects as Underground Church Grows – January 25, 2024