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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Monday that a direct confrontation between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would be “one step away from a full-scale World War III.” “I think hardly anyone is interested in this,” Putin added in remarks following his re-election as the longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. However, “Everything is possible in the modern world,” Putin stressed. Putin made the remarks after election authorities claimed he won Sunday’s presidential elections with nearly 88 percent of the vote, the highest voting percentage in Russia’s post-Soviet history. His warnings came as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered the most profound crisis in Moscow’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world close to nuclear warfare. Putin previously warned of the risks of nuclear war, but Monday’s words were among his strongest warnings so far. He referred to French President Emmanuel Macron, who last month said he could not rule out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine in the future. And he appeared to confirm Worthy News reports in the early stage of the war that many NATO forces were already in Ukraine. NATO IN RUSSIA He said NATO military personnel were present already in Ukraine, as Russia had picked up both English and French being spoken on the battlefield. “There is nothing good in this, first of all for them, because they are dying there and in large numbers,” he said. A U.S. high-ranking security diplomat revealed to Worthy News in several conversations before and after the war broke out in 2022 that thousands of NATO forces were in and near Ukraine. While several Western countries have tried to distance themselves from France’s call for (more) ground forces, others, including Poland and others in Eastern Europe, expressed support. Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering Europe’s worst armed conflict since World War Two. Putin said he wished Macron would stop seeking to aggravate the fighting in Ukraine and play a role in finding peace: “It seems that France could play a role. All is not lost yet.” He added: “I’ve been saying it over and over again, and I’ll say it again. We are for peace talks, but not just because the enemy is running out of bullets,” a reference to Ukraine not receiving enough Western military support. However, he stressed that peace should see “peaceful, good-neighborly relations between the two states in the long term, and not simply take a break for rearmament for 1.5-2 years.” UN CONCERNS Yet his comments came while the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the risk of nuclear war was the highest it has been in decades. “Geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades,” he said during a UN Security Council meeting. He said the Doomsday Clock – the symbol for humanity’s proximity to self-destruction – “is ticking loudly enough for all to hear.” Guterres also referred to the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, following the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II. “Humanity cannot survive a sequel,” the U.N. chief said. Putin made clear he would continue his presidency by trying to find a “peaceful” solution to the war if possible. He dismissed U.S. and Western criticism of the election, which the White House said was not free and fair. He countered that U.S. elections were not democratic and criticized the use of “state power” against Donald J. Trump. “The whole world is laughing at what is happening there,” Putin said of the United States. “It is just a catastrophe – it is not democracy – what on earth is it?” OPPOSITION LEADER When asked about the fate of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in unexplained circumstances at a Russian prison in the Arctic on February 16, Putin said he had simply “passed away” using Navalny’s name for one of the first times in public. Putin said he had agreed several days before Navalny’s death to swap him as part of a prisoner exchange deal that had been approved for Navalny shortly before his death. “I said: ‘I am agreed’,” Putin said about his approval of the prisoner exchange. “I had one condition – we exchange him, but he never returns.” Navalny’s widow, Yulia, has accused Putin of killing her husband. In a video message to protesters in Budapest, Hungary, over the weekend, she also accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of being an accomplice in his death by supporting Putin. The Kremlin has denied that Navalny had been killed. His supporters say he had been jailed in retribution for his campaign against Putin, who had ruled Russia for some 24 years. The post Russia’s Re-elected Putin Warns Of World War III appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump has said he will try to end the war in Gaza quickly and suggested extending a regional peace deal between Israel and Arabic countries if re-elected. He also said that he would try to seek an end to the war in Ukraine even “before taking office if that’s possible, and I think it is.” Trump earlier said that Russia would never have invaded Ukraine if he were still president and said his successor, Joe Biden, was “weak.” In an interview with U.S. broadcaster Fox News, analyzed by Worthy News on Monday, he also condemned attitudes by Biden and other top Democrats toward Israel and the Middle East. “Biden is so bad for Israel,” Trump said on the Fox News’ Media Buzz program. “They should never have been attacked. If Biden were good to Israel, they wouldn’t have been attacked.” He played down Biden’s expressed support for Israel, saying, “If he were supportive of Israel, the Iran nuclear deal would have never been signed, and Israel would never have been attacked.” The former president said Biden “dumped Israel” by allegedly refusing to support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “All of a sudden, Biden dumped Israel,” Trump stressed. “He just said essentially that Bibi Netanyahu should take a walk.” SEARCHING FOR VOTERS Trump added that Biden ally Chuck Schumer, the U.S. Senate’s Democratic majority leader, had also abandoned Israel in his search for voters. After saying that people should remember that Israel “lost a lot of people” in the Hamas attack “on October 7,” Trump accused Schumer of caring more about the upcoming elections. “He doesn’t forget it; he looks at, ‘Where do I get more votes?’ And I guess he’s seeing the Palestinians and the marches – Palestinians, and he says I want to go that way instead of Israel,” Trump said. Trump recalled the historic Abraham Accords signed under his watch, which saw the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan normalizing ties with Israel. He claimed that if he had been able to continue, he would have expanded the peace agreements further. “I had four great, hardline countries signed up, respected countries,” Trump stated before suggesting that he would have been able to get Iran to sign the accords, as well. “I bet you would have had Iran in the Abraham Accords. That’s a big statement, but I would have had them all in,” he said. There was no immediate response from Tehran, which doesn’t recognize Israel and supports several groups seeking the destruction of the Jewish nation. ISRAEL DEFENDS WAR Israel says it launched its war against Hamas after the “terror group murdered some 1,200 people,” mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 253 others. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that about 31,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the war, but the number cannot be independently verified. Israeli sources say that among the dead are many Hamas fighters as well as civilians, some of whom were killed as a consequence of the “terror group’s own rocket misfires.” The IDF says it has killed “more than 13,000 terrorists” in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 who were killed inside Israel on and immediately following October 7. Despite Trump’s comments on ending the war, Israeli commentators said he and Netanyahu have had “a checkered relationship.” They recalled that Trump indicated that he had not forgiven the Israeli prime minister for congratulating Joe Biden after he was declared the winner in the 2020 presidential election. Trump maintains that the election outcome, which the U.S. Congress recognized, was “rigged” and denies he was defeated. The post Trump Seeks Broader Israel-Mideast Peace appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump has said he will try to end the war in Gaza quickly and suggested extending a regional peace deal between Israel and Arabic countries if re-elected. He also said that he would try to seek an end to the war in Ukraine even “before taking office if that’s possible, and I think it is.” Trump earlier said that Russia would never have invaded Ukraine if he were still president and said his successor, Joe Biden, was “weak.” In an interview with U.S. broadcaster Fox News, analyzed by Worthy News on Monday, he also condemned attitudes by Biden and other top Democrats toward Israel and the Middle East. “Biden is so bad for Israel,” Trump said on the Fox News’ Media Buzz program. “They should never have been attacked. If Biden were good to Israel, they wouldn’t have been attacked.” He played down Biden’s expressed support for Israel, saying, “If he were supportive of Israel, the Iran nuclear deal would have never been signed, and Israel would never have been attacked.” The former president said Biden “dumped Israel” by allegedly refusing to support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “All of a sudden, Biden dumped Israel,” Trump stressed. “He just said essentially that Bibi Netanyahu should take a walk.” SEARCHING FOR VOTERS Trump added that Biden ally Chuck Schumer, the U.S. Senate’s Democratic majority leader, had also abandoned Israel in his search for voters. After saying that people should remember that Israel “lost a lot of people” in the Hamas attack “on October 7,” Trump accused Schumer of caring more about the upcoming elections. “He doesn’t forget it; he looks at, ‘Where do I get more votes?’ And I guess he’s seeing the Palestinians and the marches – Palestinians, and he says I want to go that way instead of Israel,” Trump said. Trump recalled the historic Abraham Accords signed under his watch, which saw the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan normalizing ties with Israel. He claimed that if he had been able to continue, he would have expanded the peace agreements further. “I had four great, hardline countries signed up, respected countries,” Trump stated before suggesting that he would have been able to get Iran to sign the accords, as well. “I bet you would have had Iran in the Abraham Accords. That’s a big statement, but I would have had them all in,” he said. There was no immediate response from Tehran, which doesn’t recognize Israel and supports several groups seeking the destruction of the Jewish nation. ISRAEL DEFENDS WAR Israel says it launched its war against Hamas after the “terror group murdered some 1,200 people,” mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 253 others. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that about 31,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the war, but the number cannot be independently verified. Israeli sources say that among the dead are many Hamas fighters as well as civilians, some of whom were killed as a consequence of the “terror group’s own rocket misfires.” The IDF says it has killed “more than 13,000 terrorists” in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 who were killed inside Israel on and immediately following October 7. Despite Trump’s comments on ending the war, Israeli commentators said he and Netanyahu have had “a checkered relationship.” They recalled that Trump indicated that he had not forgiven the Israeli prime minister for congratulating Joe Biden after he was declared the winner in the 2020 presidential election. Trump maintains that the election outcome, which the U.S. Congress recognized, was “rigged” and denies he was defeated. The post Trump Seeks Broader Israel-Mideast Peace appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israeli sources say Israel will offer a six-week ceasefire in exchange for 40 hostages during mediated talks with Hamas, which is holding Israelis. This stage of the negotiations in Qatar could take at least two weeks, officials familiar with the talks said Monday. Israel’s high-level delegation involved in the negotiations is headed by David Barnea, the chief of Mossad, Israel’s famed intelligence agency, Worthy News learned. Israel has come under mounting international pressure to introduce a ceasefire in the five-month war, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others as hostages. The Israeli government seeks the destruction of Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by Israel and most of its allies. Besides offering a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel could also agree on the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel in exchange for 40 female, elderly, and wounded hostages, Worthy News monitored. FEMALE HOSTAGES However, Hamas demanded last week the release of over 1,000 Palestinians, including roughly 100 serving lifetime sentences for murdering Israelis. In exchange, it would reportedly release 40 female, elderly, and wounded hostages, including five female soldiers. It was unclear Monday whether the gap between the two demands could be breached, but there was pressure on Israel to compromise. Hamas recalls a 2011 deal that freed the single Israel Defense Soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,026 Palestinian prisoners, including Hamas’ current Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar. Israel’s government faces domestic and U.S. pressure to accept a cease-fire deal, with protesters in Tel-Aviv demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “does more” to free the remaining hostages. The Israeli government believes that 34 hostages have been killed, leaving 100 hostages still in Gaza. MORE STAGES If both sides agree on the release of 40 hostages, the following two stages in a broader plan towards the release of all hostages will be discussed, Worthy News learned. The two most difficult Hamas demands for Israel are for the IDF to withdraw from a corridor it created south of Gaza City to prevent Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, Israeli media reported. Additionally, Hamas has reportedly demanded that Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire during the “second stage” of the deal. This would come after the initial six-week ceasefire and be in exchange for the release of the remaining male hostages. Israel will also have to release a large number of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for those remaining male hostages. In the “third stage,” when Israel seeks the release of bodies held by Hamas, “the terror group demands agreements” about the “reconstruction” of Gaza and the end of “Israel’s blockade” on the area, Israeli sources said. The post Israel Offers Six-Week Gaza Truce for 40 Hostages appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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Friend, He makes intercession for us! Hebrews 7:25-26 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. One of the most important aspects of prayer is understanding how God Himself is interceding for us in ways we cannot fathom or comprehend. While Yeshua’s (Jesus) atonement was completed on the cross 2000 years ago, His continuing work of intercession rests soundly on the basis of it. He now lives … to make intercession for us! As our Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever [Hebrews 13:8], He is “faithful and true” and will always intercede according to the Father's will, both in personal, individual matters, and also as we take up battles in prayer for others, including every arena of spiritual warfare. In this light, our opportunity in prayer is simply to "show up" for it. This can be a real relief for many, who might say or think, "I'd like to be more involved in prayer, but I just don't know how or what to pray." The passage in Romans 8, above, is such an encouragement. The Lord has already acknowledged our ignorance and helplessness in prayer, "For we do not know what to pray as we ought..." But if we resolve to simply "show up" as His volunteers [Psalm 110:3], He will immediately "show up" to help us and to inspire and even interpret the prayers His Spirit in us prays, even with "groanings too deep for words". You see, we don't even need words to know how to pray. Prayer may be the most multi-faceted spiritual activity, since it can find expression in virtually every realm of human existence. It is praise, counsel, cries for help, desperation, vindication, deep love, compassion, rescue, comfort, appreciation, gratitude, confession, sorrow, grief, groaning, intercession, intense joy, etc.etc.etc. There is and never will be a limit to the possibilities of prayer. This is why Paul unhesitatingly encourages believers to "pray without ceasing". Friend, don’t worry about saying the “perfect prayer” or having the “perfect words” … just "show up" with your faith and resolution to commune with God's Spirit in prayer. If you persevere in this, casting away every vain thought, determined to connect with Him, pour out your heart, express your cares and concerns, fight your battles, you'll discover a depth of relationship with God which you've always longed for, and be piling up treasure with and for Yeshua. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX) (Melbourne, Florida) Editor's Note: We posted 3 new videos on YouTube -- Is there a Great Harvest Coming? | The Simchat Torah War - Is this a Water Breaking Moment of Revival? | Eclipses, Red Heifers, Purim and a Move of God! Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Russia’s Re-elected Putin Warns Of World War III Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Monday that a direct confrontation between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would be “one step away from a full-scale World War III.” Yemen: Houthi Terror Group Has Obtained Hypersonic Missile, “Death to America, Death to Israel” Having declared its alliance with Hamas in the ongoing Palestinian jihadist war against Israel, the Iran-backed Houthi terror group in Yemen now has a new hypersonic missile and has upgraded its current arsenal with warheads, the Jerusalem Post reports. Russia’s Putin Claims Election Victory Amid Protests and Deadly Attacks (Worthy News Radio) Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in a presidential vote, while thousands protested against his “authoritarian rule,” polling stations were set ablaze, and neighboring Ukraine carried out deadly drone strikes. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Trump Seeks Broader Israel-Mideast Peace Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump has said he will try to end the war in Gaza quickly and suggested extending a regional peace deal between Israel and Arabic countries if re-elected. Israel Offers Six-Week Gaza Truce for 40 Hostages Israeli sources say Israel will offer a six-week ceasefire in exchange for 40 hostages during mediated talks with Hamas, which is holding Israelis. Israel Raids Gaza’s Shifa Hospital Killing Hamas Senior Commander In the early hours of Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an operation at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, acting on intelligence that indicated the presence of senior Hamas officials using the facility to orchestrate and execute terrorist activities, according to the IDF. Inside the United States Trump Can’t Secure $464M For New York Fraud Case, His Lawyers Say Former President Donald Trump has been unable to secure a $464 million bond for a civil judgment against him in a New York business fraud case, his attorneys said in a new court filing. Scientists Warn Of Underwater Vulcano Eruption Along Washington’s Coast Scientists have warned that a record “great swarm” of underwater earthquakes can soon trigger an underwater volcano eruption along the coast of Washington. Billionaire Musk’s Agency Building US Spy Satellites Stars watchers will soon get more than they bargained for as the space agency of one of the world’s wealthiest men is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites for the United States, several sources confirmed Sunday. Christian News India: Christian Couples Sentenced To Two Years Imprisonment For “Alluring” Hindu Relative To Become Christian A court in India’s Madhya Pradesh state has sentenced a Christian couple to two years imprisonment for allegedly offering a job to a Hindu relative of theirs in exchange for his conversion to Christianity, UCA News reports. Cuba: Government Continues Crackdown On Christians, Religious Freedom A new report shows that the government of Cuba continued an intensifying crackdown on religious freedom, and Christianity in particular, in 2023. Published on Mar. 14, the report was compiled by the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) advocacy organization. South Korean Christian Ministry Says North Korea Needs Prayer And Evangelism PEACECOREA, an indigenous Christian ministry in South Korea is encouraging local believers to pray for neighboring enemy state North Korea and to actively share the Gospel with North Korean defectors, CBN News reports. 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by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – In the early hours of Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an operation at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, acting on intelligence that indicated the presence of senior Hamas officials using the facility to orchestrate and execute terrorist activities, according to the IDF. The IDF’s early Monday morning operation at Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza commenced at 2:30 a.m., involving Division 162’s infantry, armored units, Shayetet 13 Navy SEALs, the Shin Bet, and IDF’s Unit 504 for intelligence collection. The action resulted in the death of at least 20 terrorists, among them was Faack Mabhouh, the Hamas Interior Ministry’s Operations Chief, who held a rank equivalent to an IDF Brigade Commander and was related to Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas figure assassinated by Israel in the UAE in 2010. Mabhouh, the head of Hamas’s internal security operations, was armed and found hiding in the Shifa complex, “from which he was working to advance terror activity,” according to the IDF. He was killed in a firefight when forces attempted to arrest him. Nearby, IDF troops discovered a stockpile of weapons, indicating the strategic use of the location for terror operations. Israeli intelligence revealed that Hamas terrorists and leaders from northern Gaza had gathered at the hospital to establish a command hub for orchestrating combat operations against IDF forces and executing attacks on Israel. The IDF, affirming it possessed “concrete intelligence,” stated that these operatives had regathered at the facility with the intent of planning and conducting terrorist activities. In a late-night video briefing, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced that the IDF was executing a “high-precision operation in limited areas of Shifa Hospital, following concrete intelligence that demanded immediate action.” He emphasized, “We know that senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside the hospital, and are using it to command attacks against Israel.” An Israeli soldier lost his life in a pre-dawn gunfight with terrorists near the hospital area. By Monday evening, the IDF reported that approximately 20 Hamas terrorists were eliminated within the hospital grounds, with an additional 20 killed in the vicinity. In addition of the death of approximately 40 terrorists, several dozen terrorists were arrested. The post Israel Engages in Intense Conflicts at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Christian Wade | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Former President Donald Trump has been unable to secure a $464 million bond for a civil judgment against him in a New York business fraud case, his attorneys said in a new court filing. In the filing with the Appellate Division of Manhattan Supreme Court, lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants said it has been “impossible” for them to get an appeal bond after spending “countless hours” trying to secure the funds. The lawyers said securing the bond would require cash reserves of up to $1 billion, which neither Trump nor his company can provide. Trump’s team has consulted at least 30 surety companies through four different brokers to secure the appeal bond, but so far, it has been unsuccessful, the lawyers wrote. “Defendants’ ongoing diligent efforts have proven that a bond in the judgment’s full amount is ‘a practical impossibility,'” Trump’s lawyers wrote. The court filing includes a signed affidavit from Gary Giulietti, president of the Northeast division of the Lockton Companies, who wrote that obtaining an appeal bond for $464 million is a “practical impossibility under the circumstances presented.” Giulietti said only a handful of bond surety companies approved by the U.S. Treasury to underwrite that big, and many will only issue a single bond to a maximum of $100 million. “Simply put, a bond of this size is rarely, if ever, seen,” he wrote. “In the unusual circumstance that a bond of this size is issued, it is provided to the largest public companies in the world, not to individuals or privately held businesses.” Trump is appealing a ruling by Superior Court Judge Arthur Engoron in a civil fraud lawsuit brought by James in 2022, accusing the judge of “errors of law and/or fact, abused its discretion, and/or acted in excess of its jurisdiction.” Engoron found that Trump, his company and top executives, including his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, deceived banks and insurers by inflating the value of his family’s wealth on financial statements used to secure loans. The judge ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties, which, with interest, has grown to nearly $464 million. That fine will increase by nearly $112,000 daily until he pays. The ruling also stipulates that the former president’s sons can’t serve as officers or directors of any New York corporation for two years. The judge also fined Trump’s sons $4 million each. In a recent ruling, Associate Justice Anil Singh of the state Appellate Division denied Trump’s request to postpone his obligation to post bond for the $454 million until a five-member appellate panel hears his motion to stay enforcement of that judgment. Under New York state law, Trump must file a surety bond to back the monetary judgment while the court considers his appeal. Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who brought the fraud charges, has the authority to seize some of his assets if Trump doesn’t pay the fines. The civil case is one of Trump’s many legal challenges as he continues his march to the GOP presidential nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden in November. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the indictments are part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” to keep him off the ballot.’ Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Trump Can’t Secure $464M For New York Fraud Case, His Lawyers Say appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A court in India’s Madhya Pradesh state has sentenced a Christian couple to two years imprisonment for allegedly offering a job to a Hindu relative of theirs in exchange for his conversion to Christianity, UCA News reports. Ramesh Babulal Masih and his wife, Sakhi Ramesh Masih, were charged under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2021 after a relative of Sakhi’s accused them in 2021 of offering him a job worth 20,000 rupees a month on the condition he convert to Christianity, UCA News reports. Frequently abused to target non-Hindu minority faith groups, the Freedom of Religion Act is an anti-conversion law that uses vague terminology to criminalize the use of force, coercion or allurement to seek religious conversions. The Masihs pleaded not guilty to the charge but were convicted by the trial court in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Mar.11, UCA News said. “The court convicted them merely based on the allegation of an attempt to convert,” Daniel John, a Catholic leader in the state’s capital city of Bhopal, told UCA News on March 15. “It is very easy for anyone to level such complaints,” John said. In a separate statement to UCA News, Attorney Govind Yadav, who appears before India’s Supreme Court, said: “The terms such as coercion, allurement among others are vague and they need to be explained well to avoid conviction like in the case of this couple. This is a strange situation where a couple is sentenced based on a mere allegation of allurement, a term not well defined in the law.” The Masihs have the right to appeal their conviction and sentence to a higher court. With harsh anti-conversion laws in 12 of its 28 states, Hindu-led India ranks 11 on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post India: Christian Couples Sentenced To Two Years Imprisonment For “Alluring” Hindu Relative To Become Christian appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Having declared its alliance with Hamas in the ongoing Palestinian jihadist war against Israel, the Iran-backed Houthi terror group in Yemen now has a new hypersonic missile and has upgraded its current arsenal with warheads, the Jerusalem Post reports. The Houthis are a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged in opposition to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whom they accuse of corruption and alliance with Saudi Arabia and the United States. The Houthis’ motto translates: “God Is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam,” JPost said. In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre and kidnapping of Israeli civilians by Hamas, the Houthis began launching missiles toward Israel and then launched attacks on commercial western-flagged ships in the Red Sea. Announcing the weapons upgrade, the Russian state media outlet RIA said an unnamed Houthi official had stated the new missile is highly lethal. “The group’s missile forces have successfully tested a missile that is capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 8,” the official reportedly said. According to the US-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a hypersonic missile is a missile that can “travel faster than Mach 5 [3800mph] and have the capability to maneuver during the entire flight.” The Houthi official added that the group is modifying its stock of missiles and drones to have explosive warheads, JPost said. The post Yemen: Houthi Terror Group Has Obtained Hypersonic Missile, “Death to America, Death to Israel” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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(Worthy News) – A new report shows that the government of Cuba continued an intensifying crackdown on religious freedom, and Christianity in particular, in 2023. Published on Mar. 14, the report was compiled by the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) advocacy organization. The current crackdown was triggered by the anti-government protests that swept over Cuba on July 11, 2021. Thousands of Cubans took to the streets in major cities to protest living conditions, lack of food and medicine, continual electricity blackouts, and the state’s generally repressive approach to the people it is supposed to serve. In suppressing the protests, the government took to constricting religious freedom. “Religious groups of all types, including Afro-Cuban groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestants, and Roman Catholics, registered and unregistered associations, including some that belong to the Cuba Council of Churches (CCC), all reported Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations,” CSW said in its report. “CSW observed a return to hardline tactics ….when it came to political prisoners in the form of the consistent refusal of religious visits or the right to receive religious materials, religious leaders threatened and pressured to expel the family members of political prisoners from their congregations as part of a policy of social isolation, children subjected to physical and verbal abuse at school because of their religious beliefs, religious leaders of unregistered religious groups repeatedly harassed, threatened and fined, and religious leaders of registered groups targeted for intrusive surveillance, repeat interrogations, and other pressure tactics,” the report reads. According to CSW, the Cuban government has especially targeted religious leaders who gave material or spiritual support to families of political prisoners. Moreover, those whom the government considered to be dissidents have been systematically prohibited from attending religious services, usually by being temporarily held in custody. “The government appears to still be depending on a strategy of harsh oppression and repressive laws to bring the population under as much of its control as possible,” CSW said. Ruled by an authoritarian communist/post communist regime, Cuba ranks 22 on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post Cuba: Government Continues Crackdown On Christians, Religious Freedom appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – PEACECOREA, an indigenous Christian ministry in South Korea is encouraging local believers to pray for neighboring enemy state North Korea and to actively share the Gospel with North Korean defectors, CBN News reports. The Korean people have seen war for much of their history. However, the last Korean war, which ended in 1953, resulted in an uneasy truce between communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea. Sharing the same culture and language, the two countries have maintained an icey quiet that South Korea’s Ministry of Defense has attributed to its alliance with the United States. Nevertheless, North Korea has been strengthening ties with Russia and appears to be rattling its saber by becoming a nuclear threat too. Addressing this increasingly volatile situation, the Seoul-based PEACECOREA ministry is, among numerous other things, leading programs on peace and unification, providing humanitarian relief to North and South Koreans in need, and raising up a “prayer movement for churches and nations beyond denominations and nations for unification of the Korean Peninsula.” In a statement to CBN News, retired military serviceman and PEACECOREA Founder Dr. Moon Young Huh said: “Our Lord wants us to evangelize North Korea. We should pray for that and we should work for that together.Then, we could see the Lord’s work in the future.” Ruled by post-communist dictator President Kim Jong Un, North Korea ranks number 1 on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. “The deplorable treatment of believers is driven by the authoritarian regime’s view that Christians are a particular threat to the country’s leadership and society,” Open Doors reports in a current website statement. The post South Korean Christian Ministry Says North Korea Needs Prayer And Evangelism appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Scientists have warned that a record “great swarm” of underwater earthquakes can soon trigger an underwater volcano eruption along the coast of Washington. The underwater volcano is located more than 16,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean and nearly 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the coast of the U.S. state. The University of Washington’s geologists confirmed that the earthquakes can lead to the eruption of the Juan de Ruca Ridge volcano in a “few weeks or years.” With more than “a thousand” tiny quakes detected in one day, this is the most activity detected at the site since 2005, indicating that the volcano could soon erupt. However, the effects on Earth will “most probably” be mild and not have much impact, scientists said. The expected eruption can give scientists new insights about the seafloor but is likely to have a mild impact on the land, according to experts. A team of scientists noticed massive underwater earthquakes on March 6, which they said registered a 4.1 magnitude. It was seen as relatively mild compared to the famous damaging quakes like the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, which registered a 7.9 magnitude. That quake and the city-leveling fires it touched off killed about 3,000 people, officials said. The post Scientists Warn Of Underwater Vulcano Eruption Along Washington’s Coast appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Stars watchers will soon get more than they bargained for as the space agency of one of the world’s wealthiest men is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites for the United States, several sources confirmed Sunday. SpaceX, run by billionaire Elon Musk, signed a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, American sources familiar with the program said. The network is reportedly built by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office, or NRO, an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites. The deal demonstrates “deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s space company and national security agencies,” Reuters news agency commented. It was not immediately clear when the new network of satellites would start operating and whether other firms would participate in the program with their contracts. If successful, sources said, it will “significantly advance the ability of the U.S. government and military to spot potential targets almost anywhere on the globe quickly.” The NRO confirmed the satellite spy mission partnerships with other government agencies, companies, research institutions, and nations. It declined to comment on SpaceX’s involvement. SPACE-BASED INTELLIGENCE “The National Reconnaissance Office is developing the most capable, diverse, and resilient space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system the world has ever seen,” the NRO added in published remarks. “No one can hide,” one of the sources said of the system’s potential capability. “No one can hide,” one of the sources said of the system’s potential capability. The source suggested that author George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” becomes a reality 40 years later in 2024. Orwell’s phrase “Big Brother is watching you” about constant government surveillance will be rolled out for virtually every corner of the world, Worthy News learned. The satellites can reportedly track targets on the ground and share that data with U.S. intelligence and military officials. The sources said that, in principle, the United States can quickly capture continuous imagery of activities on the ground nearly anywhere, aiding intelligence and military operations. Roughly a dozen prototypes have been launched since 2020, among other satellites on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, sources said. GROWING INFLUENCE Yet it raised questions about Musk’s growing influence as SpaceX already launched scores of Starlink satellites to provide internet at various places globally. U.S. House Democrats are investigating SpaceX over whether Russia accessed the company’s Starlink satellite internet service as part of its ongoing war against Ukraine. Starlink entered a contract last year to deploy more than 400 of its terminals to Ukraine, where they provide high-speed internet connections. These channels are vital to Kyiv’s battlefield communications when losing ground to Russia’s invading army. Russia has denied that its troops use Starlink, a subsidiary of the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX. Following reports of misuse, SpaceX’s owner, Musk, said the company had not sold any Starlink terminals to Russia directly. The post Billionaire Musk’s Agency Building US Spy Satellites appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in a presidential vote, while thousands protested against his “authoritarian rule,” polling stations were set ablaze, and neighboring Ukraine carried out deadly drone strikes. https://www.worthynews.com/wordpressimages/2024/03/WorthyNewsRadioMarch17.mp3 In an election condemned by Washington as “obviously not free nor fair,” Putin won more than 87 percent of the vote, according to exit polls by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center and the Public Opinion Foundation. As the exit polls came in, Putin was quick to declare victory. Referring to the war in Ukraine, he says that the victory, in his words, “has to do with the dramatic events that the country is going through. With the current situation with the fact that we fight with weapons.” He added “This unity will allow us to act effectively on the frontline, in the economy, humanitarian development, achieving the goals of social development projects.” Putin said, “We have huge development plans. People felt that and came to create the conditions for development and the strengthening of their Fatherland – Russia.” Not everyone agreed with his victory. In Asbest in central Russia, plumes of smoke rise out of a polling station. It is among several polling stations hit by arson attacks. MORE ATTACKS Protests also included pouring dye into ballot boxes and arson attacks at polling stations, with police detaining several people. Neighboring Ukraine, which Putin’s Russian army has invaded, also branded the vote a “farce” and launched a barrage of attacks inside Russia that reportedly killed several people. Some drones were apparently shot down. But car traffic was briefly suspended over the bridge connecting Crimea, and three Moscow airports were forced to suspend flights, with at least one building being hit by a drone. Early on Sunday, a drone attack caused a fire at a refinery at Slavyansk in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia, where officials said one person died of a heart attack. Separately, authorities said two people died after drone strikes in the Russian city of Belgorod on Saturday. The Russian defense ministry reported 35 Ukrainian drone incursions, including four in the Moscow region and two in the neighboring Kaluga and Yaroslavl regions. More Ukrainian drones attacked in the Belgorod, Kursk, and Rostov regions bordering Ukraine and in the southern Krasnodar region. ‘PANIC, DISTRUST’ The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has accused Ukraine of trying to “sow panic, distrust, anger, and resentment to break the unit of our society.” Pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries also claimed to be escalating attacks and incursions in Russian border regions. Three pro-Kyiv volunteer groups — claiming to consist of anti-Kremlin Russians who have taken up arms — called on authorities to evacuate civilians from the regions of Belgorod and Kursk. Despite overwhelming evidence of attacks, Russia’s military has denied militias’ claims to have gained ground. The National Guard said its units had beaten back one such attack near the village of Tyotkino in Kursk. The Russian Ministry of Defense said it halted another attack by Ukrainian forces trying to enter Belgorod via the village of Spodariushino without saying when the clash had happened. Yet the fighting did little to prevent voting in the world’s largest country by size divided over 11 time zones. Ahead of the vote, authorities blocked the few genuine competitors who tried to stand in the contest. Those on the ballot box are seen as no real threats to Putin as they all support his policies. Russian authorities warned against protests during the presidential vote after calls from the opposition for anti-Putin demonstrations on Sunday. NO NAVALNY The presidential election was held without Alexei Navalny, Putin’s most high-profile opponent over the last decade, who died at age 47 in February in an Arctic prison colony. Navalny was jailed for 19 years on charges of “extremism,” a sentence seen by his family and supporters as retribution for his campaign against Putin, who has led Russia for 24 years. Critics, including Navalny’s widow, urged voters to protest. Yet, as he cast his ballot online, the 71-year-old Kremlin leader suggested that he is the right man to continue leading a nation armed with nuclear weapons that he hasn’t ruled out using against Western targets. “We have already shown that we can be together, defending the freedom, sovereignty, and security of Russia,” Putin said in a separate video message, flanked by flags of the Russian tricolor and the president’s state emblem. “Today, it is critically important not to stray from this path,” he added. With all of his influential critics dead, jailed, or in exile, Russian President Putin is now cementing his role as the nation’s longest-ruling leader since the late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The post Russia’s Putin Claims Election Victory Amid Protests and Deadly Attacks (Worthy News Radio) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article
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Friend, let the restoration begin! Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. The word for "restitution" in this passage is the Greek word - "apokatastasis". This is the one and only place it is found in the New Testament. The word literally means to "restore again" or "to repair". The plan of God in sending His Son Yeshua (Jesus) was to restore that which had been broken and ruined. The Lord's saving work is a global repair job. Each one of us has come to Him already ruined by sin. But God's will and His promise are to restore and renew us through His Son. This restoration process isn't a one-sided affair. Having been initiated by the Lord, it requires of us, one essential response - that is repentance. The passage above draws a clear parallel between repentance and refreshing. Anyone who has walked with the Lord for a while knows this well. Repentance brings refreshment, over and over......and over again. Friend, allow yourself to be refreshed...seek the Lord today and let Him show you where you need repentance. Then, go ahead and make the turn, and watch how quickly and beautifully you'll be restored, repaired, and refreshed. Make it a daily habit, and you'll find yourself living in a state of revival! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX) (Melbourne, Florida) Editor's Note: We posted 3 new videos on YouTube -- Is there a Great Harvest Coming? | The Simchat Torah War - Is this a Water Breaking Moment of Revival? | Eclipses, Red Heifers, Purim and a Move of God! Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Hungary’s Orbán Under Pressure Over Death Navalny (Worthy News Radio) A tense calm returned to the streets of Hungary’s capital, Budapest, after the widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of being an accomplice in the death of her husband and the war in Ukraine. Thousands Protest Government ‘Media Crackdown’ In Slovakia Thousands of people rallied over the weekend in Slovakia against media plans by the new government of Prime Minister Robert Fico following similar demonstrations in neighboring Hungary. Japan Court Calls Denying Same-Sex Marriage ‘Unconstitutional’ A Japanese high court has ruled that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in a case that was due to be closely followed by activists thousands of miles away in Europe. Gunfire Erupts In Haiti As Gangs Frighten Nation The sound of gunfire echoed throughout Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, on Thursday, with well-armed groups saying they wanted to topple Prime Minister Ariel Henry, an unpopular leader. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Iran and Hezbollah Discuss Strategy in Beirut As War Looms In Lebanon Esmail Qaani, the head of Iran's Quds Forces, met with Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah in February to discuss strategy as the war in Gaza may soon extend to Lebanon, threatening the terrorist organization and forcing Iran to enter the war. Israel Is Fighting ‘Multi-Front War’ and Facing Security Challenges During Ramadan, IDF Chief Says "We are in a multi-front war - Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria [West Bank] and Gaza and threats even further way," stated Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi during a security threat assessment detailing the security challenges for Israel during the month of Ramadan. Israel Rescues 70 Palestinian Orphans From Gaza Israel’s army has rescued 70 orphans from wartorn Gaza and rushed them to safety in Bethlehem in the Biblical region of Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, several sources confirmed Friday. Inside the United States Former New York Mayor Giuliani Facing Bankruptcy Rudy Giuliani, the world-famed former New York City mayor and high-flying lawyer who became a confidant of then U.S. President Donald J. Trump, is struggling to avoid losing most, and perhaps all, he worked for during his life, attorneys warn. U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Case Alleging Government Censorship Of Social Media The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Monday about whether the government can persuade social media companies to remove content from platforms. In Arkansas, No More ‘X’ Instead of ‘M’ or ‘F’ On Driver’s Licenses Arkansans can no longer mark "X" instead of "M" or "F" on driver's licenses forms, the state Legislative Council decided on Friday. Christian News US Missionaries Trapped in Violence-Torn Haiti Two U.S. missionaries remained trapped in Haiti on Friday, some two weeks after a gang uprising began seeking the ouster of the troubled Caribbean nation’s prime minister. Wycliffe Associates Bringing Bible Translation Technology to Indigenous Translators Lacking Internet Access Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, is working to provide Christians in 35 language groups across Indonesia and Southeast Asia with Bible Translation Acceleration Kits (BTAKs)—and the training to use them. Nicaragua: Female Prisoners Assaulted By Jail Staff For Praying Aloud emale prisoners at a jail in Nicaragua have been brutalized by staff after praying out loud, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Ruled by a dictatorial communist regime that is hostile to Christians, Nicaragua ranks 30TH on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. View the full article