Weekly News Brief 3/18/25

Breaking World News

U.S. President Trump To Speak Tuesday With Russia’s Putin On Peace In Ukraine
U.S. President Donald J. Trump says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and discuss ending the war in Ukraine, which is believed to have killed and injured some 1 million people.

Russia China Defend Iran’s Nuclear Program And Demand End of Sanctions
The United States faces a setback in attempts to build new relations with Russia after Moscow and Beijing called for an end to the “unlawful sanctions” imposed on Iran.

Hundreds of Thousands Rally Against Serbia’s Hardline Leader
Serbia’s hardline President Aleksandar Vucic and his government faced pressure to resign Sunday after hundreds of thousands of people descended on Belgrade for one of the largest mass rallies against his rule.

Latest World News Headlines

Dozens Killed As US Strikes Houthis – Mar.16.2025

Scores Killed In Blaze At North Macedonia Nightclub – Mar.16.2025

Tens Of Thousands Rally Against Hungary’s Orbán – Mar.16.2025

Romania’s Right George Simon Becomes Presidential Candidate – Mar.16.2025

Peruvian Fisherman Found After 94 Days at Sea: ‘I Didn’t Want to Die’ – Mar.16.2025

U.S. Strikes Houthis In Message To Iran – Mar.15.2025

Britain Supports U.S.-Backed Ceasefire for Ukraine – Mar.15.2025

Philippines Ex-President Faces ICC Court As Mothers Mourn Loved Ones (Worthy News In-Depth) – Mar.15.2025

Putin Urges Ukrainian Troops in Russia to Surrender, Citing Trump’s Appeal (Worthy News Focus) – Mar.15.2025

Poland Seeks Stationing U.S. Nuclear Weapons – Mar.14.2025

Breaking Israel News

Israel Launches Airstrikes in Gaza As Cease-Fire Ends
The Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas’ infrastructure and several of its mid-level commanders and politburo members as the cease-fire ended late on Monday.

Netanyahu’s Ouster of Key Security Chief Sparks Major Political Crisis
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to dismiss Shin Bet director Ronen Bar this week, citing “growing distrust” over time. This marks a major upheaval in Israel’s security leadership during a critical time for the nation.

Israel’s ‘Iron Beam’ to be operational by late 2025
Israel’s Iron Beam laser defense system, set to be operational in roughly nine months, intercepts rockets, drones, and mortars within seconds at a range of up to 7 km using a high-energy fiber laser, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday.

Latest Israel News Headlines

U.S. Proposes Ceasefire Deal to Secure Hostage Release – Mar.13.2025

Israel Rejects UN Report That Accused Israel of “Genocidal Acts” – Mar.13.2025

Israel’s IDF Executes Largest Airstrikes in Two Months on Syrian Regime’s Military Sites – Mar.11.2025

Alawites: ‘Israel Help End Massacres In Syria’ (Worthy News Focus) – Mar.11.2025

Turkey Vetoes Israel’s Participation in NATO Exercise – Mar.10.2025

Israel Airstrikes Target Former Assad Regime Bases in Southern Syria – Mar.10.2025

Israel Cutting Off Power To Gaza – Mar.9.2025

Breaking U.S. News

Trump Declares Biden Pardons ‘Void;’ Cites Digital Signature
In an early morning announcement, President Donald Trump declared Monday that former President Joe Biden’s rash of preemptive pardons issued during his last days in office are “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect.”

Arizona Supreme Court Uses AI-Generated Reporters
Artificial intelligence has arrived at the Arizona Supreme Court.

Court Attempts to Halt Trump Deportations, El Salvador President Says ‘Too Late’
A class action lawsuit was filed on Saturday against the Trump administration after President Donald Trump signed an executive order invoking the Enemy Aliens Act to target, arrest, and remove violent Venezuelan prison gang members, Tren de Aragua (TdA), from the U.S.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

Dozens Killed As Violent Tornadoes Hit US – Mar.16.2025

Trump ‘Closing Down’ Voice of America – Mar.15.2025

Government Shutdown Averted Mere Hours Before Deadline – Mar.15.2025

Schumer Says He’ll Now Vote to Approve GOP Spending Bill, Avoid Shutdown – Mar.14.2025

Democrats Gamble With Government Shutdown as Deadline Looms – Mar.13.2025

Report: Foreign-Born Population Hits ‘All-Time High’ – Mar.13.2025

U.S. Department of Education to Cut Half of Employees – Mar.12.2025

Breaking Christian News

India Christians Rally Against Anti-Conversion Law At Huge Protest
Authorities in northeast India are under pressure after at least tens of thousands of Christians protested against the expected implementation of an “anti-conversion” law that they say unfairly targets the Christian minority.

Christian Group Reports Rising Persecution in India
In 2024, Christians in India experienced significant levels of violence and discrimination, with 640 reported cases, a surge in cases since 2014, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission (EFIRLC).

UK Court: Christian Can’t Be Prosecuted For Criticizing Koran
A British court has thrown out the prosecution of a Christian preacher who was surrounded by an angry Muslim mob for criticizing the Koran, deemed a holy book by Muslims.

Latest Christian News Headlines

USCIRF Investigates Continuing Christian Persecution in Myanmar – Mar.13.2025

Nigeria Christian Facing Death Sentence Despite Doubts About Trial (Worthy News Focus) – Mar.13.2025

Iran Sentences Christian Converts To Long Prison Terms – Mar.13.2025

Los Angeles County Bans Church On Beach – Mar.12.2025

Christians Fear Britain Could Introduce Blasphemy Legislation – Mar.11.2025

Christian Girl Rescued by Police from Kidnapper in Pakistan – Mar.10.2025

Catholic Priest Killed In Nigeria As Death Toll Of Christians Rise – Mar.6.2025

Weekly News Brief 3/3/25

Breaking World News

Ukrainians Longing For Peace Amid New Fighting (Worthy News Radio)
Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized amid mounting concerns about his health, managed to urge prayers for peace in Ukraine, where many long for an end to the war amid ongoing clashes.

Ukraine’s President Ready For Minerals Deal With US Despite Disastrous Talks (Worthy News Focus)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he still hopes for “constructive” talks with the United States after his made-for-tv verbal clash with U.S. President Donald J. Trump and signaled his readiness to sign a $500 billion minerals deal with Washington.

Historic Security Summit in London Without US; Canada, Norway, Turkey Also Join
The main European Union countries and NATO military allies Canada, Norway, and Turkey will attend a historic security summit in London on Sunday without the United States amid mounting transatlantic tensions.

Latest World News Headlines

Ukrainians Feeling Humiliated After Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting (Worthy News In-Depth) – Mar.2.2025

Germany Charges Islamic Extremist Murder, Netherlands Mourning – Mar.1.2025

China Flexes Muscles In Indo-Pacific Region – Mar.1.2025

Britain Warmly Welcomes Ukraine’s Zelenskyy After Washington ‘Disaster’ – Mar.1.2025

Hungary and Slovakia Threaten to Derail EU Summit on Ukraine (Worthy News Investigation) – Mar.1.2025

11 Killed In China’s River Crash, Several Missing – Mar.1.2025

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Not Apologizing For Verbal Clash With U.S. President – Mar.1.2025

Several European Leaders Shell-Shocked But Orbán Pleased After Zelenskyy-Trump Standoff – Feb.28.2025

US President Trump Calls Ukrainian Leader Zelenskyy ‘Disrespectful’ – Feb.28.2025

Romania: Criminal Investigation Against Pro-Russia Presidential Candidate – Feb.28.2025

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Breaking Israel News

Haifa Terror Attack Kills 1; Suspect Shot Dead
At least one person has been killed in a stabbing attack at a bus station in the Israeli coastal city of Haifa before the suspected attacker was shot dead, authorities said Monday.

Israel Extends Ability to Call Up 400,000 Reservists, Halts All Aid to Gaza
As the ceasefire teeters on the verge of collapse, the Israeli government is poised to approve the extension of legislation allowing the mobilization of 400,000 reservists. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister has ordered the halt of all aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip, signaling the region’s impending descent into war.

Palestinian President Upholds ‘Pay To Slay’ Policy Despite Promises to U.S. (Video)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he remains committed to payments to families of prisoners convicted of terror against Israel or to loved ones of those who died while carrying out acts of terrorism.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Israel Seeks To Maintain Russian Military Bases in Syria to Counter Turkey’s Influence – Mar.2.2025

U.S. Greenlights Fast-Track Delivery of $4 Billion in Military Aid to Israel – Mar.1.2025

Israel Accepts U.S. Ceasefire Proposal for Ramadan and Passover; Hamas Rejects Terms for Hostage Deal Extension – Mar.1.2025

Rubio: More Nations Seeking To Join US-Brokered Abraham Accords – Feb.28.2025

Israel-Hamas Negotiations Begin as Truce Threatens to Unravel – Feb.28.2025

October 7 Report Finds Major Intelligence Lapses Resulted in Tragic Massacre (Worthy News In-Depth) – Feb.27.2025

Netanyahu Orders Cairo Mission to Further Hostage Negotiations – Feb.27.2025

Breaking U.S. News

Stocks Tumble as Trump Moves Ahead with Tariffs on Mexico, Canada
President Donald Trump sent stocks on a deep slide Monday afternoon after announcing that tariffs against two of the nation’s top trading partners would go into effect Tuesday because there was “no room left” for negotiations with America’s neighbors.

Trump Announces $100 Billion Investment from Top Semiconductor Manufacturer
A week after Apple’s $500 billion record U.S. investment announcement, President Donald Trump announced Monday that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest at least $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years as well.

Pentagon Mobilizes 3,000 Troops as Trump Declares ‘Invasion of U.S. Over’
Illegal border crossings into the U.S. hit a 25-year low in February, as the Pentagon prepares to deploy 3,000 troops to reinforce border security along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of President Trump’s mission to secure it. “The invasion of our country is over,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

Stocks Higher After Trump-Zelenskyy Clash – Feb.28.2025

Influencers Tates Arrive In US Despite Rape And Trafficking Charges In Romania (Worthy News Investigation) – Feb.28.2025

Trump Admin Doubles Down On Cuts to USAID With Plan for 90% Reduction – Feb.27.2025

Mexico Extradites 29 Cartel Members to US for Prosecution – Feb.27.2025

SCOTUS Pauses Judge’s Order Requiring $2 Billion in Foreign Aid to Be Paid Out – Feb.27.2025

Decline Christianity Has Ended In US, Report Finds – Feb.26.2025

White House Prepares for ‘Maximum Elimination’ of Federal Workers Allowed by Law – Feb.26.2025

Breaking Christian News

Uganda: Muslims Stab Evangelist in Attack
Muslims in eastern Uganda attacked and stabbed an evangelist who, along with his team, had converted a Muslim widow to Christianity during an open-air preaching session on February 15, according to Morning Star News.

Nigeria: Pastor Shot, Church Members Kidnapped
A Nigerian pastor was recovering from his injuries Wednesday after gunmen shot him and severed his fingers while abducting six worshipers from a Pentecostal church in Nigeria’s southern Delta state, his wife and other sources said.

India Church Attack Injures Dozens
 Posted on: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Some 50 Christians were attacked during a Sunday service in western India, the latest in a series of attacks targeting churches in the mainly Hindu nation, Worthy News learned Wednesday.

Latest Christian News Headlines

Thailand Detains Dozens Of Montagnard Christian Refugees – Feb.26.2025

Elderly Dutch Christian Woman Sentenced For Destroying 300 ‘Idols’ – Feb.25.2025

International Court Asked To Condemn Nicaragua Over Jailing Pastors – Feb.24.2025

Baptists Want US To Defund Planned Parenthood Over Abortions – Feb.23.2025

70 Christians Discovered Beheaded in Church in the DRC – Feb.20.2025

Indonesia Christians Concerned Over Muslim Opposition Toward Church – Feb.19.2025

Family Asks Pakistan To Free Tortured Christian From Jail – Feb.18.2025

Weekly News Brief 3/20/24

Breaking World News

USCIRF Calls For US To Support Iraqi Victims Of ISIS On Anniversary Of Genocide Determination
Marking the eighth anniversary of the 2016 determination by the United States that ISIS carried out a genocide against northern Iraq’s Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims two years earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the US government to do more to support survivors of the 2014 jihadist campaign that involved mass murders, systematic abductions, rape and sexual slavery, forced labor, and forced religious conversion to Sunni Islam.

Hong Kong Passes Tough Security Law Limiting Liberties
Critics feared losing more civil liberties in Hong Kong on Wednesday after local lawmakers unanimously approved a new national security that grants the government more power to quash dissent.

U.S. Will Stay in NATO If European Nations Pay ‘Fair Share’, Trump Says
 Posted on: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
If re-elected, former President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that the U.S. would stay in NATO as long as European countries pay their ‘fair share’ and ‘play fair.’

Latest World News Headlines

Russia’s Re-elected Putin Warns Of World War III – March 18, 2024

Yemen: Houthi Terror Group Has Obtained Hypersonic Missile, “Death to America, Death to Israel” – March 18, 2024

Russia’s Putin Claims Election Victory Amid Protests and Deadly Attacks (Worthy News Radio) – March 18, 2024

Hungary’s Orbán Under Pressure Over Death Navalny (Worthy News Radio) – March 17, 2024

Thousands Protest Government ‘Media Crackdown’ In Slovakia – March 17, 2024

Japan Court Calls Denying Same-Sex Marriage ‘Unconstitutional’ – March 15, 2024

Gunfire Erupts In Haiti As Gangs Frighten Nation – March 15, 2024

Putin Poised To Win Presidential Vote Despite Fighting Inside Russia – March 14, 2024

Biden Administration Renews Iran Sanctions Waiver Allowing $10 Billion For State Sponsor of Terrorism – March 14, 2024

Scores of Migrants Drown In Mediterranean Disaster – March 14, 2024

Breaking Israel News

International Court of Justice Will Hear Nicaragua’s Case Against Germany Over Israel Aid and UNRWA Defunding
As tens of thousands of Nicaraguans are fleeing their homes to escape President Daniel Ortega’s brutal dictatorship, the Nicaraguan government is bringing the German government before the International Court of Justice to demand it stop giving military aid to Israel and start funding the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) again.

Netanyahu Tells Biden To Prepare for Ground Operation in Rafah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed a Knesset committee that the IDF is set to launch a ground operation in Rafah, and he relayed this decision to US President Joe Biden during their phone conversation yesterday.

Syria Reports Israeli Strikes on Military Sites Near Damascus
Syria’s Defense Ministry confirmed that Israeli missile strikes allegedly hit military installations outside of Damascus. The ministry noted that while several military sites were hit, Syrian air defenses managed to intercept a number of the incoming missiles. According to regional intelligence and Syrian sources, these attacks represent an escalation in strikes targeting the fortifications of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which are located in the vicinity of Damascus.

Latest Israel News Headlines

300 Terrorists Arrested, 50 Killed As Raid on Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital Enters 2nd Day – March 19, 2024

Israel: Complex of 2,000 Year-Old Jewish Revolt Bolt Holes Discovered in Galilee – March 19, 2024

Trump Seeks Broader Israel-Mideast Peace – March 18, 2024

Israel Offers Six-Week Gaza Truce for 40 Hostages – March 18, 2024

Israel Raids Gaza’s Shifa Hospital Killing Hamas Senior Commander – March 18, 2024

Iran and Hezbollah Discuss Strategy in Beirut As War Looms In Lebanon – March 17, 2024

Israel Is Fighting ‘Multi-Front War’ and Facing Security Challenges During Ramadan, IDF Chief Says – March 16, 2024

Breaking U.S. News

Poll Finds Most Americans Believe Role Of Religion Is Declining In US
A new poll by the Pew Research Center shows that 80% of US adults now believe that the role of religion in public life is diminishing. The poll was conducted Feb. 13-25, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 12,693 American adults.


Texas Immigration Law Blocked by Appeals Court Despite Supreme Court Allowing State to Arrest Illegal Immigrants
Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court authorized its implementation, a federal appeals court overturned its decision, preventing Texas’ new anti-illegal immigration law from taking effect and once again halting its enforcement.

Presumptive Nominees Biden, Trump Sweep Tuesday Primaries
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive presidential nominees for their respective parties, won big again in Tuesday’s primaries.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

US Conservative Christians Denied Bank Access Under Biden Policies (Worthy News In-Depth) – March 20, 2024

Supreme Court Allows Texas To Enforce New Border Law – March 19, 2024

US: Republican and Democratic Lawmakers Agree To Suspend UNRWA Funding Until 2025 – March 19, 2024

Lawmakers, White House Announce Budget Deal To Keep Government Open – March 19, 2024

Layoffs Continue Nationwide As Economic Concerns Rise – March 19, 2024

Biden Border Policy Critics Lament ‘Migrant Crime Wave’ – March 19, 2024

Trump Can’t Secure $464M For New York Fraud Case, His Lawyers Say – March 18, 2024

Breaking Christian News

Christian Ministry Serves Thousands Of Ukrainian Refugees In Moldova, “Pray For Us”
An international Christian mission has been ministering to thousands of Ukrainian refugees who fled their homes for the former USSR country of Moldova after the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine began two years ago, CBN News reports. Headquartered in Tennessee, USA, Mission Eurasia has outreaches in the 13 countries of the former Soviet Union and Poland.

Uganda: Islamists Murder Christian Man For Leading Muslims To Faith In Christ
Radicalized Islamists murdered a Christian preacher in eastern Uganda earlier this month because he had been leading Muslims to faith in Christ, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Gaza: Palestinians Having Visions Of Jesus, Christians Remain In War Zone To Offer Gospel Hope
Taysir Saada, a former sniper for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), has revealed that Gaza Palestinians caught up in the Hamas war against Israel are having dreams and visions of Jesus and are rejoicing as they accept Him as their Savior, CBN News reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

India: Christian Couples Sentenced To Two Years Imprisonment For “Alluring” Hindu Relative To Become Christian – March 18, 2024

Cuba: Government Continues Crackdown On Christians, Religious Freedom – March 18, 2024

South Korean Christian Ministry Says North Korea Needs Prayer And Evangelism – March 18, 2024

US Missionaries Trapped in Violence-Torn Haiti – March 15, 2024

Wycliffe Associates Bringing Bible Translation Technology to Indigenous Translators Lacking Internet Access – March 15, 2024

Nicaragua: Female Prisoners Assaulted By Jail Staff For Praying Aloud – March 15, 2024

Pakistan: Christian Parents Worry Abducted 10-Year-Old Daughter May Be Sex-Trafficked – March 14, 2024