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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a rare rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin as Moscow killed at least 12 people and injured 90 others in a massive attack on the Ukrainian capital early Thursday. The assault was the deadliest on the capital, Kyiv, since last summer. Explosions shook buildings and sent more than 16,000 people into the subway system to take shelter, officials said. Clouds of smoke rose over the city as the sun came up. One missile hit a two-story building with 12 apartments where emergency workers hunted for survivors, witnesses saw. A five-story building next door lost all its windows. People stood outside, staring at the damage and talking on their phones, telling loved ones they were alive. No military target was visible nearby. Zelenskyy said nearly 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and about 150 attack drones had targeted cities across the country — although Kyiv was hit the hardest. While Trump has publicly condemned Zelenskyy, he was able to set those differences aside and focus on criticizing Trump on Thursday. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that the attacks were “not necessary” and “very” poorly timed. “Vladimir, Stop! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying,” he said. Yet despite his appeal, Ukrainians feared more attacks. The post Trump Blasts Putin After Devastating Russian Strike on Kyiv appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Worthy News’ Johan Th. Bos and Stefan J. Bos, reporting from the Netherlands AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Femke Halsema has become Amsterdam’s first mayor to formally apologize for her city’s role in the Holocaust. Femke Halsema spoke Thursday during the annual “Yom HaShoah” (Holocaust Day) remembrance ceremony. Speaking at the Hollandsche Schouwburg (Dutch Theater), where thousands of Jews were gathered before deportation—Halsema apologized on behalf of Amsterdam. She recalled that the Dutch capital abandoned its Jewish residents during World War II and delivered them a final insult upon their return. “The Amsterdam authorities were not heroic, not resolute, and not compassionate when it mattered most. The city failed its Jewish residents in the most horrific way,” Halsema said. “On behalf of the municipal government, I sincerely apologize.” Amsterdam’s postwar motto, “Heroic, Resolute, Compassionate”—granted by Dutch Queen Wilhelmina for the 1941 February Strike in defense of persecuted Jews- “does not reflect the city government’s wartime conduct,” Halsema noted. While “many” ordinary citizens protested the Nazi occupation, she complained that the city administration’s actions told a different story. COLD, FORMALISTIC “The unavoidable conclusion is that the municipality failed morally. Never once did a clear ‘no’ come from city hall,” Halsema said. “City departments were all too willing to help implement anti-Jewish measures, step by step becoming part of the machinery of evil.” She described city officials and civil servants as “cold and formalistic,” highlighting the role of Amsterdam police in Jewish round-ups, the use of municipal trams to transport Jews to the train station, and the bureaucratic coldness that defined the administration’s complicity. Those few Jewish residents of Amsterdam who survived Nazi death camps and returned after the war were met not with compassion but with hostility—“and even bills for overdue lease payments,” Halsema recalled. “Jewish residents who had barely escaped the horrors were not welcomed back by their city but instead kicked while they were down,” she said. “Amsterdam showed no empathy. It failed to acknowledge what had happened. The narrative became that everyone had resisted, everyone had hidden Jews, and that the Jewish community should be grateful.” The city is also committing 25 million euros ($28.4 million) to support the future of Jewish life in Amsterdam, while memorial “stumbling stones” will be installed throughout the city. SOLEMN DUTY “We cannot undo the past,” Halsema said. “But we have a solemn duty to keep the memory of the Shoah victims alive—as a warning and as a call to confront modern-day antisemitism and all forms of racism.” Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs welcomed the mayor’s remarks, saying, “I hope other mayors hear this and follow suit.” While he said the money was not the primary concern, “the recognition that everything went terribly wrong means a lot.” As for whether the apology came too late, Jacobs responded, “Better late than never.” The Central Jewish Consultative Body (CJO) said, “We feel that these apologies were made to the survivors, their descendants, and to us as a living Jewish community. We trust that the city will continue to support its Jewish residents, who—except for the five years of occupation—have lived in freedom in Mokum [Amsterdam] for centuries.” Israeli Ambassador Modi Ephraim also spoke at the event, warning of rising antisemitism and referencing the recent opening of the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam, which he said was “drowned out by an anti-Jewish crowd” while local authorities “did nothing.” His remarks drew stronger applause than the mayor’s. “Hatred,” he said, “has once again been normalized.” AMSTELVEEN TENSE The tensions came while in Amsterdam’s satellite city of Amstelveen, a Holocaust memorial, which commemorates Jewish residents murdered in Nazi concentration camps, remained incomplete. New research funded by the municipality revealed around fifty names missing from the monument, which currently lists 166 victims. Mayor Tjapko Poppens laid a wreath during the ceremony and highlighted the story of Jan van Hulst, a former municipal employee, and local resistance hero, now honored with a park bearing his name. Van Hulst helped numerous Jews find hiding places, managed to remove his wife’s Jewish status, and stood firmly against the Nazi regime. When asked about his actions, he responded, “What else was I supposed to do?” Speaker David Serphos emphasized that the rise in antisemitism today leaves no room for excuses or “yes, but” narratives. Mayor Poppens echoed this sentiment, pointing to Van Hulst as someone who refused to look away. David Simon, chairman of the Friends of Yad Vashem Foundation, added that only five percent of Dutch citizens actively resisted—“roughly the same proportion as those who betrayed Jews for 7.50 guilders ($4). “Ninety percent looked the other way,” he said, “while more than 100,000 Dutch Jews were sent to their deaths,” Simon recalled. Simon stressed the importance of educating young people: “The Holocaust happened because people looked away. It was the greatest catastrophe ever inflicted on humanity. That’s why we must continue to warn and remember.” Photo: Johan Th. Bos for Worthy News The post Amsterdam Mayor Apologizes for City’s Role In Holocaust appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Dan McCaleb | The Center Square (Worthy News) – Democratic campaign contribution platform ActBlue is the target of President Donald’s Trump’s latest memorandum after Congressional committees reported evidence it found that ActBlue was used to circumvent campaign finance laws. Trump signed the memorandum Thursday directing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to investigate ActBlue and other such platforms, writing “there is evidence to suggest that foreign nationals are seeking to misuse online fundraising platforms to improperly influence American elections. A recent House of Representatives investigation revealed that a platform named ActBlue had in recent years detected at least 22 ‘significant fraud campaigns’, nearly half of which had a foreign nexus.” U.S. House committees launched investigations into ActBlue last year after “reports of potentially fraudulent and illicit financial activity,” including by accepting illegal foreign money and reports of “dummy” accounts being used to make thousands of donations. “During a 30-day window during the 2024 campaign, the platform detected 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards, indicating that this activity remains a pressing concern,” Trump’s memorandum says. A Congressional staff report released earlier this month claimed that ActBlue executives knew that “both foreign and domestic” actors used the platform fraudulently but did not work diligently to address the issues, The Center Square reported. “These activities undermine the integrity of our electoral process,” Trump’s memorandum says. “Therefore, I direct the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to use all lawful authority, as necessary, to investigate allegations regarding the unlawful use of online fundraising platforms to make ‘straw’ or ‘dummy’ contributions or foreign contributions to political candidates and committees, and to take all appropriate actions to enforce the law.” A Republican strategist in Wisconsin who says his name was used to give $900 to Democrats without his knowledge or consent sued ActBlue last year. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Trump Memorandum Targets ActBlue Fundraising Platform appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Over 12,000 participants, including Holocaust survivors, released Israeli hostages, bereaved families, and international delegates, marched Thursday from Auschwitz to Birkenau in the 2025 March of the Living. This year’s event—marking 80 years since the liberation of Nazi death camps—was uniquely infused with urgency, as calls to rescue hostages held by Hamas echoed the haunting memories of the Holocaust. Polish President Andrzej Duda and Israeli President Isaac Herzog led the procession. “We call it the Holocaust, but it was nothing less than a wild wish for destruction… to erase a nation,” Duda said. “It failed, thanks to the strength of life… to heroism by many members of the Jewish nation.” Herzog followed, pointing out that half of the Jews murdered in the Holocaust were Polish. “Poland stood with us on October 7,” Herzog said, referencing the Hamas massacre. “We need the same unity to stop the Iranian octopus of terror today.” Herzog’s remarks linked past genocide to present threats. “The world said ‘Never Again,’ yet dozens of Jews thirst for water and freedom in Gaza,” he declared. “Returning the hostages is a universal human imperative. This is a crime against humanity.” Standing between the crematoriums where thousands were incinerated daily, Herzog and Duda shared a solemn exchange. “We will walk together… a dramatic call: Never again,” Duda said. Herzog read from the diary of Janusz Korczak, honoring the educator who perished with orphaned children. “Dozens of souls still thirst,” Herzog added, repeating his call for global unity to end the hostage crisis. Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, emphasized the urgency of bearing witness. “I brought diplomats from Africa here today—but sadly, Western European leaders are harder to convince,” he said. “Everyone must understand what happened on October 7.” Danon insisted that the Holocaust’s lessons remain urgent and unfulfilled. Former hostage Eli Sharabi, visibly gaunt after enduring months in Hamas captivity, stood draped in the Israeli flag and delivered a powerful message of resilience. “The Holocaust was unlike anything else. But we, who were kidnapped, are proof of the triumph of the Jewish spirit,” he said. “I lost my wife and daughters on October 7. I chose life. And that gives me hope to start rebuilding each morning.” Sharabi emphasized the urgency of the moment, stating, “We have a country—and it is strong. But the hostages must come home, and the dead must be buried in Israel.” The post March of the Living 2025: From Auschwitz to Gaza, a Call for Remembrance and Rescue appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NOUAKCHOTT (Worthy News) – Representatives of Mauritania’s tiny but thriving Christian community have expressed concerns about renewed Islamic extremism in the northwest African nation after Muslim imams organized a protest against the presence of Christians in the southern city of Sélibaby. The April 7 rally, which was approved by local authorities, followed the death of a Christian convert in a motorcycle accident a few days earlier, Christians told Worthy News. Some Muslim leaders were reportedly angered over the burial of the Christian within their community as they regarded him as an “apostate” for abandoning Islam. During the protest, “threats were made against followers of Jesus both in person and on social media,” added advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which closely followed the case. “Demonstrators demanded that action be taken against the community’s “infidels,” including calls to burn the homes of Christian residents. At one point, the body of the buried Christian was dug up and dragged through the streets before being reburied in a village 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) away.” Although a tense calm returned to the streets, “hate speech and threats persisted on social media,” Christians said, adding that “militant Muslim community members” continued to call for “the complete social ostracism of Christians.” Due to the volatility of the situation, “some Christian leaders have been warned by relatives to refrain from contacting them,” added VOMC. The incident comes amid a broader crackdown on devoted Christian believers in the country, which is officially 100 percent Muslim. However believers among the roughly 11,000 Christians living in the strict Islamic country continue to worship, with several risking the death penalty for leaving Islam, Worthy News learned. FACING EXECUTION Although the death penalty is “seldom enforced” in the country of 4.3 million people, “the law emboldens Muslim militants and creates an atmosphere of fear for those who are at risk of potential harm,” VOMC explained. Mauritania currently ranks 23 on the annual World Watch List of 50 countries where advocacy group Open Doors says Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ. The country “is staunchly Islamic, and Christian activities are severely restricted, making it difficult for Christians to express their faith. For those who convert from Islam, it’s almost impossible,” Open Doors noticed in a recent assessment. “Christianity is viewed as a negative Western influence, and Christian converts face severe hostility both from the authorities and from their families. Apostasy is legally punishable by death, although there are no known cases of this in recent years – but the threat remains. Converts risk expulsion from the family home and loss of livelihood; they may even be forced to leave the country. The presence of Islamist extremist groups also constitutes a threat to those who leave Islam. Baptisms can only be carried out secretly, but many converts are reluctant to do this, fearing the awful consequences of being discovered,” Open Doors noticed. It has added to social difficulties for Christians in the country, which remains poor despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum. The country’s economy is based mainly on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former army chief in power since 2019 and re-elected last year, has been credited with returning some stability to the troubled nation after decades of political unrest and frequent coups. However, he is under pressure to end the persecution of Christians as well as slavery, which is still a reality in the country despite being outlawed. Anti-slavery activists have faced torture and detention, according to well-informed sources, with thousands of Black Mauritanians reportedly being enslaved. About three percent of the country’s total population are living as slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index (GSI) in 2023. The post Christians Fear Expulsion, Threats In Mauritania appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – China’s PLA is advancing drone swarm warfare for strikes and surveillance, outpacing manned-unmanned integration, a U.S. Air Force report says. As tensions rise in the Taiwan Strait, Admiral Paparo warns China’s buildup is a “rehearsal” for invasion. In response, the U.S. plans a “hellscape” of drones, while Taiwan boosts its drone production and arms purchases. The People’s Liberation Army is advancing its use of drone swarms for both precision strikes and battlefield intelligence, according to a report from a U.S. Air Force think tank. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is rapidly advancing in drone swarm warfare, outpacing its development of manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), according to recent defense assessments. Swarm tactics—leveraging large numbers of coordinated UAVs—are more mature and closer to real-world deployment, especially for reconnaissance and precision strikes. The PLA has already tested swarm operations in military exercises, drawing on lessons from global conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and Israel. Analysts highlight the tactical advantages of using a swarm, including stealth, speed, and overwhelming force. Meanwhile, MUM-T—a concept integrating drones with manned aircraft, ships, and ground systems—remains largely experimental. Although China’s defense industry has produced several AI-enhanced prototypes, few have entered service. The “loyal wingman” drone concept, for example, is still in the prototype phase according to the report. A key concept highlighted in the report is the “mothership” model, used in both swarm and MUM-T strategies, where larger manned or unmanned platforms act as launch hubs for smaller drones, significantly extending operational range and flexibility. Despite its potential for low-intensity missions like border patrol or psychological operations, MUM-T is still in early testing. Most current applications are limited to non-lethal functions such as surveillance and targeting, with full combat autonomy still facing internal resistance. While the PLA is beginning to incorporate drones into existing force structures, how these technologies will be integrated into broader joint or multi-domain operations remains unclear. For now, swarm capabilities are leading the way in China’s evolving drone warfare strategy. Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that China’s intensified military activity near Taiwan appears to be a “rehearsal” for invasion, warning that “military pressure against Taiwan [has] increased by 300 percent” in 2024 alone. “China’s increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises, they are rehearsals,” Paparo testified, citing “unprecedented aggression and military modernization.” Earlier this month, China conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan involving naval, air, ground, and rocket forces, including an aircraft carrier group. The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercises were a “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence.” Paparo revealed a defense strategy to deploy “thousands” of low-cost aerial and underwater drones to delay a potential Chinese assault, calling it a “hellscape” strategy designed to buy time until U.S. forces can reinforce the region. In response, Taiwan is accelerating efforts to build self-sufficient drone supply chains and boost U.S. arms orders to counter China’s military advantage, a defense official told the Taipei Times. The official, speaking anonymously, said Taiwan’s forces share U.S. Admiral Samuel Paparo’s view that the island must be ready to turn its waters into a “hellscape” for China’s People’s Liberation Army. The post China’s Drone Swarm Surge Sparks U.S. ‘Hellscape’ Defense Strategy Amid Taiwan Invasion Fears (Investigation) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – General Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is set to arrive in Israel on Thursday afternoon for a brief yet strategically vital 36-hour visit. His trip marks another high-level meeting between American and Israeli defense leaders, taking place amid sensitive U.S.-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program. Kurilla’s visit comes as both Washington and Jerusalem prepare for the very real possibility that diplomacy may fail—leaving military action as a viable and increasingly likely alternative. Kurilla’s presence in Israel reflects a serious focus on contingency operations, aimed at deterring Iranian aggression and readying joint capabilities should the need for a decisive response arise. Highly respected by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior IDF leadership, General Kurilla is expected to hold a series of high-level consultations aimed at deepening U.S.-Israel operational coordination, refining joint response strategies, and enhancing readiness amid growing threats from Iran’s nuclear program and regional proxies. His visit not only highlights the strong and enduring military alliance between the United States and Israel, but also reaffirms America’s commitment to safeguarding its key ally in an increasingly unstable region. The backdrop of this visit includes unprecedented levels of American military aid, accelerated arms deliveries, and the expanding integration of Israel into CENTCOM’s strategic framework. The timing could not be more critical. With Iran continuing to enrich uranium well beyond civilian energy needs, and proxy threats on multiple fronts, the risk of a broader regional conflict looms large. Kurilla’s arrival serves as both a warning and a reassurance—-demonstrating that while diplomatic efforts continue, preparations for a forceful and coordinated military response are actively underway. The post Gen. Kurilla Heads to Israel Amid Heightened Iran Tensions appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Trump administration on Thursday escalated its legal battle over the military’s transgender service ban by taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to lift a lower court’s injunction and allowing the policy to take effect while litigation continues. In a formal petition to the high court, Solicitor General Dean John Sauer argued that the nationwide injunction imposed by a federal district court in Washington state obstructs the constitutional authority of the executive branch, specifically the Department of Defense, to regulate military personnel based on health and readiness criteria. Sauer asked the justices to stay the injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to enforce the ban as the case proceeds through the judicial system. “The Department rationally determined that service by individuals with gender dysphoria would undermine military effectiveness and lethality — consistent with similar, longstanding determinations for a wide range of other medical conditions (such as asthma and hypertension),” Sauer wrote in the filing. The contested policy, initially issued by President Trump in February, prohibits individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone gender transition-related medical procedures from enlisting or serving in the U.S. military. According to the administration, the directive was informed by a panel of military experts convened during Trump’s first term, which concluded that allowing individuals with gender dysphoria to serve was incompatible with key military objectives. “The policy was based in part on the findings of a panel of experts convened during the first Trump Administration, which found that service by individuals with gender dysphoria was contrary to ‘military effectiveness and lethality,’” the filing stated. The White House noted that a lower court previously blocked a similar ban, but the Supreme Court later upheld it, and now seeks the same outcome. The current challenge, brought by seven transgender individuals, claims the policy violates the Equal Protection Clause, the First Amendment, and due process rights. A federal judge in Washington issued a broad injunction, halting enforcement. The challengers must respond by May 1 in United States of America v. Emily Shilling. The post Trump Urges Supreme Court to Reinstate Transgender Military Ban Amid Ongoing Legal Battle appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Iran is surrounding two heavily buried tunnel complexes with a major security perimeter connected to one of its main nuclear facilities, according to a new report released Wednesday. The Institute for Science and International Security cited recent satellite images in its report as the U.S. and Iran prepare for a third round of talks this weekend concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions. David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, said newly obtained satellite imagery reveals the construction of a large security perimeter around Mount Kolang Gaz La, located just south of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment complex. The development suggests that the tunnel complexes, which have been under construction for years, may soon become operational. According to Albright, the depth of these tunnel facilities far exceeds that of Iran’s Fordow enrichment site near the holy city of Qom, making them significantly harder to detect or destroy in a potential military strike. The institute’s report noted that the creation of a fortified perimeter around such deeply buried sites reflects Iran’s growing concern about possible attempts by individuals or groups to infiltrate the tunnel network undetected. Satellite images dated late March show extensive grading and leveling across the mountainous terrain, aimed at establishing a secure boundary that connects the existing Natanz complex to the new tunnel site at Mount Kolang Gaz La. The scale and scope of the construction indicate Iran is accelerating efforts to shield and secure key elements of its nuclear infrastructure. This week, U.S. and Iranian officials are scheduled to meet for a third round of negotiations focused on Iran’s advancing nuclear program—talks that come at a pivotal and highly sensitive moment. The diplomatic effort aims to de-escalate mounting tensions surrounding Tehran’s continued enrichment of uranium, which many fear is pushing the country dangerously close to weapons-grade capabilities. Iran has consistently denied any intention of developing nuclear weapons, insisting its program is for peaceful, civilian purposes such as energy production and medical research. However, nuclear experts and Western officials remain deeply skeptical, pointing to Iran’s enrichment levels as cause for serious concern. Civilian nuclear reactors typically require uranium enriched to only about 3–5%. Yet Iran has now begun enriching uranium to as high as 60% purity—just a short technical step away from the 90% threshold required for weapons-grade material. Experts warn that there is no legitimate civilian justification for such high-level enrichment, and that it significantly shortens the so-called “breakout time”—the amount of time Iran would need to produce a nuclear bomb if it decided to do so. This latest round of talks is viewed by many as a last-ditch effort to reestablish constraints on Iran’s nuclear program, which were initially set in place under the 2015 nuclear deal that the U.S. exited in 2018. With time running out and enrichment accelerating, the international community is watching closely to see whether diplomacy can deliver a breakthrough, or whether the failure to reach an agreement could set the stage for military confrontation. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have made it clear that if diplomacy fails, military action remains a viable option. Trump has previously warned that unless a new agreement is reached to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the United States is prepared to act decisively. Netanyahu, echoing those sentiments, has long maintained that Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons under any circumstances and is willing to take unilateral action if necessary. As the two allies closely monitor developments, this round of talks may represent one of the final opportunities to avoid a potential military confrontation with far-reaching consequences for the region and beyond. The post Iran Builds New Security Perimeter Around Secret Nuclear Tunnel Complexes appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Christians have urged prayers for four detained Christians in Iran, including frail Pastor Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, who was recently detained again after he already served 5 years in prison for activities linked to his faith in Christ. “In 2017, Pastor Nasser was sentenced to ten years in prison for his Christian ministry activities. Though pardoned and released in 2022, the pastor was suddenly rearrested on February 6th of this year,” confirmed advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC) to Worthy News “Following this recent rearrest, Pastor Nasser was held without charge and denied legal representation. As a last resort, the detained believer began a hunger strike not long after his imprisonment.” Regrettably, the group added “he was found unconscious in his solitary-confinement cell on March 17th. The Christian leader was subsequently rushed to hospital, where it was determined that he had suffered a stroke.” The 63-year-old convert received basic medical treatment and was provided with exercises to help regain movement on the left side of his body, according to Christians familiar with his situation. “Despite the physician’s recommendations for physiotherapy and continued treatment, he was then returned to prison. While Pastor Nasser has since ended his hunger strike, he continues to suffer from lack of movement in his left arm and leg.” In addition to Pastor Nasser’s arrest, Pastor Joseph Shahbazian and two Christian women were also taken into custody on February 6, Christians told Worthy News. WOMEN BEHIND BARS Concerns have also been raised over the fate of two women, one of whom has since been identified as “Aida,” according to VOMC investigators. It is understood that Aida is being held in the women’s ward of the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. VOMC urged supporters to pray for these Christians. It was crucial to also pray “for Pastor Nasser’s physical healing and strength.” And for prison officials “to ensure this long-suffering Christian leader receives the recommended medical treatment to help him during his journey to recovery,” the group wrote. While “prayerfully upholding Pastor Nasser and the three mentioned believers who were recently detained, please also remember the many other Christians presently imprisoned in Iran – as well as their concerned families,”’ VOMC told its supporters in a prayer appeal. VOMC also expressed hope that the jailed believers will be able to share the Gospel at a time of reported growing interest in the Christian faith among Muslims in the Islamic Republic. INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE Iran’s Islamic leadership has come under growing international pressure to improve the rights of minorities, including devoted Christians, who are seen as a threat to Tehran’s power base. Despite reports of persecution, “more Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries put together since Islam came to Iran,” explained Elam Ministries, a mission group launched by Iranian church leaders. In 1979, there were an estimated 500 Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. “Today, there are hundreds of thousands—some say more than 1 million. Whatever the exact number, many Iranians are turning to Jesus as Lord and Savior,” Elam Ministries added. It linked the growing interest in the Christian faith in part to “Violence in the name of Islam,” which “caused widespread disillusionment with the regime and led many Iranians to question their beliefs.” In addition, “many Iranian Christians have continued to boldly and faithfully tell others about Christ in the face of persecution,” Elam Ministries stressed. The post Christians Urge Prayers For Jailed Iranian Believers appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square (Worthy News) – Even as its leader Elon Musk prepares to step back, the Department of Government Efficiency is barreling ahead on slashing federal contracts and grants, recently finding savings of over $1.7 billion in what it deems wasteful spending. Over the past several days, DOGE ended 269 federal contracts valuing $845 million and resulting in $255 million in savings, according to a post on its X page Thursday. It also terminated $90 million in grants, including a nearly one million dollar handout for a “BIPOC culinary program” and a $625,000 grant for a “Russian-Far East biodiversity partnership”. The cuts follow DOGE’s announcement last week that it had axed 57 contracts – including $120,000 going to an “Indonesia environmental policy and law enforcement specialist” – resulting in total savings of $1.5 billion. Dozens of states and advocacy groups have sued Musk, DOGE, and the Trump administration for the cascade of cuts made to federal agencies, personnel, and funds. The constitutionality of Musk’s actions in particular, given his role as a non-confirmed “special government employee” of the executive branch, has left courts and legal experts divided. As of April 20, DOGE says it has found an estimated $160 billion in savings, which it describes as a combination of “asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions.” Due to the DOGE backlash taking a financial toll on Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla, the billionaire has announced his “time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,” as The Center Square reported. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post DOGE Lists $1.7 Billion In Savings Found Over Past Two Weeks appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Morgan Sweeney | The Center Square (Worthy News) – President Donald Trump signed a handful of executive orders Wednesday evening aimed at dismantling key concepts and ideologies that have significantly shaped American education – some, more acutely within recent years, and others, across decades. One such order seeks to reform higher education accreditation practices, another to revoke school discipline policies built around race, and another requires increased reporting of foreign investment and gifts to higher education institutions. Major accreditors like the American Bar Association’s Council, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education all include statements on diversity, equity and inclusion or underrepresented groups in their accreditation standards, according to Trump’s executive order. “Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education” requires that accreditation standards be more focused on academic excellence and directs the secretary of education to deny or suspend accreditation recognition to accreditors who don’t abide by the new standards or “otherwise violate Federal law.” It also directs the attorney general to go after “unlawful discrimination” in American law schools, medical schools, or graduate medical programs. The “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies” executive order cites 2023 guidance from the previous administration which noted that “statistical racial disparities in student discipline may indicate violations of law, and encouraging schools to collect, analyze, and adjust their disciplinary policies in light of racial disciplinary data.” It aims to reverse that practice and end alleged racial discrimination in school disciplinary practices. Trump also signed executive orders calling for the incorporation of artificial intelligence education into schools, federal workforce training programs aligned with “our country’s reindustrialization needs” and the “growing demands for skilled trades.” In an order called “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy,” Trump directs the end of the use of disparate-impact liability “in all contexts to the maximum degree possible” within the federal government. Disparate impact theory is a legal theory that allows employment, health care, education practices across every segment of society to be evaluated by the disproportionate impact they may create for certain groups of people, regardless of whether there is discriminatory intent behind them. Trump also signed a proclamation asking Americans to observe the Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust in light of “the worst outbreak of anti-Semitism on American soil in generations.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Trump Signs More Executive Orders Reshaping American Education appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Brett Rowland | The Center Square (Worthy News) – The U.S. Army’s newest long-range hypersonic weapon will be called “Dark Eagle” the Pentagon announced Thursday after a successful test flight. The land-based, truck-launched system is armed with hypersonic missiles that travel 3,800 miles per hour with a range of 1,725 miles. They can reach the top of the Earth’s atmosphere and “remain just beyond the range of air and missile defense systems until they are ready to strike, and by then it’s too late to react,” according to Army statements in a March 2023 Congressional Research Service report. In December, the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, completed a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. “Hypersonic weapons will complicate adversaries’ decision calculus, strengthening deterrence,” said Patrick Mason, senior official performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “Their speed, accuracy and versatility are befitting its new popular name, Dark Eagle.” Army officials repeatedly delayed tests of the Dark Eagle system after failures in 2021 and 2022, according to the CRS report. The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs partnered to get land and sea variants of a hypersonic weapon system. The use of a common hypersonic missile and joint test opportunities allow the services to pursue a more aggressive timeline for delivery and to realize cost savings, according to the Pentagon. A Congressional Budget Office study from January 2023, buying 300 Intermediate-Range Hypersonic Boost-Glide Missiles, which are similar to the LRHW, was estimated to cost $41 million per missile in 2023 dollars. But that’s just an estimate. Since the 2023 CBO cost estimate, the Pentagon has said little about the per missile cost of the LRHW. With the Army planning to field LRHWs to units by the end of FY2025 – if the Army’s new leadership team concurs – an actual per missile cost should be available for policymakers,” according to the CRS note. “With an established per missile cost, the Army should also be able to provide Congress with details about the total LRHW stockpile it intends to procure and how long it will take to ‘grow’ the LRHW stockpile.” The prime contractors on the project are Lockheed Martin, Dynetics Inc. and Dynetics Technical Solutions, according to the CBO report. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post U.S. Army Names New Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon ‘Dark Eagle’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Dozens of people have been killed and injured, including in the capital, Kyiv, in one of the worst Russian air and missile strikes hitting Ukraine, authorities said Thursday. With children being among the victims, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cut short a visit to South Africa to deal with the crisis. Zelenskyy noted it has been “44 days since Ukraine agreed to a complete ceasefire” proposed by the U.S., but Russia “continues to kill people and avoid tough pressure and accountability for this.” His South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, was more cautious in his language, calling on “both parties” to agree to a ceasefire and saying the war had negatively affected both Russia and Ukraine. However, he later said that Ukraine should be commended for agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire, adding it was “a positive signal that should be embraced.” Amid the death and destruction, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said rescuers were still pulling survivors from under the rubble. “The injured included six children and a pregnant woman. A house, cars, and other buildings were set on fire, with extensive damage caused by falling debris in several districts,” he said. Footage obtained by Worthy News underscored the destruction. “Russia has launched a massive combined strike on Kyiv,” Ukraine’s state emergency service said on social media platform Telegram. “According to preliminary data, nine people were killed, 63 injured.” OTHERS HIT Several other towns and cities were also hit, officials said, though Moscow claimed it had targeted Ukraine’s defense industry, including plants that produced “rocket fuel and gunpowder” in overnight strikes. The news came as Swedish jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane approaching Polish air space. The two Swedish fighter jets under NATO military alliance command were scrambled over the Baltic Sea to escort away the aircraft, military officials said. The tensions have overshadowed attempts by U.S. President Donald J. Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire. With his first 100 days as the 47th President of the United States approaching, Trump has been eager to add his name to a deal on ending Europe’s bloodiest armed conflict since World War Two. Trump has lashed out at Zelenskyy, accusing the Ukrainian leader of making “very harmful” statements after he pushed back on ceding occupied Crimea to Russia in a potential peace deal. On Tuesday, President Zelenskyy ruled out the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks on Wednesday in London among U.S. European and Ukrainian officials. “There is nothing to talk about – it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy stressed. His comments followed media reports that the Trump administration was ready to accept recognition of annexed land in Crimea as Russian territory. With no peace deal on the horizon yet, Kyiv was reeling Thursday from massive overnight strikes. NO PEACE? European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the latest Russian attacks made a mockery of Moscow’s claims of seeking peace. “While claiming to seek peace, Russia launched a deadly airstrike on Kyiv. This isn’t a pursuit of peace; it’s a mockery of it. The real obstacle is not Ukraine but Russia, whose war aims have not changed,” she said on social media. Other leaders agreed, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said the strikes sent “a clear message from the Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace.” Kyiv, the prime minister noted, “was brutally attacked by Russia again last night. A clear message from the Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace. Peace cannot be negotiated under fire. Denmark stands with Ukraine against this brutality.” Yet women sang in an underground railway (metro) station in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, amid death and destruction, about their hopes for Ukraine. Those voices interrupted the noise and fear of Russian missiles and drones in one of the worst such attacks since last summer. The post Dozens Killed and Injured As Russia Strikes Ukraine appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Israeli Air Force conducted a major military exercise this week, simulating a large-scale Iranian missile assault on key IDF installations previously targeted by Tehran during its strikes in April and October 2024, according to YNet News. The drill focused on scenarios involving waves of ballistic missiles and low-cost, long-range drones—mirroring the tactics used in those earlier attacks. The simulated strikes targeted strategic air bases, likely including Nevatim and Ramon, which were hit in last year’s Iranian offensives, Kan News reported. The exercises aimed to test Israel’s ability to detect, intercept, and neutralize a complex, multi-layered aerial threat, reinforcing its readiness to defend critical infrastructure. According to the IDF, the drill was part of a broader effort to boost operational coordination across multiple branches of the military amid escalating tensions with Iran. Israel’s defense establishment believes it has only a limited window—possibly just a few months—to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. IDF officials would prefer to launch a strike on Iran while General Michael Kurilla remains head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), citing his strong track record of support and close cooperation with both the IDF and the Israeli Air Force, according to Ynet News. The post Israel Conducts Major Drill Simulating Full-Scale Iranian Missile Strike appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article