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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s rightwing government accused the United States on Tuesday of again abandoning the nation as it did during the 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination and communism. “The revolution had failed because the U.S. had “abandoned” Hungarians,” said Gergely Gulyás, the head of the prime minister’s office, during a commemoration. “The betrayal of yore from the West is mirrored in our everyday lives. Those who then weren’t bothered by the Hungarians’ captivity are now bothered by their freedom. Those unfazed by Hungary being forced into Soviet dependency are now disturbed by its independence…,” he added. His remarks came amid mounting tensions between the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government, which has faced criticism over its perceived autocratic style and corruption. Orbán, who has denied wrongdoing but refuses to answer questions about controversial tenders involving friends and family members, supports former President Donald J. Trump in his race to the White House. “Those who had to do nothing for freedom in the past 80 years are now questioning the democratic commitment of those raising the flag of freedom during a dictatorship,” Gulyás stressed. He told a crowd at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics that younger generations must be conscious that “our freedom today was born out of the 195the revolution.” FREEDOM MARCH At the 1956 freedom march from that same university to Bem Square near Margaret Bridge, “the fear of nearly a decade was lifted,” Gulyás said. The events “changed the course of history and reconnected a nation fragmented by the dictatorships of the 20th century,” he noticed. Soon after, several thousand Hungarians, many walking with torches, remembering the freedom fighters, walked to Bem Square, where Hungary’s parliamentary speaker condemned the European Union’s alleged interference in Hungary’s affairs. László Kövér said, “Hungary, which was meant to be merely a pawn to be knocked down in the chess game of the Eastern and Western powers, rebelled and, even if for a short time, became a bastion of a free and Christian Europe again,” he said. However, “The sacrifice of those thirteen days [of 1956] also obliges today’s generations.” The 1956 revolution began on October 23, with a few hundred university students protesting Soviet repression. It snowballed to 200,000 protesters on the streets, with people rising up around the country. They demanded an end to one-party rule and appealed for press freedom and democracy. But within two weeks — 100,000 Russian soldiers and thousands of tanks rolled into tow, devastating democratic hopes for another 35 years. Hungary was forced to remain a satellite state of the then Moscow-led Soviet Union until communism was toppled in 1989, after which the state collapsed in the early 1990s. Kövér called the 1956 Hungarian revolution “a message to the bureaucrats in Brussels” that Hungary wouldn’t give up its sovereignty on issues ranging from opposing the war in Ukraine to traditional family values. “Today’s young people can say ‘war is not peace.’ They can say that “the father is male and the mother is female.’ They can say that Hungary belongs to the Hungarians and Europe to the Europeans. And they can also say: ‘God, bless the Hungarians!’” he said. LEADING BUREAUCRATS “If today’s leading bureaucrats in Brussels are unable to understand this message, they will soon have to deal with hundreds of millions of deceived European citizens who will carry the European Union to its grave,” he argued. Elsewhere in Budapest, Orbán’s primary political opponent, Péter Magyar, said it was “symbolic that the government that calls itself national has abandoned the flame of the revolution.” He spoke while standing at the Flame of Revolution monument on Nagy Imre Square, named after the prime minister who led the revolution and was later executed by the Soviet-backed communists. At 19:56 local time, Magyar lit the flame at the monument ahead of Wednesday’s massive protest of his Tisza party. Opinion polls suggest he is the biggest challenge to Orbán, who has ruled Hungary since 2010. Magyar claims Orbán has turned Hungary “into one of Europe’s poorest and most corrupt nations,” with some 3 million people living below the poverty line. Orbán says his government is improving the economy after inheriting decades of Communist and Socialist mismanagement. The post Hungary Accuses US Of Betrayal As Nation Remembers 1956 Revolution appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News KAZAN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia has launched an international payments platform for BRICS countries that is immune to Western sanctions and ends the need for dollar transactions. The “BRICS Pay” system uses blockchain technology to store and transfer digital tokens backed by national currencies. This, in turn, allows those currencies to be quickly and securely exchanged, bypassing the need for dollar transactions. Russia views it as a way to resolve increasing problems in settling trade payments due to Western sanctions that were introduced after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow even has payment issues with allies such as China, where local banks fear they could be hit by U.S. sanctions for cooperating with Moscow. Armed with smartphones and promotional BRICS Pay cards containing a complimentary 500 Russian rubles ($5,22) each, delegates could test the system by paying for coffee or souvenirs at the BRICS Business Forum held in Moscow. The tests came ahead of the October 22-24 BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia’s most populous city on the banks of the Volga River, where Russia is expecting 22 leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived on Tuesday. SEVERAL ISSUES They discuss payments and other issues at a time when the BRICS already account for 45 percent of the world’s population and 35 percent of the global economy. Experts say the collective gross domestic product (GDP) of the four leading developing countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—will likely match that of today’s leading Western nations by 2032. “The World Bank predicts that the U.S. dollar will lose its global dominance by 2025 as the dollar, euro, and China’s renminbi become co-equals in a “multi-currency” monetary system,” noted the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. think tank. That sounds like music to President Putin and his allies’ ears: A Russian document monitored by Worthy News accuses existing institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of serving the interests of Western countries and says they need “improvements to better serve the evolving global economy.” Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has urged BRICS members to create an alternative to the IMF. Russia, the world’s top wheat exporter, also seeks the creation of a BRICS grain trading exchange backed by a pricing agency to create an alternative to Western bourses where international prices for agricultural commodities are set. Among other initiatives to facilitate trade and investment, Russia proposes creating a “BRICS Clear” platform to settle securities trade. BETTER COMMUNICATION The document calls for better communication between member countries’ credit rating agencies and a standard rating methodology. However, sources familiar with their thinking noted that the Russian officials stopped short of proposing a joint BRICS rating agency, an idea that the group had discussed earlier. Yet, there remains skepticism about BRICS+’s capacity to become an effective institution in world economic affairs. Expert Harry G. Broadman, who writes and speaks on global business, sustainability, and innovation, said the “lack of homogeneity will greatly limit—indeed is already limiting—their abilities to act effectively as a collective.” He wrote recently that “One of the most obvious examples is a comparison between China and India. Although the two currently have populations of equal size and occupy large land masses, India is the world’s largest democracy, while China is ruled by a strongman overseeing an authoritarian Communist regime.” Broadman noted that the long history of military skirmishes on the disputed Indo-Sino border—as recently as 2020 and again in 2022—“belies a cordial relationship between the two largest BRICS teammates.” To date, “Beijing and Delhi have held more than 15 rounds of military talks on the matter with no resolution in sight. That’s not a good omen for the two Asian giants to successfully coordinate economically on the world stage,” he wrote in Forbes magazine. ECONOMIC CONTRAST He said the Group of Seven (G7) countries of the most developed economies “by contrast, are at similar stages of economic development.” They operate, he stressed, “in line with market-oriented rules based on the pursuit of transparent cross-border trade and investment transactions; and espouse democratic ideals with leaders elected via open participation by their populations.” Collectively, “their economies—which have generally grown largely steadily for decades—produce over 40 percent of world output,” Broadman explained. Yet, with BRICS rapidly expanding, other experts suggest they will be an economic power to be reckoned with despite internal tensions. “The growth of the BRICS+ shows that, after decades of strong economic development, emerging markets are now ready for a larger role in the world order,” said the Boston Consulting Group in a recent assessment. If it’s up to Russian President Putin, that global role begins sooner than the West expects. The post Russia’s BRICS Pay System To Counter West (Worthy News In-Depth) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, the best is yet to come! Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. As we conclude the Feast of Sukkot tonight, I want to reflect on one of the profound mysteries of God—how He aligns the prophetic clock with the Hebrew calendar. Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Ingathering, is a harvest celebration. Notably, it remains one of the few biblical feasts yet to be fulfilled prophetically, pointing us to future events in God's divine plan. To give you an idea of how God is working according to the Hebrew calendar when Messiah was crucified and became the Lamb of God for the world, it was on Passover. When He rose from the dead, it was precisely on the feast of first fruits. After His ascension to heaven, and 50 days after Passover was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost or the Hebrew feast of Shevuot. This indicated the beginning of the harvest season. We have been in the midst of the great harvest for the past 2000 years. In the world, the focus of life is -- NOW! The world focuses on youth, beauty, health, and ability. In the autumn of life, there's less celebration because according to the world, life goes downhill. But with God, it's completely opposite! God is saving the best for last! While things of the world get worse, become old and fade away. The things of God only get better! Rejoice and look toward the day when there is no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain because in Him all these things will pass away. Throw away all the worldly pursuits and pursue God because the greatest celebration awaits us! Friend, keep going, even if it gets tough -- because it only gets better in God! 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 Hungary Accuses US Of Betrayal As Nation Remembers 1956 Revolution Hungary’s rightwing government accused the United States on Tuesday of again abandoning the nation as it did during the 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination and communism. Russia’s BRICS Pay System To Counter West (Worthy News In-Depth) Russia has launched an international payments platform for BRICS countries that is immune to Western sanctions and ends the need for dollar transactions. Putin Invites Palestinian Authority Leader to BRICS Summit Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to attend the two-day BRICS summit which begins today (October 22) in Kazan, Russia. Israel-Palestinian Conflict 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. Israel Targets Hezbollah’s Finances, Strangling the Terrorist Organization (Video) Israel's strike on branches of a Hezbollah-linked bank intensified efforts to dismantle the financial and social networks sustaining the terrorist group’s control over Lebanon. Israel also revealed that former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's bunker, hidden beneath a hospital in Beirut's Dahieh district, contains gold and $500 million in cash, which it aims to redirect Hezbollah's hidden funds to aid in Lebanon's reconstruction. Inside the United States Report: Immigration Courts Broke Records in Fiscal 2024 The number of cases before federal immigration judges totaled nearly 1.8 million, a record, in fiscal 2024, according to the latest analysis by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan, independent research organization. Rubio Calls on DOJ to Investigate Pro-Hamas Domestic Terrorist Group U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, has called on the Department of Justice to open a domestic terrorism investigation into Unity of Fields, a pro-Hamas group encouraging its followers to commit acts of targeted violence against Americans, especially those who support Israel and the police, according to its website. AG Paxton: Texas Investigation Into ActBlue Uncovers Suspicious Donations A nearly year-long investigation into ActBlue, a Democratic Party online donation platform, alleges a large number of suspicious donations have been made, resulting in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioning the Federal Election Commission to get involved. Christian News Somalia: Christian Convert Violently Attacked by Islamic Relatives, “You Can Beat Me Up, But Jesus Has Saved Me” A Christian in Somalia has refused to denounce Jesus even after being violently attacked three times by Islamic relatives for his faith, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Constitutionally, an Islamic state whose government forbids the propagation of other religions, “This Is Our Message: To Show Love In Action,” Lebanese Christians Reach Out To Shiite Muslims Often overcoming fear and suspicion, Christians in Lebanon are reaching out to help Shiite Muslims who have been displaced amid Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanese areas suspected of housing the Shiite Hezbollah terror group, Christianity Today reports exclusively. Worthy Insights Water Libation Reenactment Takes Place in Preparation for the Third Temple On Sunday, Jerusalem hosted a reenactment of the Temple-era water libation ceremony, led by Kohanim in priestly garments and Levites playing instruments. The joyful procession began at Shaar Hashpot (Dung Gate) in the Old City, with participants singing and dancing along ancient pathways, passing the City of David’s archaeological remains and an Arab village, ending at the historic Shiloach (Siloam) Spring. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – The number of cases before federal immigration judges totaled nearly 1.8 million, a record, in fiscal 2024, according to the latest analysis by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan, independent research organization. Federal immigration courts fall under the Department of Justice and are located in 28 states, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. The DOJ’s fiscal 2024 year was Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024. The record number of cases before federal immigration courts is up from a previous high of 1.4 million new cases in fiscal 2023, TRAC notes in a news release accompanying the latest data from its Immigration Court Quick Facts tool. The tool includes data related to federal immigrant detention, court cases and prosecutions, among other information. Federal immigration courts reported receiving 1,798,964 new cases in fiscal 2024, of which 911,289 cases were completed, according to TRAC’s analysis. Closing more than 900,000 cases is a record, the most for a single fiscal year, it says. That’s after immigration courts broke a record in fiscal 2023 reportedly closing roughly 665,000 cases. These numbers don’t reflect the entire caseload. The backlog of pending cases before immigration courts of more than 3.7 million at the end of fiscal 2024 is nearly double the 1.9 million case backlog at the end of fiscal 2022, according to the data. There are currently 3,716,106 active cases pending before federal immigration courts nationwide. Among them are 1,594,394 pending asylum applications, according to the data. TRAC also found that a record number of individuals were ordered to be removed in fiscal 2024, totaling 314,773. This number only includes removal orders, not the number who were actually removed. Removal orders and those who voluntarily left the country account for 38.3% of completed cases, according to the data. Last month, 66,582 deportation cases were completed but deportation orders were only issued for 45.8% of them. By contrast, 70.1% of those applying for asylum had their request granted last month, according to the data. In fiscal 2024, the immigration courts with the greatest number of pending deportation cases were located in Florida, California, New York and Illinois. The greatest number of nearly 159,000 were reported in Miami-Dade County, followed by Los Angeles County’s more than 113,000. In New York, Queens County reported more than 108,000 and Kings County more than 88,000. Cook County, Illinois, reported more than 106,000, according to the data. The greatest number of illegal foreign nationals ordered to be deported were from Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Colombia. Combined, they total nearly 208,000, according to the data. The data was released as the greatest number of illegal border crossers have been reported in U.S. history under the Biden-Harris administration, The Center Square has reported. In fiscal 2024, nearly 3 million were reported nationwide, bringing the total to nearly 11 million since fiscal 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data published Tuesday. This total excludes more than 2 million who evaded capture, known as gotaways, exclusively reported on by The Center Square. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Report: Immigration Courts Broke Records in Fiscal 2024 appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, has called on the Department of Justice to open a domestic terrorism investigation into Unity of Fields, a pro-Hamas group encouraging its followers to commit acts of targeted violence against Americans, especially those who support Israel and the police, according to its website. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Rubio raised concerns “about the increasing violence promoted by groups such as Unity of Fields, formerly Palestine Action U.S., which explicitly support Palestinian terrorism and other anti-Israel, anti-American, and antisemitic terrorist organizations. I request that you immediately open a domestic terrorism investigation into Unity of Fields and utilize all resources available to hold this group accountable under the law.” Prior to August 2024, the group was called Palestine Action U.S. and acted as a chapter of the United Kingdom-based group, Palestine Action. After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-terrorist attack against Israel, the group “recognized immediately the need for escalatory resistance to imperialism’s escalating violence,” it says on its website. “Inspired by the success of Palestine Action UK’s campaign, we launched Palestine Action US, a direct action network targeting Elbit Systems, the largest zionist weapons company on earth.” It’s referring to a Fort Worth, Texas-based company, Elbit Systems, that provides aerospace and defense technology and weapons to the U.S. military and “Democratic, sovereign countries that have treaty alliances” with the U.S., according to its website. Elbit Systems was named one of the world’s most ethical companies in 2023 by the Ethisphere Institute. Unity of Fields says it expanded its efforts beyond Elbit to target U.S. college campuses. “Instead of solely targeting Elbit, we have expanded our scope to meet the urgent task of building capacity for direct action and militancy in the U.S. anti-imperialist movement,” it says. “On April 17, students and other young people launched dozens of Gaza solidarity encampments across the U.S., from Columbia to Cal Poly, occupying and barricading buildings, establishing liberated zones, and defeating police invasions.” The group is also openly anti-police. Its efforts at Cal Poly make clear, “The pro-Palestinian movement must be a movement against the police.” Among its goals is “to outmaneuver, exhaust, demoralize, confuse, and overpower the repressive might of the state. Those who do not believe this is possible do not believe that the revolution is possible,” it says. It has also published a plethora of resources to support its goals, including a “Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide” and resources detailing how to make inexpensive explosive devices and where to place them for maximum impact. The group’s social media X account describes itself as an “Anti-imperialist propaganda front bringing the war home & building the international popular cradle of resistance.” It’s also calling for ongoing violence on college campuses, saying, “An attack on one of us is an attack on us all. Strike together.” Its call came in response to a post stating, “an escalation at one university should spark escalations at other universities. an escalation inside universities should spark escalations outside universities. We’re in this together and need to act like it.” Under federal law, 18 U.S. Code § 2331, domestic terrorism is defined as any activity that “involves acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws” and includes the intent “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population” or “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion,” Rubio notes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also considers a domestic terrorism plot “as a combination of criminal activity and planning that collectively reflect steps toward criminal action in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal,” he said in his letter to Garland. “When comparing Unity of Fields’ own statements and actions to existing government standards for investigating these threats, I believe Unity of Fields should be investigated for any violations of the law before additional harm or actions jeopardizes the United States or its citizens,” Rubio said. “By rejecting nonviolent means and fully embracing revolutionary and insurgent related tactics as a means of pursuing its hateful beliefs, Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system and endangers citizens.” The post Rubio Calls on DOJ to Investigate Pro-Hamas Domestic Terrorist Group appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A Christian in Somalia has refused to denounce Jesus even after being violently attacked three times by Islamic relatives for his faith, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Constitutionally, an Islamic state whose government forbids the propagation of other religions, A former Muslim who accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, Mohammad Abdul of the Lower Juba Region in southern Somalia had been praying and worshipping in his home on October 5 when four Muslim relatives arrived and interrogated him, MSN reports. “Why are you worshipping differently from the Muslim way? What is so unique about your worship? Why do you close yourself in the room while praying?” they asked. Abdul told MSN that he responded, “My praying is a secret between me and my Lord Isa [Jesus], and more so, why should I pray in public? This is just a way to please men, but in my time of worship, I should please only God, who is in the heavenly places.” “Isa (Jesus) who saved me knows my heart, and I am happy in my heart, so leave me alone,” Abdul said in response to his relatives’ demands that he return to Islam. The relatives then attacked him, hitting him with a blunt object, fracturing his hand, and inflicting cuts to his face. “You can beat me up more if you want, but I can tell you that Isa has saved me. Whether I die or not, I live to serve him,” Abdul told his relatives amid the attack. Notably, Abdul told MSN, that one of his relatives said as they left him bleeding: “Since you love God, may He then lead you to the right path.” Abdul had previously survived a knife attack by his relatives in May and a further violent assault which left him with a head wound in July. His relatives have also attacked his wife, breaking her ankle, and have beaten his children, MSN reports. In a 2024 statement about the dire situation facing Christians in Somalia, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports: “Somali society is overwhelmingly conservative, and leaving Islam is regarded in many places as a betrayal of the Somali culture and clan. Christian converts face intense pressure from their family and local community, which can lead to harassment, intimidation, and even death. Even being suspected of converting from Islam to Christianity can lead to life-threatening danger.” Somalia ranks 2md on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post Somalia: Christian Convert Violently Attacked by Islamic Relatives, “You Can Beat Me Up, But Jesus Has Saved Me” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Often overcoming fear and suspicion, Christians in Lebanon are reaching out to help Shiite Muslims who have been displaced amid Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanese areas suspected of housing the Shiite Hezbollah terror group, Christianity Today reports exclusively. An estimated 1.2 million out of Lebanon’s population of six million people have now been displaced. Most of those displaced are Shiite Muslims who are viewed with suspicion for possible involvement with Hezbollah. “Within these realities, Christians are eager—and cautious—to help. Gospel commitments and national solidarity require hospitality,” CT said in its report. “Sectarian guardedness encourages suspicion. And Israel’s bombing campaign creates fear that welcoming the displaced might make them a target. Many are helping anyway,” CT noted. Granting anonymity for security reasons, CT spoke with the pastor of a southern Lebanese church that is currently sheltering 100 people. “This is our message: to show love in action as we lead people to Christ,” the church’s pastor said. “As they receive, we teach them to give.” A local assistance coordinator, a member of the Druze Muslim community, told CT: “The church is number one in providing help, while some other groups say they are helping but are mostly just talk.” The post “This Is Our Message: To Show Love In Action,” Lebanese Christians Reach Out To Shiite Muslims appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – A nearly year-long investigation into ActBlue, a Democratic Party online donation platform, alleges a large number of suspicious donations have been made, resulting in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioning the Federal Election Commission to get involved. On Monday, Paxton petitioned the FEC to consider implementing new regulations to prevent straw donations from being made on online political fundraising platforms. Since launching the investigation, Paxton said it’s been publicly reported that potentially fraudulent transactions have occurred on political committee online platforms. “Certain platforms appear to facilitate straw donor transactions, where a contributor disguises his identity by attributing his contribution to another, unaware person,” the petition states. Alleged straw donations are being made through the use of prepaid credit cards, which he says “are a favorite tool of fraudsters.” Paxton’s office launched an investigation into ActBlue in December to determine if the platform’s operations were compliant with all applicable laws. In response to the investigation, Act Blue implemented a new measure in August requiring donors using credit cards to provide “CVV” codes. Paxton says this alone isn’t enough to prevent straw political donations from being made. The OAG’s investigation says it found a large number of suspicious donations that were made “through obscured identities and untraceable means,” necessitating FEC action. Through the use of prepaid cards it “appears that straw donations are systematically being made using false identities, through untraceable payment methods,” Paxton said. Texas’ FEC petition includes partially redacted findings from the OAG’s investigation and recommends that the FEC implement regulations to close fundraising loopholes “that jeopardize American election integrity.” The FEC previously considered implementing such regulations, which ActBlue vocally opposed. ActBlue’s opposition “is no longer tenable” in light of Texas’ investigation, Paxton said. “If not corrected by the FEC, bad actors can – with trivial ease – illegally funnel foreign money into American elections, exceed political contribution limits, and more.” “Our investigation into ActBlue has uncovered facts indicating that bad actors can illegally interfere in American elections by disguising political donations,” Paxton said. “It is imperative that the FEC close off the avenues we have identified by which foreign contributions or contributions in excess of legal limits could be unlawfully funneled to political campaigns, bypassing campaign finance regulations and compromising our electoral system. I am calling on the FEC to immediately begin rulemaking to secure our elections from any criminal actors exploiting these vulnerabilities.” ActBlue says it’s raised more than $15.8 billion online since 2004. In the third quarter of fiscal 2024, it says “6.9 million unique donors gave over 31 million contributions to 18,396 campaigns and organizations, totaling over $1.5 billion.” “This quarter was the largest in ActBlue history,” it said. Donors gave small amounts totaling $4.2 million to pro-abortion organizations in the quarter, a more than 208% increase from Q3 of 2020. They also gave small amounts totaling more than $5 million to pro-gun control groups, a 48% increase from the same period in 2020, it says. ActBlue notes that 67.4% of all contributions were made with a saved payment method or digital wallet; 71.8% were made from a mobile device, a 14.8% increase from the third fiscal quarter of 2020. “The record-breaking surge of small-dollar donations in Q3 2024 has clearly demonstrated the power of grassroots energy in shaping America’s political landscape,” ActBlue said. “As the Democratic Party heads into the final stretch of the campaign, these contributions are fueling races across the country, from local contests to the presidential election. Democrats are positioned to fight for victory in November, driven by this commitment and enthusiasm.” Last month, U.S. House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. raised concerns with the Treasury Secretary that ActBlue was being used to evade campaign finance laws, The Center Square reported. The federal and Texas investigations were launched after U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, demanded answers from the FEC in April 2023 about ActBlue’s “schemes to garner illegal campaign donations.” Rubio cited reports saying that “numerous individuals, including senior citizens, have purportedly donated to ActBlue thousands of times a year” but many “had no idea that their names and addresses were being used to give thousands of dollars in political donations, with most of these ‘donations’ going to ActBlue. It should come as no surprise that ActBlue serves as a vessel for fraud, considering the intentional lack of security engrained within their donation processes and systems.” Over the last several months, ActBlue has argued that small donations represent “a new standard for grassroots political engagement. Donors from across the nation showed incredible generosity and a new sense of energy and momentum in electing Democrats up and down the ballot.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post AG Paxton: Texas Investigation Into ActBlue Uncovers Suspicious Donations appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to attend the two-day BRICS summit which begins today (October 22) in Kazan, Russia. BRICS is an intergovernmental geopolitical bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2009, the bloc meets annually to discuss and coordinate multilateral, mutually beneficial policies. Russia took over the presidency of the bloc on January 1, 2024, and is therefore hosting this year’s conference. Abbas’ invitation to represent the Palestinians at this year’s summit came after he made an official visit to Moscow on August 12. “We have discussed our vision regarding the possible development of events in the nearest future and what it could lead to during such complicated times,” Abbas said in a statement about his talks with Putin this summer. “We have certainly also discussed bilateral relations, because we enjoy a very long-standing strategic relationship with Russia,” Abbas said. “This is why we have discussed bilateral ties between Russia and Palestine, the relations that we always support solidly both during the personal meetings as well as at the level of telephone conversations. We have discussed perspectives for their further development.” “We have also discussed BRICS. We have reached a verbal agreement that Palestine would be invited [to attend this forum] in the ‘outreach’ format,” Abbas stated. The post Putin Invites Palestinian Authority Leader to BRICS Summit appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – 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. During a Tuesday press conference in Beirut, Hezbollah media chief Mohammed Afif claimed the Iranian-backed group’s “full, complete, and exclusive responsibility for the Caesarea operation.” “If we didn’t reach you this time, we will the next. Between us lie the days, nights, and the battlefield,” Afif added. Reports indicate the attack involved three drones, one of which struck a bedroom window at Netanyahu’s Caesarea residence. Neither Netanyahu nor his wife, Sara, were home at the time. “The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday. “This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies to secure our future.” Netanyahu issued a stern warning, saying, “I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price.” The Saudi state-owned Al-Hadath news channel reported Tuesday that diplomatic officials at Iran’s embassy in Lebanon were directly involved in the assassination attempt on Netanyahu. Quoting sources, the channel stated that Israel confirmed Iranian involvement in launching the attack drone. “Officials in Iran’s embassy in Beirut are involved in an attempted assassination of Netanyahu,” Al-Hadath reported. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, former President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis all condemned the attack on Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s Office stated on Monday. The post Israel Confirms Hezbollah Drone Strikes Netanyahu’s Residence appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israel’s strike on branches of a Hezbollah-linked bank intensified efforts to dismantle the financial and social networks sustaining the terrorist group’s control over Lebanon. Israel also revealed that former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s bunker, hidden beneath a hospital in Beirut’s Dahieh district, contains gold and $500 million in cash, which it aims to redirect Hezbollah’s hidden funds to aid in Lebanon’s reconstruction. The IDF revealed that Sunday’s Operation Robin Hood targeted nearly 30 Hezbollah financial centers across Lebanon. For years, Hezbollah has operated a shadow financial network heavily funded by Iran. The IDF announced it has continued striking Hezbollah positions across Lebanon, hitting around 300 targets within the past 24 hours. On Sunday, Israel targeted branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH), a financial firm registered as a charity but accused by Israel of profiting from Lebanese civilians to fund Hezbollah. The U.S. has long sanctioned AQAH, alleging it serves as a front for Hezbollah’s financial activities and provides access to the global financial system. “The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of precise strikes on these Hezbollah financial strongholds,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari announced Monday evening. Hagari accused Hezbollah of exploiting Lebanon’s financial crisis, with its income heavily reliant on Iranian funding and local civilians. He detailed how Hezbollah moves cash through Syria, including sending “suitcases of cash and gold” to Iran’s embassy in Beirut, and operates factories in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Turkey to finance terrorist operations. “This Iranian money is not only used to kill Israelis but also threatens Lebanon’s economy. As Hezbollah smuggles Iranian dollars into the country, it devalues the Lebanese pound, worsening Lebanon’s economic crisis,” he explained. “One of our main targets last night was an underground vault with tens of millions of dollars in cash and gold. The money was being used to finance Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel,” Hagari added. However, Hagari also disclosed the location of another bunker that the IAF chose not to strike due to its position beneath Al-Sahel Hospital. “Tonight, I am declassifying intelligence on a site we did not target – a bunker holding millions of dollars in gold and cash, belonging to Hassan Nasrallah. Where is it located? Directly under Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut,” Hagari revealed. Highlighting Lebanon’s ongoing financial crisis, Hagari emphasized that the funds in the bunker should be used to rebuild the country. “According to the estimates we have, there is at least half a billion dollars in dollar bills and gold stored in this bunker,” he said. “This money could and still can be used to rebuild the state of Lebanon.” “There are hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold inside the bunker right now,” Hagari continued. “I’m calling on the Lebanese government, Lebanese authorities, and the international organizations, don’t – don’t – allow Hezbollah to use the money for terror and to attack Israel.” https://www.worthynews.com/wordpressimages/2024/10/israel-targets-hezbollah-banks.mp4 The post Israel Targets Hezbollah’s Finances, Strangling the Terrorist Organization (Video) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIJING (Worthy News) – China launched live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday or ordered the army to prepare for war as U.S. and Canadian warships sailed through the troubled waterway. Beijing made clear that the military exercises come after two days earlier the USS Higgins, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, and HMCS Vancouver, a Halifax-class frigate, transitted through the strait. The Chinese government called it a “disturbing the situation and undermining peace and stability” in the region. Yet the U.S. Pacific Command said Sunday that the ships were on a “routine Taiwan Strait transit through waters where high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.” Cross-strait tensions have heightened in recent weeks after Beijing conducted blockade drills around Taiwan, the self-ruled island. Those exercises, code-named Joint Sword-2024B, followed a speech by the democratically-ruled island’s President Lai Ching-te on October 10 to commemorate the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. ‘PROVOKING HOSTILITY’ Lai said that Beijing “has no authority” to represent democratically-governed Taiwan and that the two sides “are not subordinate to each other.” This quickly drew criticisms from Beijing, which accused Lai of “provoking hostility and confrontation.” Four days later, China’s Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) carried out Joint Sword-2024B in what it called “a warning against ‘separatist acts’”. China has refused to recognize Taiwan’s independence and has not ruled out force to annex the territory. The one-day drill, which involved its navy, air force, rocket force, and coastguard, drew concerned calls for restraint from the United States, Japan, Britain, and the European Union. China’s latest live-fire exercises occur in a limited area in the waters near Niushan Island from 9 am to 1 pm, according to Chinese officials. STRATEGIC LOCATION Located strategically east of Pingtan Island, Niushan Island is only 165 kilometers (102 miles) from Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Observers said it is also the closest point between mainland China and the main island of Taiwan, hosting China’s giant lighthouse in the region. Ships would be prohibited from entering the area, China warned, a move that was likely to be closely watched by the West. Earlier, China’s President Xi Jinping said the military should “comprehensively strengthen training and preparation for war, (and) ensure troops have solid combat capabilities,” Worthy News reported Monday. Xi stressed in remarks shared by Chinese state media that soldiers should “enhance their strategic deterrent and combat capability. ” A possible armed confrontation between Taiwan and China would add to a long menu of armed conflicts requiring Western attention, ranging from fighting in the Middle East to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The post China Launches Live-Fire Drills Near Taiwan appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK, USA (Worthy News) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris faced a backlash on Monday after she pressured devoted Christian students to leave a campaign rally last week. Two college students from the U.S. state of Wisconsin told broadcaster Fox News they were doing “God’s work” by going “into the lion’s den” and shouting “pro-life, Christian messages” Harris during a rally on their university’s campus. “We got a lot of backlash,” Grant Beth, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior, said. “I was pushed by an elderly woman. We were heckled at, we were cursed at, we were mocked, and that’s the biggest thing for me personally. In reflection of the event, Jesus was mocked. You know, his disciples were mocked, and that’s okay. In reality, we did God’s work, and we were there for the right reasons, and God is watching us in this moment.” He added, “I’m all about being a cordial person no matter your beliefs, but I do believe that we were sent there by God.” Vice President Harris held a rally on UW-La Crosse’s campus last Thursday, where she spoke about the economy and bettering the lives of middle-class Americans. “Reproductive freedom,” seen by critics as a code term for abortion, came up as she pledged to the crowd, “When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly, proudly sign it into law.” She also criticized former U.S. President Donald J. Trump for deliberately “hand-selecting” three Supreme Court justices with the ultimate goal of overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling that enabled abortions nationwide. REMARKS CONDEMNED Luke Polaske, another UW-La Crosse junior, condemned the remarks made by Harris, decrying abortion as a “sacrament to Satan.” “When I said that, I deeply believe that as a Christian,” he said. “About ten seconds go by, and that’s when the video of my friend Grant and I are proclaiming that ‘Christ is Lord’ and ‘Jesus is king’… [that’s] when we said that.” In video footage of the rally, the air is rife with commotion as Beth and Polaske’s voices are heard shouting the phrases. Harris paused her speech, turned her attention to the crowd, and said, “You guys are at the wrong rally.” She continued as the crowd roared, “I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.” Polaske offered a vivid account of the incident from his perspective, stating that he and Beth were approximately 20 to 30 yards (meters) away from Harris in the small venue. In detailing the encounter, he described his perceived interaction with the vice president. “There’s a lot of controversy that says she wasn’t talking to us or [that] we left. We didn’t get kicked out. Well, I can speak on Grant and I’s behalf,” he said. PUSHING STUDENT “On video, Grant’s getting pushed and shoved, and there’s about five seconds before she tells us to go to a small rally down the street. You can see in the video that she waves. She was actually waving to me. I took this cross off my neck that I wear and, as we were getting asked to leave, I held it up in the air and waved at her and pointed at her, and she looked directly in the eye, kind of gave me an evil smirk.” “I just want to clear that up and confirm that she 100 percent was talking to us.” Their words were music to the ears of U.S. Senator JD Vance, who appeared pleased when, at his Wisconsin rally, someone shouted, “Jesus is King!” during his speech on Sunday afternoon. Vance echoed the attendee and repeated the exact phrase – a different approach than Vice President Harris seemed to take last week. Vance shared that, while he doesn’t talk about his faith often, he returned to his Christian faith as a young man and is a devout Christian. He said he was baptized in 2019. “I say this as a Christian, as a person who was baptized for the first time just a few years ago. There is something really bizarre with Kamala Harris’ anti-Christian rhetoric and anti-Christian approach to public policy,” Vance explained. As he continued speaking about faith and politics, he was interrupted by an attendee who shouted, “Jesus is King.” “That’s right. Jesus is King,” Vance responded. FEEDING DORITOS Vance then addressed a viral video of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer wearing a Harris-Walz campaign hat while feeding Doritos to a kneeling podcast host in what some critics said made “a mockery of a sacred Christian rite.” “I don’t think that we’ve seen anything like this in modern American politics,” Vance said. “Gretchen Whitmer does this really bizarre thing where she acts like she’s given somebody communion, but it’s a Dorito. And, of course, Gretchen Whitmer isn’t like a minister of anything except for, you know, a church I don’t necessarily want to talk about, but think about how sacrilegious that is and think about how offensive that is to every person.” He added, “Frankly, whether you’re a person of Christian faith or not, Donald Trump and I are going to fight for your right to live your values because that’s what the First Amendment protects.” Vance said, “Whether you’re a Christian, a Catholic, or any other faith or no faith at all, when you see an American leader, when you see a surrogate of Kamala Harris insulting people of the Christian faith, I think that we should say to every single one of those people: ‘you’re fired!’ We’re not giving you any more power.” Harris did not immediately respond to the criticism. The post Harris Facing Backlash Over ‘Bashing’ Christian Faith 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) – Hungarian anti-terror police have prevented an armed attack on October 23 when Hungary commemorates its 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination, after a tip-off from the U.S. Secret Service, sources said Monday. The Hungarian Counter-Terrorism Centre announced that its forces raided a pub in Budapest, the capital, “where young people were planning an armed attack.” The six detained youngsters included boys and girls, although none of them were found to be carrying lethal weapons at the time, intelligence sources said. The Legenda Pub, where the raid took place, added in published remarks that “the young people were on their way when they were caught near the entrance” by police forces. “We weren’t even informed about it.” The weekend raid confirmed Monday came just days before October 23, when mass rallies are expected from government supporters and the growing opposition to remember the 1956 revolution. It began on October 23, 1956, with a few hundred university students protesting against Soviet repression, and snowballed to 200,000 protesters on the streets, with people rising around the country. They demanded an end to one-party rule and appealed for press freedom and democracy. But 19 days later, some 100,000 Russian soldiers and thousands of tanks rolled into town and, in a bloody fusillade, devastated democratic hopes for another 35 years. HIGH ALERT Hungary, which became a democracy after dropping communism in 1989, is now among European nations on high alert for possible terror attacks. The terror threats have been linked to the armed conflict in the Middle East involving Israel and Iran’s proxies, as well as the war in neighboring Ukraine. Additionally, political and social tensions have been rising in Hungary, which faces significant economic challenges. Hungary, a member of the European Union and NATO military alliance, has experienced few terrorist or armed attacks since the 1990s. Last year, police detained two German citizens, an Italian and a Hungarian, for allegedly attacking people in the Hungarian capital who they perceived as far-right. One of them, Ilaria Salis, a 39-year-old teacher, was recently released after she successfully ran for the European Parliament, granting her immunity. In 2016, a Budapest bombing occurred when a young man detonated a nail bomb to kill two patrolling police officers. A policeman and a policewoman suffered injuries but survived the attack. NAZI-SYMPATHIZERS Earlier in 2008 and 2009, Nazi sympathizers obtained firearms and Molotov cocktails after using them in numerous attacks against Hungarian Gypsies, who preferred to be known as Roma, killing six people. In 2004, Hungarian police said they prevented a terrorist attack on a Jewish museum in the capital and arrested three suspects of Arab origin. The police raids came as then Israeli President Moshe Katsav arrived in Hungary for a three-day visit. In 1991, a bomb exploded in Hungary as a busload of 28 Soviet Jews passed by on their way to the Budapest airport for a plane to Israel. Jewish officials and authorities said two police escorts and six passengers were injured. Prosecutors linked the bombing to a pro-Palestinian group called the “Movement for the Liberation of Jerusalem.” A German court said terrorist Andrea Klump must serve additional time in jail for aiding in the 1991 attack. The post Hungary’s Anti-Terror Police Prevents Armed Attack appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, don't neglect your huppah! Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. One beautiful correlation when celebrating Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) is recognizing its connection to marriage, specifically pointing to our future union with God. This festival not only commands us to rejoice, but it also carries deep symbolism that mirrors the joy and intimacy of a wedding celebration. The tradition of celebrating under a huppah—a canopy used in Jewish weddings—bears striking resemblance to building a Sukkah for the feast. Just as the huppah represents a covering and covenant between a bride and groom, the Sukkah symbolizes God’s sheltering presence and our anticipation of dwelling in perfect unity with Him. The word "huppah" means "covering" but also, a "chamber" or "marriage room". So the canopy is a reminder that the marriage chamber is the most important room in the house for a husband and wife because it's the most intimate room. The huppah emphasizes marital intimacy and reminds us that even if we have the most luxurious mansion in the world, neglecting the place of intimacy spells deep trouble for our marriage. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians he says this: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church." In another place he says; "For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." In some profound and mystical way our relationship to Yeshua (Jesus) is powerfully portrayed by the marriage relationship between a man and a woman. This means that we have been created and redeemed for intimacy with our Lord. He deeply desires us to be close with Him just as a husband desires his wife. Without a place of intimacy, our relationship will become dull, stagnant and eventually turn cold and lifeless. Our spirituality will also become ritualistic, performance oriented and deeply discontented. This is not the Lord's will, desire, or intention for us. Friend, renew the place of intimacy with the Lord during this feast of Sukkot, your spiritual "huppah", with your Heavenly Husband; it's the place where the fire of love burns – He's waiting for you! 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 China Launches Live-Fire Drills Near Taiwan China launched live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday or ordered the army to prepare for war as U.S. and Canadian warships sailed through the troubled waterway. Hungary’s Anti-Terror Police Prevents Armed Attack Hungarian anti-terror police have prevented an armed attack on October 23 when Hungary commemorates its 1956 Revolution against Soviet domination, after a tip-off from the U.S. Secret Service, sources said Monday. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israel Reports Destruction of 70% of Hezbollah’s Rocket Arsenal and Elimination of 2,000 Terrorists The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that Hezbollah’s firepower has been reduced to 30% of its original strength since October 8 of last year, when the terrorist organization began launching rockets into northern Israel. Since the ground operation in Lebanon began in September, the IDF has killed approximately 1,200 Hezbollah terrorists, raising the total to around 2,000 since the start of the war. U.S. Missile Defense Battery Deployed in Israel U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Monday that the U.S. military has swiftly deployed its advanced THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system to Israel, where it is now "in place" and ready to supplement Israel's robust missile defense network. Inside the United States Harris Facing Backlash Over ‘Bashing’ Christian Faith U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris faced a backlash on Monday after she pressured devoted Christian students to leave a campaign rally last week. Helene and Milton Poised to Join Ranks of Costliest Storms, Each Likely to Cause $50 Billion in Damage Hurricanes Helene and Milton are each expected to surpass $50 billion in damages, placing them among the most destructive storms in history alongside Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey. Hurricane Milton Caused $1.5 Billion to $2.5 Billion in Damages to Florida’s Agriculture Sector Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) announced last week that Hurricane Milton caused an estimated $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion in damages to the state’s crops and agricultural infrastructure, Reuters reports. Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on October 9, storming through 51 counties, 34 of which were declared disaster areas, wreaking devastation through fierce winds and flooding. Christian News Sudan: Christian Refugees Arbitrarily Arrested and Detained by Military Caught in the crosshairs of the raging civil war in Sudan, a group of male Christian refugees were arbitrarily arrested and detained by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Military Intelligence unit in Shendi, River Nile State, between October 12-13, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Thousands of Churches Partner to Reach Zambia with the Gospel The US-based evangelistic Luis Palau Association partnered with 4,900 churches to hold a three-day Gospel festival in Zambia that reached nearly half a million people, Christian Daily International. Coalition of Churches Seeks to Reach Australians with the Gospel A large coalition of churches has launched a new initiative to share the Gospel across Australia as the number of Australians who identify as Christians is declining at a significant rate, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports. A network of more than 260 churches, the Reach Australia association hopes to plant 300 churches nationwide by 2030. Worthy Watch Pro-Life Students Interviewed After Being Kicked Out of Harris Rally Pro-Life Students testify about being kicked out for Harris campaign after yelling, "Jesus is Lord!" Worthy Insights ‘Deadly Serious Breach’: Classified US Docs on Israel Reach Iranian News Entity, Signaling Jewish State ‘Can’t Trust Washington’ The Biden-Harris administration is investigating a "deadly serious breach" of classified U.S. intelligence detailing Israeli plans for a strike on Iran, the latest in a series of targeted leaks against Israel that has put America’s closest Middle East ally on edge, according to current and former U.S. officials. Full-Dress Kohen Sighted on Temple Mount The Temple Institute announced a remarkable development that brought Israel one step closer to the Third Temple. For the first time since the Temple stood in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, a kohen (male descendant of Biblical Aaron the High Priest) ascended to the Temple Mount wearing the Biblically mandated Kohanic garments. While on the mount, the Kohen joined in a prayer quorum and gave the priestly blessing to those gathered. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that Hezbollah’s firepower has been reduced to 30% of its original strength since October 8 of last year, when the terrorist organization began launching rockets into northern Israel. Since the ground operation in Lebanon began in September, the IDF has killed approximately 1,200 Hezbollah terrorists, raising the total to around 2,000 since the start of the war. The IDF reported striking approximately 3,200 Hezbollah targets during the war, including hundreds of weapons depots, rocket launchers, anti-tank positions, terrorist infrastructure, and command headquarters. Hezbollah is reportedly struggling to bring in reinforcements to counter the five IDF divisions operating in southern Lebanon, while the seizure of weapons by the IDF has further limited the group’s ability to carry out attacks. The IDF also noted that the elimination of Hezbollah’s leadership, including numerous field commanders, has significantly disrupted its plans for large-scale rocket strikes. Among the dead are seven brigade-level commanders, 21 battalion-level commanders, and around two dozen company commanders. The IDF intends to conclude its operations in southern Lebanon within the next few weeks, aiming to neutralize the threat of a Hezbollah incursion along the border. Israeli military officials emphasize that dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure and securing the region is critical to ensuring long-term stability and preventing future attacks. Once the area is deemed safe and the risk of further conflict is eliminated, residents of northern Israel—many of whom were forced to evacuate due to the hostilities—will be able to safely return to their homes and resume their normal lives. The IDF has stated that restoring security to the border region is a top priority, as it will allow displaced families to rebuild their communities and bring much-needed relief to an area that has been under constant threat for years. The post Israel Reports Destruction of 70% of Hezbollah’s Rocket Arsenal and Elimination of 2,000 Terrorists appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Hurricanes Helene and Milton are each expected to surpass $50 billion in damages, placing them among the most destructive storms in history alongside Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey. Over the past 45 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recorded 396 weather disasters, each causing at least $1 billion in damage when adjusted for inflation. Of these, 63 were hurricanes or tropical storms. “The $50 billion mark defines truly historic events,” said Adam Smith, economist and meteorologist at NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information in Helene-hit Asheville, North Carolina. So far, only eight hurricanes have reached that threshold, but Smith believes Milton and Helene have a strong chance of joining the list. Andrew became the first $50 billion hurricane in 1992, followed by Katrina 13 years later and Sandy seven years after that. With Helene and Milton, the U.S. will have seen seven such costly storms in just seven years. These disasters follow a record-breaking 28 billion-dollar weather events in the U.S. during 2023, surpassing the previous high of 22 events set in 2020. Last year, marked the most billion-dollar disasters ever recorded in a single year. The post Helene and Milton Poised to Join Ranks of Costliest Storms, Each Likely to Cause $50 Billion in Damage appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News)— U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Monday that the U.S. military has swiftly deployed its advanced THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system to Israel, where it is now “in place” and ready to supplement Israel’s robust missile defense network. President Joe Biden stated that the deployment of the THAAD system, along with approximately 100 U.S. soldiers, aims to support Israel as it considers retaliatory action against Iran, following Tehran’s launch of over 180 missiles at Israel on October 1. “The THAAD system is in place,” Austin said Monday before arriving in Ukraine. While he didn’t confirm if it was operational, he noted, “We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly, and we’re on pace with our expectations.” However, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday evening that the missile defense battery was now operational, citing two Israeli sources. Meanwhile, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya outlet, quoting its own sources, claimed that three batteries were active. Meanwhile, Austin told reporters Monday, “It’s hard to say exactly what [Israel’s] strike will look like,” emphasizing, “At the end of the day, that’s an Israeli decision, and whether the Israelis see it as proportional and how the Iranians perceive it may be two different things.” He added, “We’re going to continue doing everything we can… to dial down tensions and hopefully get both parties to de-escalate. So, we’ll see what happens.” In recent days, a leak of highly classified Pentagon documents surfaced on Telegram, revealing details about Israel’s preparations for a potential retaliatory strike against Iran. The leak has sparked widespread speculation about how much sensitive information Israel might be willing to share with the Biden administration moving forward. Given the strategic nature of the operation, questions are emerging about the extent of coordination between the two allies and whether Israel might withhold key operational details to maintain autonomy in its military decisions. The situation has further fueled debates about trust, intelligence-sharing protocols, and how the U.S. may respond if diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran fail. The post U.S. Missile Defense Battery Deployed in Israel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

(Worthy News) – Caught in the crosshairs of the raging civil war in Sudan, a group of male Christian refugees were arbitrarily arrested and detained by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Military Intelligence unit in Shendi, River Nile State, between October 12-13, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Other, non-Christians, were among the 26 men arrested and detained by the SAF, but most of the arrestees are members of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in Al Ezba, Khartoum North, CSW reports. Fourteen of the men were subsequently released, but the remaining 12 are in prison. “[The Christians] were forced to flee along with their families as fighting between the SAF and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified in the city. They were among 100 SCOC members who fled to Shendi in October,” CSW says in its report. “At the time of the arrests, the officers separated the men, women, and children, and all males over the age of 18 were detained. Those detained have not been allowed visits from family members or from their lawyers, and have not been formally charged with any crimes,” CSW reports. Noting that the men are being held by the Almudada Unit of Military Intelligence, a unit that is known for using torture against its detainees, CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said in a statement: “We are deeply concerned by the arrest and detention of these men, who simply sought refuge for themselves and their families, yet have been subjected to unjust detention, unwarranted assaults and interrogation.” Chronically war-torn Muslim-majority Sudan ranks 8th on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post Sudan: Christian Refugees Arbitrarily Arrested and Detained by Military appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) announced last week that Hurricane Milton caused an estimated $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion in damages to the state’s crops and agricultural infrastructure, Reuters reports. Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on October 9, storming through 51 counties, 34 of which were declared disaster areas, wreaking devastation through fierce winds and flooding. According to the DACS preliminary report published on October 17, storm damage severely affected the majority of Florida’s citrus-growing counties and the dairy cattle cotton, peanuts, rice, blueberry, strawberry, and tropical fruits sectors. “Most of these losses are due to fruit drop, damage to branches, and impacts from heavy precipitation and flooding. Growers are also reporting heavy infrastructure damage, and there are major concerns of flood-caused tree mortality in the near-future,” DACS said. “Minor to catastrophic damages” were expected in cotton, peanut, and rice areas, DACS said. Dairy and cattle operations were also severely hit with “significant infrastructure damages,” DACS said, adding that storm power outages had disrupted cow milking and production. DACS said further reports with more complete assessments of the damage caused and the costs incurred would be forthcoming as the information comes in, Reuters reports. The post Hurricane Milton Caused $1.5 Billion to $2.5 Billion in Damages to Florida’s Agriculture Sector appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) announced last week that Hurricane Milton caused an estimated $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion in damages to the state’s crops and agricultural infrastructure, Reuters reports. Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on October 9, storming through 51 counties, 34 of which were declared disaster areas, wreaking devastation through fierce winds and flooding. According to the DACS preliminary report published on October 17, the majority of Florida’s citrus-growing counties, and the dairy cattle cotton, peanuts, rice, blueberry, strawberry, and tropical fruits sectors, were severely affected by storm damage. “Most of these losses are due to fruit drop, damage to branches, and impacts from heavy precipitation and flooding. Growers are also reporting heavy infrastructure damage, and there are major concerns of flood-caused tree mortality in the near-future,” DACS said. “Minor to catastrophic damages” were expected in cotton, peanut and rice areas, DACS said. Dairy and cattle operations were also severely hit with “significant infrastructure damages,” DACS said, adding that storm power outages had disrupted cow milking and production. DACS said further reports with more complete assessments of the damage caused and the costs incurred would be forthcoming as the information comes in, Reuters reports. The post tHurricane Milton Caused $1.5 Billion to $2.5 Billion in Damages to Florida’s agriculture sector appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The US-based evangelistic Luis Palau Association partnered with 4,900 churches to hold a three-day Gospel festival in Zambia that reached nearly half a million people, Christian Daily International. Founded more than 60 years ago to “proclaim the Good News, unite the Church, and impact cities worldwide,” the Luis Palau Association shares the Gospel through, among other things, hosting evangelistic festivals to share the Good News in cities around the world. This year, following five months of groundwork featuring Gospel events held by the Association and its partner churches at local prisons, medical clinics, sports clinics, school outreaches, and more, the three-day Gospel festival was held in Zambia’s capital city of Lusaka. Titled the Love Zambia Festival, the event took place at the National Heroes Stadium between September 13-15, CDI reports. “It was such a receptive group (the inmates),” evangelist Andrew Palau attests in a post on the Luis Palau Facebook page. They are engaged in the Gospel message and actively dancing to the worship music. These crowds can be tough, but in this group, you could feel a sense of joy as they laughed and joked, fully tuned in to the message.” The Zambia initiative reportedly reached more than 374,900 people in person with the Good News and led more than 154,600 people toward a personal commitment to Jesus Christ, CDI said. The post Thousands of Churches Partner to Reach Zambia with the Gospel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

(Worthy News) – A large coalition of churches has launched a new initiative to share the Gospel across Australia as the number of Australians who identify as Christians is declining at a significant rate, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports. A network of more than 260 churches, the Reach Australia association hopes to plant 300 churches nationwide by 2030. Reach Australia launched its initiative in response to reports confirmed by the Australian Census that an increasing number of Australians consider themselves of no religion, CDI reports. In 2021 the Census showed that just 44% of Australians identify as Christian, a decrease of 8% from 2016. Addressing a gathering at Reach Australia’s national conference in May, Derek Hanna, director of Plant, confirmed the association has already planted 145, leaving 155 churches to be planted by 2030 to reach the coalition’s stated aim. “You might be thinking that’s impossible but we are sitting in a room where every one of us believes God raised Jesus from the dead,” Hanna asserted. “That’s impossible! Every one of us is convinced that we were dead but we are now alive in Christ.” “The lie is, ‘We believe in a God who can but probably won’t,’” Hanna added. “Look across this room. There are 1,300 people here this week across denominations with a shared Gospel conviction about reaching Australia,” he said. The post Coalition of Churches Seeks to Reach Australians with the Gospel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News SEOUL/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The West has expressed concern after South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence sources said North Korea is sending up to 12,000 soldiers to fight with Russia in Ukraine. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join the war based on intelligence information. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a Friday security meeting, saying the international community must respond with “all available means.” Spy sources said 1,500 troops have already arrived in Russia, but anonymous officials told South Korean media that the final figure joining the battle could be closer to 12,000. Footage reviewed by Worthy News provided by the government-linked SPRAVDI outlet purportedly showed Russia’s Sergievsky Training Ground with North Korean troops receiving Russian gear in preparation for deployment to Ukraine. Lines of Asian military men could be seen passing tables to sign up and pick up military belongings. The video footage could not be independently verified, but it confirmed reports that the first troops had arrived. THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS In recent days, Zelenskyy said, “From our intelligence, we’ve got information that North Korea sent tactical personnel and officers to Ukraine. They are preparing on their land 10,000 soldiers, but they haven’t moved them already to Ukraine or to Russia.” He spoke Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels after a European summit where he had come to defend his “victory plan.” Moscow denounced this as “fake news.” However, the reports come after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Russia last year for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two men bolstered their deepening ties at the summit with a secret arms deal. They also signed an agreement pledging that Russia and North Korea would help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country. Pyongyang’s ammunition shipments were vital in allowing Russian forces to advance in a grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine this summer, Western sources say. But it appears increasingly clear that the agreement went beyond supplying material. NORTH KOREANS KILLED North Koreans were among the dead after a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk last week, South Korean and Ukrainian officials said. It was not clear if they were military engineers or other forces. Observers say that while foreigners have fought as private mercenaries for Russia, North Koreans on the ground would mark the first time a foreign government has sent troops in uniform to support the battle. “This is the first step to world war,” Zelenskyy warned. Washington, too, said it is “highly concerned” about reports that North Korean soldiers have been deployed alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. However, it claimed it had so far been unable to verify the allegations made by South Korea and Ukraine. “We are highly concerned by reports of [North Korean] soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in remarks seen by Worthy News. “We are unable to confirm whether these reports are accurate, but if true, this would mark a dangerous development in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” he added. Savett said that such a move would “indicate Russia’s growing desperation” as it suffers “extraordinary casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine.” ‘NOT STRENGTH’ “If Russia is indeed forced to turn to [North Korea] for manpower, this would be a sign of desperation, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin,” Savett said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed, saying that if the participation of the North Korean military on the side of the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine were confirmed, it would demonstrate the Kremlin’s “level of desperation.” Russia has suffered massive losses since its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine — which many in the Kremlin reportedly expected to last just a few days. U.S. government sources say that Russia has been suffering more than 1,200 casualties a day in recent months. However, Ukraine, too, suffered heavy losses. Hundreds of thousands of people, many of them soldiers, are believed to have been killed or injured in Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War Two. North Koreans joining the battle were likely forced by the country’s autocratic leader, described as a ruthless dictator by refugees. Kim is known to have ordered the killings of perceived opponents. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people, including devoted Christians, are suffering in labor camps known for torture and executions, numerous sources say. Christian rights investigators also say that North Korea’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war will make it more difficult for Christians to escape as border controls have been further tightened. If a person is discovered to be a Christian in North Korea, they are either killed right away or taken to a labor camp as a political criminal, according to Christians. The country ranks number 1 in the annual World Watch List of 50 nations, where advocacy group Open Doors says Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ. The post North Korea Joins Russia’s Fight In Ukraine; West Concerned (Worthy News In-Depth) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIJING (Worthy News) – China’s president has ordered his military to prepare for war, a move closely watched by the United States and its allies. Xi Jinping commented while visiting a brigade of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force after Beijing staged large-scale military drills around Taiwan. Communist-run China views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has condemned Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as “separatist.” Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, but has also offered talks with China, which has stepped up military activities around Taiwan. Yet, in comments monitored by Worthy News, Xi appeared to be in no mood to talk. He said the military should “comprehensively strengthen training and preparation for war, (and) ensure troops have solid combat capabilities.” Xi stressed in remarks shared by Chinese state media that soldiers should “enhance their strategic deterrent and combat capability. ” COMMUNIST LEADERS Hid words underscored threats made by China’s communist leaders, who insisted they would not rule out using force to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control. In recent days, Beijing has already deployed fighter jets, drones, warships, and coast guard vessels to encircle Taiwan in its fourth round of large-scale war games around the democratic island over two years. Xi told Chinese media that his military must “strongly safeguard the country’s strategic security and core interests.” The dispute between China and Taiwan dates back to a civil war in which the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek were defeated by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters and fled to the island in 1949. China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since then. However, tensions have risen recently, and Beijing’s latest war rhetoric did little to ease them. The post China Prepares For War appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article