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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A street evangelist in eastern Uganda was hospitalized with head injuries and a broken hand after a mob of Islamists attacked him for sharing the Gospel earlier this month, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Christianity is legal in Uganda, although Islamic extremists in the country present a severe threat to believers. Evangelist Robertson Eriot was attacked on September 20 after he and fellow preacher Kefa Mukisa asked permission to enter the home of Islamic leader Sheikh Kalimu while preaching the Gospel house-to-house on the Busia-Kampala road, MSN reports. The two Christians were allowed into the house and began sharing the Gospel with members of the household when Kalimu overheard them and became angry, MSN reports. “Sheikh Kalimu who was inside the house heard our conversation – he was angered and came out furiously,” Mukisa told MSN. “He ordered his boys and other Muslims who had come for Islamic fellowship to come out of the room and to discipline us.” According to Mukisa, Kalimu shouted: “These are Christians who are out to convert our people to a wrong religion.” A number of people then gathered and shouted the jihadist slogan, “Allah Akbar [God is greater],” Mukisa added. Mukisa managed to escape and called local councillors and others to come and help Eriot who was trapped at Kalimu’s home. “We entered the homestead, and we found Eriot half-dead in a pool of blood,” Mukisa said. “We were able to rush him to the nearby clinic for treatment. Eriot suffered deep head injuries, a fractured left hand and bruises near the thigh of his right leg. He could have been hit with a blunt object and possibly a sharp object,” Mukisa said. The attack has been reported to police, MSN said. The post Uganda: Street Evangelist Severely Beaten for the Gospel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK, USA (Worthy News) – The mayor of New York vowed to fight corruption charges amid calls for his resignation after U.S. prosecutors presented their case against him. Eric Adams, who has led the world’s economic capital since 2022, spoke after an unsealed indictment showed that the charges against him included soliciting “illegal foreign donations,” bribery, and wire fraud. “My legal team is going to peruse the entire indictment,” added the mayor of America’s most populous city. “Based on what I read, it’s clear that if it’s campaign violations, I know I don’t violate the campaigns, right? If it’s foreign donors, I know I don’t take money from foreign donors,” Adams stressed. “I verbalized that to the team, both in writing and both in communication, and we will continue to do that. and we look forward to the legal team to handle this as I handle the city of New York and continue the success that we witnessed in the last two years and nine months … in New York.” According to the indictment, Adams’s alleged wrongdoing continued after he was sworn into office. It claims that a Turkish official “repeatedly” asked Adams not to make statements about the Armenian genocide during Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2022. The Day commemorates a series of massacres and starvation of an estimated 1.5 million, mainly Christian, Armenians by the Ottomans in 1915. TURKISH OFFICIAL “On April 21, 2022, the Turkish official messaged the Adams staffer, noting that Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day was approaching, and repeatedly asked the Adams staffer for assurances that Adams would not make any statement about the Armenian genocide,” the indictment noticed. “The Adams staffer confirmed that Adams would not make a statement about the Armenian genocide. Adams did not make such a statement.” The indictment also details expensive luxurious trips, some worth tens of thousands of dollars, often through Turkey. Yet he made clear he would not step down, calling the charges “lies.” “Now, if I am charged, many may say I should resign because I cannot manage the city while fighting the case. I can also understand how everyday New Yorkers would be concerned that I cannot do my job while I face accusations,” Adams told New Yorkers in a video message. “But I have been facing these lies for months since I began to speak out for all of you, and their investigation started – yet the city has continued to improve. Make no mistake: you elected me to lead this city – and lead it, I will.” Yet the indictment came as a setback for the self-declared tough-on-crime mayor who reintroduced a plain-clothed unit of police officers but also a “zero-tolerance” policy on homeless people sleeping in subway cars. The 64-year-old is also known for his publicly declared pro-Israel stance and condemnation of pro-Palestine protesters occupying universities. After the October 7 massacre of some 1,200 people in Israel by Hamas, he told a New York Stands With Israel rally: “Your fight is our fight. Your fight is our fight. And right here in New York, we have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. This is the place that our voices must raise and cascade throughout the entire country. We will not be all right until every person responsible for this act is held accountable. And we don’t have to pretend.” The post New York Mayor Vows To Fight Corruption Charges appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The US Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for the separation of church and state, has reported the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to the Internal Revenue Service for “illegal political campaigning.” The BGEA has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status which means that, under the Internal Revenue Code, it cannot “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” Addressing its concerns in a letter dated September 20, 2024, the FFRF calls on the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Billy Graham Association on the grounds that it promoted Republican candidate Donald Trump for president over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a special 2024 election issue of its Decision magazine. “In an opening letter, Franklin Graham [son of Billy Graham and CEO of BGEA] denigrates the Democratic party’s platform: Progressive, liberal thought and activism have so contaminated the mainstream of American life and culture that once-unthinkable abominations such as same-sex marriage, abortion on demand and transgender advocacy have become dogma in one major party’s platform,” the FFRF asserts in its September 20 letter to the IRS. “He then tells readers to “vote for candidates who best align with and stand for Biblical principles,”” the FFRF letter continues. “This is followed by a cherry-picked comparison between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump intended to encourage readers to vote for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.” The FFRF concludes by calling on the Internal Revenue Service to investigate BGEA’s “intervention in the election” and “ensure that the Association no longer receives the benefits of 501(c)(3) status.” The post Secular Group Asks IRS to Revoke Tax-Exempt Status of Billy Graham Evangelical Association for “Political Campaigning” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Making no mention of the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group that the Israelis have been battling since October 8, the United States, Britain, EU, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others on Wednesday called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire between “Lebanon and Israel” for diplomats to find a solution to the crisis. A Shia Islamist group founded after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Hezbollah was influenced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after Iran’s 1979 Revolution and is supported by the current Iranian regime. Although Hezbollah has a political wing with seats in the Lebanese parliament, the entire organization has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and other Western countries. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year, triggering the current war in Gaza, Hezbollah announced its solidarity with the Gaza Palestinians and has been firing thousands of rockets at northern Israel since October 8. After months of simmering tensions and cross-border fire, and some 60,000 Israelis having to evacuate their homes in the north, Israel recently ramped up the fight against Hezbollah to force it to stop its terrorist activity and allow Israeli civilians home. Now calling for an immediate ceasefire, the joint statement released by the White House late on Wednesday reads: “The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8th, 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation,” the joint statement said. “Thus we call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement,” it added. The post US, UK, and EU Call for Ceasefire Between “Israel and Lebanon,” No Mention of Hezbollah Terrorists appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, open your heart! Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: Talking to people about God has become a regular part of our lives. Between meeting people on the boards and in our chat rooms (which you should really come and visit at www.worthychristianforums.com!) and the opportunities which open up in our daily lives, we find ourselves sharing with people from all walks of life - unbelievers, new believers, people who have come and gone from the faith and back again. It's so typical of human nature to want all our questions answered before we decide to make any commitments, isn't it? We want proof that God is real and that the Bible is accurate. We want to know why sometimes those who call themselves Christians do awful things and how God could allow bad things to happen to good people. Sadly, as soon as we think all our questions are answered to satisfaction, undoubtedly more appear. It happens to the best of us. While they are numerous answers and proofs to these questions, we have come to realize that some things just can't be answered with our minds - they have to be answered with our hearts. The deepest faith doesn't come by getting all our questions answered - it comes simply when we open our hearts to the Lord and invite Him to search it through and through. Don't get me wrong, it's good to ask questions and be knowledgeable of our faith, but the fact of the matter is that there are some questions to which we won't find answers until we can see the Lord face to face and ask Him ourselves. Friend, regardless of whether we're new believers, old believers, or not yet believers at all, let all of us open our hearts to God today and ask Him to do a work in us. May you be blessed as the Lord reveals new and wonderful treasures to your hearts. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Baltimore, Maryland) 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: Worthy Chat is back! Join us for a special Worthy Chat Reunion tonight at 8 PM EST. 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 now booking in the following states. Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida! If you know Rabbis, Pastors or Leaders who might be interested in 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 ‘Russia Plotting Catastrophic Attacks On Ukraine’ Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, has accused Russia of plotting potentially catastrophic attacks on Ukrainian nuclear plants after Moscow rejected his peace plan. Argentina President Warns Of UN’s ‘Dictatorial’ Tendencies And ‘Anti-Israel’ Stance Argentina’s president has condemned the United Nations’ policies toward Israel and warned Wednesday that the U.N. is turning into a dictatorial monster pushing its will or ideology on the world population. China Test-Fires an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, “A Pretty Blunt Signal” Ahead of an expected call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Hezbollah Fires Missile At Tel Aviv Targeting Mossad (Worthy News Focus) Hezbollah confirmed it fired “a ballistic missile” toward the Tel Aviv area Wednesday, targeting the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they intercepted the rocket. Inside the United States Democrat Blocks Effort to Halt Funding NGOs Accused of Abusing Unaccompanied Minors Unlike other nonagenarians celebrating their 91-year-old birthday with family and friends and enjoying retirement, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley spent his birthday standing on the U.S. Senate floor for over 30 minutes advocating for thousands of abused and missing children. Government Shutdown Avoided as House, Senate Pass Stopgap Measure The second attempt to pass a temporary funding stopgap bill succeeded Wednesday in both the U.S. House and Senate, as Congress is set to leave town for six weeks. “Life-Threatening” Major Hurricane Helene is Headed for Florida, Gulf Coast, “Time Is Running Out to Prepare” Hurricane Helene, a major storm with “life-threatening impacts,” is expected to make a quick landfall in the United States on Thursday, September 26, Accu Weather reports. The hurricane is moving over the Gulf of Mexico, rapidly gaining strength. Christian News Mali: Christians Are Given an Ultimatum to Join Islamic Insurgents or Leave Their Homes, “Nothing Has Happened on This Scale Before” Islamic insurgent terrorists in central Mali have given the region’s Christian community the options of converting to Islam and helping their insurgency or leaving their homes and communities, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports. Pakistan: Young Christian Girl Abducted and Forced into Islamic Marriage A 16-year-old Christian girl has been kidnapped from her home in Punjab Province, Pakistan, and forced into marriage with the Islamic man who abducted her, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. With an increasing number of young non-Muslim girls being abducted and forced into Islamic marriages, Pakistan ranks 7 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Unlike other nonagenarians celebrating their 91-year-old birthday with family and friends and enjoying retirement, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley spent his birthday standing on the U.S. Senate floor for over 30 minutes advocating for thousands of abused and missing children. Born in 1933, Grassley is the oldest U.S. senator, longest serving Republican in Congressional history, and sixth-longest serving U.S. senator in history. Only six Democrats in the U.S. Senate served longer than he has. He is likely to surpass two Democrats who served longer by 40-60 days, who were born in the 1880s. “In the Biden-Harris America, children disappear every day. You won’t see their faces on any milk cartons. Search parties aren’t set for them and the Amber Alert almost never sounds,” Grassley said. “According to the Justice Department’s filings, some of these children reappear years later in emergency departments with the injuries from physical or sexual abuse. Others resurface as underage laborers working jobs that most adults won’t even take, and many are never heard from again. These forgotten children are overlooked because they are unaccompanied migrant children” who are brought into the U.S. without family members.” Since fiscal 2021, more than 500,000 UACs have been brought into the U.S. without a parent or guardian and placed in the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS ORR). They are sent to HHS-contracted facilities nationwide, with the majority sent to Texas, California and Florida, The Center Square reported. For 10 years, Grassley has demanded accountability for UAC oversight. On his birthday, he pointed to reports showing over 100,000 missing UACs; Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General audits identifying neglect and abuse, including not vetting sponsors and losing track of children; and UACs being used for child labor. After HHS whistleblowers came forward with serious allegations, including an alleged Biden-Harris administration coverup, Grassley made criminal referrals to law enforcement. In one recent lawsuit against an HHS-funded NGO, the DOJ alleges a “pattern or practice of severe or pervasive sexual harassment of children” in their care. “So, we have to ask ourselves, if we’re humanitarians, how many more children have to endure abuse before Congress finally says enough is enough?” Grassley asked. “I say it shouldn’t be even one more.” Grassley’s bill, S. 5073, would deny future contracts to facilities identified by the DOJ as abusing UACs. He asked the Senate to pass it with unanimous consent, meaning no roll call vote was required. “I think this is a very commonsense [solution] that no politician, no member of the Senate – Republican or Democrat – should stand against,” he said. But one did: U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, effectively killed Grassley’s bill. He instead proposed an amendment to codify a Biden-Harris administration proposal, which Grassley rejected, arguing it puts UACs at further risk. Merkley said he shared the same concerns of Grassley but then criticized the Trump administration, claiming children were being separated from their parents five years ago. Border Patrol agents have explained that cartels use “fake family units” to smuggle and traffic UACs into and throughout the U.S., The Center Square has reported. Merkley also said Grassley’s “heart’s in the right place” and is “pointing out flaws that are very, very real” but disagreed on the solution. His proposal includes expediting UACs out of HHS-contracted facilities, eliminating fingerprint-based background checks, and checking criminal records of sponsors, among other measures. Grassley said his amendment was “merely cementing in place the Biden-Harris policy” that “willy nilly turns over children to sponsors” without verifying their identity and safety. Merkley blocked the bill after 158 House Democrats voted against another bill to ensure domestic violence abusers, sex offenders, child rapists and other violent criminals are deported. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., attempted to hold responsible ORR’s director by eliminating her salary, but 45 House Republicans joined Democrats to oppose his measure. Grassley next led a coalition of over 40 Republicans in the Senate and House again urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to hold accountable HHS ORR. “UACs often experience horrible sexual, physical, and emotional abuse” as they are often smuggled to U.S. borders, “victims of cartel trafficking and exploitation,” the coalition said. Their suffering doesn’t end once they arrive at the U.S. but continues when they are released “into the hands of unvetted sponsors who often continue to exploit and abuse them.” As the volume of UACs arriving in the U.S. increased, ORR significantly reduced “background checks and vetting procedures to speed up the process, despite knowing children were being trafficked through HHS ORR’s UAC program,” according to DHS OIG audits. Information sharing with law enforcement was negligible, ORR was negligent in caring for UACs, didn’t comply with congressional subpoenas, and didn’t provide requested information about the whereabouts of UACs to DHS, they argue. “HHS must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people,” they said. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Democrat Blocks Effort to Halt Funding NGOs Accused of Abusing Unaccompanied Minors appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square (Worthy News) – The second attempt to pass a temporary funding stopgap bill succeeded Wednesday in both the U.S. House and Senate, as Congress is set to leave town for six weeks. The new Continuing Resolution HR 9747 passed by a vote of 341-82 in the House with 82 Republicans voting against it. It later passed in the Senate, 78-18. The bill was debated earlier Wednesday on Capitol Hill under suspension of the rules and needed a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber for passage. It now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature. The package, negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and top Democrats, will keep the government funded at current levels until right before the holidays, on Dec. 20. The continuing resolution will provide $231 million in additional money for the Secret Service, including for operations related to the presidential campaign, in the wake of recent attempts to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Trump was the target of two assassination attempts – one in Butler, Pa., at a campaign rally on July 13, with a second attempt as he golfed at his club in Florida, as previously reported by The Center Square. The bill will also extend several expiring programs and prevent a government shutdown that could happen if the FY2025 appropriations were not finalized before the start of a new fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2024. In a letter to colleagues, Johnson said the new, three-month bill is a “bare bones” attempt intended only for necessary extensions to avoid billions of spending or unrelated provisions. “I commend the Speaker for his efforts to find a path forward. He was dealt a very difficult hand and has delivered once again for the good of the country. This path ensures Americans aren’t needlessly punished with a costly shutdown and allows the people – and, importantly, the next president – to have a say in the appropriations process.” said Rep. Tom Cole in a statement. The bipartisan negotiations started not long after the previous six-month continuing resolution fell short last week by a vote of 202-220, with 14 Republicans and three Democrats defecting across party lines due to the controversy over Johnson’s decision to tie voter ID provisions in the SAVE Act to the temporary spending plan. Specifically, the provision would require states to verify citizenship when registering voters. Johnson made no apologies for combining the two measures, stating, “Congress has an immediate obligation to do two things: responsibly fund the federal government and ensure the security of our elections.” The House is not set to reconvene until after the Nov. 5 election, leading to another deadline to avoid a shutdown before the holidays. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Government Shutdown Avoided as House, Senate Pass Stopgap Measure appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, has accused Russia of plotting potentially catastrophic attacks on Ukrainian nuclear plants after Moscow rejected his peace plan. In a defiant address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he also condemned China and Brazil, two Russian allies, for proposing an alternative to his peace formula. “You will not boost your power at Ukraine’s expense,” Zelenskyy warned. Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s prime minister, agreed with Zelenskyy and blasted China for supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine. “We cannot continue a situation where China helps Russia in a war … in Europe, without consequences. They have to be held responsible for their activities,” he said. Zelenskyy spoke as the Kremlin called his plan“to force Russia to make peace” a “fatal mistake” that would have consequences for Kyiv. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia wanted peace but that forcing the issue was impossible. Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, met with Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart, on the sidelines of the U.N. general assembly. The pair discussed “prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis” and measures to counter “the West’s escalation of the situation in the Asia-Pacific Region,” a statement said. Zelenskyy’s comments at the U.N. were also closely watched by Washington as he was to meet in the White House with U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss a “victory plan.” INTERNATIONAL CONCERN His talks come amid mounting international concern about the ongoing war since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Zelenskyy is also due to meet with the U.S. presidential candidates, Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris. The talks come as the embattled Ukrainian leader is seeking uninterrupted Western support despite a rising death toll on both sides and setbacks. Yet, despite earlier reports to the contrary, Russia’s troops did not reach the outskirts of Ukraine’s eastern town of Vuhledar, “but its reconnaissance groups are operating there,” said Vadym Filashkin, the governor of the Donetsk region, on Wednesday. Russia said it had captured two more villages in Ukraine, though this has not been confirmed, and was attacking Vuhledar, a longtime Ukrainian stronghold. Two people were killed and 12 others injured after a Russian-guided bomb strike on Ukraine’s eastern city of Kramatorsk on Wednesday, the Donetsk regional governor said. Russian troops used “three highly destructive bombs” in the attack on the town’s center that damaged two apartment blocks, shops, and cars, he said. WOMAN DIES An 80-year-old woman died as a result of Russian shelling in Kherson, Alexander Prokudin, the head of the regional military administration, said on the social media platform Telegram. “As a result of another shelling, two people who were on the street were injured,” he added. However, Kyiv suggested it retaliated as Ukrainian forces reportedly captured about 24 Russian soldiers and killed “several dozen” others during an operation to recapture an aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. The reports could not be independently verified. As fighting intensified, Kyiv had been seeking permission to use British-French-made Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory. While Britain supports the move, negotiations are ongoing with Washington as the weapons use some US technology, and the White House fears an escalation of the armed conflict. Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, told Russia he does not know how it can show its face at the United Nations after invading Ukraine and treating its own citizens as “bits of meat to fling into the grinder.” Starmer, addressing the U.N. security council on Wednesday, accused Russia of violating the U.N. charter because its invasion of Ukraine was illegal, threatened global security, and had caused “colossal human suffering.” There were renewed fears Wednesday that the war could turn into a broader armed conflict as the NATO military alliance said it plans to coordinate the transport of a large number of wounded troops away from the frontlines in case of a war with Russia, potentially via hospital trains as “air evacuations may not be feasible.” The war has already killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people on the Ukrainian and Russian sides. The post ‘Russia Plotting Catastrophic Attacks On Ukraine’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK (Worthy News) – Argentina’s president has condemned the United Nations’ policies toward Israel and warned Wednesday that the U.N. is turning into a dictatorial monster pushing its will or ideology on the world population. Javier Milei, in his first address before the United Nations General Assembly, said the world body “has transformed into a Leviathan with multiple tentacles.” He noted that the U.N. “intends to decide not only what each nation-state should do but also how all the citizens of the world should live.” The president condemned its latest “Pact for the Future” as “twisted,” saying the policy was the “wrong course” to follow. The “Pact for the Future” was the centerpiece of the Summit for the Future, which kicked off the high-level week for the U.N. General Assembly this week. The pact is the culmination of policies and mission statements issued by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres over the past few years. It seeks to expand the scope and focus of the U.N. and its members to handle “global shocks,” such as “disruptions to global flows of goods, people or finance.” ‘PRIVILEGED INTERESTS’ Yet, “The adoption of this agenda is fully in line with these privileged interests and looks beyond the principles that were set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and it is therefore twisted the role of this organization and set it on the wrong course,” Milei stresses during his impassioned speech. He noted, “This is how we moved from an organization that pursued peace to an organization that imposes an ideological agenda on its members.” Milei accused the U.N. of turning into “one of the main proponents of systemic violations of freedom,” citing the organization’s support for the COVID pandemic lockdowns and allowing “bloody dictatorships” such as Venezuela to sit on the Human Rights Council “without reproach.” “For this reason, I’d like to officially express our dissent on the Pact for the Future that was signed on Sunday. And I invite all nations of the free world to support us, not only in the U.N. in relation to this Pact but also in the establishment of a new agenda for this noble institution that is the agenda for freedom,” Milei declared. He also condemned the U.N.’s approach to Israel. Milei suggested that the U.N. was biased toward the Jewish nation while celebrating countries who “punish their women just for showing their skin in this same house that have voted against the State of Israel, which is the only country in the Middle East to defend a liberal democracy.” Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, applauded Milei’s challenge to the General Assembly and Guterres’ pact and called Milei “a true friend of the State of Israel.” “In this hall where they slandered Israel all day, you expressed courage and supported Israel!” The post Argentina President Warns Of UN’s ‘Dictatorial’ Tendencies And ‘Anti-Israel’ Stance appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Ahead of an expected call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. The notably rare move took place amid rising regional tensions over Taiwanese sovereignty and security tensions with US allies Japan and the Philippines The ICBM was launched by China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force and carried a dummy warhead, AP reports. It was not directed at any particular country and landed in a designated area in the sea, China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. “China choosing the Pacific Ocean as the location for test-firing its missile comes across as both a display of its increased nuclear capabilities and as a warning to the United States and its allies in the region, experts say,” AP noted in its report. In a statement to AP, former US defense official Drew Thompson noted that China’s launch coincided with the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. “[The launch] “is a pretty blunt signal,” Thompson said. “China is signaling that its forbearance has limits, that it is prepared to use its most powerful weapons to deter adversaries or punish them if needed if deterrence fails.” The post China Test-Fires an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, “A Pretty Blunt Signal” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Islamic insurgent terrorists in central Mali have given the region’s Christian community the options of converting to Islam and helping their insurgency or leaving their homes and communities, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports. Pastors in the town of Mopti in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta region were recently summoned by Islamic extremists, who told the Christians they should leave their communities unless they were willing to join the ongoing insurgency, Open Doors UK reported on August 30. “The implication was clearly a threat of violence if they did not – and violence from Islamic militants is the major cause of persecution against Christians in Mali,” Open Doors UK said in its report. The militants in question are believed to belong to the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) Islamic terror group. “Christians are very worried about this new development and are taking the threat seriously,” Mopti Pastor Charles Yabaga Diarra told Open Doors UK. “Nothing has happened on this scale before. Because the jihadists conquered the land, they feel it belongs to them, so they are telling the Christians to pay them a Zakat tax which is an Islamic tithe. Muslims and animists are already paying it.” Open Doors UK noted: “There is a real sense of fear for Christians living in the Mopti and Segu regions which have been taken over by Islamic extremists. They face an impossible choice either serving the wishes of extremist Islamic fighters or being driven out of their homes. Thousands of displaced Christians who are now living in Bamako might feel safer but they have lost everything – their livelihood and homelands.” Plagued by an Islamic terrorist insurgency since 2012, Mali ranks 14 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The post Mali: Christians Are Given an Ultimatum to Join Islamic Insurgents or Leave Their Homes, “Nothing Has Happened on This Scale Before” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A 16-year-old Christian girl has been kidnapped from her home in Punjab Province, Pakistan, and forced into marriage with the Islamic man who abducted her, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. With an increasing number of young non-Muslim girls being abducted and forced into Islamic marriages, Pakistan ranks 7 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. Diya Iftikhar was abducted from her parents’ home in Jaranwala, Faisalabad District, Punjab Province by Muslim Ghazaal Jutt and two armed accomplices while her parents were out on September 12, MSN reports. Neighbors reportedly saw the girl being forced into a van at gunpoint and driven away. “We were terrified because Ghazaal and his accomplices were involved in the Aug. 16, 2023 attacks on churches and homes in Jaranwala,” Diya’s mother Shahida told MSN. “They are notorious for their criminal activities, including sexual harassment of Christian girls.” Four days later, Diya’s parents received a video message saying their daughter had agreed to marry Ghazaal of her own free will. “We knew Diya was coerced to record this false statement because she detested Ghazaal,” Shahida told MSN. “She had often complained to us that Ghazaal and his friends used to harass her when she went to her tuition center.” Diya’s parents have reported the matter to police, who have so far failed to take appropriate action, MSN reports. “Typically, kidnapped girls in Pakistan, some as young as 10, are abducted, forced to convert to Islam and raped under cover of Islamic “marriages” and are then pressured to record false statements in favor of the kidnappers, rights advocates say,” MSN said in its report. “Judges routinely ignore documentary evidence related to the children’s ages, handing them back to kidnappers as their “legal wives,”” MSN said. The post Pakistan: Young Christian Girl Abducted and Forced into Islamic Marriage appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Hurricane Helene, a major storm with “life-threatening impacts,” is expected to make a quick landfall in the United States on Thursday, September 26, Accu Weather reports. The hurricane is moving over the Gulf of Mexico, rapidly gaining strength. Residents in the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend region and the central and eastern Gulf coast have been told to prepare for hazardous conditions and “extreme risk” posed by Helene. “Time is running out to prepare for Helene’s arrival,” Accu Weather warned on Wednesday morning. “This will be “a large storm with life-threatening impacts” hundreds of miles away from where it makes landfall.” “What is soon to be a major hurricane is approaching the Gulf of Mexico,” AccuWeather said. “AccuWeather meteorologists warn that communities along the central and eastern Gulf coast have less than couple of days to prepare for the fast-brewing, quick-moving Helene’s arrival, which can potentially bring life-threatening storm surge and flooding rainfall, as well as destructive winds.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in preparation for Helene. “Officials have expanded mandatory evacuation orders for the barrier islands and some low-lying coastal areas from the Florida Big Bend to near Tampa. Hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings have been issued for much of the Florida Gulf Coast,” Accu Weather said. The post “Life-Threatening” Major Hurricane Helene is Headed for Florida, Gulf Coast, “Time Is Running Out to Prepare” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK/BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Hezbollah confirmed it fired “a ballistic missile” toward the Tel Aviv area Wednesday, targeting the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they intercepted the rocket. The Iran-backed Islamic group announced that Wednesday’s strike was “in retaliation” for the explosion of pagers across Lebanon last week that killed dozens and injured thousands. Yet the IDF said its surface-to-surface missile system eliminated the threat as parts of Tel Aviv woke up to sirens. It came after Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah sites in Lebanon killed at least 569 people since Monday, according to the country’s Health Ministry, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. It did not specify how many combatants were among those killed. The United Nations Security Council was expected to meet Wednesday to discuss the escalating conflict. Yet while the U.N. was weighing its options, the IDF continued its aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon and the eastern area of Bekaa on Wednesday morning. The IDF said its warplanes attacked more than 100 targets tied to Hezbollah. ROCKET LAUNCHER The Israeli air force struck a rocket launcher in the area of Nafakhiyeh, south Lebanon, in response to the “launch of a Hezbollah surface-to-surface missile toward central Israel,” the IDF said in a separate operational update. It also confirmed that “approximately 40 projectiles” crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory Wednesday, as sirens sounded in the upper Galilee area. At least one projectile hit an “assisted-living facility in the area of Safed,” the IDF said, although no injuries were reported. It blamed Hezbollah and warned it would continue to strike its assets and weapons storage facilities in Lebanon. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the people of Lebanese people that Israel is “not at war with the people of Lebanon.” However, he said civilians should leave sites where Hezbollah stores weapons, including in homes. It has led to a massive exodus of tens of thousands of people, including families with children, rushing to safety. Wednesday’s hostilities came after U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israel and Hezbollah to step away from the prospect of all-out war in his last speech before the United Nations General Assembly. ‘SOLUTION POSSIBLE’ “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. The situation has escalated,” the outgoing president said. Yet, “A solution is still possible. In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security and to allow the residents of both countries to return to their homes,” he added. Biden highlighted the importance of a truce between Israel’s government and Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah. However, Hezbollah warned it would keep firing rockets into Israel until a cease-fire is reached between both parties in Gaza. “Now is the time for the parties to finalize the terms” of a cease-fire, countered Biden in his speech during the U.N. General Assembly. “Bring the hostages home, secure security for Israel and Gaza, free of Hamas’s grip, ease the suffering in Gaza, and end this war.” Yet as footage emerged of a cloud of smoke erupting during an Israeli airstrike on the village of Sujud in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, his calls for peace seemed illusive. The post Hezbollah Fires Missile At Tel Aviv Targeting Mossad (Worthy News Focus) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Casey Harper | The Center Square (Worthy News) – Americans’ confidence in the economy dropped sharply in September, the biggest one-month change since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to newly released data. The Conference Board’ Consumer Confidence Index, a marker of how confident Americans are in the economy, plummeted in September. The figure fell from 105.6 in August to 98.7 in September, the most significant drop since August of 2021. “Consumer confidence dropped in September to near the bottom of the narrow range that has prevailed over the past two years,” Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, said in a statement. “September’s decline was the largest since August 2021 and all five components of the Index deteriorated. Consumers’ assessments of current business conditions turned negative while views of the current labor market situation softened further.” The federal government announced earlier this year that it significantly overestimated its previous data on how many jobs the U.S. economy created last year, meaning the labor market was far weaker last year than the federal data previously showed. In fact, the U.S. economy created 818,000 fewer jobs than federal economists previously said, about a 30% reduction, the most significant jobs data revision in 15 years. “Consumers were also more pessimistic about future labor market conditions and less positive about future business conditions and future income,” Peterson added. Inflation has slowed since its breakneck pace earlier in the Biden administration, prompting the U.S. Federal Reserve to announce its first interest rate cut since 2020. However, prices remain elevated, having risen more than 20% since President Joe Biden took office. “This morning’s Conference Board Consumer Confidence report was surprisingly downbeat, dragged down by a continued deterioration of consumers’ assessment of the present labor market situation,” Parker Ross, Global Chief Economist at Arch Capital Group, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The metric from this report that I track most closely – the labor market differential (i.e. the net share reporting jobs plentiful less hard to get) – recorded its worst monthly decline in six months and extended a trend that suggests the unemployment rate will continue to rise,” he added. Wealthier Americans remained more confident, but poorer Americans were less confident. Notably, other consumer sentiment data has painted a rosier picture recently. “The drop in confidence was steepest for consumers aged 35 to 54. As a result, on a six-month moving average basis, the 35–54 age group has become the least confident while consumers under 35 remain the most confident,” Peterson said. “Confidence declined in September across most income groups, with consumers earning less than $50K experiencing the largest decrease. On a six-month moving average basis, consumers earning over $100K remained the most confident.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Consumer Confidence in U.S. Economy Plummets in Latest Data appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The US Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday published a new report showing that antisemitic hate crimes in the United States hit a record high in 2023, surging by 63%, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports. Although increases in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate crimes were also recorded, the number of antisemtic hate crimes far exceeded them. The FBI documented 1,832 antisemitic incidents last year, the highest on record, compared to 1,122 in 2022, TOI said. Although Jews only make up 2% of the US population, antisemitic incidents made up 15% of all hate crimes last year, and 68% of all religion-based hate crimes. “It was not immediately clear how many of the incidents occurred after Hamas’s deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel, when terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, starting the ongoing war between Israel and the terror group,” TOI noted in its report. “Antisemitic hate crimes shot up worldwide in the wake of the attack, and have remained at record levels since, amid the ongoing war in Gaza,” TOI noted. The FBI reported that anti-Muslim hate crime increased by 49%, with 236 incidents in 2023 compared to 273 in 2017, TOI reports. Anti-Arab hate crime increased by 34% last year, with 123 incidents recorded. The post Antisemitic Hate Crimes Surged by 63% in 2023, FBI appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News KYIV/NEW YORK (Worthy News) – U.S. President Joe Biden has told the United Nations General Assembly that the United States “will not let up on our support for Ukraine” in its fight against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and he also warned of all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel. Biden stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “war has failed” but added that the world has to choose whether to sustain support for Ukraine or “walk away from that aggression.” He also expressed concern about the Middle East, telling U.N. delegates that “a full-scale Israeli-Lebanese war is not in anyone’s interest.” Biden spoke to the U.N. while more than 100 Hezbollah rockets were reportedly fired at Israel while Israel’s military targeted a key Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon, in a deadly strike that reportedly killed six people. Biden stressed that a diplomatic resolution was still possible and called on Israel and Hamas to finalize a Gaza ceasefire deal. “A full-scale war [between Israel and Lebanon] is not in anyone’s interests, even in a situation that is escalating, a diplomatic solution still possible,” Biden said at the Assembly’s 79th session in New York. Diplomacy “remains the only plan” that would allow evacuated Israeli and Lebanese citizens to return to their homes on both sides of the border, he said. He also said, “We need to end the era of war that began on 9/11”, referring to the 2001 terror attacks against the United States by Al-Qaida. MORE WORLD ISSUES Biden also listed a slew of other issues the world is facing, including war, terrorism, the perceived “climate crisis,” and “the record displacement” of people. Yet the outgoing elderly president added, “Maybe because of all I’ve seen and all we have done together over the decades, I have hope.” This was the last time that Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly. The 81-year-old decided to drop out of the race for another term amid concerns over his age and health. Yet it was unlikely that former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, would continue Biden’s Ukraine policy if elected again in November. Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is seen as likely to continue supporting Ukraine’s war effort. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to meet all three key players in American politics. The U.N. General Assembly meets in New York, and the agenda includes Ukraine, the Gaza war, Sudan, and the U.N.’s future, among other critical topics. Security Council reform is also expected to feature, as the assembly adopted a cooperation ‘Pact for the Future.’ The post Biden Tells UN That US Continues To Back Ukraine In Fight Against Russia appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Scientists have grown a 10 feet (3 meters) tall tree from a 1,000-year-old ancient seed which possibly belonged to a lineage that produced the healing balm referred to as ‘tsori’ in the Old Testament of the Bible, Live Science reports. The study of the tree dubbed ‘Sheba’ was published in the journal Communications Biology on September 10. . The mysterious seed was discovered during an archaeological excavation of a cave in the Judean desert in the late 1980s, Live Science said. Reaching its current height after 14 years of growth, the tree now portrays its full characteristics: scientists were able to conduct DNA, chemical and radiocarbon analysis of its features. . The seed from which ‘Sheba’ was grown dates back to between A.D. 993 and 1202, the researchers said in the study. The tree belongs to the Commiphora family within the myrrh and frankincense family (Burseraceae), and is native to Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. The scientists believe the fully grown tree may produce Biblical “tsori” — a resin associated with healing that is referenced in the Old Testament books of Genesis, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, Live Science said. . “’Sheba’, an unknown Commiphora species with a unique genetic fingerprint, may represent an extinct taxon once native to this region whose resin ‘tsori‘ mentioned in Biblical texts was valuable, associated with healing but not described as fragrant,” the researchers wrote. “[…] the germination of an ancient Commiphora seed from the Judean Desert shows evidence for the first time of its presence in this region about 1,000 years ago and possible identification with a native tree or shrub whose valuable resin ‘tsori‘ was associated with medicinal use in the Bible,” the researchers said. The post 1,000 Year-Old Seed has Grown into a Tree that May Produce Biblical Healing Balm appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Hundreds of people answered the call to “surrender their lives” to Jesus during the seventh annual FaithFest Christian music festival attended by 30,000 people in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on Saturday. Established by Craig Church Ministries, the annual FaithFest “uses worship music and the Word of God “to unite believers, save the lost, bring a community together, and spark a revival that will change our area and beyond,” the event’s website explains. “It’s all for Jesus,” the website statement emphasizes. “FaithFest is a tremendous undertaking and planning is a year-round endeavor. It takes hundreds of volunteers and an army of supporters to make this happen. This is not a money-making event, rather it is for the single cause of lifting up and glorifying Jesus Christ. Our hearts’ cry is that the people attending this event will be drawn into the very presence of our Lord and be forever changed.” At least 70 people were baptized immediately, causing guest speaker Clayton King, pastor and founder of Crossroads, to write on social media: “Unreal. 30,000 people at FaithFest last night. Hundreds responded to the gospel.” “I’ve never seen so many people so hungry and desperate for God in my life. I think we’re in the midst of a spiritual awakening. The world doesn’t see it. But I’m witnessing it,” King added. The post North Carolina: Hundreds Respond to the Gospel at Annual ‘FaithFest’ Attended by Tens of Thousands appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – France’s President Emmanuel Macron has called for a “new international order” that would replace the current “unjust order” and include the reorganization of Europe and a potentially new approach to Russia, Newsweek reports. Macron made his remarks during a speech at the Sant’Egidio International Meeting for Peace in Paris on September 22. “We try to walk with this European political community but we will have to think of a new form of organization of Europe and rethink our relationship to Russia,” Macron said in his address to the Peace meeting. “In the same way as you said we have to build a new international order, is undoubtedly the greatest challenge of the moment because our order today is incomplete and unjust,” he continued. “We need to think about the world in a new form. It is necessary to take into account the geographical reality of Europe, which is not limited to either the EU or, most definitely, NATO. We need to think about a new form of organization of Europe and rethink relations with Russia in the future, as well as peace on this continent,” the French president added. Macron said the order created after World War II is “incomplete” because it does not provide for climate change, the technological revolution, or other future world changes, Newsweek said. Macron also stated the new order would work on equal representation for all European nations. The post Macron Calls for “New International Order” Including the Reorganization of Europe appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – An Israeli airstrike targeted a Hezbollah commander in the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, on Tuesday, reportedly killing six people, while Israel faced more than 100 rockets fired from Lebanon, several sources said. Israel’s military likely struck “Hezbollah’s rocket chief Amr Abdallah Dalsh,” a key commander of the Iran-backed Islamic group, Worthy News learned, citing Israeli sources. Lebanese media claimed he survived, but the Israel Defense Forces did not yet comment on the strike in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. Tuesday’s clashes came as Israel warned that attacks against the Iran-backed Islamic group would be accelerated. Security sources confirmed the Israeli strike in Lebanon after Israel’s military chief said the Iran-backed group would be given “no breathing space.” “The situation requires continued, intense action in all arenas,” stressed Military Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi after holding a security assessment. Israel struck the Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital for a second consecutive day after mounting a new wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Yet it did not prevent Hezbollah from hitting Israel again Tuesday. Some 105 rockets were fired at Israeli territory from Lebanon “within the past hour and a half,” Israeli sources said Tuesday afternoon local time. At least one suspected Hezbollah rocket struck an open area in the coastal city of Haifa’s bayside suburbs in northern Israel; police told local media. It comes amid fears that nearly a year of conflict could explode into an all-out war and destabilize the oil-producing Middle East, prompting the United States to send additional forces to the region. The post Israel Targets Hezbollah Commander; Warns Of More Strikes appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – An international team of scientists has published a peer-reviewed study in which they present evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, the Hill reports. Titled “Genetic tracing of market wildlife and viruses at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the paper was published on September 19 in the Massachusetts, United States-based scientific journal, Cell. While it does not rule out the possibility that the COVID-19 virus originated from human activity, the paper provides additional evidence that an infected animal transmitted the virus to humans at the Huanan seafood market in late 2019, the Hill notes. “The introduction by an animal trader infected by animals upstream of the market is further challenged by the probability that transmission chains dependent upon a single human would likely go extinct,” the 23 study authors report. “A sustained interface between infected animals and humans in a market is more likely to result in the establishment of an epidemic.” “We identify wildlife DNA in all SARS-CoV-2-positive samples from this stall, including species such as civets, bamboo rats, and raccoon dogs, previously identified as possible intermediate hosts,” the researchers write. “The publicly available genomic and epidemiological data from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic remain incomplete, and future data from this time could shed further light on hypotheses regarding its emergence,” the paper reads. The post New Study Presents Evidence the COVID-19 Pandemic Originated in Wuhan Seafood Market appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in southern Lebanon as massive Israeli airstrikes targeting the Islamic, Iran-backed Hezbollah group killed hundreds, witnesses and officials said. Israel had warned people to evacuate areas where it claimed Hezbollah was storing weapons, including in civilian areas. As the massive exodus was underway, Israel conformed and launched a fresh wave of strikes on Hezbollah overnight, targeting positions that had fired rockets into Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had attacked “dozens of targets” in several areas in southern Lebanon. The announcement came a day after at least “492 people were killed” in Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes. “Almost 1,650 people” were injured as well, said the Lebanese health ministry. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said the military was changing the “security balance” along its northern border in attacks that killed a senior Hezbollah leader and top commanders from the group in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Like tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel after Hezbollah attacks, the Israeli strikes prompted families in southern Lebanon to flee. LOADING CARS Many could be seen loading cars, vans, and trucks with belongings and people, sometimes multiple generations, in one vehicle. Witnesses said children “crammed onto parents’ laps,” and suitcases were tied to car roofs. Their rush to safety came as the United States was sending additional troops to the Middle East due to escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Pentagon said on Monday, without elaborating on the precise number or mission of the deployed forces. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, told media. “We have more capability in the region today than we did on April 14th when Iran conducted its drone and missile attack against Israel,” Ryder added, referring to Iran’s attack by more than 300 missiles and drones. The Iranian attacks caused only modest damage inside Israel thanks to air defense interceptions from the United States, Britain, and other allies in the region. However, Hezbollah’s attacks have raised worries that Israel would be forced to fight on multiple fronts, putting additional pressure on its exhausted military. The U.S. and other countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon in anticipation of a broader regional conflict. The post Massive Exodus Underway In Lebanon After Israel Attacks Hezbollah Sites appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The United States confirmed Monday that it is rushing additional troops to the Middle East as rapidly escalating violence between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon raised concern clashes could turn into a full-scale regional war. Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder added that the troops would join the 40,000 American troops already in the area, without elaborating on the exact numbers. The U.S. military added that on Monday, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, two Navy destroyers, and a cruiser set sail from Norfolk, Virginia, heading to the Sixth Fleet area in Europe. Worthy News learned that the ships’ departure opens up the possibility that the U.S. could keep both the Truman and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is in the Arabian Gulf, in the region. Their anticipated arrival came while Israeli forces increased airstrikes deep inside Lebanon while the U.S. State Department warned all Americans to leave as the risk of conflict spirals to levels not seen in years. Tensions have reached boiling point in the last seven days and started to deteriorate when pagers and walkie-talkies owned by members of Hezbollah exploded in a coordinated attack last week, killing dozens and injuring thousands. On Monday, hundreds of people were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, which came in response to relentless attacks by Hezbollah. The post U.S. Rushing Extra Troops To Middle East appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Experts said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin suffered an embarrassing setback as his feared ‘Satan 2’ nuclear arsenal failed four out of five missile tests. Satellite images reviewed by Worthy News appeared to show extensive damage at the launch pad of Russia’s Plesetsk test site, where the nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile exploded. A crater that experts said was about 60 meters (196 feet) wide at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, along with visible destruction nearby, was not seen in images taken earlier in the month. It suggested that the explosion in the silo created a vast crater and destroyed the test site. U.S. space technology company “Maxar collected new high-resolution satellite imagery yesterday (September 21st) that reveals the aftermath of a dramatic launch failure of a Russian RS-28 ICBM, said George Barros, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. “A large crater…is visible at the launch silo and extensive damage in and around the launchpad can be seen, which suggests that the missile exploded shortly after ignition or launch,” Barros, who shared the photos, wrote on social media platform X. LAUNCH FAILURE “We must not understate the importance of this launch failure vis-à-vis the information war. … This is a failure for a strategic Russian weapon system, but it is also an informational victory for Ukraine.” Experts said that because the RS-28 Sarmat uses liquid fuel, the explosion could have occurred without the rocket’s launch. This was reportedly the fourth unsuccessful attempt to test this new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The only successful test of the Sarmat missile took place on April 20, 2022. Moscow did not immediately acknowledge the missile test or confirm that it failed. However Thousands of Ukrainian troops have entered Russia’s Kursk region in recent weeks in what Kyiv views as a response to Russian aggression. The post Russia’s ‘Satan 2’ Missile Fails (Worthy News Focus) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article