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

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

News from this Week 3/10/23

Breaking World News

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

Power Restored At Ukraine Nuclear Site After Deadly Strikes

Power has been restored to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest after massive Russian strikes killed at least nine people, authorities said Thursday.

Another mass shooting in Germany, seven dead

A gunman opened fire in a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Germany’s northern city of Hamburg late Thursday, killing at least seven people, authorities said.

Russia Unleashes Devastating Assault Across Ukraine: ‘Massive Attack’

Russian forces carried out a “massive missile attack” on key Ukrainian targets overnight, according to Ukraine’s top soldier.

Latest World News Headlines

UK: Lawmakers reject legislation that would allow silent prayer within abortion clinic buffer zones – March 9, 2023

Georgia’s Capital Rocked By Riots Over Foreign Agents’ Law (Worthy News Radio) – March 9, 2023

Hungary’s President Urges Women To Have Faith-Based Families – March 9, 2023

NATO: ‘Russia Could Capture Ukraine’s Bakhmut In Days’ – March 8, 2023

China “most consequential threat” to U.S. national security, top intelligence official says – March 8, 2023

Russia Detains Christians Opposing War – March 8, 2023

Hungary Delegates In Sweden Amid Concerns About NATO Expansion (Worthy News Radio) – March 7, 2023

Breaking Israel News

Netanyahu: ‘Horrible nuclear war’ will break out, if Iran isn’t stopped

A “horrible nuclear war” will break out if the world does not stop Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his first ever address to the Iranian people on Thursday night.

Traffic Blocked, Thousands Protest as ‘Day of Resistance’ Underway in Israel

The protest movement against the government’s judicial reform plan is waging a “day of resistance against the dictatorship” on Thursday, blocking roads and even maritime routes.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Saudi Arabia Offers Peace To Israel In Exchange For Nuclear Energy – March 9, 2023

US backs Israel’s ‘legitimate right’ to fight terror following Jenin operation – March 8, 2023

All Signs Point to Imminent Israeli Attack on Iran – March 8, 2023

Israel must recognize online marriages conducted via Utah, Supreme Court rules – March 8, 2023

Breaking U.S. News

US House Votes To Declassify COVID Origins; Biden Pressured (Video)

American President Joe Biden came under pressure Friday after the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to force the White House to declassify the origins of COVID-19.

New York to pay Christian agency $250,000 in lawsuit settlement over LGBT child placements

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has agreed to pay a Christian adoption agency $250,000 in legal fees to settle a lawsuit filed after the state tried to force the agency to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried heterosexual couples in violation of its faith ethics, the Christian Post (CP) reports.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

FBI director says China could use TikTok to control data on millions of Americans – March 8, 2023

Federal court says pro life pregnancy centers should not have to hire pro choice employees – March 8, 2023

Diverse faith groups file amicus briefs supporting evangelical postal worker in SCOTUS religious accommodations case – March 8, 2023

Feds extorted social media to censor by threatening lucrative ‘hidden subsidy’: AGs lawsuit – March 8, 2023

Two Kidnapped Americans Killed In Mexico – March 7, 2023

SCOTUS declines to hear case involving atheists’ offense at police prayer vigil – March 7, 2023

Parents alarmed by satanist after-school clubs forming across U.S. – March 6, 2023

Breaking Christian News

Nicaragua: Thousands flock to Somotillo to hear the Gospel and encounter God

Thousands of people gathered in a small town in western Nicaragua Saturday to hear the Gospel preached by US evangelists from Shake The Nations Ministries (STNM) to have a life-changing encounter with Jesus, GOD TV reports.

A further 41 Texas churches leave UMC over LGBTQ stance

A further 41 conservative congregations in Texas have now left The United Methodist Church amid ongoing disagreement over the Bible’s teaching on same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay and trans clergy, the Christian Post (CP) reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

England: Large Anglican church to stop payments to Diocese in split over LGBT blessing ceremonies – March 8, 2023

Nigeria: Church of Christ in Nations pastor and two sons killed by Islamist militants – March 7, 2023

India: Hindu nationalists vandalize Gideon Bible stall at fair, accuse Christians of entrapment – March 7, 2023

Just 4% of US adults now hold worldview based on Bible, report shows – March 7, 2023

Pastor Aiding Ukraine Town After Massacre – March 6, 2023

Most US churches will continue online services along with in-person gatherings post COVID, study shows – March 6, 2023

News from this Week 2/22/23

Breaking World News

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

US officials: Russia carried out failed “Satan II” nuclear missile test ahead of Biden visit to Ukraine

US officials have stated Russia carried out a failed test of its intercontinental “Satan II” ballistic missiles ahead of President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine this week, the London Standard reports.

Russia Will Never Be Victorious In Ukraine,’ Biden Says

U.S. President Joe Biden has told a crowd in Poland that “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, never.”

Activists Condemn Jailing Belarus Journalist

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has decried Belarusian authorities for sentencing journalist Yury Hladchuk to 2.5 years in prison.

Latest World News Headlines

Genocide Watch warns of possible new war between Armenia and Azerbaijan this year – February 21, 2023

Russia Suspends Key Nuclear Treaty; NATO Concerned (Worthy News Radio) – February 21, 2023

President Biden Visiting War-Torn Ukraine Pledged More Military Aid – February 20, 2023

Again Powerful Earthquake In Turkish-Syrian Border Area – February 20, 2023

Kosovo Has 15th Independence Anniversary Amid Tensions – February 20, 2023

Iran: Protests erupt for first time in weeks – February 20, 2023

China Considers Sending Weapons to Russia Further Escalating Tensions – February 20, 2023

Breaking Israel News

4.5-magnitude tremor felt in Israel amid uptick in seismic activity

The Israel Geological Institute said a 4.5-magnitude tremor was recorded in the country on Wednesday morning, for the second time this week.

Netanyahu said to huddle repeatedly with military brass over possible attack on Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held a series of secret high-level meetings with top military officials aimed at upping preparations for a possible confrontation with Iran.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Israel: Tens of thousands protest government bill to restrict Supreme Court power – February 21, 2023

Israel passes several judicial reforms on first reading – February 21, 2023

Senior Boeing official in Israel to push sale of advanced F-15 jets for Iran strike – February 21, 2023

Israel hits back at UN Security Council for denouncing West Bank settlement activity – February 20, 2023

Breaking U.S. News

Supreme Court Hears Arguments Concerning Tech Giants’ Liability for Social Media Content

The Internet could soon face a significant transformation, courtesy of the Supreme Court.

Moderna enters R&D collaboration for mRNA gene-editing therapies

Moderna Inc will collaborate with privately-owned Life Edit Therapeutics Inc under an agreement to discover and develop mRNA gene-editing therapies, the companies said on Wednesday.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

Supreme Court rejects ACLU challenge to state laws banning anti-Israel boycotts – February 21, 2023

Democratic governors form alliance on abortion rights – February 21, 2023

IRS leaked thousands of Americans’ tax filings; Congress demands to know if it was political – February 21, 2023

Coast-to-coast winter storm to blast millions with threats of blizzard – February 20, 2023

James O’Keefe ousted from Project Veritas after power struggle with board – February 20, 2023

Brain implant startup backed by Bezos and Gates is testing mind-controlled computing on humans – February 20, 2023

U.S. Police Detain Man After Mississippi Mass Shooting – February 19, 2023

Breaking Christian News

Nicaragua Removes Citizenship Church Leaders And Many Others

Nicaragua has stripped more than 90 people of their Nicaraguan citizenship, including the bishop of Managua and a Catholic priest, as part of a crackdown on opponents of the country’s autocratic President Daniel Ortega.

Pakistan Christian Family Faces Deportation Despite Death Threats (Worthy News In-Depth)

A Christian family who fled Pakistan after angry Muslim crowds torched their home and one of them was nearly beaten to death, face forced deportation from Thailand, Worthy News established.

China: Government persecution of Christians worsened last year, report says

The US-based ChinaAid persecution watchdog organization attests in a new report that China’s ruling Communist Party intensified its notorious harassment and mistreatment of Christians in the country last year, the Christian Post reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

10 Anglican Archbishops say Church of England is “disqualified” as “Mother Church” over blessings for same-sex marriages – February 21, 2023

Persecuted Christians in South Asia Bravely Translating the Bible with Help from Wycliffe Associates – February 21, 2023

Nigeria: Christian leaders mark 5th year in captivity of schoolgirl Leah Sharibu abducted by Boko Haram – February 21, 2023

Mozambique: Imprisoned missionaries denied bail – February 21, 2023

20,000 Join Asbury Revival in Weekend Explosion, but Outpouring Will Now Be Moved Off Campus – February 20, 2023

Six Egyptian Coptic Christians released by kidnappers in Libya – February 20, 2023

Asbury University revival moving to new sites to accommodate people arriving from around the world – February 20, 2023