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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) — Israel hit Iran with at least one missile early Friday in what appears to be a retaliatory strike after weeks of escalating tensions between the two countries, U.S. sources say.

Iranian state media reported that air defense batteries had been activated after reports of explosions near a major airbase close to the city of Isfahan.

The Iranian government appeared to play down the scale of the attack, with a senior commander in Iran’s army saying there was no damage in Isfahan, according to state television.

Isfahan is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site.

State television described all sites in the area as “fully safe,” and the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed there was no damage to any nuclear sites.

The airbase close to Isfahan has long been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats – purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, well-informed sources say.

OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

It comes after Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles last week. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had not been involved in any offensive operations, and it was committed to de-escalating tensions in the region.

He declined to publicly confirm the Israeli missile strike following reports that the United States had been informed at the last moment about the pending Israeli attack against Iran.

“I’m not going to speak to that except to say that the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations,” Blinken added at a news conference during the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathering on the southern Italian island of Capri.

With tensions rising, several airlines canceled flights to the region.

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by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Thursday, which had broad support and aimed to grant Palestine full United Nations (UN) membership.

On Thursday, the 15-member council voted on a draft resolution proposing that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly recognize Gaza as a state and admit it to the U.N. The resolution received support from twelve nations, including U.S. allies France, Japan, and South Korea, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstained. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, highlighting a significant division among its allies.

Had the United States not vetoed the resolution, it would have advanced to the 193-member General Assembly, where vetoes do not exist, to consider approving Palestine as the 194th member of the United Nations. Given that around 140 countries have already recognized the state of Palestine, its admission would likely have been approved.

Since 2012, Gaza has held the status of a nonmember observer state at the U.N. For Gaza to achieve full membership, a successful vote in the Security Council must be followed by the approval of at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood clarified the reasons behind the U.S. veto at the Security Council, emphasizing that the veto “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.”

Wood also noted “unresolved questions” about whether Palestine meets statehood criteria, citing Hamas’s influence in Gaza. Wood reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution as the sole path to secure peace between Israel and Palestine and foster Israel’s relations with all its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia. This stance underlines the U.S. belief in resolving these issues through direct dialogue.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan criticized the resolution as being “disconnected from the reality on the ground,” warning that it “will only lead to destruction for years to come and damage any prospects for future dialogue.” He also expressed gratitude towards the Biden administration for “standing up for truth and morality in the face of hypocrisy and politics.”

Erdan criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) in his remarks following the vote, stating, “I explained how the PA does not meet even the basic criteria, that they have no authority over their territory, and that the PA is a terror-supporting entity. Yet regardless of the Palestinians’ failure to meet the necessary criteria for UN membership, most of you, sadly, decided to reward Palestinian terror with a Palestinian state.”

Erdan also voiced his frustration over the Security Council’s failure to condemn Hamas for its actions on October 7, saying, “But nevertheless, you refuse to even condemn, you refuse to listen, you refuse to act, you even refuse to check the facts.”

Following the vote, Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour addressed the council, expressing unwavering resolve despite the resolution’s failure. He declared, “The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination.” He continued, “We will not stop in our effort. The state of Palestine is inevitable. It is real. Perhaps they see it as far away, but we see it as near.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from Portugal emphasized to the Security Council the urgency of the vote due to the recent escalations in the Israel-Hamas conflict. He stated, “Recent escalations make it even more important to support good-faith efforts to find lasting peace between Israel and a fully independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian state. Failure to make progress toward a two-state solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence.”

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By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor

(Worthy News) – American colleges and universities are failing to fight antisemitism on campus, according to a new report published by the Anti-Defamation League.

ADL’s first Campus Antisemitism Report Card found that antisemitism is “running rampant on campus since even before October 7,” the day the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel.

The Report Card reviewed 85 American higher education institutions assessing incidents, Jewish life on campus and university policies and administrative actions related to combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish students. The schools were selected based on specific criteria: their ranking among the top national and liberal arts schools and having the highest proportion of Jewish students.

Each school was provided with a questionnaire to self-report which criteria they fulfilled or pledged to fulfill. About 84% responded, according to the report. ADL also conducted research to determine how campuses were meeting criteria and to learn of any Title VI investigations or other issues on campus.

It then assigned A-F grades to evaluate the state of antisemitism on campuses and how administrations were responding. Of the 85 evaluated, only two received A grades; 17 received Bs, 29 received Cs, 24 received Ds, and 13 received Fs.

Brandeis University in Massachusetts and Elon University in North Carolina were the only two that received A grades. Among the schools highlighted for receiving B grades are the University of Miami, University of Maryland, University of Texas-Austin, and Washington University in St. Louis.

ADL highlighted C-rated schools (University of Hartford, Indiana University and University of Colorado at Boulder) and D-rated schools (Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, University of California at Berkeley, and Rice University) as needing significant improvement.

ADL identified the worst offenders with F grades as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Tufts University and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

“At a time when antisemitic incidents on campus are at historic levels, administrators need to adopt new policies to address this scourge and have the willingness to enforce existing codes of conduct to ensure all students are safe,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, said.

The majority of California schools evaluated had failing grades, with Stanford University receiving an F, and the University of California and its multiple branches receiving D grades.

Illinois schools were also among the worst, with the University of Chicago receiving an F and Northwestern and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign receiving D grades.

In contrast, all Florida schools had B grades. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S> Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, led the charge last year calling on President Joe Biden to revoke visas and immediately remove foreign nationals from the U.S. who support Hamas.

Senate Democrats blocked any such efforts; roughly 100 Democratic members of Congress called on him to grant Temporary Protected Status and/or authorize Deferred Enforced Departure for Palestinian noncitizens living in the U.S.

Despite Palestinians and pro-Hamas supporters in the U.S. continuing to call for the death of Jews, annihilating Israel, and committing antisemitic attacks across the country, Biden expanded measures to prevent “certain Palestinians” from being deported.

ADL’s Report Card is part of a recently launched Not On My Campus campaign calling on American colleges and universities to commit to a no tolerance policy for antisemitism.

Antisemitic attacks in the name of “free Palestine” increased by 360% nationwide after Oct. 7, including spiking on U.S. college campuses, The Center Square reported.

According to an ADL/College Pulse survey, only 45.5% of Jewish students said they felt physically safe on their campuses during the fall semester last year; 73% said they’d experienced or witnessed some form of antisemitism since the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

This is after antisemitic incidents were already at historic highs in the U.S., primarily in the southwest, The Center Square reported last fall.

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A Muslim man in Sudan severely beat his wife after she refused to renounce her newly found faith in Christ, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Newly Christian Fatima Adam is a wife and mother and one of 8 million people who have been displaced since Sudan’s current war broke out in April last year. Fatima and her family were living at the Gorom refugee camp in Juba, South Sudan when her husband attacked her with an iron bar two months ago.

In a statement to MSN, Fatima said her husband became enraged after learning that she would not let go of her faith in Christ, and that she had been attending worship services in the camp. “Didn’t I order you to renounce your new faith and come back to Islam?” he demanded. “I will kill you if you continue to follow this Jesus of yours – do not go the church again, and stop taking my kids to the church,” he said.

Fatima’s husband then beat her so severely she required hospitalization. The injuries to her joints and legs have not yet healed, MSN said. Fatima has lost two young children who died at the camp, and her eldest son has gone missing. “Pray for my son to be found, because he went missing due to the war in Sudan,” she requested.

Wracked by an ongoing war over power between the Sudanese Army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), both of whom usurped the fledgling democratic government that followed the ousting of dictator of Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Sudan now ranks 8 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A Christian mother who converted from Islam in Uganda is believed to have been murdered by her Muslim son after she refused to renounce Christ, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Christianity is legal in Uganda but former Muslims who accept Christ are highly vulnerable to extreme violence by Islamic relatives who do not accept their conversion.

A resident of Kamuli, Kamuli District, 50-year old mother Sulaina Nabirye had put her faith in Christ on Feb. 10, MSN reports. Sulaina’s decision greatly angered her 31-year-old son Arajabu Mukiibi, who pressured her to return to Islam.

In a statement, a Christian relative whose name is withheld for security reasons told MSN: “During the month of Ramadan, Sulaina complained of her son pressuring her to stop attending church and revert back to Islam, since he was studying to become an imam at Bugembe Mosque. When she refused to convert back to Islam, he stopped visiting her at her house and threatened to chase or even kill her.”

On April 9, Mukiibi told Sulaina he would visit her with food prepared by his wife. The relative was present at the time. “At 7 p.m. [Mukiibi] came with food, which he gave to us, and he left,” the relative said. “I was praying and fasting, so I did not eat the food. Shortly after eating the food, Sulaina started vomiting, and then diarrhea. I tried what I could, but things were worsening. I called a nearby clinic officer who came with medication. He tried to put her on a drip, but all was in vain.”

Sulain died at 2am on April 10, MSN reports. An investigation requested by the relative revealed that the food Sulaina had eaten contained the toxic industrial solvent Methanol. “Her son did not come to help his mum,” the relative said. “He and his wife who were living close by did not show up. This made me conclude that he is the one who planned the poisoning.”

Sulaina’s relatives are reporting the matter to police. Local residents have condemned Mukiibi for killing his mother on account of her faith in Christ, MSN reports.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

DUBAI  (Worthy News) – Dubai was among areas wrestling with the aftermath of deadly torrential rains Thursday that flooded the desert city, with people recalling spending the night in their cars and air passengers enduring chaotic scenes at airports.

Record levels of rainfall brought cities in the United Arab Emirates and Oman to a standstill, with at least 19 people killed in Oman and flights being diverted from Dubai’s airport.

In the U.A.E., authorities urged all residents to stay at home. Videos showed cars submerged on gridlocked highways and planes leaving waves in their wake as they taxied down flooded runways in Dubai.

In Muscat, Oman’s capital, flash flooding turned streets into raging rivers as the region reportedly got more rain in one day than it usually receives in one and a half years.

Climate change-fearing experts said the extreme deluge was likely the result of regular, rainy weather systems “being supercharged by climate change.”

Others also blamed the high death toll on a lack of water management.

The storm first hit Oman on Sunday, causing widespread flash flooding and leading officials to close schools and government offices. On Wednesday, the heavy rains had eased, although the authorities warned residents to remain cautious.

MUCH WATER

Several areas of Oman received over 230 millimeters, or about 9 inches, of rain between Sunday and Wednesday, according to the country’s National Committee for Emergency Management.

The average annual rainfall in Muscat, the nation’s capital, is about 100 millimeters, although other parts of the country can receive more rain.

By Wednesday morning, 19 deaths had been confirmed by the emergency management committee, including an infant.

Ten of the dead were schoolchildren who were swept away in a vehicle with an adult, officials said. Some schools remained closed in Oman on Wednesday, and some government employees were told to work from home.

Dubai’s airport is one of the busiest for international travel, with nearly every flight repeatedly delayed.

The state-run WAM news agency called Tuesday’s rains “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.”

But as the sun returns, questions will be raised on how to manage flooding better in the future.

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – While the US has pressed Israel not to attack the remaining Hamas battalions in the Rafah area of Gaza (because of the potential for mass civilian casualties), the Biden administration is now reportedly willing to support a Rafah operation provided Israel does not attack Iran, the Jerusalem Post learned from the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.

World powers led by the US and the UK have been pressuring Israel to desist from a retaliatory attack against Iran after the Tehran regime launched a massive direct attack by drones and missiles against Israel on April 14. Iran’s attack was deflected in a joint defensive operation by Israel, the US, the UK, France, and Jordan.

A senior official reportedly told The New Arab that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to obtain American approval for a military operation in Rafah, in exchange for [Israel] refraining from carrying out a wide military operation against Iran in response to its recent attack,” JPost said.

The official added that the “discourse of an Israeli response to Iran contradicts the desires of the American administration and is not realistic, given the Israeli claims that the United States played the major role in repelling the Iranian attack and preventing its success.”

In a statement about a potential Israeli attack on Iran, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, said Thursday: “Israel will react to Iran, and it won’t take years – soon Iran’s missiles will be equipped with nuclear warheads.”

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Worthy News) – The death toll from unseasonable heavy rains in Pakistan and Afghanistan was approaching 140 across both countries amid concerns about many children without adequate shelter in the region.

In Afghanistan, at least 70 people were killed in flash floods and other weather-related incidents. At the same time, more than 2,600 homes have been destroyed or damaged, said Mullah Janan Sayeq, a spokesman for the Ministry of Disaster Management.

At least 62 people have died in the storms in neighboring Pakistan, which has been hammered by rainfall at nearly twice the average rate for this time of year, according to Pakistani officials.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the Pakistani region bordering Afghanistan, appeared to be the most brutal hit, witnesses said.

Flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rains have damaged homes and destroyed infrastructure. Footage from the province shows roads turned into raging rivers and homes and bridges being swept away.

It also added to concerns about nearly 250,000 children who returned to Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan.

A survey released Thursday revealed that they arrived over the past seven months with almost nothing, and they urgently need food, shelter, and access to education.

‘SAVE THE CHILDREN’

The study by the Save the Children charity said that more than 520,000 Afghans have returned home since September 2023 after Pakistan asked all undocumented foreigners to leave the country or face deportation. Nearly half of all the returnees are children.

Despite attending school in Pakistan, 65 percent of the children now back in Afghanistan are not enrolled in school, aid workers said.

The majority, 85 percent, told the surveyors they did not have the necessary documents to register and enroll in school.

The survey did not say how many girls were among the children questioned, as they also have to deal with the Taliban government’s ban on teenage girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.

There has also been concern about Christians in the area, with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban enforcing its interpretation of Islam. The deadly impact of the heavy rains added to the misery.

Climate change-fearing experts view the unseasonable rains as confirmation of a human impact on the climate, while critics, including at least some critical scientists, would question that assessment.

The movement of people in previously uninhabited areas, as well as a lack of adequate infrastructure and water management, has also been linked to the high death toll.

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The International Monetary Fund has warned that the US and China should each ensure they start borrowing less as their respective debt levels may have a “profound” effect on interest rates paid by other countries and on the economy worldwide, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The IMF issued its warning in a bi-annual report on government borrowing published Wednesday.

The IMF noted that while other countries have implemented measures to reduce their debt relative to the size of their economies, the US and China have not, the WSJ reports.

The Fund now expects that the US government debt relative to economic output will increase by 70% by 2053, and that China’s debt will increase by over 50% by the same year, WSJ reports.

US government debt is forecast to be 133.9% of annual gross domestic product in 2029, up from 122.1% in 2023, and China’s debt is expected to rise to 110.1% of GDP in 2029, up from 83.6% in 2023.

Moreover, the IMF warned that the US and China will lead a rise in global government debt to 98.8% of economic output in 2029, up from 93.2% in 2023, WSJ said.

The Fund noted in its report that Italy and the United Kingdom must also rein in their spending.

“The increase will be led by some large economies, for example, China, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which critically need to take policy action to address fundamental imbalances between spending and revenues,” the IMF said.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s pro-Russia prime minister says Ukraine has become “a protectorate of the West,” which would not exist without the West’s supply of weapons and financial support.

Viktor Orbán made the remarks at a turbulent conference of the radical-right elite in Brussels, which was initially broken up by police in an incident condemned by the Belgian prime minister and others.

“Ukraine is not an independent country anymore,” Orbán told participants at the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon). Orbán, who supports peace talks to end the war between Ukraine and invading Russia, has refused to give military support to Kyiv.

He also lashed out at the perceived “blackmail by Brussels,” referring to the European Union, which has declined to give billions in EU funding to Hungary over rule-of-law concerns and Orbán’s perceived authoritarian policies.

Orbán also condemned the illegal migration that he said was “considered a crime in Hungary” but forced upon his nation by the EU. His speech followed a decision by Belgium’s highest court that NatCon could go ahead after police broke up the gathering, citing a Brussels district mayor’s concerns about security.

Belgium’s highest court ruled late Tuesday that NatCon could go ahead in the country’s capital despite Emir Kir issuing an order to halt the April 16–17 gathering.

Besides Orbán, the gathering featured among its speakers the Vatican’s former doctrinal chief, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, French Presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, Britain’s former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, and the founder of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage.

‘A DISGRACE’

The British politician called the attempted shutdown “a disgrace” and accused the EU of becoming the “new form of communism.” He added that the wife of a Tunisian entrepreneur who offered his venue for the gathering had been threatened, along with catering companies.

Video footage showed police entering the building on Tuesday in a scene that reminded critics of the Soviet era or the break up of independent church gatherings in countries such as China.

Farage condemned the break up in Brussels, which is supposed to be the heart of European democracy with its European Union parliament and other institutions.

He accused Emir Kir, the Socialist Party mayor of the central Brussels neighborhood where the gathering took place, of having links to Islamic extremist groups in Turkey.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also condemned the local mayor’s decision to shut down the event.

At first, the police entered the venue to execute Kir’s order, but authorities ended up allowing the event to continue, opting to barricade the entrance to prevent attendees from entering or reentering.

However, “What happened at the Claridge [building] today is unacceptable. Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution, which has guaranteed the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830,” De Croo said on social media

BAN ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’

“Banning political meetings is unconstitutional,” he added. “Full stop.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the president of the European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR) party, some of whose members were present at the event, thanked De Croo for “his timely and clear stance against the hateful oppression of freedom of expression taking place in Brussels.”

She said she asked him to follow up on the situation. Meloni said, “All the victims of this unjustifiable abuse, particularly the ECR members present,” had her “total solidarity.”

A spokesperson for Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shared those sentiments, saying, “It’s very clear that canceling events or preventing attendance and non-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and democracy as a result. It’s very clear that free debate and exchange of views is vital. Even when you disagree.”

Conference organizers and participants have used the incident to claim censorship and lack of freedom of speech, doubling their accusations against Brussels, the seat of the EU, of promoting the growth of ‘cancel culture.’

Some conference participants are set to participate in a similar event in Budapest, CPAC Hungary, which has denied access to several media outlets, including a Worthy News reporter, arguing that the event is a “no woke zone.”

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ZAGREB (Worthy News) – The pro-Western ruling conservative HDZ party won most seats in Croatia’s parliamentary elections but faced tough talks to secure a majority in parliament and form a governing coalition, results released Thursday showed.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had 60 seats in the 151-member assembly, down from 66 in 2020.

A center-left opposition led by the Social Democrats (SDP) won 42, a development welcomed by Western leaders concerned about its leader’s pro-Russia views at a time of ongoing war in Ukraine.

Yet analysts cautioned that the pro-Russia voices gained more support than previously and could still influence Croatia’s political direction when Moscow increased its influence in the Balkans.

The outcome came after a stormy campaign in the Adriatic Seafaring Balkan nation between HDZ Prime Minister Plenković and President Zoran Milanović, who acted as an unofficial representative of the opposition despite being told not to do so by Croatia’s highest court.

On Thursday, Plenković said the new government should be formed by the election winner in this heavily Catholic country, meaning the HDZ. In his speech, he also attacked rival Milanović’s “flagrant violation of the Constitution,” referring to the court ruling.

“There is a big difference between us and other political parties, especially those that tonight again articulated a kind of hate speech against the HDZ … I invite all those parties that have won the trust of Croatian citizens and do not show this kind of a priori exclusivity, like those who we defeated by almost 20 points,” Plenković added.

ACCUSING RIVAL

Plenković – who has served as premier since 2016 – also accused his rival of engaging in hate speech and called him a “coward” for not resigning.

The prime minister stressed his role in guiding the country of 3.8 million people into the eurozone and Europe’s passport-free Schengen area last year.

But with an average monthly wage of 1,240 euros ($1,345), the country remains one of the European Union’s poorest member states, analysts said. That frustration added to Milanović’s sudden surge in popularity despite being a mainstay of Croatian politics for decades.

He also became a media spectacle through provocative remarks, such as denouncing as fascist the Ukrainian wartime chant Slava Ukraini, or “Glory to Ukraine,” and rejecting the EU’s influence on Croatian politics.

Milanović accused the prime minister of being remotely controlled by Brussels and dancing to the tunes of the Western political beats. While his SDP party is short of an outright majority, friends and foes agreed that it scored well enough — in second place — to have a consequential voice in creating debates over Zagreb’s political direction.

With neither of the main parties securing an outright majority of 76 seats in the 151-strong parliament, they will have to enter coalitions with either smaller right-wing or left-wing entities that passed the threshold to enter parliament.

With HDZ still the winner, the West hopes it will be able to continue Croatia’s pro-Ukraine path and not follow the directions of nearby Slovakia and Hungary, where populist leaders have called for an end to military support of Ukraine.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Thousands were told Thursday to leave their homes after an Indonesian mountain erupted, sending ash thousands of feet high (meters) and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami alert.

Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area near the Ruang mountain on the northern side of Sulawesi island.

Authorities feared parts of the mountain could fall into the ocean, causing a similar tragedy as in 2018 when Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano caused a tsunami, killing hundreds.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said Ruang was an active volcano with at least five significant eruptions in the past 24 hours.

Among the many ordered to leave the area were those on the remote island of Tagulandang, to the volcano’s northeast. They will be taken to the nearest city, which is six hours by boat, officials said.

Houses on the neighboring remote island of Tagulandang were riddled with holes from falling volcanic rocks, and residents were preparing to leave at least temporarily, witnesses said.

Many people were seen wandering around, including those trying to evacuate personal belongings from their houses.

FLEEING RESIDENTS

Rescuers said they were rushing to evacuate more than 11,000 residents from around Tagulandang, home to around 20,000 people.

Some residents were already trying to flee in a panic, according to officials. “Last night people evacuated on their own but without direction due to the volcano’s eruption and… small rocks that fell, so the people scattered to find evacuation routes,” local search and rescue agency official Jandry Paendong said in a statement Thursday.

He said 20 staff were helping evacuate residents along the coastline near the volcano on rubber boats.

Authorities also evacuated a prison on Tagulandang island, ferrying 17 inmates along with 11 officials and 19 residents by boat to Likupang seaport in northern Sulawesi island, according to authorities.

The prison chief reportedly requested the evacuation because the facility sits directly across from the volcano.

Tourists and residents were warned to remain outside a six-kilometer (3.7 miles) exclusion zone, and a nearby airport – Sam Ratulangi in Manado – has been closed, affecting nine flights so far.

More than 800 people were initially taken from Ruang to Tagulandang island after the first eruption on Tuesday evening before four more eruptions on Wednesday prompted evacuations from that island, authorities said.

MORE BOATS

Paendong called for more boats and equipment so his team could “carry out evacuation for people in the coast or near the coast” facing the volcano.

Authorities said they fear part of the mountain could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami.

Christians in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, told Worthy News that volcano outbursts and earthquakes are just part of life in a country where believers in several areas have reported persecution for their faith.

“We know that our nation sits along the Ring Of Fire,” said Victoria, a house church organizer. “It’s something we learn to live with,” she said, referring to a series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.

Her son recently survived an earthquake that shook his university building.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. Since last year, tens of people have died in Indonesia in volcano incidents.

One of the worst volcano incidents was the 2018 eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano, as it caused a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java after parts of the mountain fell into the ocean, killing 430 people.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – A humanitarian group in northeastern Mexico, Resource Center Matamoros (RCM), has denied creating flyers urging migrants to vote for U.S. President Joe Biden.

Footage seen by Worthy News filmed at an RCM shelter sparked conservative outrage this week and added to pressure on the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who late Wednesday narrowly survived a Republican-led impeachment effort.

The flyers seen by Worthy News contained the RCM logo with videos showing them on the interior walls of portable toilets at the center’s shelter near Mexico’s border with the U.S. State of Texas.


However, RCM founder Gaby Zavala claimed the organization doesn’t know who made the flyers and stressed that her group “does not encourage immigrants to register to vote or cast ballots in the U.S.”


The flyers contained errors in spelling and grammar and appeared to include verbatim paragraphs from the organization’s English-language website that were translated into Spanish using online translation software.

“Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States,” read the Spanish-language flyers bearing RCM branding and carrying RCM contact information. “We need another four years of his term to stay open.”

Critics have accused the Biden administration of allowing the ongoing arrival of millions of migrants through the Mexico-U.S. border to boost its chances in the upcoming presidential elections.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Despite the flyers’ uncertain origin, House Republicans raised them in their questioning of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas.

Images and videos of the flyers at the Matamoros center erupted online after the Heritage Foundation’s oversight arm posted them on the social platform X on Monday evening.

The conservative think tank’s Oversight Project shared an image of one of the flyers, which was labeled as coming from Zavala and contained the RCM logo and another logo in Spanish reading, “all with Biden.”

It also shared a video that showed multiple flyers posted inside portable toilets where migrants might see them.

The Oversight Project also shared audio on RCM founder Gaby Zavala, in which she is alleged to have “implied… that she wants to help as many illegals as possible before President Trump is reelected.”

Zavala was previously reportedly an organizer for La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), a partner of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) group founded by U.S. billionaire and philanthropist George Soros.

Zavala’s denials of involvement were expected to do little to convince critics concerned about Biden’s approach toward migrants arriving illegally in the United States.

BOOSTING RE-ELECTION?

Former President Donald J. Trump and his allies say the surge is evidence that Democrats are using migrants as a way to boost Biden’s re-election chances.

Only U.S. citizens are permitted to vote in federal elections, but Trump suggests that not enough has been done to control who votes on ballots adequately. Trump opponents argue that historically, the number of noncitizens caught attempting to cast a ballot illegally is “extremely small.”

However, Trump supporters would argue that still could make a difference in states with tight election results.

It comes amid mounting concerns about the influx of migrants, with U.S. officials processing an estimated 300,000 people at the U.S. border with Mexico in December, the highest number ever recorded.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, federal agents encountered roughly 2.5 million migrants at the southern border in 2023.

Aid workers say many migrants arriving at the U.S. border have been “pushed” out of their own countries by economic and political upheaval, natural disasters, and other crises. For example, the collapse of Venezuela’s economy over the past decade has driven about 8 million people from that country.

While many have found refuge in other South American countries, such as Colombia, millions in the region have made the long and dangerous trek to the U.S., hoping to find a better life for their impoverished families.

More migrants are expected following a reported historic rise in displaced people worldwide.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration says it will help 50 countries to identify and respond to infectious diseases to prevent “pandemics” like the COVID-19 outbreak that paralyzed life in much of the world.

Biden said federal officials will work with the nations to develop better testing, surveillance, communication, and preparedness for pandemics to help “effectively respond to biological threats wherever they emerge.”

U.S. government officials will offer support in the countries, most of them located in Africa and Asia, as part of a strategy to “prevent, detect and effectively respond to biological threats wherever they emerge,” Biden added in a statement monitored by Worthy News.

The Global Health Security Strategy, the president said, aims to protect people worldwide and “will make the United States stronger, safer, and healthier than ever before at this critical moment.”

The announcement about the strategy comes as countries have struggled to meet a worldwide accord on responses to future pandemics.

Critics say these accords will eventually lead to more government control over people’s lives.

Four years after the coronavirus pandemic, officials are pushing for a pandemic treaty to be signed by all 194 members of the World Health Organization (WHO).

TREATY TALKS ONGOING

Talks for the treaty are ongoing, but critical legislators, including in countries like the United States and the Netherlands, have questioned whether it will mean losing sovereignty and sharing more resources with poorer nations, including countries with autocratic, corruption-ridden regimes.

Yet a final text was still expected to be agreed upon next month in Geneva, Switzerland. It is meant to be a legally binding treaty that obliges countries to monitor pandemic threats and share scientific findings.

However, in addition to the issue of handing over control to the WHO, significant disputes have emerged over vaccine equity and transferring the technology used to make the jabs.

Supporters of the deal say there would be few consequences for countries that choose not to abide by the treaty.

The U.S. will push on with its global health strategy to prevent future pandemics, regardless of a pandemic treaty, a senior administration official told reporters on Monday.

Several U.S. government agencies — including the State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID — will “help countries refine” their infectious disease response, sources said.

U.S. officials defending more coordinated responses say health systems around the globe have been overwhelmed by COVID-19 and other health emergencies, such as the far more deadly Ebola virus, malaria, and mpox. The new strategy will help countries rebuild their agencies, the U.S. agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

NATIONAL SECURITY

“Global health security is national security, and CDC is proud to contribute its expertise, investments, and rapid response to protect the health and safety of the American people and the world,” Mandy Cohen, the CDC’s director, added in published remarks.

Officials say the Biden administration is already supporting nations such as Congo in their response to a mpox virus outbreak, including through immunizations.

Mpox, a virus in the same family as the one that causes smallpox, creates painful skin lesions.

The WHO declared mpox a global emergency in 2022, and there have been more than 91,000 cases spanning across 100 countries to date.

The White House released the names of the countries participating in the anti-mpox effort, and Biden officials say they are seeking to get 100 countries signed onto the program by year’s end.

The U.S. has devoted billions of dollars to its health efforts, including money raised from private donations.

President Biden, a Democrat, is also asking for $1.2 billion for global health safety efforts in his yearly budget proposal to the U.S. Congress. However, whether enough legislators would support this in an election year remained unclear.

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by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote this Friday on Palestine’s bid for full UN membership. It is expected that the United States, an ally of Israel, will veto the request as it would constitute an implicit recognition of a Palestinian state.

Diplomats have stated that the 15-member council is set to vote at 3 p.m. this Friday on a draft resolution that proposes to the 193-member UN General Assembly that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations.”

According to Axios, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas turned down requests from the Biden administration to delay a vote in the United Nations Security Council on Palestine’s full membership in the UN.

To pass, a resolution in the council requires a minimum of nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the five permanent members: the US, Britain, France, Russia, or China. Diplomats indicate that the resolution might garner the support of as many as 13 council members, compelling the US to exercise its veto power.

According to a senior Israeli official, eight members of the Security Council—Russia, China, Algeria, Malta, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, and Guyana—are expected to support the Palestinian bid, while the UK is likely to abstain. In addition, the U.S. and Israel are exerting efforts to influence France, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and Ecuador to either oppose the resolution or abstain, aiming to block the Palestinians from obtaining the nine votes needed for passage.

U.S. and Israeli officials further assert that the Biden administration is actively involved in preventing the resolution’s passage, thus averting the necessity for a U.S. veto.

This strategy is designed to reduce potential backlash against the Biden administration for vetoing the resolution, especially amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Such a veto could trigger substantial international disapproval and stir dissent within the Democratic Party, even among Biden’s supporters.

The Biden administration argues that Palestinian statehood should be pursued through direct negotiations between the involved parties rather than through unilateral declarations at the UN, which they believe would not result in tangible changes on the ground.

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By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor

(Worthy News) – Within 20 minutes of convening to hold an impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Democrats in the Senate steamrolled through motions and voted to dismiss the first article of impeachment brought against him.

Shortly thereafter, they dismissed the second article as well, without ever hearing evidence or conducting a trial.

Two impeachment charges were delivered by the U.S. House to the Senate on Tuesday. The Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Mayorkas in February over allegations related to the ongoing border crisis.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said a debate would be held. However, within minutes of the proceedings beginning, no debate was held and Schumer moved to dismiss both articles of impeachment.

He said the articles of impeachment were unconstitutional, didn’t rise to level of a high crime and misdemeanor and should be dismissed.

TCS U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
After several motions filed that failed by votes along party lines of 51-49, the Senate voted to dismiss the first article of impeachment by a vote of 51 to 48 with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting present. The first article delivered by the Republican-controlled House cited “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law.”

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, was the first senator to object to the first article being dismissed.

“To dismiss or table articles of impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas without a trial here today or in committee is an unprecedented move by Senator Schumer,” he said. “Never before in the history of our Republic has the Senate dismissed or tabled articles of impeachment when the impeached individual was alive and had not resigned. As Senator Schumer said in 2020, ‘A fair trial has witnesses. A fair trial has relevant documents. As part of the record, a fair trial seeks the truth, nothing more, nothing less.’

“I will not assist Senator Schumer in setting our Constitution ablaze and bulldoze 200 years of precedent.”

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, then filed a motion to proceed with the trial. He said Schumer “has argued that Secretary Mayorkas’ defiance of federal immigration law and active aiding and abetting of the worst criminal invasion in our nation’s history does not constitute a high crime or misdemeanor. He has presented no argument on that question. He’s presented no briefing on that question and his position is directly contrary to the original understanding of the Constitution at the time it was ratified and to the explicit position of the Biden Department of Justice has argued before the Supreme Court.”

Schumer’s position “is asking members of the Senate to vote on political expediency to avoid listening to arguments. The only rational way to resolve this question is actually to debate it, to consider the Constitution and consider the law,” Cruz said.

His motion was defeated by a vote along party lines of 51-49.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, also filed a motion to adjourn the impeachment until April 30. It was defeated by a vote of 51-49, also along party lines.

Republican Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, stood up expressing shock by the development, arguing, “the Senate just swore an oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws of our country. We swore to discharge a duty that is quite different from our normal work. As a court of impeachment, we’re called not to speak, not to debate, but to listen to the case against the accused and to his defense.

“At this point, in any trial in the country the prosecution presents the evidence of the case. Counsel for the defense does the same and the jury remains silent as it listens. This is what our rules require of us as well. But the Senate has not had the opportunity to perform this duty.”

Under Schumer’s scheme, he said, “the Senate will not hear the House managers present the details of their case against Secretary Mayorkas that he willingly neglected the duties of his office and that he lied to Congress about the extent of that failure. Likewise, we will not hear the secretary’s representatives present the vigorous defense to which he’s entitled.”

Senate Democrats “know that we are obligated to take these proceedings seriously. This is what our oath prescribes,” he said. Holding a trial “is what the framers actually envisioned. The power of impeachment is one of the most delicate balances our constitutional system strikes with a portion of the American people’s sovereign electoral authority. It purchases a safeguard against malpractice and gives the Senate the power and the duty to decide. This process must not be abused. It must not be short circuited. History will not judge this moment well.”

He filed a motion to table Schumer’s motion, which also lost along party lines by a vote of 51-49.

The Senate then voted to dismiss the first article of impeachment.

Schumer then moved to dismiss Article 2, arguing it “does not allege conduct that rises to the level of a high crime or misdemeanor as required under Article 2 Section 4 of the United States Constitution and is therefore unconstitutional.”

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Schumer was “very wrong” for dismissing the articles “but he is even more wrong” for dismissing the second one because it accuses Mayorkas “of knowingly making false statements. This is a violation of 18 USC section 1001 – a felony offense. If this is not a high crime and misdemeanor, what is? If this is not impeachable, what is?”

His remarks were cut short and talked over by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, who presided over the proceedings. Lee also filed a motion to debate the article behind closed doors, which failed along party lines by a vote of 51-49.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, said as jurors they had not had the time to review if Schumer’s point of order was contrary to the U.S. Constitution and moved to adjourn proceedings. His motion failed.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., asked, “are we about to set a precedent that an allegation of a felony is not a high crime and misdemeanor? Do the [Democratic] senators understand what they are doing?”

Murray said his question “wasn’t an appropriate parliamentary inquiry.”

Kennedy said lying to Congress is a felony and “since we’re not allowed to talk among ourselves about the absurdity of this and my Democratic colleagues will not allow us to go into closed session to talk about this,” he moved to adjourn and hold a trial on May 1. He filed two motions, which also failed.

U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-SD, tried to table Schumer’s point of order, which failed.

Senate Democrats then passed Schumer’s motion to dismiss the second article of impeachment by a vote of 51-49.

Within less than an hour and a half, Senate Democrats ended any possibility of a trial.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

KYIV (Worthy News) — At least 14 people were killed and scores injured when Russian missiles hit an eight-floor apartment building in the heart of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, authorities said.

Some 61 people, including two children, were wounded in the morning attack, according to Ukrainian emergency services.

Chernihiv lies about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of the capital, Kyiv, near the border with Russia and Belarus, and has a population of around 250,000. The latest reported Russian strike came as the Ukraine-Russia war stretched into its third year.

It comes amid mounting concerns in Kyiv about a perceived lack of Western military support with Ukrainian troops struggling against the invading Russian powerful military.

In the winter months, Russia made no dramatic advance along the roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) front line, but the change in weather and Ukraine’s shortage of artillery ammunition, troops, and armored vehicles has allowed Russian forces to push forward, Worthy News established.

Kyiv says a crucial element for Ukraine is the holdup in Washington of approval for an aid package that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that he would try to move the package forward this week.

PATRIOT MISSILES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded with Western countries to provide his country with more air defense equipment, including more surface-to-air Patriot-guided missile systems.

He said the Chernihiv strike “would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient.”

Kyiv said Israel’s success against Iranian drones and missiles fired over the weekend showed it’s possible to change the realities on the ground with adequate defense systems.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a front-runner to become the next NATO alliance secretary general, said his nation is ready to buy those systems for Ukraine as part of a multi-billion dollar military aid package.

Yet time is running out with reports that Ukrainian troops are forced to withdraw from several areas due to a lack of weapons and munition.

Ukraine’s need is now acute, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank. “The Russians are breaking out of positional warfare and beginning to restore maneuver to the battlefield because of the delays in the provision of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine,” the ISW said in an assessment late Tuesday.

MOBILIZATION CALLS

“Ukraine cannot hold the present lines now without the rapid resumption of U.S. assistance, particularly air defense and artillery that only the U.S. can provide rapidly and at scale,” it warned.

Ahead of Wednesday’s strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a controversial mobilization bill to boost troop numbers.

The new law toughens penalties on draft dodgers, incentivizes conscription, and obliges men to keep their military registration details with the authorities up-to-date.

A proposal on demobilizing long-serving soldiers on the front was scrapped as the death toll rose.

The war has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to several estimates.

Millions of people fled their homes amid the raging battles of Europe’s bloodiest conflict since the Second World War.

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – As the civil war in Sudan reaches exceedingly catastrophic proportions, a church leader in war-torn Sudan was ambushed and temporarily detained by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last week, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Wracked by a devastating war over power between Islamic rivals RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 15, 2023, Sudan now ranks eighth on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

On Friday, Apr. 12, Rev. Antar Abbas Abu Hidia, general secretary of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC), was traveling to a denomination assembly in Shendi when he was apprehended and detained by RSF militants who then demanded a ransom for his release, MSN reports. Following protests by the Sudanese church, the pastor was subsequently released at the weekend with no ransom being paid.

“Christians appear to have been targeted amid the military fighting, and a year after war broke out between the RSF and the SAF, there is no sign of resolution,” MSN noted in its report. “Christian sites have been targeted since the conflict began.”

In a current website statement about the situation facing Christians in Sudan, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports: “The devastating conflict that broke out in April 2023 is threatening to further undermine the positive steps made towards religious freedom following the ousting of [former Islamic dictator] Omar al-Bashir in 2019… More than 165 churches have closed and others have been destroyed. Churches have also reported human rights violations such as rape, kidnap and looting.”

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Republican-led US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution denouncing the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic, Israel National News (INN) reports.

This slogan has been chanted frequently by anti-Israel protesters, especially following the genocidal massacre of Israeli civilians by the Hamas Palestinian jihadist group on Oct. 7.

The slogan refers to the territory between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean, upon which lies the state of Israel. Jews have interpreted the slogan as the expression of a desire to see them removed from the region altogether.

Introduced by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Tuesday’s resolution passed in a 377 to 44 vote. Forty-three Democrats and one Republican voted against it, INN said.

Those who opposed it included “Squad” Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, and House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal.

Born in Michigan to Palestinian parents, Rep. Tlaib has been condemned for using the slogan in public, INN notes. Facing backlash, Tlaib said in a statement: “From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.”

However, fellow Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz responded in a message to Tlaib: “This phrase means eradicating Israel and Jews. Period. Dressing it up in a new PR ploy won’t change that.”

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – With US lawmakers divided on issues concerning military aid abroad, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday revealed a plan to advance aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan in separate bills, with a fourth bill that encompasses the Republican party’s national security concerns, NBC News reports.

A top priority among GOP lawmakers is the security of the US southern border with Mexico. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. said in a statement he would withdraw support for Johnson’s plan if there is no border security provision to vote on.

“Border security is the No. 1 issue in the country,” Donalds said. “And for this town to be totally focused on Ukraine while they continue to ignore our southern border is atrocious, and it’s a slap in the face of the American people.”

At a press briefing he gave after a “fruitful and productive” GOP conference meeting on Monday evening, Johnson unveiled his plan explaining: “Every member ultimately will be able to vote their own conscience on all of these matters, and everyone have an opportunity to weigh in and bring the amendments that they think are suitable.”

“We will follow the germaneness rules of the House of course and the regular rules with regard to amendments,” Johnson added.

“But I think the final product will be something that everybody can take confidence in because they got to vote their district and vote their conscience,” he said.

Johnson stated he plans to give lawmakers 72 hours to consider the proposed legislation before bringing the bills to the House floor for a vote.

This means the House may not vote on the separate bills until Friday afternoon or evening, NBC News noted in its report.

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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Known as a country where 50% of the population say they do not believe in God, France saw a record 12,135 baptisms this Easter, America Magazine reports. The French Bishops Conference said in a new report that 7,135 adults and more than 5,000 children aged 11-17 were baptized during Easter services this year.

According to the Bishops Conference, this year saw an increase of 31% in the number of people baptized; the number of baptisms among those aged 18-25 years old, rose from 23% to 36% in the last year.

“In today’s French society, 80% of young people have not received any religious education,” Father Vincent Breynaert, director of the National Youth and Vocations Service, said in the report. “They have very few preconceived ideas about the Church.”

“What those asking for baptism have in common is that they had a spiritual experience and a personal encounter with Christ,” Breynaert added.

The Conference report noted in particular that around 5% of newly baptized Christians came from Islamic backgrounds, America Magazine said.

“It is very surprising to see the often totally unexpected path taken by those who ask to be baptized,” Bishop Olivier Leborgne of Arras, president of the Council for Catechesis and the Catechumenate, said in a statement.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM/BUDAPEST (Worthy News)— Hungary’s recently elected President, Tamás Sulyok, has urged his nation to “respectfully and honestly” remember the victims of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, in which some 600,000 Hungarian Jews died.

He spoke at the 80th anniversary of the tragedy, remembered in Hungary as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at a time of concerns about antisemitism.

Hungary, which was a close ally of Nazi Germany, should show “reflections on our past duties with an outlook on the present and the future,” he told Parliament on Tuesday.

“Taking responsibility for the past, including my personal history, I pay tribute to all victims of the Holocaust,” the president said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog told participants at the ceremony in parliament that the crimes against Hungarian Jews stood out for having taken place so rapidly and with little resistance from the larger population.

He said he was “grateful to Hungary” for taking responsibility for the “country’s collaboration” with the Nazis in the past and for participating in international Holocaust-related organizations.

Tibor Navracsics, the public administration and regional development minister, said it was important to remember the victims of the Holocaust each year and work to make sure future generations could live in a better world.

TRAVELING EXHIBITION

At a commemoration in the town of Tapolca in western Hungary, Navracsics opened a traveling exhibition entitled Stories from a Family Album. He said that at the end of World War Two, states, including Hungary, had turned against their own citizens and taken their lives with “industrial cruelty.”

In all localities in Europe, there was a duty to mourn and remember the victims of the Holocaust, he said.

His sentiments were shared in Budapest, the capital, by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony. He said the Holocaust is not the history of Jews only; “it happened to us, and we are largely responsible for it.”

He stressed it was crucial to not “stay idle when we see further discrimination, stigmatization, and hate-mongering.”

He said the history of Jews and non-Jewish Hungarians was “inseparable” and called for “taking on the necessary but trying task of reflection.”

At the commemoration, held at Budapest’s Boráros Square, a monument was unveiled to pay tribute to victims of an infamous internment camp south of Budapest.

While most Hungarian Jews perished in the war and many survivors left for Israel, the country still hosts one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe outside Russia of some 100,000 people.

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ZAGREB (Worthy News) – Elections in Croatia were expected to decide whether the Balkan nation will move closer to Russia or remain on its pro-Western course.

Wednesday’s ballot in Croatia, which belongs to both the European Union and NATO military alliance, pit the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) led by incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic against a coalition of centrist and left-wing parties informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The country’s highest court said Milanovic’s abrupt decision to run for prime minister was “irreconcilable” with his constitutional role as head of state. However, he called the ruling a “coup” and decided to participate in the vote anyway.

A lot is at stake in the race for Croatia’s 151-seat parliament, not just in the country itself but for Europe as it grapples with the instability from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, analysts said.

If the HDZ stays in power, the country will maintain relative political stability and continue on the pro-Western course in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

A success for SDP could put it on track for victory in the European Parliament elections in June and the presidential election in December.

It would shake the HDZ’s long dominance of politics and potentially open space for stronger pro-Russian influence in the country, akin to Hungary and Slovakia.

MOSCOW WATCHING

Moscow is expected to closely monitor the ballot as it seeks to extend its influence in the region.

Milanovic has often voiced a pro-Russian stance during the war in Ukraine, opposing the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia as well as sending weapons to Ukraine because, in his view, it only prolongs the war.

That view is shared by populist governments in nearby nations, including fellow NATO and EU members Hungary and Slovakia, leading to tensions within the Western organizations.

Milanovic called Plenkovic an “ordinary coward” for allegedly preventing him from directly participating in the election.

“It will be game over for Plenkovic,” Milanovic said, calling on voters to turn out in great numbers “to get rid of Plenkovic and his cartel.”

Yet that may be wishful thinking, suggested opinion polls that predicted a comfortable HDZ victory but without enough seats to rule alone.

The HDZ has primarily held power since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 in a bloody conflict.

NEWEST MEMBER

The Adriatic Sea nation became the newest member of the European Union in 2013 and joined Europe’s passport-free travel area and the eurozone last year.

Yet the left-wing opposition was due to benefit from public discontent with Croatia’s high inflation and the general economic troubles in most EU member states.

Smaller parties on the right and the left were expected to be critical to the HDZ and SDP in their quest for power.

Plenkovic, like Milanovic, a former career diplomat, accused his rival of being irresponsible and of “pushing Croatia and the Croatian people into the ‘Russian World.’”

Plenkovic said Milanovic should not hold any public office, describing him as a “political waste that brought only negativity.”

It was now up to voters to see who was right.

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