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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Several journalists have been killed and injured in an Israeli air strike overnight in southeastern Lebanon near the border with Syria, Israeli and Lebanese sources said Friday. Lebanese state media said Friday that three journalists were killed in the Israeli air strike overnight in southeastern Lebanon. “Our correspondent in Zahle reported the death of three journalists in an Israeli raid on Hasbaya,” Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, adding that “Israeli warplanes raided at 3:30 am [local time] on the Lebanese-Syrian border.” Al Jazeera network reporter Imran Khan, who is staying in the struck area where journalists are being housed in villas, said: “We are hearing that three people have been killed – two cameramen and a technician.” Arabic media reported that the attack came after “Israel killed” three soldiers from the Lebanese Armed Forces and just over one year “after Israeli tank fire killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and wounded several others,” also in southern Lebanon. Israel has denied deliberately targeting journalists but says some stayed in active combat zones. It also says it targets Hezbollah facilities and warns civilians to keep a distance from intended strikes there, but Lebanese officials claim numerous people have died. News about the killed journalists came shortly after smoke billowed above the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, late Thursday following Israeli air strikes that the Israeli military said targeted Hezbollah sites. HEZBOLLAH INFRASTRUCTURE Lebanon’s government said at least 19 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past 24 hours. The Israeli military said it also suffered casualties, with five soldiers killed and seven seriously wounded in clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon Israel said it targeted the infrastructure of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and had warned residents to stay away from clearly announced areas. Footage reviewed by Worthy News showed smoke in Beirut’s southern suburbs that were hit, as seen from the Baabda area. Ahead of the strikes, IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee had issued evacuation warnings to residents of Chouaifet El Aamroussieh and Haret Hreik, south of Beirut. “You are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future.” He advised residents to remain at a distance of no less than 500 meters (547 yards), attaching a photo marking the location of the intended strike in red. Earlier, IDF said it struck several weapons storage and manufacturing facilities belonging to Hezbollah near the Beirut suburb of Dahieh. IDF STRIKES The IDF noted that the sites hit were built under and inside civilian buildings, which it said was a part of Hezbollah’s “systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure, endangering the civilian population in the area.” Their strikes came as the IDF published details about an underground hideout belonging to Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces for their “Conquer the Galilee” plan, aimed at killing more people than Hamas did on October 7, last year. “Hezbollah has openly declared that it plans to carry out its own October 7th massacre on Israel’s northern border on an even larger scale. The IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, confirmed that they call this plan “Conquer the Galilee.” “For years, Hezbollah has been planning to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7th: invade Israel, infiltrate civilian communities, and massacre innocent civilians,” he said. In the hideout, IDF troops located bunk beds, storage cabinets, food supplies, infrastructure for long-term stays, a large amount of equipment, weapons, and launch positions. “During these limited and localized ground operations in southern Lebanon, our troops also located four weapons storage facilities with rockets, mortars, [rocket-propelled grenades] RPGs, and more,” the IDF added. ONGOING OPERATION The military says its ongoing ground operation and airstrikes in Lebanon are to ensure that “Hezbollah can never carry out such an attack and to enable all 60,000 Israelis to safely return to their homes in northern Israel.” It also continued operations against Hezbollah ally Hamas in Gaza. Hamas-linked officials said Israeli tanks attacked northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, causing severe damage to the facility’s intensive care unit as it struggles with an influx of wounded. An Israeli army strike on “the besieged Jabalia refugee camp killed a large number of people,” Hamas-run authorities said in what the Gaza Civil Defense Agency called a “major massacre.” Israel has denied targeting civilians in Gaza but accused Hamas of hiding among civilians. It says it seeks to destroy Hamas and hopes Western nations will continue to support its efforts. In addition to the U.S., new figures showed that in Europe, Germany authorized more than $100 million in military exports to Israel in the last three months. The post Israel Airstrike Kills Journalists In Lebanon; Also Strikes In Gaza appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News GAZA/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s military said Thursday it killed Hamas Commander Mohammad Abu Itiwi, who participated in the October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel while working for the U.N. aid agency in the Gaza Strip. He was eliminated in a joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, Israeli officials said, apparently in Gaza. Itiwi’s name was included in a list of at least nine employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with ties to Hamas and other armed groups, Israeli officials said. The U.N., after an investigation, admitted in August that nine UNRWA staff were possibly involved in the Oct. 7 attacks and fired them. Itiwi, a “Nukhba commander in the Al Bureij Battalion of Hamas’s Central Camps Brigade,” was directly involved in the murder and abduction of Israeli civilians, Israel’s military announced Thursday. About 1,200 people, including babies and the women they raped, were killed by Hamas fighters, who also abducted some 251 persons, according to Israeli authorities. LEADING ATTACK “The terrorist [Itiwi] led the attack on the bomb shelter on Route 232 in the area of Re’im in southern Israel,” October 7 last year, Israeli sources said. That violence, described as the worst atrocities against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah, triggered Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Nearly 43,000 Palestinians have since been killed, according to Hamas-run authorities who do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Israel says nearly half of those reported killed are “Hamas terrorists,” while ordinary residents who were killed or wounded have been used by Hamas as “human shields.” The IDF explained that “Throughout the Israel-Hamas War, Abu Itiwi directed and carried out numerous attacks on IDF soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip.” There was no immediate comment by Hamas, which has been dramatically reduced in strength following numerous high-profile assassinations by Israel. The post Israel Kills Hamas Commander Involved In Hamas Atrocities appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News DOHA/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel released documents seized in Gaza, accusing Al Jazeera of collaborating with terrorist organizations. The documents reveal instances where Hamas advised the network not to criticize it and coordinated efforts to hide failed rocket launches. Al Jazeera, headquartered in Qatar, denies claims that six of its journalists are connected to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Israel’s military said that intelligence gathered from the Gaza Strip showed that Anas Al-Sharif, Alaa Salama, Hossam Shabat, Ashraf Saraj, Ismail Abu Amr, and Talal Aruki “are all affiliated with the military wings of either Hamas or PIJ.” Ismail Abu Amr was injured several months ago in Gaza by an Israeli attack in a period that Al Jazeera denied his membership in Hamas, several sources said. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that documents recovered by the IDF showed “this was untrue” and that he had links to Hamas, viewed as a terrorist organization by Israel’s government and most of its allies. Some of the documents “include personnel tables, terrorist training courses, phone books, and salary documents for terrorists,” Israeli defense sources said. The IDF said this “unequivocally proves that they function as military terrorist operatives of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.” They added that these documents prove that the exposed Al Jazeera journalists “are part of Hamas’s military wing” and its “propaganda war against Israel.” ‘FABRICATED EVIDENCE’ Al Jazeera said that it “categorically rejects” the “Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated evidence.” The “Al Jazeera Media Network vehemently condemns the recent unfounded allegations made by Israeli occupation forces against its journalists operating in northern Gaza,” it said in a statement seen by Worthy News on Thursday. “The Network views these fabricated accusations as a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide,” it added. Al Jazeera stressed that “these baseless claims follow” its recent “exposé of potential war crimes” allegedly committed by Israeli forces during the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has vehemently denied carrying out war crimes. Al Jazeera did not speak in its reaction about the Hamas October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel that sparked the war. Some 1,200 people were killed and hundreds kidnapped in what Israel called the “worst atrocities since the Holocaust,” also known as the Shoah. Yet the targeted “journalists have been steadfastly reporting from northern Gaza,” Al Jazeera said. The broadcaster added they served as “the sole international media presence documenting the unfolding humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s siege and bombardment of civilian populations.” PROFESSIONAL DUTIES The “journalists are merely fulfilling their professional duties, documenting and reporting on the devastating impact of the war on the [Gaza] Strip’s two million civilians.” Speaking in Doha on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Israeli accusation “clearly needs to be examined.” Blinken said, however, “We very much support the work of journalists in Gaza and everywhere else around the world, including in areas of conflict. He added that “far too many have lost their lives in Gaza.” He spoke during a joint news conference in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani, who called state-sponsored Al Jazeera an “independent media institution run out of Doha.” The prime minister said, “We are very proud” of Al Jazeera, “an institution that has gained worldwide respect.” However, he said, “We expect that Al Jazeera will run at the highest international standards, and they are going to.” Al Thani said, “If there are any premises to these accusations, they are going to take care of the measures needed for their journalists.” BROADER CONCERNS While Qatar’s government pledged to examine possible links between Al Jazeera and Hamas, the network warned that the Israeli accusations are “part of a wider pattern of hostility towards Al Jazeera.” The broadcaster said it “fears these allegations may serve as a pretext for further violence against the journalists.” He said such violence would be “mirroring the tragic fates of other media professionals targeted and killed by Israeli occupation forces.” Israel has strongly denied targeting journalists and civilians. Israel’s government and military say “terrorists use civilians as human shields,” causing casualties among ordinary residents. More than 130 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war broke out after the October 7, 2023, attacks, according to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) group. The post Israel Publishes Documents Alleging Al-Jazeera Journalists’ Ties to Terrorist Organizations appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News)— BRICS is rapidly expanding, an alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In January, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia joined the group, while Turkey—marking the first NATO member to express interest—along with Azerbaijan and Malaysia, formally applied for membership. Pakistan has also shown interest in joining. Collectively, BRICS now represents roughly half of the world’s population and accounts for 35% of global output. Facing unprecedented sanctions from the U.S. and its G-7 allies over the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia is striving to mitigate the economic impact. Putin urged BRICS nations to reduce reliance on the dollar as a global reserve currency by increasing trade in national currencies. Russia is actively encouraging more nations to join a new payment system designed as an alternative to SWIFT, which the West has used to impose sanctions on Russian officials. While Russia pushed an anti-Western agenda at the summit, Brazil, India, and South Africa promoted a more cooperative approach. Their focus is on reforming organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to better serve developing nations’ interests. Speaking Wednesday at the formal opening of the leaders’ summit in Russia’s Kazan, Putin stated that BRICS is “especially in demand in the current conditions, when truly dramatic changes are taking place in the world, and the process of forming a multipolar world is underway.” Later on Wednesday, Putin held separate meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian on the summit’s sidelines. Erdogan said the two countries are addressing cross-border payment issues. U.S. sanctions and the threat of secondary sanctions have disrupted transactions with China, Turkey, and others trading with Russia. Newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing the BRICS summit, said, “Over more than three decades since the collapse of the bipolar system, it has become increasingly clear that, from the perspective of Western powers, peace, democracy, prosperity, and development can only be achieved through pathways defined by them.” “This monopolistic outlook has led to increased violence, war, and terrorism on one hand, and the unprecedented use of economic and political sanctions on the other.” In a pivotal move, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the summit to signal their hopes for a more harmonious relationship after decades of cross-border tensions. This gesture followed a recent agreement between China and India to resolve their four-year military standoff over the disputed Himalayan region. The post Putin Calls for a “Multipolar World” as BRICS Expands, Challenging Western Dominance appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, focus on God's message! Jonah 3:2,4,5 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. So Jonah goes and begins to preach in this pagan city. His message is very simple. "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown"(v. 4). That's it. That was his whole message. It's eight words in English; only 4 words in Hebrew. To be honest, I love short messages, and I love to give short messages, But I've never preached an eight-word message in my life. And a pretty depressing message if you ask me. None of this "Nineveh, God loves you..." or "Nineveh for Yeshua" or "Say Yes Nineveh." A message of impending judgment and nothing more. God says to Jonah – PREACH MY MESSAGE; simple, urgent, to the point. These days the message of salvation across the world so often removes a key word –"REPENT!" Whenever Yeshua (Jesus) preached – or John the Baptist – or any of the saints preached – it started with the word – REPENT! This is a critical point. There's apologetics, and witnessing of all kinds, according to wisdom and opportunity, but if we're going to preach, we MUST understand that we MUST preach HIS MESSAGE! And His Message begins with the word – REPENT! It’s not the way we would do it. If we were going to put together a "Nineveh for Yeshua" campaign, we would hire an advance team, get a PR man, put together an ad campaign, buy billboards, do a social media blitz, start a Facebook page, get our Twitter team going, make some "Nineveh for Yeshua" t-shirts, do some training, set up the buses, train the counselors, rent a stadium, buy some TV time, recruit the counselors, print the follow-up materials, set up home prayer meetings, arrange for simultaneous translations, rehearse the choir, and organize Operation Nivevah. We'd have to raise $3 million just to get started. Nah, Jonah skipped all of that. He just went to Nineveh looking half dead and gave his entirely negative 8-word sermon. And the people repented! Friend, Jonah was a "dead man." When God does that to you and me we won't have to say much either, "Repent, and believe the gospel"... 5 words will probably do it! But the message will almost certainly begin with the word -- "Repent"! Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Palm Beach, Florida) Editor's Note: Feel free to share any of our content from Worthy, including Devotions, News articles, and more, on your social platforms. You have full permission to copy and repost anything we produce. 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: Dear friends — we are going to be heading WEST!!! Now booking in the following states: Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas …. If you know Pastors, Rabbis or Ministry Leaders who might be interested in some powerful Israeli style Hebrew/English worship and a refreshing word from Worthy News about what’s going on in the Land, please let us know how to connect with them and we will do our best to get you on our schedule! You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Putin Calls for a “Multipolar World” as BRICS Expands, Challenging Western Dominance Vladimir Putin closed out the BRICS summit in Russia by calling for the emergence of a "multipolar world," intensifying his challenge to the Western-led, U.S.-dominated global order. Thousands Protest Hungarian Prime Minister Thousands of Hungarians, many waving their flags, including some with holes in them, gathered to protest against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom they said stole the ideals of the 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination. Scotland Forbids Praying Against Abortion In ‘Safe Access Zones’ The Scottish government is effectively asking the public to report people who pray against abortion at home to police if they are located in designated “Safe Access Zones,” Worthy News established Thursday. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israel Kills Hamas Commander Involved In Hamas Atrocities Israel's military said Thursday it killed Hamas Commander Mohammad Abu Itiwi, who participated in the October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel while working for the U.N. aid agency in the Gaza Strip. Israel Links Al Jazeera To Hamas Israel says at least six journalists of Qatar-based Al Jazeera are working for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) groups, prompting an angry response from the global broadcaster. Israel Postponed Iran Retaliatory Strike Following Pentagon Documents Leak, Report Israel has postponed its expected retaliatory strike on Iran after classified Pentagon documents detailing the planned operation were leaked and shared on both social media and major news outlets including CNN, an intelligence source has told the Times UK. Inside the United States Quarter of Americans Worry About Civil War Over 2024 Election More than a quarter of Americans worry that civil war could be a consequence of this year's presidential election. Americans Can Now Check If They Are Part of Political Donor Fraud U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., promoted a new website on Thursday that allows Americans to see if fraudulent actors have used their name to make illicit political donations to Democratic candidates. At Least 1.6 Million Illegal Border Crossers From Countries of Concern Under Biden Of the record 14 million illegal border crossers reported under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 1.62 million are from four Countries of Particular Concern (CPC): China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia. Federal Judge to Rule on Louisiana Ten Commandments Law by Nov. 15 A federal judge has said he will issue a ruling by November 15 on whether Louisiana can enforce a new law requiring every public school classroom to have a poster on the wall with the Ten Commandments, the Advocate reports. Christian News German Revival Challenges Spread Of Islam Evangelists say a Christian “revival” is taking place in Germany that could spread across Europe after “thousands” of people” got "saved, delivered, healed, [and] baptized with the Holy Spirit." India: Hindu Nationalists Use WhatsApp to Harass Christians and Muslims A major Hindu nationalist organization has been weaponizing the popular WhatsApp messaging service to persecute non-Hindu religious and ideological communities in India, including Christians, Rest of the World (RW) reports. View the full article

By Brett Rowland | The Center Square (Worthy News) – More than a quarter of Americans worry that civil war could be a consequence of this year’s presidential election. That’s according to polling for The Times in the United Kingdom. Some 27% of American adults were concerned about violence, according to a YouGov survey of 1,266 registered voters from Oct. 18-21. As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign across the country for control of the White House, violence has been on the mind of some Americans. So far, at least two people are accused of trying to assassinate Trump on the campaign trail. About 12% of survey respondents said they knew someone who might take up arms if they thought Trump was cheated out of the White House on Nov. 5. Another 5% said they knew someone who might if they thought Harris lost on account of fraud. The poll found 84% of U.S. voters said the country was more divided than a decade ago, with 5% saying it is less divided. In The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll, voters said most of the blame for the two attempts to assassinate Trump during his campaign lies with the alleged shooters themselves, but they assign blame to other factors as well. Likely voters said the alleged shooters (46%) are responsible for the attempted assassinations. Voters also blamed general divisions in America (40%), overheated rhetoric from Democrats (33%) and lax U.S. Secret Service protection (29%), according to the results of The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Quarter of Americans Worry About Civil War Over 2024 Election appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Casey Harper | The Center Square (Worthy News) – U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., promoted a new website on Thursday that allows Americans to see if fraudulent actors have used their name to make illicit political donations to Democratic candidates. The site comes amid growing allegations that ActBlue, an online donation processor for Democrats, has received an influx of cash for Democratic candidates that, according to lawsuits and investigations, used the names of Americans who had no knowledge of the donations at all. “There’s now more evidence that illicit overseas donors are using the corrupt Democrat donor platform ActBlue to exploit campaign finance loopholes and make donations in the names of people without their knowledge,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “These are fraudulent, ILLEGAL practices that CANNOT be tolerated,” he added. Johnson posted the website in question, CheckMyDonation.org, which allows users to type in their name to see if it has been used to make a political donation. “Law enforcement is investigating a new form of identity theft called ‘straw donors’ or ‘smurfing,’ in which fraudsters use the identities of innocent victims to make political contributions to candidates,” the site reads. “CheckMyDonation.org is a free public service to identify potential victims.” The site cautions users to make sure the address and occupation, and not just the name, match up. Johnson’s post comes amid allegations that overseas donors have been making illegal donations using Americans’ information without their knowledge. The House Administrative Committee launched an investigation into ActBlue, which also faces a a lawsuit from a Republican strategist in Wisconsin who says his name was used to give $900 to Democrats without his knowledge or consent. Former Herman campaign staffer Mark Block reportedly said someone made 35 to the Kamala Harris’ campaign using his name, first reported by The New York Post. Both Virginia and Texas have opened investigations into ActBlue. On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called on the Federal Election Commission to address the issue with new regulations. “Certain platforms appear to facilitate straw donor transactions, where a contributor disguises his identity by attributing his contribution to another, unaware person,” the petition said. As The Center Square previously reported, The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has also begun an investigation pointing to “reports of potentially fraudulent and illicit financial activity.” “These bad actors could include foreign nationals not lawfully admitted for permanent residence who are prohibited by statute from contributing to campaigns or political parties,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a letter U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. ActBlue did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. The post Americans Can Now Check If They Are Part of Political Donor Fraud appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Of the record 14 million illegal border crossers reported under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 1.62 million are from four Countries of Particular Concern (CPC): China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia. The U.S. State Department has designated CPCs for their policies of “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom,” which includes “torture, prolonged detention without charges, forced disappearance, or other flagrant denial of life, liberty, or security of persons.” U.S. designated CPCs include Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The CPCs of Cuba, North Korea, and Iran are also designated State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST). U.S. Customs and Border Protection records nationality for every illegal border crosser but not all nationality data is published online. Of the 12 CPCs, CBP published apprehension and encounter data reported nationwide for four: China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia. Published data is from fiscal years 2021-2024; a fiscal year begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30. CBP CPC data under the Biden-Harris administration excludes data from the first three months of fiscal 2021 under the previous administration. It also excludes gotaway data, those who illegally entered and evaded capture, and those released through several parole programs. More than 176,000 Chinese illegal border crossers Under the Biden-Harris administration, the greatest number of Chinese illegal border crossers was reported nationwide in U.S. history of 176,038. That’s up from nearly 160,000 The Center Square reported in June. The greatest number was reported in fiscal 2024 of 78,701, up from 52,700 in fiscal 2023, 27,756 in fiscal 2022 and 16,881 for nine months in fiscal 2021. Republican members of Congress have expressed alarm about national security threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese intelligence outposts operating in the U.S., Chinese and other illegal border crossers breaching U.S. military bases, Democratic vice presidential candidate Minn. Gov. Tim Walz’s alleged ties to the CCP, among other concerns. The U.S. House also passed bills to counter the CCP threat. Nearly 786,000 Cuban illegal border crossers Under the Biden-Harris administration, the greatest number of Cuban illegal border crossers was reported nationwide in U.S. history of more than 786,000. The most were reported in fiscal 2022 of 224,607, followed by 217,615 in fiscal 2024, 200,287 in fiscal 2023 and 33,876 in nine months in fiscal 2021. They total 676,385. At least 110,000 inadmissable Cubans were released into the U.S. through a CHNV Parole Program, according to CBP data. Republican members of Congress have demanded answers about Chinese spies operating out of Cuba targeting Americans, nonimmigrant visas expanded to Cubans “endanger[ing] our national security,” non vetting of SST diplomats, among other concerns. More than 536,000 Nicaraguan illegal border crossers Under the Biden-Harris administration, the greatest number of Nicaraguan illegal border crossers was reported nationwide in U.S. history of more than 536,000. The greatest number was reported in fiscal 2022 of 164,600, followed by 138,729 in fiscal 2023, 91,049 in fiscal 2024 and 49,254 in nine months in fiscal 2021, according to the data. They total 443,632. At least 93,000 inadmissible Nicaraguans were released into the country through the CHNV Parole program, according to CBP data. Both Cuban and Nicaraguan nationals have been released into the country by historic proportions due to a new CHNV parole program created by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. CHNV parolees are also being arrested nationwide for committing violent crimes against Americans, The Center Square reported. Nearly 127,000 Russian illegal border crossers Under the Biden-Harris administration, the greatest number of Russian illegal border crossers was reported nationwide in U.S. history of 126,683, with the most reported in fiscal 2023 of more than 57,000, according to the data. This year, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified multiple times before Congress of increased terrorist threats, including from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. Several federal agencies also warned about Russian cyberthreats targeting U.S. “critical infrastructure with disruptive and destructive cyber and physical attacks,” as west Texas municipal water systems were targeted by Russian hackers, The Center Square reported. The total excludes data not published about 8 CPCs as well as CPC nationals released into the U.S. through the CBP One App and other parole programs. Combined, illegal border crossers from these four CPCs, 1,625,738, total more than the individual populations of 11 states: Hawaii, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana, Rhode Island, Delaware, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming. They are also the equivalent of more than 36 U.S. Army corps, with 45,000 soldiers in a corps, and roughly double the number of U.S. troops who served in Afghanistan for 20 years. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post At Least 1.6 Million Illegal Border Crossers From Countries of Concern Under Biden appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israel has postponed its expected retaliatory strike on Iran after classified Pentagon documents detailing the planned operation were leaked and shared on both social media and major news outlets including CNN, an intelligence source has told the Times UK. Israel’s anticipated strike on Iran is intended to be a retaliatory attack for the barrage of more than 180 ballistic missiles that Tehran launched against Israel on October 1. Classified as “top secret” and dated October 15 and 16, the verified documents were compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), Ynet News reports. The files contain details of Israel’s planned military operations including missile strikes and air force maneuvers. “The leak of the American documents delayed the attack due to the need to change certain strategies and components,” the Times UK source said. “There will be a retaliation, but it has taken longer than it was supposed to take.” US President Joe Biden expressed serious concern over the leak and the Pentagon has launched an investigation into how the security breach occurred. The Pentagon has also denied reports by Sky News Arabia that Ariane Tabatabai, a Defense Department official of Iranian heritage, was responsible for it, Ynet News reports. The post Israel Postponed Iran Retaliatory Strike Following Pentagon Documents Leak, Report appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Thousands of Hungarians, many waving their flags, including some with holes in them, gathered to protest against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom they said stole the ideals of the 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination. The gathering, organized by opposition leader Péter Magyar and his Tisza party, came on the day that Hungary remembered the 68th anniversary of the revolt, which Soviet soldiers crushed. Hours earlier, Orbán, criticized for his perceived authoritarian style, warned the European Union, “We shall not allow Hungary to be turned into a puppet state, a vassal of Brussels.” At Budapest’s Millenaris Park commemoration, he claimed the 1956 revolution had created unity and a common will but lacked the strength necessary to take sovereign action. “Today, the right-wing government has the backing of strong national unity, a common will and strength,” he said. “Today, there’s an opportunity to take sovereign action, and I promise you that we shall use it.” He told his audience that to be “Hungarians means to fight. This is the message and the demand of the heroes of fifty-six. We Hungarians can and will do it. We will do it again.” However, his words did not impress Magyar, who has accused Orbán of turning Hungary into one of “Europe’s poorest and most corrupt” countries where some 3 million people live in deep poverty. Protester Csaba Borbély, a 51-year-old lawyer, agrees. “This government is corrupt. We have a ruler but no democracy,” he told Worthy News. While polls show he is closing in, and it remains to be seen whether Magyar can win the elections in 2026. The post Thousands Protest Hungarian Prime Minister appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A federal judge has said he will issue a ruling by November 15 on whether Louisiana can enforce a new law requiring every public school classroom to have a poster on the wall with the Ten Commandments, the Advocate reports. Signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry in July, Act 676 requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. The law provides that the cost of the posters will be covered by donations rather than public state funds. It is set to be implemented on January 1, 2025. The US Supreme Court struck down a similar Kentucky law in 1980, declaring it to be unconstitutional and a violation of the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The Louisiana case arose after parents of children in public schools filed suit against the state, arguing the new law is unconstitutional and violates students’ religious freedom. The five parishes where the plaintiffs’ children attend school are East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Vernon, the Advocate said. On Monday (October 21), Baton Rouge federal Judge John deGravelles said he would issue a ruling no later than November 15. “The ball is now officially in my court,” deGravelles said. The post Federal Judge to Rule on Louisiana Ten Commandments Law by Nov. 15 appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News STUTTGART/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Evangelists say a Christian “revival” is taking place in Germany that could spread across Europe after “thousands” of people” got “saved, delivered, healed, [and] baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The events in Europe’s largest economy come at a time of growing tensions over the massive influx of migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty from mainly Muslim nations. Germany has seen several Muslim rallies and even attempts to introduce Islamic religious police who patrolled the city of Wuppertalstreets as “Sharia police.” Yet Christian evangelist Jean-Luc Trachsel said he was encouraged that thousands of young people packed the Porsche Arena in the German city of Stuttgart for the “Fire Festival” “to praise, worship, and hear the Word of God.” He recalled that “after a short preaching of the ABC of the Gospel by my dear friend, David Rotärmel, hundreds upon hundreds of young people came at the altar to give their lives to Jesus. “Truly, it’s harvest time in Europe, like here in Stuttgart, Germany.” Trachsel said the October 2-5 event ended with a “Jesus March” through Stuttgart. “The last time I’ve seen and experienced this…was at the Brownsville revival in Pensacola [in the United States] almost 30 years ago. Today, it’s here in Europe,” he added in video footage of people being baptized in a pool. ‘THOUSANDS SAVED’ “I’ve seen with my own eyes thousands of people getting saved, and today it’s water baptisms in a glorious and joyful atmosphere,” he added. The six-day event was the latest example of what evangelists say “is taking place by the Spirit of God” in Germany, Europe’s largest economy. Night of Hope is another movement preaching the Gospel on the streets of Hamburg, Bremen, Munchen, and other German cities. Their outdoor crusades are marked by “prayer, salvations, and testimonies of healing,” Christians say. “We are thankful to see what God is doing here in Germany,” the group stressed on Instagram. Attendees were recently encouraged to “leave old things behind” and embrace their new life in Jesus Christ. The new believers are noted when religious Christianity has been impacted by declining church membership. While Orthodox churches across Germany have grown substantially, the Catholic and Protestant churches are losing followers. In 2023, Germany’s Catholic Church lost more than 591,000 members through church departures and deaths. According to official figures, it had 20.3 million members at the end of that year. BORN AGAIN In Switzerland, evangelists estimate that only three to five percent of the seven million people are “born-again Christians” who chose faith in Christ. It isn’t much better elsewhere in Europe. According to a Pew Research survey, European Christians are expected to drop by about 100 million, from 553 million in 2010 to 454 million in 2050. Europe’s Muslim population is due to increase by 63 percent in that time frame, according to researchers. Yet evangelists note that massive revival gatherings may stop that trend. Organizers say such gatherings have occurred throughout the continent, including in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Italy. The post German Revival Challenges Spread Of Islam appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News EDINBURGH (Worthy News) – The Scottish government is effectively asking the public to report people who pray against abortion at home to police if they are located in designated “Safe Access Zones,” Worthy News established Thursday. “Holding silent vigils” are part of measures that are no longer allowed within 200 meters (219 yards) around a hospital or clinic providing abortion services, the government confirmed Anybody who is caught praying, preaching, or otherwise expressing concern about abortion in the Safe Access Zones could be fined up to 10,000 British pounds ($12,927). “Police Scotland will be responsible for enforcing the Safe Access Zones. Call the police if you see someone breaking this law,” the government told its residents in a statement seen by Worthy News. “Anybody who breaks this law can be fined up to 10,000 pounds.” The Abortion Services Act (Scotland) 2024“says women and girls who have abortions should be protected,” the government explained. The legislation, which was enacted last month, “prevents people trying to scare women and girls away from hospitals and clinics that provide abortion services,” if added. The Scottish government noted, “Preventing or influencing someone might include handing out leaflets, religious preaching [and] holding silent vigils.” It said it was wrong to “Influence someone’s private decision to use abortion services.” RECEIVING LETTERS Residents in Edinburgh, the capital, already received letters warning them about the new legislation. A letter sent to people in an Edinburgh zone stated: “Activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a zone could be an offense if they can be seen or heard within the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.” Christians have expressed concern about the new measures in this country of 5.4 million. “As a Christian, I pray all the time,” an Edinburg resident was quoted as saying. “To think that this could now be a criminal offense, even within the vicinity of my own home, is truly unbelievable,” she added. Michael Robinson, executive director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, called the legislation “sinister and deeply Orwellian,” suggesting that this could include “someone silently praying in their front garden.” It follows similar measures in England and Wales, like Scotland, part of Britain. Abortion providers, or “Termination services” as they are officially called in Scotland, “undertook 1,600 additional terminations” last year, comprising 18,207 abortions, according to Public Health Scotland figures seen by Worthy News. The government agency said that is an increase of 10 percent compared to 2022 when 16,607 pregnancies were terminated. This was equivalent to “an increase in the rate per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, from 16.1 in 2022 to 17.6 in 2023”, it added. The post Scotland Forbids Praying Against Abortion In ‘Safe Access Zones’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A major Hindu nationalist organization has been weaponizing the popular WhatsApp messaging service to persecute non-Hindu religious and ideological communities in India, including Christians, Rest of the World (RW) reports. Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India now ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted: before the rise of the BJP, the country had ranked 31 on the WWL. Rest of the World reported this month that the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been using WhatsApp to mobilize vigilante members to gather in large numbers at the homes and community events of Christians and Muslims to harass and frighten them into returning or converting to Hinduism. “Reporting from India […] has laid out how Hindu nationalist groups, including the VHP, use WhatsApp to incite, coordinate, and publicize attacks against religious minorities: destroying Muslim and Christian holy sites; beating and lynching Muslims under the pretext of saving cows, which are considered sacred by dominant-caste Hindus; opposing marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men,” RW said in its report. One particular tactic is to show up at funerals and demand that the family convert to Hinduism if they want their loved one to be buried in Hindu-run areas. Founded in 1964, the VHP is closely connected to the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party which, according to Rest of the World, has also used WhatsApp to consolidate its rise to power. “WhatsApp has also been essential to the BJP and Modi’s political dominance. The party relies on the platform to mobilize voters and disseminate propaganda and disinformation,” RW reports. The post India: Hindu Nationalists Use WhatsApp to Harass Christians and Muslims appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israel targeted 17 locations in the southern suburbs of Beirut, demolishing several Hezbollah-linked sites, including the vacated offices of a Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster. The strikes followed a rocket barrage launched by Hezbollah into central Israel as the Jewish nation marked the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Simchat Torah. On Wednesday morning, two long-range rockets were launched from Lebanon toward Israel, both successfully intercepted by air defenses. While no injuries were reported, the attack triggered sirens in Tel Aviv, nearby towns, and the Nazareth area in the north. Police reported that shrapnel from an intercepted rocket damaged a car in Herzliya. The IDF reported that by 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Hezbollah had fired approximately 135 projectiles into Israeli territory. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the rocket fire “a response to the attacks and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy.” The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported at least 17 Israeli airstrikes, marking one of the most intense nights of attacks on the area in the past month. The strikes followed evacuation warnings posted on the social media platform X by Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic-language spokesman. Adraee shared a map of the targeted areas on X, cautioning civilians: “Hezbollah’s activity forces the IDF to act in the area you are in.” “The IDF does not want to harm you. You must immediately move away from the area marked in red and head north to the Awali River. Anyone who is near Hezbollah personnel, facilities, and weapons of Hezbollah is putting their life in danger!” Adraee wrote. Earlier Wednesday, Israel conducted airstrikes in the ancient coastal city of Tyre, resulting in “massive destruction and serious damage to homes, infrastructure, buildings, shops, and cars,” according to the NNA. The IDF stated that the strikes targeted “command and control complexes of various Hezbollah units,” as shared by Adraee on social media. Adraee described Tyre as an “important” Hezbollah stronghold, though the Amal movement, an ally of the Iran-backed terrorist organization, is believed to have greater influence in the area. The military also reported that approximately 70 Hezbollah operatives were killed in airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon between Tuesday and Wednesday. It added that troops also discovered and destroyed tunnels and weapon caches during the operations. The post Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Fire Amid Simchat Torah Celebrations appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News LONDON (Worthy News) – A Christian man is considering appealing his conviction in Britain for silently praying near an abortion clinic. In comments obtained by Worthy News on Wednesday, Adam Smith-Connor, 51, said, “The court has decided that certain thoughts – silent thoughts – can be illegal in the United Kingdom. That can not be right.” In what his supporters called “a shock ruling,” the Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court gave Smith-Connor “a conditional discharge” and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of 9,000 British pounds ($11,631). Experts said the “conditional discharge” meant that Smith-Connor would only be sentenced if convicted of any future offenses within the next two years. Smith-Cornor was prosecuted as he had been praying inside a “buffer zone” at an abortion clinic in England’s coastal resort town of Bournemouth in November 2022, Worthy News learned. The area’s Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council charged Smith-Connor, a military veteran and father of two who fought in Afghanistan, after “an interrogation on the nature of his prayers,” his lawyers said. THOUGHT POLICE The Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF UK), the legal group representing Smith-Connor, said the interrogation began when he stopped praying for a few minutes. He was “confronted by officers who asked ‘what is the nature of your prayer?’, on a public green within a large “buffer zone”-an area covering several streets in the town,” recalled AFD UK in a statement. In the so-called “buffer zone,” authorities “have banned various expressions of pro-life or Christian belief, including through offering help to women in crisis pregnancies or praying,” the AFD UK added. Five councils across Britain already have active “buffer zones” or “censorship zones” banning prayer and offers of charitable help to women on the public streets near abortion facilities, the group explained. Britain’s Parliament voted to roll out “buffer zones” around every abortion facility in England and Wales as part of the Public Order Act 2023. “The Labour Government announced plans to implement the zones on October 31. Under the national law, “influencing” someone’s decision to “access” abortion services will become a crime,” the AFD UK said. However, “All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind – and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?” countered Smith Connor. “I served for 20 years in the army reserves, including a tour in Afghanistan, to protect the fundamental freedoms that this country is built upon,” he stressed. CHURCH VOLUNTEER “I continue that spirit of service as a health care professional and church volunteer. It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thought crimes are now being prosecuted in the UK.” The AFD UK wondered why “despite battling bankruptcy warnings and being forced to cut ‘all non-essential spending,’ Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council spent more than 90,000 pounds ($116,284) on legal fees to prosecute the offense, which carries a maximum penalty of 1,000 pounds ($1,292).” The defense contended that the defendant’s “prayerful thoughts and the fact that he held certain beliefs and opinions could not in themselves amount to a crime, particularly when he stood peacefully and silently on a public street.” The AFD UK stressed that Smith-Connor “did not outwardly manifest his prayer by kneeling, speaking, or holding any signs. He made every effort to be out of the line of sight of the abortion facility, positioned behind a tree with his back to the facility, and did not engage with any other person.” Jeremiah Igunnubole, the legal counsel for ADF UK, called the conviction that Christian man for praying “a legal turning point of immense” proportions. “A man has been convicted today because of the content of his thoughts – his prayers to God – on the public streets of England,” he complained. “We can hardly sink any lower in our neglect of basic fundamental freedoms of free speech and thought,” Igunnubole said. “We will look closely at the judgment and consider options to appeal. Human rights are for all people – no matter their view on abortion.” NO 1984? British Conservative politician Miriam Cates compared the case to the dystopian novel and cautionary tale “1984” by English writer Eric Arthur Blair, better known as George Orwell. “This isn’t 1984, but 2024 – nobody should be on trial for the mere thoughts they hold in their mind. It’s outrageous that the local council is pouring taxpayer funding into prosecuting a thoughtcrime at a time where resources are stretched thin,” she said. “Buffer zone regulations are disproportionately wide, leaving innocent people vulnerable to prosecution merely for offering help or simply holding their own beliefs.” It comes amid a broader debate in Britain and other European countries about “pro-life” Christians opposing abortions. Scotland, for instance, has enacted new abortion legislation that could criminalize praying at home within designated zones. The Abortion Services Act (Scotland) 2024 may result in prosecution for activities in own homes if these actions cause “harassment, alarm, or distress” to staff and patients at abortion clinics, local media reported this week. The post Britain Convicts Christian For Praying Near Abortion Clinic (Worthy News Focus) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Nearly three million foreign nationals illegally entered or attempted entry into the U.S. in fiscal 2024, according to data published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The total reported nationwide was 2,901,142, with 198,929 reported at the northern border and 2,135,005 reported at the southwest border. The data includes Border Patrol apprehensions between ports of entry, CBP encounters at ports of entry. and Office of Field Operations apprehensions nationwide. CBP’s fiscal 2024 data, which covers Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 1, 2024, is the second highest reported under the Biden-Harris administration and second highest in U.S. history. The highest total reported in U.S. history was more than 3.2 million in fiscal 2023, followed by fiscal 2024, fiscal 2022’s more than 2.76 million and fiscal 2021’s 1.95 million. No other administration has reported totals as high as these. Combined, CBP apprehension/encounter data under the Biden-Harris administration totals 10,553,454 after subtracting the first three months of fiscal 2021, before they took office. This total excludes more than 2 million who illegally entered and evaded capture, known as gotaways. CBP does not publicly report gotaway data. The Center Square first reported gotaway data in 2021 after receiving it from a Border Patrol agent. Retired CBP officials say the number is higher because gotaway data is underreported by about 20%. The total also excludes 1,383,000 inadmissables released into the U.S. through two parole programs created by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. This includes more than 852,000 illegal foreign nationals processed and released into the country through the CBP One App and more than 531,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans deemed inadmissible and released into the country through the CHNV parole program, according to CBP data. The CHNV program has been directly linked to violent crimes committed against Americans, The Center Square has reported. The parole total also excludes the number of illegal foreign nationals released into the country through at least another 10 programs Mayorkas created. Federal judges ruled the parole programs are illegal; House Republicans cited them as examples of illegal actions for which they impeached Mayorkas in February. Despite claims made by the Biden-Harris administration that the millions of illegal foreign nationals released into the country are legally in the U.S., the papers they were given by CBP and other DHS agencies state they are unlawfully present in the U.S. and are required to go before a federal immigration judge at a date set years into the future, The Center Square reported. Numerous DHS Office of Inspector General reports have found that DHS and its subagencies are not vetting illegal border crossers before releasing them into the U.S., including those considered high risk being flown nationwide on commercial flights. Combined, the number of illegal border crossers under the Biden-Harris administration total roughly 14 million. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, has said the number is at least 16 million. Others say it is much higher. Under the Biden-Harris administration, the majority of illegal border crossers reported every month and every year were single adults, according to the data. The 2.1 million apprehension total CBP reported at the southwest border in fiscal 2024 is significantly higher than the 1.5 million first reported by The Center Square because it includes CBP port of entry and OFO data. The Center Square’s initial report solely cited preliminary Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwest border received exclusively from a Border Patrol agent. The nearly 199,000 illegal border crossers apprehended at the northern border in fiscal 2024 is the highest under the Biden-Harris administration and the highest in U.S. history. This is after records were broken at the northern border under the Biden-Harris administration of nearly 190,000 in fiscal 2023 and nearly 110,000 in fiscal 2022 – up from 27,180 in fiscal 2021, according to the data. In 2021, The Center Square first reported on national security threats posed at the northern border, including the greatest number of foreign nationals on the terrorist watchlist consistently apprehended coming from Canada. Both Canadian officials and U.S. officials have sounded the alarm about the lack of operational control at the U.S.-Canada border posing national security threats; members of Congress have called for greater security measures to be implemented and introduced bills to that effect. Every month and year, in CBP’s busiest northern border sector, Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents apprehend a record number of illegal border crossers. This past fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, they apprehended foreign nationals from more than 85 countries; total apprehensions outnumbered apprehensions from 13 years combined or roughly 15 U.S. Army battalions, The Center Square reported. Despite the Biden-Harris administration claiming the number of illegal border crossers is lower than it was under the previous administration, the data the administration published disproves its claims, The Center Square reported. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Nearly 3 Million Illegal Border Crossers Reported in Fiscal 2024 appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Kenneth Schrupp | The Center Square (Worthy News) – The Babylon Bee is continuing with its lawsuit against a California deepfake law that would require social media companies to block “deceptive” content about politicians, noting its partial victory in a ruling against the state’s other political “deepfake” law in October. Given that the law applies to federal elections that include California, such as president, the lawsuit could have national free speech implications. Earlier this year, after entrepreneur Elon Musk shared an AI-generated parody video of Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared, “manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this one should be illegal.” His office then told The Center Square he is “working with the Legislature to ensure this issue is addressed in a bill already going through the legislative process.” While Newsom’s office would not specify which bills it was talking about enacting to follow through on this call to action, The Center Square examined AB 2655, called the “Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024,” and its companion bill AB 2839 as likely candidates; Newsom included these two bills, in addition to another, as of yet unchallenged bill requiring political advertisements using substantially altered or AI-generated content to disclose such, in his “deepfake election content” package. “Safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it’s critical that we ensure AI is not deployed to undermine the public’s trust through disinformation – especially in today’s fraught political climate,” said Newsom in his statement on the package. “These measures will help to combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content, one of several areas in which the state is being proactive to foster transparent and trustworthy AI.” AB 2839, which had an urgency clause, took effect immediately, and would ban “materially deceptive” AI-generated content regarding candidates, election officials, and election-related materials in the 120 days before and 60 days after elections, with violations allowing for civil lawsuits and damages; parody would be allowed under the bill, but only if prominent parody disclaimers are included on the content. AB 2655, which will take effect on January 1, requires online platforms with more than one million California users to remove AI-generated “materially deceptive content” about candidates, election officials in the 120 days leading up to an election, and, for election official content, in the 60 days after an election. In the six months leading up to election day, platforms would have to label deceptive content. The law includes an exemption for content that includes disclosures on the use of deceptive content. A lawsuit against AB 2839 by the maker of the Musk-shared Kamala parody video secured a preliminary injunction from a federal court, which ruled the bill “acts as a hammer instead of a scalpel, serving as a blunt tool that hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas which is so vital to American democratic debate.” The Bee’s lawsuit against AB 2655 alleges the bill “converts social media platforms into California state snitches by requiring them to field reports about user posts with “materially deceptive content” and then remove or label them,” and “targets political expression.” Yesterday, the Bee’s separate suit was consolidated with Kohls v. Bonta, the case that secured the preliminary injunction against AB 2839, and is still continuing against AB 2655. “Our job is hard enough when our jokes keep coming true, as if they were prophecies,” said The Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon,” in a statement on the case consolidation. “But it becomes significantly more difficult when self-serving politicians abuse their power to try to control public discourse and clamp down on comedy. Unfortunately for them, the First Amendment secures our right to tell jokes they don’t like.” AB 2655 applies to any election a “covered” candidate is on the ballot, which includes any voter-nominated office in California, ranging from municipal to federal elections, and specifically includes president of the United States. The law covers voting machines, voting ballots, electoral college proceedings in California; it’s unclear if content describing voting machines in use in several states, including California, and specifically mentioning California, among other states, would be in violation of this law. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post After Partial Victory, Babylon Bee Advances Lawsuit Against California Censorship Law appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Casey Harper | The Center Square (Worthy News) – The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report Wednesday saying that the Biden-Harris Administration spent nearly a billion dollars promoting COVID-era messaging, much of which turned out to be untrue or misleading. The Congressional report examines the $900 million spent by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on COVID-era messaging to the American people. “Americans cannot afford another botched government response to a future pandemic,” the report said. The report cites “errors and failures” in the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s “We Can Do This” advertisements and marketing materials. The report said that much of that taxpayer-funded marketing included incorrect information about vaccines, the danger to children, masks and more, according to the report. “Much of the scientific content directly featured in or alluded to in Campaign ads and other promotional material was drawn from CDC recommendations, guidance, and research, critical parts of which proved to be deeply flawed,” the report said. For instance, the report cited the CDC telling Americans that taking the COVID-19 vaccine would prevent them from getting COVID, something that turned out to be false. “This ultimately had a negative impact on vaccine confidence and the CDC’s credibility when proven untrue,” the report said. In another instance, the report points out that federal health officials and the CDC initially downplayed the need and usefulness of masking only to later reverse course and strongly urge Americans to mask, even outdoors. “Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), advocated against mask wearing on February 5, 2020, stating ‘Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection,’” the report said. “By April 3, 2020, the CDC completely reversed course and announced new mask wearing guidelines, recommending that all people wear a mask outside of the home,” the report continued, adding that “In December of 2022, after leaving the Biden White House, former COVID-19 coordinator, Ashish Jha, freely admitted what many had been saying all along—’[t]here is no study in the world that shows that masks work that well.’” The report also pointed out that “The CDC had inconsistent and flawed messaging about the effectiveness of masks” and that “the CDC consistently overstated the risk of COVID-19 to children.” “The CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans ages six months and older, which has made the United States a global outlier in COVID-19 policy,” the report said. That marketing was used by lawmakers and local and state officials to justify extended lockdowns on businesses, which hurt the economy and put many small business owners out of business or to justify school closures, from which research now shows students have still not recovered. “While the Biden-Harris administration’s public health guidance led to prolonged closures of schools and businesses, the NIH was spending nearly a billion dollars of taxpayer money trying to manipulate Americans with advertisements—sometimes containing erroneous or unproven information,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., sain in a statement. “By overpromising what the COVID-19 vaccines could do—in direct contradiction of the FDA’s authorizations—and over emphasizing the virus’s risk to children and young adults, the Biden-Harris administration caused Americans to lose trust in the public health system,” he added. Reporting has shown that during the pandemic the federal government successfully pressured social media companies to censor Americans’ posts on COVID-related issues that did not toe the party line. Meta CEO and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this year in a public letter that he regretted complying with those federal requests. “Our investigation also uncovered the extent to which public funding went to Big Tech companies to track and monitor Americans, underscoring the need for stronger online data privacy protections,” McMorris-Rodgers said. The lawmakers on the Republican-led committee pointed out that the federal government’s pushing of unproven or incorrect medical data has led to an overall distrust of federal health agencies and vaccines on the whole. “The entire premise of the Biden-Harris ‘Stop the Spread’ campaign was that if you got vaccinated for COVID-19, you could resume daily activities because they said vaccinated people would not spread the disease,” Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said in a statement. “Despite lacking scientific basis, the administration bought into this CDC claim and misled the American public. As a result, vaccination coverage with other vaccines appears to have declined, I believe because of a growing distrust of information coming from our public health institutions.” Gallup released polling data in August showing that fewer Americans now say childhood vaccines are important, “with 40% saying it is extremely important for parents to have their children vaccinated, down from 58% in 2019 and 64% in 2001.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post GOP Report: Biden-Harris Admin Spent $900 Million Pushing Faulty COVID Messaging appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News ANKARA/KAZAN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Turkey’s military struck dozens of targets of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and northern Syria late Wednesday following a deadly attack on an aviation site in Ankara, Defense officials said. The strikes came after Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that “likely PKK members” hit Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) in the Turkish capital, leaving five dead and 22 injured. Assailants set off explosives and opened fire against the Turkish state-run aerospace and defense company, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed in separate remarks. “I condemn this heinous terrorist attack and wish mercy on our martyrs,” Erdogan said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in Russia’s city of Kazan. Turkish Interior Minister Yerlikaya told media that two assailants had been killed and offered condolences to the relatives of the attack victims. “Two terrorists were neutralized in the terror attack on the TUSAS Ankara Kahramankazan site,” Yerlikaya said, using the Turkish name for the company. “Sadly, we have five martyrs and 22 wounded. Three of the injured were already discharged from the hospital, 19 of them under treatment,” he explained. The assailants were carrying assault weapons, then detonated an explosive device next to the taxi, causing panic and allowing them to enter the complex, Turkish sources said. SEVERAL GUNSHOTS Several gunshots were reportedly heard after Turkish security forces entered the site while helicopters hovered above the complex. “We were told it was an act of terrorism and that we should not leave our positions,” a TAI employee told media on condition of anonymity, adding that security forces and the perpetrators of the attack exchanged fire. European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the attacks. “Today, the headquarters of a Turkish aviation company in Ankara was attacked by terrorists, resulting in deaths and injuries. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms,” he said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “The EU expresses solidarity with Türkiye in this difficult time,” Borrell said, referring to the other spelling of Turkey recognized by the United Nations. Kurdish politicians also denounced the violence. Russian President Putin, too, expressed his condolences. The U.S. Embassy in Turkey said it “strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack.” Iraq’s Embassy in Ankara also rejected terrorism and expressed solidarity with Turkey. Soon after the bloodshed, at least some 32 PKK targets were destroyed in retaliation in Iraq and Syria, and air operations are ongoing, Turkish officials and media said. ARMED FORCES The defense ministry said Turkey’s armed forces would “continue the fight against terrorism with determination and resolve until not a single terrorist remains.” It claimed that “all kinds of precautions” were taken to prevent civilian harm, but it was not immediately clear whether casualties had occurred. The latest strikes by Turkey, a member of the NATO military alliance, added to mounting tensions in the Middle East, which already faces the prospect of a broader regional armed conflict over Israel. The PKK is viewed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and most of its allies, including the United States, European Union, and Britain. Terrorism experts say the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later changed its goals to seeking autonomy and more political and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey. The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey, resulting in the killing of tens of thousands of people since the 1980s. It likely targeted TUSAS as it designs, manufactures, and assembles unmanned aerial vehicles that have been instrumental in Turkey’s fight against Kurdish militants, observers said. RELEASE UNCERTAIN Wednesday’s attack came a day after Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli, allied with Erdogan, raised the possibility that the PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan could be granted parole if he renounces violence and dissolves his group. However, the latest violence made his release less likely. Ocalan was captured in February 1999 in Nairobi, Kenya, and extradited to Turkey, where he was sentenced to death after a brief trial. Following his conviction, Ocalan successfully appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that he did not have a fair trial and demanded a retrial. The Court of Cassation confirmed the death sentence in November 1999, and Turkey denied Ocalan a retrial. Yet amid Western pressure, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in October 2002. The post Turkey Hits PKK Sites In Iraq And Syria After Deadly Attack appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, is there anything too HARD for the Lord? Genesis 18:1-2 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, Genesis 18:13-14 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Genesis 18:17-18 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? John 8:56-58 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. The (Old) Testament contains numerous appearances of God in the form of a man, sitting, speaking, even eating with those that love Him. Abraham was sitting in front of his tent on the plains of Mamre, when the LORD (Yehovah -- Yud Hay Vav Hay) came to him and declared the fulfillment of a promise He had made to him many years before, saying that through Abraham's seed the world would be blessed! (Genesis 12:7; 13:15-16, 15:18, 17:7-9) For a long season, the Patriarch had patiently waited for the fulfillment of this promise, but it wasn't until the LORD came to him personally, speaking face to face, that the fulfillment of this promise drew near. No wonder Yeshua (Jesus) told the Jews of his day that Abraham rejoiced to see Him! It was the day that the promise -- the long awaited promise -- was coming to pass! Friend, the visitation of God, the Creator of the universe, to this Earth, in the form of a man, seems preposterous to normal human understanding; yet we know it is true, historical, and certain because God has revealed it to us by His Spirit and His Word. Because of this astounding Incarnation, every other promise of the Word is absolutely reliable. Faith and patience are all that are necessary for us to receive them. Is there anything too hard for the LORD? Follow the example of our Father Abraham and stand on the WORD He has given you. Every one of His promises will be fulfilled....... in His time! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Bradenton, Florida) Editor's Note: Feel free to share any of our content from Worthy, including Devotions, News articles, and more, on your social platforms. You have full permission to copy and repost anything we produce. 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: Dear friends — we are going to be heading WEST!!! Now booking in the following states: Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas …. If you know Pastors, Rabbis or Ministry Leaders who might be interested in some powerful Israeli style Hebrew/English worship and a refreshing word from Worthy News about what’s going on in the Land, please let us know how to connect with them and we will do our best to get you on our schedule! You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Turkey Hits PKK Sites In Iraq And Syria After Deadly Attack Turkey’s military struck dozens of targets of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and northern Syria late Wednesday following a deadly attack on an aviation site in Ankara, Defense officials said. North Korea Sends Troops to Russia for Military Training Confirming reports by Ukraine and South Korea, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday there is evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia for military training, an act he said would be “very, very serious,” the Wall Street Journal reports. Lebanon: Christians Refuse to Support Hezbollah or Leave Home Amid Israel’s Ground Invasion A number of Christians living in southern Lebanon are facing Israel's ground invasion against the Hezbollah Shia Islamic terror group with a stoic refusal to come to the aid of Hezbollah or to leave their homes and land, the Washington Post reported exclusively. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Fire Amid Simchat Torah Celebrations Israel targeted 17 locations in the southern suburbs of Beirut, demolishing several Hezbollah-linked sites, including the vacated offices of a Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster. The strikes followed a rocket barrage launched by Hezbollah into central Israel as the Jewish nation marked the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Simchat Torah. MKs Urge Government to Allow Aliyah for India’s Bnei Menashe Community Israeli lawmakers have called on the government to allow the immigration of around 5,000 members of the Bnei Menashe community in northeast India, the Jerusalem Post reports. Israel Confirms Hezbollah Drone Strikes Netanyahu’s Residence A Hezbollah drone struck Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea on Saturday, causing minor damage, the military censor cleared for publication on Tuesday. Netanyahu and his family were not home during the attack. Inside the United States Nearly 3 Million Illegal Border Crossers Reported in Fiscal 2024 Nearly three million foreign nationals illegally entered or attempted entry into the U.S. in fiscal 2024, according to data published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. After Partial Victory, Babylon Bee Advances Lawsuit Against California Censorship Law The Babylon Bee is continuing with its lawsuit against a California deepfake law that would require social media companies to block “deceptive” content about politicians, noting its partial victory in a ruling against the state’s other political “deepfake” law in October. GOP Report: Biden-Harris Admin Spent $900 Million Pushing Faulty COVID Messaging The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report Wednesday saying that the Biden-Harris Administration spent nearly a billion dollars promoting COVID-era messaging, much of which turned out to be untrue or misleading. Christian News Britain Convicts Christian For Praying Near Abortion Clinic (Worthy News Focus) A Christian man is considering appealing his conviction in Britain for silently praying near an abortion clinic. Pakistan Court Acquits Christians Of Blasphemy Two sisters, both Christians, have been acquitted two months after being charged with “blasphemy” against Islam in Pakistan’s Punjab province, but concerns remain about other believers still held in Pakistani prisons, Christians said. ‘Islamist Terrorists’ Kill 18 Christians In DRC (Worthy News Focus) “Islamist terrorists” have killed 18 Christians in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in separate attacks, well-informed aid workers say. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Confirming reports by Ukraine and South Korea, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday there is evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia for military training, an act he said would be “very, very serious,” the Wall Street Journal reports. According to South Korea’s main intelligence agency North Korea has now sent 3,000 troops to Russia for training, WSJ reports. South Korean officials reportedly believe North Korea intends to send 12,000 troops to Russia. “There is evidence that there are [North Korean] troops in Russia,” Austin told reporters. “What exactly they’re doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out.” If North Korea intends to “participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue,” Austin added. “The US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have warned that dispatching North Korean troops to the front lines in Ukraine would represent a major escalation in the conflict between Moscow and the Washington-led West,” WSJ noted in its report. “Russia has been using growing numbers of Iranian and North Korean missiles as it wages a fierce air war, but welcoming foreign troops onto its soil would represent a new dimension in how Moscow works with its international partners,” WSJ said. The post North Korea Sends Troops to Russia for Military Training appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A number of Christians living in southern Lebanon are facing Israel’s ground invasion against the Hezbollah Shia Islamic terror group with a stoic refusal to come to the aid of Hezbollah or to leave their homes and land, the Washington Post reported exclusively. Israel launched an invasion of southern Lebanon last month to uproot Hezbollah and stop its year-long relentless campaign of missile and drone attacks against northern Israeli towns and residents. “While most residents have evacuated, people in some Christian towns — and their priests — are refusing to leave their homes again [Lebanon has seen numerous wars – including with Israel – and much internal strife],” WaPo reports. “Their reasons are a kaleidoscope of defiance, resolve, and generational trauma. Some say they can’t afford to relocate. Some believe their presence deters attacks on their lands. Some fear they won’t be able to return,” WaPo reported. In a recent interview with WaPo, Rev. Pierre Raï at St. George’s Church in southern Lebanon said: “If the village is empty and anyone can come and go, then it will be even more dangerous for our homes. It’s better if we stay here and protect our home or land. Even if we don’t have weapons, we will protect it with our presence.” Noting a lack of support among southern Lebanese Christians for Hezbollah, WaPo reported: “Rev. Phillipe Al Akla, an Orthodox priest in Jdeidet Marjayoun, less than three miles from Qlaaya, said a Hezbollah member fired several rounds at him this month after he barred him from sheltering at his church. He escaped unharmed and the man was detained, he said, but a parishioner who witnessed it said one bullet whizzed past his ear.” Christians are not alone in refusing to support Hezbollah: Druze and Sunni Muslims have also shown a lack of support for the terror group, WaPo added. The post Lebanon: Christians Refuse to Support Hezbollah or Leave Home Amid Israel’s Ground Invasion appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israeli lawmakers have called on the government to allow the immigration of around 5,000 members of the Bnei Menashe community in northeast India, the Jerusalem Post reports. While the Bnei Menashe do not qualify for immigration to Israel under the country’s Law of Return, the community claims descendency from the Lost Tribes of Israel and has long sought acceptance and recognition from the wider Jewish community to allow them to make Aliyah to the Land of Israel. Indicating that members of the Bnei Menashe are in danger amid local sectarian violence, Members of Knesset from the Aliyah and Absorption Committee on Wednesday (October 22) reminded the government that around half of the community have relatives already living in Israel, JPost said. “According to data presented to the committee, 4,121 community members have made aliyah so far, with 1,421 having done so in the past five years. Approximately 1,000 of them receive government welfare services,” JPost said in its report. Around 100 Bnei Menashe families have settled in the southern Israeli city of Sderot near the Gaza border. Because the Bnei Mensahe have a unique claim to membership of the Jewish people and do not automatically qualify for Israel’s Law of Return, a special cabinet decision is required to allow their immigration, JPost said. If approval is given they would then have to undergo formal conversion to Judaism by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. The post MKs Urge Government to Allow Aliyah for India’s Bnei Menashe Community appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Two sisters, both Christians, have been acquitted two months after being charged with “blasphemy” against Islam in Pakistan’s Punjab province, but concerns remain about other believers still held in Pakistani prisons, Christians said. Christian charity Barnabas Aid told Worthy News on Tuesday that its “contacts confirmed that Sonia and Saima had been acquitted by Toba Tek Singh Sessions Court.” Their full names were not revealed, apparently amid security concerns. The two sisters had been accused on August 7 “of throwing a bag containing wastepaper with pages of the Quran on abandoned land,” Christians said. They were reportedly detained and charged under section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code for “wilful defilement, damage or desecration of the Koran,” viewed as a holy book by Muslims. This section of Pakistan’s blasphemy legislation law carries a mandatory life sentence for those convicted, according to experts. Both women vehemently denied the accusations. In comments shared with Worthy News, their lawyer, Chaudhry Haneef Hameed Mithu, said, “The accusation had been made to settle a personal grudge.” ORDERING ACQUITTAL Sessions judge Waseem Mubarik ordered the acquittal after reviewing evidence supplied by the district police officer, according to Christians familiar with the case. “Local police and lower courts in Pakistan routinely accept the truth of “blasphemy” allegations, so it is notable that in this instance, both police and court investigated properly,” Barnabas Fun noticed. Police also intervened to prevent mob violence when the accusations were first made, Christians said. However, Barnabas Fund cautioned that “Sonia, Saima, their families, and the wider Christian community may still be at risk from extremists who will not accept the court’s decision.” The group added that it urged its supporters to “pray that their release will serve as an example that will deter those who abuse Pakistan’s “blasphemy” laws to accuse Christians and other vulnerable people without cause. Pray for protection for the sisters, their family, and other Christians from any retaliation following this verdict.” It was unclear how their case could impact last month’s Pakistani court decision to sentence Shagufta Kiran, a Christian mother of four, to death for “committing blasphemy against Isla.” The ruling by the Islamabad Cyber Court, first reported by Worthy News, “highlighted broader concerns about the persecution of Christians” in Muslim-majority Pakistan, suggested Farrukh H. Saif, the co-founder and director of the Emergency Committee to Save the Persecuted and Enslaved (ECSPE). “Alongside the death penalty, Shagufta was fined 300,000 Pakistani Rupees ($1,077) in yet another controversial case under Pakistan’s stringent blasphemy laws,” he told Worthy News. TRUMPED-UP CHARGES His group has closely followed the case and supports Christians facing what he views as trumped-up blasphemy charges. Shagufta Kiran was detained in July 2021 after being accused of forwarding a message through the social media messaging service WhatsApp that purportedly contained blasphemous content, Christians said. The alleged crime dates back to September 2020, when Shagufta, a member of several interfaith WhatsApp groups, reportedly forwarded the controversial message. In comments shared with Worthy News, her husband, Rafique Masih, said, “Shagufta forwarded the message without reading it and had no malicious intent.” The exact text wasn’t shared with Worthy News, but Worthy News established that even mild criticism about Islam is often perceived as blasphemy. “Alongside Shagufta, her two young sons, ages 10 and 12, were also taken into custody, though they were later released.” She is among hundreds of people, including Christians, who are believed to remain behind bars on blasphemy charges in the Islamic nation. Advocacy groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned Pakistan’s blasphemy laws as “inconsistent with fundamental human rights” and demand that Pakistan ensures fair trials and the protection of religious freedoms. The post Pakistan Court Acquits Christians Of Blasphemy appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article